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!
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