I personally have great respect for stay-at-home moms. You might think that being a stay-at-home mom is just about taking care of the kids and cleaning the house, but the reality is far from that. Their work goes way beyond that. They are not only educators and emotional supporters for their children, but also the managers of the family budget.
You might think that earning money is something men should do, but think about it—stay-at-home moms also take on important financial responsibilities. Even though they don’t go out to work, they help save a significant amount of money for the family by budgeting wisely and planning expenses.
I can understand why more and more stay-at-home moms are looking for ways to save and make money online. Most of them are trying to ease the financial pressure on the family, provide security for future emergencies, their children’s education, or other investments. Whatever the reason, I want you to know that there are many great ways to make extra cash from home on the internet.
Perhaps you’re not very familiar with the internet, but I am. I’ve been making money online since college, and I know a lot of money-saving and earning methods. I also know which ones are suitable for stay-at-home moms with no prior experience. Let me help you solve this problem and achieve the goal of saving $2,000 a month. If that sounds like something you want, keep reading. Are you ready? Let’s start this journey together!
How Stay-at-Home Moms Can Save $2,000 a Month
Saving $2,000 a month is not as hard as you might think. There are many areas in life where you can save money, and the key is in planning and strategy. As a stay-at-home mom, you’re probably already good at budgeting, but there are methods that can help you manage your household budget even more effectively and easily save that amount.
Starting with daily expenses, there’s a lot you can do. For example, when it comes to food, we can avoid dining out and using services like DoorDash for delivery. By cooking at home, you not only save a significant amount but also have more control over the health and quality of ingredients.
When buying long-term supplies, such as toilet paper, laundry detergent, and cleaning products, you can buy in bulk. This often comes with more discounts. Additionally, many items are much cheaper when purchased from wholesale sites or discount stores.
Here’s another money-saving tip I’ve been using since college, which has helped me save tens of thousands of dollars. It’s through cashback and rewards programs. Many online shopping platforms and credit cards now offer cashback and points rewards. By using these platforms when shopping, you can earn cashback or points, which effectively reduces your shopping costs.
Don’t underestimate the savings from cashback. When you’re buying clothes for your family, for example, through cashback platforms, you not only get access to great product deals but also earn a percentage of cashback after your purchase. Over time, the amount you can accumulate will be quite substantial.
7 Money-Saving Methods for Stay-at-Home Moms:
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Rakuten Cashback Platform
Stay-at-home moms often need to buy everyday items for their babies. If you’ve compared prices at physical stores, you’ll realize that online prices are often cheaper. For instance, a can of baby formula might cost around $20 in a physical store, but it could be only $15 online.
What if I told you that shopping online not only gives you better prices but also offers cashback? That’s the magic of Rakuten. With Rakuten, you can earn cashback when shopping at thousands of online stores. This means you can enjoy lower prices than in physical stores and also earn cashback, helping you save even more.
Since I started using Rakuten, I’ve earned over $10,000 (note: I’ve been using it for more than five years). I often recommend Rakuten to my friends, and it really works. Signing up is free, and you don’t need to submit any complicated forms to get cashback. Here’s what you need to do:
Find the store you want to shop at within Rakuten and click the “Shop Now” button.
Shop as usual.
Get your rewards via PayPal or check.
Once your Rakuten balance reaches $5, you can withdraw it via PayPal or request a check. However, keep in mind that Rakuten usually only pays out rewards four times a year, at fixed times. If you consistently shop through Rakuten every month, you’ll find that these small cashback amounts gradually add up, eventually giving you a substantial savings. Over time, Rakuten cashback will become a key part of your family’s savings plan, helping you reach your goal of saving $2,000 a month.
Read More: 9 Best Ways to Get Paid to Shop for Yourself or Others
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is similar to Rakuten in that it offers cashback for online shopping, and stores within Swagbucks often provide better prices and additional cashback during holidays. I highly recommend shopping on weekends to get the maximum cashback.
You might be skeptical about Swagbucks’ reliability, given that there are many scam platforms online that don’t allow you to cash out once you’ve reached the minimum cashback amount. But don’t worry—I only recommend platforms that I’ve personally tested.
Swagbucks has a TrustScore of 4.2/5 on Trustpilot. The company was founded in 2008 and has paid over $410,400,366 to its 10 million members (including myself). Besides Rakuten, Swagbucks is the cashback platform I use the most.
