Brett L Baron

Brett Baron, a New Trier senior, illustrates the point.At 17, he has his own debit card and savings account.As a part-time sales clerk at Banana Republic, he earns money for daily Frappuccinos, snacks at the food court and an occasional limousine rental for a night out with friends in Chicago. ''I like to buy things,'' he says. ''It's not that easy to save money.'' So he comparison-shops on the Internet for, say, digital cameras or compact discs.And he never used the A.T.M. at school. ''You have to pay fees,'' he warns. ''It's not worth it.''