Moms know that staying home with the kids is an important job, perhaps the most important job that a woman can have. Unfortunately, few moms can afford to give up all of the income they've been contributing to the family coffers. However, finding the right work from home job can be a bit of a challenge. Luckily, moms can find ways to contribute to the household's financial well being while they are hunting for the perfect work from home job.

Do your children have toys they've barely touched or clothing they've outgrown that is still in good shape? One great way to make a bit of extra money is to gather up all of the items you aren't using anymore and hold a garage sale or yard sale. Make sure that everything is clean, well organized, and clearly priced before you hold your sale. You should have a sign that clearly announces the sale in your front yard and you may want to also place a classified ad in your local paper. To save on advertising costs and generate more interest, ask a few other neighborhood moms to chip in.

If you don't live in a yard sale friendly location, you can still resell your children's gently worn clothing as they outgrow it. Check the local yellow pages for the phone numbers for a few consignment shops. Be sure to talk to a few different shops to find one that has a low consignment fee and is also clean and well organized.

Of course, you can also earn money by going to yard sales and buying nice items at low prices to resell on eBay. Before you begin buying things, take some time to look at eBay auctions to see what sells and what doesn't. Some of the oddest items, such as children's weaving looms or fast food collectibles still in the bag, sell for a good sum of money. Other things don't sell at all.

Another great way for moms to make money is to combine coupons, sales, and rebates. During the Christmas season, many stores have substantial rebate offers for everything from tools to pre-paid cellular phones. You can have a wonderful Christmas without blowing the family budget, which will make you feel just as happy after the holiday as your kids feel while they are opening their gifts. Of course, quite a few drug stores have rebate offers for hair dye, shampoos, and extension cords throughout the year. If you use these items, you probably planned to buy them anyway, but you may not have been considering buying them if you have no use for them. However, even if you don't need something that is free or almost free after rebate, you may want to buy it to add to your yard sale stash.

Finally, if you'd like to be able to afford a few fun extras, you may want to consider doing a bit of mystery shopping. You can get free meals, trips to the movies, or clothing in exchange for information about your shopping experience. Just be sure you don't pay for mystery shopper information. One of the best free places to find legitimate companies that offer mystery shopping is www.internetbasedmoms.com