A lot of times, people credit me and say “You’re young and still in school yet you’re making your own money”. Of course I feel good and flattered upon hearing that and I say thank you deep from my heart. 🙂 On some other days, some of my friends are curious telling me why I am trying to make money. They say I don’t really need to and maybe its hurting my studies. Most of the times I just respond to it and say I wanted to buy a shirt with my own money. 😉
Obviously that’s a lame reason and not true. But then I think, I have one thousand reasons why I should try and make money now (online and offline). I know there are a lot of kids right now jumping heads first into making money online. Of course they have come to realize its not as easy as playing PSP or anything. With regards to this topic I always wanted to put up a list on why we, teens or kids should try making money by now. Here are my goats:
- Helping your parents – Each and every of my friends know we are not a rich family. Although, we are never hurting financially, there are times wherein my parents just got everything that we need to spend. The point here is that, sometimes you can pay or buy something w/o annoying your parents for financial help. I’m not sure how you can relate to this but I think its a big and understandable reason.
- Experience, nevertheless – Obviously there’s nothing in this world that can replace experience. Most people fail and still pursue and thats for experience. It’s your teacher and whatever you may want to call it. Most successful millionaires here in Philippines started out flat and crappy. They gained experience, learned from it and then applied what they learned. Now they are successful! It’s also an edge against everyone to have that experience in your belt.
- Pride – I have talked about it a lot before with my friends. I did say I get complement from a lot of my relatives with it and to be honest it damn feel good! I am a pridey guy. I take pride in a lot of things. I take pride that I can buy shirts and gadgets w/o asking for help, I take pride that I am having transactions with bigger and more established marketers, and I take pride receiving checks day in and day out! It sounds arrogant but pride is what lights my butt to work harder! and I don’t want my pride to get hurt.
- Emergency purposes – Imagine you had sex w/your crush or maybe your girlfriend. You had your sperm inside her and she got preggy! Now unless abortion is your religion then you having your own money can make things a lil better. In life there are a lot of things that we don’t expect. A lot of things that we don’t expect to bury our pockets. Having that little earnings from Adsense surely can help in case of hard times.
- For Holidays – Halloween had just passed by and next is Christmas and New Year! Everytime you talk about holiday, you gotta to talk about shopping and buying gifts. I don’t feel actually the essence of buying gift for a friend using the money from your parents. How can you do it yourself? Start filling that coin bank now!
This is talking about making money in general, both online and offline. Not many kids and teens today take interest on trying their luck with online business or saving money. And I feel this is what makes us stand out from the rest. Of course the purpose varies. What do you think is yours?
In my teens, I wished I had money but there were no opportunities like this then. However, my advice to teens is to concentrate on studies and consider blogging, online moneymaking/social networking etc as low prio activities!
It’s however really great if somebody can make money online before they are 18 or 19 without sacrificing the long term goals in life!
cheers,
Ajith / Bloggin Idol 2 Participant!
The main reason why I started my blog and have attempted to make money online was just to be able to say that ” Yea I can do that. ”
I look at myself and compare to my other friends all the time and to be honest with you, i see myself way ahead of them.
Good post Melvin, I think you are never too young to start something.
I’m just a kid and make money online. I was able to bought a mobile phone and an iPod. And I was able to treat my friends. 🙂
Btw, Melvin, you won a 125×125 ad on my site in my contest. I tried contacting you but your form wasn’t working. Just a heads up on that.
Write me back and let me know what you want to do with it. Thanks.
wooo!~~ number four! LOL! haha..
it’s makes more sense when you take pride out of success than taking pride out of nothing. haha!~
I’ve been blogging/making websites since I was 12, now I’m 16 and due to lack of focus, I’ve failed to make any money. I got one $100 check from google adsense, and a $300 paypal payment for a website I sold. I then commenced wasting all that money on stupid spam traffic and etc… oh well 😀
Good article Melvin.Along with making money a teen must not neglect his studies tooooooo
Based on your statement I assume you were a little old now. 🙂 Just joking. I think maintaining studies is still the highest goal for kids and teen like me.
its great to hear that. Me too, I was able to pay my tuition fees, able to buy gifts for my crush and a lot of things.
Nice post here, its been a long time since I came here, but I have to drop a comment on this one..
With being a teenager myself, I know exactly where you are coming from, there no greater pride from making money online, when all it is, is a hobby. So I am the same as you. I may not make as much money as you, but I don’t really mind, its not the money I am in this for, its to gain knowledge and experience to hold me in good stead for the next few years, but the odd bit of money that comes my way, I don’t complain at 😉
I wish the internet was available when i was 15 ….I wish that I could turn back the clock
😆 yes, At 37, I am old enough to advise you as I have passed through all these phases.
Btw, things are slightly different now compared to 20 years back as there’s more competition, more options (and distractions as well)
Cheers and good luck (to all other youngsters as well)
Ajith
isnt it great how kids like you could earn already thru the internet? at sana kasabay din nyan ang realization ninyo kung papano humawak at maging responsible sa inyong finances na hindi talaga madali dahil andaming gadgets ngayon sa tabi tabi. pero am sure kung pinaghirapan mo ang perang dumating sa yo, you would know how to handle them, di ba? good luck! at welkam sa WPP!
WTG, Melvin! I agree with your thoughts. Making your own money makes you independent. Pero magtapos ka muna, ha. harhar.
Take care!
🙂 I’m not making a lot of money either as what you think. Just enough to pay my bills and buy some shirts and other stuffs. 🙂 Nice stuff there Craig
Well there is no doubt that there is not better time to start like now!
I think there are so many things that teens can do without really risking anything and also at the same time make enough cash to treat themselves well and also help out their parents.
hehhe.. actually its something I have learned a lot. Before I was like, “if I get my first $100, I would buy 10 shrts” and obviously that never happen because I came to realize how hard is it to earn or how foolish could it possibly be to spend the dollars on trivial things.. Most of my earnings are either on the bank or I reinvest them back to get more hopefully… 🙂
Some ppl have the entrepreneurial spirit, some do not. I was trying to make money for myself as far back as I can remember. In the long run entrepreneurs end up with all the rewards even if their school marks weren’t as high as they could have been.
Lol, I feel the same since I’m 19 yrs old.
First of all I do this because it fun, I enjoy it, I really do.
Second I feel so good when I receive 600-800 check every month, I can spend more every saturday night, I got myself new rims ( not the car still hehe) and I always have at least some money.
I’m also studying economics so I really learned a lot about marketing, advertising, strategy, how to find customers, how to sell by reading industry portals, books, affiliate niche sites.. I know more than most of my 1st year colleges, you can really learn a lot.
Sometimes it really takes to much time but I’m still spending less time online than facebook addicts or WoW gamers lol
liked ur points … especially 4th one ..hehe
ur very right mate .. having own side income can help us getting our small needs by own $$
i too do not like to ask parents for $$ for small needs
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