Make Money When You're 11 or Younger

Remember those times you spent in your favorite store when you wanted to buy a pair of shoes or a new toy but you didn't have enough money? Or maybe you just needed some cash to go to the movies or go to the ice cream parlor but your parents wouldn't give you any money. And perhaps you need money for a school activity. Don't worry, because even kids under the age of eleven can make money fast and easily. As long as you put in a little bit of effort and time, you will be on your way to making money in no time!

Steps

Doing Chores For Your Parents

  1. Talk to your parents about getting paid for doing chores. Not all parents may be into the idea of paying their kids to do chores around the house. Sit down with your parents and discuss the possibility of getting paid for doing chores. Negotiate with them by noting how hard you work and how you are trying to earn your own money. You may point out that because you are only 11 or younger, your options for employment are limited and getting paid to do household chores is a safe and reasonable option.
    • You may also propose an hourly wage, for example, five to eight dollars an hour, or a wage per task, for example, five dollars for every chore completed. You can then negotiate with your parents to find a wage that they think is fair.
  2. Wash your family's car(s). This can be a great way to earn money during the warmer months of the year. It is best to do this with your parents so that they can show exactly how they want their car(s) to be washed. You will need to find access to a water hose, usually found at the back of the house. The hose will also need to have a hand sprayer attached to the end.[1][2]
    • Fill a bucket with water. As you are filling the bucket up, add in some soap that is safe to wash a car with (see instructions on the bottle and/or ask your parents for instructions on how to do this). The soap should bubble up.
    • Dip a sponge or soft washcloth in the water. Wash a 2-3 foot section of the car at a time. Scrub gently against the car using circular motions, making sure to get all of the dirt and bugs off. After you have completed one section, spray the soap off with your hose. Continue to scrub 2-3 feet sections at a time. Spray each section with water after you are done, so that the soap does not harden. You may wish to stand on a step-stool or get your parents to help you reach the top of the car.
    • The tires will also need to be washed. You can use your normal sponge/cloth or use a specialized brush to help you scrub the dirt and grime within the rim. For more information on how to wash a car, please see: How to Wash a Car by Hand.
  3. Clean the house. On the floors with carpet, use your vacuum. If you are not strong enough to handle the large, bulky vacuum cleaner, ask your parents to buy a smaller, lighter vacuum. Make sure to get the living room, bedrooms, and any other room with carpet. Work across areas at least twice to make sure that dirt and dust isn't picked up the first time through.[3][1][2]
    • Pull the hose out from the vacuum cleaner and use the available attachments. Get in the corners of each room, particularly those areas which were not reached by the first pass through. Brush attachments also allow you to vacuum cushions, and upholstered furniture.
    • Get out a broom and clean the floors which are not carpeted (linoleum, hardwood, etc.). Place the broom ahead of the dirt and pull it towards one direction. Make sure to get in the corners and edges of the floor where dirt and dust gets trapped.
    • Sweep the dirt into one pile. Then sweep that pile into a dustpan, and toss the dirt into the trashcan.
  4. Cook a dinner for your family or for your siblings while your parents are out. Ask your parents how you can help prepare. This might mean using safe knives to cut up vegetables, fruit, and/or meat. Your parents might be making a stew, in which case you can be responsible for occasionally stirring the pot. You can also be responsible for wiping down the table before you begin cooking, and after everything is complete.[3][1][2]
    • If you are making cookies, help your parents out by rolling out the cookie dough. You can then pick out different cookie cutters to cut out the cookies. Spray cookie sheets down with some Pam (or generic anti-stick spray) and lay the cookies on the sheets a few inches apart from one another. Your parents can place the sheets in the oven, and you can be responsible for watching them so that they don't burn.
    • You might want to help out either one of your parents set up a date night with the other parent. Help them make the food, organize the dishes on the table, and decorate for the romantic evening.
  5. Wash dishes after a meal. After a meal is over, whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner, take the dishes and place them next to the sink. Plug up the sink using a stopper. Run warm water into the sink until it is filled up. As the water is running, put in a few drops of dish detergent into the water. You will see bubbles form as the water comes down. Once the sink is pretty full, turn off the water.[3][1][2]
    • Dip in each dish one at a time. Use a sponge or washcloth to scrub off the food and grime. Make sure to use plenty of soap and water. Use an elongated brush to clean out glasses.
    • Once you are done with each dish, place them somewhere near the sink. After you have washed them all, dry them off with a tea towel, and put them away where they belong. If you are unsure where a particular dish goes, ask your parents.
    • If your parents would rather have them washed in the dish washer, you will still need to hand wash them first. After you have hand washed, put them in the dish washer: large items on the bottom rack, smaller items on the top rack, and utensils in the utensil-holder.
    • Put dishwasher detergent in the holder, and close the dishwasher. Ask your parents what setting they would like the dishwasher to be set on. After the dishwasher is done washing, take the dishes out and put them away where they belong.
  6. Help with the laundry. Gather up all of your dirty clothes into one basket. Take them to the washer. Separate out the lights from the darks, and the heavy clothes (shirts, pants) from the light clothes (undergarments, socks). Take one group of these clothes and put them in the washer. Make sure that they aren't bunched up when you put them inside of the washer.[3][1][2]
    • Put one cup of safe dish detergent in either the detergent dispenser (located inside of the washer) or directly on top of the clothes. Make sure to consult with your parents as to what detergent to use and where to put it.
    • Close the washer and turn the washer on. Ask your parents what setting a particular group of clothes usually washes on. Turn the setting, and then turn the washer on.
    • Check with your parents to see what clothes go in the dryer, and what clothes are hung up to dry. Take the clothes out of the washer, and place them in the dryer (the ones that can be dried). Turn the dryer to the appropriate setting (check with your parents), and allow your clothes to dry.
    • Once the clothes are done drying, hanged or in the dryer, make sure to fold them up. Then put them away in either your dresser or closet.

