Wouldn’t it be great if teens could make money in a fun, fast, and simple way? Well, it’s possible! In this article, I’m going to go over the 15 best ways for teens to make money – that still work great!
As a teenager, there are lots of things you want to see and do. You want to get out there with your friends and start having fun. You’re also starting to think about your future, too. You need to save up for all kinds of things, such as school or a new car.
To pay for these things, though, you’re going to need some money. You don’t want to ask your parents for cash, or maybe they just don’t have the spare cash to give you.
As a teen, you feel as though your earning options are somewhat limited. Of course, if you’re old enough, you can work in a store or restaurant part-time, but is that really what you want to be doing?
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15 ways teens can make money fast
There are lots of creative ways you can make some cash as a teen. Here are just a few you should consider.
1. Babysitting
This is the classic way for teens to make money. While you don’t need tons of experience, you need to be a trustworthy person.
If you have good relationships with your neighbors and family friends, you can make good money babysitting.
It’s a good idea to try and set up long-term arrangements, such as taking care of kids after school until their parents come home from work. It brings in a steady stream of income for you.
If you babysit at night, you can really take advantage of that time once the kids are in bed. You can do homework or simply get paid for watching TV while you listen out for anyone getting out of bed.
Find adults you trust, and show them that you’r5e trustworthy in turn. You can set yourself up as a well-known and respected babysitter.
If you want to take it one step further, you can advertise your services on Care.com or Sittercity.
2. Petsitting
Are you a big animal lover? Then you can get paid to hang out with dogs, cats, and all other kinds of fuzzy critters.
Similar to babysitting, you can get paid to take care of people’s pets when they’re away. You can either do this on a short-term basis while they’re at work or for longer periods of time, such as when they’re on vacation.
Remember, you’ll be responsible for feeding, playing with, and taking care of animals while they’re in your care. Plus, if you’re caring for dogs, you’ll need to be able to walk them regularly.
Again, you can start by caring for the pets of trusted adults, and if you want to branch out, you can sign up with Rover.
3. Sell Clothes On Poshmark
Are you somewhat of a fashion expert? Your closet is probably bursting full of clothes you either don’t like anymore or are the wrong size for you now.
Rather than let them sit in there collecting dust, you can find them new homes and make some money simultaneously. The best way to do this is to sell through sites like Poshmark.
It’s pretty simple to set up an account, and once you do, you can manage all your sales on your phone. First, list all your items, and then mail them out when you find a buyer.
This is a great way to clean out your closet and make some money at the same time. If you want to take things further, you can start picking up good quality clothes at thrift stores and selling them for a profit.
4. Blogging
You can get into this job with little more than a computer and an internet connection. If you have an affinity for writing, then this could be just what makes you money.
You’ll need to have a good idea for a blog to get started. If you are interested in a certain niche, that’s a great way to get started.
For example, if you’re into collecting vintage dolls, or know everything there is to know about car maintenance, then you can write about it and find an audience.
Now, blogging won’t make you money right away. You’ll need to keep at it and grow your audience.
Once you have a healthy following, you’ll be able to sell advertising on your blog. You’ll also be able to get brand deals, so keep an eye on your inbox.
5. Refereeing And Umpiring
If there are any little leagues or recreation leagues near you, they may be looking for umpires. This is the perfect job for teens who love sports and want to make fast money.
What’s really great about this job is that as you’re making money, you’re getting extra exercise into your routine. It’s a win-win situation all around.
Enquire with your local leagues to see if they are looking to fill these roles and make some extra cash.
6. Get Into Lawn Care
There’s a reason why teens are so well known for mowing lawns. It’s a job you can do without experience, and adults are always happy to pay someone else to take care of their lawns.
As well as mowing, you can pull weeds and take care of flower beds. Get started by offering your services to friends and neighbors.
If you want to take it further, you can start advertising your services further afield. You’ll see that plenty of people want you to take this chore off their hands, and you can get paid well for it.
7. Start Tutoring
If you have excellent grades, this is always a solid way for teens to make money. In some cases, you can make at least $20 an hour, which is nothing to sneeze at.
People are usually looking for students to tutor their kids in Maths and English, so if they’re your strong point, you’re in luck. However, if you’re strong in any subject, someone will want tutoring in it.
