Do you want to know a few ways for teens to make money? This article is all about different things that teens can do to get some cash.
Believe me; I know how hard it is for a teen to earn an income nowadays. I remember how hard it was to get my first job and when I finally was able to land one it was as a bagger at a grocery store, it paid minimum wage which was about five bucks an hour at the time. Nowadays there are all sorts of opportunities like Project Payday, Cash Crate, Treasure Trooper and many more…
Teenagers are facing increasing pressure to pay their own way which is prompting entry into the job market at a very young age… Some teenagers have families that are supportive financially and other families are not as fortunate and count on their kids to come up with lunch money.
The following is a list of ways for teens to make money:
Parental Allowance
Many teenagers are able to get a few bucks out of moms and pops, if you have already been getting an allowance then see if you can add extra responsibilities for a moderate raise.
Garage Sale
Organizing a garage sale can be a great way to generate income. Unfortunately, this option requires that you either sell some your own unused or unwanted possessions or someone else’s. It might be worth it to ask your parents if they have any items they don’t need anymore that they can pitch in to the cause. You may also want to get some help from them pricing the items and putting up fliers on telephone poles in the area as well as listing your garage sale on Craigslist.
Babysitting or Pet Sitting
If you have experience babysitting you might want to go on a door to door adventure advertising your service to neighbors. In addition, sometimes neighbors go out of town and could use someone to drop by and feed their pets or groom them from time to time. This can be a fantastic source of income and believe it or not, full grown adults are working these type of employment opportunities as well.
Dog Walking
If you start a dog walking business, this could easily provide you with enough money for lunch and a trip to the movies every week. If you can manage to get a few customers, it’s possible that you can walk a few dogs at the same time and double or even triple the amount you get per hour. This is a very lucrative business and many people twice to three times your age make a full time living from dog walking and grooming. If you start now, by the time you get older you may have employees walking dogs for you!
Grocery Store Courtesy Clerk
Usually the minimum age to get a job as a bagger/courtesy clerk at a grocery store is 15 years old but things may have changed since I was running bags out to cars so you may still want to look into this option even if you are younger. The nice thing about this gig is you have the ability to get some fresh air and socialize from time to time. A grocery store is kind of like a family and you could easily score some new friends and opportunities from being involved in a job like this.
Lemonade / Ice Cream Stand
I’m sure you have thought of running your own lemonade or ice cream stand in the past. If you have tried this and were unsuccessful, did you make sure to set up shop near a gym or basketball court or kiddie playground during the summertime? You need to capitalize on need, find a place where people are thirsty and offer them your products at a reasonable price.
Yard Work
This can be an excellent source of money for teenagers assuming that you live in a neighborhood that has a lot of lawns to mow or large front yards, backyards or parking strips. If you can borrow your parent’s lawnmower and make a few fliers on the printer, you are in business! I would recommend going door to door asking neighbors if it would be alright to mow their lawn…
If you approach them in this way then they may decide to be really generous when you finish and give you more than they would have if you had told them your price upfront. Keep in mind this strategy might backfire and they might try to pay you off with some home baked cookies or some other sort of bonus that may be unwanted!
The following are just a few examples of ways for teens to make money. If you are a teen or adult and have suggestions for things I neglected to mention in this article, feel free to leave a comment and let me know!
{ 1 comment }
Great ideas! I like the idea of the garage sale. Most teens have video games, CD’s and clothes that they don’t wear. These items sell really well at garage sales.
If you don’t want to sell your games at a garage sale, you can take them to some of the stores that sell used games. They will give you cash for your games.
Great blog!
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