How can a 14 yr old save money? BE SERIOUS PLEASE?

Question

i want an xbox 360 i heard guitar hero 3 is played better on it but whenever i ask my parents for an allowance they are all like "sure" but they never give me any money. i tried finding babysitting jobs but failed. any way i can save money and fast? because i would like to get an xbox this summer.

Answer 1

You can legally get a job at fourteen. You can try Chick-Fil-A, I know they hire. And so do a lot of grocery stores. You could also be a golf caddy.

And I suggest you open an interest-bearing savings account. Do research to find out which bank you'd get the most interest from, and go from there.

If you can't open a bank account, have a jar and put a certain amount of money in it each week. Do whatever you have to to get it (except maybe robbing a bank) -- mow lawns, rake leaves, walk dogs, etc.

You can also take surveys online for money, but make sure to do research to make sure they're legitimate and won't cheat you out of money.

And you can sell things on Ebay, and open a (free) Paypal account to get the money.

Or open your own business. Find something you like to do, or are good at, and make it into a business.

One more thing, check Craigslist.com -- I've made a bit of money that way. But be careful; as it's the internet, there are probably some scammers on there.

Don't depend on your parents for money -- I tried that, it doesn't work.

Answer 2

to be honest with you, my only way of saving money when i was fourteen (four years ago) was by not eating and saving my lunch money.. also, try asking relatives

Answer 3

If you want to save money, just don't spend anything.

Also, try to get a job. Min. wage is around 7.50 an hour, so if you put in a 2hr a day/ 4 day a week (IDK, it's max for illinois students) you get 60 bucks a week, so you'll have your game in idk... 2 months?

Answer 4

start doing some chores for your neighbours, relatives. do some typing of your friends hw, or organise a garage-sale with old toys and stuff.  ask your parents' permission first!  at your age i did bookmarks and bangles and sold them to my friends.

Answer 5

ok at 14 years old, you can legally bag groceries! go to publix and get a job, and put an add in the newspaper for a babysitting gig on weekends.

Answer 6

i just save my lunch money

Answer 7

when u r 14 and nine months u can get a job!!! :) it wont be long i promice!

Answer 8

I know a 9-yr.old in my sons class that saved $300 to buy his own games. So, yes. If you really want to, you can go out there, do errands and small jobs for the elderly, or not so elderly.It can add up fast when you don't have to worry with paying bills yet !

Answer 9

Well, I know chores aren't fun, but if you are willing to work this is the best way to do it.  Make a deal with your parents.  Ask them if there are chores you can do to make money.  If you tell your parents what you want and that you're willing to work for it they may actually be willing to help you.  You may be looking at yard work, dishes, trash, laundry and that sort of thing.  But, tell them that you'll work hard for it.  If they don't think they'll have enough money for that sort of thing, then ask your dad or your mom if they know of someone who would pay you to help out somewhere.  Odds are that they probably do.  I hope this helps and I hope you get your 360 soon!  :)

Answer 10

Paper routes are always good for kids your age, and so is delivering yellow pages.. check the newspaper every sunday and call local businesses and explain your situation. Alternatively you could teach yourself a trade, savvy kids your age help people with websites or graphic design or maybe making DVDs for friends at a profit. It's basic ecenomics kid and you gotta get your hustle on. "Tryin to make a dolla out of 15 Cents.. tryin to get paid and still make rent"..

Set your projected total and chart your progress, make saving something of a game to motivate you counting pennies and thinking about small purchases as you make them instead of impulsively. Ask for money on birthday/holidays even ask for it early if it makes or breaks you. Be methodical and if you want it bad enough you'll make it happen. Don't ever expect anything to be given to you, you've always gotta work for it...

Answer 11

You have to start thinking S-M-A-R-T. What kind of cutbacks can you make? For example: I drink bottled water. Now at $1 a bottle on something that covers 70% of our planet is not smart. So I bought one of those water filters that s***w into your faucet. I have bottles that I refil over and over again. I take them to work. Do you have a lot of small appliances around that house that are always on? I cut my electronic bill almost in half by unplugging all the clock radios and night lights. I also bought some of those florescent bulbs that look a lot like a regular bulb. These things use 80% less electricity than regular bulbs. You would be surprised, but these small things add up. I know I was spending money on the water filter and energy efficient bulbs but these things will pay for themselves in a month providing they pertain to you. If you really need the money right away start cutting back on your food costs. Romain noodles cost a dime and they taste just as good as campbells chicken noodle that costs $130 a can. Ok no chicken in romain noodles, but you are probably just missing about 4 tiny pieces of chicken. .Before you know it you will be ahead. And remember you have to start thinking S-M-A-R-T!

