Where are the Summer Jobs for Teens?

[NHSparky]

Way too comfortable?  Try clearing brush in New Mexico in the summertime for $5/hr.  Nothing comfortable about that.

And there aren't enough kids to do lawns or snowblow driveways, and I'm not about to pay someone to do it these days (I've been quoted $50 for someone to plow/salt/sand my driveway).

[Freeper]

I remember busting my tail for $15 per quater acre when I was twleve.  Towing a push lawn mower with a gas can strapped to it behind me miles away from home, in Florida summer heat, to make money.  My parents certainly didn't have any money. 

Nowadays, I get eye rolls when I ask a twelve year old if he would like to make $10 for fifteen minutes of mowing.  I won't say lazy, but definitely way too comfortable.

I aint a teen but I will mow your lawn for $10 as long as you buy the gas. 

[zeitgeist]

I aint a teen but I will mow your lawn for $10 as long as you buy the gas. 

One kid in the 'hood ( parents separated ) passed out an ad to mow lawns.  His price was way too low.  Of course one of the neighbors with a weed patch which should only be done with a side bar mower immediately took him up on his low ball price  (This would be the good liberal vegan btw)  bagged and rememoved no less.  To the kids credit he did the job. What a compasionate soul taking advantage of a kid in time of need.

Mowing costs vary but you have to include things like gas and oil, blades and clean up bags in the equation. I don't think the kid covered his fixed cost on that job let alone got anything for his time. 

I have about a half acre which takes me a couple hours to do with a small yard tractor or a 20" push mower.  (With the tractor you have to do more trimming than with the push mower only , I am a fussy SOB there are lawn plantings and gardens to contend with).  Sometimes I use the mower only other times the mower and tractor, depends on how I feel and how hot it is.  I figure it would be worth about four times what the kid was charging the neighbor, a lawn service would probably charge eight times as much and run over shrubs.

Ten years ago I had a company called TrueGreen doing the fertilizer.  After several years I dumped them when they had the nerve to asked me if I want their crabgrass treatment. Told them no, I had enough thank you, they didn't need to give me anymore. (I had been paying for crabgrass control and it kept getting worse because they didn't put it down at the right time or at all who knows)  It took two years to get things back under control.   Hank Hill got nothin on me when it comes to a green weed free lawn now. 

[NHSparky]

I hear that, zeit...I tried a lawn service last fall.  $300 to rake, clear, mow, and lime the lawn (actual lawn size might be 1/2 acre on my property).  To their credit, they also did the culvert in front of the house, which surprised me.

Sadly, there were still a ton of leaves that fell after they did the lawn (second week of November).  Even so, they didn't make much money on me.

[Mike220]

Damn. I mowed the neighbors lawn back in high school. $20 to mow, $10 each to edge or rake.

He got "Best Lawn" by the city one month and I got a $5 raise.

His wife made the best sweet tea for me when I needed a break and he had some great stories. Retired Army 1SG who served as a crew chief with service in VN.

[Vagabond]

I aint a teen but I will mow your lawn for $10 as long as you buy the gas. 

Heck, I was even going to let them use my mower to do it.