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Many of us recall that things were simpler when we were children. True, we didn’t need to worry about car payments or utility bills, but having enough Money for things was still a challenge. According to research 45% of children’s spending relates to outings with friends, while 37% is spent on digital downloads and 33% on toys. Just 3% of children save some portion of their allowance.
Two thirds of children provide their children with an allowance, with an average of $30 per week. Children typically receive allowance related to chores, with 86% of parents requiring chores to be done. In 2019, this worked out to an hourly rate of $6.11 for kids.
This may not be enough for kids to meet all of their spending requirements. So, here we’ll explore how to make money as a kid.
How to Make Money as A Kid Online
1. Learn a Skill
Your skills and hobbies could provide inspiration to create a decent side gig. You could even learn a skill to then teach it to others. Whether you want to learn guitar, a new language or even boost your fitness, you could use these skills to help others to learn.
Technology has made it easier to connect with your potential students. You can teach online or face to face.
Think about the things you would enjoy doing, and maybe even how you could build on your existing skills to teach others. Bear in mind, it should be a topic of interest, as you will be spending your spare time on this skill. It will be very difficult to teach something that you don’t like.
Your potential earnings will depend on your expertise and chosen topic. For example, you could charge $15+ per hour to teach guitar for beginners.
2. Online Surveys
Online surveys provide one of the most flexible ways to make money as a kid. There are plenty of platforms that could help you to earn $50 or more per week. For example, Survey Junkie allows you to earn $45 in your first 20 minutes. After this, the surveys typically pay a dollar or two, but will only take a few minutes of your time.
Most survey platforms require time to complete your profile. However, the details you provide is necessary to match you with appropriate surveys. So, it is important to be honest. There are lots of companies that need feedback and opinions from children about products.
Once you reach the minimum cash out threshold, which is $10 for Survey Junkie, you can claim your earnings via PayPal or gift card.
3. Start Youtube Channel
YouTube content creators can create impressive income levels, even before they are legally an adult. For example, Ryan Toys Review generated its star an income of $11 million in 2017.
One of the best things about starting a YouTube channel is that you’re able to base it on your interests or hobbies. So, whether you like gaming, enjoy reviewing items or just like to make people laugh, you could turn this into YouTube ad revenue.
Once you get a large following, you may even attract some sponsorship deals.
If you have a decent camera and check through the YouTube terms and conditions, you could get started immediately.
4. Watch Videos
If you prefer a more passive task and you’re happy to get just a few cents for each task, you could create a side hustle, watching videos.
InboxDollars is a GPT site, where you can complete tasks such as watching videos and surveys. However, this is nowhere near the highest paying gig.
If you want a more serious income, you could consider creating video subtitles. There are content creators who want to make their videos more accessible. You can access these clients through freelance platforms, or develop your own gig through Fiverr. This will allow you to earn from $4 for watching videos and writing subtitles.
5. Test Websites
If you have a good eye for little details, you could explore this as how to make money as a kid. Testing websites requires downloading testing software and then answering questions about your experience when you visit websites.
For example, UserTesting offers $10 for each 20 minute test. This platform matches members to target users of websites. So, you’ll need to create a profile and provide demographic information about yourself and your location.
How many tests you’ll receive will vary. If a company is targeting 40 plus women, you’re unlikely to receive this as a test. However, there are lots of companies that target teens and young adults.
6. Design T-Shirts
These days, merch is a big money spinner and you can tap into this by designing your own t-shirts. Fortunately, these days you don’t need to invest in expensive printing equipment. Merch by Amazon is a print on demand service.
There are no upfront costs and you can create an income designing t-shirts. You’ll need to create appealing, attractive designs, then you can set your price and earn royalties every time you make a sale.
Top sellers on Merch by Amazon are making hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, with good designs, it is straightforward to make a few hundred dollars a month.
7. Manage Social Media Accounts
If you enjoy spending your time on Social Media, consider becoming a social media manager.
Many businesses need help managing their social media accounts. So, you could help local companies, entrepreneurs or even celebrities.
Your number of clients will limit your income potential. As you grow this side hustle, you could even outsource tasks and create your own agency.
