Ways for Kids to Make Money
There are the usual ways for kids to make money, ranging from
lemonade stands to newspaper routes and mowing lawns. Then there
are the more interesting ways. The ways listed below are partly
from my own childhood, when I was always looking for another
way to make a buck.
1. Cooking. When I was about eleven years old, I used to sell
meals to my brothers (I had four of them). I think I got 25 cents
for scrambled eggs or a sandwich, and more for more complicated
meals. They preferred to stay in front of the TV and let me do
the work. The food was already provided by my parents, of course,
so the income was pure profit.
2. Service menu. If there are a lot of people in the family,
a great way for kids to make money is to sell their services.
They can make a menu of things they'll do and how much they charge
for each. Washing windows for 50 cents each, for example, and
maybe $1.50 to walk a dog. If the list can be copied, it could
be handed out to all relatives and possibly neighbors too.
3. Computer helper. There are many young kids who know a lot
about computers. My own nephew was getting paid for programming
by the the time he was fourteen. Even younger kids might show
old folks how to use a computer and the internet for a fee. If
they know how, they can even set up computers for new owners
who are using them for the first time. Telling grandparents to
spread the word would be a good marketing ploy.
4. Returnable cans and bottles. We used to collect and return
bottles for a deposit as kids. Now that there are more states
with return laws, this is an even better way to make a little
cash. In fact, during the Cherry Festival, when I lived in Traverse
City, Michigan, adults came to town just to collect the cans
that people threw all over. Even with a 10 cent deposit, they
were collecting more than $100 worth per day according to several
of them. Wear gloves, leave the broken cans and bottles alone,
and use some hand sanitizer, and this is a safe way to make money.
5. Mini-carnival. As a child, I charged my brothers five cents
for a wadded up piece of paper selected from a bucket full of
them. Most had a penny or two in them, and a few had a quarter.
That was just one of my "carnival" events. Another
involved them throwing pennies at a bowl across the room. If
one stayed in the bowl they won a dime. I am almost embarrassed
to admit how much of their hard-earned paper route money I took
from them.
6. Dog washing. If a busy street where people walk their dogs
is in front of the house, a fun way for kids to make money is
washing dogs. They can set up with shampoo and water and a hose
for rinsing, and ask people as they go by if they want their
dog washed, perhaps for $3 per dog, or on a sliding scale according
to size.
7. Rummage sales. If their parents agree, kids can have rummage
sales, and sell not just household things, but arts and crafts
and refreshments too. A real cooperative parent might even take
their kids to a flea market to set up. I sold (as an adult) over
$1,000 worth of hand-made walking sticks one summer, and my wife
sold hundreds of dollars worth of pewter figurines glued to pretty
rocks and crystals. Kids can sell cookies and drinks too. It
is a way to learn about business, and a great way for kids to
make money.
|
Want to learn more ways for kids to make money? Try my newsletter...
Full of useful information. Subscribe now...
Another good resource on ways for kids to make extra cash
and on the lessons parents should teach:
Money and Children |
