When you were 15, were you thinking about saving for the future? If you’re anything like me, the answer is ‘Not likely’. I splashed every spare penny on clothes, make-up and going out with my friends and I bet that’s still fairly typical today.

I know my teenage son rushes off to spend any cash he earns or is given on video games, his mobile phone or going out with mates.

So, it’s hardly a surprise that the Money Advice Service has found teenagers are less likely to “understand the importance of saving for the future”.

If you’re wondering what the Money Advice Service is, it’s an independent advice centre, set up by the Government.

Remember those rather annoying ‘Just Ask MA’ adverts on telly a while back?

It includes a helpline, on 0300 500 5000, which gives free advice on debt, overdrafts, mortgages, pay day loans and pretty much anything to do with finance.

But back to the MA survey which also found that a young person’s money habits are heavily influenced by the way their parents handle money matters.

Gulp. That’s a big responsibility for those of us who have kids and yet another thing we can beat ourselves up about.

The research asked 1,000 kids aged 15 to 17 about the way they manage their money and their attitudes towards it, including whether or not their family saves money for unexpected costs.

Apparently, the harder the family finds it to cope with saving for emergencies, the less confident they are.

And when it comes to taking advice on money matters, three out of four teens said they found their parents’ financial advice most helpful, followed by financial institutions, friends, and teachers.

According to the chief executive of the Money Advice Service, Caroline Rookes, money habits are formed very young and, once there, are extremely difficult to shift.

She says: “I am struck by how heavily a young person’s money management habits are influenced by their family’s past and present financial behaviour “This is our first glimpse of how these young people are coping with the transition into adulthood – we see a generation ‘coming of age’ through a period of austerity, a group that’s witnessing rapid financial change and learning how to cope and plan.”

It’s all very well handling your finances perfectly if you’re well off.

Sadly, to millions of parents who are struggling, it’s not quite that easy.

To be fair to MA, it also offers plenty of low-income survival tips.

Number one is to make sure you are getting any benefits, tax credits or grants you may be entitled to.

Since there are constant changes to the rules, it’s worth checking, as things may have shifted since you last looked.

The website www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk includes a handy online tool to see if you are missing out.

It also has quite a good budget planner tool with tips if you are on a low income.

But whatever you do, don’t tell the kids.