Summer Jobs

With summer comes summer jobs.  Tasha, my homeschooled high school student, just got a job at a local nursing home for the summer.  She'll begin after she gets back from camp next week.

Jasmine, at thirteen, doesn't qualify for much because of her age.  However, she is trying to earn money to help pay for a school trip to Washington D.C. next spring.  My husband and I can't afford to help her much at this moment.  We wanted to do something. We wanted Jasmine to be able to earn some of the money for her trip.  We hit on a plan.

Our mower quit last year.  We've been paying local kids to come and mow our grass when we couldn't borrow a mower.  With permission from Jasmine's mom, we agreed to pay Jasmine to mow our grass once every week or two.  She is using the mower from her mom's (Jasmine is my step-daughter).  We supply gas.  By the end of summer, she could earn over a hundred dollars towards her trip just from one day a week.

We've also decided to set up a commission program for chores.  I read the idea in Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover.  Some chores, like bedrooms, will be required.  Others will be paid as long as the required chores are done by bedtime.  There is the ability to earn an extra few dollars a week doing various chores.  I'm still working on the details of this because, honestly, my older ones aren't going to be as attracted to the chores if they are earning money from outside jobs.  That will leave it all on the younger ones.  On the other hand, maybe it will motivate them more.