Are you wondering how to make money as a kid? Thinking about it won’t take you far: knowing the specific ways and strategies to earn as someone at a young age is the way to go.
Nowadays, there are many ways to make extra money before you’re 18 years old. Some of them are opportunities the internet provides, while others are side gigs you can do in your neighborhood.
Many online and offline jobs exist for young people. Of course, some money-making ideas won’t become valid options for you until you reach your teenage years.
Whether you are at the right age, this article includes earning opportunities for young people at all stages of life. Let’s get to it, shall we?
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Ways To Make Money As A Kid
How To Make Money As A Kid
1) Tutor Other Kids Or Teach Them A Skill
Many kids show their preferences for certain subjects from an early age. More importantly, they are surprisingly good at them.
Then, doesn’t it make sense to earn an extra income by teaching those school subjects to other younger kids for educational purposes and academic excellence? Online learning is too good an opportunity to pass up, and it can be a great way to earn money in your spare time.
See Also: 30 Ways To Get Paid To Do Homework
2) Sell Your Art & Crafts
Creative kids should get a summer job to earn their own money. Instead, they should sell their arts and crafts to secure a steady income that can be deposited into their parents’ bank accounts for now.
Selling paintings or other creative works can reach a bigger market than family members, nearby coffee shops, or local businesses. Feel free to offer the fruits of your creative labor online or in person.
3) Sell Things Online
Selling unwanted stuff online should be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re wondering how to make money as a kid. After all, listing items for sale on the web is the easiest way to turn clutter into good money.
What can you sell to earn extra cash fast? Old toys, clothes, and even furniture should be at the top of your list.
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4) Bake Goods
Who doesn’t like a delicious home-baked treat? Many young kids are impressive bakers early on: their parents shouldn’t hesitate to help them monetize that passion.
Selling baked goods for birthday parties or other local events is a good idea for multiple reasons, including the opportunity for a child to learn the value of money, hard work, and time management.
5) Do Household Chores
Doing chores can be a good way for young kids to learn life skills and develop a sense of responsibility in exchange for a few dollars. Can we all agree on that?
Simple tasks, such as washing the dishes or taking out the trash, are great jobs for younger children. Completing them can be a huge help to the parents. More importantly, chores are a simple way to teach your child financial literacy from an early age.
6) Do Chores For Seniors
Let’s take the topic of chores a bit further and see how helping older people can be a great answer to the question of how to make money as a kid:
Once your child completes their chores in your house, what’s stopping them from doing more at someone else’s home? Assuming your elderly neighbours need assistance, your kid can provide such for a small fee.
7) Water Plants
Speaking of neighbours, do yours often go out of town? If they do, that can be good news for any kid looking for an easy way to earn minimum wage.
The next time your neighbour plans to leave for a while, you can suggest caring for their plants when they are gone. We have seen neighborhood kids watering plants: that is a common view for most people living on a busy street, especially during the summer months.
8) Mown Lawns
Lawn mowing can be a great time for any kid with a green thumb. With that said, how much money can you make while cutting grass for others?
Typically, you can earn around $10 per yard (some people charge more than that). You should start charging on the lower end until you build a loyal client base!
9) Do Yard Work
Yard work offers many possibilities to earn extra money in your free time. Depending on the time of the year, you can do a little bit of such work to help others and get some pocket money.
For instance, you can rake leaves during the fall or shovel snow in the winter. After all, these are traditional jobs for kids that no state law will prohibit!
See Also: 50 Odd Jobs That Pay Surprisingly Well
10) Wash Cars
Washing cars requires more physical labor than most opportunities that explain how to make money as a kid. It also entails investing in cleaning supplies and other materials.
As you can guess, that job is not suitable for a child at a minimum age!
11) Babysit
Another gig that is perfect for older kids is babysitting. Caring for someone else’s child will teach you more than financial responsibility:
The job requires patience and effective management skills, especially if you are responsible for supervising multiple children. Caring for two kids for a few hours is the best way to earn up to $100.
12) Dog Walking & Pet Sitting
Who doesn’t have a pet these days? Considering the large client pool, caring for pets or walking dogs are great ideas for young people who love animals.
I suggest looking for your first client around your neighborhood. For sure, there is someone who wouldn’t mind paying you to take their dog for a walk!
13) Set Up A Lemonade Stand
While setting up a lemonade stand is one of the easiest business ideas for kids, securing decent profit margins requires a bit of strategic thinking:
Sure, most clients leave tips, which will add up nicely. Still, the success of such a venture depends on one word: location. In other words, choose a location that guarantees a never-ending flow of potential customers.
14) Paint Houses
Painting houses is for young service providers who already know the value of hard work. After all, it requires more effort than going to the grocery store or taking out the trash.
Such an activity can be a fun way to earn while spending quality family time. Of course, your customer pool can expand outside of relatives and loved ones.
15) Have A Garage Sale (Or Yard Sale)
A garage sale is the easiest answer to the question of how to make money as a kid. Think about it:
While your parents are the ones who have collected random stuff through the years, you can be the one to sell it and get a percentage of the earnings.
