11 Proven Ways To Make Money as a Teenager

Making money as a teenager may seem daunting, even scary, for some youths who over-rely on their parents’ paychecks. However, you can start making money early on in life and learn the art of saving money to create wealth.

Your parents can only support you fully in your childhood, but as you grow towards adulthood, they will expect you to start making money. And teenage or even pre-teen is an excellent age to begin learning your ways around cash.

Before we delve into practical ways to make money, here are two tips to keep on track.

You might also enjoy reading: 15 Best Online Business Ideas for Beginners (And how to get started!)

Create a Savings Account

Several banks have junior savings account for teenagers that you can use to deposit your earnings. When you save part of what you earn from your work, you have the motivation to keep going.

Savings will also help you find different side hustles to earn more because you want to grow your account. The money will accumulate, and the compounding interest will take your bank balances to new heights.

Alternatively, you can buy a piggy bank and keep at least 10% of your earnings if you don’t have a bank account. Learn the culture of savings, and you will become a millionaire early in life.

Create a Budget

We cannot overemphasize the value of budgeting. It is easy to think that budget is only left for your parents, but you will be surprised by how vital creating and sticking to a budget is for you.

A budget will keep your expenditure within limits. You will have the guts to say no to impulse buying and peer pressure that plague many teenagers. So, be disciplined with your budget, and you will be ahead of your peers for several years.

A budget will also help you to save and enjoy life without feeling miserable.

Ways To Make Money As a Teenager

Teenagers will undoubtedly want to make their own money, build self-esteem, and be independent when they hit 18. However, few teenagers are willing to put in the work.

Here are easy ways to make money as a teenager. Some may require investment, while others need your energy and willingness to learn.

1- Help Senior Citizens

If your neighborhood has senior citizens or nursing homes, you have a golden opportunity to make money on the weekend or during the summer holidays.

You can offer to run errands for them, like shopping, or do chores like cleaning or trimming the fence for pay. Since they may be lonely, you could spend time storing with them. Carry your story books to read with them.

You should offer a listening ear even if you don’t love old stories. Focus on being kind and compassionate.

Taking care of adults will teach valuable lessons in life and help you cultivate qualities you can use in later years.

2- Help Your Parents And Neighbors With Lawn Mowing

As a teenager, you still have vital power and can tap into that energy to make money. If your parents have a lawn, you could offer to take it and request them to pay you.

You could share with your parent your financial plan and why you need the money. Your parents will undoubtedly be proud of your project and willing to pay you for taking care of the lawn.

Once you have practiced in your parents’ backyard, you could walk to your neighbors and offer your lawn mowing skills. You could even create flyers and advertise your services in your village.

Your weekends will be fully occupied within no time, making money and saving.

3- Try Pet Sitting Or House Sitting

Statistics show that the pet care industry grew from $245 billion in 2021 to $261 billion in 2022. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.1% to reach $350 billion by 2027.

Does your family have pets? This data shows that your neighbors will always have pets, but most live busy lives that they have limited time left to walk, feed, or care for their pets. Learn the art of caring for them and sell this skill to your neighbors.

Alternatively, you can offer your services to animal shelter farms and learn all you can from professionals. If you gain the skill, you could even start weekend classes training pet owners and their pets on how to forge a good relationship.

Money is hanging around your neighborhood like ripe fruits on your farm, and it is up to you as a teen to reach out for them. Don’t get me wrong; you have to make a sacrifice of learning necessary skills to be valuable at offering demanded services.

4- Car Wash Services

Like lawn mowing services, washing cars can also be an excellent job for teenagers. Before offering this service, you can practice how to wash cars with your parents’ car.

You may not have the money to buy a self-service car wash machine, but you can afford a bucket, soap, scrubbers, and your hands to clean cars in your neighborhood for handsome pay.

Why not discuss this idea with your parents and close car owners? They could give you more leads to add to your list of clients. If you do a good job, you could even get referrals, which means more money in your pocket.

