I am 16 years old. School is one of my biggest priorities, and I want to excel to the best of my ability and eventually go to college. I am a sophomore, and am enrolled in four Advanced Placement (AP) classes – which end in June with exams that cost $100 each! I wanted to fund this myself, as well as have extra spending money, so I set a savings goal.
I had the goal of raising $450, but there were very few jobs for a 16-year-old during the quarantine. Therefore, I started an online shop where I sell clothes that I have outgrown. After a few long weeks, I sold most of those clothes, but did not reach my goal.
One of my hobbies is sewing, and I like to design and make my own clothes. I decided I would start making clothes and purses that I could sell. I created my own designs for different shirts and purses, and was able to be creative. It became very popular, and after a few months of starting my business, I had over 150 sales.
I learned a lot about advertising, budgeting, and saving. As I got more orders for purses, I quickly had to learn how to track expenses. I had to factor in my expenses to make sure I was making a good profit. I learned if the cost to make the product was more than the profit, it would not be a good product to sell. If this were the case, I would have to change the price or source less expensive materials. I also wanted to expand my business, so I researched and started the marketing side of my business, which brought more expenses. Shipping was also a major factor.
I’m still maintaining my business, and as of March, have earned $3,000. I reached my goal to support my AP tests, and learned financial lessons in the process. Overall, it has been a great learning experience for me and an opportunity for me to save. I’ve also created my Sunward bank account during the pandemic and am saving money for college.
Teens Can Get $100
Sunward members age 13-17 are invited to submit an article on a financial topic to be considered for publication in our Dollars & Sense newsletter and on our website. Teens are awarded $100 for published articles. Visit slfcu.org/TeenArticles for details, topic suggestions, and to submit an article. Sunward will review all submissions and respond within 30 days.
