This has been kind of fun. I’ve been using Craigslist to find home rental listings, and they often have a link to Google Maps to see where the home is.

When you go to the map, most also have a link to Google Street View. It’s fun because it’s a slight preview of the neighborhood. I get a good look at the house, can go up and down the street and see something of what the neighborhood looks like.

It’s not a strong impression, not quite like being there, but it’s not a bad place to start. It’s easier to tell on Street View than from satellite photos is the neighborhood is seriously run down or on the newer side.

There’s still a lot more than that to picking a good place. I still need to check out the schools and really see the neighborhoods. But the extra impression of the area is nice to have.

Things are going to be really busy around our house the next few weeks or so. My husband just got offered a new job, so we’re going to be moving soon, as it’s about two hours north of where we live now and he’s just not crazy enough to force that kind of commute on himself.

I am so not looking forward to it. I hate moving. Love being done with it, though.

On the other hand, this is the furthest from pregnant I’ve been on a move since we got married. Every other move I’ve been either pregnant or within 4 months of having had a baby. By the time we actually move, Selene should be about 5 months old, so that’s a record for me!

He’ll be working for the state in the unemployment office… which, by the way, is currently doing a ton of hiring. If you know someone who might be interested and is in California, send them to the State Personnel Board website and take the online test. Working for the state can be a pain some ways, especially with the furlough days, but it has its good side too. Sadly, I think unemployment is California’s one growth industry at the moment. I hope that changes soon.

We’re still waiting to see if the local office will take him instead, but when you have a bird in the hand, why beat around the bush?

He’s starting next week. They wanted him to start tomorrow, but he wanted to give his current employer just a bit more notice. Obviously we can’t get the move done that fast, but it gives us a bit of time to start planning.

I’ll still be posting as time allows, but I’ll be going easier on myself. I have a post coming up tomorrow for a really interesting home party opportunity, and of course I’ll be writing whenever I’m not packing. I get really fidgety if I spend too much time away from my work – it’s just too much fun!

Do you love jewelry? Spend too much at the craft store making up designs of your own? This is something you could turn into a business.

Skills Required

If you already make jewelry as a hobby, you have the basic skills required to create jewelry for a business. You may have to learn how to do your work more quickly.

You will also need to learn how to run your business. You’ll need to figure out details such as pricing, marketing and where to sell your finished jewelry.

Common Expenses

Any business where you have a physical inventory is going to have expenses related to that inventory. That’s supplies, tools and packaging.

You may choose to sell at craft fairs, and have the expenses associated with renting a table and displaying your merchandise. You may choose to set up your own site to sell your jewelry, which means hosting, domain name and credit card processing fees, and possibly shopping cart software. You may choose to sell on Etsy or eBay and pay the associated fees for those sites.

Possible Income Streams

The main way you will earn money is from creating and selling your jewelry. However, you could also earn by teaching other people how to make jewelry, either as in-person classes or by writing an ebook.

Recommended Reading

Ultimate Guide to Your Profitable Jewelry Booth
Jewelry Selling Secrets
Sell Your Jewelry: How to Start a Jewelry Business and Make Money Selling Jewelry at Boutiques, Fairs, Trunk Shows, and Etsy.

This business idea isn’t one for me – I’m chronically disorganized – but if you enjoy getting things organized for yourself and other people, being a professional organizer might just be a perfect fit as a home business. Organizers typically earn anywhere from $35-200 per hour.

The job can be messy, as you will be working for people who need a ton of help as well as those who just need a little. No matter how organized you are, you can’t let yourself be too shocked by the mess some people let their homes get into.

Skills Required

The most obvious skill you need is being organized yourself. A professional organizer had better keep very good track of what he or she needs to get done. No losing papers or emails in the clutter in this home business!

You’ll also need to be able to help people figure out how to organize their homes so that there’s a chance the home will remain organized. You’ll need good communication skills. You will need to know what products are really great for particular organization challenges. You need to be a problem solver.

You may also need to be somewhat handy, as you may assemble or paint shelves for your clients.

Being a good networker can also help tremendously in building your home organizer business. You can’t be afraid to ask for referrals. If you’re going to use subcontractors for installation, getting referrals from people who know someone who does good work will be a huge help.

Common Expenses

There aren’t a lot of expenses involved at the start. You will need to develop a portfolio, but you can probably find family or friends who need a little help. Take pictures and write up descriptions of the before and after, and you have a portfolio.

Of course, that means one cost is the binder in which you create your portfolio, and the cost of printing pictures. Whoever you’re organizing should be paying for whatever needs to be bought to get them organized.

Don’t just have a physical portfolio. These days it’s hard to be seen as a reputable business without a website. As I’ve said many other times on this site, domain names and hosting are quite affordable. If you aren’t technically minded, don’t worry. Most hosting companies have Fantastico, which will install Wordpress for you. This software will make it relatively easy to create your portfolio in a blog format.

You will also want a digital camera to document your work so that your portfolio can continue to grow. It’s good form to ask people if you can post pictures of the work you’re doing, of course. Pictures can also help you with your planning if you need a little more time for thought.

