Live more comfortable and earn extra money

[CottonCandyCrank]

The title says it all. I want to be able to live more comfortably. I come from a family that's always just got by, pay to pay, month to month. And I want better for us. I work part time/term time currently as it fits around my child at school and saves on childcare during school holidays. Partner works full time and earns an OK wage. We are all happy and healthy, we have a small semi house, nothing mega, we can just about manage 1 holiday abroad a year (but that uses the years savings) I have no extra savings should we need a new car (or like now our kitchen needs updating) Partner does all (or the majority) of the DIY in the house. I help where I can, painting, flooring etc.

I would love business ideas to enable me to pay off my mortgage. One less thing to worry about each month. I would love to have plenty of savings in my bank if I need a new car etc. Reading a thread on here about savings people have.. I want that 🤑 It's got me thinking what do people do to get so wealthy? And where the hell do you start?

I would love to work freelance to enable me to travel and earn money and I also want out of the UK to live somewhere with a nicer climate and a better lifestyle. Ideally Spain or Balearics but that wont likely come to fruition. Just somewhere where the weather is warm and the people are more relaxed and chilled. Less busy.

I just want something else to work towards to better our financial situation to enable us more freedom as a family and to give my children a better life. Where do people start? How to find the opportunity's? What is there to do? I'm not talking social media (tik tok and the likes) I hate being behind a camera. What are good ways to earn extra money online? Not selling old clothes etc, I do that when I can. But something that can give me a steady income each week/month? Where I dont have to risk losing money.

I need some inspiration or ideas on where to start to get me out of this lull I'm in.

Thanks

Hi no idea about career changes or side incomes. Hopefully some people will have more ideas on that,

we decided to forego an annual holiday abroad to have savings for a new car or household emergencies. So have more security which suits us.

would working full-time and paying childcare ( some schools getting free breakfast clubs soon etc) give you more of an income?

I don’t have any ideas for working freelance or anything like that. But if you can find a job where working on Sunday/bank holidays earn you more per hour then that’s always a winner. I have the option of overtime on a Sunday that is paid at 4hrs double pay (so essentially a full regardless of how long I spend in there. I went in on Sunday for 1hr 45min to carry out a task and that will earn me an extra days pay. A few of those a month on top of the odd half hour at time and a half really tops up my pay!

Can you do extra hours where you work and take parental leave to cover off some of the school holidays?

I would start by working out how much extra you want to earn- no point people suggesting you start doing surveys and collecting Nectar points when you're looking for £200kpa. Maybe do a budget using the MSE calculator for the lifestyle you want and see what it adds up to.

I would also think about the skills you already have. What do you do at the moment? What possibilities does it give you for promotion or moving sideways into something more lucrative?

I think the number of people making substantial amounts doing a few extra hours here and there is probably quite small.

I think you need to think more long term about your career and what you can do to progress to a better paid role as your DC get older. What sort of qualifications could you be doing now to improve your prospects. Same for DH, what can he do to make his ok wage a better one? Sadly, I don't think there are any online business opportunities that will make you money quickly and part time.

Maybe if you're handy try something like this?

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/feb/23/secrets-of-the-furniture-flippers-how-to-turn-trash-into-treasure

Or studying more always helps!

I can't do extra days currently as I work in a school so when that's closed I'm off 😆 I could look for a more full time role in a school and that would bump my wage up and still get the school holidays. But again.. in a school you're only paid 44 weeks of the year (not 52 as many presume) so even full time at 30k, that's only 25k because you automatically lose 8 weeks pay.

I could come out of schools and find a job that's 52 weeks a year, but depending on the salary, I'd then have childcare during the holidays to pay so would have to look at them options indivually.

I think most people want what you want lol. It’s not a bad thing to want I want that too, but working for yourself you have to realise the pros and cons which are generally variable income and no safety net.

You could go back to uni and retrain

If not and you want extra income

Dog walking
House cleaning
delivery driver
care assistant

are all things you can do after school

Become an accountant

I'd love 200k per annum but u doubt I'd ever be earning that 😉

When I saw the 'what savings people have' thread on here, I was quite blown away by how much some people actually have saved up. Some upwards of 1millions.. its bonkers and I just don't know how they get to that point.

