Jobless high school student working 60+ hours a week on school and life, trying to move out soon, help your mom, and avoid drowning in debt – that’s a lot to juggle at once. The good news: with a clearer plan, you can reduce the pressure, set realistic targets, and build a path that actually works.
Below is a reworked plan based on your goals, plus extra steps to help you budget, earn, and prepare for college and law school – even before you land your first job.
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1. Clarify Your Realistic Short‑Term Goals
You’ve set three big near‑term goals:
– Move out by next May
– Get a car by August
– Help your mom with about $3k this month
On top of that, you want to:
– Avoid relying on your family financially
– Save and invest early
– Eventually earn 60-80k per year through college and into law school
The first step is to break this into what’s realistic now and what belongs in a longer timeline.
Short term (next 12 months):
– Build at least a basic emergency cushion (even a few hundred dollars matters).
– Get consistent income, even if small at first.
– Contribute something to your mom, even if you don’t hit $3k.
– Get your driver’s license and, if possible, a cheap, reliable used car – not a dream car.
– Learn strict budgeting so you control every dollar you get.
Medium term (2-5 years):
– Finish high school with as little debt as possible.
– Complete 2 years at community college with minimal borrowing.
– Build work experience that pays more over time (not just random jobs).
– Prepare for transfer to a state school and then law school with a realistic cost and income plan.
You don’t need everything at once. You need order and priorities.
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2. Understand the “60-80k Through College” Number
You mention needing 60-80k to be comfortable in college and avoid huge debt. A lot depends on:
– Whether you live at home, in a dorm, or alone
– The state and city you’re in
– Your spending style and whether you keep lifestyle low
However, it’s important to distinguish:
– Annual income target (e.g., making 30-40k per year while in college), vs.
– Total income over several years (e.g., earning 60-80k across 4-6 years of school)
Earning 30-40k *per year* while in high school is almost impossible with a 22-36 hour work cap. Earning 30-40k per year in college with a high‑paying part‑time job or co‑op is more realistic, but still intense.
You probably meant:
“Across my college years, I want to bring in 60-80k so I don’t need massive loans.”
That’s achievable over multiple years with:
– Part‑time work during semesters
– Full‑time work during summers
– Side gigs / freelancing
– Scholarships and grants lowering your costs
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3. Budgeting When You Don’t Have a Job (Yet)
You asked: *How do I budget when I don’t have a job?*
A budget is simply a plan:
– For where your money will go once it comes in, and
– For how much you are allowed to spend now.
Even without a paycheck, you can:
1. Map your current money situation
– How much cash do you have right now?
– Do you get any regular allowance, gifts, or support?
– What are your fixed expenses (phone, subscriptions, school fees, transport)?
2. Cut every non‑essential cost immediately
– Cancel or pause any subscription you don’t absolutely need.
– Stop small “leaks”: snacks out, random online purchases, unnecessary clothes.
– Use school or public libraries instead of buying books or materials.
3. Use a very simple budget rule for now
With no job, use a bare‑bones cash plan:
– 70% Needs (food, phone, school necessities, minimal transport)
– 20% Savings (even if that’s a few dollars)
– 10% Flex (personal spending)
As your income rises, shift to something like:
– 50-60% Needs
– 20-30% Savings/Investing
– 10-20% Wants
4. Track every dollar manually
– You don’t need a fancy app. You can use a notes app or a spreadsheet.
– Write: income in, expenses out, every day.
– After a month, you’ll know exactly where to cut and where to redirect money.
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4. Budgeting and Investing Apps (Used the Smart Way)
You asked for investing and budgeting apps. Tools help, but habits matter more.
Budgeting apps (or simple systems):
– Use anything that lets you:
– Create categories (food, transport, school, savings).
– Set monthly limits.
– See totals at a glance.
– If apps are overwhelming, a simple spreadsheet or notebook works just as well.
Investing basics for a high school student:
– If you’re under 18, you’ll likely need a custodial investment account (opened by a parent/guardian).
– Focus on:
– Learning what stocks, bonds, and index funds are.
– Understanding risk: markets go up and down; never invest money you need in the short term.
– Investing small amounts consistently, not chasing “get rich quick” schemes.
Reality check:
Until you have stable income and at least a small emergency buffer, your priority is saving cash, not aggressively investing. Investing $20 while you have $0 saved and unpaid bills is backwards.
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5. Realistic Jobs That Can Get You Toward 30-40k (Over Time)
You said you can work 22-36 hours per week and want to aim at making 30-40k while still in school. That’s high, but you can work toward it long term if you stack experience and choose jobs carefully.
Typical high school jobs (starting point)
These probably won’t hit 30-40k alone, but they get you in the game:
– Fast food or restaurant work (host, server, busser, line cook)
– Retail (clothing stores, supermarkets, electronics)
– Movie theaters, bowling alleys, local entertainment venues
– Babysitting, pet sitting, dog walking
– Tutoring younger students (math, reading, test prep)
At $12-15/hour, 25 hours per week:
– $12 x 25 x 52 ≈ $15,600/year
– $15 x 25 x 52 ≈ $19,500/year
Add summer full‑time work and side gigs, and you can inch closer to your higher targets in college.
