We’re farming in the age of the internet, we don’t just have to make our money on roadside stands (we do have one though!) and locally. We can make some supplemental income online too. As a stay-at-home farm mom it definitely helps to have extra income, even if it’s just to feel a little less guilty when getting a coffee at the drive-thru or to buy little essentials like new shoes for the kids, kids always need new shoes.
Start a website
When you have your own website you can make an income with ads and affiliate links. With a website, you get a portion of income based on how many people see and click through on your ads. I use Google Adsense for my ads and everything automatically populates. I like to use Amazon for affiliate links, because you can buy almost everything on Amazon. I know that I buy everything on Amazon, because I live in the middle of nowhere (my nearest Target is literally an hour drive.) The more traffic your website gets, the more money you can make. I recommend making images with text with a catchy title and sharing your posts across social media and Pinterest to get more eyes on your website.
Social media
Unlike having your own website, social media normally has a lot of qualifications in order to get in their earnings programs. I’ve been on social media for well over a decade and don’t meet any of those thresholds. Some people are great at gaining followers organically and this is a good route for them. You can still use affiliate links on most social media accounts too, but getting people to click through is going to be a lot harder.
Swagbucks
I know this seems silly, but remember this website, Swagbucks, from the dawn of the internet? I love using it to play games on my phone in exchange for gift cards. I literally paid for our chicken plucker by playing puzzle games. Having gift cards from playing games means we can afford extra things for our homestead, things we don’t necessarily need, but things that help us a ton. (If you’ve every plucked chicken feathers by hand, you know a plucker is basically a necessity.) Use my link to sign up for a bonus! Swagbucks link
Survey sites
I’m a total nerd when it comes to sociology, data, and surveys. I love taking surveys for major colleges online on Prolific.com and Cloud Research. I think both of those websites have wait lists, but once you’re in it’s a good way to make a little extra income while having your morning coffee.
You probably won’t get rich from these simple ways to make extra income online, but it certainly helps!
Written by, Brittany, the geek behind the blog. Sharing tips and stories from the trenches on navigating life homeschooling and homesteading as a stay at home mom.