A few years ago my oldest child hit what I call “the in-between age”…old enough to go to the movies & go ice skating with his friends, but not old enough for a job! At the same time, his taste in toys changed from legos and action figures to expensive electronics!

Well…if you’ve been to the movies lately, you know that your child’s weekly allowance won’t go very far, and we are not the type of parents that hand our children $20 each time they want to go somewhere with their friends or each time they want a new video game.

So…what’s a Budget Diet girl to do??? How do you make money as a teenager or pre-teen?

Summers are the perfect time for your pre-teens & teens to earn spending money, and think beyond babysitting & lemonade stands (although these are both very lucrative)!

Over the years, my children have become young, budding entrepreneurs earning money doing all sorts of odd jobs. In each case, a simple flyer was e-mailed or passed out to neighbors & friends to promote the service. Consider these summer job ideas:

• Pet Sitting

 

• Plant Watering

 

• Picking Up Newspapers & Mail

 

• Cleaning Pools

 

• Mowing

 

• Mistletoe & Hot Chocolate Stand at Christmas

 

• Craft sale…my creative daughter & her friends spent last summer making crafts, and then they held a sale in the fall. This summer, she’s considering making jewelry & selling it on etsy.com

 

• Pressure washing…my oldest son rents a pressure washer about once a year, & he stays busy an entire weekend!

 

• Golf ball sales…my son, the golfer, loves to collect lost golf balls, & his customers love his prices!

 

• Baking or Casserole Making…never underestimate the value of homemade!

 

Summer job opportunities really do exist for this age group, but it will take effort on their part!

Have your children think about their passion, and see if you can help them think of ways to turn their passion into a money making venture.

Don’t forget to encourage your child to set a goal. It may be as simple as earning enough money to buy a Nintendo Wii, but it’s a goal, and that’s what will keep them motivated!

P.S. – My middle school daughter was just awarded “most likely to be an entrepreneur,” so it looks like her business sense is showing up in the classroom!

Summer Fun Book Swap For Children

A budget friendly & fun way to kick-off summer reading! Here’s how…

• Invite friends (in the same grade) to bring 3 used paperback books that are at their current reading level.

 

• After the children arrive, display the books on a large table or two.

 

• Draw numbers for the order in which the children will choose a book. For example, if there are 10 children at the party, put numbers 1 – 10 into the drawing & each child picks a number.

 

• Round 1 begins! The child that drew #1 picks a book, then the child that drew #2 picks a book, and so on.

 

• Before beginning round 2 & round 3, draw numbers again. This turns the book swap into a game, adds to the fun and prevents the same child from always having first pick or always having last pick!

 

• So…each child arrived at the party with 3 books, and they’ll leave with 3 books!

 

• After the final round, make bookmarks (using scrap paper, markers & assorted stickers).

 

• Have information to give the children on summer reading clubs at your local library or bookstore. Most clubs offer incentives or prizes for reading!

 

• Refreshments…let the children make their own ice cream sundaes!
• HAPPY SUMMER READING!

P.S. – When my children were in elementary school, I loved hosting a summer book swap! It became an annual tradition! The children enjoyed seeing each other after school was out, they loved getting new books and making bookmarks was a huge hit! If you host a summer book swap…please let me know how it goes!

Staying home this summer? Need ideas for summer fun?

Don’t let your children spend hours watching TV & playing video games!

Mom…it’s your job to plan some budget friendly summer fun at home, and The Budget Diet girl is here to help with budget boredom busters!

Budget Boredom Busters

• Start a summer tradition of having sundaes on Saturday! Traditions equal memories later in life!

 

• Family Game Day…pick a board game out of the closet to play!

 

• Family Puzzle Day…why is it that most families only work puzzles at Christmas time? Help your family tackle a puzzle this summer!

 

• Taste Test…here’s a fun dinner idea! Prepare different brands of frozen pizza & ice cream, eat & vote for the family favorite! The taste test can be done with all sorts of foods, so you can have a taste test every week! Make sure to always add a money saving store brand to your taste test, click here to learn why!

 

• Water Painting…it’s painting without the mess! You’ll need a bucket of water, a big fat paint brush & then let your child have fun “painting” the fence, the driveway or the picnic table!

 

• Cooking School…teach your children to cook! Have a “cooking school” in your kitchen one day each week, and let your children choose the recipes! If you don’t have a children’s cookbook, a trip to the library is in order!

 

• Craft Day…teach your children to knit or embroidery. How about starting a scrapbook? There are endless craft project to keep little hands busy!

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• Plant a garden! Fruits & veggies just might taste better when your children plant & harvest them!

 

Please click on the title of this article to let me know what you have planned for budget friendly summer fun at home?