Teen driver, gas. How to handle?

[Miss Peregrine]

How do you handle your teen driver using your car to go places as far as gas is concerned? A flat fee per month or calculating mileage?

 

Help appreciated!

[AnIslandGirl]

When ds got his license, we just had him put all gas purchases on a credit card that we paid off each month. He knew it was only for gas, so it wasn't an abused privilege.

[Catwoman]

We never had to pay for gas when we drove a parent's car, so I don't know how you'd handle it, but I'm giving your thread a bump so others can chime in with suggestions for you. :)

[Parrothead]

I suppose it will depend on the rules set up by each family.

 

Hopefully by the time dd is driving she will have a job so she will be able to pay for her own gas. But if she doesn't have a job I suppose I'll pay for her gas. I can't imagine where she would go that we don't already go to so it won't be like her driving is costing us money. I'm not going to charge her for going to school, extra curricular activities or her friends.

[Ottakee]

I don't have anyone driving but I, as a parent, woudl cover the gas if the teen was driving around running errands for me or taking a sibling places and likely for those school related activties, sports, etc.

 

For recreational driving I would just charge a set rate of $.x per mile---for the gas and maybe a bit extra for wear and tear on the car, etc.

 

Personally, I had to buy my own car at 16 with my own money, pay my own insurance bill in full, pay for all repairs in full myself and obviously pay for all gas myself. My single mother wasn't in a position to help at all. Just a fact of life.

[TravelingChris]

My dd did not pay for gas when she was in high school- she used the car in normal ways- driving to her activities, helping me with shopping or errands, and very occasionally going to the movies. I expect it to be like that with my youngest too. Actually, it helps save money to have them drive- for activities, for example, there is a savings of one round trip if I don't have to drive them.

[Luanne]

My daughter doesn't drive so I can't really comment about her other than to say now that she is working and I drive her, she pays for all the gas.

 

When I was in high school, I drove my parent's car from time to time and never paid for any gas. When I used it to drive back and forth to the community college, I paid for the gas (or more appropriately, my grandfather who had given me money for college, paid for the gas).

[Pawz4me]

DS has full use of one of our vehicles. When he needs gas I give him my credit card and DH pays it off when the bill comes. He's a good (no, great) kid and 98% of his driving is related to school, sports or volunteer activities. We don't mind paying for the gas, especially since having him drive himself versus us having to drop off/pick up saves money.

[J-rap]

Because our kids mostly just use the car to drive to their events/activities that I would otherwise have to drive them to, or run errands for me, we got them a credit card with their name on it but as part of our account. So, they would at least be responsible for making sure it was filled if necessary (but we would pay for it), and we also required that they clean it every Friday. (Not necessary a thorough wash, but just make sure that any trash, coffee cups, etc., are picked up, and that it's in decent condition. They also helped with getting the oil changed, and vacuumed it once/month or so.)

[Tap]

Ds18 is just getting ready to get his license. Our plan is to pay for all of it, except for longer trips or if he was just going to go running around for no reason for one year. Beyond that it will depend on if they are a full time student vs. working with an income.

 

We have told the kids that we will have a family car for the kids to drive for the years they are in high school and 1 year of college. We will pay all maintenance, insurance and necessary fuel. Each month after that will be considered month by month. Ds18 is in college full time, volunteers (in his career field) and works 1 day a week for pay/spending money. I do not want him to spend extra time working to pay for gas and get burned out on all of the other things he does. I work part time and earn 2x what he does an hour. I would rather work and extra day a month and pay for his gas than have him try to fit in and extra work shift a week (part time shifts).

 

DD14 is chomping at the bit to get her license already. She will likely have it at 16yo. I will offer her the same but if they are both at home, they will share the available car.

[Caroline]

We pay for all of the gas. My son has a credit card that we pay off for his gas and extra food expenses.

[Swimtaxi234]

We opened a checking account for our daughter and got a debit card to go with the account. I add money to the account as needed, but my daughter only uses the card to fill up my tank (and hers once we buy her a car) and she uses the card when I have her run errands. My daughter has learned how to balance her checkbook and is learning financial responsibility at 15-years-old. We will probably continue to pay for her gas and insurance, etc. at least through high school, if not well into college.

