The first thing you have to do is not panic. Assess the situation. How much money do you need to bring in? Knowing how much you need to earn will help you determine if the job(s) you are offered will be sufficient enough to make your time and effort worthwhile. There are costs associated with returning to work if you are a stay at home parent – for example, if you need to pay for childcare in order to go to work you may find that those costs eat most of your income, and therefore it doesn’t make as much sense to return to work. One way to eliminate this problem is to look for a job which only schedules you to work when your children are in school, or to enroll the children in an after school activity that is less expensive than babysitters or daycare.

Another way you may rejoin the workforce while saving money on childcare is to work from home. The consumer market industry is taking off right now. With the economy the way it is, most retailers are investing money to see what people are purchasing. So many consumer marketing industries are hiring survey takers to rate products, and spending habits. This can be done from home on your own time. There are many opportunities for legitimately earning money from home, especially if you have some specialized skills like writing, graphic design or web programming.

Another thing to consider when rejoining the workforce is the actual cost of going to work. The more professional the job you are seeking the more professional you need to look and the more education or extra training you may need. You may also have to lower wage expectations to make yourself more attractive than others seeking the same job. These are costs that can add up quickly, and if you are looking to supplement your current household income, these costs may be more of a burden then the job benefits.

You can survive this economic down turn. Just don’t panic, assess your situation and consider any hidden costs that may come up before accepting a job.

Things to Consider When Rejoining the Workforce was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Part-time jobs. This method is probably the best because of the consistent nature of the income. Part-time jobs range from working in a restaurant or retail to working for a local convenience store. Whichever you choose and fits your circumstances, then be willing to work the hours on a consistent basis so that the money is consistent as well. If you choose the restaurant job, then try being a server. The hourly pay is not as high, but the tips can make up for it and then some. If you have a knack for relating to people and making them feel comfortable then this might be a job for you to consider.

Household sales. It is time to clean out the attic, basement and garage and sell anything that isn’t nailed down and hasn’t been used for a very long time. You might not be willing to part with everything, but most people have “stuff” that they no longer need. The yard sale / garage sale can net you hundreds of dollars if you have enough things to sell. You can also sell things on eBay which goes with our next point.

Hobbies. Do you have a hobby or things that you like to do that you could turn into income? Some people do not like to make their hobbies into money-making ventures, but if you are in a position of needing to bring in money, then consider doing it for just a short period of time. Look at using your hobby and marketing it through eBay. If you do not have a hobby or one that can be used to make money, then look and see what kinds of things others are doing. Grab onto something that interests you and investigate whether or not you can do the same.

Decrease withholdings. Most people are holding out too much money from their regular paycheck which gives them a big bonus in the spring of the year when they get a refund from the Federal Government in the form of a tax return. You should change this so that you break even, or just barely get a tax refund. The reason is that you are sending money to the government to use all year long and then they give it back to you with no interest. Better it is to keep that money in your paycheck and use it to help pay bills and put into savings.

These four income sources can help you get through a difficult time financially until things improve. It is income that can sustain you for long periods of time if you allow it. That can help you reach other goals, too like paying down debt. There are very few negatives in this proposition so get started today.

Four Income Sources for Tough Times was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

1.  Babysit. Do you have children of your own that you get ready for school and make sure they get on their bus?  There are many families who have to leave for work before their children get off to school and are in need of someone to give them a hand.  Recently, I agreed to watch a little girl from 7am until the bus comes at 8:20am, three mornings a week, for $25 a week.  I’m not doing it to get rich, and it’s not enough to break the bank of the parent needing the help, either.  But the extra $100 each month is earmarked to finally start saving (something I haven’t been able to do regularly yet, because I always need to use my income for bills!)

Some parents may need after school care, too.  Most parents get home an hour or two after the bus drops off their kid(s), and most parents are not comfortable leaving their children home alone until they are teenagers.  Put an ad in your local newspaper, hang fliers around local shops, and just put the word out you’re available and see what happens!  What’s one more kid to get ready for school, or entertain for a couple hours before dinner?

2. Write & Submit How to Articles to eHow.com. Write articles that teach someone step by step how to do stuff you know how to do, and post on your eHow.com account (free to create).  Set up your account with a Google Adsense ID (free to get) and you can earn revenue over time for people who click ads when viewing your how-to articles.  Along those same lines, look for other revenue sharing article sites – once again, this is not a way to “get rich” overnight, but as long as the articles are being viewed online and people are clicking ads – you will earn money for writing an article one-time.

3. Rent Out Your Garage. Most of the United States is about to hit the cold, dreary winter months.  There are people who don’t have a garage but have things that could benefit from being stored in one through-out the winter.  Do you have room in your garage or storage shed?  Rent it out for the winter, charge less than a self-storage place and you ‘ll find a “tenant”.

4.  Turn Ideas into Cash. Do you have an idea for simple, inexpensive gifts that families could buy and give this holiday season?  With everyone tightening up their spending, you can bet people will be on the look out for nice gifts that don’t cost an arm and a leg.  Can you make mini gift-baskets or gift bags?  Turn your ideas for inexpensive but nice gifts into a holiday business – get the word out about your products, hold an open house, run a fundraiser for the local preschool and take orders.  You may need to enlist your kids helping you fill the orders, but you’ll help your community afford nice gifts and make some extra cash as well.

5. Set up Blogs. Do you know how to install WordPress or start a Blogger.com account?  There are many people who don’t know how, but want to.  Connect with these people and get their blogs set up for them – if you know how, you know it can be done in a reasonable amount of time, especially if you’re doing it often and have all the files you need at your disposal!  Charge a fee to get people “connected” and you can make some extra cash from your computer.

5 Ways to Increase Your Income was created by and is property of American Consumer News.