For a variety of reasons, your teen may be wondering how to make money at 17 without a job. In our fast-paced societies, having a traditional job isn’t the only way to bring in some extra money. Below are over 20 great ways your teen can make money in their spare time at 17 years of age.
How to Make Money at 17 Without a Job
Keep in mind that your teen will have to decide which route they would like to take. They can use the suggestions below by themselves or work them with an actual brick-and-mortar job (at a grocery store for example). Overall, these are popular ways to make a little extra cash that most teens can take advantage of now.
Before your teen starts their part-time job (assuming they’re in high school) it’s a good idea to get business cards to give to potential clients. Asking to leave a few cards in small local businesses is a great way to advertise to a lot of people- just be friendly and polite when asking the business owners!
You should also set up a PayPal account and a bank account so your teen has an easy way to get paid.
Sell Stuff (It’s simple and it works!)
In other words, your teen can purchase things that other teens may like to purchase and sell them for a bit more than what they paid for it- simple! This is what most resell and consignment shops do and it’s a side hustle that anyone can do to make easy money. The easiest way is to sell your old gadgets. Recyclers like iPad Recycle offer the best deals for all iPad generations. Your teen can definitely sell their old iPad for some cash.
Depending on your local laws they may be able to sell at school, host a weekly or monthly yard sale, door-to-door, flea markets, via social media accounts, through their own online store or a pre-existing online marketplace. Here are some ideas of items that may be a big hit:
- Candy
- Drinks (soft drinks, energy drinks, etc.)
- Accessories (bracelets, earrings, baseball caps, etc.)
- School supplies (notebooks, pens, pencils, markers, folders, etc.)
Take Online Surveys
Contrary to popular belief, all survey sites aren’t bad news or fraud. You may want to do a little bit of reading before signing up to complete surveys, but below are a few that have been known to be legit – this can be a great first job for a young person:
- Swagbucks (13+)
- Survey Junkie (13+)
- Toluna Influencers (16+)
- MyPoints (13+)
- Treasure Trooper (13+)
When it comes to taking surveys, make sure your teen doesn’t fall into the trap of wasting time and not really making money. To help them navigate any potholes, take note of the following tips:
- Create an email specifically for survey taking. By doing this, they won’t get lost or sent to SPAM in your current email inbox.
- It’s a good idea to set a designated time for taking surveys. This is equivalent to creating a “work schedule.”
- Refer other friends (or family members) who may also be interested in earning a few extra dollars on the side as well. Most survey sites have a referral program.
Play Online Games To Make Money
Yes, really! I discovered this when I went onto Swagbucks to try a paid survey, and discovered that you can actually just play games to earn cash instead (or as well as)! Check out the games
Start an In-Home Consignment Shop
Similar to the reselling idea first mentioned, your teen can open their own “consignment” shop from their home. This is where they sell goods on behalf of someone else and take a cut. This can be in person or an online business Your 17-year-old can resell things like:
- Shirts
- Shorts
- Pants
- Accessories
- Shoes
- Books
- Toys
- Video Games
- Sports Goods
If your teen would like this type of work, they can advertise in their local area to sell things on behalf of other people. A price is agreed and when the item sells, the original owner and your teen both get some cash.
Odd Jobs
There are plenty of jobs that are not selling stuff and are not monetising special skills like the big list below. These are often a fun way to make money, for example:
- Being a golf caddy (go to the right club and the tips could be great! Just check the club’s caddy age requirement)
- Online customer service
- Basic yard work
- Dog walking
- Pet sitting
- House sitting
Monetize Their Special Skills- The Easiest Ways For Young People To Make Their Own Money!
If your teen already has a specific skill-set then perhaps they can put it to good use and monetize it. If it’s not something that needs legal protection such as insurance, they should be good to go. Monetizing their skills as their own business means they are not limited to minimum wage – 17 year olds can make good money with a little hard work! Skills that can easily be monetized are:
- Instrument Lessons (piano, guitar, violin, drums, etc.)
- Tutoring Services (open or subject specific)
- Artistic Lessons (drawing, painting, sketching, etc.)
- Voice Lessons (singing or elocution)
- Freelance writer
- Start a YouTube channel and create Youtube videos
- Voiceover work
- Logo design
- Babysitting younger children
- Proofreading essays for a college student
- Teaching a foreign language
- Graphic designer work
- Create mobile apps
- Start their own blog and monetise with adverts (google Adsense to start)
- Be a virtual assistant- this could include data entry, admin, scheduling or book-keeping
- Start an Etsy shop to sell crafts. baked goods or artwork
- Coding
- Digital marketing
- Vehicle detailing
- Lawn services (mowing, landscaping, etc.)
How to Get Started Making Money at 17 Without a ‘Real’ Job
If your teen is new to the world of working, especially with being their own boss, there are a few key things they should do. First, they need to identify a few things they’d like to try.
They may not necessarily need to stick with these things but at least be willing to give them a try for a few weeks.
Once they have chosen a couple of things they’re interested in, have them establish an official start date. Leading up to that date, make sure they have everything they need to get started such as methods of being paid and advertising materials.
After doing the job for a couple of weeks, have them take an audit to see if they want to continue or if they don’t enjoy it/ haven’t made much try something new.
There are many life skills they’ll learn in just doing that alone. They’ll learn how to stick with something, be okay with making changes, and taking the necessary steps to have things in order. Plus most 17 year olds love the independence that they feel from using their free time to search out great opportunities and have more financial freedom!
Conclusion
Working at 17 can be fun, exciting, and full of lessons. Use the tips, ideas, and suggestions above to get started making and saving some money. What are some things you’ve done at a young age that weren’t the typical job? Let me know in the comments below!