Good Teen Spending Habits Start with Parents

This post on teen spending habits is part of a sponsored collaboration between Chase, Suburban Turmoil, and SheKnows.

As all of us probably know, good spending habits start young, and if you’re raising adolescents, getting a handle on teen spending and saving is absolutely crucial before your kids are out on their own.

My husband and I learned a lot about the subject while raising my two stepdaughters. We’ve had some successes as well as some failures, and now I have plenty of advice to those of you who are still in the trenches. The more you’re able to teach your teen about spending and saving, the more likely they are to keep those habits themselves. I can say this based on my own experience as a teenager– My parents believed that credit card debt was about the worst thing you could do as an adult– Consequently, I’ve lived most of my life without it. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Another great resource for my family has been the JA Biztown program, which is offered in schools across the country. My daughter participated in JA Biztown last year and learned how to open a checking and savings account, how to invest in the stock market, how to write checks, and the basics of running a business. When I looked out in our backyard one afternoon last year and saw all the neighborhood kids opening accounts in the ‘bank’ she’d set up in our playhouse, I knew the program was definitely working!

I’ve learned even more about teaching good teen spending habits as a stepparent to two girls who are now grown. Based on my experience, I wrote a post with five tips on teaching your teen good spending habits for SheKnows– You may think you’ve heard it all in this department, but I think you’ll see some tips on this list you haven’t seen before. Check it out, then tell me if there’s anything you’d add to this list.