General Cycling Discussion - Make Money?

Hey, to pay for my bike equiptment, I need a money supply. I was wondering if anyone had an idea for a 15 year old to make money. Thanks

There's always a paper route... :D

Work at a bike shop. The LBS here has many teenagers working at it. I wish i could get a job there, but some other kid got it before i could. Oh well.

My parents gave me money to get started, and I paid them off very slowly with a paper route. I still dont have them payed off, but I have been working at a bikeshop for a year and have many bikes and alot of money. Its also good to be lazy and talk to people online alot and talk them into buying your stuff. I've scored free stuff from people just by talking to them after selling them something. Good luck..

Hey sshock4 no hard feelings, i sure would like to get a job at the LBS also

:D

:D :D :D :D :D :D

paper route is one, another is snow job removable, then another one is grocery store flyers distribution and if your a smart kid in school, you can asked your classmates that your going to do their homework for a fee:D

McDonald's and Burger King are hiring.........

Originally posted by D*Alex
McDonald's and Burger King are hiring.........

uhh...no thanks :(

Don't go the Fast Food route (though I've never worked in the industry, it's very likely a super crummy job)

Bike shop is a possible route...it's what I did for a summer (it was an okay experience)

You can also try lifeguarding (that's if you have your certifications)

Office job? See if anyone you know or someone your parents know have contacts to get you one of these jobs...it's always about knowing people

I personally recommend doing nothing - it's what I'll be doing again this coming summer (other than cycling). Youth is better spent on not slaving away for some company that gives lousy pay and lousy hours.

I'm a lifeguard. You must take a relativly rigorus training course to be one, but once you get the certification, you can get a relativly good hourly wage. Right now i make 6.65, but thats going to go up to 7 when I get my pool operator's liscence. Some hotel pools pay up to $10/hour, and you only need red cross. I live in Maryland, and many of the pools at apartment complexes are run by american pools, they run really good rates for people with a pool operators liscence.

Here's the link American Pools (http://www.americanpool.com/jobpostings.html#lifeguard)

Grocery store dude! They'll hire anyone. I started off there just to have something to put on my resume.

Originally posted by WorldIRC
Grocery store dude! They'll hire anyone. I started off there just to have something to put on my resume.

not a bad job... although pushing carts in the summer here was kinda lame :p

Originally posted by KennethToronto


uhh...no thanks :(

Don't go the Fast Food route (though I've never worked in the industry, it's very likely a super crummy job)

Uhm, I think that's why they call it a job. Otherwise they'd call it recess...

John

Grocery store is great place to work, they have some of the best benefits around! Okie if you are younger that does not matter much.

Hey shock how about going down to the LBS that hired the other teenager, tell them you want to learn to work on bikes and work with their mech for free :) Won't make anything now but in long run could pay off :)

hahaha. B1105 is the other kid they hired. altho that is a good idea, im working on setting up a shop in my basement with a couple freinds and have most all basic bike word down pat.

thanks tho

Good luck shock!!! Sounds like a good plan.

At age 15, no job is beneath you. Every job you qualify for is in the "Jobs easy to get" catagory. The reason they'll hire a 15 year old is because noone else wants the job. That's why fast food restaurants are staffed by high schoolers. That's not a bad thing. In fact it's an opportunity. Put in applications at any business that's near your home. Take whatever offer comes your way. If you get more than one offer weight them against your needs, hours, schedule, environment, location etc.. Take what you believe to be the better fit for you.

Once you have the job, be the best at that job that anyone could be. Sure it's a bottom rung job, so what! Learn from the experience. The path off the bottom is paved with hard work and higher education. You'll feel good about yourself by giving a 100% effort.

It took a summer of mucking out horse stalls at a race track to teach me that lesson.

I threw papers when I was in Jr. High but I don't think there are paper routes, or evening papers for that matter, anymore. It's all adults and 5am delivery. If they're around and you can get one it's a great use for an old 3 speed your parents or another older relative has sitting around. That's what I used, though of course you could still buy English 3 speeds new in shops or stores then.

I never worked fast food but I did work grocery store for awhile in high school and that's not a bad job. Hours are usually good and despite whatever the store says you can pick up some tips when bagging. Mowing lawns if you have access to a mower can put some $ in yor pocket too.

