Teenage daughter wasting money.

[MrsRickman]

Hello. This is my first post so please be gentle!
My DD, who is 15 has recently got herself a job, which at first I was thrilled about. It's in the local ice cream van, she works 8 hours per week and for this receives £30.
However, 6 weeks into the job and she has nothing to show for it. She has more or less been using the money to go to MacDonalds or buy sweets and juice for sleepovers here and at friends' houses.
When I try to encourage her to use her money more productively, you can imagine the generic teenage response I get.
Does anyone have any ideas about how I could encourage her to either save or use her money more productively? TIA.

Wait until the next time she wants something that costs more than a week's pay. The lesson will teach itself.

Or you could incentivise her saving by saying that every £10 she puts into a pot (to be not touched until some specified later date) you will add £1.

At least she's not trying to get the sweet/pizza/juice money off you

Have I gone back in time and you're secretly my mum complaining about me . I used to do exactly the same and I'm now very sensible with money.

My mum tried to implement a savings system with her - third into savings and two thirds for spending, but I never seemed to have my savings third to give her.

The only time I saved any of my money from my job was when I wanted to go and see The Smiths (how old am I??) and my dad said he would match what I had saved if I saved 3/4 of the cost of the ticket.

A friend was telling me recently that they've always taken 10% of their dd's earnings. This goes into an account which she can use when older for driving lessons and so on.

As a result of seeing this money mount up, the dd is choosing to save more too, not just fritter it away.

Surely she earnt it she can spend it on what she likes?

It's her money. Let her spend it o what she wants, But when she runs out before the next pay day dont give her any extra money. She'll proberbably calm down soon anyawy. DD1 spent all her money when she first got a job. But she has now been through uni and is married and is very sensible with money.

Thanks for all the replies.
Maybe I am over reacting, it's just years as a single parent and student have left me very frugal with money and I would like her to learn that skill while she's young, as you never know, it might come in handy one day!
I shall give it another week or two and see if the novelty wears off.
Thanks again.

My mum was a single parent and I had to give the exact same % of my earnings, even for a Saturday job. I never had any money but then I guess neither did she. However it didnt help me get any better with money, in fact pretty much the opposite.

To answer your question, maybe next time you do something together you can, in a calm and positive way, explain that out of your money you do need to pay for other stuff, like rent, insurance etc apart from whatever your equivilant of juice and sweets is.

On a secondary note maybe a trip to the dentist might be in order with so much junk?

I've been there before too. My girls and I came to the agreement that they'd put around 50% of what they earn into the bank for a rainy day.
They didn't seemed to bothered about it. So if your daughter puts £15 a week into the back, she'll still have £15 to spend, which is more than enough to live off for a teenager.

DD aged 14 is just the same. Her older brother has always been very good about saving and has often put most, if not all of his birthday money in his savings account. He is 17 and now has over 3k in the bank whereas his sister has half that and what she has is gradually going down as I've allowed her to take some out. I let her take out 150 pounds a few weeks ago which was supposed to last her through the summer holidays (I do give her pocket money on top and she earns extra for little chores) and to my horror she has spent it all already!

MrsJMs suggestion sounds sensible.

My daughter frittered away her wages for about a year and a half. She had literally nothing to show for all that work (other than a lot of empty sweet packets and an encyclopaedic knowledge of teenage films). We tried to persuade her to save but it really didnt work.

It used to drive me mad,but you know what, all of a sudden she has started to save on her own. She's even started a Uni fund!! I think for her it was the dawning realisation that leaving home isnt that far away and that she will be budgeting for herself at Uni. So dont lose hope, keep encouraging her and if she runs out, dont gives her anything. When it comes to holidays, we tell all of our children in advance that they will be expected to bring along money for odds and ends and any evenings out without us (they are nearly 17, nearly 18 and 20). If they dont save, then they are stuck with the parents for the evening: works for us!!

Best for her to realise for herself that saving is good idea, rather than be forced into handing some of her money over (and maybe resenting you for it)

Sorry if I'm out of order here, but is £3.75 an hour normal/acceptable for a 15yo?

Its above the minimum wage for a 16 year old Jareth which is £3.57 - the minimum wage only comes into effect once you are above the school leaving age.

wow, really?
That's exactly the info I was after, thanks.

Turns out my babysitting 15 years ago was an awful lot more lucritive that I realised at the time