Teen with new job eating out too much

[Anonymous]

This is a pretty common teen thing. They learn on their own how dumb it is and stop.

[Anonymous]

After smelling all that food for a few months it will all begin to seem very Unappealing. Its just that initial phase. This will have a natural course. Also when your only making 150 bucks a week or whatever you will realize wasting half of it on food isn't going to get you much in the way of material possessions which also happen to matter a lot to teens too.

[Anonymous]

Micromanaging your teen this way can only end very badly. You really need to land that helicopter and get off!

[Anonymous]

I used to go to Wendys and get water and a baked potato loaded with veggies. That's it. And Starbucks has those protein packs with cheese, grapes, crackers, pear, etc.

I think it might make more sense for you to sit down with your son and have him write out everything he's spent money on for a week and then to say "Wow, $50 on fast food?! That's $200 a month - you could take food from home and save that - that's a couple thousand a year."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to go to Wendys and get water and a baked potato loaded with veggies. That's it. And Starbucks has those protein packs with cheese, grapes, crackers, pear, etc.

I think it might make more sense for you to sit down with your son and have him write out everything he's spent money on for a week and then to say "Wow, $50 on fast food?! That's $200 a month - you could take food from home and save that - that's a couple thousand a year."

That's not a bad idea at all. While I don't support taking away his paycheck or micromanaging what he buys, this is a great exercise (for adults as well). Even though he knows where the money is going in small increments, seeing the bottom-line number may help him learn lessons that will be valuable in the future.
Just do it kindly, OP - don't be condescending or over-use the scare tactics. <3

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Is my husband right? Do we have no say? Anyone think I can put a rule in place where I only give DC x dollars per week and the rest must go into savings instead of just the 15% we were making DC save?

Does your child have a car? Is he or she paying for insurance? Instead of taking all the money and putting him or her on an allowance, I would just work things so she doesn't have a ton of disposable income. Your child worked basically 9 to about 2 PM on Saturday, so 5 hours, plus the evening shift she picked up. Maybe 8 hours total? x what? $8 an hour? So maybe $64 gross, minus taxes... perhaps earned $50? Of that she spent $40 on fast food. At some point it will hit home that she's not really making a lot of money and she will take coffee from home etc. But let her get a few paychecks and learn that lesson. If she really IS making a ton of money, be sure she is paying for gas and insurance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah getting a job at the mall and hanging out with friends who also worked there was a huge rite of passage. Sometimes it meant getting fast food or cookies at Mrs. Fields or frozen yogurt. I was otherwise active (on my feet at work plus gym class plus sports) so it was fine health-wise, didn't gain weight. Over time, you realize it isn't as exciting as it once was and get bored of the food at the mall.

Yup. I spent my lunch breaks at Booeymonger in Friendship Heights back when froyo was new and cool. Eventually the excitement wore off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah getting a job at the mall and hanging out with friends who also worked there was a huge rite of passage. Sometimes it meant getting fast food or cookies at Mrs. Fields or frozen yogurt. I was otherwise active (on my feet at work plus gym class plus sports) so it was fine health-wise, didn't gain weight. Over time, you realize it isn't as exciting as it once was and get bored of the food at the mall.

Yup. I spent my lunch breaks at Booeymonger in Friendship Heights back when froyo was new and cool. Eventually the excitement wore off.

OMG! Booeymongers! Froyo when it was new and cool! Ahhhh, memories

p.s. My apologies to "Lisa" - my friends "forced" me to step up to the counter and claim her food when they called out her name. I've been haunted.

[Anonymous]

I think it is beyond controlling that you are stalking your child's bank account and seeing where every penny goes. Back the helicopter up.

[Anonymous]

Ugh, your post is so hard to read bc you keep typing "their" (plural)and your DC is singular. Do you have twins?

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a great life lesson for your kid. Your DC will realize all of his/her hardwork for a paycheck doesn't go far when it's all spent on fast food.

[Anonymous]

The novelty of having extra will ease and as soon as your child thinking of something he/she/they wants to save up for, he/she/they will be more inclined to save.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ugh, your post is so hard to read bc you keep typing "their" (plural)and your DC is singular. Do you have twins?

Not the OP but you’re wrong!

We are supposed to use ‘their’ now to be more gender neutral! It’s widely accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ugh, your post is so hard to read bc you keep typing "their" (plural)and your DC is singular. Do you have twins?

Not the OP but you’re wrong!

We are supposed to use ‘their’ now to be more gender neutral! It’s widely accepted.

[Anonymous]

My kids think fast food is vile. Sounds like your now basically adult children were never taught proper nutrition.