MOTLEY FOOL

Summer is approaching, so it’s a perfect time for teens to start thinking about how they can earn some money. Here’s a list of moneymaking ideas, adapted from “The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens: 8 Steps to Having More Money Than Your Parents Ever Dreamed Of,” by David and Tom Gardner with Selena Maranjian (Touchstone, $16).

» When someone in your neighborhood goes on vacation, you can care for their pets, turn lights on and off, collect the mail and water plants. Some busy folks might need a year-round dog-walker.

» Serve older neighbors by buying and delivering groceries, running errands or doing odd jobs, such as changing light bulbs. (Spend a little time chatting with them, too, and you can learn some great life lessons.)

» Sign up customers whose properties you can tend year-round, mowing lawns, raking leaves, shoveling snow and/or gardening.

» If you enjoy arts and crafts, make and sell beautiful things such as jewelry, sweaters or photographs.

» Be a tech guru for neighbors frustrated and confused by their computers or mobile devices. You can perform backups, scan for viruses, solve prob- lems, answer questions and show people how to use their machines. You might even make some good money setting up or maintaining websites for small companies and organizations.

» Teach skills you have to others, such as piano playing, horseback riding or juggling. You can also play music at functions, publish a newsletter or draw portraits.

More ideas: If you’re good at a school subject such as math or Spanish, you can become a tutor, helping others to understand it. Factory work, although often dreary, can pay well. At retailers, you’ll often get employee discounts and sometimes you earn sales commissions, too. If you inquire early enough, you can line up a job at a summer camp, movie theater, amusement park, golf course or parks department. If you enjoy working with young children, see if any nearby day care centers could use some help.

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