By Jill McDonough
Welcome to my May 2021 Income Report and More. This month was filled with unexpected events.
This month I had to return to Massachusetts for my brother’s funeral. While I’ll miss him terribly and the funeral was hard, it was nice to see family for an extended time. My husband and kids stayed home. It was comforting knowing that the kids were keeping up on their homeschooling and they even made dinner for dad a few nights.
As I always say, the wonderful part of having side hustles online meant that I could work on them while on the road and while in another state. Even on the plane I was working on syllabi for next year’s French classes I’ll be teaching. Always hustling!
Of my various side hustles…here are the side hustles I worked during the month of May.
Side Hustles That Paid Out in May:
Freelancing Publishing Consultant Job
My highest paying side hustle continues to be that I work as a contractor for a major college textbook publisher. This month I pivoted to work in our high school division. This was a huge shift for me, but I was happy to prove to my employer that I can do whatever work they send my way. Now my freelancing portfolio is more diverse showing that I can work the surprisingly different world of high school textbook sales.
Fetch Rewards App
Once again I earned Amazon gift cards for simply uploading pictures of receipts to the Fetch Rewards App. I continue to earn $10/month in Amazon cards. Even with being out of state, I took pictures of receipts from the stores I went to in Massachusetts.
If you haven’t started this simple side hustle, what are you waiting for? I literally take a picture of my receipt when I unpack groceries and then I’m done. That’s it!
Sign up today on the Fetch Rewards App. This is easier than clipping coupons and it’s fun to pick out a which gift card reward I want.
Use my code 51VGC to start with at least 2,000 points ($2) after you scan your first receipt.
Affiliate Marketing
Once again I saw money come in from affiliate marketing from simple links I sprinkle here and there on this website and on Facebook.
My links add no additional cost to anyone but provide me with a nice steady income.
Marketing Upcoming French Classes
While this technically did not bring in money this month, I’m signing up students for my upcoming fall French classes. I’m SO excited about these courses! I now have in-person classes and an online course. I plan on creating more this summer.
Side Hustles That Didn’t Bring In Any Money in April:
My Online Newspaper Course, The Homegrown Newspaper
I didn’t have any sign ups for my online course this past month. I created a contest to get people to post this course on their Facebook feeds. This led to different people sharing my course to audiences I don’t normally reach. It was worth the $50 I was offering, and it made a friend happy when they won for barely doing anything.
No egg selling
One more month or so and I’ll be inundated with way too many eggs. I cannot wait to sell them to our neighbors and friends!
Well, that’s it for side hustling in May.
Well, what about the other two-thirds of the homeschooling, side hustling mom life? This is why I call this my income report and more.
Homeschooling in May:
We’re wrapping up Sonlight Level C & Level F
Our last day of school is Friday, June 4th.
Like I said earlier, I’m so glad that even when I was out of town for a week, my kids could keep homeschooling with the lesson plans I left them.
We’re all looking forward to a break from formal schooling, but both kids have already asked if I can keep reading books to them throughout the summer. Um…yes!
I also keep their math and a few other skills up throughout the summer so we don’t have to spend the fall reviewing. Here is an article I wrote on why we homeschool in the summer and what we use.
Mom Life in May:
One Week Away From Home
The last time I was away from my husband and kids was almost 7 years ago when my father was dying. My kids don’t even remember that.
This month I was away for one week for my brother’s funeral. It was so nice to see that all the years of life skill training and creating routines pay off. My kids completed a full week of homeschooling, they did their housecleaning chores, and cooked dinner. Yes, my husband was there helping them, but it was so nice knowing we weren’t losing a week (or more) while I was gone.
Read/Listened to in May
I absolutely love reading side hustle books for young adults. This month I read The Doughnut Fix. I read this because it will be one of my son’s summer readers, but I also read it to see what lessons kids can learn about side hustling.
It is a really great story about a boy, Tristan, who deals with moving to a middle-of-nowhere town, family, friendship, and of course a doughnut business.
If you need some summer readers for your kids and you want to make sure they are high quality stories, this book did not disappoint. You can also look at Sonlight’s Summer Readers.
For my own enrichment, I also read The Gospel According to Jesus by John Macarthur. This book is powerful, Scripture-filled, and easy to understand. It clearly shows that there is more to the Christian life than a one-time prayer or walk down the aisle. I highly recommend this book.
Well, that’s how my May went. How was yours? Have you started writing your own income report?
I want to keep encouraging you to create an income report and more for your side hustles. You will be encouraged by all that you accomplish. It will also push you to do more each month.
I look forward to hearing how all of your side hustles are going! I can’t wait to see what June brings!
Find even more ideas and tips by following both the Facebook and Pinterest pages for Homeschool Mom Side Hustles.