According to PayScale, social media managers have an average salary of $50,000 per year. As a beginner, you could expect to earn $15+ per hour. You can find work by approaching businesses directly or through freelancing platforms such as Upwork.
8. Sell Items on eBay & Amazon
If you’re looking at how to make money as a kid online, you may wish to consider selling items. The two biggest online marketplaces, eBay and Amazon, make it easy for sellers.
Amazon has the Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) marketplace, which has the potential to earn as much as $100 per hour. While eBay allows you to list practically anything.
You’ll need to find items that you can sell at a profit. However, if you like bargain hunting, this could be an enjoyable process.
Remember to calculate the Amazon or eBay fees and shipping costs to ensure that you make a good profit.
9. Play Games
If you enjoy playing games, you could earn some cash with the Mistplay app.
You’ll need to complete the registration before you can explore the available games. Each game has different playing periods, up to five minutes. There are also different requirements for achievements you need to accomplish.
Once you make the achievement or complete play, you’ll get a notification from Mistplay. You will need to give opinions or answer questions about your playing experience. You’ll earn up to 200 points for each game. You can then convert these points into cash. $5 requires approximately 1500 points.
10. Sell Your Crafts on Etsy
If you’re crafty, you could earn some quick cash on Etsy. Etsy is a massive marketplace that offers craft items including jewelry, clothing, toys, household items, decorative pieces and more.
You’ll need to join the platform and create a listing for each of your pieces. The average selling price on Etsy is $25, but you can set your own rates. There is a $0.20 listing fee and Etsy applies a 3.5 percent commission on items you sell.
With good products and an attractive listing, it is possible to develop your Etsy store into a business delivering $1,000 or more per month.
11. Freelance on Fiverr
Fiverr offers a flexible solution to the questions of how to make money as a kid. You can create an online storefront for products or services. Whether you make craft items or can offer writing, web design or graphics services, you can market them on Fiverr.
As its name suggests, base gigs cost $5 and Fiverr takes 20% commission on each complete gig. However, it is also possible to upsell levels for your gig. So, you could offer clients additional services or add ons for $10 or $15.
Depending on the competition and your skill, you could be able to generate an income of a few hundred dollars each month.
12. Edit Videos
More and more businesses are using videos to promote their services on social media platforms. This creates an opportunity to answer the question, how to make money fast as a kid. Although there are video editing positions for full time workers, there are also gigs for students and teens.
There are even online guides that can help you sharpen your video editing skills and find clients.
According to PayScale, freelance video editors in the USA can earn an average rate of $20 per hour. However, your salary will depend on your skills and the projects you work on. For example, you’re likely to earn more editing a promo video for a small business rather than editing a video for a small YouTuber.
13. Start Freelance Writing
Freelance writing can be a lucrative profession, but it can also be a great side gig. You only need a computer, internet connection and decent writing skills to start. Many writing clients actually prefer an informal writing style. So, you don’t need to worry about formal writing styles.
Freelance writers earn an average rate of $15 to $25 per hour, but it is possible to earn up to $100 per hour.
You can find clients by setting up a profile on freelance platforms, such as Upwork. You’ll also need to set up a portfolio of your writing samples.
14. Tutor Younger Kids
If you’re a solid student, you could tutor younger kids to make some extra cash. You can earn up to $20 per hour.
While many tutoring platforms are only open to over 18s, there are a few that accept younger teens. For example, Tutor Care accepts tutors age 13 and over. You can provide online or in person tutoring. You can even get paid to answer homework help questions.
To join Tutor Care, you need to complete an application form and participate in an interview and training. However, the platform will send you an email to indicate payment has been made for a tutoring session before you begin. So, you don’t need to worry about chasing payments.
15. Create Tik Tok Videos
According to a Forbes article, TikTok is the latest platform to make top creators millionaires. In fact, Addison Rae Easterling earned $5 million in 2019. So, if you like the idea of making short videos, this could be one of the ways to make money as a kid.
As with YouTube, you can create videos about your interests and hobbies. This will allow your enjoyment to come through in your content.
