Tyler Stallings, 13, The Baltimore Times’ Junior Reporter, provides advice for youth about creative ways to earn pocket change.
Pre-teens and young teenagers are at an age where we want to get many things, but our parents have their own bills, and they want us to earn our own money. So, we should find simple ways to earn money that helps us ask our parents for less money. I am a new 13-year-old. When I became a teenager, I was told I would have to be more responsible, including earning money to buy what I want. As we all know, we get more expensive tastes as we get older. So, I came up with some simple ways to earn money for things I want, and I will share some of them with you.
One reason pre-teens and young teenagers should get to know their neighbors is so they can do tasks for them, like taking out their trash; pulling weeds; preparing yards to be cut by removing or moving all obstructions from the lawn and out of the lawnmower’s way; cutting small lawns; and pressure washing small areas for their neighbors.
I got started by taking out my neighbor’s trash to be kind. Eventually, other neighbors recognized my work ethic and started to give me a few bucks after I started taking out their trash multiple times a week. Soon, this involved doing other things like weeding, raking, picking up sticks and other items that could break a lawnmower and most recently, pressure washing sidewalks and small driveways for other neighbors. These are all fairly easy ways to make money if you do not mind getting a little dirty. Depending on how big the area is, you could make a lot of money pressure washing.
Another way to make money is to invest in stocks. Stocks can be accessed multiple ways, but the easy way for children 13 and up is to use a Cash App Investing feature. According to Cash App, “Everyone 13 and up can start using Cash App when sponsored by a parent or guardian.”
I was introduced to stocks by a friend who taught me the basics about investments and stocks. A friend sent me $10 for my birthday through Cash App. I was interested and got started the same day after ensuring I could use the stocks feature. Once my mother and I completed signing up, I got started by buying one-dollar shares of a few companies. And yes, you can get started for as little as one dollar.
Stocks are when you invest in a company and own a share of that company. Stocks go up and down depending on the value of the company. If the company has something good happen, stocks go up and you make money. If something bad happens, the stock goes down and you lose money. You can find information in Cash App under the stocks tab; then, you can select the company you want to invest in. There, it will give you information about the company, the current worth of stocks, and advice from analysts.
A good way to save money on clothing is by buying from thrift shops. Pre-teens and young teenagers can find very stylish and cool clothing for low prices, if you know what to look for. Some shirts and pants still have tags from the original store on them, meaning they are brand new! However, you should pay attention to the price and decide if it’s worth buying at the thrift store. Look at the condition of the item, and of course, make sure you have growing room. Always be sure to look up the worth of the items at the new price online, when you are in the thrift shop, especially for name brand garments like Nike or Under Armour. Try to buy things in very good or pristine condition, because people won’t be able to tell that they came from a thrift shop. In addition, check threading and all around the piece of clothing to make sure there are no pulls of thread, tears, or stains.
A tip I’ve learned from making money is to spend wisely and save wisely. No matter what, try to save at least half of what you earn, even if it’s a dollar.
I hope these tips can be used to help you start your journey of earning, saving, and investing money.
For more information about Cash App Stocks, visit https://cash.app/stocks.