I was so excited when Angie, an eight year old in one of my money classes, announced that the flyers she and her mom had passed out the week before resulted in a phone call for her pet-sitting service.  And the gleam in Angie’s eyes as she described for the class how she would be feeding, walking, and playing with her two charges,  a yellow lab and a golden retriever.

“They’re such friendly dogs and so much fun to play with.  I can’t wait.” 

The week before, our lesson focused on ways kids can use their talents, skills, and interests to earn a few extra dollars.  They generated lists of ideas and identified the logistics of setting up their own small business such as how much to charge and what supplies, if any, they would need.

Using all this information the kids created flyers.  “We’ve thought about doing stuff like this before,” said Angie’s mom after class, “but we never got to the writing it all down part.  That’s what made the difference this time.”

Apparently it made all the difference to another student in class, as well.  Tess, a 12-year old, secured a job for the entire month of April and several weeks into May earning $5/day.  Her tasks involve taking care of three dogs, two horses, several cats, and a lama!  By the end of her time, she will have earned close to $250 which is the amount of money she wants to save for her Happy 13th Birthday trip to San Fransisco.

But what these two animal-loving kids are learning is that when you are doing something you love, getting the money is just the cherry on top of the Ghirardelli sundae!

How do your kids use their skills and talents to earn extra money?