The first paycheck is a small amount of money with a big lesson attached. What a teenager does with it often becomes a habit.

The order

First, read the pay stub together: gross, taxes, net. Then set aside a fixed share for savings before anything else, even if it is only ten percent.

Next, pick one thing to spend on with no guilt. Finally, write down where the rest went at the end of the month. That is the whole system.

Why order matters

Saving first and spending second sounds obvious. Doing it with the very first paycheck makes it automatic for every one after.