Sweet Frugal Life

Easy ways for teenagers to make money.

Are you wondering how to make money as a teenager?  Or maybe you are a parent to a teen and you are looking for ways to help them earn a little extra cash.  Either way, I understand just how important it is for teenagers to make money, and I want to help!

Teens are getting to that age where they are feeling more like adults.  They are usually ready for a little extra responsibility and many have a wish list of items they want to buy.

I remember being a teen and dreaming of new clothes, going to the movies with my friends, and wanting to buy all of the trendy accessories (hello chokers!).  The secret to being able to buy this stuff???  Getting a job and learning how to make money.  Today, I am excited to share a few ways teens can make money. 

Remember to always check with your parents before attempting any of these suggestions.  When and what job you get should always be a discussion between you and your parents, they love you and want what’s best for you!

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1.  Babysit

My very first job way back when was as a babysitter for kids in my neighborhood.  This was such a great learning opportunity.  Babysitting taught me responsibility, patience, creativity and helped me earn a lot of money.

If you are interested in babysitting I recommend you start with people you know well.  Share a flyer with neighbors, family or friends to let them know that you are available to babysit and how much you will charge.  I would start charging a small amount until you have gotten some experience.

Encourage those you babysit for to share your name and phone number with others.  When I hire a babysitter, I almost only do so if I had heard good things about them.  Word of mouth is key!

Consider taking a Babysitting Class such as this one offered from the Red Cross.  Or read this American Girls Babysitter book.  These are great ways to learn some new skills that will help you be the best babysitter you can be!

2.  Do Yard Work

Hire yourself out to do various yard work chores around your neighborhood.  These chores might include mowing lawns, raking leaves, pulling weeds, planting flowers, etc.  There are so many instances when adults just don’t have the time or energy to work in their yard and would happily hire a teenager to help them.

Post some flyers around your neighborhood and on your neighborhood Facebook page letting people know that you are available to hire for yard work.  If you do a good job, they will probably tell their friends, which means even more business opportunities!

3.  Walk Dogs

If you love dogs you might want to become a dog walker.  Many people will hire teens to walk their dogs while they are at work, out of town, or maybe just not up to a long walk.

Pass out flyers at a dog park or around your neighborhood letting people know that you are open for business.

4.  Camp Counselor

Another great way for teens to make money is to work as a camp counselor at a summer camp.  These camps love to hire teenagers and can be a very rewarding experience for everyone involved.

If you love kids, the outdoors and have a lot of energy than you would make a great camp counselor!

5.  Tutor

Which school subjects do you excel in?  Maybe math or science or English comes really easy to you.  There are a lot of parents who would love to hire a qualified teenage tutor to help their kids in these subjects.

You could advertise on the elementary and community Facebook pages in your area, along with handing out flyers at school to let people know you are available and which subject(s) you can tutor.

6.  Sell Your Clothes

If you have clothing sitting in your closet that you haven’t touched for months (or maybe even years), SELL THEM!  There is a huge market right now for quality, gently used clothing -especially if any of them are name brand.

You can list your clothing for sell on websites such as Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, or Thredup.  Or, bring them to a consignment store in town to sell to, our favorite is Uptown Cheapskate.

• Related:  Legit Ways To Earn Money From Home

7.  Pet Sitting

Another great job for pet loving teens is to hire yourself out as a pet sitter.  You might be hired to take care of someone’s pets while they go on vacation or at work. 

Duties could include letting the dog out of the house, feeding a fish, or just giving them some love and attention.

8.  Referee

Becoming a sports referee is the perfect job for teenagers who enjoy sports and staying active.  Ask around at your local sport leagues and parks and rec to see if they are hiring.  This also makes a great summer job if you are looking for something short term.

9.  Use Ibotta

Do you ever help out with the grocery shopping in your home?  If you do, make sure to download the free ibotta app to start earning free money on items you would be buying anyways.

Ibotta offers cashback on many groceries and other household items.  All you have to do is take a picture of your receipt and check ibotta for any matching items.  So easy!  You probably won’t make a ton of money, but it is perfect for a little extra cash, without much work!

10.  Detail Cars

Start a car detailing business.  This means you will hire yourself to vacuum, and thoroughly clean the interior of someone’s car.  I have paid teenagers to do this for me before, and it was worth every penny.

Pass out flyers in your neighborhood and post on the community Facebook page to let people know about your business and prices.

11.  Start a YouTube Channel

Did you know that you can make a lot of money on YouTube???  Because you totally can!

