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Teenagers Can Make Money These Seven Ways
Child labor laws regulate what jobs teens can hold and at what age. Teens that are too young to get a job are between a rock and a hard place when they need more money than their weekly allowance offers. Here are seven ways that teenagers can make some extra green, whether they are just under working age or right in the middle of it.
1. Babysitting. This is the basic teenage job. Once they are old enough and can demonstrate responsibility for their younger siblings, let your teen try their skills on other kids. Neighborhood families are always looking for babysitters. If they are not comfortable with babies, start the babysitting service at age two and up.
2. Mow the lawn. Most people would rather help a child that wants to work than pay a lawn care service. Invest in a good lawnmower and get going. The business will be busy in the spring and summer months. Keeping a date planner with appointment times and dates avoids booking more work than they can handle. Lawn mowing is hard work, but rewarding work.
3. Help the elderly. Older neighbors may have a difficult time getting around. Starting an elder care service could be what the neighborhood needs. If your teen is old enough to drive alone, their services can include chauffeuring seniors to appointments, doing the grocery shopping, tidying up, and yard work. Create a flyer and decide on fees. Parents can help in that area. The amount charged should be commensurate with the time commitment involved in each task.
4. Walk those dogs! I've seen people come home from work to take care of a new puppy. They need set schedules to train them to go to the bathroom and play time to exercise those limbs. A pet service could be the thing your teen needs to make some money. This service can be just pet walking or it can include a certain amount of grooming. If they have their own pet, they will have learned how to care for them and that expertise can be valuable.
5. Apply for work at a department store. See if they like retail work. They can apply for a summer job or seasonal work at the mall. One advantage is a discount on clothing and other merchandise in the store.
6. Clean out the garage. If your garage looks like mine, that is a job and a half. Enlist the organizational skills of your teenager to set the garage to rights. The fee can be negotiated ahead of time depending on what actually needs to be done.
7. Start a business on the Internet. Kids are usually savvier than parents when it comes to navigating the Internet. EBay offers a forum for selling goods and services. A teen with a talent can make cash here. Does your teen want to write? Use that reporter's instinct to create articles for sites like Associated Content and get paid for them.
Teenagers today have more options than ever before of making extra money. Explore these seven ways as a start. Your teen may already have an idea in mind.
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