High school students live busy lives, and time is often considered a gift. With school, sports, clubs, and trying to squeeze in a social life, adding a job into the mix can seem impossible.

Senior Kristen Flanigan agrees that highschoolers have little time to make money. “My friends complain about saving for college and how it has impacted their spending a little,” Flanigan said.

Flanigan works as a lifeguard at the Arena Club in order to save money for college and pay for her phone bill, but she admits that the choice to work makes balancing time difficult. “I think it’s hard to balance a job and school. It’s really difficult sometimes,” Flanigan said.

Junior Caleb Olsen also feels the burden of being a highschooler without money. “Sometimes I feel like I’m just broke,” he said. Olsen works as a sacristan at St. Margaret Church in Bel Air.

If there isn’t enough time in your life to get an actual job, there are still ways for you to earn money. From seasonal jobs such as shoveling or being a camp counselor to spending five hours a weekend babysitting, making money is a possibility.

Here are a few ways students decide to make money in easy, different ways:

Landscaping: $10/hour

Another good option to make money is landscaping. You could try free-lance work for neighbors, or work for a company like junior Franco Caltabiano, who works for Greenscapes. “I mulch, lay down sod, plant plants, make patios, put hay down, set up irrigation, and work on decks,” Caltabiano said.

Camp Counseling: $12/hour

Senior Preston Thomson is a camp counselor at Woodbury Crossing in Parkton, Maryland. It is a day camp from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and pays $12 per hour. According to Thomson, the camp runs for six weeks, but hours and weeks are flexible.

Shoveling Snow: $50/driveway

Senior Alex Nyce shoveled snow during the recent blizzard for approximately $50 for a driveway. Fellow senior Austin Ross has been plowing snow for four years. During the recent blizzard, Ross plowed for 32 hours straight and made over $800.

Refereeing: $20-40/game

Want an easy way to make $50 in just two hours on a Saturday morning? Referee soccer games! Freshman Shannon King started refereeing soccer games this fall for Churchville Recreation Center for $25 dollars per game. “It was really fun and not very stressful,” King said.

Babysitting: $10/hour

Being a sitter is a simple way to make money, especially if you are responsible. Opportunities can range from babysitting, house-sitting, or even pet-sitting. Junior Heather Lanphar spends most of her time babysitting children in her neighborhood. “I like it because it’s easy and a lot of fun,” Lanphar said.

Tutoring: $10/hour

Ever thought of tutoring? Junior Kat Pelosi will ocassionally tutor her next-door neighbors for $10 per hour. “I would just go over after school and help them with their homework, especially math,” Pelosi said. Another option is being an online tutor. Sites such as WyzAnt, allow you to choose your own hourly rate and get paid through direct deposit or check.

Claire Grunewald in the Print Chief and Pia Scotto is a Community Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.