[Kate*]

Maybe it's because I'm so much older and phones weren't such a big deal 10 years ago, but being raised by a single mom I know what it means for money to be tight. I didn't have a cell phone until I was 17 and my mom and I shared it until it died, then we went without for 6 years until I started graduate school and it was mostly for safety reasons because I was going to be on a college campus by myself and needed to keep in contact.

I know it can be tough when you don't have the same things that everyone else has, but sometimes life happens and it's not fair and you can't afford it because that's just the way things are. That doesn't mean it's anyone else's business or that you have to explain yourself to people who want to bully you for something like this. Focus on what you do have instead of what you don't.

It sounds like your parents are teaching you to spend your money on more important things which will be a good lesson later on when you're fully supporting yourself.