Best money-making option for this situation?

[HamsterStache]

Due to DW's hours being cut starting next school year, she is most likely going to have an hour or so to kill between getting out of work and picking up from daycare. She would like that hour not to go to waste and attempt to monetize it if possible. That hour will likely be spent sitting in a car or at a nearby library, so anything that can be done from a smartphone is a good possibility. (we're located in the USA btw).

Anything that could potentially cause an issue with daycare pickup, like driving for uber, is not really a good option since it will only be a literal hour, but we're hoping to come up with some sort of idea that is more than your typical "beer money" solution (taking surveys etc.) Any ideas are welcome!

Edit: More relevant details: She is committed to her current job, and there are a lot of reasons to stay there, despite the cut hours. The job is with the school system, and there is a possibility of a promotion to a higher paying position with more hours, but that will involve getting another degree which we are not willing to undertake at this stage of our life. It is a possibility down the road, but just not feasible or desired at this time.

[Car Jack]

Why discount driving uber/lyft?  Take one ride, shut off the app and wait.  I used to do surveys but it involved some aspects of manufactured spending....so I'd get the points, convert them to gamestop points and then use those points for shirts that I liked.  Gamestops rewards are all game credit BS, so worth nothing.

[HamsterStache]

Why discount driving uber/lyft?  Take one ride, shut off the app and wait.

Maybe we could look into it more, but from what I've seen, that strategy would end up netting us maybe five bucks? If an appropriate ride opportunity comes along in that hour. Not worth the hassle  and gas and stress.

[trix76]

There’s an app called Dscout that’s essentially a mobile ethnography platform. People like your wife can apply to be part of studies where she would answer questions, take photos and/or record video entries. These studies can take a day or a few weeks, but you do them on your own time, and they pay anywhere from $10-150. It wouldn’t necessarily be consistent but it can pay pretty well for your time - much better than taking surveys, and more fun too.


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[Metalcat]

What about using that hour to study a profitable or money making skill?

Learning a useful language
Getting her securities/mortgage broker/real estate license
Gaining mechanic or home repair skills
Some kind of management training to work her way up in her career
Writing

The possibilities are endless.

Is there anything work wise that she wishes she were qualified to do but doesn't currently have the training/skills for?

[HamsterStache]

There’s an app called Dscout that’s essentially a mobile ethnography platform. People like your wife can apply to be part of studies where she would answer questions, take photos and/or record video entries. These studies can take a day or a few weeks, but you do them on your own time, and they pay anywhere from $10-150. It wouldn’t necessarily be consistent but it can pay pretty well for your time - much better than taking surveys, and more fun too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

sounds interesting!

[HamsterStache]

What about using that hour to study a profitable or money making skill?

Learning a useful language
Getting her securities/mortgage broker/real estate license
Gaining mechanic or home repair skills
Some kind of management training to work her way up in her career
Writing

The possibilities are endless.

Is there anything work wise that she wishes she were qualified to do but doesn't currently have the training/skills for?

Good advice, but I don't think really applicable in this situation. I edited the post to include more relevant info:

She is committed to her current job, and there are a lot of reasons to stay there, despite the cut hours. The job is with the school system, and there is a possibility of a promotion to a higher paying position with more hours, but that will involve getting another degree which we are not willing to undertake at this stage of our life. It is a possibility down the road, but just not feasible or desired at this time.

[seemsright]

Most people on this forum is all about the money, money, money and more money...it drives me crazy.

Your wife will have an hour and YOU come on to ask for ideas on how to turn that hour into money. This to me is nuts. Now if a person came on here and said my hours got cut at work and I have an hour before I had to pick up my kids any ideas on how to turn that into some cash? That would be different.

I think using this hour to better herself in any form she chooses would be the best idea on earth. Maybe she chooses to use the time to benefit your family and goes to the grocery store without kids, maybe it she goes and gets her nails done because she can, maybe it is she reads on the book she has been trying to get to before the kids were born. Or she explores meditation, or gets to go to the gym and work on goals on that front.

There is more to life than trying to make a buck every minute of every day...that is what index funds are for.

[HamsterStache]

Most people on this forum is all about the money, money, money and more money...it drives me crazy.

Your wife will have an hour and YOU come on to ask for ideas on how to turn that hour into money. This to me is nuts. Now if a person came on here and said my hours got cut at work and I have an hour before I had to pick up my kids any ideas on how to turn that into some cash? That would be different.

