Without quoting anybody so as not to allude to disapproval about the insurance issue, I want to share that as a single parent paying for kids to have cars with insurances, once they were eligible for licenses, I made it clear that the kid had to pay the insurance if they wanted the privilege and responsibility of driving.
So, first daughter did have the opportunity to work and could afford it. She was a mile or so from her job, and as it stood, I picked her up at closing time. Assistant manager at Blockbuster Video so you know that was quite a while back. And closing on the weekend at 1-2am.
She took driving instruction at 16 with a learners permit and didn't test until she was 18. Her dad gave her a car, an old car with low mileage, a big and old car - a 1988 Pontiac Bonneville. It was a tank. Gas was also cheap then, maybe a 1$ a gallon. She then started paying her insurance. At age 21 she bought a new Turbo Beetle - her choice. She paid for that also. And insured it, and paid for a good part of her college education.
Son got his learners and inherited the Bonneville. He tested and got his license at 17, when he could pay for his own gas and insurance. During his senior year before college, the tranny went out on the car, but it would still go forward. He drove it like that at least for his last high school semester. On to college in Boston and I gave the car to an employee with no transportation, who drove it with the one way tranny for some time. Son moved back and went to college locally and really missed the old car, but himself and his sister commuted to school and then work together for a while. Son bought a brand new pick up truck at age 21, paying for it himself and buying his own insurance.
Youngest DD got her permit at 16 and her license at 17. She didn't have a job as she was heavily involved in school activities. I paid the insurance but she didn't get to willy nilly run around with my car. Instead she enrolled in college, plus got a job at the college and saved her money (down payment) to buy her first new car at age 21. The college job also paid her tuition as well as a small scholarship she got elsewhere. And she paid her own insurance once she was working. Her car of choice was a Honda Civic that she still drives. It's in excellent shape and I keep telling her to buy a new one. She says, 'I don't need a new one'.
