How can I raise money for a high school trip to Spain?

How to raise money for a school trip?

• Hi. I am currently 14 (turning 15 this June) and I would like to attend a trip to France next summer with my French class at school. The cost is $4,000-4,500. My mom said that she would like me to go (she went in high school and really enjoyed it), but she's not sure if we can afford it. I offered to help pay for as much of it as I could, but I'm not sure what kind of jobs I could do at my age. I am too young to get a "real job" and my parents do not pay me (or my siblings) for doing chores. I figured that I could sell belongings of mine that I no longer need to start, and then figure out other jobs to do. So, I have a basic idea of what I can do to raise money, but I have a few questions about them; There are a lot of elderly people on my street, so I figured that I could help them by doing their yard work. In addition to that, I could also walk dogs and (possibly) babysit. Should I start working with a recommendation for how much I should be paid? If so, what do you think I should offer? I've never done work for my neighbors before, just for my parents (who don't pay me), so I'm not sure if I should go into it knowing what I want to be paid or not. I've been looking it up, but I'm getting a lot of mixed responses. Some people say $9-10/hr, some say $5/hr, some say to be paid per job...I'm not sure which would be best. Honestly, I'll take anything that I can get, but I'm not sure if I should offer a suggestion or not. The trip is next June, although payments are probably due a month or two beforehand. The organization that is hosting the trip offers a payment plan (pay $300-325ish per month, instead of the whole $4,000-4,500 all at once), so if I end up being able to go my parents and I will most likely utilize that. Thank you for reading this and thank you if you can offer me good advice. (: *A note: I will NOT sign up for any internet services or surveys or w/e--I know that they are scams and potentially dangerous.

• Answer:

  Pat your self on the back for not waiting till next March to ask this question. Starting now gives you a real advantage. Attack this 2 ways; Work together as a group & try to put a contingency fund together. That helps everybody. Keep it simple, bake sale, car wash, re-cycle cans, whatever you guys are up for. For example; Are you taking the bus to the airport, try to cover that cost for the group. As for you, start thinking summer job. Try the food court at the mall or your local ice cream shop, they often hire under 16 as they sell nothing restricted. A summer job mowing lawns, a paper route, even a bag boy at the grocery are possible. The key is to think local, what do you see in your neighborhood that you can do. Bon Voyage.