Most of us are familiar with the usual ways children make money, including lemon stands, newspaper lines, and lawnmowers. However, there are more unusual ways. Some of the methods listed below came from my childhood when I was always looking for another way to make money.
1. Be a cook. About the age of eleven, I used to sell food to my brothers (I had four). I got 25 cents for scrambled eggs or a sandwich and more for a hefty meal. The brothers chose to sit in front of the TV and let me cook for them. Since my parents already donated the food, I was earning an innocent profit.
2. Computer whiz-kid service. Many children know more about computers. My nephew was paid to do programming when he was fourteen, but even young children can show adults how to use the computer and the internet for money. Learn a few skills, and they can also set up computers for new owners who are using them for the first time. Letting grandparents spread the word can be a great marketing strategy.
3. House celebrations. I charged the brothers five cents for a piece of ripped paper selected from a bucket full of them. Most had a boat or two in them, but a few had a quarter. It was just one of my “festival” events. I also tossed them into a container on the other side of the room, which I kept. If a cent stays in the container, it wins the coin. I’m almost embarrassed to say how much of their hard-earned paper money I took from them.
4. Collect returns. We collected and returned with cans and bottles to put in as children. Now that most states have rebate laws, it is the best way to make less money. During the Cherry Festival, while I was living in Traverse City, Michigan, adults came to town to pick up cans that people threw all over the place. For a 10-cent deposit, they collected more than $ 100 worth a day, according to their number. If children wear gloves, leave broken cans and bottles alone, and use a hand sanitizer, this is a safe way to make money.
5. Personal services menu. If there are more people in the family, the best way for children to make money is to sell their services. They can make a menu of things to do and how much they cost each. It can include washing windows for 50 cents each, for example, and maybe $ 1.50 for a dog walk. If the list is copied, it can be given to all relatives and possibly neighbors.
6. Rummage trading and frustrating markets. With parental consent, children can trade in rummage, not only for household items but also for art and crafts and beverages. Parents can even take their children to the fish market to set up a stand. I sold (as an adult) more than $ 1,000 for handmade walking sticks in one summer, while my wife sold hundreds of dollars worth of pewter pictures attached to rocks, seashells, and crystals. Cookies and drinks also sell well. It’s a great way to learn about business, and it’s an excellent way for kids to make money.
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