I'm irresponsible with money

[Petunia 100]

How does your money come to you? Do your parents give you cash each week? I suggest you open a savings account. Request that a portion of your allowance be deposited directly into your savings account, and a portion be paid to you in cash.

[Stoic Cynic]

Yes, stay away from illegal activities. Maybe fix computers and game consoles for your friends and classmates?

I guess there are cultural differences between here and where you are. But, the local grocery store in my town has a communication board at the front of the store. On there are tons of pamplets stuck to the wall advertising everything from yard work to babysitting. Mostly by people around your age looking to make some money. Is there anything similar where you live?

I think there is something similar in my local supermarket, but it's mostly people selling random junk. I don't know if posting on these boards will be helpful though, the ad's rarely get a reply by the looks of it.

Can you do extra chores around your own house for extra money?

Have you done any follow up on places you have submitted an application? Go back weekly to each place and speak to the manager. Bug the h*** out of them and I guarentee they will remember you the next time they are hiring.

I already work around the house for my money. Once a week I mop the floors and hoover/vacuum the stairs and the bedrooms. 2 or 3 times a week I empty the dishwasher. I carry clothes my from the laundry room to my room and put them away. My house is on a pretty tight budget so I can't really ask for much more. I bugged a couple of places I've applied for but they told me they weren't hiring at the moment. It sucks, there are no jobs to be found.

[disneysteve]

If you are 17, in school, and have no job, where are you getting all of this money that you are blowing on cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, and video games?

If I gave my 17 year old (I do have one of those actually) her allowance each week and I learned that it was being spent on those things, you can be damn sure that allowance would be cut off in an instant. If your parents are enabling your bad behavior, that's a whole other problem that needs to be dealt with.

You said that you can't babysit because you're male. I'm curious about that. Is there some law against that where you live? I've never heard of there being a gender restriction on child care. There certainly isn't in the US.

[bjl584]

I think there is something similar in my local supermarket, but it's mostly people selling random junk. I don't know if posting on these boards will be helpful though, the ad's rarely get a reply by the looks of it.

Well, post something on there and find out. Don't give up before you even try.

[BMEPhDinCO]

Try looking on Craigslist for jobs... or perhaps using your skills to set up a website where people can contact you to get things fixed.

Also, try giving back 1/4 of your allowance each week and ask them to hold onto it for you for 2 months, then you'll have a bit in savings.

It's really up to you, we can't force you to do it and neither can anyone else - if you want to change, tell yourself it will happen and then take the steps to make it so.

[Stoic Cynic]

If you are 17, in school, and have no job, where are you getting all of this money that you are blowing on cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, and video games?

If I gave my 17 year old (I do have one of those actually) her allowance each week and I learned that it was being spent on those things, you can be damn sure that allowance would be cut off in an instant. If your parents are enabling your bad behavior, that's a whole other problem that needs to be dealt with.

You said that you can't babysit because you're male. I'm curious about that. Is there some law against that where you live? I've never heard of there being a gender restriction on child care. There certainly isn't in the US.

No one in my family really needs a babysitter and if they ever do that job goes to my sister. And you couldn't imagine the stick I'd get for babysitting. And lastly you'd be surprised what your 17 year old gets up to.

[bjl584]

No one in my family really needs a babysitter and if they ever do that job goes to my sister. And you couldn't imagine the stick I'd get for babysitting. And lastly you'd be surprised what your 17 year old gets up to.

Not to speak for Steve, but I have a feeling that his daughter is pretty straight laced. I doubt she is getting into 1/10 of what you are.

[Stoic Cynic]

Not to speak for Steve, but I have a feeling that his daughter is pretty straight laced. I doubt she is getting into 1/10 of what you are.

That's probably true, but still, a lot of parents don't have a clue about the things their kids get up to. When I was 14 I used to break into and raid old factories for scrap metal to get easy money. I've watched my dealer rob places in open daylight while I'd do lines in his car. If my parents knew any of this I'd be shot. Thankfully all that stupid **** is behind me. Currently I just smoke weed and drink once every two weeks.

[bjl584]

That's probably true, but still, a lot of parents don't have a clue about the things their kids get up to. When I was 14 I used to break into and raid old factories for scrap metal to get easy money. I've watched my dealer rob places in open daylight while I'd do lines in his car. If my parents knew any of this I'd be shot. Thankfully all that stupid **** is behind me. Currently I just smoke weed and drink once every two weeks.

