skirts to match, and little tees and dresses. I even went as far as to buy church
dresses—though I hardly ever go to church.
I just went wild.
But when September came, along came the big expenses. First it was the
PSAT, then the SAT, then the SAT again. I needed money fast, so I went back
into my account for more money. When I saw I had only about $200 left, I
panicked. I thought, “If my mother finds out, she’ll take my bank book away.”
I began searching my room for money that I had stored up. I saved my allowance.
I even tracked down friends who owed me a dollar or fifty cents.
I was able to pay off my expenses and replace the money I had wasted—
which was a relief.
Even though I had to sweat and panic to put the money back, I still think
the experience was worth it. I was able to see a bit what the real world
would be like and what I would be up against. I got to learn about myself
and see how I reacted. I learned that I’m not always the super-responsible
person I thought I was.
But it also made me see that I was able to get out of a bad situation on
my own.
I believe if adults trusted teens a little more and gave us a chance to screw up
and learn from our mistakes, we’d probably be more cautious when spending
our money.