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Original poster

Ideas for earning £50 a week, at home, in the evenings, please!

31 replies

FrayedKnot · 05/02/2006 21:44

I have been looking for a part time job for a few weeks now. I have been to 5 interviews and although still waiting to hear on two of them, noen of them are really what I want and all of them are (what I consider compared to what I earned before), badly paid.

Anyway if I work 18-20 hours a week (my preferred hours) and DS goes to the more expensive but more convenient nursery, I will be bringing home around £50 a week.

If he goes to a slightly cheaper nursery, nearer £75.

It barely seems worth it but there is also the long term factor of decreasing childcare costs to consider and getting back into a career of some sort.

But - I'm thinking now perhaps I should find something to do to fit in around DS which would earn the equivalent - but what could I do?

Preferably something which exercises my brain. Ironing lady I am not.

OP posts:
notasheep · 05/02/2006 21:49

Dont know your full circumstances?,if you worked in the evening you wouldnt have nursery costs would you?

Skribble · 05/02/2006 21:50

I attempted Betterware, but instead of working from home you end up traipsing the streets either with your fed up kids or trying to orgainise family to look after them only to pick up lots of empty order forms, sorry not very helpful but just my experience.

Skribble · 05/02/2006 21:51

Do you have a degree, some of the mums do a question answering thing on the net. Or if you are good at the banter what about telephone chat lines .

Original poster
FrayedKnot · 05/02/2006 21:53

Exactly, notasheep.

I can't work outside the home in the evenings because DH is often working away.

I don't want to work weekends (days) because that is our time together as a family. I would maybe work a weekend evening at home, plus some time in evenings in the week.

The main factor is avoiding childcare costs, plus having something to keep me ticking over until I can retrain / work properly again e.g. when DS goes to school.

OP posts:
freshstart · 05/02/2006 21:54

Hey! I am an ironing lady with a brain! Its not too bad

Original poster
FrayedKnot · 05/02/2006 21:54

Yes I do have a degree. I do remember a thread about that once but wasn;t sure if it was for me, will try to find again.

OP posts:
Original poster
FrayedKnot · 05/02/2006 21:55

Sorry FS I didn;t mean ironing ladies don;t have a brain

I just meant I'd like to be doing something that used mine because the rest of my days don;t call for it much.

OP posts:
Skribble · 05/02/2006 21:58

What about ann summers/ Mini IQ/ the card one that I can't remember the name of/ silver jewelry/ candles. Lots of party plan ones. Ideal if you are happy chatting away to a bunch of woman. Can be supplemented by doing stalls at fairs and other events like coffee mornings. i would have gone for this myself, probably ann summers if it wasn't for the fact my DH works a lot of evenings so I have to find a 9.30 to 2.30 job that don't really exsist. (Although I do have an interveiw tomorrow ).

charliecat · 05/02/2006 21:59

You could try buying decent designer label things in charity shops and selling them on. Loads of people do that.

Skribble · 05/02/2006 22:00

charliecat do you mean on E.bay?

charliecat · 05/02/2006 22:02

yep, sorry had 3 glasses of wine and brain not working properly

freshstart · 05/02/2006 22:03

I have also done bodyshop, mini iq and phoenix cards with no success.

You have to sell an awful lot to make any decent money - depends if you are happy selling to people? Also, if you do that you will need babysitters!

Im a childminding now as well as ironing - still dont use my brain much ;)

Original poster
FrayedKnot · 05/02/2006 22:05

Might have considered party plan / books where we used to live but not in new area where I don't know anyone. Think it would be too hard to break into.

Skribble good luck for tomorrow!

Most of the interviews I have been to would have preferred school hours, it's the nursery session hours I'm having the problem fitting round!

OP posts:
Skribble · 05/02/2006 22:12

If buying from charity shops do shop around some really bump up the prices on labelled ggods, others like independant ones have better more realistic prices. Our local one sells of as much as they can on a Friday half price for the next group coming in on the Monday. Also make frinds with the staff and get them to keep stuff for you.

As you say with party plan it is all in the selling, you have to be able to relax and give all the patter. I did a party plan style night with my own stuff (pocket money toys) and it went really well, I sold about £100 worth on the night and had another £50 in orders from the hosts freinds who couldn't make it. My stock is more suited to pre christmas parties so i think next year I will try to do more. I do fairs and the Sunday market (Once its warmer).

Skribble · 05/02/2006 22:15

I meant to say don't worry about not knowing many people, once you have one or 2 parties its all about getting the other guests to have their own and tempting them with the percentage they get. The one good thing about Ann Summers is everyone knows what to expect, once they have a drink and play a few games they get carried away and feel obliged to buy at least one thing to keep the host happy. I suppose if you live in a small community you would have to travel outside a bit as their can only be so many parties selling the one thing before they get fed up with it.

Kayleigh · 05/02/2006 22:37

I am doing mini iq and am doing quite well at it. Just wanted to put the flip side to freshstarts post ! I don't think you have to know people in an area to get started. You could do a nursery or couple of toddler groups to start - and you would get to know people from those.

spacedonkey · 05/02/2006 22:54

That question answering thing pays dreadfully ... 30p per question answered (which may take up to 10 minutes, although they claim it takes 2.5) - I looked into it but decided it was a waste of time

Skribble · 05/02/2006 23:00

spacedonkey- I wondered about that one, I never went for it because i don't have a degree, I thought about blagging it but it didn't seem worth it. I love researching on the net and finding all sorts of info but yet to find that lucrative job yet.

spacedonkey · 05/02/2006 23:04

skribble - it would be fun, and if you enjoy it, and earn a bit of money at the same time, then it could be a good idea

I did the researcher test and thoroughly enjoyed it!

bubblerock · 05/02/2006 23:22

Frayedknot - if you look here there are lots of ideas and contacts for work from home including party plan - it might be useful to see if anyone does this in your area and you may pick up some ideas.

stitch · 05/02/2006 23:26

can you tutor children?
three hours of tuition a week should net you fifty poudns. or more even

CountessDracula · 05/02/2006 23:37

how about AQA?

here you answer questions for cash

spacedonkey · 05/02/2006 23:39

that's the 30p one CD

CountessDracula · 05/02/2006 23:44

ah sorry only read the question!

tigermoth · 05/02/2006 23:54

you might be able to do some telephone interviewing market research type job from home. A lot of telephone interviewing goes on in the evenigs, when people are home from work. I think many companies prefer you to work from their own premises, but I've heard of ones that are happy for you to use your own phone, and pay you for this.

Also, can you drive? If so, how about delivering mail order parcels in in your local area. OK, not a strictly home based job, but you can do it in the evenings, for hours to suit, so could fit it in when your dh is around to take care of your children.

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