5 Ways High School Students Can Earn Money without Getting a 9-to-5 Job

Face it: The life of a high school student isn’t getting any easier. It seems that with each passing year, a high school student’s expectations soar to new heights. The academic bar consistently rises, and extracurricular activities devour the free time you once enjoyed by spending time with friends or simply relaxing, letting the day unwind as you veg in front of the television.

With the extracurricular load and homework leash, many students don’t think they have the time for an after-school job. Too many time commitments make it impossible to juggle activities, do after school clubs and sports, complete homework, AND hold down a regular job. As a high school student, you realize that your education must come first, for if you want to make anything of yourself, a diploma is going to be beneficial. On the other hand, money is a very nice thing to have. As a student, you want to make it through school, but you’d really like to do it in fashion. The fashionable way includes the best clothes, latest gadgets, and, of course, a car to get around in. You want it all, but don’t have the time to go flip burgers after a hectic day of school.

Fortunately, there are other options. In fact, there are ways to make money that are a lot more enjoyable than the drudgery of McDonalds. All it takes is a little initiative, a bit of hard work, and an idea. In order to make money without having a regularly scheduled job, you must go into to employment for yourself. Think of it as an entrepreneurship. Your going to start your own business for money, and you’re going to be self-employed. “How?” a student might ask. Here are 5 ideas that a high school student can use in order to make a little moolah in his or her spare time. There isn’t much of a start up cost to these, either.

1. Sell hemp jewelry

Hemp jewelry sells well among the high school crowd. Although it may look complicated, hemp jewelry is actually very easy to make. I make it when I get bored. You can design and sell anything from bracelets and anklets to belts and wall hangings. As you gain experience making hemp, you can begin to design your own types of jewelry. Really, the possibilities are endless with hemp. By selling the jewelry up front or by special order, A small fortune is waiting to be made. For instruction’s on how to make hemp jewelry, visit Elaine Craft.

2. Make and sell knit beanies

Beanies also sell very well in high school crowds. Beanies made on a circular loom bring just as many possibilities as hemp jewelry does. Perhaps you could make a business selling both.

3. Chauffeur the neighborhood children around

Parents schedules can be more hectic than a high school students. Parents may not have time to run their children around to all the places the kids want or need to go. If you have a valid driver’s license, go in for the rescue. If the parents of these children trust you, they may offer to pay you cash in exchange for taxi services for the young ones. When you see the opportunity to help the parents out, offer your services, give them a quote, and see if the parents will take your offer.

4. Edit other students essays and papers

This idea works really well if your expertise lie in English. Many students don’t want to take the time to proof read their own essays. After spending days researching a subject and writing on that subject, many are simply too worn out to bother checking the paper for grammatical errors and content. Put up flyers around your school offering to proof read papers, for a fee of course. You’re likely to get many calls from the student body. Another plus to this business? If you’re good, clients will spread the word, and you’ll likely find yourself turning down offers because you don’t have the time.

5. Offer private lessons in a skill you’re good at

This works particularly well with instruments such as guitar, clarinet, piano, or saxophone. However, your skill could be soccer, basketball, cooking, writing, or just about anything else. I’ve found that music lessons sell the best, though. That’s because private lessons from a professional musician can cost as much as $40-$50 for a half-hour session. If mom wants little Johnny, who is just barely starting the saxophone, to get better, she is more likely to pay for your $8 lessons than Mr. Mozart’s $50 lesson. The more marketable the skill, the more you can charge.

There are many ways for high schoolers to make money without having a real job. It simply takes some initiative, an idea, and knowledgeable marketing in order to succeed. Don’t think you have to spend your high school days sweeping floors, mowing lawns, or flipping burgers in order to have money for toys. Take the challenge and go into business for yourself. At the very least, you’ll have a lot of fun trying to start a job on your own.