Most 14 year olds don't break into factories or have dealers or do lines in a car. If even half of that is true, then you need to seriously take a step back and re evaluate your life and what you want out of it. The only thing in your future going down that sort of path is prison or a graveyard.

[bjl584]

I smell troll more and more as this thread keeps going.

[Stoic Cynic]

I smell troll more and more as this thread keeps going.

Well I can assure you I'm not a troll. I came here for advice on how I can manage my money but my recreational activities were more discussed. Not my fault.

[Momma23]

Ask your parents about extra chores. You never know til you ask...

Like I said earlier, go back to the places you have applied on a weekly basis. Ask to speak to the manager. Introduce yourdelf each time with a handshake and make eye contact. Be persistant! If you want something you have to go after it.

I agree you need to open a savings account, but you need to make the deposits yourself. Your parent's shouldn't do it for you. You need to do it yourself so you can get into the habit of saving and getting control of your money.

My 17 year old son has a part-time job that he has worked at for over 18 months. He also goes to school. He puts 10% into a savings account that he has earmarked for a Roth. He pays his own cell bill at appox $50/month, and pays for anything else frivilous with his own money. He paid off his truck note in 11 months instead of three years. It just takes dicipline.

You can do it!

[sweetlady2k]

That's probably true, but still, a lot of parents don't have a clue about the things their kids get up to. When I was 14 I used to break into and raid old factories for scrap metal to get easy money. I've watched my dealer rob places in open daylight while I'd do lines in his car. If my parents knew any of this I'd be shot. Thankfully all that stupid **** is behind me. Currently I just smoke weed and drink once every two weeks.

Not all people your age do things like that at all. My daughter is almost 17 and watched my sister who is 30 now waste her life partying and either working random fast food jobs for a month or two or just not bother working at all. And on and off drugs, by the way even when shes off drugs she still thinks pot is ok. Which takes up what little money she ever has. What it has done is just made my daughter determined never to be like her aunt. She also knows that while I have an associates degree it has absolutely no impact on my job. She sees me working 60 hours a week to make what a person who has a bachelors degree makes in 40 hours. So she does the right things, does well in school, doesn't go to parties or hang out with the wrong kind of people. Are you still in school? Do you have an plans to get training at a technical school or maybe go to college. People in the computer field make very good money. You don't have to stay in your town, you could move to were there are better opportunities. If you really want to improve your future you will be able to do it if you stop being negative and put in some effort and quit wasting money on stupid things.

[Stoic Cynic]

Not all people your age do things like that at all. My daughter is almost 17 and watched my sister who is 30 now waste her life partying and either working random fast food jobs for a month or two or just not bother working at all. And on and off drugs, by the way even when shes off drugs she still thinks pot is ok. Which takes up what little money she ever has. What it has done is just made my daughter determined never to be like her aunt. She also knows that while I have an associates degree it has absolutely no impact on my job. She sees me working 60 hours a week to make what a person who has a bachelors degree makes in 40 hours. So she does the right things, does well in school, doesn't go to parties or hang out with the wrong kind of people. Are you still in school? Do you have an plans to get training at a technical school or maybe go to college. People in the computer field make very good money. You don't have to stay in your town, you could move to were there are better opportunities. If you really want to improve your future you will be able to do it if you stop being negative and put in some effort and quit wasting money on stupid things.

I plan on going to collage in September, this is my second try at exams because I messed up the first time. I don't know what I want to study though, I was think something to do with computers or journalism. And it's good that your daughter has that motivation to keep her from being a **** up but you can't protect your kids forever. I've seen plenty of people turn 18 and suddenly think they can handle alcohol, I even seen this happen with my american cousin's when they turned 21. I've been drinking since I was 13, horrible I know, but it's taught me a few things and given me a certain perspective that straight edge kids don't have.

[disneysteve]

Well I can assure you I'm not a troll. I came here for advice on how I can manage my money but my recreational activities were more discussed. Not my fault.

People often come here asking one question but in the course of the discussion, we find that the problem is really something entirely different, and we aren't shy about pointing that out.

So you want to know how to save more money?

Stop smoking.
Stop drinking.
Stop doing drugs.
Get a job.
Have some amount automatically transferred to a savings account each month, preferably an account that isn't too easy to access. No ATM card. No debit card linked to the account.

You also mentioned you are bad at paying your debts. Stop borrowing money. If you don't have the money to buy something, don't buy it.