When you are a teenager, it can be difficult to earn your own money. Not every company will be willing to hire you, and not all states will allow you to work, depending upon your age. Plus, there is the extra headache of transportation, if you don’t have your license yet or a car, for that matter. But, even with all of that, there are still some great ways to earn some of your own money. So, we have put together a list of 6 of the best side hustles for teens that you can engage in this spring.
1.Yard Work
For those of us busy adults, yard work is the last thing most of us want to do with our precious time off. So this is a really fantastic niche you can step right into if you are a teen. Even if you don’t live in a suburban neighborhood that is full of green lawns, there is other yard work you might be able to help with.
First, though, mowing lawns can be big business. So start with that as your primary objective. Of course, you will probably need to borrow your parents lawnmower to get the ball rolling on this one. Oh, and you will have to pay for the gas to fuel the lawnmower, so keep that in mind.
I know that in our area, most people will happily pay a teenager $20 – $30 to mow their lawn once every week or two (depending on the amount of rain we have). That may not sound like a lot, but most yards are around .25 of an acre, so it doesn’t have to be that labor intensive.
If the yards around you aren’t full of green lawns though, try asking instead if you can:
- Blow the Driveway and Sidewalks
- Rake
- Trim Hedges & Bushes
- Weed
The best way to get involved in any of these options is to ask around your neighborhood first. If people already know who you are, they are more likely to hire you. Another option is to post your services on the local neighborhood app, Nextdoor.
But first, do a thorough search to see what others are charging for the same services and reduce your prices by at least 10%, just to try and get your foot in the door. As you gain more experience, and great reviews, you can begin to raise your prices over time.
2. Babysitting
Babysitting is one of my long time favorite side hustles. I did this a lot when I was a teenager, and even some as an adult for a side hustle. This was before I had children though, so things changed a bit once that happened.
Ultimately, getting babysitting gigs can be pretty easy when you are a teenager. Voicing your desire to begin babysitting to your parents is a great first step. This is because they can talk to their friends who have younger children and let them know that you are available to help.
Another way is to reach out to people in your neighborhood. You can put out flyers announcing your availability and experience, as well as post it on the Nextdoor app. If you have a Facebook account, you might also benefit from posting your babysitting services on Facebook Marketplace.
Every area is different with regard to the rate you can charge. But, in our area, the common going rate for a teenager is around $10 per hour per child. If the house has multiple children, then the rate is usually increased by $5 per hour per extra child. Some families even combine their forces to go out for a date night and will have you watch all of the children for multiple families. That is where the real money can be, if you are willing to watch multiple children and give up your weekend nights.
3. Pet Sitting
Pet sitting is something that we love doing as a side hustle as adults. But we got started doing it because our kids wanted to have dogs around. While the platform we pet sit through, Rover, can only be done if you an adult, there are other ways to begin pet sitting. If your parents are willing to help, then you may still be able to make some money pet sitting through Rover.
In our house, I am the main Rover pet sitter. I do all of the back end work, the meet and greets and scheduling. And while I am the main contact point and care giver for the pets that we watch, our kids help out. And because they help out doing a lot of the work, I pay them. Therefore, they make a percentage of the overall money we make through Rover.
But, if your parents aren’t really interested in this option, you can still branch out on your own. A good way to get started is the same way as the other 2 options. Reach out to your neighborhood and let your parents know your plans. That way they can pass the information along to everybody they know, in case they ever need a pet sitter.
The rates for pet sitting vary wildly, depending upon where you live and what services you are willing to offer. Pet boarding fetches the highest rate, but drop in visits may be a better option for you. While the rates aren’t going to be as high, you might have a better shot at getting these sorts of opportunities, since the pets don’t have to be in your parents home.
4. Lifeguard
It may only be spring still, but the pools are getting ready for the season. This is when they start to hire and train new lifeguards for the summer season. Even if you don’t have any experience life guarding, most pools will give you the necessary training.
If you have a neighborhood pool, that is always the best place to look first. However, if there are other pools near you that you can easily get to, you may want to inquire at those also. Not all pools will pay the same rates, since some are private and some are public.
I know that here we have private neighborhood pools that are funded by the neighborhood HOA, as well as public pools that are funded through city taxes. Generally, the private pools will offer a higher rate for lifeguards, but that all depends upon what their HOA coffers hold.
This is why it is good to inquire at several options, just to see what might be available and who might be able to offer you the most amount of money for your services. While this may only be a summer job, if you do well, they will probably invite you to come back next season. So life guarding could be one of the best seasonal side hustles for teens to incorporate into their overall plans.
There are so many awesome side hustles for teens today, so jump in! Click To Tweet5. Surveys
Surveys may not sound like a lot of fun to some of us. But, they can be really easy to complete and they can be done pretty much anywhere you have data. You also might not make a ton of money on each survey, but the funds can begin to rack up over time.
And since most of these survey sites will let you cash the money out for gift cards or PayPal, getting paid is easy. Plus, when the currency is put into these forms, it can be easier for you to save for a rainy day if the funds aren’t directly in your pocket. A good trick is to leave the funds in your PayPal account and not put them in your checking account, so that you won’t be tempted to spend it until you get to whatever your ultimate goal is. When it comes to gift cards, we like to rack up on those until we get enough funds to pay for whatever item we need in full.
Some of the best survey sites to take a look at are:
- Opinion Outpost
- Pinecone Surveys
- Swagbucks
- Survey Junkie
Overall, you should take a look at all of them and sign up for the survey sites that seem like the best fit for you. Since they all have different payout amounts and survey about different things, it is best to diversify.
RELATED: 5 Low Effort Ways to Make Extra Money On The Side
6. Focus Groups
Focus groups are another great option for side hustles for teens. They can be a bit harder to get into, since the focus groups are very particular about who they interview. But, my teenage son finally got chosen for one a couple of weeks ago and made $100 for a 30 minute interview. He was so excited about this!
Qualifying for focus groups can be more difficult, but they are looking for teen’s input for a lot of different things. The two best focus group sites we have found near us are:
- First in Focus
- L&E Research
I suggest signing up on both sites and completing your profile. Once that has been done, you can start searching for focus studies that fit your parameters. They will also send you emails regularly with new studies to see if you qualify for.
Best Side Hustles for Teens
Overall, there are a lot of great side hustles for teens to engage in this spring. It will really all come down to your teen’s interests, desire and available time. But, the best side hustles we have found for our teens include:
- Yard Work
- Babysitting
- Pet Sitting
- Life Guarding
- Surveys
- Focus Groups
No matter which side hustles your teen chooses to engage in, try to support them as much as you can. After all, they are trying to earn their own money independent of you. So what’s not to love about that?
What are some of the best side hustles for teens that you have found in your area?