I think using this hour to better herself in any form she chooses would be the best idea on earth. Maybe she chooses to use the time to benefit your family and goes to the grocery store without kids, maybe it she goes and gets her nails done because she can, maybe it is she reads on the book she has been trying to get to before the kids were born. Or she explores meditation, or gets to go to the gym and work on goals on that front.

There is more to life than trying to make a buck every minute of every day...that is what index funds are for.

Whoa there, no need for the attack - as I said in the original post "She would like that hour not to go to waste and attempt to monetize it if possible." She asked me if I had any ideas the other day and suggested I throw the idea out here since she's not on the forum and thought there might be some people here with good ideas. Unlike some people here, our cash flow is extremely tight and we have not built up investments to any sort of significant level yet, so making up some of the lost income from the cut hours is important if possible. Sure, that hour will be great for an extra errand or whatnot on occasion, but more often than not, it will be an open hour. Driving home is in the opposite direction, so makes no sense as it would be a waste of time and gas just to turn around in a few moments.

[oldladystache]

Might the daycare folks want to hire her for a half hour to help get the kids ready to go home, clean up, etc?

She can't go pick up kid(s) right away? Why not?

[HamsterStache]

Might the daycare folks want to hire her for a half hour to help get the kids ready to go home, clean up, etc?

She can't go pick up kid(s) right away? Why not?

No, I'm quite sure that would not be an option in this case.

Given the time of day, it would be pretty disruptive to the routine, and likely involve waking at least one of them from a nap.

[seemsright]

Most people on this forum is all about the money, money, money and more money...it drives me crazy.

Your wife will have an hour and YOU come on to ask for ideas on how to turn that hour into money. This to me is nuts. Now if a person came on here and said my hours got cut at work and I have an hour before I had to pick up my kids any ideas on how to turn that into some cash? That would be different.

I think using this hour to better herself in any form she chooses would be the best idea on earth. Maybe she chooses to use the time to benefit your family and goes to the grocery store without kids, maybe it she goes and gets her nails done because she can, maybe it is she reads on the book she has been trying to get to before the kids were born. Or she explores meditation, or gets to go to the gym and work on goals on that front.

There is more to life than trying to make a buck every minute of every day...that is what index funds are for.

Whoa there, no need for the attack - as I said in the original post "She would like that hour not to go to waste and attempt to monetize it if possible." She asked me if I had any ideas the other day and suggested I throw the idea out here since she's not on the forum and thought there might be some people here with good ideas. Unlike some people here, our cash flow is extremely tight and we have not built up investments to any sort of significant level yet, so making up some of the lost income from the cut hours is important if possible. Sure, that hour will be great for an extra errand or whatnot on occasion, but more often than not, it will be an open hour. Driving home is in the opposite direction, so makes no sense as it would be a waste of time and gas just to turn around in a few moments.

If you do not have the investments right now. Then make sure you ran the taxes on any thing she decides to do and make sure it is in the black and not the red. Her hours getting cut may be a good thing on the tax front...run your numbers and double check.

There are many things that she could do that will help your bottom line that is not earning money. Maybe that is picking up the kids when she gets off and goes home and makes dinner more from scratch than she would before, maybe that is spending time with the kids and teaching them and in turn maybe they can skip a grade in the future. Maybe that is her supporting you while you try to earn more while she does the things above.

I am trying to get others to understand that yes the bottom line is important but there is more to life than using every minute to work. Simplify your life and try to save.

[trollwithamustache]

an hour is too short to really do anything $$ wise.

you can check your to do lists, make sure whatever is organized/planned, but beyond that? read a book.

[HamsterStache]

If you do not have the investments right now. Then make sure you ran the taxes on any thing she decides to do and make sure it is in the black and not the red. Her hours getting cut may be a good thing on the tax front...run your numbers and double check.

There are many things that she could do that will help your bottom line that is not earning money. Maybe that is picking up the kids when she gets off and goes home and makes dinner more from scratch than she would before, maybe that is spending time with the kids and teaching them and in turn maybe they can skip a grade in the future. Maybe that is her supporting you while you try to earn more while she does the things above.

I am trying to get others to understand that yes the bottom line is important but there is more to life than using every minute to work. Simplify your life and try to save.

We wish we made enough that a loss of hours could be a tax benefit...