The first trick to starting a YouTube Channel is to choose a topic you are passionate about.  This could be anything from music, Minecraft, Legos, makeup, dance, etc.  Your passion and knowledge can then be shared through video on YouTube.

As your subscribers grow so can your ability to earn money.  There have been many teens who have found success on YouTube, and you can do it too!

12.  Bag Groceries

You could try to get a job at one of your local grocery stores to work as a grocery bagger.  This is a great job for teenagers who need a flexible schedule and reliable income.

13.  Sell Used Devices

Maybe you have old devices sitting around your house, you can sell many of these devices for some quick money through Gazelle.   All you have to do head to the Gazelle website, fill out a few quick questions about your device, and you’ll instantly receive a quote.  Gazelle will send you a free shipping kit for you to use to send in your device and will pay you within 24 hours of receiving your device.  So easy and painless!

• Related:  10 Household Items To Sell For Quick Cash

14.  Wash Cars

Another great way for teens to make money is by washing cars.  All you need to get started is some water, towels, and car soap!  Let your neighbors and friends know that you are willing to wash their cars and what your prices will be.  This is a great service that many will pay a teen to do for them.

15.  Take Pictures

Are you interested in photography?  You might want to consider starting a photography business.  There are many people who will happily hire an amateur photographer to take family pictures for them if the price is right.

Watch a few YouTube videos to start learning more about photography and editing.  Then, after a little practice you can showcase your work through social media so that people can see your talent!

16.  Teach Swim Lessons

Most swimming pools hire teenagers to teach swim lessons to younger kids.  If you enjoy swimming and the water this could be the perfect job for you!

17.  Clean Out Window Wells

A few years ago a teenager started a business in my neighborhood to clean out window wells.  He crawled down into our window wells and cleaned out the mice, leaves, and other garbage that had blown inside.

I was so happy to pay him exactly what he charged to do the dirty work that I did not want to do.  If you are willing to work hard and get your hands dirty, consider cleaning out window wells.

18.  Work In Food Service

Food service companies are always hiring teens to help in their restaurants.  You could be a server, deliver food, work as a cashier, or more!  Check around at your favorite restaurants to find out who is hiring and how to apply.

19.  Work At A Movie Theater

Does your teen love movies?  They just might enjoy working at a movie theater.  They can sell tickets, or work at concessions.  Movie theaters are usually a fun environment to work at too.

20.  Give Music Lessons

If you are talented musically, consider giving lessons to younger kids.  Parents will pay for violin, piano, voice, guitar, etc. for their kids.  This is a great job to have because you can pick your own hours and work from home.  Yay!

21.  Work in Retail

Working in retail can be a great job opportunity for teens.  Most stores will hire teens as cashiers or to stock shelves.  Most retail stores will require that you are 16 or older, so make sure to check the rules before applying.

22.  Sell Your Photos

If you love taking pictures on your phone, why not sell them to earn extra cash!  This is actually so easy to do too!  Bloggers love to buy stock photos to use in their articles and websites.  

A few websites that you can sell your photos to are:  

• Shutterstock
• Depositphotos
• Alamy

23.  Flip Furniture

Flipping means that you buy something used, fix it up, and then sell it for more than you bought it for.  Many people have been able to earn good money by flipping furniture.

You can shop at garage sales, estate sales, or thrift stores to find used wood furniture to fix up.  Most pieces will need to be sanded, stained or painted, and new pulls/knobs added.  This requires a little bit of your money upfront, but can be worth the sacrifice once you sell the new and improved furniture.

24.  Sell Items on Etsy

If you love to craft or create, you might enjoy making and selling items on Etsy.  There are hundreds of handmade items you can make and sell.  Such as jewelry, t-shirts, home decor, art, etc.

25.  House Sit

Offer to house sit for close family and friends.  When they go out of town they might need someone to get their mail, water their plants or flower beds, and watch over their house to make sure it stays safe and sound while they are gone.  This can be a fairly easy gig, but also high in demand for many households.

26.  Work on a Farm

Are you willing to work hard?  You might enjoy working on a farm.  I grew up on a farm and know just how important hard working teenagers can be for farm work.

If you live in an area with a lot of agriculture, I recommend asking around to find a few farmers you can talk to.  Ask if they are needing any extra help and tell them what hours you would be available to work.

Farm work isn’t easy, but it can be a very fulfilling job.  A farmer might hire you to help with animals, move pipe, or drive tractor.  This can be a great learning experience for teens!

27.  Teach Sport Skills

Teaching sport skills to young kids is a great way for sport loving teens to earn some extra money.  Pick a sport that you love and know well, and offer to help kids develop skills with that sport.

