Evaluate the following:
We often don't think too much about the little sums of money we are owed by various sources, until the cash lands in our hands. Resist the urge to spend this money and instead make a habit of saving rebates from retailers (even if they are only a few dollars), refunds from utilities or insurance companies, reimbursements for expenses, repayment of other debts and other unexpected windfalls.
For self-employed work-at-home moms, this strategy can be applied to payments for unexpected jobs. Or even resolve to set aside all the income from one client.