How much you can earn will depend on your content and following. Typically, it takes 100,000 followers for a Tiktoker to make up to $2,000 from a specific video. It may take some time to build up to this, but it could develop into a lucrative side gig.
16. Review Products
Companies are keen to know what consumers think about their products and services. This creates an opportunity for you to earn money providing insight by reviewing products.
How much you receive will depend on the platform you use and the products you’re testing. This can range from $1 or $2 up to $500.
For example, BzzAgent actively seeks out teen reviewers. You’ll be mailed a coupon or product to test out and write a review. You’ll only receive approximately $1 for this, but you also get to keep the product.
17. Become Virtual Assistant
If you’re an organized person, there is a high income potential in becoming a virtual assistant. A VA is responsible for organizing emails, appointment books and other admin tasks. You can even work for multiple clients to boost your earning potential.
While experienced VAs can earn impressive sums, it is possible to earn $20 per hour as a relative newbie. Although generally, you need to be 18 to join a freelancer platform and find clients, there are some exceptions. For example, Freelancer accepts users age 15 and above.
How to Make Money without a Job as a Kid
18. Help Your Parents & Grandparents
Even if you already receive an allowance from your parents, you may be able to negotiate a pay increase by helping out more. If you ask your parents or grandparents about handling more responsibilities, you could earn some more cash.
Your parents may feel that they pay you enough allowance. However, if you can explain that you can tackle one time projects such as cleaning an attic or increase your weekly chores, you could get a pay bump.
19. Resell Golf Balls
If you have a golf club or driving range in your area, you could create an opportunity to earn some extra cash. Golfers tend to lose lots of balls, particularly in the tall grass and bushes. If you are prepared to spend some time recovering golf balls and washing them, you can sell them back to golfers.
Put the clean balls in ziplock bags or display them in an open container. Just be sure to separate them into four grades. With permission, you could set up a booth on a golf course, near the clubhouse, or set up down the street. Golfers tend to be more active at weekends, so be sure to have a big sign.
While this may be initially time consuming, you could earn $10 to $20 per hour.
20. Be a Referee
Cities always tend to have lots of local sports games. So, if you’re a sports enthusiast, you could become a referee.
Approach your local clubs to see the specific requirements. Easier games tend to pay less, but you could make $15 or $16 per game. U19 games tend to be harder, but pay up to $50 per game.
You’ll need to stay in shape and have a thick skin or you’ll struggle to last long.
21. Upgrade Computers
Computers can be expensive, but many programs, software and apps require the latest technology to operate correctly. If you’re tech savvy, you could help people with this issue, by upgrading computers. You could even help people to have better running computers by cleaning and updating them.
You can find clients through word of mouth or posting messages on Facebook. Once you start doing a great job for your clients, you’ll attract more and more customers.
Upgrading computers is flexible enough to fit around your schedule and could net you $20 to $30 per hour.
22. Deliver Mail Service
Many people put a hold on their mail when they go on vacation. However, this still means that they need to collect their accumulated mail on their return. This is where you can help.
You can offer to pick up mail rather than needing to place a hold. You can also hold on to packages to avoid the risk of being stolen from the doorstep. You can offer to collect mail each day, so an overflowing mailbox will not attract unwanted attention.
You may only be able to earn a few dollars for this service. But, if you have multiple clients, it could turn into a decent side gig. This is particularly true during the summer and over the holidays.
23. Digitize Photos
Although many people have moved on to digital cameras, they are still likely to have lots of photos around their homes. You can help transform those boxes of old photographs into digital pictures.
All you need is a printer that has a scanning function. You can offer to digitize photos for $0.10 or $0.20 each.
24. Recycle Aluminum Cans
Many people are concerned about having a greener lifestyle, but there are still others who simply throw their aluminum cans in the trash. However, these cans do have a cash value.
You’ll need to pick up cans from sidewalks, at the roadside and other areas where they are dumped. Once you’ve accumulated a couple of bags of cans, you can take them down to your local scrap yard or recycle center.
You can even check what your haul is worth using an app such as iScrap.
