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Whether or not your teen should contribute to the family’s budget is a personal opinion.  Time have changed, however, thinking back to when we were growing up, our family was on budgeting and we applied for part-time jobs after school so that we could help out with household expenses.

Having your child contribute to the family’s budget is one way to teach them financial responsibility.  Of course, depending upon your family budget it may be a necessity for your teens to contribute.  Regardless of your circumstances, every teen should consider contributing something to the family budget.

One of the ways in which a teen can become responsible not only for his own expenses but contribute to the family expenses as well, is to acquire an after-school job.  A few hours a day can make all the difference not only in the teen’s self-confidence, but the empowerment gained by becoming a responsible member of society.

How much a teen contributes depends on the needs of the family and other personal circumstances. Even if the family is financial stable, it is certainly worth it for the teen to contribute a modest sum.

One woman related that when she was a teen, she took a part-time job while in high school at the age of fifteen.  She gave most of the earnings to her parents, and just kept a small sum for transportation, lunch, and sometimes dinner.  Her parents didn’t ask for anything, but she felt compelled to help with the family expenses.  It was just the way she was brought up.

For most teens today, there is the temptation to buy all of the latest electronic gadgets with their money.  One example is a recent report about a teen that spent over 30,000 hours in one month text messaging her friends.  Excessive?  Most definitely.  Were her parents aware of it?  Not until they received the bill.

Should your teen contribute to the household expenses?  The decision is personal but your teenager will certainly learn about the value and responsibility of money by contributing at least a small amount to the family budget.