Maternity leave can be a tremendous financial strain, especially if you are only entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) or Maternity Allowance (MA). Knowing how to earn extra money on maternity leave could be a game-changer for you. This could mean the difference between the maternity leave you can afford, and the maternity leave you want.
SMP was all I received during my first maternity leave. £5,000 for the period of my maternity leave. For someone who was used to a much higher salary, that is quite a gap.
These are my top tips to help you earn extra money on maternity leave.
1. Use cashback sites
I remember when a colleague at work introduced me to cashback sites by telling me “it’s free money!”. After hours of listening to me go on about all of the things I had been buying for the baby and asked if I was getting cashback? I said that I had never heard of it!
When you are shopping for items for your baby this is a great way to get some extra money. Provided you are still getting the best deal, all you need to do is visit a cashback site first. However, you might not get the cash instantly. There can be some delays, but it does quickly accumulate into a nice lump sum.
I use Topcashback. There is no other reason other than that is what was recommended to me all of those years ago. Over time I have had well over £1,000 from them for just shopping as usual.
Estimated extra money £50 – £100 per year
2. Sell your baby’s outgrown items
A second way I got extra money during maternity leave was to sell on our outgrown items. As soon as there was a pile of outgrown clothes or equipment, they were out the door.
My top tips for selling secondhand baby items are here.
Estimated extra money £50 – £200 per year
3. Turn your hobby into a business
I never even thought about doing this to help get extra money for my maternity leave. I was too consumed by planning for the baby’s arrival to make money from any of my hobbies. In hindsight, this would have been a great thing to do!
Estimated extra money £50 – £200 per year (I’m sure there is something to be said from doing this)
4. Focus on your pre-maternity savings
When you are so focused on preparing for the baby’s arrival, it can be hard to focus on anything else. When I was expecting my first, I was literally out every lunchtime looking for things for him. I was a bargain-hunting machine. On reflection, if I had of focused my mind and my money on getting a lump sum of cash together, I would have been in a better position.
This is my ten-day micro saving plan. It shows you how some small changes to your money habits can help you achieve big things. While I didn’t do this while preparing for maternity leave, I did it last year in the run-up to Christmas and managed to save several hundred pounds.
Estimated extra money £50+ (your mindset only limits you)
5. Look for online income
A great way to earn extra income is to look for something (legal) you can do online. I am not talking about getting another job, but something flexible, which suits your new lifestyle. You could do loads of things: surveys, blogging, product testing, competitions, and freelance work, to name a few.
If you are worried about getting extra income for maternity leave, go and investigate the possibility of these tips for you.
You can read more of my money advice for Mums to Be HERE.