25. Recycle Copper Wire
You can also recycle copper wire for cash at your local scrap yard. Copper can be found in old USB cables, HDMI cables, coaxial cables and other types of wiring. Your parents and other people in your neighborhood are likely to have old cables that are broken or they no longer need.
Ask for these unwanted cables and once you have a collection, take them to the scrapyard to trade them for cash.
26. Help During Birthday Parties
Many parents like to throw a big party for their child’s birthday. But planning and setting up a party like that can be stressful. You can help in a number of ways.
Firstly, you could offer your services helping to set up. While the parents are busy with the bigger jobs, you could set up tables or do some last minute clean up.
Alternatively, you could offer to watch the children while the parents do the set up. This means that they can concentrate on climbing ladders to hang banners or balloons without needing to worry about little ones getting under foot.
You may only earn $5 or $10 for your help at the parties. However, once word gets around about how helpful you are, you could find your services are in demand.
27. Babysit
Babysitting is a traditional task for teens looking to boost their allowance. Parents are often in need of reliable, responsible and trustworthy babysitters. This creates the potential for regular cash.
You can find babysitting clients through your personal network or post ads on social media and local bulletin boards.
The average hourly rate for babysitters in the USA is $16 per hour. However, it is often higher if you need to look after more than one child.
28. Walk Dogs
If you don’t like the idea of looking after children and prefer pets, you could walk dogs. You can find dog walking clients in your local area or use apps such as Rover or Wag.
The rate for walking dogs is up to $25 per hour.
As with babysitting, you’ll need to demonstrate that you are reliable and responsible. But, once word gets around that you’re a great dog walker, you could find that you have more clients that you can manage.
29. Be Seniors Assistant
There are many seniors around the country who struggle to manage day to day chores. You can develop an income as a seniors assistant, helping older people get groceries, take mail to the post office or other errands.
You can expect to earn approximately $12 per hour. However, it is possible to have multiple seniors that you help, creating a decent income.
Post flyers around senior areas or place an ad on social media to find clients. You can even approach seniors that you know if they or anyone they know needs help.
How to Make Money As A Kid In Your Neighborhood in Summer
30. Mow Lawns
If you enjoy working outdoors, you could start a part time business mowing lawns. You will need permission from your parents to use the family lawnmower and other yard tools. However, you can expect to earn $20 to $25 for a ¼ acre yard.
You can set your own rates, just be sure to consider gas, blade sharpening and other costs before you quote a price. You are likely to find that there are many people in your neighborhood who are willing to pay so they don’t need to do this tedious chore.
Going door to door is a good way to find mowing clients, but you can also hand out flyers or post on your neighborhood social media pages.
31. Wash & Detail Cars
While many people like driving around in a nice car, washing and detailing can be a real chore. This creates the opportunity for any junior entrepreneurs.
You can offer services as a mobile car washer, cleaning cars at homes or businesses during the week or at weekends. You can set your cleaning schedule around your school work and other activities.
Just be sure that you do a great job, as word will get around if you do a bad job. Take the time to wash the cars properly, washing the windows and drying the car off with towels to prevent streaks.
You will need to create a car cleaning kit and factor this into your costs when you set your rates.
32. Clean Gutters
Gutters filled with leaves and other debris can not only drop material on to the yard, but can also increase the risk of flooding. If left unchecked, clogged gutters can even cause damage to the siding.
As with mowing lawns or cleaning cars, you can help homeowners out with this chore. You’ll need a forceful sprayer and stable ladders to do a good job. However, you can charge $10 to $20 per hour.
33. Water Plants for Elderly
A colorful yard can cheer anyone up, particularly elderly people who may struggle with mobility. However, this can also create problems, as the plants will need to be watered and maintained regularly.
Fortunately, you can help. As with becoming a senior’s assistant, you can earn extra cash and give back to your local community.
Once you establish your reputation for having green fingers, you could extend your services to watering plants when people are on vacation.
You can set your own rates, but realistically, you could earn $10 to $12 per hour.
34. Yard Maintenance
In addition to mowing lawns, there are other aspects of yard maintenance that can be one of the ways to make money as a kid.
