Buzz
Due to age and work experience, young people often struggle to find ways to earn money. However, there are plenty of opportunities if you know where to look. To make money while you're still young, you can do household chores to ask your parents for pocket money, babysit, mow lawns, look for part-time jobs that have a minimum age requirement, or even run your own business, like setting up a lemonade stand or selling handmade items on the sidewalk! It's a great option when you don't need to ask your parents for money, and some of these jobs could also help you build your resume and gain valuable experience.
Steps
Running a Business in Your Neighborhood
Starting a Lemonade Stand. Lemonade stands are popular during the summer and can earn you a decent amount of money. You can invite some friends to join you in making lemonade to sell in your neighborhood.
- There are several factors that can make your lemonade stand profitable, and the first one is the location. Choose a spot with high foot traffic and visibility in an area with few competitors, like a street corner.
- Make your stand visually appealing. If you're creative, consider setting up a vintage-style stand with ribbons and a sign that displays your “company” name.
- Track your costs for supplies and set your prices to ensure you make a profit. Avoid overcharging.
- Write down a menu of what you’re selling and consider offering additional items beyond lemonade. You could sell cookies, almond chocolate bars, or drinks with different flavors. Create a website to advertise your business. Be sure to get your parents' permission first. You can try using Wix.com to build a website.
- Delegate tasks to others. Make posters and assign a few friends to hang them around the neighborhood or stand at various buildings to promote your stand. Have someone ready to make more drinks so you're always prepared to sell.
Selling Drinks and Baked Goods on the Street. Similar to setting up a lemonade stand, you can apply this idea to sell food and drinks at community events. Purchase a cooler to sell cold drinks or bottled water at parks on hot days.
- If your siblings are participating in a sports game, you can visit the stadium and offer drinks to the players and parents.
- Create a sign and select a small area to set up a table and cooler.
- Sell water and freshly squeezed juices to earn extra money.
- Price your items reasonably.
Making and Selling Jewelry and Other Crafts. Gather some friends and make handcrafted items such as beaded jewelry, decorations, and more. Sell your creations at markets or flea markets, or even online with your parents' permission and assistance.
You can also sell items you no longer need on eBay or at events. Be sure to ask your parents first to ensure you're allowed to sell.
Gather a Group of Friends to Offer a Car Washing Service. Invite some neighborhood friends who also want to earn pocket money and offer a car washing service to the community.
- Set a work date and make flyers to advertise. Distribute the flyers in mailboxes around the neighborhood and encourage everyone in your group to get their families involved.
- Choose an appropriate location to wash cars, such as a house with a spacious front yard.
- Gather buckets, water, cloths, sponges, and other supplies. Wash cars on the scheduled day and collect payment.
- Only wash cars for people you know and ensure an adult is supervising.
- Always ask the customer before using any cleaning products other than plain water.
Mowing Lawns and Clearing Pathways for Neighbors. Starting a lawn mowing and snow clearing service (if you live in a snowy area) is another excellent way to earn pocket money. Think of it as a small business and give your service a name.
- Distribute flyers around the neighborhood to promote your service and provide contact details. You can also ask neighbors directly.
- It's best to have your own equipment, although some customers may provide their own tools for you to use.
- Set a fair price based on the size of the lawn or pathway and the time required to complete the task.
- For mowing, set a regular schedule each week to visit customers' homes. For pathway clearing, be sure to meet the agreed deadline.
Tutoring, Babysitting, and Pet Care
Tutoring Friends and Neighborhood Children. If you're really good at a certain subject at school or play a musical instrument well, like guitar or piano, you can offer to tutor your friends or neighborhood children to earn some extra money. Remember, your friends might not have much money, so be generous and don't charge too much to your close friends.
- If you're better at a subject than your classmates, you can offer to help them with homework or study for exams.
- If you have younger siblings, you can also tutor them so your parents don't have to always check their grades and homework.
Babysitting for Neighbors and Friends of Your Parents. Babysitting is one of the best ways to earn money. Start by looking after your younger siblings at home, then expand to babysitting for your neighbors once you have more experience.
- Consider taking a babysitting course. The Red Cross offers certification courses that teach skills ranging from looking after young children to handling medical emergencies. Having a certificate can make it easier to get jobs, and you might even be able to charge higher rates.
- Ask for referrals. You can have your parents ask their friends if they need a babysitter or put up flyers around your neighborhood.
- Think of babysitting as your business. Name your service and set your rates.
- If you're in the U.S., you can also consider joining online babysitting networks like Sittercity.
Pet Sitting or Dog Walking for Neighbors. If you love animals, pet sitting or dog walking is a great way to make some pocket money. Dogs and cats often need care, but there are also people who need help watching over other pets like fish, amphibians, reptiles, etc. However, don't take care of animals you don't know how to care for.
- Create flyers advertising your service. You can place them in mailboxes or post them around your neighborhood.