16) Recycle Bottles And Cans
Recycling trash cans and bottles is a money-making idea that shouldn’t be underestimated. Here is why:
Collecting empty bottles can be the next step you take to earn money for your summer vacation. Chances are, your extended family and neighbors won’t say no when you ask them to collect such items for them.
17) Unbox Toys Online
I’ve seen more than one YouTube channel that has turned the kid unboxing their toys live into a successful content creator earning millions of dollars. Don’t wait for your future financial success to arrive on its own:
Instead, a bit of personality and a willingness to perform for the camera can go a long way in attracting a large online audience. There are many ways to monetize such a YouTube channel, and you should take advantage of all of them.
Ways To Earn Extra Money As A Teenager
18) Start A Website
Don’t allow the budding entrepreneur inside of you to take a back seat. Instead, unleash him to help you become a successful business owner who earns much more than pocket money:
Starting a website and monetizing its blog posts can be a significant help when taking out student loans in the future. I suggest researching to find a profitable niche and securing a reliable web hosting provider (like SiteGround) to give your site the best chance for success.
19) Become A Personal Assistant
Another well-paying online job suitable for teenagers is the position of personal assistant. An even better option is working as a virtual assistant.
Younger students looking for flexible hours and lucrative part-time jobs should consider booking virtual assistant gigs. I suggest reading my comprehensive guide to becoming a VA when you have a minute.
20) Test Apps
Product testing is a legitimate work-at-home job available to people worldwide. Apps are probably the best technological products to test for extra money.
App developers need honest feedback to help them improve their applications before they arrive at the market. Considering hundreds of apps allow users to earn real cash, testing the quality and functionality of these applications is essential for their future success.
See Also: 30 Simple Ways To Get Paid To Test Products
21) Sell Photos
Unless you’re living under a rock, you already know how lucrative selling stock photography can be. Moreover, selling high-quality images to popular platforms like Shutterstock is an excellent way to earn passive income:
Buyers can download each of your images multiple times. As you can guess, you will earn money for each download!
22) Take Online Surveys
Completing an online survey doesn’t require much time. Typically, a survey will take less than half an hour of your day.
The best survey sites offer various possibilities to earn money fast. Most surveys offer cash rewards, while others provide gift cards (you can always exchange a gift card for money in a kiosk near you).
23) Provide Lessons
What type of lessons can you give to earn money from home? That depends on your interests, skills, and abilities:
Sports, music, and dance are three of the most popular categories that attract many potential students. Turning your hobby into an income source is one of the best ways to improve your financial situation.
24) Work As A Camp Counselor
Generally, becoming a camp counselor might not be everyone’s cup of tea. After all, the position requires specific skills:
Whether you want to work in a church or a sports camp, leading others and solving their problems are responsibilities you must welcome.
25) Become A Lifeguard
Can any teen work as a lifeguard? Sure, they can after they complete the necessary lifeguard certification.
Being a lifeguard is a responsible job that requires more than sitting around the pool. You should take this job seriously if you want to earn a steady income.
Related Read:
Ways To Earn Money As A Kid Content Creator
26) Self-Publish A Book
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is the most obvious choice for a publishing platform: you can use it once you finish your book. What type of book should you write to sell?
Children’s books, short stories, novels, and comics sell well since they attract large audiences of potential buyers.
See Also: How To Become A Freelance Writer
27) Get Paid To Stream On Twitch
Are you familiar with Twitch? Chances are, you know the platform inside and out if playing video games is one of your biggest passions.
Streaming on Twitch is possible for kids who are at least 13 years old and have parental supervision. Sponsorships, donations, and affiliate marketing are legitimate methods for earning money through the site.
Related: 40 Apps That Pay You To Play Games
28) Monetize Your Social Media Accounts
I don’t have to be the one to tell you that you can make money on social media. Nowadays, monetizing social media accounts is a daily routine for many.
TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are the most popular platforms you can join to earn cash from your social media presence. Working hard to grow your numbers and joining social networking groups are ways to build social presence faster.
How To Make Money As A Kid FAQs
How To Get $100 Fast As A Kid?
Top Ways To Earn $100 Fast As A Kid:
- Wash cars
- Tutor others
- Babysit
- Do yard work
- Mown lawns
How Can I Make $500 As A Kid?
Various ways exist to make $500 as a kid. For instance, you can do odd jobs for family members and neighbors, offer dog walking services, or paint houses for others.
Do You Have To Pay Taxes When You Earn Money As A Kid?
Whether you have to file your own tax return depends on different factors, including your age and the amount of earnings you have received.
My Closing
How to make money as a kid is one of the biggest questions that occupies the minds of young adults worldwide. Learning about various opportunities will teach children about responsibilities, work ethic, and money management.
Any child should gain the necessary financial knowledge before taking on part-time jobs or offering services to local markets. And I’m talking about more than knowing the difference between a debit card and a credit card:
Are you aware of the Fair Labor Standards Act? Furthermore, are you familiar with the Child Labor Laws in your place of residence?
You should research these terms and gain a basic understanding of how any financial institution works before you commit to any employment as a child.
What questions do you have about this topic? Let me know in the comments section below.
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