If you’re a teen, you know that making adequate money for your college fund and paying for the rising cost of items is challenging. School has never been as time-consuming and with the economic pressure to go to college and the rising rate in unpaid internships, you may be at a loss as to whether flipping burgers will help you in the short and long term.
We have come up with a list of creative ways you can earn some extra cash – without having to sacrifice your studies. Studies show that working 10-15 hours a week during the school year will even help to improve your grades. These can even be jobs you proudly add to your resume. With all of these ideas, be sure to check with your parents to be sure it is a safe situation!
Make Money Online
You know the older generation shreds you for it anyways – so you might as well make some money at it! There are so many legitimate ways to make money by simply being on your phone or computer. You can do this from home, so your parents don’t have to worry about where you are.
Try out Swagbucks, where you can earn free gift cards for answering surveys and watching entertaining videos. Another legitimate site is Inbox Dollars, where you take surveys and try new products. If you’re thrifty, try out Ebay or BookScouter to make a profit off of used items! Be very careful which sites you try to work with, and double check with your parents before starting as there are many scams out there.
Start a House Cleaning Business
There are many different types of people who need help cleaning their homes. They may not have the time or be physically capable. With a little overhead of buying your own cleaning products, you could easily make $15 an hour if you are a great cleaner. Many of these people hire professional cleaning services which will charge double that, so you will be a competitive contender!
Turn Your Hobby into a Gig
Want to have your perfect employer? Go into business for yourself! This is not only a chance to earn some money loving what you do, but you will learn a lot about what it takes to be in business. You will be your own HR Department, Secretary, Marketing Department and Executive. There isn’t always a chance to do this as an adult, so go after your hobbies in full force now! You can refine your craft and find yourself accumulating many of the hard and soft skills it takes to be successful professionally.
Teach a Class
Do you have a skill that you would like to share with others? Maybe you are really good with computers. You could teach senior citizens the basics of the internet. Are you really good at math? Teach or tutor your peers. If you play an instrument, there will be hordes of parents ready to get a deal to have their children learn.
There are so many avenues of jobs you can do as a teen, although the options may seem scant at first glance. Build off of our ideas, or come up with your own. Having a worthwhile job will help to teach you independence and how to budget your money.
“Tell me and I forget
Teach me and I remember
Involve me and I learn.”
Benjamin Franklin