10 Ways Moms Can Make Money at Home

Moms are always looking for ways to make a dollar go further. After all, between groceries, gas and fees for the kids' extracurriculars, our wallets are practically hyperventilating in our handbags. Here are tips for making extra money from items you already have at home. Granted, you'll finally have to give up that sweater from before you even had kids. But, hey, now you'll have the cash to buy one you'll actually wear.

Think about how many of your clothes you don't wear. You know the ones. We have about $6,000 worth of sellable merchandise in our closets, according to Tracy DiNunzio, founder of online resale sites Tradesy and Tradesy Weddings (formerly Recycled Bride).

"We have so many women on Tradesy who have things they wore before they were pregnant—things that no longer fit or no longer fit their lifestyle," DiNunzio says.

Take those duds and sow dollars where denial used to be.

If you love dogs and wouldn't mind a furry creature in your home for a few days, try Dog Vacay, a site that pairs vacationing pet owners with canine sitters.

The kids begging for a pooch of their own?

"It's a great way to expose your kids to animals without the ongoing responsibility of pets," says DiNunzio.

RELATED: Help Your Child Adapt to a New Pet

While they look lovely on the shelves, let's face it: Your books might be collecting more dust than pageviews.

"Everyone is moving to the Kindle," DiNunzio says. "(Books) are big and heavy, and when you're moving it's a nightmare."

DiNunzio suggests sites like Bookscouter.com, which allows you to enter the book's ISBN to find a bookstore with the best buyback price.

"Education is a hot trend right now," says Linsey Knerl, mom of five and senior writer at financial website Wise Bread.

As your kids get older and aren't reading kids' classics like The Runaway Bunny, Knerl says, "you can bundle them and sell them on eBay as a 'classics bundle,'" rather than just one at a time.

You'll get more than you would at a garage sale, she adds, but make sure to "label them 'educational,' because home-school parents look for that," Knerl says.

For families with two cars but only one frequent driver, Knerl recommends finding a driver who'll pay for the convenience of borrowing yours. "If you're using it only in the mornings or evenings or dropoff for the kids, you can rent out your car."

"Just make sure your insurance covers something like that," Knerl says. "It's great for when your car is just sitting in the driveway."

DiNunzio recommends sites like Wheelz.com or ZipCar.com.

Has your son grown out of those shin guards, or has your daughter ditched those volleyball shoes? Knerl recommends selling your child's used sports gear on craigslist.

"Even the beat-up stuff can go," she says, "even if it's just for practice."

RELATED: Dos and Don'ts of Being a Sports Parent

In these tumultuous economic times, many people have been turning to gold. And don't think you need a showroom worthy of Tiffany & Co. to get started—or even a complete set.

"It's super easy," says DiNunzio. "When I sold gold, I had one earring from college." Necklaces from ex-boyfriends? Those can go, too.

DiNunzio recommends online gold buyer Goldfellow. "Send in broken jewelry," she says. "Goldfellow will even extract jewels from a piece and send them back to you."

OK, so that guitar little Johnny was dying to play? Don't be ashamed that it's been sitting in the closet for three months. List that bad boy online, and let another child try her hand at being Jimi Hendrix or Joan Jett.

Keep in mind, though, that they are a tough sell on craigslist. "Most (buyers) want authentication of the instrument," says DiNunzio. "And big retailers give you little money."

DiNunzio recommends Used Instrument Buyer, which allows sellers to upload photos for no-obligation quotes.

And besides, adds DiNunzio, "If I were a mom, I'm not sure I'd want strangers coming to my house to check out my instruments."

It's the 21st century version of a neighborhood swap meet. "We do a lot of buying and selling on Facebook with a (local) group," Knerl says.

Because you need to know someone to join, there's the added element of trust, along with the convenience of being able to ditch the postal service altogether.

"It's a little less creepy than a blind ad on craigslist, and you don't have to wait for something to be shipped across the country," Knerl says.

It was DiNunzio's own wedding experience that inspired her to create Recycled Bride, now Tradesy Weddings.

"I got married in 2008 and thought, gosh, it's so expensive and wasteful when you think about all those things you use for four hours."

In an effort to make selling your wedding dress, veil or other accessories less complicated, DiNunzio created her wedding resale site that allows you to list items and be paid via PayPal.

MORE: Planning My Wedding