Brought to you by: Breez DeGuzman

Parents often make the mistake of thinking that preschoolers are too young to understand financial matters. It’s true that kids that young won’t understand compound interest or mutual funds, but there are some things they can learn about money that will benefit them later in life. Here are some things that we as parents can teach our kids at a young age.

One of the first things that kids learn about money is that you can use it to buy things. We rarely have to teach them this, because they learn it from being with us when we go shopping. But they are usually unaware of most of the aspects of money we take for granted.

* Preschoolers can learn about the different denominations of money. They may not remember that there are 100 cents in a dollar, but they can usually recall which coins are worth the most and least. Learning a little about this before they start school will give them a head start in math.

* You can teach the basics of bank accounts. When kids see us writing a check or swiping a card and taking something home, they may think we got it for free. Teaching them that you have to have money in the bank in order to write a check or use your debit card will help them understand that the things we need in life come at a price.

* Preschoolers are not too young to learn about earning money. You can assign chores and pay them a certain amount for each one completed to illustrate the concept of working for money.

* Saving money is an important lesson for kids to learn young. You can help instill the importance of this by encouraging them to save a portion of their allowance. After they have saved for a few weeks, help them count up how much they have and decide what to do with it. Or better yet, have them set a goal for savings and see how long it takes to reach it.

* Shopping provides a wealth of opportunities to teach kids about money. You can discuss how to save money by using coupons and buying things while they’re on sale. You can set a budget and see how much you can buy with it. And you can let them help you count the money when it’s time to check out.

Small children catch on to the importance of money quickly. We can help them develop a healthy attitude toward it by teaching them basic concepts and modeling good spending and saving habits. This will build the foundation for a lifetime of good money practices.

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When you were young, did your parents ever tell you that money doesn’t grow on trees? Have you found yourself repeating that mantra to your own children? It’s hard for kids to understand what it takes to make money, because they rarely have to earn their own. And when they’re teenagers, the allure of the latest fashions, newest electronics and other things that all the other kids seem to have makes them even more eager to spend, spend, spend.

The teen years are prime time for learning about the ins and outs of the almighty dollar. This is a time when kids become more interested in material things. It’s also a time when they can begin to work and earn some of their own money. But perhaps most importantly, it’s a time when they will soon be on their own and making financial decisions themselves.

It’s critically important for teenagers to learn about money and how to manage it before they leave home. Here are some things we should strive to teach them.

* Teens need to learn the difference between needs and wants. This can be a fine line for adults, and it’s even more confusing for teenagers. They need clothes, but they don’t really need those expensive designer jeans. Helping them learn to distinguish wants from needs is an important life lesson.

* Budgeting is crucial. Even teenagers should have a plan for how they will spend their money and stick with that plan. That doesn’t mean they can’t have any fun with it, just that they need to prioritize their spending so that the important stuff is taken care of first.

* A penny saved is a penny earned. This old adage is one that can make our lives much easier, and it’s best learned early. Teens should be taught about the benefits of saving, such as earning interest, having money in case of an emergency and being prepared for retirement.

* Don’t borrow too much money. Using credit responsibly helps us build up a good credit rating so that we can easily buy things like homes and cars. Using it irresponsibly leaves us saddled with debt and a poor credit rating. It’s important to learn this early in life rather than late.

* Taxes are a fact of life. Teens often feel that having taxes taken out of their earnings is unfair (as do some adults). It’s important for them to know why those taxes are taken out and what they pay for. It’s also a good idea for them to learn how to prepare their taxes correctly, either by hand or with software.

Learning about money the hard way can be quite painful. Taking the time to teach your teenager some important lessons could prevent him from making some big mistakes as an adult. He might not particularly enjoy it right now, but one day down the road, he will thank you for it.

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The teenage years are a time of transition. Teens are no longer kids, but they’re not quite adults, either. They still have the carefree attitude of childhood, yet they are also becoming mature enough to do many things for themselves.

