We all know that the economy is not in the best shape right now and these days everyone is trying to save money. So here are some ideas about how to get money and save it.
There are many high-schoolers looking for summer jobs, but they can be hard to come by. So start applying now - don’t give up when you don’t get the first job you apply for. Keep applying because eventually you’ll get the call.
For example, sophomore Danielle Gallina applied for jobs starting in June of 2008. She wasn’t hired until September.
While you are waiting to get hired, there are plenty of other ways to make money, such as by pet-sitting. When a neighbor is on vacation, you can watch, feed and play with their pets. It’s an easy way to earn money. Also, tutoring is a good way to earn money. You can charge $5-$20 an hour to teach someone a subject that you have skills in.
“You need to prioritize,” said Gallina. It may not be the easiest thing to work on a Friday night when you would much rather be hanging with friends but seize the opportunity to earn some extra cash.
When you have money, it’s easy to spend it all. According to fool.com, the best thing to do would be to put half in the bank and use the rest as spending money. That way you have money saved up for the future.
Once you earn money, you have to learn to save money. There are some simple ideas that can be added to the daily routine to save money. First, bring your lunch to school. Limit the spending in the cafeteria and bring food from home. Think about it. Even if you buy chips and a drink, that’s still about $1.50 a day, $7.50 a week, $33 a month and so on. Plus when you bring a lunch, you are more likely to eat a healthier meal that can last you through the rest of the day.
Also, instead of the daily trips to Starbucks, try drinking home-brewed coffee or tea. You probably spend $4 dollars for a cup of coffee at Starbucks. You can make your own cup at home for pennies.
Look through your closet and around your house. There are probably plenty of things you don’t ever wear or haven’t used in a long time. Get together with some friends and have a yard sale. You can make some money and get rid of the useless junk that you don’t really need. And it’s a growing trend.
“I shop at thrift stores to save money,” said sophomore Luis Bernardo.
Stores like Goodwill are great places to shop if you want to save. Buying on-sale items, or shopping in thrift stores allows you to spend a little less.
It’s hard to spend money if you don’t have money on you. Try to carry around as little money as possible because you won’t spend as much and it’s less likely to get lost or stolen.
It’s easy to spend money and sometimes teens tend to throw money away. However, there are easy ways to spend less money and get your money’s worth.