With gas energy prices soaring, it may be difficult for you as parents to be able to afford to buy gas these days. In addition, if you have a teen at home who either has a car or who drives your vehicle, this is an additional expense that may put a dent in your monthly budget.

Other than utilizing public transportation (your teen may not consider this a great alternative), you may want to talk to your teen about finding ways to pay for gas money during these tough times.

Here are some suggestions:

* Applying for a part-time job at your local supermarket
* Baby-sitting for neighbors’ children
* Finding odd jobs in the neighborhood
* Applying for a summer job at a company in your city
* Tutoring

These are all viable ways in which your teen can make enough money to not only pay for gas but put money away for college as well.

One analogy you can use to ensure your teen understands that money is tight these days and gas car prices are causing many drivers to reduce the amount of driving is this: When you rent a car, there is usually a full tank of gas. However, when you return the car, you are expected to return it the same way – with a full tank.

It’s important to let your teen know that regardless of whether he is using his car or yours, he has to be held responsible for supplying his own gas. Thus, if he takes your car out for the evening or uses it on weekends, you expect him to fill up the tank.

The teen also has to understand that when a car has much less than a half a tank of gas, it can cause engine problems that will cost even more than the gas itself. Therefore, explaining maintenance of the vehicle is also an important factor.

Finally, if there just isn’t enough money in the budget to pay for gas for one car, let alone two, it may be necessary to curtail the use of the vehicle until such time as the teen can pay for the gas without coming to you for additional money.

Currently, many families are suspending their summer driving vacations due to the high gas prices. It may be a prudent course of action for your teen to curtail his recreational activities and use public transportation instead.