When I was in college, my parents paid for everything, they insisted. They would not let me use my money for anything. I did have a par time job when I turned 16, but my parents would take every paycheck and invest it in the stock market and would give me money whenever I needed it. In college my parents would give me spending money once a week, plus I would use any money I earned from babysitting when I went home. If I went on a trip they paid for my ticket, they also paid my Credit Card when I used it because the bill went home.