I found a remarkable turn around with my 19 year old right after he graduated high school. I simply told him that his mommy was no longer going to be giving him an allowance, and that if he wanted $$$ for his activities and gas, he would have to make a choice.
Don’t go or get a job and support himself.
Took about 2 weeks of no money and he put it for and got a plumber’s apprenticeship. Now he is starting to be aware of the price of things.... “A new set of tires costs how much!?”
LOL - Wait till he gets his first pay check and gets to see taxes.
You said it!
I was always conservative more or less. Maybe more libertarian in my late teens, but came back to conservative.
Even so, it was still a shock when I had to pay self-employment taxes for the first time. “WHAT?! I have to pay one out of every three paychecks to the government?!”
Well, my Mom said something which made me start working at age 15, and she said that we might not have any money for me, to pay for next year’s tuition. And I knew my parents were doing part-time jobs at the side. That was the wake up call for me and being a stupid kid, i thought money was free..
Usually I bought the latest Playstation games online back then, then you tend to be a cheapskate and go to Craigslist etc..
“Dad, what’s FICA?”
I haven't bought new tires in 30 years or so, since I found I could buy used tires with 90% or more of the tread installed and balanced for about a quarter or less the cost of new.