Higher‑paying opportunities you can grow into
– Lifeguarding (requires certification, but often pays better than minimum wage)
– Tutoring in subjects you’re strong in (math, science, writing, foreign language)
– Tech help: setting up devices, basic troubleshooting for people who aren’t tech‑savvy
– Freelance online gigs (design, writing, social media content) if you develop the skills
Over several years, these can help you approach that 30-40k/year level, especially in college if you combine:
– Campus jobs
– Side freelancing
– Summer full‑time work
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6. Earning Around $3k Quickly to Help Your Mom
Making $3k in a single month as a high schooler is tough, but you can aim to get as close as possible, or spread that goal over 2-3 months.
Combine:
1. Part‑time job with as many hours as you can responsibly manage
If you get $13/hour and work 30 hours/week:
– $13 × 30 ≈ $390/week
– In 4 weeks ≈ $1,560 before taxes
2. Odd jobs that pay daily or weekly
– Yard work (mowing lawns, raking leaves, shoveling snow depending on season)
– Cleaning garages, basements, or helping with moves
– Babysitting, dog walking, pet sitting
– Helping with basic home tasks for older people (tech help, grocery runs, light cleaning)
3. Sell items you no longer use
– Clothes, shoes, tech, games, or accessories you genuinely don’t need.
– Aim to gather everything in one place, then price reasonably to move things fast.
Even if you don’t hit $3k exactly in one month, bringing in $500, $1,000, or $1,500 still meaningfully helps your mom – and you’ll be moving in the right direction.
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7. Balancing 60-72 Hours a Week of School + Work
You mention pulling 60-72 hours per week. If that includes school, homework, and life responsibilities, then stacking a ton of work hours on top can burn you out fast.
To avoid wrecking your grades and mental health:
– Aim for consistent hours, not maximum possible hours.
– Protect at least:
– 7-8 hours of sleep most nights
– Some time each week to decompress
– If your grades crash, your future earnings and scholarship chances drop – which directly hits your long‑term financial plan.
Treat school and your future degree as your long‑term income engine. Work hard, but don’t sabotage that engine for a bit more cash now.
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8. Planning for Community College, State School, and Law School
Your education plan:
– 2 years at community college
– Then a state school
– Then law school, likely in different states
To keep this financially sane:
1. Crush community college cheaply
– Live as cheaply as possible: stay at home if it’s safe and workable.
– Max out local scholarships, fee waivers, and any grants.
– Work part‑time and save aggressively.
2. Choose a major that fits your strengths and earnings
– Marketing and engineering are very different paths.
– Engineering can lead to higher starting salaries but is more intense in math and workload.
– Marketing can be more flexible, but you’ll need real‑world experience (internships, projects, portfolio).
3. Think hard about law school costs
– Law school is expensive.
– Your goal should be:
– Get into the best law school you can with the least possible debt.
– Aim for scholarships and strong LSAT scores, which can literally be worth tens of thousands of dollars.
4. Work experience that helps your future career
– Look for roles that build skills you can sell later:
– For marketing: content creation, social media, event help, sales.
– For engineering: technical internships, coding, lab assistant roles.
– For law: court clerkships, legal assistant roles, government or nonprofit internships.
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9. Saving and Investing Strategy in High School and College
Order of operations for you, realistically:
1. Emergency buffer first
– Target: $500-$1,000 in pure savings, not invested, just accessible.
– This protects you from small crises (car issues, phone problems, school fees).
2. Kill any high‑interest debt
– If you ever get a credit card, avoid carrying a balance.
– High‑interest debt grows faster than almost any beginner investing.
3. Then start small, steady investing
– Once you have steady income and an emergency fund, start investing small:
– A fixed amount each month into broad, low‑cost investments (like index funds).
– The goal is not quick money – it’s building the habit and compounding over years.
4. Never confuse investing with gambling
– Avoid day trading, “hot tips,” or anything promising fast results.
– As a student with limited cash, your biggest asset is time, not risk.
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10. A Simple One‑Page Plan You Can Start This Week
This month:
– List all expenses and cut everything non‑essential.
– Apply widely for part‑time jobs (retail, food service, tutoring, gig work).
– Take any safe odd jobs you can get to bring in quick cash.
– Start tracking every dollar you spend.
Next 3-6 months:
– Stabilize a job with 20-30 hours/week that doesn’t destroy your grades.
– Build at least a $300-$500 emergency cushion.
– Help your mom with what you realistically can, regularly if possible.
– Study financial literacy: budgeting, compound interest, student loans, and basic investing.
Next 1-2 years:
– Graduate high school without consumer debt.
– Enter community college with a clear, low‑cost plan.
– Continue working part‑time and saving a portion of every paycheck.
– Start investing small amounts once your savings cushion is solid.
You’re thinking about money, lifestyle, independence, and long‑term education earlier than most people your age. That’s a huge advantage. The key now is to adjust your expectations slightly, prioritize stability, and build step by step instead of trying to jump straight to a 60-80k lifestyle before the foundation is in place.