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Money.. =\
Hey guys,
Okay. Well, I have a summer job-babysitting. And by the end of the summer (August 27), I'll have appx. $415--That is, IF I don't spend it. This is going to be tough, because I go to a local amusement park with my friends 1 time a week & I usually spend about $10 a day. I also have another "job"-I clean my brother's whole downstairs and get $20 per week.
$415 is a lot of money, but it seems like nothing, because I need:
-a laptop (my brother broke my computer recently [i'm on his right now]) <- I don't need a fancy one, all I do is AIM, Microsoft Word, & Myspace...but sometimes, all at the same time.
-an iPod (mine broke) <-I need my music!
-& clothes. (i hardly have anything.) <-I need a lot!
So we're looking at spending at LEAST $1,000.
My birthday's on October 15--and I get $100 from my parents & $150 all together from everyone else.
Problem is, my 16th birthday's coming up as well-so I need to put money in the bank for a car!
Ughh. I don't know what to do!
My questions are:
-How can I make money? I'm going to be 15 in October.
-What are some tips to manage money?
-& Approximately how much will it cost to get those 3 things I listed?
Thank you.
Signed,
The Broke One.
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Do you really NEED these things? Sure, they're nice to have, but they aren't neccessary. I don't have my own computer. I have to share one with my mom, dad, and brother, plus my cousins come here like weekday from 8-5, [my cousins are on the computer like the entire time] and it works out fine. Laptops are at least $500. Does it have to be a lap top, though? If you want a computer as soon as possible, you can get a desktop for about $100 cheaper. Plus, your brother broke it. HE should pay for it, or at least meet you half way.
As for the ipod, those prices vary. I'm not sure what kind you want and all that. You can get one for like $100, even if it isn't the BEST. You can save up for a better one later.
Clothes. Hm. Where do you shop? If you shop at Hollister and Abercombie, you aren't getting much for your money. Try Kohls or JC Penny. They have nice clothes and it's cheap. If you really don't want to shop at these places, shop at Hollister and all that, but only buy the clearence. Some of those clothes are INCREDIBLY expensive. Buy a shirt for about $10 or $15 and jeans for $20. Maybe ask you parents for back-to-school shopping [especially if you go to a public school]. My mom gave me $300 for school last year. It was my first year in a public school, though. So this year I'll get less. But, since you said you really need clothes, maybe your parents will give you some.
My suggestion is to take money out of your paycheck and put a little toward each. Take about 25% for clothes, 25% the ipod, 25% for the laptop, and 25% for the car. Maybe less for the car, since you aren't 15. I'll be 15 1/2 next month and I haven't started saving for a car. When you're 16, you can get a good job and probably make more money. Since you really need the other things now, maybe put the car on hold until after you get these other things.
I have no idea how much these things would cost. It really depends on which kind you buy and where you shop.
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Everytime you spend money, put the change in a jar. Ask your parents for spare change, or find some around the house. You can come up with a few extra bucks with just change alone.
Also, maybe you can do chores around the house. Then, spend that money at the amusement park. If not, I wouldn't recommend spending $10 each time if you want these items as soon as possible. Good luck!
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Right. Apparently, you want a new laptop, an iPOD, and clothing.
May I suggest something first? If by chance, you happened to have just bought the iPOD, give Apple a call and complain. If it turns out that you didn't smash it with a pickaxe (Google it) or stomp on it, you may get a refurbrished one for free. This HAS happened to me, only with my Sandisk one, and I ended up getting a brand new MP3 with a couple peripheals.
As for the laptop, is that really necessary? If you have internet access right now, you're obviously able to do those three things. Two more things about this: firstly, if your brother broke it, why is he not paying for it? Personally, if a sibling broke my computer, i'd be mad. Also, do you really need these things? I can understand Word for school projects, but it's summer. Go outside! Surely there's a public pool you can go to for a swim or something. Trust me - a computer turns out to be hardly necessary at all.
Lastly, clothing. Maybe it's just because i'm a guy... but how much money do you need for clothing? My entire wardrobe probably cost about $150, and there's a lot of good stuff in there. Take a trip to Cosco or K-Mart if you live in the states, and pick yourself up some clothes. Just because it's cheaper and not a well-known brand doesn't mean it doesn't look good.
That's a lot of advice right there. For the record, I do have a job, and I make roughly $450 every two weeks. I got this job through my church, actually, so if you're looking for a good job, it's possible you could take a look at the church for a position at a summer camp or something (that's what i'm doing). On top of this, I also teach piano to four kids. It's quite possible this is only because of my experience on the instrument, but it's a fantastic job with a high payout for little amounts of time.
Lastly, if you do tend to spend, stick some in the bank! I have mine planned out so that 70% gets put directly into the bank, and 30% into my wallet. That's more than enough for me, as it means $135 for spending.
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Woooaaah, okay. I think your problem here is what you want, and what you need. $415 is a lot of money. Maybe you could try not to spend $10 every time you go to the amusement park. Even if you spend like $2 less or something each time, that will give you more money in the end. I'm going to be 16 in December and I haven't even thought of getting a car yet or saving up for it. Maybe I'm just behind or something but I don't think you need to be worrying TOO much about that just yet.
I've been wanting a new $250 digital camera FOREVER. I don't even have a job right now, but I earned money from cleaning for my aunt and stuff. Then I realized that I had like hundreds of coins in my room and all over my house. So I cashed them in at the bank and I received over $100.
I mean, I want a laptop too and new clothes (I could always go for new clothes) but obviously you have access to a computer right now so do you REALLY need a laptop for AIM and myspace and stuff? Laptops are pretty expensive. As for clothes, lately I've been finding cute things in inexpensive stores. I don't remember the last time I shopped in Hollister (idk if you wear that stuff, but my point is you can get a few new clothes for less money that are still cute)
So all in all, just don't splurge on stuff you don't NEED to manage your money, try to just spend a few dollars less at that amusement park, etc. I can't give you an actual cost for the things you want because it all depends. So I hope I helped and good luck :]
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