It’s not easy to make a living as a stay-at-home dad, but it’s possible, and I have gathered the most legit and profitable ways possible.
We all know that things have changed, and it’s not easy to survive.
Literally.
With change comes adjustment, and it’s something you need to do to survive as a parent in this modern world.
Although it might not be easy, if we adjust to the world we live in, we can manage things better and probably even get ahead.
The thing about all this change is that moms are no longer the only ones to stay at home, and dads aren’t the only ones heading out to work and bringing home the bacon,
I just so happen to be a product of such change, and I am a stay-at-home dad.
The difference between your typical stay-at-home dad and me is that I work and make my living from home.
My wife is also not traditional to modern-day standards, and she too stays at home.
However, I am still the one who brings home the bacon, and she stays at home without a job.
Okay, that was all over the place, but whatever.
This post aims to show you how to make a living as a stay-at-home dad, and that’s what I will do.
Not just a stay-at-home dad, but rather a productive one.
How to Make a Living as a Stay At Home Dad
Although stay-at-home dads rose from 1996 to 2016 to 7%, it’s still very uncommon for dads to stay home and care for the kids.
Some think it’s not “manly,” while others let creation and nature dictate things, as mothers are the ones giving birth and also have the means to feed a baby.
Whatever you think or feel, being a stay-at-home dad is not bad, especially if you can do it and still be able to make some money.
Anyone can be a stay-at-home dad, but it’s not okay if you sleep all day doing nothing.
Then again, it might be if your wife is bringing in the big bucks.
Whatever your situation, here are some ways to make a living as a stay-at-home dad.
1. Start a Blog
Blogging is one of the best ways to make a living as a stay-at-home dad.
What better way to use your time than to talk about something you are interested in while making money in the process.
Many stay-at-home dads like myself make money blogging, and it’s something worth looking into if you want to spend more time with your family, work whenever works best for you, and pretty much dictate your income.
The concept is straightforward, and if you have a hobby or passion you want to share, blogging might just be your next career.
To make money blogging, you need a website, a niche, a monetization method, and the proper training.
I want to sit here and explain everything, but there’s a lot more to this simple yet profitable business.
So, if you’re going to make a living as a stay-at-home-dad, this is one of the best ways to do it.
I started at Wealthy Affiliate, which has everything you need to start and run a blog.
They also offer a free trial to test-drive the platform before committing to anything.
2. Sell Your Stuff Online
If you have stuff lying around your house, now is a great time to get rid of it.
You didn’t use it last year, you’re not using it now, and you most likely won’t use it anytime soon.
There’s someone out there looking for your junk, and they’re willing to spend a good chunk of change to get it.
You’re probably thinking, how can you make a living selling your junk online as it’s only a matter of time before you run out of stuff to sell.
Good thing I have two other options for you that I think you’ll be interested in.
But first, let me give you an option that works great for those of you who have a product or are thinking of selling a product.
3. Sell Products on Amazon
The Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) business model is pretty sweet.
If you have a product you are currently selling, FBA can take your business to another level.
By becoming an FBA seller, you get several benefits that will have you saying wow.
You get to store your products at one of Amazon’s warehouses, and they can pack, level, and ship your products.
If that’s not cool enough, how about getting your product showcased on Amazon’s inventory?
That’s one of the perks of being a member of Amazon’s FBA program.
I’m sure you knew this wasn’t free, and you will be paying a monthly fee of $39.99, along with “selling fees” from any sales generated.
With the apparent potential, though, I’m sure you can see how profitable things can get.
4. Sell Other People’s Stuff Online
Whether you have junky lying around or not, there’s a lot of money ready to be made.
There are billions of dollars being spent on the internet, and everyone and their mothers are doing that spending.
If you want to make a living as a stay-at-home dad, it would be wise to tap into some of that.
What’s even better is that you can make money selling stuff online without owning or buying a single product, thanks to affiliate marketing.
This is one of the business models I use, and it brings in over 80% of the income I make online.
It’s as simple as getting affiliated with a company like Amazon, obtaining your unique affiliate link, and selling these products.
