We’re all about making money at MoneyMagpie (clue’s in the name!), and the summer is usually a time where parents’ wallets feel the burden of school holidays. The extra expense of entertaining children for six weeks can take its toll – so let’s flip things on their head this year and use these ways to make money by turning summer into a money-making exercise for all the family!
Of course, you don’t want to spend all of your holiday time working extra jobs or hustling to make extra money. So, plan for some fun ways to spend quality time with your kids with free or cheap holiday activities in between your money-making adventures.
It’s also important to make sure you include your children in the financial education of the tasks you’re doing together. It’s a great opportunity to teach kids about how money works, and older kids about saving money, too.
Try having a shared goal for the last week of the school holidays to save up for together, to keep everyone motivated. It could be a special family dinner out, a trip to an outdoor cinema, or even a day at a theme park. Whatever your family will love doing together – that’s usually a costly event – set it as a reward for the end of the holidays.
You’ll feel like you’ve all achieved something together, which is great for family bonding – and your wallet will thank you, too!
Clear Your Clutter
The number one way to make money with your kids is to involve them in a big clear out. Look for clothes they’ve outgrown and toys they don’t play with anymore as a starting point.
You might also find things like DVDs, computer games, and even kitchenware (you don’t need sippy cups if your toddlers are all grown up!).
Set tasks for your children to work through their bedroom with you. Have a keep, donate, and sell box. It doesn’t have to be a big laborious process – spend five minutes each day to pick up a few items and decide together if they need to be kept, donated, or sold. When their rooms are done, move on to your own: you could make a mint from your vinyl collection!
When you’ve gathered enough clutter to fill a tabletop, look up your nearest car boot sale. Entry is reasonable and easy to earn back within a few sales. You’ll need to arrive early to set up, but it’s worth it to get rid of clutter and make some cash in return.
Look After Local Dogs Together
Setting up as a dog sitter is easy and with people going away on summer holidays, now is a great time to start.
This is an ideal way to make money with kids if they are older, and understand how to behave around dogs. It is also important to let anyone using your services know that there are children in your household. Remember, you can always refuse to look after a dog.
Advertise your services on a local noticeboard or website like NextDoor, and make sure you also take out public liability insurance. Or, you can register with a service like PetStay which finds clients for you. Make sure you can offer a secure garden and are confident walking dogs.
Always do a visit with the dog and owner before the stay, to make sure you’re all compatible. Ask about the dog’s routines, food, and favourite toys, as well as any quirks they might have. Some, for example, may not be great in thunderstorms and need extra attention in stormy weather.
Involving the kids with dog sitting is a great bonding experience, makes you some extra money, and helps them learn about the responsibilities of looking after pets.
Thrift and Flip Together
At MoneyMagpie, we love a bargain, and we adore sustainability. So, the idea of thrifting and flipping things with your family sounds like a fun activity to us!
You could look around local charity shops to find small items to spruce up or clothes to upcycle and sell – either at car boot sales or online on sites like eBay and Vinted.
If you want to go bigger, and have space for it, try furniture flipping. Visit charity or secondhand furniture warehouses to look for some bargains and spend time with your children doing them up. It’s a great way to learn new skills together, plus you can make a lot of extra cash with a savvy purchase or two!
