When people hear that I am a stay at home mom (SAHM), I usually feel pressure to prove what I do to provide support to my family.

This should not have to be said, but being held responsible for meals, school lunches, cleaning, and other family tasks is definitely a job in itself. I also have freelanced in the last year and this post is about how you can be productive as a SAHM whether you are just in charge of the house or working from home.

How to be productive as a SAHM

1. Use a Planner – One of the biggest and most important things for me to be productive is writing and tracking my ideas, tasks, and events. This is why my #1 tip for being productive is keeping a planner. That may be your iCal or an actual paper planner and the good thing is the possibilities are endless. I use a paper planner and you can use my Erin Condren referral link to receive $10 off your order.
   
2. Break up Projects – Whether it’s cleaning out old clothing or going through your kitchen cabinets for spring cleaning, it’s important to break up projects into smaller tasks. Whenever you think of something you want to accomplish, break it down into at least 3 separate tasks you can schedule throughout the week.
3. Coupon – I love coupons and yes, I am that lady that may hold up the checkout line a bit and I’m not sorry about that. There is something so satisfying about having a full basket of household items and paying only 20-50% of the total cost. I use CouponMom.com and it’s really cool because they have up to date databases for pretty much any store in your area. You have to sign up with your email, but you can choose to op-out of all emails (though I don’t suggest it). They send weekly freebies with full information on what date the coupon was in the paper and when the store’s sale ends. The resource has saved our family hundreds of dollars.
   
4. Measure Happiness – Create a happy meter in your mind or in a journal and consider how your family and you are doing. Think of yourself first always because your unhappiness can drip into everything you do for your family. Be there 100% for your loved ones by actually giving yourself some me-time. Yes that sounds contradictory, but trust me when I tell you it is also a gift for them.

Ways to Make Money from Home

Yes, there are a ton of scams or endless rabbit holes on the internet for this one. But I have actually found ways to make legitimate money from home. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions on these. I may do a follow post with more information.

1. Blogging – I have been blogging for over 5 years now and I am always learning because it has evolved so much. When I first started it wasn’t with the intention to make money, but over time I was blessed to participate in sponsored content and have gotten free stuff or in some cases paid cash for sharing my opinion on my blogs. I don’t make a lot of money from blogging, but sponsored posts can be anywhere between $50 and $300.
2. Fiverr – I setup my Fiverr seller profile in 2015 and made over $1000 in 10 months. It may not seem like a huge amount, but it has helped pay for Jazlynn’s dance classes and more random expenses. Use my Fiverr referral link and get a free gig. On the other hand, if you have the need for someone to complete work for you, use my Fiverr referral link to receive a discount on your first order.
3. Uber – Okay so this isn’t exactly a work from home gig, but it’s still a cool job with no startup costs. All you do is sign up and register your vehicle information and insurance. Uber processes a background and your vehicle information and you can get on the road. Use my Uber referral link to earn a $50 bonus.
4. UpWork – I haven’t been as lucky with this site, but I cannot say it’s been fruitless because I did get a few Virtual Assistant jobs on their site. You setup a profile and apply to jobs (for which many others also compete). I have found that I have put a lot of time and effort, and not reaped the rewards of earning a job as much as I have on Fiverr. The issue here is many clients are looking for cheap VA’s and not usually willing to pay for quality. But it doesn’t hurt to try. I’ve earned anywhere between $7 and $20 per hour for jobs on UpWork.

What do you do to maintain your productivity levels?