When someone clicks on your link and makes a purchase, you get a percentage of that sale.
Of course, there’s a lot more to it, and that’s why there are affiliate marketing courses that you can learn from.
I created a list of the top 3 affiliate marketing courses, so check that out and see how you can get started.
5. Start a Dropshipping Business
If you’re not into writing and you’re into more of a traditional business, e-commerce might be right up your alley.
However, I think the dropshipping business model is one of the better ways to do things.
Allow me to explain.
Dropshipping is in line with the buy low, sell high business model.
The main thing to understand with dropshipping is that you do not need to purchase any products (yet) that will be stored in your possession.
You will have a website with products from which others will make purchases.
Once that is done, you will then place that order through a dropshipping website like Alibaba and have them ship the product directly to the buyer.
You don’t have to deal with any inventory, and you will be using nothing more than images to showcase products, but you will be responsible for placing orders and getting them sent to your customers.
You also have to deal with returns and customers’ concerns.
Dropshipping is still a great business and one that can yield an income that you won’t make at a regular old job.
6. Become a Freelancer
Freelancing has become very popular and not just because it’s done online.
The average freelancer makes more than the average worker, with some making six figures.
Easily.
If you have the talent and passion for writing, blogging companies are willing to spend hundreds of dollars just for one article.
I’ve spent thousands of dollars on writers, and I know what it takes to create great content.
Others think the same, which is why they are willing to spend a lot of money on articles.
You can be on the receiving end of things and cash in on the big bucks spent for writers.
7. Make Your Wife Join the Military
Although I will never recommend any wife to join the military, this is an option if you want to make a living as a stay-at-home dad.
Sure, you won’t be making any money, but you will be assuming the duty as your child’s caretaker.
Considering the monthly cost for center-based child care for an infant in the U.S. is $1,230 per month, you’re technically using that cost to pay for your services.
Although you won’t see any actual paychecks, you will be paid in the form of your child’s smile and lots and lots of bonding time.
Mom won’t be home throughout the year, and if you factor in training and possibly deployments, you’re looking at daddy duty becoming a full-time job.
If these are the cards you’re dealt, remember that you can always utilize one of the other methods on this list to help bring in more income for the family.
Conclusion – Make a Living as a Stay At Home Dad
Being a stay-at-home dad has its benefits, especially with this new world we are living in.
No longer are moms the only ones staying at home caring for babies, and no longer are dads the only ones heading out to work to provide for their families.
Many opportunities allow both moms and dads to make an income, and they’re just waiting for someone to grab them.
Make use of your time, be with your family whenever convenient for you (not your boss), and make a living as a stay-at-home dad.
I hope these tips help you accomplish your goals, and please do leave your questions and comments below if you need help with anything.
Being a stay-at-home parent is already a blessing.
Now make it worthwhile and much more productive.
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Thanks John, for this valuable post. I am 33 years old, and I hear the clock ticking -;)
But seriously, I think blogging and affiliate marketing are the two most interesting opportunities on your list. Also, because of its low budget requirement upon starting out. Amazon FBA looks like a nice model, and it is not that expensive, but I heard some horror stories when the Amazon guys were able to terminate one’s business by mistakenly considering he was copying his business strategy. That is something that wouldn’t happen with blogging, I hope. Thanks for sharing this John and I hope to start something soon, as I am not getting any younger.
You’re welcome Julius and I too, hope that you get something started. If you’re on a budget, I would definitely consider blogging and affiliate marketing. You can always try something like drop shipping or FBA at a later date if you feel that blogging isn’t for you.
Hi John,
Thanks for this, although not a Dad (or a Mom for that matter), I think it’s great that you’re building more resources for stay-at-home Dads. My mother was a stay-at-home mother – but only because when I was born my Dad was on the permanent contract and she was on a temporary one, if it had been the other way around I’d have had the only stay-at-home Dad in my neighborhood.
I certainly think my Dad’s cooking would have advanced a bit if he was the one to stay at home (although his baked beans, spaghetti o’s, bbq, and hot dogs are second to none). My Mom really had the opportunity to perfect homemade bread, cakes, and cookies and even started a catering company.