If you are interested in starting a car wash service, I encourage you to read these two articles:

5- Become a Videographer And a Photographer

Do you love cameras and videos? Many companies are looking for enthusiastic young people to handle their photography and videography, which could be you. You can tap into that passion as a source of income.

However, you should first get better at your craft. YouTube is a university that with turns of practical lessons on how to take better pictures and videos, how to edit them, and which camera to use.

Besides companies needing your skills, you can also sell your photos and videos on sites like Shutter stocks, Getty Images, iStock photo, Alamy, Stocksy, Etsy, etc.

6- Become a Social Media Manager

Teenagers are often social media gurus, with TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube full of many youths. So, if you know your way around these platforms, you have a skill that many companies are looking for.

Instead of spending hours posting and liking other people’s posts, you can learn how corporations can use these sites for advertising and reaching their target audience. Once you understand social media management, you can pitch for start-ups in your area to manage their accounts.

Many businesses would like to reach the younger generation through social media but don’t have the expertise. You can be the bridge they need and start making money as a teenager.

Yes, you can be a manager at a young age if you are determined and know where you are going.

7- Tutor Your Classmates

Are you good at maths, chemistry, biology, music, or other technical subjects in class? You can start tutoring your classmates or lower class at a reasonable fee.

You can organize weekend tuition for a particular subject you are good at, and you may be shocked at how much income you can accrue. The pay may not be huge, but do not despise small beginnings.

Have you ever heard of the expression “there is no small money?” You can make a fortune by tutoring others if you continue to learn and improve on the subjects you know.

It is an added advantage because the more you teach, the more you learn and remember. Your bank account will grow fat, and you will pass your exams!

If you are good at math, I suggest you read this article on how How You Can Make Money Online With Math Skills.

8- Become a Social Media Influencer

YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are money-making platforms. As a teenager, learn your way around these social media platforms and create informative, hilarious, and fun content for your audience.

If you gain more followers, you could become a social media influencer. And brands are always looking for influencers with big followings to market their products.

You do not need to have over 10,000 followers to start earning from your audience. Even with followers below 10,000, you can become a nano influencer and start making money as a teen.

So, persistently create and post engaging content to build a massive following on social media. Once you have a considerable following, partner with suitable brands for sponsored posts or adverts and see your bank account bulge.

9- Sell Products On Amazon

You read stories of people who made over seven, and you wonder why not me? Although this method requires some significant upfront investment, you can refund the cash within a few years.

If you are into selling things, you could become a teenager entrepreneur by taking advantage of the Amazon program called Fulfillment by Amazon.

This program allows you to sell to clients, but Amazon does the picking, packaging, and distributing of the items from their warehouse; you make money without lifting a finger!

You only need to source the products by negotiating with suppliers and selling them on the Amazon marketplace. Once you agree with the manufacturers, they can ship these products to Amazon’s warehouses for distribution when a customer orders online.

If you wonder, Is Amazon FBA Worth It? I suggest you read this article.

10- Start a Blog

Blogs are an excellent way to make money while also building your personal brand. Blog about basketball, video game, dance, makeup, or anything else you’re passionate about.

Once you start getting enough visitors, you can monetize your blog with ads and affiliate products.

If you are interested in starting a blog, I suggest you check out the articles below:

11- Become a Freelancer

If you have specific skills, including designing and writing, freelancing is a great way to gain helpful practice and build up your resume.

People are always looking to hire others to write blog posts or design logos. You can start your blog to showcase your work.

As a teen, you can make a lot of money with freelancers while building up experience.

Here are a few freelancing websites to get you started:

Final Thoughts

Making money is not only lefts for the old folks. You can start creating wealth as a teenager, and what better way to do it than to start a side hustle?

You are reading this blog because you want to make money; therefore, do not delay act now. It will not be easy; otherwise, every teenager could be financially stable. However, you can make different choices by loving knowledge.

Do not be afraid of failing because the alternative is worse. If you are disciplined with spending and savings, you will make more money than you thought possible.