You probably either have a friend who is married to a cowboy
and is looking for a way to supplement a working cowboy’s income, or you ARE
the friend who is looking for a way to supplement a working cowboy’s income. Dealing
with hour long commutes to town on less than ideal roads, and the “town” maybe
not being a thriving metropolis of work, is a reality for many. Who wouldn’t
want to work from home? Here are 7 ideas for you hard working Cowboy-girls to
make some money from the comfort of your own home.
1.
Make
and Sell Gear
Most ranch wives are pretty resourceful and crafty, when you
get right down to it. They have to be, they’re married to cowboys! It seems
like everywhere I look theses days, everyone has a jewelry business. So I would
turn to something else. Learn to make headstalls and bridles (saddle makers
HATE making bridles and will pay someone to make them for their saddle
shop), learn to make chinks and chaps,
braid rawhide, make quilts, hitch horsehair or engrave silver. Look at the part
of the world you’re living in, what type of gear the cowboy’s around you use,
and then tap into those resources!
2.
Give
Music Lessons
Are you musically inclined? Can you play an instrument? When
my dad was cowboying on the Big Springs Ranch in Wells, NV, my mums paid a
“neighbor” lady to give me piano lessons. We didn’t have a piano, but once a
week we’d bump our way down the road for lessons. If you’re gifted musically,
share your gift! Put up posters and spread the word that you are now accepting
students. Give a discount for signing up
for a month at a time for little Johnny or Susie’s piano, trumpet or guitar
lessons. Get after it, maestro!
3.
Start a
Bakery from Your Kitchen
Most of you gals that carry the illustrious title of “Ranch
Wife”, are more than competent cooks and canners, from necessity for one thing,
and pure enjoyment from the other. But if you enjoy something and are good at
it, why not share it with the rest of the world and make some money off it
while you’re at it?? Can peaches, pickles and plums, make some cute packaging
and start a little store out of your kitchen. Are you an excellent baker? Make
and sell pies, homemade bread and cookies to people in town and single cowboys.
They’ll love you! You could even start a blog with your “bakery’s” name and
post pictures of what you make and have a price list for potential customers.
And when you do, let me know because I’ll definitely want to put an order in!
4.
Ironing
Yes, I said ironing. You can’t believe the amount of people
(in town or maybe single cowboys), who would pay someone to not have to worry
about their laundry. When you make a trip into town you can pick up the dirty
laundry and return it on your next town day! I actually did this in grade
school and had as much work as I could handle!
5.
Dog
Sitting
I think you could actually make a killing off of this idea.
If you advertised a doggie day care, specifically for town dogs where they got
to come to your “ranch out in the country” and run around, go on long walks and
be given a bath before they return home…I think you’d have as many dogs as you
could handle!
6.
Start a
Day Care
There are a lot of ranch wives with babies who some days
just want to get out there and cowboy with their hubbies and would probably
appreciate a trustworthy and reliable babysitter and/or day care. Or maybe they
have to work in town and would feel more comfortable with their children being
with another ranch wife. You can have outside/”cowboy”/ranchy games, reading
time, roping the cat games (hehehe) and even a cooking hour, depending on their
age. You would probably have to get a CPR certification, but that’s easily
enough done. Toddlers, anyone?
I know that I didn’t address making jewelry, making wild
rags or decorated mirrors, because those all seem to be hugely popular and
instead chose to focus on other things. If you guys have any ideas that I didn’t
discuss, please share them in the comments!
xo xo Liz