Swagbucks
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Of course, there are other reasons to choose Swagbucks. In addition to earning rewards for shopping at your favorite stores, you can also earn cash or free $50 gift cards by engaging in activities like watching videos, completing surveys, and playing video games.
For stay-at-home moms with some spare time, this is an excellent additional income stream! Swagbucks allows you to earn extra cash or rewards without interfering with your daily routine. Even just using a few minutes of your child’s nap time, you can easily earn some extra rewards.
If you’re new to Swagbucks, you’ll also get an extra bonus as a new member. Simply click the link below to create a free Swagbucks account, and you’ll receive a $5 reward. What are you waiting for? Take action now!
Read More: How I Earn Free Money With Swagbucks: Swagbucks Review
Ibotta
The number of merchants on Ibotta might not be as vast as Rakuten or Swagbucks, but its cashback offers are definitely some of the strongest. Ibotta focuses on rewarding users with “cashback,” especially excelling in everyday shopping and grocery purchases.
If you’re used to buying everyday food, household items, or even health products at the supermarket, Ibotta can help you save a significant amount of money. Essentially, you are getting paid for buying the things you would already be purchasing!
Of course, I recommend Ibotta for a reason. One of my favorite features is that you can easily accumulate savings from your weekly grocery shopping. After quickly snapping a photo of your receipt as proof of purchase, the cashback will be credited to your account.
Ibotta supports many brands and online platforms for cashback, and it also covers traditional grocery store purchases, which means you can earn rewards both when shopping online and when shopping in physical stores. Whether you shop offline or online, Ibotta helps you accumulate cashback in the simplest way possible.
MyPoints
Whether you’re shopping online for yourself or buying a birthday gift for someone, you should be using cashback apps to earn cashback on online orders. This can lead to considerable savings. At first, I wasn’t too concerned with cashback platforms, thinking they might not be reliable or that the cashback would be too small. But when I started using MyPoints, I realized its potential.
With MyPoints, you can earn up to 40% cashback on online shopping at over 2,000 stores, including popular retailers like Amazon, Macy’s, and Expedia.
Like Swagbucks, MyPoints offers several ways to accumulate rewards. You can earn money not only through online shopping but also by completing surveys, watching videos, and other activities. Every point you accumulate can eventually be redeemed for cash, PayPal balance, or various gift cards.
When your account reaches $10, you can exchange your points for PayPal cash or gift cards. If you shop online frequently, you’ll quickly reach this threshold and be able to cash out.
Selling Unused Items
Do you have old electronics at home? Is your closet full of clothes with the tags still on? Are old furniture pieces taking up too much space? These items can all be monetized. For stay-at-home moms, using things you no longer need to make money not only frees up space but also provides additional income for the family.
Many people don’t realize that these accumulated items around the house can be a source of income. Electronics, children’s toys, old clothes, furniture, and kitchenware—these items can be sold on the second-hand market and contribute to your savings.
We can sell unused items through online platforms like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, and more. All you need to do is take clear photos of the items, price them reasonably, and post them. Then, wait for potential customers to reach out.
Selling unused items around the house is a very effective way to save money and make money. By turning items you no longer need into cash, you can also declutter your home and improve your living environment. With the right platforms and pricing strategies, these items can be turned into income, providing more financial support for your family.
Buying Discounted Gift Cards
I especially love saving money through discounted gift cards. Whether it’s for daily essentials, food, clothing, or holiday shopping, discounted gift cards can help you significantly reduce your spending without compromising on shopping quality.
Perhaps you’re not familiar with how discounted gift cards can help save money, but it’s quite simple. Just like we handle unused items, many people don’t pay attention to gift cards—they’re more willing to sell them at a discounted price, and we can take advantage of that by purchasing these gift cards at lower prices to save on shopping expenses.
Many third-party platforms like Raise, CardCash, and GiftCardGranny offer discounted gift cards, usually priced below their face value, with common discounts ranging from 5% to 30%. This means you can buy a $100 gift card for $90, which effectively gives you a 10% discount when shopping.
There’s a wide variety of gift cards available, covering almost every store, supermarket, restaurant, and online platform you frequent. Whether it’s for food, household items, children’s products, clothing, or electronics, discounted gift cards can help you save quite a bit of money.
Unsubscribe from Emails
This might be one of the simplest yet most overlooked ways to save money—unsubscribing from unwanted promotional and advertising emails. Many merchants and brands send frequent promotional messages, discount notifications, or limited-time offers via email. These seemingly attractive ads often tempt you to “click” and buy things you didn’t originally need.