- Make a schedule. This will help you remember which animals need care at what time. You should also note down their food and care requirements.
- Keep track of the keys to the homes of clients who have pets you're looking after. Label the keys so you can differentiate between homes, but avoid writing down addresses in case you lose them.
- Charge a reasonable fee, but make sure it's competitive with other pet sitters. In the U.S., $4-10 per visit for pet care or dog walking is a good starting rate that you can negotiate.
Earning Pocket Money from Parents
Ask Your Parents for Allowance Money. Propose to your parents that they pay you for doing household chores on a weekly basis. If they refuse, try explaining that if they give you money in this way, you won't have to ask them every time you go out.
- Getting allowance this way is still a form of work. When you get paid for your own labor, you begin to develop a serious attitude towards work, which will benefit you in the future.
- Negotiate with your parents. Create a weekly schedule, write down the tasks you can do, and suggest a fair payment amount. Then, negotiate with your parents.
House Cleaning. Cleaning the house is a great way to earn pocket money. Whether it's washing windows, sweeping the floors, or vacuuming, there are plenty of tasks you can do to earn money from your parents.
- Simply keeping your room tidy may not be enough for your parents to pay you. They may think it's your responsibility. So, you should go above and beyond and clean other rooms in the house as well.
- Discuss with your parents how much you’ll be paid for each room. For example, cleaning the hallway may not pay as much as cleaning the dining room because it's smaller and easier to clean.
Outdoor Work. Yard work is another great way to earn money from your parents, especially if they don't have time or are reluctant to do it themselves.
- Tasks like raking leaves, shoveling snow, mowing the lawn, and pulling weeds can be great ways to earn extra money.
- If you're working seasonally but have recurring tasks like lawn mowing or walkway clearing, negotiate with your parents about how much you’ll be paid each time you work.
- For leaf raking, suggest that your parents pay you by the hour.
Look for a Part-Time Job During the Summer
Work at Retail Stores or Restaurants. Most retail stores and restaurants have age requirements. However, if you're old enough, a part-time job during the summer is a fantastic way to earn some money and start building your resume.
- More and more teens are finding part-time jobs as waiters or working in hotels. While these jobs may not be the most glamorous, you'll likely have an easier time getting hired.
- Retail stores like fashion shops or supermarkets are also great places to look for work. Be sure to check the company websites for job openings.
- When applying, especially during interviews, dress neatly and appropriately unless you are told to wear something specific. If you don’t have a resume, be prepared to talk about any past jobs you’ve held. It helps if someone has referred you for the job.
Work as a Lifeguard or Park Manager. Another way to earn money easily, and sometimes get a tan, is to work as a lifeguard or park manager. You can visit local swimming pools or parks and ask if they are hiring and what qualifications you need.
- Lifeguards must be trained and certified, so if you are serious about this job, you should consider taking a formal training course.
- However, having a certification does not guarantee a job. You should check with local pools or beaches to see if they are hiring or ask a trainer for advice on how to secure a position.
- You can also contact park management to inquire about summer job opportunities. These positions may involve supervising weekly children’s events or managing sports events.
Work in a Family Business. If your parents own a business, you can ask if you can work part-time. Instead of doing household chores for pocket money, you can work in your parents' business. This may be easier than finding another job, especially if you have little experience or are too young.
- Ask if you can help with store cleaning and be paid hourly.
- There may also be other busy tasks like filing, stuffing envelopes, or even distributing flyers or coupons.
- This is also a great opportunity to start building your resume.
Advice
- Always set reasonable and competitive prices; avoid charging either too high or too low.
- When job hunting, it’s best to start with people you know, as they’re more likely to help you.
- If you want to make money online, consider setting up a PayPal account. PayPal is a secure way to send and receive money.
- Always ask for your parents’ permission before taking on any job.
- Ensure you have all the necessary tools to start your work.
- If you want to find clients for your dog walking service, distribute flyers at grocery stores or libraries. Be sure to ask the person in charge if you can leave flyers there. You can also go door-to-door, but this can be risky. It’s best to go with an adult when doing so.
- When selling drinks, offer a variety of beverages and price water lower than the other drinks.
- If you make crafts, you can sell them online or at lemonade stands.
- Make an effort to engage with customers so they feel welcomed and want to return.
- Let people know why you need the money; if you have a good reason, they’ll be happy to support you.
- Always finish your work on time and maintain a polite attitude, especially when working for others. Showing that you are a reliable worker is a great way to get referrals and find more jobs.
- Craft fairs are a great place to make money.
Warnings
- Make sure you have your parents' permission before selling anything on eBay. You probably wouldn’t want to sell something your parents might need.
- In the U.S., you're not allowed to place advertisements in residential mailboxes. In Australia, you can do this if the mailbox doesn’t have a "No Junk Mail" sign on it.
- Ensure you get the necessary permits from local authorities before setting up a lemonade stand.
