10 Great Ways for Teenagers to Earn a Little Extra Spending Money

Instead of just giving your kids an allowance raise each time they ask or flat our denying them, it's great to get them to realize the value of a dollar by earning it on their own by doing a few odd jobs for neighbors or yourself. So the next time your time your kid asks for a some extra allowance encourage them that they could make a lot more by trying a few of these tips. They're great to keep them busy, while teaching them responsibility especially during summer.

To make it more interesting you can give them a bonus if they do well. A friend of mine promised her son, she'd double anything he earned during the summer to raise money for a new bike...that motivated him to really try an earn as much as he could so his mom would have to pay up. Let's just say my fried had to shell out 3 times more than if she would have just paid for the bike in the first place. But she never regretted the decision, he son didn't blow it all on a fancier bike but instead saved all he's cash for later saying he worked hard for it and didn't want to just blow it away!

So even if they are small jobs and simple tasks that we take for granted everyday, giving a teenager the job- will be a few bucks spent, and a life lesson learned!

Here a 10 Ways a Teenager can earn a few extra dollars:

1) Babysit

There's always a couple out there dying for a break from their kids to do a little shopping, or run some errands or just get some alone time! Offer to babysit for them. Anyone trustworthy who is over the age of about thirteen or fourteen can do this one. A great time to do this is just before Christmas when there is always people who need to do some Christmas shopping without their little ones tagging along. Contact friends, family and neighbors letting them know your available to babysit whenever they need you.

2) Do your neighbors chores

Grab a ladder and offer to clean the leaves out of your neighbors' gutters, mow their lawn, wash their car, pull out their weeds or rake the leaves. A great way is to do this is offer a package of these services as one big project for a nice reasonable price instead of having to run to a number of houses. Again if its just before the holiday season they'd be happy to get a spring cleaning in the winter rather than have to do it themselves!

3) Bake or cook something and sell it

If your teen easily finds his way easily round the kitchen a great way to make a few bucks it to bake a few sweet treats like brownies or tarts or cookies and sell them to friends or neighbors. A neat little box or packet with a small note saying "These made me think of you! love..." with a brownie, a tart and some cookies would make a great treat for someone to gift their mom or loved ones without an occasion.

4) Re-cycle

Offer to collect people's empty soda cans and cash them in. You'll be surprised at how many people collect bags and bags of pop cans and they didn't want to take the time to cash in. Get your teen to collect over a few days till it's enough and offer to drive him to a grocery store to cash them in. This is a really good one for the younger kids to do.

5) Rid your home of junk and have a garage sale

If you've been collecting a whole lot of old stuff or junk in your storage or garage over the years and haven't got around to sorting through it all or throwing it out, get your teen to do it for you. The concept is that he/she gets to have a garage sale of the stuff or sell or dispose it off however they like, and keep all the proceeds from it. If the stuff is not salable offer to drive them to your nearest scrap yard and cash it in.

6) Run errands and do odd holiday jobs

Run other people's errands for them. Little things like wrapping gifts, delivering packages to the post office, drop off and pick up the dry cleaning, Take their pet to the vet, Pick up a handful of gift certificates, address and stamp their Christmas cards for them, do their grocery shopping...the list is endless. They can offer neighbors a weekly service for running these errands or just be available when they can't do it themselves. For a fee, he/she could do it all for them.

7) Walking pets

Let them become a dog walker for a month if they love animals. Gathering all the neighbors dogs and taking them to the park or for a walk is easy and a good way of making a few bucks. the responsibility sets in when they have to do it daily and actually take care of something that's not theirs. Of they aren't up for doing it daily they could set up a dog washing business in your back yard offering a dog shampoo and grooming weekly or every two weeks. Once they get a some regular customers it becomes and interesting business prospect.

8) Get a real summer job

When their off from school and looking for ways to make some money speak to you local grocery store or supermarket for small positions that they can fill up like...stocking, bagging up for customers and carrying their bags to the cars, cleaning up and thing to contribute and earn a little. It's a real job with real bosses they'll learn from the experience no matter how little it is.

9) Be a computer guru

If your teens are tech savvy and spend a lot of time on the computer, telling them to exploit that interest as an option to make money will motivate them. Many people buy computers and have a lot of trouble setting them up and trying to use them. Even if your teen has an intermediate familiarity with computers, they can offer their services as a local computer consultant. Simple tasks like setting things up, solving problems, answering questions, teaching programs and showing people how to send and organize email or upload digital photos and buy something on Amazon.com is a great way to earn.

10) Use sports

Caddy at a golf course, help out carrying sporting equipment, getting refreshments for players at you local sporting venues or even coach some younger kids in your neighborhood in a sport or game your good at. Use your interests and talents to make the jobs more enjoyable and less like work.

To sum it up there are all kinds of ways for your kids to earn a extra buck or two. Encourage them to develop a good work ethic that will serve them well their whole lives.