Teens and Food Budgets

Over the last few years, I have been trying to have causal conversations with my 14-year-old twins on finances. I don't wish for them to know the exact details of our financial situation, but they know the generalities. They know I make enough money to feed and clothe them but not enough to get them each their own cell phone. They know I made enough money to be able to take them to the doctor when they are sick but not enough to go shopping "just because." They know that they have a small college fund but that they will need to supplement that with their own funds and scholarships. DD especially likes these conversations. She is trying to set up a budget with her allowance, and we frequently have discussions on why I can't buy everything I/we want and why saving is a good idea. We've had discussions on why I dislike credit cards but will probably hang onto the two I have after they are paid off. We've had discussions on why I sincerely hope they don't need to take out massive college loans and how to minimize, if not eliminate, the amount they might borrow.

In our most recent conversation, I told DD that while I don't have a budget in writing, I know that the biggest leak of my money goes to food - grocery and fast food. I spend way more than I should for 3 people, and it's a constant struggle to get that under control. It's also one reason why I don't take the twins to the grocery very often. I can easily count on spending an additional $20 or more if one or both of them comes with me. I try to limit their contributions to the cart to 1 item per child. If they pick out something in aisle 2 and find something else in aisle 4, I'll ask which one they want. Where I falter is when they ask for items for packing their lunches for school. I try to make sure I have a baked item (banana bread, muffins, etc.) that is at least somewhat healthy, and before DS had his braces, I could put in carrots and celery, but with braces, he can't have the crunch raw veggies, so it's more of a challenge now.

Anyhow, I told DD that I was tempted to increase their allowance but make them responsible for their snacks and lunches. For example, I might raise their allowance $5 a week. They could either buy the items for their own lunches and pack, take their own drinks or buy milk at 50-cents at school or buy the school lunch (we get reduced) at 40-cents a day. The rest of the money they could use for their after-school snacks and would be kept either in a special cupboard or in their rooms. The only requirement would be that they had to eat. DS is good about skipping meals if he is responsible for making them and then ending up with a migraine.

We may try this for the last quarter of the school year. During spring break this week, I plan to sit down with them, discuss this and then make a written contract with the guidlines for us to sign and post in the kitchen. It's time they start becoming more responsible for handling their money and learning that they can't always get want they WANT; they have to plan for what they NEED first. I'll let you know how it goes!