It’s funny how some things just work out and you’re not even aware that it’s happening.\u00a0 That’s the way it was with my new kitchen table and teaching lessons in my money management class.<\/p>\n
It wasn’t even supposed to be my new kitchen table.\u00a0 It was supposed to be my new office desk.\u00a0\u00a0 Desk-hunting one Sunday afternoon, John and I ended up at Crate and Barrel.\u00a0 While browsing for office furniture we happened by an awesome kitchen table, the kind you might find in an old farm house.\u00a0 And although I knew I wasn’t supposed to stop and admire it, I did anyway.\u00a0 That’s when the sales clerk stopped by and asked if I wanted the information sheet for the table.\u00a0 Oh, and was I aware, she asked,\u00a0that there would be a store-wide sale on floor items beginning Friday morning?\u00a0\u00a0‘Sale’ is one of my favorite words.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next day I began my week-long money management class for 8-12 year olds.\u00a0 We discussed the language of money, needs vs. wants, passive vs. active income, ways to invest, money game plans, ways to earn money, budgeting…and on and on.\u00a0\u00a0 I find that kids ask great questions so we went off on tangents as I tried to relate some of the concepts and ideas to the lives of pre-teens.\u00a0\u00a0 I learned a long time ago that it’s easier to learn something new if you can attach it to something that’s relevant to your life.<\/p>\n
On Day 4 of camp we talk about ways of being a good consumer.\u00a0 As kids were sharing some of their ideas, it occurred to me that I had the perfect real-life, going-on-as-we-speak example.\u00a0\u00a0I pulled out from my purse the Crate and Barrel information sheet and shared my kitchen table need with the class.\u00a0 After finally admitting that it was, indeed, a want since I already had a kitchen table (darn those kids), I explained that I was willing to wait for the table to go on sale before buying it.\u00a0 In fact, I once waited 6 months for a small hallway table to go on sale.\u00a0 Being patient is a good money management skill and a sign of a good consumer.<\/p>\n
The next day was Day 5, the last day of camp, as well as\u00a0the first day the floor models were to go on sale.\u00a0 Now,\u00a0I had no idea if the table was slated to be one of those items on sale, but I was hopeful.<\/p>\n
The kids knew that I was going to call our break at 10a.m. because that’s when Crate and Barrel opened.\u00a0 As the kids were munching on their snacks I made the call.\u00a0 It must have been my lucky day because the table was, indeed,\u00a0on sale…and for 50% off!\u00a0 A few minutes later when I had given my credit card information (credit cards, Day 2, always pay them off), I was the proud owner of a brand new kitchen table.<\/p>\n
What a perfect real, hands-on and totally unexpected example of how being a good consumer can pay off.\u00a0 I loved that the kids could see a money decision in action.\u00a0 And really, kids can take all the money camps they want (and I hope they do!) but the most powerful way to learn is by the example of the adults around them.<\/p>\n
I love my new kitchen table.\u00a0\u00a0But\u00a0now I don’t have an office desk.\u00a0 And that’s Day 1, opportunity cost!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It’s funny how some things just work out and you’re not even aware that it’s happening.\u00a0 That’s the way it was with my new kitchen table and teaching lessons in my money management class. It wasn’t even supposed to be my new kitchen table.\u00a0 It was supposed to be my new office desk.\u00a0\u00a0 Desk-hunting one Sunday afternoon, John and I ended up at Crate and Barrel.\u00a0 While browsing for office furniture we happened by an awesome kitchen table, the kind…<\/p>\n