“Working to help parents raise money-smart kids.”
Hello, friends!
Incredibly, these are my last “3 Ideas to Share & Save” for 2022.
I’m going to take a two-week break from from this newsletter, so I’ll be back on January 2nd.
As this year comes to an end, I want to thank Erin Prim, our Marketing Manatee, for her edits and contributions that make this newsletter more readable for and useful to you.
I also want to thank our Art Director and Giraffe-ic Designer, Todd Slater, who creates many of the beautiful images you find in between my ramblings.
And last but certainly not least, I want to thank you for subscribing to this newsletter. I appreciate the time you take out of your day to (hopefully) learn a little something that might help your family on your money-smart journey.
Now on to the good stuff! I’m excited to close out 2022 with a bang: another fun and informative conversation on my Art of Allowance Podcast. I hope you enjoy it!
— 1 —
Pocket This Advice: I was fortunate to chat with Jessica Willis, the founder and CEO of Pocketnest, in my podcast episode that goes live today!
Pocketnest is a financial planning app aimed at Gen Xers and Millennials. Specifically, it helps them cover all their monetary bases by feeling confident that answers to their financial questions are available on the phones they’re carrying, you guessed it, in their pockets.
I invited Jessica on the podcast to find out how a financial expert (She’s a Certified Financial Planner and a Certified Private Wealth Advisor.) is raising money-smart kids.
We cover a lot of ground during our discussion, including:
- Encouraging entrepreneurship in our kids 💰
- The parental money mistakes Jessica most often sees 🤦
- Getting started on a money-smart journey versus getting it perfect 🏆
But what surprised me the most about our conversation was Jessica’s take on budgeting, the supposed bedrock of financial literacy. Namely, she agrees with the stance I share in this essay and offers an alternate essential financial habit we should consider. Listen in at 21:19 for all the details.
— 2 —
Still looking for holiday gifts?: In this short video from our discussion, Jessica explains how she gave her kids the gift of investing for the holidays. This is a wonderful idea and truly a gift that will keep on giving.
If you’re interested in more meaningful gift ideas, then you might also enjoy my conversation with Guinevere Higgins and Kelley Dennings of New Dream. Even though this nonprofit closed its doors, its resources, like a non-material gift catalog, still live online. In fact, much of the New Dream spirit can be found in Fairplay, the organization formerly known as the Campaign for a Commerical-Free Childhood (CCFC).
And if you want to dive even deeper, then tune in to my discussion with the head of Fairplay, Josh Golin. It includes plenty of useful info about raising consumer-savvy kids, a key topic this holiday season. You could also stream my conversation about materialism and well-being with Tim Kasser, a Fairplay board member.
— 3 —
“Be a Doer”: My younger daughter likes to invoke this phrase when she senses some parental malaise setting in. (Which can happen when you’re in your 20th year of parenting. 😉)
“I just don’t feel like preparing dinner … again.”
“Maybe we should skip holiday cards this year.”
“I might be too tired to edit another college essay.”
“Be a doer.”
In a similar fashion, Jessica Willis urges you to “be a doer” when it comes to beginning an allowance, securing an insurance policy or tackling estate planning. Your quest for some type of perfect system or worries about your own financial acumen shouldn’t get in the way of these important steps on the money-smart journey.
Just get started.
Jessica echoes a point I made a few weeks back. Well, frankly, I harp on the principle of getting started incessantly, so that’s why my team decided to highlight this section of the conversation. Think of it as a stocking stuffer!
Remember, you can’t enjoy the journey until you get started.
Happy holidays!
John, Chief Mammal
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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