My husband of course wants to know why all my New Year’s resolutions involve him. I hate it when he’s perceptive.

If you are a masochist, you can make this New Year’s resolution about yourself, but I say why bother.

So here’s the plan: We all have some things we do that waste money and that are terrible habits. Here’s one of: I always return movies to the video store late, and run up late fees. I can’t seem to stop this. Drives my husband nuts.

Here are a couple of his: He’ll buy a shirt without trying it on, and then hate it. But will he return it? No, he’ll let it sit in his closet until he drives me bananas and I return it. (Yes, we all know that I’m enabling his behavior, but he knows I can’t help but return it.) He will go to an ATM that’s not his bank and incur a processing fee for taking money out. He’ll do this even if his own bank’s ATM is close by.

Here is the challenge for your teen: Have them interview your spouse–or, sigh, okay, it can be you–and find at least five money wasting habits. Then have them track your or your spouses behavior for those habits for one month.

They should make a weekly chart that shows how much money is wasted. Each bad habit is a line item. Next to each item, they should have one column for money wasted, and one column for money saved.

Your spouse should improve over time, with awareness and scrutiny applied. The following month your teen should do the other parent, and the third month themselves. The reason for teens to start with your and your spouse, rather than with themselves, is it’s simply more fun. Good luck!

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