What did you do during Mat Leave to earn some mnoney?

[rosear]

Hi everyone!
I am looking to earn some money, extra pennies, during mat leave that then I could use for myself without using savings - so Im not planning/expecting to ear a lot. I have been researching a bit online but would love to know if you did do anything during mat leave to earn something and what that was?
I am fully aware the months ahead are going to be hard, so just want to at least give a go at earning some money somehow!
Thanks for the help,

You won’t have any time - you will have a baby dependent on you 24/7 and there will be times when you’ve only had a couple of hours sleep each night.
DH and I saved in advance to cover any loss of my salary whilst on maternity leave.

I would be amazed if you had time. If you're claiming maternity pay in any form and you start working during your mat leave you will be required to declare it and your payments will likely be stopped.

For the first few months you won’t be able to do basic things for yourself let alone earn money - babies can be in a cycle of eat/sleep/poo almost every hour day and night

so don’t have any ideas for this

surveys perhaps as baby starts napping - but you will need to prep food, wash bottles and other things in that short time

There are strict rules governing working on maternity leave. But if you were planning cash in hand work there are a few options. Don't know if cafes or pubs do cash in hand but that's an option If you have a partner to mind the baby in the evenings. Maybe ironing at home. Or sell on Ebay. Buy from charity shops and resell. Not easy but folk do this. Maybe some babysitting.

If you start a second role during mat leave it ends your mat leave with the first role. So be careful! If you already have a 2nd job before you go on mat leave you can carry on in that role while on mat leave from the 1st job.

Nothing, I was choosing to be off work to look after my baby.

I did KIT days at my work once I got to 6 months and my mat pay dropped, which gave a nice boost in those months.

I did some KIT days with work and you can be paid for those without losing your smp. Can’t remember the exact number though it’s only something like 5 over the course of maternity that is allowed.

I also sold some bits and pieces on eBay. Was sale of my own possessions I no longer needed rather than buying things to sell to
it’s not classed as income. Thst was fairly minimal money though but abit extra

If things are that tight, returning to work early seems like the best solution?

I wrote my first novel on maternity leave, but only sold it considerably after I'd returned to work, so no help there.

Coming to the end of my maternity leave atm. I had so many plans to warn a bit of cash. Never happened. Thank God we saved in advance for my unpaid months.

What about dog walking? You could strap the baby in a carrier and both get some fresh air. If you’re in London, very well paid too (my amazing dog walker charges £17 for a 45 min walk)

Sketch people's dogs from photographs for cash in hand.
Feed and walk people's pets when thay are away - again for cash.
Bake Anzac Biscuits, package them and sell them at a market - for cash.
Pick up afriends' children from school one or two nights per week and get paid in cash.

Instead of making money, maybe think about how to save money? Buy a ball of wool for a couple of quid and make a jumper/cardigan for the baby instead of paying £15-£20 in the shops for one?

@rosear apart from the second job affecting your SMP, you'd have to pay tax on a second job and - unless the second job is paying mega bucks - it usually isn't worth it. If you do cash-in-hand jobs, you'd still need to declare it if your first income goes over £12,570 a year and HMRC would take a cut. (Although tbh if your income is at £12,570 or lower, I think you'd qualify for benefits?)

You could earn £1000 a year tax-free selling stuff from charity shops on Vinted. You could sell your own stuff too - but if you're selling loads, you'll be seen as a trader so will probably have to pay tax.

Takes a bit of effort to get your stuff seen, isn't a guaranteed income but may take the edge off and isn't exactly a part-time job.

You could post while baby is asleep, few photos and a description. Post when you go for a walk with baby. Easier if you have a home printer. A good friend of mine pays for her summer holiday abroad every year out of her Vinted pot, so worth a shot.

MSE has a good guide: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/boost-your-income/#needtoknow2-2

KIT days

Depop! This was before Vinted 5 years ago.

didn’t make much but had a good clear out and made at least an extra £20/£30 a week, it also encouraged me to get out and about with the baby, I’ll be doing the same again because the amount of clothes we have we don’t wear is ridiculous and I hate cluttered drawers etc.

My baby is six months old and will only sleep in my arms. Some days, DH gets home and I haven’t even been able to brush my teeth, change out of my pyjamas, or make any lunch! There is no way I could even conceive of doing any work 😂

I agree with previous posters you won’t have time to work let alone wash your hair in the first 3 months 😂

From my experience the first 3 months were the hardest with constant nappy changes, putting baby to sleep, making milk and sterilizing bottles and don’t forget the sleep deprivation!

So I’d suggest doing KIT days and start saving money before your baby is born. 👍🏻

Thank you! yes, this is more what I mean... even if its 20£/month that's 20£ I could save or use if I need to buy anything or have a coffee out!

This is a great one, I will browse as this is something I could do even if once a week and can be paid in cash

I went back to work part-time at 12 weeks pp. Got childcare for the mornings and worked remotely for 3 months so I could keep BF'ing, going back to the office FT at 6 months. You don't HAVE to take 9-12 months off if funds won't allow it.

Professional dog walkers have a lot of insurance to be paid for and also most will have doggy first aid qualifications. It's not just a matter of taking your neighbours dog for a walk.

Also what if you got quite a boisterous dog who kept pulling you over while carrying your baby. Could be a disaster.

KIT days in the later months. You can have up to 10. Or if you move to shared parental leave I think that’s 20 SPLIT days (same as kit just another name).

Don’t plan to do anything in the first 4-8 weeks. I didn’t even manage to go to a baby group until 12 weeks.

Echo vinted being a place to make a very small amount. A bit of a trap though that I ended up just using the money to then buy the next size clothes for DS. I guess it saves money on new clothes, but I have ended up spending a lot on that site.

If you do it through an app like Rover they will manage the admin and legalities for you. It also also allows you to do pet sitting.
My friend makes pocket money through the site by dropping in to play with and feed cats while their owners are away.

Do you have a partner? They should be supporting you, rather than you having to earn more or dip into savings