学生压岁钱怎么花

Wang Yuanyuan

Here comes the time of the year when children become "rich" again.

An online survey conducted over the weekend showed that more than 50 percent of students from large cities in China received more than 5,000 yuan (US$790) in lucky money this year, with 5 percent receiving more than 10,000 yuan.

What did they do with such large sums in their little hands?

According to the survey, 70 percent of students younger than 12 handed the money over to their parents, while 80 percent of those older than 12 were allowed to keep the cash.

Shen Changfeng, a 16-year-old Senior 2 student at Sungang Middle School in Luohu District, has managed her own lucky money since turning 14. She usually spends most of it on stationery and books for the coming semester, while the rest might go toward shopping with classmates.

"I don't get as much as some classmates do, just around 2,000 yuan a year, but all that is spent before the semester begins," she said.

Some students, particularly those in high school, suddenly end up with more than 20,000 yuan in their pockets. But, because of a lack of self-control or parental supervision, most spend their money in less than three months, on things like mobile phones or a mp3 player.

"This year, the most popular festive gift must be an iPhone 4S. Some of my classmates have already showed off their new Apple gadgets on microblogs," Shen said.

Every semester after winter vacation, students are more likely to buy snacks, video games and presents for each other, a teacher surnamed Zhang in Buxin Middle School, Luohu District, said Friday.

"Most students waste their money and some even compete, comparing how much they receive and how they spend it," she said.

But parents keeping the money for children isn't always a good idea, either, Zhang said.

"Children will resist when parents take away their lucky money because they think the money belongs to them. In this case, some might hide some money from their parents whereas others might even steal the money back," she said.

Education experts suggest parents should guide their children on how to spend the money, to teach them how to properly manage their finances.