Side Hustle Series: Ironing and Mending

by | Dec 17, 2008

A little while ago I gave some thought to start an ironing service. I actually like ironing better than any other clothing maintenance tasks. It all started with my dad who taught me how to iron his shirts and pants to a crisp. The starch had to be heavy so that the pants would stand up on their own, lol. So ironing is a must in my house because I can’t have my kids going out like they just stepped out of a trash bag.

My mom used to work for a laundry service a few years ago. She did the garment mending within the establishment and saw how profitable the business was. The basic clientele were businessmen and women. The just don’t time to do their own laundry or don’t know how. This is a great business to start if you live in or near an area where there are a lot of businesses.

So what would you do? How would you get business? In the beginning you would need to post flyers in fitness centers, grocery store, and office complexes. You might even get the business relationship person in human resources to post an ad in the offices.

You will have to develop a system to pick-up and drop off the clothes. In addition to ironing clothes you may offer mending services such as sewing on buttons, repairing rips, and hemming pants and skirts if you have the skills.

Though at first look this side hustle seems demeaning, there are individuals that make good money taking care of other people’s laundry.

Cooking in Bulk to Cut Cost

by | Dec 16, 2008

As promised here is the post from Guest Blogger Margo Posnanski. She shares great tips for saving money by cooking in bulk. We joined the Twittermoms blog swap and came up with these posts. Enjoy!

It’s getting cold here in Kansas City and the last thing I want is to have to trudge to the grocery store. I should plan meals in advance, but somehow just getting needed ingredients on a LIST is the extent to my preparation. So to address the meal prep strategy that saves not only money BUT TIME AS WELL, I called my younger sister. She used to work as a County Cooperative Extension Agent in Colorado a number of years ago. (Check with your state’s and county’s extension services because they have great tips for saving $$$.)

My sister, Becky, was more than happy to help explain her tips for cooking one full afternoon (more…)

Single Mom Public Enemy #1 – Money (Not Enough)

by | Dec 14, 2008

Money was the biggest problem I faced as a single mom, especially in the early days of motherhood. I was constantly worried about how I was going to pay for food, gas, rent, and clothes. The basics needs of our lives couldn’t be met without a lot of worry, juggling, and praying.

Occasionally I got help from my parent but I hated to ask them for anything. I lived with them for a few months after I had my daughter then moved out. I was blessed to be on the local Section 8 or rental assistance program. I was on food stamps and WIC too so that took care of my food issues. Still, being on these programs did not diminish the nagging worry about money.

There was still mounting debt, being under employed despite having a two year degree, and simply not being able to buy clothes whenever I needed to or do something nice for myself. Most single moms can relate, very few can’t.

Remembering the struggles of single motherhood prompted me to brainstorm the ways single mom struggle. I’ve included the money piece above and added the entire mind map on another page. Take a look at it and see if I’m on track. Did I miss something? Leave a comment and let me know.

Single Mom Breastfeeding: Save Money and Bond with Baby

by | Dec 13, 2008

*This post is mainly for single moms who are currently pregnant, but you can read it too.

New single moms face many fears about their ability to be a good parent without a husband. When I was pregnant with my daughter I was scared and unsure about how to take care of this new life. I read a lot of books and prepared my mind for the task. I knew that I wanted to nurture my child and have a close bond with her because I didn’t have that with my mother.

In my reading about breastfeeding I learned that it is a great way to bond with my baby and give her the best start in life. So I made the decision and gathered books from the library about breastfeeding. I won’t go into the details about how I did it but you can read about it over at Sexy Nursing Bras after reading this post ;-). (more…)

How I made $115 for 1½ Hours of “Work”

by | Dec 12, 2008

Just want to update you on my latest money making venture—Focus Groups. Earlier this week I told you that I had two appointments to give my opinion. One was a focus group to discuss the local newspaper. The other was a taste test for a new gum product (I am not at liberty to tell you the details as I signed a non-disclosure agreement).

The appointments were in the evening after work. That was perfect so I could pick up my son; drop him off at home with my daughter, and then go on to the company conducting the focus group and taste test. I printed out the instructions and directions at work so I was all set. The only glitch was that the directions weren’t exactly accurate. I think both directions were based on Mapquest (which I have no confidence in anymore, I prefer Google Maps).

Instead of the street being at the fourth traffic light it was at the fifth traffic light. And darn it all, but I didn’t miss the lottery for the extra $25; more on that later. (more…)