A tape measure and the basic tools for any shelf and storage installation work that you will be doing yourself is also a good idea.

Possible Income Streams

You can be a general home organizer or focus on a specific area, such as garages or closets, which tend to need a lot of organizational help. Specializing can be very good for finding work.

Some experienced organizers also earn money as professional speakers or by hiring subcontracted organizers.

Recommended Reading

Ultimate Guide for Professional Organizers
How to Start a Home-Based Professional Organizing Business (Home-Based Business Series)

Voiceovers are the kind of work I keep telling my husband he needs to try to get into. He always gets people commenting on what a great voice he has. He did radio in college. Maybe one of these days he really will check it out and give it a try. It strikes me as a nice potential side income.

Skills Required

The big thing you need is a great voice. Something that people want to listen to. You also need to speak clearly.

You can come from a variety of backgrounds and do well in voiceover work. Your best way to get started may well be to simply try. However, there may also be classes or coaching available in your area to help you get started right. How you get things going can depend on how professional you want to start out. If you’re aiming at television, movie or radio voiceovers, you can expect to be dealing with people who require a higher degree of professionalism than if you do voiceovers for people who are working from their own homes. That doesn’t mean you can sound bad, of course.

You will need to create sample voiceovers for potential employers so that they know if yours is the voice for their project.

Depending on the kind of work you want to do, you may want to consider joining a union. This is not at all a requirement, and many voiceover actors are not members of any union. This type of work is primarily freelance.

Voiceover actors may work on commercials, read for audio books, television, movies, podcasts, video games – anything that requires just your voice. You may have to sound like a particular person, sound cheerful, talk quickly yet clearly, and so forth.

Common Expenses

To get started you may just get some basic equipment to record with at home, such as a voiceover microphone, then improve your home voiceover studio as you go. You may need software to edit the MP3 files you produce or the client may prefer to do that themselves.

Possible Income Streams

Voiceover work at home may be found through sites such as:

Voices.com
Voice123

You will need to consider how you charge for your work. Flat rate or by how widely your work will be used? Would you charge the same to do a television commercial as you would for a multimedia presentation? Will you be doing post production work?

Related Scams

The basic voiceover scam is rather like the standard modeling scam. You find an ad saying that you can get voiceover work without experience. You respond, only to find that you need to buy the equipment they recommend and pay for the production and distribution of demo tapes. They won’t really work with you on practicing before you record a demo, or anything like that.

A good rule of thumb is to not pay up front for anything. A legitimate agent won’t charge you upfront.

Recommended Reading

Voice for Hire: Launch and Maintain a Lucrative Career in Voice-Overs
Step Up to the Mic: A Positive Approach to Succeeding in Voice-Overs
The Art of Voice Acting, Third Edition: The Craft and Business of Performing for Voice-Over

Taking surveys isn’t likely to earn you much at all, but a lot of people like to give it a try. It can be good for just a little extra cash. Generally speaking, the best pay is in focus groups, rather than just answering multiple choice and short answer questions. It’s also not really a job, but it’s so strongly associated with what some people think of for working at home that I felt I should include it.

Qualifications/Training Needed?

You will often have to fill out a questionnaire to see if your demographics match what the survey company is looking for.

Job Duties

Answer questions about the topic honestly. Questions may be about things you’ve done, commercials you’ve seen, your opinion on a product, etc. Note that some companies will pay in points toward a drawing, rather than cash. You will need to sign up with a lot of companies to make much at all.

Equipment Needed

A computer and internet connection. You may also want to have an email address that you use only for surveys and a PayPal account for those that pay that way.

Where to Search for Jobs

Be prepared to not get a lot of work. Online survey taking in many ways is more of a hobby than a job, especially if you’re going for cash rather than points.

To be honest, it’s not one of my favorite work at home ideas, as most won’t pay you enough for your time, but so many people want to try it that I feel it’s worth putting the information out for those who want to try it, and to help them avoid scams.

You have to be quick to respond to survey offers, as they fill up fast with most companies.

Yahoo! User research
American Consumer Opinion
Opinion Outpost
HCD Surveys
Ipsos
Columbia University
Qualitative Insights
Buzzback
Harris Poll Online
Lightspeed
Pinecone Research
and many others. Gets opinions from trusted sources before signing up with unfamiliar companies.

Related Scams

You should first be aware that you do not need to pay for a survey list. You can find legitimate lists for free very easily. Online survey company lists for sale aren’t so much a scam as a bad deal on the whole.

You should also understand the difference between online surveys and “get paid to” (GPT) sites. If you have to finish a bunch of tasks, which often include making online purchases or subscribing to a trial offer, in order to get paid, that’s not a survey. A survey asks questions that you need to answer. You should never have to buy anything or provide information to anyone other than the survey company. Legitimate surveys are about market research. If you have to input your credit card number, it’s not a survey.

Mystery shopping is a work from home job that has been around for a long time. It takes an eye for detail and a willingness to keep a sharp eye out for shops in your area.

