<p>Thanks Alumother, Soozie, Jyber, Calmom, Berurah, Curmudgeon for your insights (Curmudgeon for opening this thread). This makes me feel better. We argue a lot about my son’s spending habits…now that we two are alone, we have nothing else to fight about! 
My son is my only and you’re right, I ascribe too much to upbringing and too little to his innate instincts or his friends and environment…</p>