Regardless of all of this, and a community of stay-at-home Mom’s around her (this was almost 40 years ago now), I know my Mom really struggled with the change from working full time with adults, to looking after two squealing monsters for 16 years – so I can’t imagine how much more difficult it can be for the Dad’s who don’t have the immediate peer bonding element of having grown and squeezed out a small person. I hope the Mom’s groups are much more accepting (and less condescending) than Reddit would have me believe!
That’s great to hear that your mom started her catering business Lisa as I always give kudos to anyone who starts a business, let alone a stay-at-home mom. I’m sure your dad would’ve done just as great, but back in the day, things were definitely different. These days though, more dads are staying at home, which gives them the opportunity to do more at-home type things. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and I’m still laughing at “squeezed out a small person” (lol).
I started looking into ways to make a living online in 2014.
Fast forward to now, this is how I earn my fair share of earnings.
The funny thing is that I also got started with affiliate marketing at Wealthy Affiliate like yourself.
The other ways that you covered are pretty decent too (Wife in the military? – maybe not)
The fact is that there are lots of opportunities for us dads to grind and make life better for our families.
I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience to help other dads.
Lol, crazy how we both started at Wealthy Affiliate Jason. And, yes, there are lots of opportunities for dads to make a better life for their families and I’m glad you can see that. Most dads (or people in general) are used to the typical 9-5 gig and that’s cool too, but I think they should know that there are “jobs” out there that can allow you to spend more time with your family. Unless, of course, spending time with their family isn’t a priority. Not a problem Jason and thank you for your comment.
Hi John, Great post and good on you as much as I would love to travel the world with the proceeds of what I make online I do often think that I would like to start a family. Although, I do think about if it would be something I could finance. I do blogging, I do reselling, affiliate marketing but not drop shipping. I mostly finance most things through eBay sales but mostly this means having to hold stock, be at home and doesn’t leave me many opportunities to travel. I think dropshipping is something to work towards and also blogging / affiliate marketing. Thanks for your guide I like to think that by the time this happens I will be in a much better position but sure this could be helpful information for others. Especially your final tip as much as it sounds like a joke it is a realistic situation considering the worst-case scenario.
Also, one site I use to make a bit of extra money is Appen. That makes me about $30 a month as of now but considering my outgoings for running my blog this and eBay are pretty much my safety net.
That’s great to hear Alex, but I think you should focus on just one of the ways you’ve mentioned and you’ll do a lot better. These are all great things to get into but spreading yourself too thin can make things really complicated. I like dropshipping and affiliate marketing as well, so just do one of them and give it your all. If that doesn’t work, give the other one a try. Do give it some time and make sure you’re giving it your all. Hope this helps Alex!
– John
Hey John,
This is an excellent article, and I have learned so much. I have been thinking of ways I can be a stay at home dad but I don’t want my wife to think I’m chasing some lotions and potions gig. After reading this article, I’m way more confident in what is possible with staying home and the internet. I know you mentioned several opportunities, but what would you think is the BEST way to start for someone who doesn’t have much capital or knowledge of running a business, especially online?
Keep up the amazing work and keep being an amazing Dad.
All the best,
Tom
Thanks, Tom! Well, what are you interested in? Do you have anything to sell online? I do put blogging as the #1 way to make money online because you don’t need much to get started. For less than $50/month and some hard work, you can start a blog and make money talking about things you enjoy. You can eventually hire a writer or two and you can almost be hands-off with the time-consuming stuff. I have my top 5 ways to make money online, so check that out to see more options. Hope this helps Tom and thanks for your kind words.
– John
Hi John,
Thanks for showing us several ways to make money online as a stay-at-home dad. I prefer to run a blog to promote affiliate products for commissions since it takes a little to start, and it might bring you a fortune if you don’t give up. 🙂 I am interested in the platform you recommended in this post, so I will take a closer look very soon. Thanks a lot for sharing, it really helps!
Matt
Not a problem Matt and I’m glad to help. I definitely like the affiliate marketing business model, as you said, it takes almost nothing to start and the income potential is through the roof. I hope you have gotten things going and remember to never give up.