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A low down on all the side hustles that you can make easy money with as a teenager
So you’re looking for a side-hustle.
Maybe you’ve always had an entrepreneurial streak (thinking about the 6-year-old I used to babysit, saving up her baby teeth so she could get a bulk payment from the tooth fairy).
Maybe you’re saving up to get yourself a ✨little treat✨
Maybe you just need some cash to get you from A to B.
We know how frustrating it is craving financial independence as a teenager. Especially if you’re under 16 and can’t get a part time job.
Don’t worry, there are plenty of ways to establish an income stream as a teenager. We’re gonna leave out the obvious options, like working at McDonald's or washing cars, because you probably already know about that.
Whether you are over 16 and looking for an alternative side hustle to customer service (from someone who has literally worked every customer service job in this capitalist dystopia, I feel you), or you’re under 16 and looking for an age-appropriate side hustle — we got you.
Don’t want to leave the house to work? Fair enough, friend. Neither do I. There are loads of ways to make money from home.
The great thing about Depop is there is no age restriction for using it. So you just need to strike up a ✨ business partnership ✨ with a parent or sibling who has a checking account for receiving payment money if you don’t have one yet.
Depop takes 10% in fees. Wanna know how to make the most money on Depop? We have a whole article on it.
There also isn’t an age restriction on Poshmark, although they recommend reading their privacy policy if you’re under 16.
For the low down on making big bucks on Poshmark, check out our blog post on the subject.
Etsy is a great option for the crafty among us.
One word: slime. Slime is so big on Etsy.
You have to be 18 to use Etsy, but once again, striking up a business deal with your parent or guardian is a way to access the app.
As the workforce becomes increasingly digital, more work becomes available for those of us who have grown up digitally fluent. iPad babies.
Replying to emails and social media scheduling: this might sound like stuff you do every day anyway.
Well, you can get paid for it.
Virtual assistants are hired by businesses or other influencers as a way of outsourcing time-consuming and tedious tasks. You just need a basic portfolio of digital skills.
Check out Lily May and @socialgirlmagic on Instagram to find out how they make over $6k a month working as virtual assistants.
If you’re looking for work over the summer or winter vacation, check out Summer Jobs or CoolWorks.com for anything from nannying to summer camp work.
(PSA: you do have to be 16 for most of this work, sorry!)
If you’ve got solid swim skills, there’s actually a huge demand for lifeguards at the moment due to a national shortage. Find out the nearest place to get training and you’ve basically got guaranteed work every summer. To qualify, you need to be 15 years old by the last day of class.
Ok, now for the simplest side hustles. These are ways to make money IRL, within your community, the old-fashioned way.
HomeGuide reports dog walkers can expect to get paid an average of $20 per 30-minute walk with prices ranging between $10 and $35.
So. If you could do five 30-minute walks before or after school per week, you could potentially make up to $175.
Apps like Wag! and Rover are great for this, but you have to be 18 to use them. (If you’re under 18, scroll down to the star ⭐)
🐶 Wag! – The sign-up process takes approximately 14 days as you’ll need to undergo a background check in order to be accepted as a “Pet Caregiver.”
Background checks will include employment, education, criminal record, credit history, motor vehicle, and license record checks.
You’ll just need to make sure you’ve got a valid Driver’s License, State Issued ID, US Passport, or Permanent Resident Card.
You can set your own rates and Wag! receives a percentage of the total price a “Pet Parent” pays for each service. However, Pet Caregivers (you) receive 100% of the rate they set and 100% of their tips.
You’ll be able to see how much you’ll make before committing to each job. And you should receive your pay on Fridays for all the services completed the week before.
Wag! has a “great” rating with 3.9 stars out of 5 on Trustpilot.
🐶 Rover – Rover has a mixture of services including dog walking.
With Rover, you can set your own schedule and you decide how much to charge.
Rover has an “excellent” rating with 4.6 stars out of 5 on Trustpilot.
⭐ You have to be 18 to use Wag! and Rover, but of course you don’t have to use an official app to make money dog walking. You can advertise yourself through flyers in your neighbor's mailboxes, and community Facebook or WhatsApp groups.
You also don’t have to be 18 to use Craigslist. But make sure you meet anyone you find on there in a public place, obviously.
Most states do not have laws specifying an age requirement for babysitting, and only some have guidelines for how old a child should be before they are left at home without adult supervision. It depends on the age of the child and your experience looking after kids.
Babysitting is a great option if you have experience with younger siblings or family members, and you feel confident caring for children and communicating with parents.
You want to reassure prospective parents that you’re reliable, so consider building experience with family friends first. This way you can provide positive references for people less close to home.
Again, you can advertise your babysitting services through your community with old-fashioned flyers or on Facebook or WhatsApp.
And childcare doesn’t always have to be on a Friday or Saturday night. People need help picking up their kids from school — an easy way to consistently make cash every day.
This one’s easy: If there’s a subject you’re particularly great at in school, and you think you’d rock at teaching it, you can tutor those younger than you.
This is easiest if you’ve gotten some good grades on the subject, so you can use this when you advertise your service. Again, same places as with babysitting, plus you can advertise within your own school (and maybe check with your teachers on this, they might be able to help).
Enjoy this post? Give it a share or send it along to a friend. You never know, it could make a big difference. And of course, if you want to try the best money app in the world for free, just hit this link right here. Big love. Cleo💙
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