Friday, July 17, 2009

Earning Money Tip #1 - Babysitting

This has to be the all-time greatest way for a kid to make money. In every neighborhood, there are many families that need babysitters every week. If you're good, then you'll have more opportunities to earn cash than you can imagine.

The first step to starting a babysitting business is to get certified as a babysitter. To do this, contact your local red cross. They offer classes for 11 to 15 year-olds which include training on what to do in case of emergencies. Parents prefer babysitters that know what to do if something bad happens.

Once you are certified, just print up some flyers and take them around your neighborhood. This will help you get your first customers. Babysitting is a service, and the best advertising for any service is word-of-mouth. If your customers like you, they will tell their friends, and so on, until you have more business than you know what to do with.

Repeat business is key. The best way to get asked to babysit over and over again is for the kids to beg their parents to hire you again. Have a babysitting bag full of special games and fun items appropriate for the ages of the kids you watch. Play with them the whole time you are there and show them that you are sincerely interested in them. Don't watch TV or do your homework unless they have already gone to bed. And most importantly, clean up any room that you have used, as well as the kitchen (whether you have used it or not). Parents LOVE that.

Don't forget to save at least half of whatever you earn. Have fun babysitting!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Becoming a Millionaire the Easy Way

Did you know that if you are ten years old and start saving and investing only five dollars per day, you will be a millionaire by age 45? This is assuming that you invest in a stock market index like the S&P 500, which can lose money in the short run, but may earn an average of 10-12% per year over your lifetime. It will happen even faster if you increase the amount you invest as you get older and earn a bigger salary. This is the easiest way EVER to become a millionaire!