"Male hasn't mattered for years. They raised girls' prices to match the guys' prices years ago." - see what happens when you ask for equal rights :)
Oh, I'm not arguing with you. I think we women actually have it better than you guys in today's society.
Wake me when women are required to register for Selective Service.
Big whoop. You have to go to the post office on your 18th birthday. When was the last man drafted? Vietnam?
He also suggested that you do a driving contract with gradual increasing freedom, such as two months only to school and work with no passengers, then add siblings or one passenger. He said accidents were much more likely with more passengers and the later at night the driving occurred.
Oh, yes, I agree. By letting our kids know EXACTLY what we expected of them behind the wheel, we avoided so much trouble -- and, yes, passengers were one thing we addressed. I teach high school, and I probably see a wreck outside the school every 2-3 weeks (and that's just in the immediate vicinity of the school). It's almost always the same story: 3-4 kids piled into the car, the young and inexperienced driver involved in laughing and talking
instead of keeping his or her eyes firmly on the road. These are usually just fender benders with one kid running into the back of another, but they're still bad for the family's insurance bill!
You should read "the millionaire next door". There is a substantial inverse correlation between monetary gifts and propensity to save. Helping out your kid with financial burdens deprives them of the joy of independence and worth from making it on your own. Kids learn resilience and adapt if you're not helping them out, like you did and appreciate the value of money more. Just my two cents.
You know your own kid, and you know where you've taught him (or haven't taught him) these things along the way.
We gave our kids the use of an old car when they were in high school, and they only had to pay for gas. We didn't want them to spend their high school years working to pay for transportation. Today they're both in college, both on scholarship; my total outlay for
both to attend college this semester was $330. They're both very frugal and appreciative of what they've been given. As my oldest approaches graduation, she's asking me questions like, "If I move back home, how much do I need to pay in rent?" and "When will my car insurance be due, and how much should I have ready?" and "Can I stay on your phone plan? Of course I'd pay my share." She also asked me to give her some books I had around the house on money management. Clearly they've learned some positive lessons along the way in spite of not having spent their teen years working to pay for things we can easily afford to give them.