Budgets. In elementary school, they consisted of the occasional birthday money from grandma that would be spent within a week on candy and various other Dollar Tree toys.

In middle school, they were the $5 a week from mom and dad that would be spent with friends at the movies.

Now, with insurance, gas money, clothes, food, and the constant financial demand of social activities, budgets have become especially important for teens, but are unique to each student. For some students, parents provide all of their money.

“I don’t have an allowance or even a job or anything, but when my parents give me money to go out, I keep the change,” junior Hannah Broussard said.

For others, however, their money is hard earned with no parental help.

“I work at the Allen Event Center, setting up for intermissions and shows and escorting the mascot around,” junior Danielle Frost said. “All the money I have comes from what I earn.”

While Frost’s job is steady, other students work odd jobs to earn their cash.

“My parents believe in working for what I have,” junior Corey Reed said. “So I give trombone lessons to middle school kids.”

“My money comes mostly from babysitting,” junior Miyoko Pettinger said.

While cash is earned in different ways, the things that are purchased with that money is similar for most students.

“Since I don’t really pay for anything myself, I just take my parents money and use it to pay for gas and food and stuff,” Broussard said.

“I pay for food and gas and anything else I might need at the time,” Reed said.

But for others, money can be spent for unique things.

“I’m a hoarder so I save my money a lot, and then once in a while I go to the mall and buy like a shirt or something,” Frost said. “I also like to collect different books and things.”

With all this spending and earning, it can be hard to keep track of the money teens have. For some, this problem is remedied by technology.

“I have an online bank account that tells me everything I’ve been spending, so I just check that regularly,” Frost said.

But for others, the solution is simple.

“I put it in my wallet and check when I need to,” Reed said.