Our life is about as simplified as it can get. We currently spend more than we make at our jobs, and if it were not for some minor side hustles, gifts, tax returns, etc. we would be dipping into our savings just to pay bills. As it is, we're managing OK, with enough left over to still put something into savings/investments every month. This situation will vastly improve in a few years as we stop needing to pay for childcare as currently we're paying the same amount on daycare as our mortgage. And yes, we've weighed the options of one of us staying at home, finding a different daycare etc. and we're really in the best situation right now. We're in a HCOL area it is what it is. We don't go out to eat, we don't buy things we don't need, have no car payments, paid for one vacation in the past 10+ years, live in a very reasonable sized house for our family, in a relatively cheap neighborhood given our area (DC suburbs). Both of us are in job situations that make sense for us and have no interest in leaving those jobs, or relocating.

I don't mean to be rude, but we've given a lot of thought to our particular situations, and while some people might see obvious changes *they* would make, where we are and what we're doing makes sense for us, and I'm not looking for advice on any of those fronts. All we are wondering is, if you had one free hour five days a week, and wanted to use that hour to make up for some lost income, what would you do. That's all. Thanks.

[Morning Glory]

She could spend the time browsing deal sites and printing out coupons to get things you need for cheaper. She could also look into credit card and bank bonus churning to make some spare cash. The time might also be well spent by shopping around for cheaper cell phone, car insurance, etc.

Personally after working all day my brain is too fried to do anything useful, so I would probably use the time to go to the gym or go grocery shopping without the kids.

[daverobev]

She could spend the time browsing deal sites and printing out coupons to get things you need for cheaper. She could also look into credit card and bank bonus churning to make some spare cash. The time might also be well spent by shopping around for cheaper cell phone, car insurance, etc.

Personally after working all day my brain is too fried to do anything useful, so I would probably use the time to go to the gym or go grocery shopping without the kids.

Supplementary thought - manufactured spending.

Do a MS run. As in, go and buy whatever gift cards, use the gift cards to buy money orders, then cash the money orders -> credit card sign up bonuses and points.

[MrThatsDifferent]

I know you’ve asked for work ideas, so here’s at least one: see if there is some online learning group that gives feedback on resumes or writing. Or fiver or something like that where she can post things she can do in an hour.

Ok, now that I’ve shared that, my real advice would be for her to not do any of that. So her day is get up, deal with kid and self, go to work, then rush to get kid, get home, House/family stuff, find time for intimacy with you and then bed. Here’s one hour of pure me time or recharge time. Find a cafe and chill and read a book, find a park and have a nap. Go swimming, or the gym. Look after yourself so you have energy for everything else. I wouldn’t keep compounding pressure and obligations when the opportunity arises to have some breathing space. Make lemonade for yourself from that particular lemon.

[SKL-HOU]

How about tutoring?

[HipGnosis]

Pet walking? 
Pet / senior / disabled visits?

Join nextdoor.com/app and post her available time for... what ever (reasonable) that someone will pay for.

[Unique User]

Mystery shopping?  As long as she is picking up shops along the route between work and daycare there shouldn't be any extra expense.  For some she can file the report on her phone, not sure how that works as I haven't tried it.  Some shops that might help your bottom line besides just fee only are shops for oil changes, grocery stores, the post office, gas stations, dry cleaners - I've done all of those.  Bank shops are really easy and at the end of the month can be decently bonused.  There are a bajillion gas station shops - you just have the find the ones that pay decently for the effort.  There are also fast food and coffee shops - the ones on Marketforce are easy for someone new.   There should be lots of shops in the DC suburbs, we did a trip last year to DC and had no issues picking up shops for dinners out most nights.  The members on the forum below are really helpful to new shoppers, just don't ask who shops a specific company, that is against contracts to disclose. PM me if you have questions, I don't do much now, but it was really helpful when our income was lower. 

Forum tab for new mystery shoppers
https://www.mysteryshopforum.com/list/10

List of legitimate companies
https://www.mysteryshopforum.com/companies/

Check these out to see what types of shops might be in your area.   
jobslinger.com
https://insta.prestometrics.com/site/Map
https://www.msjobboard.com/default.asp

[HamsterStache]

Thanks for all the feedback! I'll be sure to share how we end up making the most out of this if it ends up being anything worth sharing :-)

[andreamac]

Is she crafty? Maybe something like knitting etc that could be done in a car? Could sell locally or etsy? Not a lot of money but might be worthwhile if she likes that sort of thing.