“Working to help parents raise money-smart kids.”
Hello, friends,
Welcome to Money-Smart Month! That’s right — April is when the United States chooses to call attention to the importance of financial wellness and money empowerment. 🥳
And while the official term that you’ll hear is Financial Literacy Month, you won’t be surprised to know I think Money-Smart Month has a more meaningful ring.
Of course, as a reader of these “3 Ideas to Share & Save” each week, you’re committed to more than a month of money smarts. You’re in this for the long haul, and I appreciate that dedication.
For when we all work together in this money-smart movement, we make a difference. That’s why we’ve joined with some great partners to make this a Money-Smart Month to remember.
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The Art of Allowance Academy: What better way to kick off April than to kick-start your allowance program! So I’d love for you to join my Art of Allowance Academy short course courtesy of our partner in money smarts, Patelco Credit Union.
Money-smart mavens like you are always looking for bargains. And my course fits the bill because Patelco has very generously made it available to you for free. That’s right — this is all upside!
We’ll touch on a lot of topics, including, among others:
- Settling the allowance / chore debate 🧹
- Empowering our kids around money 💪
- Getting started with investing 📈
And if you’ve already set up an allowance system, not to worry. As you can see, we’ll discuss tips and tactics you can use to help any age child learn to share, save and spend smart.
Plus, you’ll get to meet Veronica Dangerfield, one of the most unique, entertaining and dedicated members of the money-smart movement. Veronica’s enthusiasm is infectious, so you won’t want to miss it!
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Ask Me Anything: I hope you can make it when I join our long-time credit union partner, Louisiana Federal Credit Union, to answer questions in their live Q&A series, “Helping You Get There”™. Tune in via their Facebook page at 1:00 pm PT on April 26th to participate.
Any question is fair game!
👉🏻 Have you been wondering what to do with the money accumulating in your daughter’s Share jar? (The one that she’s been ignoring! 😬)
👉🏻 Are you curious how to adjust (or eliminate) an allowance now that your teen has a part-time job?
👉🏻 Did your son’s recent question about investing cause an existential crisis?
As the title of this section suggests, you can really ask me anything. I’ve done this event with Louisiana Federal Credit Union for the past few years, and parents never cease to surprise me with interesting inquiries. You’ll get good value — and your questions answered — from this 30-minute session.
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Enjoy the Journey: I try to fill these weekly emails with interesting, useful ideas. And there’s a sense of striving in many of these concepts because you, like me, are on a journey. You want to do the best job you can to raise money-smart kids. Of course, this goal is just part of our larger goal: to raise happy, healthy, well-adjusted kids.
Much of what matters in money smarts is understanding that money is just a means to an end. Which is why a key lesson we’d like our kids to grasp is to want what they already have.
So we should consider these wise words from Benjamin and Rosamund Zander, authors of The Art of Possibility:
“The practice of being with the way things are allows us to alight in a place of openness, where ‘the truth’ readies us for the next step, and the sky opens up.”
Striving is fine, for we should want to make our lives better. Yet amidst all this pushing for improvement, our lives are lived moment to moment. With the money we have. With the things we own. With the mind we possess.
Money-Smart Month is as good a time as any to take stock and appreciate where we are on this money-smart journey.
If you’re reading this newsletter, then today is more likely than not a good day on that journey. So let’s enjoy it!
I have a favor to ask of you: Can you take a minute to think of one person who might benefit from joining one of the events above? I’d really appreciate it if you could forward this email to them right now.
Thank you!
John, Chief Mammal and Your Friend in Money Smarts
P.S. Please consult with a financial or investment professional before engaging in any decisions that might affect your own financial well-being.
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