It’s a familiar scenario; four of us want to go skiing but only two of us have parents willing to pay. The other two of us scour for cheaper tickets, looking for night passes on sketchy mountains, calculating the hours of babysitting this will cost us and grimace at the results.

During high school, the number of things parents are willing to pay for drops quickly. At the time, it could be frustrating watching your money deplete as things that were once free suddenly aren’t. It’s even more disheartening with friends whose parents will still cover for them or give them an allowance, when yours won’t. But is this sudden financial responsibility such a bad thing?

There’s been an immense rise in the lack of financial independence among young adults recently. In a survey of adults between ages 18 and 42, over half stated that they were not completely financially independent from their parents. There’s a wide list of reasons why, including inflation and the rising cost of living. But a big reason why is that many young adults simply don’t know how to budget.

Without practice in their teen years, it’s no wonder why. Over a third of adults say that their parents had the biggest impact on their spending habits; people whose parents allow them to feel the responsibility of their own money firsthand, learn to budget and save while those whose parents pay for everything often don’t. Teens who make their own money get more of a perspective on how much they can realistically be spending, while teens who don’t miss that opportunity.

Maybe paying for things yourself has its benefits in the long run, but how do teens feel about it at the moment? I asked a couple of Lincoln students what they think parents, given they’re financially able, should pay for. An anonymous sophomore said that, “Parents should cover things that the whole family uses like water and electricity but it’s best to pay for your personal items like clothes and makeup yourself.”

Another anonymous sophomore stated that, “It depends on your income. If you have a stable job, then paying for your clothes or food when you go out with friends isn’t as necessary. Your parents should teach you how to make your own money and make it last but if you aren’t making enough then they should fill in the gaps.” I asked her how she felt about paying for more herself. She said that “Part of paying for things myself is helpful and teaching me how to be more responsible but aspects of it are limiting because, well there’s a limit to how much money you can spend. But I guess that’s part of being an adult.”

So next time you can’t buy something you want, know it’s probably for the best and if your parents are still paying for everything, think about picking up the slack. It will hurt now but will save you a lot more in the future.