My Mom and my money

I am sorry this is long but I will start from where it all happened…

Okay so all most a month ago I started my first “real job”, I was shy of 16 at the time. I work at a grocery store on cash and I enjoy my job, my pay is $8.20 (I live in Ontario Canada) an hour because I get a student wage. I usually only work a few nights a week, 3-4 the most and I feel that the pay I get it good enough for me and for what I want. Anyway, the first weekish I started working I gave my boss a void blank check with my banking information so that I get direct deposit into my back account so I dont have to keep picking up my check every Thursday and she said that it will take about a week or so for the money to be direct (my first week I got a check). I would like to save most of my money (though I may use some here and there…I am I girl I need to shop sometimes but not spend a great deal of money…lol) so that when I choose to leave home I have an account I can get to that all ready has money for me to use…one problem…

…I share this account with my mother…

…and she is out of work until midspring because she works on a contract and usually the place she would work at calls her at around April/May till mid June. My mother is tight with money at times and so its hard for her to cope in a way. Um…I am really scared at the moment with the thought of sharing my account with her…knowing that she may be able to find a way to take some money from me without my knowing…I dont know what to do. To be 100% honest I can see her doing that to me. She has even made comment about “Now you have money Kayla” with a jealous tone and I have heard hear talk to her sisters and my dad saying I make a lot of money…and one last thing she said, “You are richer then me”.

Tonight I overheard her on the phone with the bank but I could not get much information because I did not hear the other end of the convo but I am sure that she was talking about my account…she was talking about a credit card or something and asking if I needed one if she wanted to get one or that if she can all ready use her credit card for something (I did not hear what she really wanted).

So when my mom and I went into cash my first check the lady at the bank asked me if I wanted a card so I dont have to keep going to the bank to take out money…I told her no. I said no because I feel that if I have a card I will blow all my money without knowing and I really do not want that to happen to me. Therfore I do not want a card, and heck I dont even like the idea of them much. My mom knows all of this, I told her why I dont want a card for taking out money and so I dont understand why she was talking to someone from the bank about my having to get a card…

I am not a crazy shopper, really…I hardly shop at all and spend much money cause I usually save it all. So…my question is…what am I suppose to do if my mom is taking money from me (or trying to find a way) without me knowing? Also, is there anything I can do to stop it from happening? I dont think I can get my own personal bank account because I am only 16 so I really feel lost, stuck, and confused.

(I may add more later if I forgot some key points but I hope this is enough…)