[Alejandros Mommy]

I'd like to give ideas to our members on how to make $ while still being at home with the kids I help out MIL every year with her scrub fair...she owns a scrub company. This last scrub year I ironed...a lot......and folded all the uniforms for her.

What do you ladies do for working at home?

[MommyDee]

I wonder how many people are going to be grossed out by this lol...

My husband and I breed geckos, and sell/distribute reptile feeder supplies (insects, vitamin supplements, frozen rodents, etc) as a web-based business. DH works outside the home, so I've taken on the feeder business as a part-time job. My job is to take orders, do up quotes, receive payments, send off the bi-weekly orders to be filled by our partner in Ontario, pick up shipments from the airport, print invoices, sort the orders (and yes, that involves me getting my hands into boxes of live bugs), and arrange for pickups or deliver the orders myself. I probably spend about 20-25 hours a week at it.

How did we get into this, you might ask? We started a little over two years ago with one wee pet gecko, and quickly found out how "addictive" the reptile hobby can be (they're awesome little critters). After expanding our collection, and commencing our first breeding season, we started looking for less expensive feeder sources than the local petstores, and found this great online company with top-notch products. Within a couple of orders we had gotten several people in our area ordering from the same guy; he then offered us handling fees, and discounts on our own feeders, if we'd receive the shipments at the airport and distribute them to the customers.

Things absolutely snowballed from there until he asked us if we wanted to take over the full ordering process for this area for a cut of the profits. We've even branched out and established a distributor in another location. We're not making a huge amount of money by any means, but it's a start. We've also acquired and begun breeding some gecko morphs (color/size varieties) that are a bit more on the rare side, and consequently, a bit higher in value. We'd eventually like to open an actual storefront for exotic pets and supplies.

I have to say, it's pretty cool to have an enjoyable pet hobby produce a profitable business!

[simplesahm]

I am a home-business blogger for Families and I write in the family life section for another gal's site. I also sell items on Ebay and make crafts. I've found that there are numerous ways you can make some income from home if you are creative and willing! =) I love the gekko story!

[Alejandros Mommy]

OooO! Not for me...I really don't like Bugs...Amazing as I have 2 boys...But that's amazing that you can do this! I have only seen green ones...pics would be nice of the different colored ones How many babes do they have at a time?

[MommyDee]

Hmmm... Let's see... We should have some good pics in Photobucket.

To make things a bit easier, I'll highlight the color/size phase and the species common name differently.

This is a Jungle Giant Tremper Albino Leopard Gecko:


An Amelanistic African Fat Tail Gecko:


A Blizzard Leopard Gecko:


And a comparison shot of a Normal Phase African Fat Tail (back), and an aberrant color/pattern (both carry the Amelanistic gene):

And that's just to name a few...
Hope nobody minds all the pics, I love these critters! The only one of these that we no longer have is the Blizzard; the rest (and several more besides lol) are currently in the full swing of breeding season. They can lay 12 or more clutches of 2 eggs per clutch -- if you have a good hatch success rate, that's quite a lot of baby geckos lol! We're having a rough season so far though... The air in our new place is really dry, and the eggs need a very specific moisture level in order to survive. We only had one egg that went to term, and then the poor wee critter didn't make it out of his egg. We've got some better incubation supplies ordered, so here's hoping for some wee leezards VERY soon!

[koledust]

I do some things on the internet for some extra cash however I also have to work a job. I work with kids though and I love it! Simplesahm what do you sell on ebay? I have been wanting to sell on ebay and I try selling things around the house but don't make much money. Most the time i don't even have the buyer. Any help from you would be great! Also if anyone is interest in ways i make some extra cash look at my blog in my signature... they all pay and most of them i have been paid by already.... the ones i have not a friend has... also check out textpayme... you get a free $5.00 just for setting up an account!

[MommaColleen]

I work at home for my current employer. They hooked me up and I can log onto Company's network right from home and work as if I were at my desk. The hours are flexible and it allows me to be there for my kids. I even have a phone that rings through my computer so people can call my office extension and I can talk to them through the headset...no long distance phone charges!

[AudreyOka]

I love the lizard photos!! My daughter had collard lizards for a while. I learned so much it was amazing!! She found an entire forum/message boards dedicated to nothing but reptiles. The folks there were amazing in their knowledge.
The orange color is just beautiful in your photos.
I've actually been in direct sales for 24 years now.

[MissyChrissy]

I've bought at yard sales & real estate auctions & sold those items on Ebay.

I'm considering offering my services as a PowerPoint creator for people...perhaps making photo memories utilizing PowerPoint. I've done PowerPoint Presentation speeches for work-that's where my inspiration has come from.

[hennypenny]

I do work that my fiance brings home from his job. He is a spraypainter/powdercoater, and he brings home parts that need masking before being sprayed. It's great money, and I love not paying for childcare and having the same amount of time with my kids!