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5 cool ways to make money as a kid you’ll wish you’d thought of

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The importance of a strong work ethic and wise money management are two of the most important life skills you’ll ever pass on to your kids. You’re not just teaching them the basics about keeping a home and yard clean or the responsibility of showing up on time for a job. You’re also showing them how to create and grow their own wealth and how to establish goals for saving and perhaps even setting aside money for charitable giving.

As you can see, your child would greatly benefit in the long run from these valuable life lessons. Thus, if you and your children wonder how to make money as a kid, read on for some suggestions that start at home and in your neighborhood.

A boy is rinsing dishes with the sprayer on the kitchen faucet
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to earn money as a kid at home

The first and best place where kids can start earning money is at home. While they’re still young, they’ll need some direction on how to complete the tasks that you give them. Plus, this situation is the easiest way to show them money management early on. Here are some ideas to get you started.

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Take on extra chores

You can start by suggesting some chores that go beyond simply cleaning their rooms or picking up toys. Some ideas include:

  • washing or drying dishes
  • folding towels and linens
  • vacuuming (depending on height and age)
  • dusting

This situation presents a mutually beneficial arrangement for both you and your kids. You’re getting the extra help, while they’re getting paid and learning how to take care of household chores.

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Recycle

In addition to taking care of a home, you can teach the value of taking care of the environment while your children earn some extra cash. Your child can collect and prepare recyclable items to exchange for pocket change. Some communities have recycling centers that take aluminum and other metal containers along with plastic. In return, they gain a small amount of money. However, over time, small amounts can accumulate.

Teenage boy washing a car while girls hold a car wash sign
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to make money as a kid in the neighborhood

As your child gets older and they ponder more about how to make money, the immediate surrounding area presents more opportunities. They can offer their help with odd jobs for a reasonable fee. Here are a few examples:

Start a yardwork service

By going door-to-door (with a parent present in the case of younger tweens), your child can offer to mow, rake, and water neighboring front yards. Even if they only gain two or three regular clients, this small gig presents an opportunity to earn excellent pay. Plus, this task can be completed during the evenings or on the weekends.

Hold a neighborhood car wash

You can help your child market this service by passing out flyers to the neighbors and of course, posting signs in your front yard. If parking and waiting don’t pose issues to traffic on your block, your children could find car washing to be a lucrative endeavor. Likewise, teens can offer a detailing service to earn extra cash. Just like with the yard gig, kids can gain regular clients by creating and distributing a business card for their car washing/detailing service and setting appointments.

How kids can earn money online

In addition to jobs at home and around the neighborhood, kids age 13 and up can earn money online with parental permission and supervision. While you might have heard of young influencers making millions from toy reviews, there are ways for kids to earn money online that don’t involve creating videos or checking the comments, such as the following:

Sell items at a garage sale and online

You can operate an Ebay or OfferUp account for your tween or teen who wants to sell gently used items that are still in good shape. Your child can help by taking photos of the items, writing the product descriptions, and in the case of older kids, uploading the information.

If you’re more comfortable operating the sale offline, there’s the option of holding a yard or garage sale. Your child can help with the prep work and pricing and provide customer service.

These are just a few suggestions for how to make money as a kid. With a bit of creativity and ingenuity, your children will pick up entrepreneurial skills while mastering the art of money management.

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Leslie Anderson
Leslie Anderson
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Leslie Anderson is a freelance writer/writing coach from Roswell, N.M. She enjoys gardening, cooking, and helping students…
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