Answer 12

Find a job nearby for teens or start helping out at home. I tried to save up on the 360 but it's just too much money when your earning 10 bucks a week. Get a part time job at a store or restaurant. Minimum wage can get u maybe at least 50 to 60 bucks a wk. At least u can cut the time.

Answer 13

You can make money if you really want. Asking neighbors if they  need work done, collecting cans.  You have to believe you can do it and be committed to it.  I know you can do it and so do you!  Offer to remove trash, mow lawns or find something much more creative!  The most important thing to getting the money is that you set it aside and commit to it.  You will do it if you want!

Of course, doing anything illegal is stupid and not worth it, even though it is the 360!

Answer 14

Every one knows that teen jobs are limited. Search at local video game stores-like Game Stop-which hire practically any age. Sooner than you realize it, you'll be an employee! If your hired, you can get a discount on any item, including an XBox! So getting an income from your job AND having a discount on the XBox, you'll be playing on it very soon!

Answer 15

get a paper round, mow lawns

Answer 16

1.

      Set savings goals. For short-term goals, this is easy. If you want to buy a video game, find out how much it costs; if you want to buy a house, determine how much of a down payment you’ll need. For long-term goals, such as retirement, you’ll need to do a lot more planning (figuring out how much money you’ll need to live comfortably for 20 or 30 years after you stop working), and you’ll also need to figure out how investments will help you achieve your goals.

   2. Establish a timeframe. Set a particular date for accomplishing shorter-term goals, and make sure the goal is attainable within that time period. If it’s not attainable, you’ll just get discouraged.

   3. Figure out how much you’ll have to save per week.

   4. Keep a record of your expenses. What you save falls between two activities and their difference: how much you make and how much you spend. Since you have more control over how much you spend, it's wise to take a critical look at your expenses. Write down everything you spend your money on for a couple weeks or a month. Be as detailed as possible, and try not to leave out small purchases.

   5. Trim your expenses. Take a good, hard look at your spending records after a month or two have passed. You’ll probably be surprised when you look back at your record of expenses: $300 on ice cream, $100 on parking tickets? You’ll likely see some obvious cuts you can make. Depending on how much you need to save, however, you may need to make some difficult decisions. Think about your priorities, and make cuts you can live with. Calculate how much those cuts will save you per year, and you'll be much more motivated to pinch pennies.

   6. Reassess your savings goals. Subtract your expenses (the ones you can't live without) from your take-home income (i.e. after taxes have been taken out). What is the difference? And does it match up with your savings goals?

   7. Make a budget. Once you’ve managed to balance your earnings with your savings goals and spending, write down a budget so you’ll know each month or each paycheck how much you can spend on any given thing or category of things. This is especially important for expenses which tend to fluctuate, or which you know you're going to have a particularly hard time restricting. (E.g. "I will only spend $30 a month on movies/chocolate/coffee/etc.")

   8. Stop using credit cards. Pay for everything with cash or money orders. Don't even use checks. It's easier to overspend when you're pulling from a bank or credit account because you don't know exactly how much is in there. If you have cash, you can see your supply running low. You can even bundle up the predetermined amount of cash allocated for each expense with a label or keep separate jars for each expense (e.g. a bundle/jar for coffee, another for gas, another for miscellaneous). As you pull money from a jar for that particular expense, you'll see how much remains and you'll also be reminded of your limit.

   9. Open an interest-bearing savings account. It’s a lot easier to keep track of your savings if you have them separate from your spending money. You can also usually get better interest on savings accounts than on checking accounts (if you get interest on your checking account at all). Consider higher-interest options such as CDs or money-market accounts for longer savings goals.

  10. Know where your money is. And how much of it, too. If you accidentally overdraw your bank account, you will incur hefty bank fees; worse yet, the place you paid with that check may slap a bounced check fee on top of that, and send the check in again, resulting in a second overdraft fee from the bank! So just a few cents missing to cover that check could result in over $100 in fees. To avoid that, you should always know how much money you've got in your account(s), so you never cut a check for more than what you have.

  11. Pay yourself first. Savings should be your priority, so don’t just say that you’ll save whatever’s left over at the end of the month. Deposit savings into an account (or your piggybank) as soon as you get paid. An easy, effective way to start saving is to simply deposit 10% of every check in a savings account. If you get a check or sum of cash, say 710.68, move the decimal point one place to the left and deposit that amount: 71.07. This works well and requires little thought; over several years, you've a tidy sum in savings. Over decades, you'll be a millionaire.

Answer 17

The only way to SAVE money is to not spend it.  If you mean MAKE money, door to door car washes, yard work, running errands for neighbors, walking dogs.  Being a "mother's helper" keeping kids entertained while their mother is busy with housework or takes a break for an hour.