Summer Odd Jobs - nimbl

With Summer on the horizon and your pocket money spending already planned out, getting a summer job might seem a little daunting and a big time commitment. You might also be a little too young to get a job just yet which leaves you relying on the bank of Mum and Dad to top up your pocket money. However, that might not be your only option available.

Extra Chores

Doing extra chores can be an amazing way to earn some extra money in the summer. The summer heat creates a wealth of jobs that Dad would rather not do, like gardening. This can be a constant battle for parents to find time to do but as you’ll have a lot more free time, why not offer to take that job off their hands…for a price. We’ll leave you to determine what is a fair price depending on the size of the job.

Offer your skills to your neighbours

Just like your parents, your neighbours might also need some help with doing odd jobs, especially if they are elderly. Unsurprisingly elderly people have things they are unable to do for themselves, or errands they need run so will usually welcome the help and company. So as long as your parents are happy with you working for the person (always check) then offering your skills to them could be a very worthwhile way to spend some of your time this summer.

Here’s a list of jobs you could offer to do for your neighbours:

• Babysitting – If you’re responsible and trustworthy, babysitting younger children is always a good way to make some spare money.
• Pet sitting – Some people don’t like to leave their pets alone during the day so will be open to pet sitters.
• House sitting – Offer to take care of a person’s plants etc if you know they are going away for an extended time this summer.
• Gardening – Probably the top summer odd job. Always worth asking to do.
• Cleaning/decluttering/organising – Garages, attics and spare rooms are always in need of a clear out.
• Car wash – Offer to do it for less than your local car wash and you’ll probably get a few customers.
• Music lessons – If you are particularly skilled with an instrument
• Tutoring – Help younger children with getting better at subjects you’re good at.

You could even go a step further and advertise your availability to the neighbours by making flyers and putting them in community areas (if allowed) or through letterboxes. If your neighbourhood has a newsletter or a social media group, see if you can advertise there too.

Recycle

Fun fact, you can earn money from recycling but you might have to be creative with how you do it. First do a quick online search to find recyclers in your area and ask how much they pay or if they pay and what for. If no one in your area pays, look for what recyclable things people want online.

Once you know what you need to collect and how much, start with your house, then look to your neighbours. You’d be surprised by what you can collect over a summer by doing this odd job.

Sell stuff

Become an entrepreneur and sell products. You could do this in your front yard, to a local reseller, or online. This could be anything from unwanted toys, games or clothing.

Alternatively, you can make things to sell like cake, lemonade or crafts. If your goods are particularly good you could even rent space at a local fair!

These are just some ideas of what you could do, but there might be other things you can do over the summer that can help you earn a little more pocket money to save/spend.