Denise Ochigbo

Dec 15, 20223 min

Things You Should Teach Your Kids About Finances

Updated: Jan 15, 2023

Saving money is essential in life, but it can be complicated. Parents may feel and assume that the kids will understand the importance of managing finances, but it's crucial to help kids form the saving habit early on.

Whenever it concerns money, teaching kids regarding delayed gratification can teach them to prevent useless spending and develop a value for taking hold of their finances. In light of this, here are the essential things you should teach your kids about finances to encourage them to start saving from an early age:

Difference Between Wants and Needs

Teaching children the importance of saving starts with assisting them in making the distinction between wants and requirements. Explain that necessities like food, shelter, clothes that aren't too fancy, medical treatment, and education fall under this category. Wants are all the extras, such as movie tickets, candy, the newest smartphone, fancy sneakers, and bicycles.

You can even quiz them on things you have in your house to emphasize the point further. For instance, point out goods in their kitchen or bedroom and ask them if they are needs or wants. This enables you to discuss the notion that prioritizing your spending will help you save money for future needs.

How to Make Saving Goals

Being told to save without being given a reason may seem meaningless to a child. Defining a financial goal with kids can help them become more motivated. Help them divide their goals into manageable chunks if they know what they want to save for. Assist them in calculating how long it will take to attain a goal depending on their savings rate, for if they want to buy a $50 video game but only receive $10 each week.

How to Earn Their Own Money

Based on a 2019 survey, two-thirds of households admitted to giving their kids an allotment, with children making an average of $30 a week for five hours of chores. Allowing your kids to earn and save money gives them a chance to learn how to use it, which you desire them to do as they grow up. They learn the worth of their labor when you give them allowances in exchange for chores.

An Appropriate Place for Saving

Your kids will require a location to save their money once they have a collecting goal in mind. If they're a bit older, consider opening their personal savings account at a bank or buying them a kid-friendly debit card. For more minor children, this might be a piggy bank. Cards from companies let users set their savings objectives and receive notifications when making purchases.

How to Track Spending

Realizing where the money is going is a necessary component of effective saving. With a bank or credit card app, tracking expenses is a little simpler, but you may also do it the traditional way. Having your kids record their purchases daily and sum them up at the end of the week if they get an allowance can be enlightening. Encourage them to consider their spending habits and the speed at which they could achieve their savings goal if they made changes.

Conclusion

To help your kids understand the meaning of finances and effective saving, the things mentioned above should be taught early. Teaching them how and why they should manage their finances will help them quickly save money. You can also book our Gold Membership Program, for personal finances and for a more detailed guidance program. We hope you have a better idea of why it is so important to teach kids about finances at an early age.

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