You can advertise your services on social media and find parents who want you to help their kids out. It’s excellent work experience, too, especially if you want to get into teaching as an adult yourself.
8. Use Receipt Scanning Apps
This tip is something you can use alongside any of the other suggestions on this list. You’re going to go into stores and get receipts when you pay for items, so why not get paid for it?
With receipt scanning apps like Ibotta, you can do just that. First, you’ll need to take a photo of the receipt with the app, and then it will look for any qualifying items on it.
If you bought anything that qualifies, you’ll be given the money back in your account within 48 hours. It’s worth having on your phone, as you never know what you can get cash back for.
9. Teach Music Lessons
Are you experienced in playing an instrument? All those years of practice will pay off, as you’ll be able to teach others to play too.
You’re in the best position to teach newcomers how to play. Again, you just need to advertise online, such as on social media, to find customers.
It will help if you have some certifications in your chosen instrument. If so, that shows that you know what you’re talking about when it comes to music.
10. Help People Out With Tasks
You may have heard of TaskRabbit before, and it’s a great way to make money. The app puts you in touch with people in your neighborhood that need help with certain tasks.
For example, people may need help putting furniture together, moving items around their home, planting flowers, and many other different tasks. They’ll put the job on TaskRabbit, and someone will be able to come to help them.
If you want to make some money, you can do so by setting yourself up as a ‘rabbit’ and helping people out. You’ll make money, and it’s a good way to get to know others in the neighborhood.
11. Admin Work
Even as a teen, you can find work in offices and other small businesses, doing basic admin work for them. This can be things like sending emails, filing documents, answering phones, and so on.
These are basic jobs, so you’ll be able to do them easily. Businesses need people like you because if you’re doing these tasks, you’re freeing them up to take care of other work they have to do.
As a bonus, this always looks great on a resume. In addition, you can use it to get other jobs in the future, so consider this type of work.
12. Sell Photos
When you visit websites, there are always pictures that illustrate what the site is about. The owners of these sites need a steady stream of pictures, and that’s where you come in.
If you’re a gifted photographer, you can sell your pictures to people like this for a profit. You make an account with a site like Shutterstock and then upload your pictures to them.
Website owners then pay to license that photo, and you’ll get a cut of that payment. The best part is that you’ll be able to license that photo over and over again without having to do anything else.
This is known as ‘passive income,’ as you’ll only make the content once and still keep making money on it.
13. Sell Your Books
This is for anyone who loves to read. Once you’ve finished a book, you may not want to read it again. So rather than letting it sit and take up space in your room, you can instead sell it on and make some money.
You can use sites like BookScouter for this. First, you’ll scan the barcode of the book you’re hoping to sell, and then it will show you which stores are looking to buy it and for what price.
You can then decide on where to take that book to sell it. You also have the option to take your books to resale stores if you want to take a lot of books in bulk.
This way, you can keep your room tidy and only keep the books you love. Plus, you’ll make some extra cash.
14. Have A Garage Sale
This is an old money-making technique, but it’s a classic. Have you recently cleared out your room and have a big pile of things you need to get rid of?
You can set up a garage sale outside your home and sell those items for a profit. Of course, you’ll need your parents’ permission if you want to do this.
It’s surprising how many people love a garage sale. They’ll happily come by to peruse your items and buy anything that takes their fancy.
You’ll love this as obviously, you’ll make money, but you’ll also be stopping a lot of items from going into landfills.
15. Be A Camp Counselor
Being a camp counselor is a great idea if you’re at a loose end during the summer and want to work. You’ll be able to develop lots of skills, make new friends, and have some invaluable experience to put on your resume.
If you want to get into this role, check with any camps you went to as a child or any camps that are near you. You’ll find that many are looking for young people to come and work as counselors.
You’ll need to be energetic and hardworking to be a camp counselor. If you think you’re the right kind of person for the job, you’ll get a lot out of it.
These are just 15 ways for teens to make money. As you can see, you don’t need to take the first retail job you see.
There are many more creative ways for teens to make money and start putting it towards what they want. For example, you could use that money for a summer road trip with friends or start stashing it away for college.
Whatever you do with the money, you can start making good cash with any of these ideas. Try them out today.
