Negotiate an acceptable price for the both of you. But keep in mind your limits – if mowing the lawn is $10 a time, that doesn’t mean you can mow it 3 times a day. Get paid for cleaning the yard. This can mean raking leaves, picking up trash, or getting rid of useless stuff in the yard. Wash your parents’ cars. They’ll be happy to pay you to do this instead of springing for a car wash. However, you will have to invest some money for cleaning supplies, such as a sponge and a bucket. Clean the entire house. You can offer to clean the house in preparation for a party, or just do it on the spur of the moment. However, if you don’t discuss it with your parents in advance, you risk not getting paid for it. On the other hand, you could get paid extra for doing such a nice thing for your folks!
Start getting shopper-savvy. If you see a deal, go for it! That NetBook is on sale for $85? You can sell it online for twice that after Black Friday. It does take a certain amount of money from the get-go, but it will get you a profit in the long run. Again, you’ll need the help of a parent. To have an eBay account, you need to be 18 years or older. Ask your parents if they’ll assist you with this. They’ll probably be in awe of your business acumen!
Ask your family or close neighbors to save their cans for you – they’ll probably be happy to recycle and not have to make the trip to the store themselves.
If getting a pet sitting gig is hard to come by, consider dog walking. [4] X Research source Your elderly neighbors won’t want to deny Fluffy a nice afternoon walk. Some adults are either too busy or physically unable to walk their dogs – ask if you could do it for them for a small fee.
Ask your parents, neighbors, and family friends if you can mow their lawn during spring and summer, rake leaves during fall, or shovel snow during winter. [5] X Research source You’ll need a lawnmower, rake, or shovel, but the houses you go to may have one for you to use instead.
Find a local newsletter, newspaper, or ask around about local garage sales. Sometimes they are blocks wide. You can either reserve a space or ask an adult if you could borrow a patch of theirs – but you’ll come to the sale to help! You can also ask if there’s anything you could do to help advertise for the garage sale. Your odds of selling stuff will increase if there are more people browsing through it.
Let the neighbors you know (avoid strangers!) that you’re looking for a few odd jobs here and there. Most people have something they want to get done but keep making excuses about. Ask them what you could do and tell them you would be more than happy to help.
If mistletoe grows in the hills around your home, start bagging it up! You can start the holiday spirit going from house to house. If the beach is near you, think of what you could do with sand, shells, or other beach-y goods.
Think about the holidays. What can you make that people might like for Easter, July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s? Could people buy your crafts as gifts for others?
