How Stay at Home Moms Can Make Money: 20 Legit Ideas

2. Sell your used books

Yes, these books look good lined up on the shelves.

But think about it…

These books are just left there to collect dust without getting much page views.

Check out sites like BookScouter.com that lets you indicate the book’s ISBN to know which bookstores will give the top price in buying back the book.

3. Get paid to work out

I have talked about this before. It’s through an app called GymPact. Basically you make a plan to work out X days of the week, if you fulfill it, you win money, if you lose, you pay up.

The money earned comes from losers who didn’t fulfill their promises.

4. Get paid to test websites

Another subject I have covered extensively here. Paid website usability testing is a fun way to earn a little side money.

All you need to do is visit a website, use it as you would normally, then answer some questions about its user-friendliness and how hard and easy it was to navigate and find everything.

5. Rent out your car

There are families who own two cars but only one within the family frequently drives. Go look for drivers who would want to borrow yours for a fee.

If you’re e only using your vehicle to drop-off or pick-up your kids in the morning and evening, then have one of the cars leased.

This is best for those who always see their car just parked in the garage. Just ensure that your insurance would cover for that.

Check out sites like RelayRides.com or ZipCar.com to look for those would want to borrow your car for a fee.

6. Be a freelance writer

Do you have a passion for writing and has a way with words? It is the best time to become a writer since this is the age of internet.

Use this talent of yours of mixing words together to earn money. Beautifully written sentences are in demand particularly in print and online magazines.

Begin by checking sites like Wizzley, a website that allows writers to sign-up and join without having to pay any fees. You can submit works that have not been copyrighted yet.

A writer gets paid within the $3 – $40 per article range, with $10 being the average. PayPal is the payment method.

For a big list of sites that pay you to write for them, read this post.

7. Raid your closet

How many set of clothes do you have in your closet that you no longer wear? I’m sure you know which ones are these. Most people have a few hundred dollars worth of clothes that they will probably never wear anymore, if not more.

Use a site like ThredUp to sell them.

For more detail and a list of sites you can to resale old and unused clothing, check out this post.

8. Do pet sitting

Do you love dogs, and wouldn’t really mind having them at your place for a time for maybe a couple of days?

Then check out Dog Vacay which is a site that matches pet owners who are about to go on a trip with those willing to dog sit.

Have your kids been bugging you to get them a canine of their own?

Well, pet sitting is a great way to expose them to pets without necessarily taking on the continuing duties of pet owners.

9. Work on the web

Editing, copy writing, blogging, designing websites, bookkeeping, being a virtual assistant…

There won’t be a shortage of ways of making money online. Just make sure to be thorough and prudent.

Check carefully the job openings first since there are a lot of scammers in the work from home world. Even if you are about to join a well established firm, make sure to do your checking first.

10. Open a “Mommy Daycare”

Your kids might be incurring you expenses, but you’ll happily pay for them, but looking after other people’s children can bring you cash.

Think about babysitting at night or at daytime. Let people know through social networking you are available to babysit, or through Craigslist or through simple word of mouth.

11. Use our talent to make money

Don’t keep your special talents to yourself. Why not share them and earn money along the way?

Piano, baking, geometry… Whatever talent you have nowadays, you can be sure there is a way to make money with it.

Let’s say you can tutor for $20 per hour for two hours in a day or three times a week. These can earn you a net figure of $480 a month and pay for a couple of bills.

12. Collect & sell your Kid’s old/unused books

Hey those kids of yours are growing up to and are no longer reading the children’s classic like The Runaway Bunny.

Put these books together and advertise them on eBay as a classic bundle instead of selling them one at a time.

This way you’ll get paid more than what you would get by selling them in a garage or yard sale. Just ensure that you label them as ‘education’ because those parents who are home schooling will look for those.

13. Sell your gold jewelry

During these hard economic times, a lot of people have been going to gold for cash. Come to think of it, you don’t really need to have a set of gold jewelries that can compare to the showroom of Tiffany & Co. to start selling.

Go to trusted gold buyers online like Goldfellow. You can send them broken jewelry and you’ll receive cash in return.

You can also search online and find who buys gold near you and try in person selling.

14. Host parties

Most likely you have been asked to attend a candle, accessory or cosmetic party lately. If you are expressive and well acquainted with those who have passion for shopping then you can try to represent a string of products.

• The advantage: Big potential to earn money and time flexibility ( you can choose to work around when you can and feel like it).
• The disadvantage: You may alienate friends. Know when to stop.

15. Create stuff and sell

Are you a creative person capable of sewing American Girl-sized clothes for dolls, or cute knitted hats, or make gorgeous ornaments for Christmas tree?

Perhaps there ‘s a demand for your crafted goods.

Browse through the internet for market places such as Etsy or eBay for inspiration.

16. Make the most of your expertise

Are you a known expert in your field?

Making an appearance in the court as an expert witness for lawsuits can be a very profitable undertaking for you.

Update your resume and check out online expert directory services, then add your resume there.

Review of documents and court appearances usually start at $150.

17. Get a newspaper route

It will not command a high rate compared to becoming an expert witness, but it is an easier task.

Don’t look down on this job; if you have a car and spare time during mornings then you can make some considerable bucks before people at your house start waking up.

18. Participate in Focus Groups

Use your computer to find firms that are conducting paid focus groups.

Add your name to the list and wait for them to give you a call.

You won’t be making money like a bank, but if you’ve been chosen then you’ll get a fast $50-100 simply by answering questions regarding a particular product or service for 60 minutes.

Remember that reliability and availability matter since you would be called more often if you are known for these two qualities.

19. Sell your things on eBay

A lot of mothers have become very good at selling things on eBay, regardless of what it is they are selling. It could be a particular cartridge, or an unused videotape you bought incorrectly and wasn’t able to use. A gorgeous dress, or plain items left lying around in your home are also good for selling online.

Go to eBay and open your own account, then pay up that small fee to be able to list down one or hundreds of stuff that you want to sell.

Then sit back and watch the auction war.

This might even be the stepping stone to becoming a powerful and effective marketer.

20. Mystery shopping

Remember the crass sales lady who angered you to the point that you immediately left the store without purchasing a thing?

Employees such as her are the downfall of a firm!

That’s why a lot of service heavy companies get the services of unnoticeable shoppers posing as regular clients, who go back to report to a contractor what they’ve experienced—if it was good or bad.

Join mystery shopper companies like Beyond Hello and ICC Decision services ( these are companies that have paid me in the past when I shopped for their clients).

Be careful not to fall under the spell of those firms that advertise using overly-hyped and excessive exclamation points saying you’ll be rich by being a secret shopping since a lot of this racket only pay $10 per store.

Also don’t fall into the trap of buying expensive books claiming they have all you need to know about mystery shopping.

Go with the sites with good reputation that does not require you to sign up for a fee.

Bottom Line

There are tons of real and scam free ways you can make some extra money as a stay at home mom.

The only thing you have to keep in mind is that just like offline jobs, any online venture will also require work and dedication from you.