I was just in the car with my mom, and i asked her if when i got a cell phone (when i start driving) if she would pay the bill. I told her i would pay for the phone initially and my gas money, etc., but she said no!! I dont understand. Ok, she knows I HATE talking on the phone and would only use it when necessary (emergencies, basically), so it wouldnt be an expensive bill at all. My job is going to be a minimum wage paying job, 2-3 hours a day after school, 5 days a week (maybe not even that much, since i know of another person who wants the job as well, so we might have to share). How, may i ask, am I supposed to pay for everything?! My dad has a good paying job, my mom has two good paying jobs, and I have my heart set on a $5000 trip to U.K. my senior year, which i am paying for completely. She knows how badly i want to go, and how much money i have to save. At this rate, i dunno how im ever gonna save any money at all.

My parents ALWAYS paid for my brother's gas money for 3 freakin years! I dont even wanna know how much gas that boy used a week. He drove anyone and everyone home who asked every single day, and other random stuff like that, but they still paid, no questions asked! He only had a job for the last 1/2 year and summer time (one month) until he went into the Marines.

If i could pay for it, i would happily do so, but I wont be able to. My family has enough money to, i know for a fact. I dont understand why my parents were so much harder on us girls than on my brother. (one of my sisters didnt even get a car till college) Actually, i suppose they were pretty easy on my other sister. What, do they feel like they have to strike a balance and go half and half?? Jeez. Its plain ridiculous.

P.S.I also meant to say that I'm not ungrateful, i realize i am very lucky and have a lot to be thankful for, but...come on! And, by the way, whose idiot idea was it to set minimum wage at $5 something!? How ridiculous.

I feel your pain!! Money is tight at home and I'm feeling the effects. I'm 25 and live at home because I was living with someone and we ended our relationship. I pay a mininal amount of rent and the deal was everything is included. A few months later I'm buying my own groceries. True, I'm an adult and I should, but I'm saving to buy my own home and this wasn't part of the deal we agreed upon. Unfortunately I'm taking it like a sucker so as to not cause waves at home... aye aye aye! Hang in there and hopefully things get better. Just think about how much character we're building!!! =P

~jess~

I know I don't tell my kids all my financial information....Its not their business. Maybe there is more to it than you think.

I doubt it. If they are willing to buy me a different truck than my brothers so i didnt have to drive a stickshift, then its obvious they have some money. (i told them I dont want a different truck, however) Around here, you could probably get a good used truck from someone for about $2,000. That'd be quite a few cell-phone bills, i would think. As I said, it doesnt make any sense.

I noticed that you are only 15 years old according to your profile. Do your parent's already have a cell phone? I know that most plans you can add a cell phone for 9.99 plus tax every month now that doesn't include any extra's like text messaging. You wouldn't be able to get a cell phone contract yet anyway it would need to be in your parent's name until you are 18. If you are working even part time you should be able to give your moms $10 a month. If not then imho you aren't responsible enough for a cell phone yet anyway.

I swear, I don't know how I ever got through my teenage years. I had no car, no cell phone, the only phone was in the family KITCHEN, and minimum wage was $1.80 an hour. And somehow I lived through this abusive existence and became quite the responsible adult!!

I know you will all hate me for this, but I hope you all come back to this website in 10 or 20 years and see what you think then about the things that are shattering your world now.

I love you all, DEARLY, but come on....

I agree. I had a cell phone at 18 and I had to pay for it all. I paid my own way thru school (for the most part). I was never given allowance or just handed money. Once I got a job at 16 (part time, couple days a week) I started buying all my clothes and personal items. I got thru just fine and so can you. I think it makes you a better person. I paid most of way thru college working two days a week - buying all my books, computer, etc. It really wasn't that bad. You just have to spend your money wisely. You have to decide what is more important to you, a cell phone or a trip. Do you need a phone if you aren't going to use it? And just because you don't use it doesn't mean it is cheap, there is a stilly a monthly bill you have to pay if you use it or not. Perhaps pay and talk would be better for you.

And look at me, I am doing just fine.

Eh, my oldest sister agrees with my side, anyway. Its not that im complaining i have to pay, im not a spoiled little brat, its that i do not have the resources to pay, when my parents do. If i did, i would happily do it. I do agree that its good to start managing my money now, but you'd think it'd be better to do it within reason. I'm doing the best i can, i always have. Its not 'shattering my world,' im just saying its unfair that my brother and sister didnt have to pay for crap, not even in college, when me and my other sister do. I mean, live in the middle of nowhere. It takes a while to get to school and back, or anywhere for that matter. If i break down or something like that in between, im completely screwed. I might try getting her to agree to getting a family plan.

But, you know what, never mind. Sorry for troubling you with my pettiness, since apparently im too young to know anything.

My daughter started work at 15 1/2, she worked a summer with a family friend to buy an older car from him. She has always paid her own car insurance and when she wanted a cell phone she went to walmart and got a pay as you go one.

Thanks jules, that might work. My dad has one of those.

No school bus can take you back & forth to school?

I have to say I am very grateful my parents never bought me a car. I never had to deal with paying for car upkeep, gas or insurance. I was pretty "rich" in college because cars are expenses and it wasn't an expense I had to worry about. Also, people who did have cars in college seemed to feel a bit used (or maybe some didn't notice) because they were always asked by others to drive them around. I tried not to get rides from people unless it was a mutual thing. I usually walked or sometimes I'd take the bus.

As for the cellphone, it's not a must-have item, and maybe that's what your parents are thinking. Also, just because they wanted to get you a truck doesn't mean they're loaded either. Maybe they're saving for something too. You really can't know. Why not simply ask the reasoning. Just say "Mom, I know you said no to the cellphone, but I don't understand if it's finances or some other reason and would just like to know the reason so I can better understand what you're wanting of me."

The prepaids someone mentioned...you have to use the minutes within X amount of days. Like 45 days or something. But you can pay a minimum of $10 every 45 or 60 days just to keep the phone active for emergencies. I believe some cell companies also have specials for extremely cheap cellphones that are used only for emergencies...at least they used to have.

Onto the min. wage comment. Until they increase my wages, for which I have gone to career school and taken night courses and received certifications to obtain, I feel differently about min. wage. Anyone can get min. wage, and yet it's not that much lower than what I have gotten with all that extra schooling. So I feel as if I get penalized when the non-schooled people keep getting closer and closer to my salary...that I had to work hard to obtain.

Now for the person who said they made $1.80, and didn't have a car or phone. True. And the phone isn't a necessity. Though in this day and age, many parents are glad their kids do have them. Car jacking was probably not even a gleam in any criminals eyes back then. Rapes were fewer and farther between. And if you broke down, you didn't roll up your windows and lock your doors and shrink down in the seat anytime you saw some scruff looking man drive by who might pull over to help.

Also, you made $1.80, but gas I wager wasn't $2.95/gallon.

As for the bus comment, since the advent of bussing, many kids can't get a bus to school. And some even live on rural routes where there aren't even any public transportation options.

I love these games where my dad starts "When I was your age....." The last time my grandpa harped about his .47/hour job with the electric company, I told him to go put .47 in his gas tank and let me know if an hour's worth of work was worth the distance that got him, and gave him one slice of bread from the loaf...since that's about all .47 will buy now.