Money As You Grow

A penny earned, is a penny saved.

Money doesn’t grow on trees.

Money isn’t everything … but it ranks right up there with oxygen.

It’s likely we’ve all heard some variation of those statements through the years. As we were growing up, and/or as we were, or ARE helping raise another generation.

One of my main goals with my children was to make sure they understood the value of a dollar. I was successful with one; the verdict is still out on the other.

If you were to GOOGLE money tips for children, pages and pages of links appear. I didn’t read them all but I did find a one I really liked.

The first is: moneyasyougrow.org/#

DISCLAIMER: this is the result of an initiative of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability. I didn’t see anything really political until I got the 18+ tab, which includes a section on HEALTH INSURANCE.

What I really like about this site is that there are fantastic suggestions for every age, from 1 – 18 on activities, talking topics, etc.

The 10 Commandments of Personal Finance For Young People. Actually, these are GREAT for people of all ages. They are:

1) Manage your expenses so they don’t exceed your income.

2) Spend money thinking of your future as well as your present.

3) Begin saving early to take advantage of compound interest.

4) Avoid collecting credit cards and using them for borrowing.

5) Always honor your debts and other financial obligations.

6) Project your income and expenses for the next 12 months and track variances.

7) Focus on the relationship between the risk and projected return of investments.

8) Maintain organized records for tax and general financial planning purposes.

9) Have a plan and a purpose for your investing.

10) Obtain a financial education to be in a position to make intelligent financial decisions.

 

Here is a book some may find helpful especially for the younger children.

The 4 Little Pigs, written by Jeanette Ramnarine

Award winning – Financial Values Book for Children.

The story of a little boy and how his parents are teaching him financial responsibility using the “Four Piggies Concept”. The main character is a boy named Caleb.

He has 4 piggy banks; one for:
Spending

Sharing

Saving

Schooling

 

Teaching financial wisdom isn’t a one stop lesson, it’s a life-long process. And it’s never too early to start.

Get started by opening a savings account for the important young people in your life. Go to either St. Joseph’s Federal Credit Union locations—at 1811 Whipple Ave. in Canton or at 315 Sherban Court in Louisville– to learn more about how you can help start a life-long habit of sound financial responsibility.

If you’d like, visit the STJ website. The address is www.stjosephfcu.org. Or, please call 330-478-8400.