[MicheleinMN]

We cannot afford to cover gas for all the places ds would like to go, so he has to help pay for gas. It's been a bit tricky when he's driving one of our vehicles, and I liked it much better when he was driving his own truck, but since it isn't running right now, we are letting him use one of ours. I will put gas in the vehicle to have ds run errands or when I am using it, but he has to put gas in to go out and about.

 

Right now dh and I are putting gas in on Sunday or Monday, so he can get to baseball practice, but eventually he will need to cover all his gas expenses. He's also required to help pay for his insurance costs.

 

HTH

[DianeW88]

Mine worked and paid for their own gas.

[gardenmom5]

it depended upon where they were going and why. we have a kid car, those who worked, filled the tank and paid for it themselves. (they also drove more.)

[Tita Gidge]

We haven't had any hard and fast rules. Pretty much "try to leave it as you found it" is what we strive for. Daily stuff and errands for the family are generally comped, but if you're going to use half a tank - be considerate and leave it for the next person the way you found it.

 

We actually have a fleet of cars that any one of us can use at any given time, so every car is a family-use car.

 

My brother is usually the one who fills up the gas for every car, including mine.

 

We buy gas gift cards for the drivers for most holidays, so they always have those handy, too. Sometimes they use them for themselves/our cars, and sometimes they give them to their friends (if their friends are doing a lot of the driving). My brother leaves an emergency $10 gas card in the glovebox with the insurance and AAA card in every car our family owns. The boys have used those a few times, and have always replaced them with their own money. Sometimes I do, too ;)

[Cinder]

Our ds has primary use of one of our cars mainly for getting to school and church. Dh writes him a check each month based on estimated mileage, number of miles of driving and price of gas. Ds is responsible for fueling the car and for managing his fuel account. I think ds has only had to ask for more money once when gas prices went a bit crazy. And if dh uses that car for something he'll fill the tank up when he's done.

[momofkhm]

Right now no teens are working and they mostly drive for necessary trips. So we pay for all the gas. Once they both start working I will expect to not have to put gas in the car anymore. The van and the truck, I guess it depends on how much they drive it.

[QueenCat]

We pay for the gas. 90% of the driving is to places we would be driving them to if they weren't driving.

[Lolly]

We pay for all of the gas. My son has a credit card that we pay off for his gas and extra food expenses.

 

This is how we have handled it as well. If they put extra purchases on the account, I simply have them pay for those. But gas is pretty much always being used for something I would have been driving for, I don't feel right charging them for that.

[Koerarmoca]

I will totally cover gas. I hate driving! I can not wait lol.

[AngieW in Texas]

We pay for all gas. Everywhere my kids drive themselves is somewhere that I don't have to take them. We got a credit card for the 20yo to use for gas and groceries and medical stuff while she is at school and we pay it off every month when the bill comes. The 17yo will be sharing a car with the 20yo when she goes to school because she will be at the same school as the 20yo.

 

I just have one more to go. We should be getting her DPS registration packet any day now and then I can start her working on driver ed.

[Lisbeth]

We will pay for all of the gas.

[texasmama]

We pay for the gas for dd's car. (She is a private school student and drives herself to school.) She has a bank account with a debit card attached - we transfer money into her account from ours for gas when needed. She is very responsible and does not abuse the privilege.

[regentrude]

We pay for gas.

If she did not drive herself, I'd have to drive her - so it would be my time plus gas (and more of it, since I'd have to drop off and pick up.)

[Melissa in Australia]

here you cannot get your licence until you re 18.

I had to buy my own car to get my license- and I paid for all my own petrol.

 

only one of my children is old enough to have his license, but he lives away from home ( university) and cannot complete his compulsory 120 hours of learners driving up to get his license. ( HE is 20 hours short). so it looks like he will not be getting his license at least until the end of the year. and as he doesn't have a car and no money he won't be driving much at all.

ds17 is still on his learners, trying to get his 120 hours before he turns 18. he is hoping to get a car by then, and will be buying all his own petrol.

[Miss Peregrine]

Thanks for all the replies. I like the idea of cleaning the car as a job for her. I also wouldn't make her pay to get to school and the like. Just recreational use.