:beer:

X-No-Archive: yes

Originally posted by B1105
Hey, to pay for my bike equiptment, I need a money supply. I was wondering if anyone had an idea for a 15 year old to make money. Thanks

I applaud your creative approach to finding new avenues to earn money, especially by posting the question here. I didn't have this option when I was a teen. I also had another, what appeared to be at the time, bigger motivating factor...my parents charged me a small amount for room-and-board from 15yrs on till I left home. Not because they needed it, but to teach me the value of possessions (clothes, bikes, motorcycles and my autos) and earning to pay my way. I did well to, by taking jobs that others teens thought were above them. Funny :lol: thing was, I always earned plenty of money while many school friends had little or no money and always complained and borrowed. I am always amazed at what many ended up doing after school too... :eek:

B1105, Don't pay attention to those that say that job is crummy, no good, lousy or above you. Those are the jobs that teach one good honest work ethics, and more importantly can fill your pockets.... I was in the mid-west and here are the ones that I did...

I shoveled to much snow
mowed & raked lawns to many lawns on a weekly route
milked cows
bailed hay & straw (real tough job)
bag boy & stock clerk in grocery store
bus boy at a country club
and later caddied at a country club
door to door sales... (very tough)
I also washed cars at a General Motors Mfg plant.

Originally posted by Walter
I never worked fast food but I did work grocery store for awhile in high school and that's not a bad job. Hours are usually good and despite whatever the store says you can pick up some tips when bagging. Mowing lawns if you have access to a mower can put some $ in yor pocket too.

When I was 12 years old I wanted a stereo. My parents bought me a lawnmower. I mowed lawns all summer and shoveled snow all winter. Only time I didn't have money in my pocket was early spring and late fall. I was so glad when I turned 16 and could get a job in a grocery store!

Oh, and I bought my first new car (albeit an econobox) when I was still 16. My parents cosigned the loan but I paid the down, all the payments, and the insurance.

John

I would almost be happy working in a grocery store right now! I've been out of work since begining of December. Even now I dont' view any job as beneath me, but only reason I would not take some jobs is I would not make enough to pay my bills and raise my son. This thread just struck a cord with me this evening, I want to work and have been looking but the computer field SUCKS!!! right now.. But cycling keeps me from getting to stressed out which I am thankful!

I hear you Kev. I was out of work for 6 months. I had a hard time enjoying the time off because I was stressed about getting another job. I too needed something that would pay my bills and ideally keep me on the same career track I was on before I was laid off. I almost went out for a job at the coffee shop, but I knew I would bolt out of there as soon as something in my field came along. I didn't think that would be fair to them, so I held out.

I got a good job now, and I am just one step back on my career path from where I was, but that that's nothing that a little hard work and perseverance won't cure in short order.

As for working with little-to-no qualifications, a job is a job. I don't care if it's splitting logs, making burgers, picking up trash, or walking dogs. You are learning skills on how to deal with people, handle responsibility, and make clearer decisions on what you want to do later in life. Its also great for preventing boredom. And if I remember myself as a kid, boredom=mischeif. Too much boredom and the police get involved. :O;)

hahaha I actualy thought of the coffee shop, I spent so much time their now after my rides :) But I would just make slightly more then my unemployment if worked full time so not worth it and I agree I would leave as soon as a job in my line of work came along, so that is not fair to them..

Originally posted by HalfHearted

Uhm, I think that's why they call it a job. Otherwise they'd call it recess...

John

I think that's pretty lame

Sure, you can take a super crummy job like fast food if the thought of toiling for minimum wage in a lousy work environment entices you - personally, I'd be a little more creative and go for something better

and if you think I'm just another kid who asks their parents for money - I've had to pay for everything "extra" that I ever wanted - nothing was ever given to me for free and nothing ever will. I had to spend summers washing cars w. a friend to earn enough money for rollerblades. I just spent a summer working at a bike shop and saving for a year in order to buy my road bike - however, all the "jobs" I've done made me good money and they were a heck of a lot better than blowing my life at Mickey Ds.

At least w. washing cars I got to spent most of my time outdoors and learned some good entrepreneurial skills while I was at it

At the bike store, I learned what you usually learn when you're with nice bikes all day.

At fast food, you learn how to suffer and hate life. Ever wonder why McDonalds is "always hiring" and why their turnover rate is so high?

Anyways, just my two cents. Don't go the route so many other high schoolers go and waste your time at a fast food joint

window washing. i'm 18, no college degree not quite a high school diploma but i've still made up to $46 an hour of course it wasn't very long but its MY business My hours. although you do need some cash to buy some equip. but thats less than 100 bucks (you could easily make that in a day). good luck :) .