From weeding beds to raking leaves, you can help homeowners out with all their yard chores. This type of work will vary according to the season. Homeowners may ask you to prune plants, clear deadfall or even get rid of trash.
You can expect to earn $10 or more per hour. However, your overheads should be fairly low. You may need to use a few of your parent’s tools, depending on the chore, but many yard maintenance tasks simply require a bit of hard work.
35. Clean Furniture
Many people take pride in a clean home, but cleaning furniture can be beyond their capacities. Furniture requires regular cleaning to remain fresh and looking good. You may be cleaning couches, chairs or disinfecting beds.
You can earn $20 per hour or more. Just be aware that you will have to clean with care and follow cleaning instructions carefully.
If you want to maximize your earning potential, try to target homes with pets. Dog owners tend to need furniture cleaning more frequently. Ask around your neighborhood, post flyers or advertise on local Facebook groups.
36. Wash Windows
Windows can get extremely dirty. While many homeowners can comfortably wash the inside, they may want to hire out the task of washing the outside of their windows.
You’ll need some ladders and other washing gear, but you can earn $15 to $20 per hour. You can even upsell your services, offering to clean the insides of windows or clean store windows.
As with many of the chores on this list, you can find window washing clients in your local area through door to door enquiries, flyers or local postings.
37. Sell Flowers
If you have a green thumb and a talent for floral arranging, you could sell flowers. Whether for a birthday, wedding or other event, or as holiday decorations, flowers are always in demand.
You can advertise your services as a floral arranger, creating custom designs for your clients. Advertise locally or set up an Etsy profile. Just be sure to add your local city for local searches.
You’ll be able to set your own rates, but the average rate is $14 per hour.
38. Open a Lemonade Stand
Opening a lemonade stand is the traditional way for many children to make some cash. Many adults will only buy lemonade because they think it is cute that kids are trying to run a stall.
If you live on a fairly busy street, you can set up a stall at the end of your driveway. Many adults will pay $0.50 to $1 for a cup. On a warm summer day, you could net yourself $10 or more.
Just be sure to taste test your lemonade before you offer it for sale. You won’t get many repeat customers if your lemonade is way too tart or sharp.
39. Weed Gardens
Another yard chore that can be a pain for homeowners is weeding. So, you can create a decent income offering to weed gardens.
You’ll need to be prepared for some hard work, as pulling weeds can be tough. However, all you need is a sturdy pair of gloves and possibly some knee pads or a cushion. Be sure to clear any weeds you pull, so you leave the yard neat and tidy.
You can expect to earn $10 to $15 per hour.
40. Paint Walls & Fences
Another important aspect of a neat looking home is well painted walls and fences. Metal or wood fences, wood siding and stucco all need regular painting to avoid decay, rot or rust.
So, people are often willing to pay for this property maintenance. You can go door to door for customers and if the people are renters, ask for the landlord’s details to see if they need your services.
Before you give a quote for your painting services, you will need to consider the cost of the paint, brushes and other materials. However, you can expect to earn $1 to $2 per square foot.
41. Handyman
Homes require constant maintenance. If you’re handy, you could become a handyman to fix anything around the home. From fixing a hole in the wall and repairing flooring to unclogging toilets.
You’ll need a basic toolbox and only tackle things within your skill set. However, you can find lots of tutorials online if you’re a quick study. You can expect to earn up to $15 per hour.
You can find clients on Facebook or by posting flyers or going door to door.
42. Farmers Market
If you enjoy growing vegetables and have a backyard at your home, you could enjoy a hobby and create an earning opportunity. You’ll sell popular vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers and beans fairly easily. You can even pickle or jar your unsold vegetables to command an even higher price.
Generally, local farmers markets are inexpensive venues, so you can keep more of your profits. Of course, you’ll only be able to sell seasonally, when you have fresh produce. Just be sure to keep plenty of vegetables for use at home.
43. Brush & Groom Dogs
Pets can require regular work. They need to be brushed each day and regularly bathed. This can be a particular pain if it is a pet with long, curly hair such as a cocker spaniel.
