What are jobs for 14-year olds in Colorado Springs, that isn't babysitting? (Craig: for sale, house)

[cassypants95]

My friend and I, are 14. We are looking for jobs in Colorado Springs. We are up for pretty much anything, (we dont have babysitting permits but we r still very experienced) we jus need some extra money. Let me know if you have any openings or suggestions please
[E-MAIL=[EMAIL="cassypants95@hotmail.com"]cassypants95@hotmail.com[/EMAIL]]

[otowi]

Yard work, newspaper delivery (maybe), golf caddy?

[Fullback32]

I have heard that Chick-Filet hires 14 year olds for part-time work. Good for ya'll wanting to work!

[beezle1]

How about pet sitting, dog walking, etc? You could make a flyer and hand it out in your neighborhood.

[otowi]

I bet some people would pay you to pick up dog poop, too. Not very glamorous, I know....

[Mike from back east]

At age 14 you should be hitting the books, and hitting them a lot. It'll pay off later, trust me.

I don't like fast food joints, they pay lousy and usually send you home the minute the lunch or dinner rush is over, or you get the really dirty jobs until your exhausted. BTDT 45 years ago. Yes, you can get some positive "employment history" working at such places, but if I were hiring people in their late teens and early 20's, I'd be more impressed by the self-starter types who create their own little businesses doing lawns or washing cars.

Newspaper delivery is dreadful, you have to get up at 2 or 3 AM and drive around with a car full of papers. At 14 you can't drive and the Gazette really wants adults with dependable cars who are available all year round. When I took home delivery, it was a husband/wife team who drove around in a mini-van, she drove and he sat there in the back seat with the door wide open so he could chuck the papers into the driveways, which was about 6AM in my 'hood.

I greatly prefer self-employment. Healthy young guys should consider lawn mowing. I pay a retired guy $25/week to mow/trim/edge our lawn. He has a 40-inch pro mower and is fully done in 40 minutes or less. You can work fast foods for $7.50 an hour or mow lawns for $20+ an hour, a no-brainer for me. Lawns are a good bet as the need is consistent; i.e., every week for about six months of the year. After that, there's leaf removal, snow removal and other such work.

Car washing is a long shot but might work, if you went to the person's home and did the job in their driveway. I'd suggest a sliding scale for washing and drying: small cars $10, full size cars $12, SUVs, pickups and mini-vans $15 (take a step ladder). If I were going to wash a 30-foot RV, I'd charge $1/foot, but seems best to just say no thanks to those owners.

It will take a bit to get going, as people are reluctant to hire young people as too many are not dependable; little league or whatever gets in the way of being consistent and reliable from week to week. Once you get a few customers, use them as referrals to get more clients.

Be aware that many people feel kids should work for dirt cheap pay; you're going to get a real education when you deal with people and there's an exchange of money for services. Whether big businesses or small ones or private individuals, they want to pay you crap and work you to the bone, few bosses are ever happy. There are some good bosses out there, stick to them if you find them, be your own boss if possible.

[treedonkey]

I can say from experience that snow shoveling, lawn mowing and other light house chores are the best way to go at your age. Good for you for being so industrious. That attitude will serve you well when you are older, probably even better than good grades (not that those aren't important too).

[Viny80]

Housekeeping or dog walking are common. Or start looking around your house on what you can sell and sell it on ebay, then take the money and invest into an IRA or low risk stock. Remember make the money work for YOU, don't work for it. For example one of my nephews ( only 8yrs old) commented on a dump truck the other day saying he wanted to "Drive a truck like that when he was older" I corrected him and said "NO sweetie, you want to own the company that makes them...." Read the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." That info once applied is worth more than any summer job. Good Luck

[Terytee]

I've had a lot of luck selling old junk around my house with Craigslists. If your folks are looking to clean out the garage, it is often as simple as taking a digital photo, writing a snappy description, setting a fair price and just waiting.

It's free to post items for sale and its cashy money! I made a cool $300 one Saturday selling old junk I didn't use and I thought no one would buy the items. Now, I do it all the time and I've always ended up selling every item I posted.

You "Americans" will buy anything.... I'm kidding!!

BE SAFE!! I do recommend that you have your parents approve whatever you're selling and have them approve the ad and the price and absolutely have adult supervision when meeting a potential buyer, but your folks may see it as doing them a favor if it's unloading some old household stuff for them.

I have a good friend who hits the Goodwill stores and ARC Thrift stores regularly and then sells those items on EBay. He makes a very substantial additional income with it, but it does take some work.

Personally, I think Craigslists is easier.

[froggin4colorado]

Good for you! I agree with Mike too. We had a young man in our neighborhood that made it a point to visit with all the neighbors and make himself available. This meant he would volunteer to help without pay to build trust and it lead to small jobs. By volunteering and making small chat with everyone, it lead to babysitting, grabbing his bike and running to the store, raking leaves, mowing the lawn, snow shoveling, helping with yard work, helping with a driveway, pet sitting, house sitting (without staying the night, just checking in and bringing mail in), playing games with young kiddos while mom does x y and z, washing cars, painting house numbers on the curb, removing rock, etc.
So, make yourself available to the neighborhood and establish a good rapport with them. Dress like a responsible person, act responsible, and you will demonstrate you are a worthy teen that can be trusted.
Good luck!