C is for COST

Talking about the cost of something can get pretty involved! 

This morning I have already had to reschedule two meetings and figure out how to gather six people to create a project for my son's school. Although I did not take out my wallet while negotiating any of those moments, each involves cost.

The lemonade stands the kids create and the shoes the big kids sell on line involve the costs of the ingredients as well as the cost of the transportation to get all those pieces. Sometimes it is easy to see that the sugar cost $5.00 and the lemons cost $3.00 but sometimes the costs of time and commitment are less clear.

Helping kids understand that the money matters for sure but so does the time and investment of focused energy might help them to take even more pride in that lemonade stand ! 

Budget is not a 4 letter word

When the word budget comes up it can evoke fear or memories of long drawn out meetings in the corporate world.  Kids don't have that reference, for them it is a map!   A great way to introduce a budget is simply to tell them what it means:
A PLAN FOR SPENDING MONEY.

Sometimes the plan will work out just as it was laid out and other times the plan will have to change but taking a little time to create a plan and track it will help to create wonderful money habits.


Try keeping a budget this month.  You can even work it backwards to start- keep track of everything you saved, spent and shared for a month. Then next month start with that map to help you decide if you would like to save a little more and spend a little less or maybe you want to make a big donation to school so there will be less to spend.  There is no right or wrong answer but the practice of creating and following a budget will be sure to help you feel good about what you are doing with your money! Make sure you celebrate when you match your budget!!

Start the New Year with Allowance

A is for Allowance!

Allowance is a great way to help children develop positive money habits.
Children who are asked to make choices with their own money on a regular basis are more likely to ask questions about money, save money and understand the importance of giving back.

As a parent, the toughest piece is sometimes remembering to have "cash on hand" for "payday".  We were successful with a allowance in our house when we made the collection piece our children's responsibility.   When I was growing up my dad remembered to give us allowance each week but in our busy house I am lucky if I remember dinner so it worked for us to have them come to us on Sundays. 

Allowance is a tool to give kids a chance with money management! The amount the kids are given does not make nearly as much difference as the fact that they are given money on a regular basis and asked to manage it. Older children can be given real responsibility with allowance, like buying lunch at school once a week.

They say it takes 21 days (weeks in this case)  to make a habit stick......give it a try!

A great Blog Post from a Moonjar Mom!!!

Save, Share, Spend

Several months ago I heard about a super cool bank called the Moonjar. 

And after some reading about it we decided that these would be the perfect banks for the girls. 

There are three sections that make up a Moonjar. 

One for money to be saved, one for money to be spent and one for money to share. 

With the addition of these banks into our world we decided that each girl will be given three dollars a week. The passbook that comes with each Moonjar suggests deciding on a percentage to put in each section. However, with how young the girls are we decided not to establish a percentage per section just yet. Instead, they will simply get to decide how much money they will place in each section of their bank each week. 

The girls absolutely love that they have a place to keep their money. And they absolutely love that they have a section for money that they can spend, a section for money to save up for the things they are dreaming of (new My Little Ponies are the goal right now) and they love that they have a section for money to donate to people or groups in need. After they put their initial three dollars in they went around and collected all the coins they had been saving in various boxes and purses. It's safe to say that their jars are off to a really great start! In the words of Grace: "Mama, this is the best gift ever!" 

Fall into free shipping with Moonjar!

Leaves are changing, so can money habits.

Fall into a great money conversation, SAVE SPEND and SHARE

with Moonjar today!

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2013 Tillywig Brain Child Award

We are so excited to announce that Moonjar has won the 2013 Tillywig Brain Child Award for being an exciting product that energizes the mind while seamlessly blending fun and learning.  Please take a look at the Tillywig web site: http://www.tillywig.com

Vote to teach children about money!

Help Moonjar spread the word about financial literacy and teaching children to Save, Spend and Share.
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