blackforest
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2000
The reason I ask is because of something that our DNiece has recently accomplished. At 20 she has bought her first home, on her own. We are SO pround of her! She has a great job as a dental assistant, and the job is paying for her continuing education. She has paid for her own cars, yes I said cars. Paid off the first one, sold it for more that what she paid and got a better, more fuel efficiant one. Contrast this to her older sister (same parents), who lets money roll through her fingers like water. Wanted a $300 rocker for her first child. Her mom (my DSil) found the EXACT same one, almost new, at a garage sale for $50. DNiece refused, because the new one was new!
I will be the first to admit, I am horrible with money. I was never taught how to budget or save. All my money went to my expenses when I was at home (16-18 y.o.), then with college I had no money but lots of CC debt! My Dh is great with money and is so on top of things with our finances and savings etc. that over the 20+ years of marriage I have become a better and smarter money-manager.
So, with all the talk of saving money and budgeting, I would really like to get my kids started off right. We have 2 DDs, 13 and 6. DD6 doesn't really have a concept of "money", but she does know the word no and most of the time doesn't get something just because she wants it.
However, DD13 is to the age when this needs to kick in. She gets her weekly allowance (now that school has started again) of $20. Of that $20; $10 is for her school lunch for the week (she gets to keep the extra if SHE packs her lunch-the food is there), $5 goes into her savings account, and at least $2 (her tithe) goes to church. She has chores which is part of being in the family and she can earn extra money for going above and beyond her chores or babysitting DD6 (however the abysitting is not always paid).
But, whenever she has a bit of money it is spent. Of course I control where she shops and she has been known to save for a bigger purchase (such as, name brand clothes that I find too expensive).
Both girls have college accounts that we pay into and cars will become an issue down the road.
So, my question is, are we on the right course for our kids to learn the value of money? Learning that they should handle their money and not let the money handle them?
I want this to become a no-brainer for them when it comes to finances and their futures. TIA!
I will be the first to admit, I am horrible with money. I was never taught how to budget or save. All my money went to my expenses when I was at home (16-18 y.o.), then with college I had no money but lots of CC debt! My Dh is great with money and is so on top of things with our finances and savings etc. that over the 20+ years of marriage I have become a better and smarter money-manager.
So, with all the talk of saving money and budgeting, I would really like to get my kids started off right. We have 2 DDs, 13 and 6. DD6 doesn't really have a concept of "money", but she does know the word no and most of the time doesn't get something just because she wants it.
However, DD13 is to the age when this needs to kick in. She gets her weekly allowance (now that school has started again) of $20. Of that $20; $10 is for her school lunch for the week (she gets to keep the extra if SHE packs her lunch-the food is there), $5 goes into her savings account, and at least $2 (her tithe) goes to church. She has chores which is part of being in the family and she can earn extra money for going above and beyond her chores or babysitting DD6 (however the abysitting is not always paid).
But, whenever she has a bit of money it is spent. Of course I control where she shops and she has been known to save for a bigger purchase (such as, name brand clothes that I find too expensive).
Both girls have college accounts that we pay into and cars will become an issue down the road.
So, my question is, are we on the right course for our kids to learn the value of money? Learning that they should handle their money and not let the money handle them?
I want this to become a no-brainer for them when it comes to finances and their futures. TIA!