What did you do to earn extra money growing up?

James

James

Member
Location
Canada eh
My parents didn't have enough money to give my brother and I a regular allowance. "Formal Jobs" for kids were non existent where I grew up. You were usually 15 or 16 before you landed your first "real" job.

For my brother and I, every Sunday before supper our dad would drive us around to various parks and fishing spots where he knew people would be drinking over the weekend. We would always get a pretty good haul of returnable pop, beer and liquor bottles from these spots. These places were always cleaned up on Monday mornings so late Sunday afternoon was prime picking time.

We'd also hit some of the back roads as well. The back roads were a gold mine in the early spring when the snow melted. I can remember the trunk of the car being almost full after some of our hunts.

Since fishing was a year round thing where we lived we would take a sleigh out on the ice in the winter and collect the bottles left by the ice fishermen.

Dad would then clean the bottles up and return them for the cash that my brother and I would split.
 

Whittled slingshots and some kinda zip guns ( I vaguely recall it shot rubber bands), to sell to the neighborhood kids. While they were slaving away on paper routes and having heat strokes mowing grass for a pittance, I was sitting in the shade, whittling up my toys to get their hard-earned money.
 
I grew up on a farm there was always extra work to be had for...very little extra money but it was fun.
 

I started with bottles and odd jobs.

When we were kids we would start off from my grandmother's farm and walk to the little crossroads village about a mile away. We each had a burlap bag and covered both sides of the road picking up bottles, 2 cents for regular size bottles and 5 cents for quarts. In the spring we would find so many that we would have to stash a bag in the weeds and come back for a second trip, high finance! In those days nobody worried about us getting hit by a car or being snatched up by the bogeyman.

Odd jobs was a little tougher. I would line up some small job to help an elderly neighbor pull weeds, clean, etc... My mother would always tell me that I should be happy to help the poor dear and not accept any money. That was always a tough call for a little kid on a tight budget, LOL!
 
Put on magic shows, mowed several lawns, shoveled snow, paper route, collected bottles for refunds, worked hay fields, planted Christmas trees and a couple more I can’t think of. Oh...sold Pages seeds and sold the Grit newspaper. Whew...no wonder I’m pooped. :rolleyes:
 
Prior to enlisting in the Army at age seventeen I.......mowed yards, shoveled snow, worked in a car wash, paper route, peddled a bike and sold ice cream, lived (bunkhouse) and worked nights at a vegetable canning factory, traveled in state one season as a laborer with a carnival and worked on a dairy farm for room & board and a little bit of pocket money.
 
I helped my parents whenever they had a party, set the table,,pass the hors d'oeuvres,wash the pots/pans,plates&silverware if they used the good china. I tried not to do what my older sister did,once in awhile I would babysit my younger brother.
I still like washing pots/pans/plates/silverware,though I don't do for myself since its only me,don't like to cook Sue
 
Janie7779 said:
I made pot holders and sold them. Also, raked yards, shoveled snow, and babysat.
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These?

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Had a paper route at age 11 and haven't gone without some sort of a job since. Mowed lawns, shoveled snow, shined shoes, worked at a family owned market stocking shelves and other miscellaneous duties, ran errands for elderly people in my neighborhood, washed and waxed vehicles. I pretty much did anything that I could earn a buck at. Funny thing is it seemed easier to save money back when I was making $25 a week on my paper route than it has been most of my adult life, lol. I was one of the youngest people in my high school to own a car which was a popularity boost. I actually owned it before I could legally drive it. I bought it with my saved up paper route money when I turned 16, 16 1/2 was legal driving age in Mass back then.
 
I was about 12 when we lived in an old refurbished Creamery out in the country in Bucks County PA. We had a small pond with a snake problem. Harmless but scary none-the-less. So Daddy told me if I threw our little 4' plastic boat over them whenever I saw one on the bank he would pay me 10 cents per snake and he would release it far away. I did it a few times but lost interest quickly.
 
Like many other young guys, back in the 1950's, I mowed lawns and shoveled snow, and did errands for some of the elderly neighbors. My old Dad told me I could buy a car when I turned 16...IF I had the money for it. I knew he meant it so I started working and saving from age 11 or 12, and by the time I was 16, I had the money saved up. I'm glad my parents stressed working and saving, as that ideal has served me well through the years.
 
Wasn't really extra my family needed what I made. Age 8 cleaned the butcher block and meat cases, stocked shelves at the mom and pop grocery store a block from where I lived. Same age I helped my older brother with his paper route. Older and able to cut grass using a push mower [would have loved to use a power mower]. 16 to 18 participated in DE or distributive education. 1/2 day in school 1/2 day working in a grocery store learning retail butchering. Made more money than my father working less hours than he did. Bought my own car and clothing, plus paid room and board since my parents didn't have much money.


Fortunately my kids were born when getting a job was still possible. Paying for car insurance on their own policy and upkeep took a chunk out of what they made. A learning lesson that paid off. As a parent my happiness comes from seeing their pride in being self sufficient and responsible as married adults. Funny thought that my youngest at 50 is the baby.


Overall my life has been richer in terms of closeness because of being able to help my parents and shape the character of my children.
 
When I was young it was mostly babysitting for neighbors or running errands at the local grocery store for them.
 
I grew up on a tobacco farm in south GA. Summers were spent "cropping" and "stringing" the fragrant tobacco leaves on sticks to hang in the cooker barns.
 
I feel terrible. I didn't do anything to make money. When I was growing up I didn't ask for much and when I did I usually got it. All I really needed was money for an occasional movie or to go to the beach in summer. I got clothes for school in the fall and large items that I wanted such as roller skates, or a record player I got for my birthday and holidays. I didn't take advantage and I think my parents knew that. I wasn't spoiled and also was taught the value of a dollar. I helped out doing the dishes at night and cut the grass for my Dad not for money but because I wanted to.
 
During fishing season, when we got a bit older, my brother and I would pick dew worms and sell them to the fishermen. We charged .25 cents for a box of 25 (That changed into a .50 cents a box when the tourists rolled in for the weekend) My mom knew the lady who owned a French Fry Truck at our local market who gave her the take out fry boxes we used for the worms.
 
Worked at a Drug Store, & at a Cafe on a University Campus making breakfast & lunch.
 

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