They may have started out with weathly parents, or may have earned it.. but they must be so clever and savvy, plus likely made many sacrifices. I though only lottery winner and CEOs/directors and the likes of had that kind of wealth 🤣

Yes I know it's a dream for most, but it's also many peoples reality and I just don't know how they get to that point.

I see all this online do this to become wealthy and I know it's likely bull 💩 but it's very enticing 😬 all these people moving to dubai doing online/digital work, in their early 20s with babies... how? It's blows my mind 🤯

You've already got a thread going about this and had lots of advice?

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5281695-live-more-comfortable-and-earn-extra-money?page=4&reply=142443480

If it’s too good to be true…the it probably is. That’s all I can say! Working and living in Dubai for instance is not all it’s cracked up to be. Yes you can earn more but it’s a strict country and you are tied to your job. You would ideally need to find something that you’re naturally good at and work really really hard at it. Those who are very wealthy mostly come from generational wealth. Remember that.

I have, I posted this first and there wasn't much coming on it so I posted it on the popular aibu column. Is that OK? Sorry if that's upset you 😊

Yes, I wasted my time replying to that thread, when the OP clearly just wants a little moan about how unfair life is. Which is fine, but people were giving good advice!

I wouldn't do foreign holidays if it took my savings, I would knock those on the head for a couple of years to get some safety net in the bank. You need to have 3 x your monthly take home saved, if you lose your job you have 3 months to get another.

There is very little easy money, you need to start studying and/or re training.

You need to work full-time and pay the childcare for the early years. It's the only way to earn more as you are not working for a good portion of the year.

There's no such thing as get rich quick schemes.

You haven't wasted your time replying on the other post. I posted here first initially and there wasn't much response/info so I posted in the more popular feed. I'm not sure how to close/pause it.

Not once did I say my life is unfair 🙃 or that I'm unhappy, just looking at bettering myself and my finances. If that's moaning about life that's fine.

Sorry to piss you off... I clearly have 🫣

If you are not working in school holidays is it possible to be a school holiday only child minder? It wouldn't 200k, but you might be able to make a few quid.

I'm not actually sure tbh. I've never thought of this 🫠 It's definately something I will look into and what i would need to do that if its possible. Thank you for this idea ☺️

I made all my money by teaching people marketing online but in mn world I'm just a scammer

I’d look at something you’re super good at and make digital products (mini courses, pdf guides, workbooks) on it and sell low cost to start with like under £10.

Yes people can find the info online probably but actually people like someone else to pull it all together in one place for them.

The more niche the better. I’ve seen success on some pretty random things. Have a look on Etsy and eBay for guides and how to and lists under digital products etc. or templates they can sell well.

Once they’re set up though it’s then a way to make money without having to deliver services after you’ve sold it.

Use ChatGPt to brainstorm and research ideas. Use a VA to build the ‘system’ for people to buy and pay and get their thing.

Good luck!

Are you able to share more on what you do? And how you started? And where you are at now, earnings wise? Hours working a week? Etc. I don't think all online platforms/programmes etc are scammers, its clearly legit and somepeople earn really good komey.. but some will be for sure and it's hard to filter between the 2.

If you would rather not message on here, due to negativity, I'm happy for you to pm me if you could?

It's seems I'm just having a good old moan about life apparently because I posted this on 2 feeds cause the first one didn't get as much attention or advise and I realised maybe cost of living wasn't the right place to post. I couldn't actually find the best area to post 🙃

I also work in term time as a learning support practitioner but a few years ago I did a CELTA qualification.. now I teach English as a foreign language in the summer holidays. It cost just over a grand but I earn around 3.5K in the summer, there's the option to teach online too. The course was quite intensive doing part time in the evenings for four months.

This is interesting 😄 please enlighten me... how do you teach it to people who don't speak English? Do you have to speak their language on top?