You’ve seen a pair of jeans you really want, but they cost megabucks. What now? Use your birthday money, go find a job or whinge until your parents can stand it no more, and buy the jeans?
But they are not likely to cough up continually without comment. Parents have lots of financial responsibilities, such as keeping the roof over your head, and their surname is not necessarily “Moneybags”.
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If your family is struggling to pay the rent, or one of your parents is unemployed, it is simply unfair to put pressure on them to buy you designer clothing. So don’t be selfish in this regard.
Everyone needs money. Not just to buy cool things - CDs, a cellphone, talktime, lunch, a night out. But also for a few of life’s necessities. And these things don’t come cheap.
So what can you do? Here are some tips on how you can deal with cash.
Earn your parents’ trust. If your parents were to give you a fixed amount of pocket money, you could use it wisely and show them that you can work with it properly. It isn’t nice to ask them every single time you want something, but it’s also unpleasant having to go to them in the middle of the month to ask for more, because you’ve run out. If they can see that you are responsible, and that you don’t waste your money on junk, they are more likely to stop watching you with a hawk’s eye.
Get a job. Find out what the legal age is at which you can get a casual job. Earning some money of your own gives you a certain amount of freedom. Tell everyone you know that you’re looking for a job, and go and ask at all the places that employ casual staff, such as supermarkets and restaurants in your area. Also try odd jobs in the neighbourhood, babysitting, pool cleaning, car washing – whatever you can lay your hands on. Eventually something will crop up. Even if it’s something you would rather not do. It’s a low price to pay for freedom.
Work around the house. Offer to do extra things, over and above your normal chores around the house. Clean the garage, do a few shifts belonging to someone else in the kitchen or in the garden – at a small fee, of course. If you can save money for your parents by doing something for which they would normally have to pay someone else, all the better. They can pay you half price – and everyone wins.
Don’t waste money. If your parents see you wasting your money away on junk, they will be less likely to want to give you pocket money on a regular basis. If you’re spending wildly on fads and things of little value, you’ll be sending a message loud and clear that you are not to be trusted with money.
Do pre-paid. Don’t run up huge cellphone bills. It’s very easy to do once you get involved in a long conversation or endless SMSs going to and fro. At least with pre-paid, you know where you are and you cannot go over a certain limit.
Steer clear of junk food. Once in while a hamburger isn’t going to kill you. But have it every day for a few years, and it might just. What’s more, junk food is expensive and a couple of nights out at a fast-food (read fat-food) outlet could deplete your fincances completely. Not to talk of what it could do to your waistline.
Don’t do accounts. Even if you have a small income, you might be tempted to open shop accounts. Remember that in most cases, buying something on credit means that you will be paying more for the item over time. Many people’s present financial woes can be traced back to huge shop accounts they couldn’t pay. Next thing they’re blacklisted, which means no one will give them credit. Just don’t go there.
Don’t lend money to friends. A couple of bucks in an emergency aren’t a train smash, but make sure you get it back. Some people get through life spongeing little bits and pieces off other people. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about lending a big sum to someone for a long-distance bus ticket home – and never seeing the money again. Or them, for that matter. Few things spoil friendships as badly as unpaid debts do.
Budget properly. Decide which things are the most important, and write down what they cost. Total them up and see whether you have enough money. Choose what you can leave off the list. Also remember to leave money for things like special outings or birthdays, if you know they are coming up. If you just take your money and merrily spend it, you will run out of cash long before the month is up.
Don’t buy only high fashion. One or two high-fashion items should see you through. Just remember: by next year, they will be so ‘last-summer’, and you won’t want to wear them, even if there is nothing wrong with them. Plain, more classic stuff could see you through many seasons.
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