If you love animals and have the patience to deal with squirming animals, this could be a good option for you. You can earn $15 to $20 per hour, but you’ll need special shampoos, towels, combs and other gear. This will need to be factored into your pricing.
You can advertise your services at local vets or by placing flyers in your neighborhood near dog parks and other areas where owners take their dogs.
How to Make Money As A Kid In Your Neighborhood in Winter
44. Collect & Sell Firewood
As the weather starts getting colder, many people enjoy the comfort of a fire. Homes with wood burning stoves or campers looking to enjoy the outdoors will need firewood to keep them warm.
You can use this as one of the ways to make money as a kid. You can collect and chop deadfall in the woods and bundle it for sale. Small bundles can command $20 to $25, while a cord or bundle 4 feet by 8 feet can cost up to $75.
Customers will appreciate it if you can drop the firewood at their homes, so it is a good idea if you have a wagon, if you don’t have access to a vehicle.
45. Shovel Snow
If you don’t mind the cold and are prepared for some hard work, you could make a decent income shoveling snow. You can expect to earn up to $20 per driveway and walkway. If you want to make the most money, you’ll also need to be up early to clear driveways before people need to get their cars out to go to work.
While it is possible to shovel snow with hand tools, if you have access to a family snowblower or small snow plow you can make the job easier. Just remember, if you do use power tools, you’ll need to factor in the cost of gas into your pricing.
46. Christmas Lights Up & Down
Nothing says Christmas than lights starting to appear around town. However, not everyone has the time or energy to get their lights up on December 1st and take them down in the New Year.
Working parents, the elderly and those with mobility issues will all appreciate help putting their Christmas lights up and down.
Professional lights installations are not cheap and can run into hundreds of dollars. So, you can charge up to $50 and expect plenty of interest.
You’ll need ladders and be confident dealing with lighting and electrics. However, you don’t need formal qualifications.
47. Dispose of Christmas Trees
Another seasonal task that can be a good earner for kids is disposing of Christmas trees. Once Christmas is over, many people don’t know what to do with their old tree.
You can charge $5 for hauling these trees away to your local neighborhood collection point. If you’re prepared to hire a chipper, you could even offer to chip the tree and put into the homeowners garden for compost. You can charge extra for this service to cover your time and the cost of the chipper.
The best way to find clients is to post flyers into mailboxes in your neighborhood. You can detail the two options and provide a phone number to arrange collection.
48. Wrap Gifts
Christmas is a time of giving, but not everyone has the craft skills to make attractive parcels. So, why not put your skills to good use wrapping gifts. Many shopping malls have gift wrap stations that will employ teens. If your local shopping mall does not, approach the mall management to see if you can set up a booth.
The other option is to advertise your services and go to people’s homes to wrap their gifts. You’ll need a ready supply of different gift wrap, so people can choose their favorite. You’ll also need tape, ribbon and gift tags.
You can set your own rates, but $5 to $10 depending on the size of the gift is a good guideline.
49. Salt Side Walks
Another seasonal chore that can be turned into a side gig for kids is salting side walks. You can expect to receive $10 to $20 per stretch of side walk.
This can be an invaluable service, particularly for those vulnerable to slipping and falling, such as the elderly, pregnant women and parents with small children.
You can offer salt steps and other areas near the home to further aid safety.
You’ll need to be able to carry a sack of salt. So, if you don’t have access to a vehicle, you will need a wagon or sled. However, you can buy bulk bags of salt very cheaply, so you can maximize your profits.
50. Christmas Decorations Up & Down
Finally, when you can also make money putting up and taking down Christmas decorations. Many people like to compete with their neighbors to have the most spectacular holiday decorations. However, they don’t always have the time or energy to set up a display. You can offer your services to help put up and take down decorations.
You can set your own rates, but you can expect to charge $20+ per hour. You’ll need ladders and basic tools, together with some basic DIY know how.
As with other seasonal chores, you can find clients in your local neighborhood using flyers. You can also team your decorating services with lighting to maximize your profits.
The post 50 Ways How to Make Money as a Kid: Legit Earners for Under 18s appeared first on DollarBreak.
