Start a 'cottage industry'... official MoneySavingExpert.com discussion

geordie_joe · 28 December 2007 at 9:46PM

Pink_Fairy wrote: »

Hi. I'm new on here. Work full time but still seem stretched to the limit. Would appreciate any hints, tips etc but think I've taken the first step by joining you.

You have made the best step you can.

Most people on here attack money on two fronts. They try to save money and try to earn a bit more.

It depends on what you want to do, some people want one thing that will earn them a fair bit each month, others are happy to do several things that earn a little each month.

Have a good look around the forum as there are many boards with great stuff in them. Check out the referrals board, it often has good ways to earn a little extra and also has many people who will point out things that are scams.

Hardup_Hester · 29 December 2007 at 3:30PM

Hi
I don't want to bore those of you who know me from other threads but I knit scarves & make rice/lavender heat bags, shopping bags from old clothes & make up baby toiletries baskets.
I'm aiming to try some of the local craft/gift fayres next year. I have previous experience of the larger fayres, but have found the stalling out fees to be astronomical. I was only aiming to do 2 fayres this year & both were rained off.
I do have a blog, but it is not aimed at selling my stuff, it is just a series of anecdotes about my life & how I lurch from crisis to crisis, starting from scratch at 50.
I make some money from taking in lodgers, but am finding it stressful, so I'm hoping to earn more money other ways this year.

kbl · 29 December 2007 at 11:46PM

Hello, just a thought, if anyone can sew really well, why not make outfits for little girls with matching ones for their dolls? I saw some absolutely gorgeous outfits in a craft fair before Christmas where they supplied the rag doll as well. They had a trendy jacket and jeans outfit, a xmas dressy outfit, a pyjama outfit and a leggings with tunic style outfit. Each outfit could be sold as part of a set with the doll and matching outfit or seperately and came in sizes 2-3 up to 7-8. Sadly, they were too expensive for my pocket but it was an extremely successful stall. I wish I could do something like this, but my talents lie elsewhere...I'm sure I'll find out what they are someday!!

Frugaldom · 30 December 2007 at 1:29AM

Not long now... hope my hot glue gun arrives on Monday

Hardup_Hester · 1 January 2008 at 9:12PM

Hi
Today I lined & altered 2 pairs of curtains, I made £25, minus the cost of the lining, which was rescued from another old pair of curtains.

Frugaldom · 1 January 2008 at 10:12PM

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

Hi
Today I lined & altered 2 pairs of curtains, I made £25, minus the cost of the lining, which was rescued from another old pair of curtains.

That's great! I've spent quite a bit of time just trying to get up to date on what I've got and what I haven't got for recycling, plus my glue gun arrived yesterday

Just as well I ordered a spare box of glue sticks, though, because the 'COMPLETE WITH 2 FREE GLUE STICKS' part was missing! Need to complain about that asap. I've also joined the www.pigsback.com website and have 'earned' £4.25 but I like a challenge, so ordered my 'little piggy' so I can try to win some of their fun competitions of piggy pics. Sorry, I kind of got sidetracked :rotfl:

mumzyof2 · 2 January 2008 at 1:16AM

what could i make from home???? I dont have many skills? would love to do something though and sell them on ebay

Frugaldom · 2 January 2008 at 1:27AM

mumzyof2 wrote: »

what could i make from home???? I dont have many skills? would love to do something though and sell them on ebay

You don't need to make things, you could adapt things, mend things, clean things up to increase their value or anything else you fancied doing

I'm quite into my papier mache now and am going to attempt a few for a craft fayre at the end of January and might even try listing them in my eBid store. Guess they'll need to be really cheap to compensate for postage costs, though cos big and bulky with not a lot of weight still costs.

Can you sew?

mumzyof2 · 2 January 2008 at 1:34AM

nykmedia wrote: »

You don't need to make things, you could adapt things, mend things, clean things up to increase their value or anything else you fancied doing I'm quite into my papier mache now and am going to attempt a few for a craft fayre at the end of January and might even try listing them in my eBid store. Guess they'll need to be really cheap to compensate for postage costs, though cos big and bulky with not a lot of weight still costs.

Can you sew?

never tried sewing but my mum did it for a living. is it easy? whats a Ebid store? would really love to make/do things for a living from home not just for money..to show my children how to do things mainly make them proud

Frugaldom · 2 January 2008 at 1:48AM

I used to use eBay quite a bit, now only when there's a cheap listing day (not been free listing there for a long, long time), plus I now have 5 stores set up on eBid that cost me nothing to list in them. I took advantage of one of the special offers they ran on there some time ago, where it let you upgrade your basic membership to the top level free of charge, which included having up to 5 stores. It's only since being on my 4k challenge last year that I started looking at them seriously with a view to making some extra cash, but am planning on doing much more in 2008.

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