Offering Services to Your Parents and Neighbors

  1. Watch your neighbors' pets. Go around, with your parents, and ask neighbors whether they have pets. Tell them that you are offering a pet-sitting service where you will watch over their pets for an hourly price. Your neighbors can go on a vacation, or go out to dinner, and feel safe that you are watching over their pets.[1][2]
    • Before they leave the house, make sure the neighbors leave a list of exactly how to handle each pet. For example, your neighbors should list how much food to feed a fish, how many times a day to walk a dog, and/or what types of treats to give a cat.
    • If you do not feel safe by yourself, ask your parents to go along with you to do your daily tasks of taking care of pets.
    • Try to limit it to two or three neighbors at a time. You do not want to overdo yourself, and forget about a particular pet. Make a list of all of your pet-sitting responsibilities so that you take care of every pet, each and every day.
  2. Be a paid helper for your parents. While you may be too young to babysit for your neighbours, your parents may agree to let you be a paid helper for them. This means that you will watch over your siblings for your parents while they are at home doing chores or working from a home office. You may negotiate with your parents so you get paid by the hour or in a lump sum every time you offer to be a paid helper for them.[4][3][2]
    • If you're in the United States, 11 to 15 year old children can get an American Red Cross babysitting certification license after you participate in their class. You can then use these skills to help take care of your siblings while your parents are busy at home.
  3. Do yard work for your parents or neighbours. This includes mowing lawns, trimming hedges, pulling weeds, and watering flowers. Offer a different price to each person based how much they would like to have done. You can also have add-ons such as spraying weed killer, taking down limbs from trees, and/or using a weed-whacker.[3][1][2]
    • Check with them ahead of time if there is anything that you should take note of. For example, they might ask you to not mow near the edge of the house because a power cord is lying there. They might also tell you to watch out for a tree stump as you are riding/pushing the grass mower.
    • Raking leaves is also an option during the Fall months. Bring a rake with you and charge depending on the size of each yard. Check ahead of time where they would like the leaves to be raked to (towards the house, in the middle of the yard, towards the driveway, etc.).
  4. Shovel snow off of a neighbor's driveway. This is a great way to quickly make money, especially in the winter time. Make sure that you or your parents own a shovel beforehand. Charge a set amount for each driveway. Check ahead of time with the person so that you know where a ditch might be, and where the edge of the driveway is. You don't want any accidents happening.
    • You might also think about charging for cleaning off someone's car after it snows. This is a great way to make a bit more money, and it wouldn't take that much additional time. Make sure you bring along a brush, and an ice scraper with you.
    • Make sure that you do not jab at the ice and snow on someone's car too forcefully. Do slow brushing movements so that you don't accidentally damage someone's car.