Qualifications/Training Needed?

No training as such is required in advance. You will need to learn how to write up the required reports after each shop.

Job Duties

You will follow the instructions provided for each shop. Sometimes you will have to make a purchase within a certain budget, for which you should later be reimbursed. You may be told to go to the shop location within a particular time frame.

You of course do not want to be identified as a mystery shopper. While you will need to create a report on your experience, you should not be taking notes during the shop.

Shops can be done at all kinds of stores, apartment leasing offices and even on cruise ships… although that last is generally reserved for highly experienced mystery shoppers.

Pay can be fairly low for the time involved when you include travel time, especially in the early days. But you can get the better paying shops as you build experience and a reputation with your employer as someone who hands in detailed and accurate reports.

Equipment Needed

Transportation to get to the shops in your area. A computer and the necessary software to send in your reports. Odds are you won’t need to buy anything new for this job.

Where to Search for Jobs

Mystery Shopping Work at Home Jobs at Home with the Kids
Mom! Mom!
Volition

Related Scams

There are two current mystery shopping scams I know of. The more recent one is where a company sends you a check or money order for a few thousand dollars, and instructions on how to do your mystery shop, cashing the check and sending the money to a designated recipient. You get to keep a few hundred.

The check is fraudulent, and you end up paying the charges.

The other scam happens when sites offer lists of companies that are looking for mystery shoppers. All you have to do is buy it.

However, most of the lists are useless. They may not list legitimate opportunities, or may only list stores that might use a mystery shopper. The above resources are probably better ways to find companies to hire you.

The insurance industry may not be the first one to come to mind when you think about a work at home job. It’s not really on everyone’s radar. That may be because it’s often as much work from home as it is work at home, if you get the difference.

Qualifications/Training Needed?

You will generally need experience or a degree to get a job in insurance. There are a variety of job titles, such as auditor or loss control consultant.

Job Duties

In many cases, you will be driving to the policy holder’s site to collect the information you need. You may be able to schedule this for times when your kids are in school if you want to be there when they get home. Then you can finish off the work in your home office.

You may need to tour the client’s site, interview people, take pictures and assess risks and hazards.

Equipment Needed

You will most likely need a laptop computer to take with you to client sites. If you are doing insurance inspections, you may need a measuring tool and digital camera as well.

Where to Search for Jobs

Overland Solutions, Inc. – the one employer I know of offhand.
Craigslist (beware of many, many scams!)
Hire My Mom

Related Scams

No specific scams that I know of. Use the usual criteria when considering a work at home job in insurance. You should not have to pay to prove that you are interested. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

One of my least favorite chores has to be mopping. In part, it’s a pain to do with kids around. Any parent knows how easy it’s not to keep them off damp floors no matter how many reminders you give.

Not to mention the immediate increase in sticky spills once the floor dries. How do kids do that anyhow?

For Christmas, my husband said he was going to get me a steam mop. I’ve been hearing a lot good about them, and even if the floor does stay damp, the job sounds easier. And no chemicals, which is a very nice bonus, although I mostly use homemade cleansers anyhow.

He hasn’t bought one yet. Didn’t get around to researching them in time. But at least he admits he still owes me one.

Late doesn’t bother me that much. It would have been nice if he had found the time, but his work hours suck, and he only has a little computer time in the mornings where I’m not at my computer right next to him.

I finally went to Amazon and emailed my results over to him. Started out with steam mops, but then I discovered more general steam cleaners! And if anything is more of a pain to do than mopping, it has to be scrubbing the bathtub, which these may be able to handle in addition!

They cost a bit more, but really not that much.

I suspect for mopping they will be more difficult than the plain steam mops. That’s just the feeling I get looking them over. But I really like the extra uses.

I have to admit, these first got my attention as housework started to fall behind as this pregnancy got moving and I started having severe hip pains. You try scrubbing and mopping when you don’t even want to walk, and see how quickly you get interested in tools that make it simpler!

I’m pretty much torn between the McCulloch MC-1275 and the Wagner Spray Tech 282004. Both look to be more powerful than I hope to need, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. My husband first thought the Wagner was just for wallpaper removal, until I pointed out the accessories. These things are just plain flexible for cleaning, and I like that.

My one concern is of course durability. They aren’t worth it to me if they don’t last years and years. I hate replacing appliances of any sort.

Have any of you tried any sort of steam cleaner or steam mop? How do you like them?

Family Traditions: What Children Really Want for Christmas – Even kids who think all they want for Christmas is a bunch of presents really want more from the holiday.

What is Your Time Worth? What’s Worth Your Time? – The debate over sponsored blogging keeps moving along.

5 Reasons to Work From Home – There are so many more, but it can be motivating to keep thinking about why you’re working from home.

If You Don’t Need It, It’s Not a Deal! – Something to keep in mind whenever you shop.

Neighborhoods Propose Printing Their Own Currency To Encourage Local Shopping – Seems an odd idea to me to take things so far, but supporting local stores is a generally good idea.