[Rick Lee]

I don't remember not having a summer job. I think my allowance stopped around the end of the school year for the whole summer. I never had to be told to get a job because the lack of funds if I didn't have one would have made every summer miserable. I ended up making pretty good money just about every summer and banking enough to do whatever I wanted when the allowance went fast during school. In my town we were allowed to get working papers at 15 with parents' permission, though IIRC, Ponderosa Steakhouse was the only place at the time that would hire anyone under 16. I started bussing tables there, though I was mowing lawns long before that.

My sister, OTOH, was content to sit home, do nothing, earn nothing and then be poor. She always ended up calling my grandparents up for money. She turned 34 today and has just recently broken that habit.