<prompt> Human: As I am coming to grips with my own shifting paradigms about money, I am acutely aware that I have a teen about to leave High School and is working for the first time. He bought his own car, pays car insurance and cell phone, but beyond that pisses his money away. He has a lack of awareness about budgeting. I lack credibility and knowledge to teach him these things but he is receptive to logical sounding suggestions from me. I would like to set him on the right path. Are there any books out there that could get his mind wrapped around how he can develop his finances?Assistant: He bought his own car, pays car insurance and cell phone, but beyond that pisses his money awayHe bought all of this while working part time during High School? Im assuming he had a little help from you, the parents? if so, then you might want to cut that out There is nothing better than having a kid budget his own money -- money he earned on his own. meaning you dont help him pay for anything but education expensesIs he going to college?Human: No help from us. He bought is own car - used. He pays for insurance. We cant afford to cover him. The kid is a straight A student. He worked construction over the summer and as he said, made bank. He has done some projects where he has had money come in. Knit winter hats and sold them to friends. He recorded his own EP, got friends to make cover art, we bought the supplies for him to burn them and put together as a final product. We charged him cost. We showed him how much money he was actually earning after cost and labor. We have been teaching him the lessons around that. He has learned quite well. As soon as he has extra money, he puts it in the bank and then buys whatever he wants. He has no sense about keeping money for an emergency, budgeting his bills, etc. He doesnt really want hear about it from me. He figures he makes decent money and blows it as he wishes. I dont blame him he works hard. BUT, it would be helpful for him to learn a system to take a percentage of his surplus money, so to speak, and invest it, store it for the leaner months when he is doing his spring sport, etc...He will be going to college next year, and he doesnt have anything for that period. I think he figures he can work. He intends to travel this summer.As I stated up top, I want to set him up with a notion on how to make his dollar work for him which is why I asked about a book that might make sense to him.  <response>: Honestly, it sounds like for an 18ish year old kid, hes doing pretty well. Im going to assume that youre not paying for his college expenses? If so, hell get his head on straight really, really fast.When I was a teenager and then in college, I was pretty financially independent from my parents. It sucked seeing my friends being able to go out and spend tons of money or go shopping or whatever because their parents were footing the bill, but I just flat-out couldnt do it because I had no money. I wasnt able to really save in college thanks to tuition, etc. but I developed good financial skills because I didnt have the safety net of parental support that so many young people have during those formative years. If your son is smart and independent, hell be fine. The only thing I would really stress to him is to avoid credit card debt--Im so glad my mom instilled that in me at a young age! 