Sometimes, Mother really does know best.
When you were younger, Mom nagged you to brush your teeth, eat your veggies, and clean your room.
You didn’t listen.
When you got a little older, she might have imparted more mature words of wisdom. You probably didn’t listen then, either.
Funny, but as you become more mature, your mother’s advice starts to make more sense, and you might realize that her advice wasn’t as dumb as you always thought it was.
For instance, she told you, “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” Amazingly enough, that is unfortunately true. Money has to be earned, and earning money is a lot more difficult than picking it off of trees. Earning money is WORK.
When you have to work for your money, you should be a little more conscious about how you spend it. After all, that new gizmo you want? It will take 45 hours, or more than a solid week, of work to pay for it. When you look at objects in terms of work required to purchase, it might help you to be more discriminating about what you really want.
Of course, there’s always a credit card. Banks are more than willing to lend you money to buy the things you want. And it’s easy enough to whip out the plastic when you want to buy something. But you need to consider the consequences of not paying that item off right away. Add another 10 hours to its real cost, because of the interest you will pay on the credit. Now, is that gizmo really worth 55 hours of your time?
Children don’t automatically become expert financiers as soon as they learn to read and count; in fact, many children don’t learn the true value of a dollar until they’re out on their own. Learning money management skills early in life is extremely beneficial, as it teaches children from an early age how to be responsible with cash in their pockets. Games can help make the process both educational and fun, and these are some of the best games for teaching kids the value of a dollar.
Payday
This fun classic board game plays out on a format that’s designed to imitate a calendar. As the players move from start to finish, they encounter both gains and losses in their own personal finances. Kids might win the lottery or receive a work bonus on one turn, only to run into unexpected expenses moments later. This teaches kids to make smart decisions with their money and to plan for the uncertainty of the future; these skills will go a long way in their lives.
Ah, the memories of fondly wading through school courses on asset allocation, Roth IRAs, and retirement savings options. Wait, not so much? You’re not alone.