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Category: Budgeting

Early Training Pays Off

Early Training Pays Off

“There are three boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats.  Are you not eating them, Nathan?” I was washing the breakfast dishes when Ryan opened the pantry door and noticed all the cereal. “I’ll eat them.” replied Nathan.  “I just want to finish the Chex first.” I started to chuckle.  A few weeks ago, this would have been a weird conversation between the two teens.  But since Ryan has been doing all the grocery shopping, he’s beginning to notice things.  Things…

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Nathan’s Hands-On Lesson About Insurance

Nathan’s Hands-On Lesson About Insurance

All three of us ran to the window.  We had never heard a sound like that before.  But that’s because we had never seen hail like that before.  It wasn’t that the hailstones were large, it was that they were coming down in sheets.  Within several minutes the entire backyard looked like it had been snowing for days. It was sort of fun to watch.  Until the phone rang.  It was Nathan.  I had forgotten about him.  He had left…

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The Expense of Socks

The Expense of Socks

Ryan came home from school today excited. His speech on the current state of health care had gone well. He had spent hours researching and organizing his thoughts on paper. Then there were the hours he spent practicing. But that’s not what this is about. It’s about socks. As Ryan was explaining the details of his presentation, he was kicking his feet behind him. I glanced at his foot as it came up and noticed that there were five, yes…

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Preparing Our Children for Kindergarten: Using Everyday Opportunities to Teach Concepts in Money

Preparing Our Children for Kindergarten: Using Everyday Opportunities to Teach Concepts in Money

All parents want their children to succeed in school. And since Kindergarten is a child’s first exposure to “formal” schooling, preparing them for success is an important first step on the academic ladder. But “preparing” our kids for academic success does not mean completing reams of worksheets and stacks of flashcards. It’s actually a lot easier than that. It simply requires looking for opportunities to seamlessly tie “lessons” into daily life. And the good news is, because these lessons are…

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Gas Money Lessons

Gas Money Lessons

“Wish me luck,” Nathan said as he exited the room. “For what?” John and I both asked. “I’m about to call my manager and find out why I haven’t been put on the schedule.” Nathan has been working at In and Out Burgers since the beginning of summer. During those non-school months he clocked a lot of hours. And he was happy. Gas money and then some. When school started, his schedule was reduced to two nights a week for…

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