Question: I’m a stay-at-home mom, and I find that our budget is short about $450 a month. I would like to start a home business. I’ve read in magazine ads that there are companies that will pay me for stuffing envelopes, but I have to pay them a $500 sign-up fee. Is this advisable? Response: In the vast majority of cases, any offer that requires you to pay up front is a scam, and I recommend that you stay away from all such “good deals.” If a legitimate business wants to hire you as a stay-at-home employee, it provides the necessary materials, you provide the labor, and they pay you for your efforts. You should not have to pay any money up front. I suspect the company you’re referring to is selling people the idea of getting into a home business. There are legitimate enterprises that hire folks to do specific tasks at home; generally, though, it’s not stuffing envelopes. Again, remember this rule: If you have to pay, it’s a good deal for the company, a bad deal for you.