Starting Your Own Small Business

  1. Sell food and drink to customers. You can set up your own lemonade stand in front of your house. This can be a great refreshing drink on a hot Summer day. By selling each glass of lemonade for 50 cents you can make a decent amount of money. For more information on this, visit: How to Open a Lemonade Stand.[1][2]
    • Another option is to sell hot chocolate on a cold Fall or Winter day. You can make a batch of hot chocolate with your parents, and sell it for the same price, 50 cents a piece, as you would lemonade. For more information about how to make hot chocolate, visit: How to Make Hot Chocolate.
    • You can also sell things like Make-Homemade-Cookies or Make-Brownies. Young children will love buying sweets, especially if you sell them for 25 or 50 cents a piece. Ice cream is also another option, although you will have to find a way to keep it cool. Bazaars at a local church or school can help raise money quickly and easily.
  2. Set up a yard sale. Clearing out your old clothes, toys and games is a great way to make space and make some money. Ask your parents for help laying out the items on the driveway or in your yard. Write on poster board big signs drawing willing customers towards your yard sale. It will also help if you can post some signs around your community.[3][2]
    • Place a sticker on each of your items labeling the price. Have you or your parents manage a money box filled up with change to give your customers. For more information about how to set up a garage sale, see: How to Have a Garage Sale.
    • You can also ask your parents to help you sell old items online. Sites like Ebay allow you to sell items for discounted prices, while customers can bid the price to go even higher.
    • If you have really valuable items, taking them to consignment shops might be a good idea too. They tend to stick you with a lower price than you might desire, but it is a quick way to make a buck. Just make sure you go in knowing the value of the item beforehand. Ask your parents to help you research prices online.
  3. Sell crafts you've made. You might be a very good painter, or perhaps you are great at needlepoint. Creating collages are always fun and creative, as well as shadow boxes. The possibilities when it comes to crafts are nearly endless. You can sell them individually, or as a group. Keeping them at a lower price will allow you to sell more quickly.[3]
    • Bring your crafts to local church bazaars, or the local farmer's market. This will introduce your product to the community, and get people talking.
    • Have your parents post your items to sites like Etsy and Pinterest so that you can advertise to a broader audience of customers.
    • Try selling them to your friends at school or in your neighborhood. They will love that you made them the craft and it's a unique thing to make them stand out.
    • For a few craft ideas to start off with, visit these sites: How to Build a Popsicle House, Crochet for Kids, and Make a Braided Paper Bracelet.
  4. Grow plants, vegetables, and/or fruit in a garden. This could be cherries, apples, oranges, apricots, raspberries, blackberries, roses, lilies, squash, tomatoes, cucumber, etc. The possibilities are nearly endless when it comes to planting and growing. First you need to set aside a plot of land in your back yard. Ask your parents where it is safe to grow plants and crops.[3]
    • You will then have to purchase seeds from your local plant or harvest store. Till the ground before planting your seeds. Make sure to water them every day, or when each plant needs water (check seed packaging).
    • As the plants and crops grow, you can sell them at a stand in front of your house, or at your local farmer's market. Ask your parents to go online and check what the going rate is for each item you wish to sell.
    • For more information about how to start your own home garden, visit: How to Garden.

Warnings

  • When you are using equipment like lawn mowers make sure you have prior experience first. It is best to do these things at home first before you go around offering to do these things for other people.
  • Make sure you know who you are dealing with when you offer a service, sell something, etc. Have your parents check whether or not a neighbor is safe to be around and talk to your parents if you think someone is trying to rip you off.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 http://www.kidzworld.com/article/23639-jobs-for-kids
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf437665.tip.html
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 http://www.howtomakemoneyasakid.com/how-to-make-money-as-a-kid-ages-9-10-and-11/
  4. ↑ http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/program-highlights/babysitting-caregiving

You may like

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Make_Money_When_You%27re_11_or_Younger&oldid=274754"