Have A Nerdy Hobby? Here’s How To Afford It
I have no problem admitting I was a bit of a nerd as a teenager.
One of my favorite hobbies was collecting Magic: the Gathering cards, and using those cards to play the game with my friends. Collecting cards could get expensive very quickly, since the company that made the game was always coming out with new cards.
Of course, my parents didn’t want to constantly shell out cash for the latest and greatest cards, so I had to figure out a way to pay for my hobby. Here are a few ways I made my hard-earned money— hopefully, they inspire you to find ways to support your hobby too!
First, I found an innovative way to earn money from collecting Magic cards. Most people normally buy new cards in a 15-pack. When I played, you could buy the packs for $3.69 at local card shops or at stores like Wal-Mart.
However, I found that I could buy a box of 36 for just $72 by ordering online – that meant a reduced cost of $2 a pack.
I’d buy the box of 36 packs and sell them to my friends for $3 each, earning me a dollar per pack and saving my friends $0.69 per pack, plus tax.
I would then use the money I earned to buy more cards for myself.
My friends could have done the same thing, but they never bothered to save up their money to buy a whole box.
Their impatience was my gain because that meant more cards for me.
Try Mowing Lawns
Before I was old enough to hold a part-time job, I started a common small business for teenagers: mowing lawns in our neighborhood.
Luckily, my parents let me use their lawnmower and gas, so I didn’t have any expenses. I was only able to find a couple clients willing to let a teenager cut their grass, but grass grew quickly in Florida, so I was able to make enough off of those clients to keep me happy.
Sit a Pet
Pet sitting was another small business that I started in my early teen years. I handed out fliers advertising my services to my whole neighborhood, and I landed a few jobs during common school vacations.
Pet sitting is a very serious business, as you’re basically taking care of a person’s family member.
While I would like to think I did a good job, I know my animal-loving parents always checked after me to make sure I was taking care of the pets as if they were their own.
Work Part-time
I finally decided to get a part-time job my senior year of high school. I worked in fast food, and learned valuable lessons. My favorite part of that job was the paychecks. Even though I earned barely above minimum wage, I used the money to help pay for my hobby. Thankfully, I also put some money away to help pay for my college education.
Thankfully, I also put some money away to help pay for my college education.
Finding a way to pay for your hobbies doesn’t have to be difficult. If you can’t fully pay, perhaps your parents will pitch in a few dollars if you are showing initiative to earn some cash yourself.