One of the biggest decisions for teens and parents to make together is whether the teenager should get a job. The money earned can help pay some of the teen’s expenses, such as transportation, clothing, lunch money and cell phone bills. It could even be used to help pay the family bills. But there are some things to consider before filling out those applications.

Pros

Earning their own money helps teenagers develop responsibility. They learn first-hand that it takes hard work to get the money needed to buy the things they need and want. This is a very important lesson for anyone.

A job will help your teenager develop good work habits and skills that will help them in future employment. The types of jobs that are available to high schoolers might not be what your child wants to do as an adult, but good work habits translate into any career. And there are certain skills (such as handling money) that are beneficial in many jobs as well as everyday life.

Having a job can help develop self-confidence. Bringing in an income makes teens feel good about themselves. That self-confidence helps them be more secure in making good decisions, and it can help them reach goals such as getting into their college of choice.

Cons

Working too much can be detrimental to a teenager’s performance in school. Students may not have as much time to spend on their homework, causing them to rush through it and do only what they must to get by. They could also become less interested in school when they realize that they can make money without a high school diploma or college degree.

Work could cut into time for extracurricular activities. Sports are good for teens’ health, and clubs can keep them active in their communities. But when they get jobs, they may ditch these activities in favor of working.

If they don’t budget their money, teens could develop poor spending habits. The money they earn from working will probably be substantially more than they received for allowance. They could easily get carried away with it, spending it on designer clothes, music and other non-necessities instead of taking care of their needs and saving a portion of their earnings.

Allowing your teenager to get a job is a big decision, and one that should be made on a case by case basis. If you feel that your child is mature enough to take responsibility for earning and budgeting his own money and still keep his grades up, it might be worth considering. Teens with jobs can be a big help to the family budget, whether they contribute to household bills or just buy their own necessities.

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If you have a teenager, you know that they’re not exactly the most frugal creatures on the planet. Most have not had to work for their money while growing up, so they may not appreciate money as much as adults who know how hard it can be to come by. And with the peer pressure they face today to have all of the latest and greatest clothes, gadgets and entertainment, it’s no wonder that money seems to burn a hole in their pockets.

It may be tempting to let them carry on with their carefree spending habits. But doing so would be a disservice, as these habits tend to stick with them into adulthood. It’s much better to help them set up a financial plan during the teen years so that they may learn responsibility before they are out on their own.

Saving and Investing

One of the most important things a teenager can learn about money is the importance of saving a portion of her earnings. This will allow them to build up an emergency fund. It can provide a way to buy big ticket items without having to go into debt. And it gives them money to invest.

Investing isn’t usually a top priority for teenagers, and it’s even a foreign concept for many adults. But getting started early is the best way to ensure a comfortable retirement. It can also provide some passive income in the years to come, reducing worries about unemployment or failing health.

Teens need to be encouraged to save and invest a certain percentage of everything they earn. Doing so before putting money toward anything else, even bills, will make it easier and more consistent.

Paying Bills and Buying Necessities

Once your teen has put some money into savings and investments, the next order of business is to pay monthly bills. Teens do not generally have as many of these as adults, but they may have a cell phone plan, car insurance or other recurring bills. These should be paid before any other spending takes place.

Next, teens can buy the things they need. Parents often cover some of their teens’ needs, but they may leave expenses such as school lunch, clothing and gas for them to pay. This provides good practice for the day when they start buying everything for themselves.

Discretionary Spending

Once the savings, bills and necessities are taken care of, it’s time for the fun part: discretionary spending. This tends to be the favorite part for most teenagers (and adults, too). But it’s important not to let your child get too carried away with it.

There’s nothing wrong with kids having some fun with their money while they’re young, but try to discourage them from spending every penny just because it’s there. Making a list of the things they want to buy can help. If there’s not enough money to buy them all and have some left over in one month, they can always be carried over to the next.

A realistic financial plan for a teenager contains all of these elements. This will give them some freedom with their money while also providing structure. And it will build the framework for responsible money management as an adult.