As a teenager without a job, you might find it challenging to figure out ways to make money. But teenagers always need ways to make money, whether they’re saving for college or a car or just want some pocket change to spend on things they want. In this article, we’ll discuss several ways teenagers can make money online without a job. So if you are a teenager or you have a teenager who wants to make money online, keep reading for some insider tips.
Why is it So Hard for Teens to Make Money?
There are a few different reasons why it can be difficult for teens to make money. For one, many teens are not legally old enough to have a job in their specific state, depending on labor laws. Additionally, if they don’t yet have a car or driver’s license, it can be difficult for teens to get rides to and from work even if they can legally get a job. They may need to depend on their parents or others for transportation. This is particularly true in more rural areas. Additionally, school also takes up a lot of time for teenagers, meaning their availability for jobs can be spotty.
Are There Risks to Making Money Online?
The only risks to making money online, particularly for teens, come from a lack of being careful with personal information. When trying to find sites where you can make money online, you should first do a lot of research on the gigs you are pursuing. Some sites are not well-secured, so there can be a breach that causes a leak of your secure information. Additionally, some sites are set up to look like trustworthy sources when they are actually scams. So before you put your information or banking info anywhere, look on sites like Trustpilot to be sure a site is secure.
Legitimate Ways to Make Money Online as a Teen
Now that we’ve discussed why it’s difficult for teens to make money and the risks of making money online, we can discuss several of the legitimate ways that teenagers can make money online. Of course, this list is not exhaustive, and there are truly limitless possibilities these days when it comes to earning money online without leaving your home. However, the list below includes some of the most popular and profitable options for making money online as a teenager.
Play Games
You may be wondering if you really can make money by playing games online. The answer is yes, you can! On sites like Swagbucks, you can earn money by playing sponsored games and completing daily tasks through the webpage or app. Swagbucks has paid out more than $550 million to its users since its inception, so it’s definitely not a scam. While you may not earn money very fast, you can start saving for the future or stowing money away for something you want.
Get Cash Back on Purchases
If you’re a teenager, you probably aren’t the one doing most of the shopping in your household. However, you can benefit from the shopping that the rest of your family does by using sites like Ibotta. Ibotta gives you cash back on many of the items you buy already–including household products, groceries, clothing, medicine, and more! Many people have reported earning several hundred dollars monthly using this app.
Start a Blog
Starting a blog is one job you can do without ever leaving your home, although it may take a little while to get it off the ground. Blogs can be highly profitable once you have a bit of traction, as companies can either pay you to review/talk about their products on your blog or pay you to advertise for them on your webpage. WordPress or Wix are the most popular sites you can use to make a blog for free.
Start a YouTube Channel
Similar to a blog, a YouTube channel can take a while to get off the ground, but it can be very profitable once you have consistent views and a good base of subscribers. Even if you can only film yourself with your phone camera, start making videos about a subject you’re passionate about! For example, if you love makeup, do tutorials. If you’re a gamer, film yourself playing your favorite video games. Making money on YouTube is an excellent idea for teens since you can work it around your busy schedule.
Make Stickers
If you have a laptop or tablet, you already have everything you need to start making stickers that you can sell on sites like RedBubble or Etsy. If you have a tablet, download a drawing or design app to start making stickers by hand. On a laptop, use a free graphic design application like Canva to create original sticker designs. Once you’re finished, start uploading these designs to RedBubble or Etsy and watch the money roll in!
Teach a Skill
If you are good at a particular skill, use it to help teach other people and make money! For example, if you know another language or are a talented painter, film yourself doing introductory lessons and upload them onto a website like YouTube or Vimeo on private or unlisted. From there, you can market these tutorials, sell them to people wanting to learn, and then share the link so they can watch on their own time.
Design Printable Products
Similar to designing stickers, you can use free graphic design or drawing tools with your device to create printable products you can sell. For example, there’s a significant market for things like printable planners, printable art prints, printable teacher supplies, and printable budget trackers. If you have a unique idea for making one of these items or something similar, design it yourself and then sell it on Etsy.
Sell Your Clothes
Have a lot of stuff in your closet that’s gone out of style or just doesn’t fit you anymore? Resell your clothing online with apps like Depop, Mercari, or Poshmark to earn instant cash. There’s a market for pretty much any item you’re willing to part with, and listing items at an affordable price will help them sell faster. All you need to do is get an envelope, tape the prepaid label to it, and then leave the item in your mailbox.
Paid Online Surveys
We saved the best for last! Paid online surveys are one of the best and most consistent ways to make money, especially through a trusted site like Branded Surveys. Taking surveys for cash is a type of side hustle many people are getting into nowadays because you can complete online surveys for cash 24/7, 365 days a year. This is great for teens who have busy schedules and may only be able to work on making money at night or on weekends. Online surveys for money is a highly flexible gig.
Branded Surveys connects teens to reliable researchers who want to pay them to complete various types of questionnaires, providing $1 to $3 per survey completed (sometimes more). Branded protects your data using high-level website encryption and only provides opportunities from trusted companies and researchers. Additionally, Branded only has a $5 minimum for cashing out, so you can start seeing money in your bank account pretty quickly. Finally, you can take cash surveys for Paypal or gift cards through Branded. If you want a consistent side hustle that’s easy to do from home, Branded Surveys is the way to go.
