April is National Credit Union Youth Month. It’s never too early to teach children the importance of smart money habits.

As an adult, money and budgeting can be boring and, at times, flat out exhausting. We constantly think about which bills we need to pay and how to stretch every penny.  Why would we want to try to explain this complicated topic to kids?

Because money wise children grow into money wise adults.

It’s never too soon to talk with kids about finances.  While we see finances as one more thing on our to-do list, kids see a dollar as their fortune.

Think about it, what will a five year old do for $10?  Almost anything.  Here are a few ideas to get kids excited about money and a give you a launch pad for a conversation about money management:

  1. Have a neighborhood bake sale. Have your little one make some cookies and/or cupcake and sell them in your driveway.
  2. Do chores for an elderly neighbor. Your kid can put a smile on a neighbor’s face by helping them with tasks they may no longer be able to do on their own, like raking their leaves.
  3. Organize a garage sale. Have them sell unwanted toys and clothing.  Not only will they make money, they will also rid their room of items they no longer need!

Once your kids start earning money, they will be looking for ways to make more! This provides an excellent opportunity to explain the basic principles of savings and budgeting.

While these ideas will get younger kids engaged in basic money habits, how do you engage your teenager?  How do you teach them when they think they already know what you have to tell them? The answer is in the palm of their hand.

Everywhere we look, kids of all ages have cell phones.  Don’t expect your teenager to sit down with a transaction register and balance a checkbook.  For younger generations, tracking transactions is a thing of the past.  Engage them with managing finances through online banking and mobile apps.

At Piedmont Advantage anyone can become a member, and with our Advantage Access Mobile App, we can help you teach your teen to view transactions, transfer money, and deposit checks with a tap of their finger.  In addition, Advantage Access Online Banking helps to build on those basic functions by allowing teens to set up reoccurring transfers to move money to saving on payday or schedule payments to pay back mom and dad.

Managing finances doesn’t need to overwhelm you or your child.  Teaching these lessons at a young age will help them to be more financially prepared in the future.  Since April is National Credit Union Youth Month, Piedmont Advantage is holding a Raising Money Smart Kids webinar on April 24.  Stop by Piedmont Advantage Credit Union today or register online at pacu.com.  Let us help you get your child, and yourself, on a successful financial path.

Facebook
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Email

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Stay up to date with our events and get exclusive article content right to your inbox!

Latest Stories

Other Featured Articles

Categories

All Article in Current Issue

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Stay up to date with our events and get exclusive article content right to your inbox!