Although each small purchase might not seem like much, over time, the accumulated spending can become a significant amount. As a stay-at-home mom, household budgets are often tight, and these promotional emails can subtly entice you to overspend, especially when you’re feeling anxious about your children’s or family’s needs. These seemingly tempting deals only end up costing you more.
So, now you should know what to do. Take some time to unsubscribe from those emails, and you can start saving money and building wealth. By the way, it’s fine to continue subscribing to stores you particularly like and shop at, but be extra cautious when you see a deal in your inbox.
How to Afford Being a Stay-at-Home Mom
As a stay-at-home mom, even though you’re not working outside the home, the financial burden of the family still rests on your shoulders. One of the challenges many stay-at-home moms face is how to balance household expenses and ensure the family’s financial health, especially if a family’s income relies on a single source.
While you may not have a traditional income, there are many ways to afford being a stay-at-home mom, and even aim to save $2,000 a month.
Create a Household Budget
As a stay-at-home mom, you have more time to manage family expenses. To get a detailed view of upcoming expenses, you need to create a comprehensive budget that tracks all your income and expenses. This way, you can clearly understand where your money is going and identify any unnecessary spending.
Food expenses: Avoid dining out frequently or using takeout services, and try cooking at home. You can reduce waste by buying ingredients in bulk and planning your weekly menu.
Household items: Take advantage of discounts and bulk purchasing for everyday supplies (such as toilet paper, cleaning products, laundry detergent, etc.), which will effectively lower the costs of these essentials.
Transportation costs: Reduce unnecessary travel, use public transportation, and avoid frequent refueling.
Utilize Cashback and Rewards Platforms
Cashback platforms can allow you to earn extra income on everyday purchases. While the cashback may not be large with each transaction, it adds up over time and becomes a significant source of income.
For example, Rakuten, Swagbucks, and Ibotta offer various cashback opportunities for grocery shopping, online shopping, or everyday products. These platforms provide an additional income stream.
Earn Extra Income Through Part-Time Jobs
While your primary role as a stay-at-home mom is to care for the household and children, if time permits, part-time work can be a great source of income.
There are many part-time jobs that require no experience and are suitable for stay-at-home moms to do at home, such as filling out surveys and completing small tasks. Platforms like Swagbucks, InboxDollars, and others offer opportunities to earn small amounts by doing surveys, watching ads, or completing simple tasks.
If you have writing skills, consider becoming a freelance writer or editor. Many websites and blogs are in need of content creators, and this part-time job offers flexibility in hours and decent income.
Additionally, you could choose jobs like virtual assistant or social media management. You can select based on your own situation, and as you gain more experience, you can gradually increase your income and even develop it into a long-term source of revenue.
FAQ About Saving Money for Stay-at-Home Moms
How much can a family save each month?
Each family’s financial situation and spending habits are different, so the amount saved will vary. However, with careful budgeting and planning, as a stay-at-home mom, you can significantly reduce household expenses. For example:
Food and dining: If you avoid dining out, reduce takeout, and cook at home, you can save $300-$500 a month. Planning meals in advance and buying ingredients in bulk to avoid food waste will also contribute to additional savings.
Household items: Bulk buying and utilizing discounts for daily necessities (like toilet paper, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies) can save $50-$100 each month.
Transportation: If you can reduce driving, use public transportation, or carpool, you can save $100-$200 on gas and parking.
Online shopping cashback: Using cashback platforms like Rakuten, Ibotta, etc., you can save $50-$100 a month, depending on your shopping habits and how often you use cashback services.
With these money-saving methods, you can save at least $500-$1,000 a month. If you’re particularly frugal, the savings could be even higher.
Is it possible for a stay-at-home mom to save $2,000 a month?
It is entirely possible to save $2,000 a month, but this requires some strategy and detailed budget management. First, tracking monthly income and expenses is key. By recording fixed expenses and variable spending, you’ll have a clear picture of cash flow and can identify unnecessary costs to optimize your spending structure.
Additionally, using cashback platforms, coupons, and reward programs while shopping not only allows you to enjoy discounts but also earn cash back, further reducing your daily expenses. This is an effective way to save as well.
By creating a reasonable budget, planning your spending, and using cashback, discounts, and reward strategies, accumulating savings of $2,000 per month is not difficult. While it requires time and persistence, I believe you can achieve this goal.