You could even plan a day camp for your sport where multiple kids come and learn drills, play games, and do other activities to help them learn.

28.  Hang Christmas Lights

Hire yourself out during the Christmas season to hang light on neighbors homes.  This is something many busy adults or the elderly would love to hire out so that they don’t have to do it themselves.

Be sure to advertise on a community Facebook page, place flyers around town, and spread the word to your friends and family.  Word of mouth is always the best form advertisement!

29.  Wash Windows

Another great idea for earning money around the neighborhood is to wash windows.  All you need is some water, a good outdoor window cleaner, and a squeegee and you’ll be good to go.

I’m sure you will find plenty of neighbors and friends willing to pay for this service.

30.  Work At a Golf Course

You might enjoy working at a local golf course collecting golf balls.  This is a great teen job for anyone who loves golf and being outside.

31.  Sell Baked Goods

Do you love to bake and spend time in the kitchen?  Why don’t you start a baking business?  You can make cookies, cakes, brownies, and other goodies and sell them to people in the neighborhood.

• Related:  Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe

32.  Start A Blog

Teens can blog too!  And you can make money doing it!  Yay!  Try starting a blog where you share about a topic you are knowledgeable in.

I won’t sugar coat it, starting a blog is hard work and it can take a while to earn money, but over time if you keep working at it, you just might have a profitable business!  Here are a few things I wish I had known when I started blogging.

33.  Wrap Christmas Presents

Another great job idea during the holiday season is to offer to wrap Christmas presents for people who are just to busy (or don’t enjoy) wrapping the presents themselves.

Tell a few friends, neighbors and family about your new business to see if anyone is interested.  If you do a good job they just might tell all of their friends!

34.  Use Rakuten

If you ever shop online, I highly recommend using the Rakuten app (or website) to earn money while you are shopping.  This is one of the easiest ways to earn extra spending money.  Rakuten rewards you with cashback on most of your online purchases.

All you have to do is sign up Rakuten, open the app (or website), click on the store you want to shop at, shop as normal-including checkout.  And that’s it!  You will be rewarded with a percentage cashback from your purchases.

It is seriously that easy!  You probably won’t earn the big bucks doing this, but you can earn some spending money without putting in much effort!

35.  Become A Lifeguard

Lifeguarding is a great way for teenagers to make money.  Apply at your local swimming pools, health clubs, and parks and rec departments.  Many pools will offer lifeguard training and teach you everything you need to know on the job.

36.  Sell Items You Don’t Use Anymore

Look around your room and find items that you don’t like or use anymore.  These are the perfect items to start selling to earn some cash!  You can list them on Facebook marketplace or have a garage sale.  Either way will work great!

37.  Start A Day Camp For Kids

When my kids were little a few of the teenage girls in our neighborhood planned a fun day camp for the neighborhood kids to go to.  They charged a fee, planned games, themes, activities, and snacks.  The kids had a great time at the camp, and our teenage friends were able to earn some money!

How To Manage Your Hard Earned Money

Now that you have some ideas of how to earn money, let’s talk about what to do with the money after you’ve earned it!  It’s always exciting to earn money and have spending money for your favorite items, but there is more to money than spending it.  Here are a few tips to help you start managing your money wisely.

Save Some For A Rainy Day

Life happens, unexpected expenses will come, and it’s important to always have some money saved for when these times come your way.  It might be a needed car repair, speeding ticket (oops), or losing a school textbook that you have to replace, you need to have money set aside for all unexpected expenses.

A good rule of thumb for your rainy day fund is to have 3-6 months of expenses saved.  To find this number simply add up how much money you spend in a month and times it by 3.  This will give you your 3 months of expenses number!

• Related:  What is an Emergency Fund: Questions and Answers!

Save Some For Fun

Part of the fun of having money is spending it on things that make you happy!  It’s OK to spend some of your money on things that you love.  Maybe you enjoy going out to eat, buying new clothes, or going to the movies with friends.  Don’t spend all of your money on these fun items, but spend some of it!  You worked hard and deserve to enjoy it.

Save Some For Future Expenses

You might have items or experiences coming in your future that you need to save for.  Maybe you want to buy a car, go to college, or save up for a future home.  Be sure to save some of your income for these future expenses.

In Conclusion

There are so many possibilities for teenagers to make money.  Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and offer your services.  I love hiring hard working teens, and I know many other adults feel the same way.  You can do it, and you won’t regret it!

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I hope this article helped you understand how to make money as a teenager.