Are you one of those guilty shoppers who desires one of the most expensive items, yet you are short on money? Did your parents stop giving you money because you spent it all? Stressed, because you are too young to have a job and think there is no other way of earning money? WRONG! Below, we’ve put together five ideas to help you put some pounds in your wallet while still being able to enjoy life.

1. Sell your own merchandise

Selling your own merchandise is a fun and entertaining way of earning loads of money if you have a successful idea. With the right creative idea, hard work, and good marketing, a teenager can have a wide variety of products from bags, t-shirts, water bottles, or even stickers. If you are wondering how you will sell your items, you can simply create a social media account and advertise your product on Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, and you could even create a webpage.

Here are a couple hurdles to this money making endeavor. First, you need capital. Capital is upfront money to buy the materials needed to create and market your designs. Your capital could be from your own savings or borrowed money from someone, such as your parents. The risk is, if your idea fails then you will lose your savings or end up owing the debt you borrowed.

Here is a link to an Instagram account belonging to a student from AISB ,who created their own merchandise: https://www.instagram.com/2broke4.

This student talked about their struggles and the process, saying “It was difficult at first getting all the equipment needed, but after having all the equipment, my partner and I were earning lots of money without doing a lot of work. If I had to say the most important thing doing this kind of business, I would say that paying attention to designs is really important.”

 

2. Tutor your classmates or smaller children

Don’t have the capital to start your own business? Think about your special talents. Is it playing an instrument, or are you fluent in a second or third language? Use your talents in the best way possible by helping someone with their struggles. By doing this you also improve your skills and learn how to become a teacher for the future. You can also tutor a student in a lower grade in subjects such as Math, English, or Science. You can market yourself through the school notice board, parents’ word-of-mouth, your friends, and of course, on social media.

Ozge Tanca, a science teacher at a public school in Turkey says, “I started out by tutoring smaller children in Science when I was 16. Tutoring really helps with learning different teaching methods before actually becoming a teacher. I would definitely recommend becoming a tutor to anyone who wants to become a teacher.”

 

3.  Sell your old items on websites

A third way of making money and getting rid of your old items such as clothes, electronics, books, and board games is by selling them on the internet (eBay), or selling it to people you know. If you do not have anything you want to sell, you can talk with some of your friends and tell them that you would sell their unwanted items for them for a commission. A fair commission would be 10% of the sale price.

Finally, you can sell your items at a second-hand store. An AISB student, Gili S., reports, “I sold my old MacBook Pro and made 4000 Lei.”

Links to websites you could use to sell your old items:

 

4. Babysit

Babysitting is a very enjoyable way to earn money if you like babies and younger children. Your responsibilities might include feeding, changing diapers (if the infant is still wearing a diaper), preparing meals, and playing games. The advantages are that you can reject a job offer if you are busy or feeling tired, play games which you and the kid both enjoy, and also you can have time to do your homework or watch a movie while the kids are sleeping. Just note that you have to check on the toddler every once in a while.

If you are wondering how to market yourself, you could ask to babysit your friends or families’ kids. You could also post your “business” on the school notice board for an ideal price of 100 Ron/hr. However, if you are too young and aren’t yet prepared for such responsibilities, stay away from it for a couple years. If you are afraid of looking after a baby then you could babysit 10 to 12-year-olds, since they are calmer, easier to reason with and to handle.

Duru O., a grade 9 student who has babysat children, says, “During my experience of babysitting many kids, I highly recommend a first aid course before babysitting, because babies can choke on food and hurt themselves. And it’s important to be prepared for any scenario, but other than that it’s a great way to earn money.”

5.  Do odd jobs

Doing odd jobs includes a wide variety of work, such as dog walking, pet/plant sitting, cleaning out garages, helping elderly people with chores, and gardening. Doing these jobs can be a great guide towards employment because you don’t need any capital, you just need commitment and responsibility.

The jobs can vary from being very easy tasks, such as watering their plants, to needing physical strength for something like cleaning a garage with heavy objects. For example, a student’s mother earned enough money to buy airline tickets from Bucharest, Romania, to the United States, by just cleaning up the inside of planes that were used by the teens/adults who went to the military in Israel.

Depending on the job, the pay can vary from 30 Ron/hr. and can go all the way up to 100 Ron/hr.  You can market yourself through friends and family, neighbors, the school notice board, and through social media.