I remember when our girls asked us to go get money out of the machine (ATM). They had no idea that you just can't go get money out of there if you don't have money in the bank.

I can't remember how I came up with the idea, they were in high school and always wanting the next best thing to wear and money doesn't grow on tress although we were comfortable. Being a nurse does come with a good pay check. My husband was a pharmacy technician and made about half what I made but we knew how to budget. Anyway I came up with this 'overtime' account for the girls. I knew that about 1/3 of my check went to different taxes, etc. So every two weeks when our pay stubs came, I looked at how many hours of overtime I worked. I took that number and multiplied it by 1 1/2 which was what our overtime pay was. Then I took that amount and divided it by 3, one for me and the other 2 for the girls. Now I didn't actually take mine out of the bank. But I set up a bank account for the girls in theirs and my name. They had to go to the BMV and get an identity card. I deposited every two weeks the amount and then we would have them write that amount into their checking account book. That was their money to buy clothes, etc with. They knew it wasn't to be spent extravagently. So sometimes the youngest would have me take her to the mall. Oh, how I wish I had a step counter at that time. We would walk from one end of the mall to the other. Go into a few stores and try on, then go to another and then back to the first. Sometimes we would end up bringing something home but more often would not. Now the oldest as soon as I made that deposit we went off to the mall and it was gone!

Both of our girls also would make the decision whether or not to buy a certain style. I always worried about whether I would have to be 'the heavy' and lay down my foot on certain styles. But we would go into their favorite store and I would sit there praying as they picked out a tiny tight miniskirt and try it on. They always came out wearing the clothes that they had worn to the store and the miniskirt hanging in the dressing room. I know they tried the clothes on because I saw bare legs. They just saw how they looked in them and didn't like them.

She is still that way in her spending but she has a husband. The youngest is divorced and her bills are now just her to pay. She has debts and she can't always pay the whole thing but she will call the debtor and set up a payment plan. She has no internet or cable because she doesn't have the money and her good for nothing ex husband ruined her credit. I am proud of both my girls but especially the youngest for taking care of her home and bills like she does.

Sorry to ramble but I love and am so proud of my daughters. They are both poor as a church mouse but happy. One is responsible in her debts and the other kind of.