It's my money, and I want to use it for something else.

Ughh..I don't know what to do. I babysit my cousin 3 days a week from 6am-6pm. I have to wake up at 5am to get there! I only get paid $20 a day, and I get paid every other week. So it's a total of $120 when I get my 'check'. I'm happy to be getting paid and everything(used to do it for free), and I'm excited that I'm going to be able to start taking horse riding lessons. Just once a week.

Usually I take my aunt's car home with me when I leave and bring it in the morning. That's because she wants me there early(at 6 am). My mom and gram go past her house everyday to work, and they used to drop me off.

Now my aunt is telling me that I should be saving up for a car, because I won't be able to use her car.(I use her car to do her a favor! I'm not fond of waking up at 5am!). She told me that it was stupid to take horse riding lessons. I told her that that is what I want to do with my money.

The thing she doesn't seem to get, is the fact that I'm doing her a HUGE favor. She would have to pay a lot of money to get another babysitter or put her baby in daycare. I think she is kind of mad at me now. It's my money and I want to use it for horse back riding lessons. Do you think that she is being unreasonable? She acts like it is my problem, when really it is hers. I feel that she is taking advantage of me.

I'm 16, the horse stable is 10 minutes away from my house. I'm home-schooled, and its hard to babysit a baby! Speaking, that she is going to have another. I would put $20 a week in my bank account, so atleast I'm saving a little.

I think you should put money to save for a car. I think she's not unreasonable she does have a point but you do to. I mean why would she be saying she wont let you use her car much longer?

How is it any of your aunt's business what you want to do with your own money?

I'd be upping the price for babysitting, too. Most babysitters get at least $10.00-$15.00 an HOUR, not $20.00 for the whole day!

You do realize that you're making much less than minimum wage, right? At 12 hours a day, you're only making $1.67 an hour. What kind of garbage is THAT?!

Daycare is expensive, and what she's doing is trying to cheap out on you because you're family. That doesn't fly with me. Taking advantage of people has always raised my hackles.

Regardless, tell your aunt to go pound sand. It's your money, and you will do with it what you see fit.

EventersBabe: I have no clue why she said I soon won't be able to use her car. I use her car, so I can get their very early in the morning. If she doesn't let me use her car, I would be getting there at 7:15, and not 6.

I'm with SR. It's none of your Aunts business what you spend your money on. I pay $100 per week for my child to be watched for about 10 hours (total) and that's actually a good deal.

If your Aunt wants to be a pill then you can go to McDonalds and work less hours with a larger paycheck. I think I was working 4 days a week for about 4 hours per day and clearing $100 per paycheck at a local retail store when I was 16 and if I remember right, I was paid weekly.

SO... It's a great idea to save for a car, but when you are 16 and you are working that hard, you should be able to do what you want with your money.

I don't know how many cars she has but if you are leaving her house at 6pm then she can't do any shopping or such. Why she wouldn't just drive you home is beyond me though.

She works night shifts, so she doesn't need her car at night because I'm there with it when she gets home in the morning.

You're definitely getting jerked around.. At your age I would've been itching for a car, but certainly not so I could get up early to babysit your cousin for your cranky (excuse me for assuming) aunt and get paid diddlysquat.

If you want lessons, take lessons and tell her you just won't be able to babysit anymore if that's the game she wants to play.. Then find a job where you might actually make a little more and tell her to shove off when she can't find a better deal. Ha ha That's what I would do I suppose. Maybe you could do it more nicely if that's your usual style. ;)

Who's home with the kidlet at night? Its father?

I see what she's doing; Daddy goes off to work and Mommy doesn't want to come home and have to deal with Darling Baby herself, so has niece doing it for slave wages.

Yup, I'd be looking at fast food joints. They pay at least $7.25 an hour, because that's minimum wage.

Then, since auntie will have lost her 12 hour slave wages babysitter, she'll have to hire someone and pay them through the nose. It's a win-win situation, as far as I'm concerned!

I just can't stop babysitting for them. They are my family, and their house that they bought had a mold problem so they are renting a house for now. They pay for a lawyer, and I don't think they have too much money. Also, even though Lily(the baby) is a pain in the butt I love her so much.

What really irrates me is that I have to babysit tomorow too(i only babysit monday, tuesday, and wednesday). She had to take a cpr class. So, I miss out on the day my mom and gram have off for work. :( My mom usually takes us out too.