Money-Smart Monday

with John Lanza

Hello, friends,

I’m changing up the format slightly this week by sharing a recent LinkedIn post that resonated with many people. (You can read the comments here.)

I think you’ll like this.

Money is not complicated—so why do we complicate it?​
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Here are some truths I’ve learned.
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On Kids and Money:
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▶ Kids can—and want to—learn about money from a very young age. Even toddlers.
▶ Every parent wants to raise a money-smart kid.
▶ Parents want and can be empowered to lead their children on a money-smart journey.
▶ In fact, we (parents) can often learn alongside our kids on the money-smart journey we take with them. (I know I did.)
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On How We Learn About Money:
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▶ Money is best understood through experiences—particularly through how those experiences make us feel.
▶ Yet we often teach money like science.
▶ Financial goals are important, but establishing sustainable money habits matters even more.
▶ The sustainable money habits that matter are pretty simple:
👉🏻 Live beneath our means so we can…
👉🏻 Save a portion of what we make…
👉🏻 …and invest that money in a low-fee total stock market index fund.
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On Money, Happiness and Fulfillment:
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▶ Money, used intentionally, can indeed contribute to happiness. (The book Happy Money offers excellent insights here.)
▶ Happiness isn’t a destination; it’s a daily choice.
▶ Ultimately, fulfillment might be a better compass than happiness when deciding how we live and spend our money.
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Life and money don’t have to be complicated.
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Often, we’re the ones introducing unnecessary complexity.

That’s it for this week.

As always, don’t forget to enjoy the journey!

John,
Your Chief Mammal

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📗 Get The Art of Allowance (for parents)​
📚 Get the “Share & Save & Spend Smart” series (for kids)​
🫱🏻‍🫲🏽 Become a partner (for businesses)

P.S. Please consult with a financial or investment professional before making any decisions that might affect your financial well-being.

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