There are many great reasons for teens to be working. Beyond earning cash, they can experience having more responsibility, learning new skills and handling finances firsthand. From our credit counseling perspective, this is awesome! To help guide them, here is a long list of ways teens earn money.
12 Ways Teens Earn Money
No matter the season or the teen, there is some kind of job out there for them. Between traditional office based jobs to babysitting to selling crafts on Etsy, there are many possibilities. Each work experience is an opportunity. This could be a perfect time to explore a potential college path. By finding a job in the field, they can test the waters while earning money. Perhaps you have a budding entrepreneur who needs to start creating and selling. As long as the work doesn’t take over, it can be a great adventure in learning money management.
List of Ways Teens Earn Money
- Snow Shoveling
- Extra Chores
- Part-time Job
- Pet Sitting
- Invent Something
- Babysitting
- Camp Counselor
- Lifeguard
- Sell at the Farmer’s Market
- Tech Support
- Sell Photography
- Create an Etsy Store
Helping Teens Manage Money
With no major responsibilities or experience of saving, teenagers need motivation and direction to be successful. Work with your teenager to set savings goals. Younger teens might want to start saving for a bike, gaming system or even a car; older teens might be heading toward college. Help them avoid student loan debt by saving early. A helpful exercise is to research with your teenager the cost of their big ticket goals. This can help them see the true cost of their desires and how important it is to stick to a savings plan.
Finally, you should walk your teenager through a monthly budget. A working example of income, expenses and saving in motion is critical to truly understand all the implications of financial achievements and missteps. This exercise can be very simple. You can use a notebook and a calculator to track everything. Once you model a few instances, make sure you allow your teen to take over the calculations.
Under a parent or guardian’s stewardship, financial experience now can help them avoid major mistakes later in life, like too much debt. Learning about spending, income and debt can have an immense impact on their future.
If you’re struggling with debt, ACCC can help. Schedule a free credit counseling session with us today.