Saving Money While Having Fun
By Cori Lee Dyer

Teenagers have two basic priorities: money and fun. A common misperception is that the two are mutually exclusive, but adherence to a few simple rules can make having money and having fun both attainable.

Movies
It costs about $390 a year for two people to go to the movies twice a month! A large tub of popcorn and two drinks makes the yearly total $650. Instead try renting two new movies (about $4), add $5 worth of snacks from the grocery store, and your yearly savings are $434. Plus, you can stop the video if you have to go to the bathroom.

Soft Drinks
Right now the average price of gas in the U.S. is $1.75 a gallon, a huge expense for most teenagers. But if you buy 20 ounce bottles of pop at $1.25 a piece you're spending about $8.00 a gallon! Soft drinks have no nutritional value, and no one needs the sugar, calories, and caffeine that they provide. "Addicts" can save a little more than $6.00 a gallon by buying 2-liter bottles.

Clothes
Per school year, girls will spend $500 to $1000 dollars on clothing and accessories, not including summer wardrobes and swimsuits. One tip is not to buy your clothes for the school year in the summer. In high schools, clothing styles change frequently; if you buy clothes no one else is wearing you probably won't want to wear them either. Since clothing style and popularity is not as trendy in college, students can buy clothes at the end of the season and store them for the next year, meaning you can save money and buy more.

Etc.
A few other ways to save money include car pooling, buying bulk candy rather than single bars, and waiting for items to go on sale. Once you are in the habit of saving, more opportunities will become apparent.