Side hustles for new mums.

With conservative UK Statutory Maternity Pay only covering 39 weeks and essential goods increasingly expensive due to high inflation, many young families are seeking ways to supplement their salaries. Discover some straightforward side hustles for new mums that could be balanced alongside baby duties to help boost your funds.

Pick up freelance work

Keep your hand in and pick up freelance work in your specialist field. Smaller companies with a limited in-house team regularly need to enlist people for large projects, so there’s no shortage of opportunities. You can add your details to a selection of free freelance services sites and let companies come to you, or you can seek out work independently through your connections.

Writers, designers and developers are most often in demand, so if you have these skills this could be a lucrative way to earn money while at home.

Investigate trading

If your children still require 24/7 attention and working is out of the question, consider trading as a method to boost your income. Although it does carry risk, a cautious approach could help you boost your funds to support spending and savings.

Trading is the practice of putting money into assets on the financial markets. You need to try to identify assets set to grow in value and sell your shares for a profit before the value drops. The market is constantly moving, influenced by a multitude of factors which can’t always be predicted. That’s why it’s important to tread carefully to avoid significant losses.

Consider starting with index trading for instant access to a diverse portfolio which provides stability. While growth might be slow, your money will be invested in assets likely to succeed. Once you’ve got to grips with trading, you can go it alone and explore other markets such as the Foreign Exchange which is the largest, fastest and most volatile.

Commercialise your hobby

Take advantage of the thriving online marketplace and make money doing what you love. It’s relatively easy to commercialise your hobby, and you might be surprised by the demand there is for handmade products.

Classic examples of successful e-commerce endeavours include upcycling clothes and furniture, making decorations for the home from coasters to cushion covers and selling paintings and photographs.

You could also make use of other skills such as cooking and fitness by providing online coaching classes. All you’ll need is a basic knowledge of video software, social media platforms and perhaps a dedicated website to successfully market your services. Health is a big trend at the moment that many influencers are capitalising on, and this is a flexible way of generating income that still allows you to put parenting duties first.