Tips on Saving Up Money

On this page, I'll share with you some of my tips & tricks for saving up money!
Read to End For Ways To Save/Make Money
I'll start with STEPS TO TAKE:
1. Make a Wishlist
     This is a good place to start because you get to see what you want. Your list can have 7 things or it can be 7 pages :) It's just an idea of what you want.

2. Organize into Most Wanted:
     Now, take the wishlist you made and put it into what you want the most to least. Even if you want everything on your list a lot, try to put things in order. If you have trouble doing this, try this: Take everything and put it in categories of what you want the most. You could have a few sections. For example, if you want the MAG Skateboard Set, Coconut, and Design by Me:Wings, but don't want any of them more than the others, put them in the same category.

3. Count your Money:
     Count all of the money that you currently have. Even if you have $5, every bit counts!

4. Total the Cost of your Wishlist
     Now, take the wishlist that you had before and total the cost of everything on it. This is the part where you actually see how much everything costs. If you get an outrageous amount like $2,765 then go through your list again and seeing what you really want and what you just like.

5. See How Much You Need
     Take the cost of everything on your wishlist, for an example we'll say $265, and write that down. Now, take the amount of money you have, let's say $64, and subtract that from the total cost of everything. For this example when we take 265-64 we get $201. That's how much money you need.

6. Start Saving
     Now here's where the tip/tricks/techniques for saving money come in. I'll put the "how to make money" tips down below :)

HOW TO MAKE MONEY
These are ways to make money. I know that lots of people wonder how kids/teens can make money, so here are some ways that you could try!
1. Mother's Helper
     Being a mother's helper is a great way to make some extra cash and learn how to care for younger kids! What is a mother's helper? A mother's helper is someone who helps care for a child while the mother is home. (This also works with dads!) That way, she/he can do something else or get a break, while still being home, and knowing that the kid(s) are safely entertained. When the mom/dad is home, you can ask important questions and feel more comfortable. Since you should have some experience before you can baby-sit, this is a great way to gain experience and maybe make some extra money. If there is a local nursery in your area, then try helping out with the kids there first. Parents will be happy for your assistance and you get people's trust. Showing that you're responsible helps to ensure that you have a good experience and that people will be more likely to ask you for help in the future. *

2. Babysitting
     Much of the same information applies to babysitting as it does to being a mother's helper. There is one major difference though: the parents/guardians will not be home. So you need to be comfortable enough to care for a child by yourself. Discuss with your parents if you want to try babysitting. You may want to be a mother's helper first and get more experience. Your parent(s)/guardian(s) may ask you to babysit younger siblings or family members and when you get better, they might even pay you! Here are a few extra tips for babysitting. I don't recommend babysitting or being a mother's helper for anyone who is within 2 years of your age. For example if your 12 years old, and someone you might babysit is 10, you may want to carefully consider the situation. Will you feel like you're in control enough? Is is too awkward to babysit someone so close in age? Ask yourself these questions and then discuss with an adult the situation. Also, try taking a Red Cross Babysitting Course. These are offered at lots of locations, plus parents/guardians will love that you're certified and will feel better trusting you with their child(ren).  *

3. Garage/Yard Sale
     If your family is having a yard sale or garage sale, then ask if you could have a few of your items out for sale. Be sure to say please and thank you :)  So, get your items together and ask your parents/guardians to help you price them. You may want to work out a deal. For example, if your parents would like a portion of the profit try 50%. That way you get half of the money and they get half. Also, if something doesn't sell, that's okay. If everything sells, great! But if not, don't worry. You can always try again some other time. *

*Check with your parents/guardians before trying any of these ideas.*

Please let me know if this helped, questions, comments, or anything else! Thanks for reading :)