Article Written By: Ronni Carter
You've worked hard, aced your finals and are ready to kick back and enjoy summer before heading back to college in the fall, right? That's a good gig if you can swing it, but if you need to restock the bank account it doesn't have to mean working for someone else. Why not come up with a way to make college money doing something you enjoy? Here are just a few thought-starters:1. Baby sit, pet set or walk dogs. Think about it, when school's out, parents still need to work, right? Once children outgrow daycare centers, parents usually scour their brains trying to think of someone to come to their house and keep the kids entertained while they're at work. You could be taking kids to the pool and making sandwiches during the week and have weekends to yourself. Summer is vacation season as well, so you could also find work caring for people's pets while they're away. Babysitting rates are generally between $8 and $12 per hour and you can charge up to $10 per visit when caring for pets.2. Car washing. You'll need some supplies for this one, but the cost is low considering what your earning potential will be. Start by coming up with a business card and leaving them around town under wiper blades. You'll also need a portable vacuum, sponges/towels, a bucket and some cleaning supplies. It shouldn't cost more than $100 and you can charge between $20 and $30 dollars per car. Do your best work every single time and you'll have plenty of repeat business.3. Be a one-man concession stand. Not all public parks and baseball fields have a vendor selling cold drinks and snacks, so this could be your own personal gold mine. Buy the biggest cooler you can comfortably tote around and fill it with anything you think might be desirable. Be creative and#8722; offer glow-in-the-dark sticks, portable fans, ring pops and plenty of cool drinks. If you're stuck for ideas, ramble around the dollar store for a while. Make a waterproof sign, grab a portable chair and plant yourself in the shade at every public event you can think of.4. Lawn mowing. Granted, cutting grass for a summer job isn't all that original, but where there's growing grass, there's potential for income, right? There's usually an abundance of companies offering full-service lawn care, but sometimes people like to support a college student instead. Mowers can be expensive to buy, but you should be able to find a good used one for around $500. They can be rented, too. You'll also need gasoline, hedge clippers and a trimmer for edges and around landscaping. Count on making between $20 and $40 per yard, depending on the size.5. Tutor. If you're the kind of student who just can't get enough of academia, spending your summers tutoring others is a great way to make money. You don't have to stick with math either, have some fun with it. Do you love to swim? Maybe you could give swimming lessons. Are you a workout freak? Set up a weekly workout class. The sky's the limit to what you could teach people. Private tutoring could bring in $10 - $20 an hour or you could charge a flat rate for a workshop.
This Article Has Been Published on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 and Read 213 Times