If you have a hobby, learn how to rock your money-making skills to pay for it.
I have no problem admitting I was a bit of a nerd as a teenager.
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.