The Children

Part of being parsimonious is holding the children to the debts they owe me. I mean things like extra texts they weren't supposed to use, pay per view movies, extra lunch money here and there, easy edge uses and some bigger expenses I don't care to mention. It's hard to make them pay me back. Boy21 is earning quite a bit of money but it still feels funny to ask him for the money he has borrowed. All these things do add up and I am going to be in need of really tightening up and making them pay some of their own way this coming year. No more t-shirts for every event, professional pictures, fund raising b.s.

One way to decide how to do this is to think about where I was at 15, 16 or 21. I was earning my own money, but my parents still paid my car insurance, medical expenses, school, and helped with major car repairs. I think I paid for everything else, including rent and food from age 20 on. Is that what most people do, try to do what their parents did, only a little more? I have heard some people talk about age 18 as being when their kids are expected to be on their own and self-supporting. And some do fine with that. Then why do I feel so guilty about not giving Boy16 gas money?