I wish I knew...

When you do nice things for your parents, they do even nicer things back.
I.E.
I left Idaho in April with the high hopes of a good job with a construction company in Chicago (that my uncle is a partner in). When that didn't work out, I was thrust back down to KY in the career wasteland that is Columbia, and try as I may, found no work. I talked to mom about how to pay bills, and since (compared to my parents) my bills don't cost much, she agreed she would pay them while I looked for a job. We didn't know this arrangement would last the whole summer! But I felt like on top of looking for a job I would make my own work at my house. Since we have a 19 acre farm (small, but when there are 2 girls taking care of it most of the time, there's always something to be done) I found things to do. I paid attention to things mom would say she needed to do, and while she was at work, I would do them. Run errands, clean and paint the shutters and doors, put in a new stone path behind the deck, learned how to mow the lawn, weed the garden, pick beans, weed the patio, change my oil, regularly clean the car, truck, and lawnmower, clean the house, do the laundry, cook dinner, clean the kitchen... basically everything mom needed to do, so she could rellax a little more after she came home from work.
In response I have not gone for want the whole summer, I've spent a lot of time working around the house, and talking with mom about wedding plans, reception plans, moving to Tucson. My bills have been paid, and mom said she'll make sure I have money to go to Tucson with. While it hasn't been the ideal way to spend summer, I have had good summer.
Things I wish I knew when I was younger, help out around the house, and you get to do more stuff, and you probably get money to do it with.