What does your teen spend their money on? UPDATE

DS doesn't have a job (hasn't gotten his license yet), so his money generally goes toward video games, app downloads, his girlfriend. When he gets his license, he will have to pay for gas in excess of a tank every two weeks, but we cover the insurance and his opine. He's actually very good with money, to the point that he deposits around $500 to $600 to savings each year.

My son is extra cunning at getting me to buy the regular teenager things and then he saves 80% of it and buys video games and systems. He mows lawns and rakes in the $. He also puts some of it into stocks.

Fast food, movies, and clarinet parts. It's his money -- he's a kid who learns by doing, not by my telling him what to do. He's 17 and figuring out how to budget his money so he doesn't run out. By the time he goes to college, he'll be pretty good at budgeting. DD20 did the exact same thing. She's very responsible with her money, and has saved enough to buy a car and insurance (she's a junior in college.)

We're clear on what expenses we'll pay for and what they're responsible for. They get an allowance for mad money.

Her money, her choice. Just because you don't think she should be spending her money on that stuff doesn't mean you have a right to tell her how to spend her own money that she worked to earn. You say she's saving part of it, why isn't that enough? If you want her to pay for more of her bills, then do so but she's not "wasting" her money. She's doing what she wants with her money. There will be a time down the road when she won't have the luxury of having money to spend as she wants, so stop forcing her to spend the way you want her to. Would you want someone dictating how you spend the money you earned?

My boys are only 13 and 14 and their money comes from mowing my yard (don't know if their Dad pays them anything). Right now, it's mostly steam gift cards so they can download games or buy add-ons to different games via steam (an online gaming site). The only other thing they spend their money on right now is when they go on a field trip and need to buy their own lunch or extras. I'm sure that will change soon now that DS1 is going to be in high school in the fall.

I've been trying to encourage them to save some of their money instead of blowing it all on virtual crap. It's one thing to buy food/drinks because you're consuming it. It's another when it's literally virtual crap because really, $2.99 for a virtual gun add-on in a game that means absolutely nothing? Yeah, I don't have much regard for online games and refuse to spend a penny on add-ons. Sure, I play angry birds but I will not spend money to get more power-ups and have been trying to encourage the boys to be smart with their money. I don't care if they buy one or two cards so they can load the money onto their accounts but I do not want them spending all of the money I pay them for mowing on video games.

Our 16 yr old does not have a job yet so her money comes from us and as gifts. She is a saver but does spend some on clothes. We give her $$ for her social activities, ice cream, movies, meals out and plays.

For all of you that have kids working that are still in highschool.....

I just have one thing to say. MAKE YOUR CHILD SAVE SOME OF THEIR $$. You will thank me for this later. Our DS worked his Jr and Sr year of highschool. We made him put 50% of what he made in savings. I am SO GLAD WE DID. While all of his friends went to college broke. our DS went with a hefty savings account that he could use for emergencies for his car, if needed and for spending $. Trust me when I say, You will be spending so much on other things for college, that having to give your kid spending $ too, if they dont have a job, is no fun if you want spending $ of your own.

We have 3 kids, DS 19, DD 15 and DS 12. Even the 15yr old and 12 yr old have learned to save 1/2 of what they make. if they make any $ babysitting or dog sitting, they save at least 1/2 of it, Sometimes more if they already have $ to go on. DS (19) worked for 2 years in highschool, Worked his tail off his senior year. Was paying for 1/2 of his cell phone bill, all of the gas in his car ( really our car and because why should I have to put gas in it for him to go and make $) nights out with friends and saved enough to buy a nice car before he went to college and had plenty of $ to put 1K towards school a semester and have plenty of spending $. This summer he is home from school, working 2 jobs ( one full time and 1 part) and plans to get a part time job when he goes back to school in the fall. Hoping this year he will be able to start chipping in on the car ins.