Do my parents have the right to control my money...? -

okay i m seventeen, and i have a job. ive been working for a year and five months now, and i bring in around 200 every two weeks. that gets deposited in a joint bank account i have with my mom. so, do my parents have the right to control that money, even though i ve earned it? like i want to buy my boyfriend a zune for our two year anniversary, and my mom won t let me. its around 150, and i don t think that s that bad, but my mom is horrified. she says im too young to buy him something that expensive, but we ve been together for two years (ive been friends with him for four...)... i just don t think it s fair, at all. i earn this money... i work for it myself... why can t i do what i want with it, as long as its not completely outrageous? its not like im spending 600 or 700 on him... and it s not like we ve only been together a few months or so. im tempted to just go behind my moms back, because really, this isn t fair. ill be eighteen in three months, and i think this is ridiculous. all my friends are spending three hundred or four hundred on their boyfriends, and my mom tells me, quot;why don t you bake him something!quot; opinions?|::::|First of all don t have a joint account with your mom. Get you own and don t discuss your finances with your mom. It really isn t any of her business.|::::|well, your mom is on the account, so she can have a say. she s looking at it like you worked for two weeks straight to buy one gift. that is a little outrageous. if you made more, it would be different - but it is your $ in the end, so mom can have her say - but in the end - its YOUR decision!|::::|Open your own account.|::::|maybe its the way you spend your money is why your mother won t let you in charge of your own money i know you worked for the money but there is things you could buy for yourself like clothes or cell phone learn how to manage money so you will know when your older and get married and have a family if you show your mom you can manage money and buy what you need she may let you start keeping your money but if you blow your money who can blame her|::::|Your mother is trying to teach you how to be responsible with your money. And she only has 1 year or less left to do it. The fact that you think $150 is not a lot of money to blow on a present for a boyfriend tells me that she s not doing a great job in that department. so until you are self supporting adult, yes, she has the right to place limitations on your spending even though you earn the money. and FWIW: unless you want to risk a grounding until your 18th birthday, I don t recommend you toss away your mother s trust by going behind her back on this.|::::|My oldest started working when he was 12. He was told he had to save half and the rest was his to do with what he pleased. It was to teach him to save and to manage money. He saved more than we made him and he still does six years later. You have done a good job working and saving your money and you should be able to spend some of it. I would revisit this with her and see if you can get her to give a little. Good luck.|::::|Yes your parents have the right to have access to any money you have as long as you are a minor and you are living under THEIR roof. Obviously your parents would prefer you SAVE your money for when you DO turn 18 and want to move out on your own, and at 17 you SHOULD be paying fro movies pizza as well as chipping in for groceries since you EAT at their home as well. Quit whining and realize that when your friends are adults at 18-19-20 and still living at home because they blew all of their money YOU will be able to afford your own place as well as be financially responsible for yourself. Which is more important to you? Growing up or forever being dependent upon your parents?