If your parents were anything like mine, you probably didn’t get an allowance growing up. As my dad loved to remind us, “nothing is free.” So when my siblings and I wanted to buy something, we had to earn the money ourselves by doing extra chores around the house or finding other creative ways to make a little extra cash. Our side hustles ranged from cleaning houses and mowing lawns to pet and plant-sitting.
But times have changed since my early entrepreneurial days, and thanks to the Internet, so have the ways that kids can make money. If you’ve got a little businesswoman or businessman at home, they don’t have to resort to setting up a corner lemonade stand to start earning some dough. “How can a kid make money online,” you ask? Here are a few ideas to get you started!
1. Online Yard Sales
I’m sure you’re familiar with this scene: It’s early on a Saturday morning and the family is bustling around, organizing and pricing a bunch of odds and ends for the neighborhood yard sale. While the era of yard sales hasn’t totally ended, your child can revamp the way you do your family yard sales by transitioning to selling online.
With online yard sales, your child won’t have to spend their weekend haggling with passersby. Instead, they can list the items they want to sell and wait for an interested buyer to contact them!
There are many ways to list yard sales online. If your child has social media, they can find and join yard sale and consignment groups to list whatever they want to sell. Once the listings are up, all they have to do is wait.
2. Selling on Etsy
Does your kiddo have a knack for art, crafting, jewelry-making, or the like? If so, they can use their talents to help earn a little extra cash! While there are many places your child could sell their creations, Etsy is a great place to start for niche vendors.
If selling on Etsy is up your child’s alley, you’ll have to help with their account and shop setup. While the setup itself isn’t too complicated, there will be a few small fees your child will have to pay before they can start selling.
3. Streaming on Twitch
If you’ve got an avid gamer in your family, they might be interested to know that their hobby could actually help them earn money. (Although if you’re worried that your child might be playing video games a little too much, maybe encourage a different money-making route.)
Twitch, one of the most popular streaming platforms, can help your child build a following and start making money as they play. Because streaming can connect your child with people they don’t know, however, always be aware of the dangers and risks they might encounter while streaming.
4. Online Tutoring
Teens who have a knack for math, science, English, history, or the like, can use those skills to do more than just pass tests. In fact, they can start making a bit of money on the side by tutoring their peers! While your child can certainly tutor students at their own schools, they don’t need to limit themselves to such a small demographic. There are several online tutoring sites that your child can sign up for to start earning money.
Keep Finances in Check with Troomi
With all these great money-making opportunities, chances are that your kiddo will need to graduate from their childhood piggy bank. Luckily, Troomi’s collection of KidSmart® Apps offers plenty of options to help your child keep track of their new earnings. With apps like America First Mobile Banking and Greenlight, your kids will be well on their way to saving up for those important events in their futures (or that next cool new toy!). And be sure to check out Troomi’s blog for more parenting tips and tricks!
