We’re also embarking on our fundraising efforts for the youth sports league, and this year we’ve been tasked with selling chocolate. I remember trying to sell cookie dough, candles, and raffle tickets when I was a kid. Compared to those products, selling chocolate is a walk in the park. It helps that my workplace doesn’t have vending machines full of snacks, although with spring diets kicking into full gear, I’ve become somewhat of a pariah at the office.  But I still went through my entire box of chocolate bars in a week and I only bought three of them myself. I consider this a success.

Since I’ve been writing this blog, I often find myself trying to find a connection between the everyday events happening in my life and how that relates to money, or budgeting, or planning for the future. Life lessons seem to pop out at the most random times, from planting seeds in the garden to splashing through muddy puddles with my little man. And this week has been no different, as I see how overwhelming these first few practices are, for my husband as the coach, to the kids playing for the first time, and for the parents who aren’t quite sure what they should be doing to help, but it’s obvious that a little help would go a long way. When we start taking our finances seriously, that can be very overwhelming as well. Starting with a very basic budget and then moving on to protecting your investments with insurance, planning for retirement, meeting with financial advisors, and finally even facing the prospect of your own mortality by creating a will and considering life and long term care insurance…well, it’s a little more involved than balancing a checkbook. My suggestion is to approach it much like my husband is approaching this first month of t-ball…as a process. One thing at a time. And take whatever help is available. For my daughter’s team, that means parents are stepping up and helping out, even if it’s just cheering on the little kids as they learn to swing the bat, throw the ball, and run the bases. For someone getting their financial life organized, that might mean your family, your credit union, or web resources and advice. And when you start making those steps towards financial freedom, don’t hesitate to throw up your hands and celebrate. We all need a little cheering on sometimes. I’m Claire, the Afena blog mom. Thanks for reading.

Since my husband and I made the commitment to incorporate financial stability and budgeting into our lives, one of the toughest areas for us has been spending on our kids. While giving up eating out for lunch a few times a week and making my own coffee at home are habits that I’ve easily fallen into, denying my children a toy during our weekly grocery trip isn’t nearly as easy. Not only because they get upset but also because I genuinely want to give them EVERYTHING. But just because I WANT to do something, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the RIGHT thing to do. So this Summer we’ve decided that we’ll focus on creating experiences and memories with the kids, and try to leave all of the stuff on the store shelves. With that in mind, I’d like to share 4 tips that we’re working on with our kids to teach them about money and spending, with the hopes that they won’t find themselves with an uphill battle against debt in their 20s.

1. Let them EARN an allowance. My youngest won’t be doing too many chores to “earn” that allowance, but he can “help” sweep, “help” fold clothes, and mimic his older sisters as they compete their chores. Not only does this start to teach children that money is an earned asset, and actually reflects a time commitment on their part, but it actually begins to reinforce the value of money. If it takes a week of sweeping the kitchen floor to earn that plastic fairy wand, is it really worth it?
2. Let kids pay for things themselves. My oldest daughter has her heart set on a scooter, after seeing her older cousin/hero riding around on one. We’ve let her know that she needs to pay for half of the scooter, so she has a savings goal of $25. When we go and pick up the scooter next month, she’s going to be handing the cashier the money. I hope this helps reinforce the value of money and savings again, but I also know that she’ll be proud to reach her goal and buy that scooter herself, with money she’s earned.
3. Let kids “buy” presents themselves. For Father’s Day, I take my munchkins to the dollar store, hand them each a $5 dollar bill, and we go to town. They get to decide what to buy for their dad, and it’s so much fun to see what they pick out and hear them explain why they picked it out. By doing this, I’m hoping to teach them that using money to give to others is just as much fun, and sometimes more fun, than accumulating a bunch of stuff for ourselves. And when Daddy opens his presents on Father’s Day, it’s almost certain to be a surprise.
4. Finally, I can’t talk about teaching kids about money without mentioning opening up a Kid’s Club account at your credit union. At Afena, my kids get to earn prizes by making deposits, plus they get a birthday card and monthly statements in the mail. My kids, and I think every kid I’ve ever met, LOVE getting mail.

I’m Claire, the Afena blog mom. Thanks for reading.