Money Lesson 1 - Parents Teach Your Kids the Power of Saving Money
Parents, if you are a Sammy Rabbit fan, you already know the single most important money habit and lesson we strongly encourage you to teach your kids:
Get in the habit of saving money!
Our mantra: saving money is a great habit!
Why
Why is saving money a great habit? One big reason, habits have predictable outcomes. That makes them important and powerful!
The habit of saving money has several huge payoffs, especially for children. Here are four:
It immediately places a child on the path to more prosperity, increased independence, and a stronger state of security;
It teaches delayed gratification and goal setting;
It provides time to think about and make better spending decisions;
It instills discipline; and, it builds confidence and esteem.
Those are not the only benefits of saving money. Find more payoffs and insights in our companion article, 10 Reasons Why the Habit of Saving Money is Vital to Your Well-Being
Start Early
We recommend beginning the financial education and empowerment process when kids are young. The earlier the better. This means ages 3, 4 and 5, if not sooner. That is when the "slate" is most clean and close to pristine. So, take advantge of this brief window to start seeding and shaping the thinking, feelings, attitudes, actions and habits of children on money.
Remember, education is a process. Mastery requires time and repitition. You can do it and your kids can too!
5 Outstanding Quotes and Sammyriffic Wisdom on Saving Money
Saving money is a life transforming habit.
It sets kids up for sustained success and making lots of dreams come true!
Here are five outstanding quotes that reflect the power of the habit of saving money.
One, we wholeheartedly agree with this quote from T. T. Munger:
"The habit of saving is itself an education; it fosters every virtue, teaches self-denial, cultivates the sense of order, trains to forethought, and so broadens the mind."
Regardless of how you want to state it, get your kids to put these simple and profound, messages into practice. They essentially all have the same meaning and produce predictable payoffs:
Two, George Clason put it this way in his classic, The Richest Man in Babylon:
"Pay yourself first"
Three, the personal finance blog, The Simple Dollar, and many others, communicate the concept as follows:
"Rule #1 - Spend less than you earn!"
This is another way of expressing a favorite Sammy Rabbit slogan we have developed into a song: Don't Spend More Than You Make!
Four, Warren Buffett is not one of the wealthiest people on the planet by accident. I have found it a good idea to check in on his thinking on personal finance matters, whether it is saving money, investing it, or anything else. Buffett shares this sage and Sammyriffic guidance:
“Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.”
Five, Sammy Rabbit emphasizes it this way in his story books, songs and activities:
"Saving is a great habit!"
S-A-V-E
David Bach nails it with the title of his best selling personal finance book, "The Automatic Millionaire!"
Automating a process turbo charges habit formation. It reduces the cognitive load and effort required to perform the habit consistently, making it more convenient and ingrained in one's routine. This leads to increased adherence and reinforcement of the habit over time.
We love the idea so much, it was part of the inspiration for the lyrics below in the toe-tapping, hand clapping, Sammy Rabbit money song S-A-V-E:
...make it a habit; make it automatic... (refering to saving and investing)
4 Easy and Fun Steps to Teach Your Kids to Get in the Habit of Saving Money
Have kids:
Listen to one or all of the songs hyperlinked in this blog, starting with Get in the Habit. Then, have them complete the activities associated with each blog. Parents, grandparents, and other interested adults, you may want to start with our Parent Guide for the song Get in the Habit!
Read the story Sammy's Big Dream
Follow up the song and story with a discussion
Make a deposit with your child or children into a piggy bank, savings jar or into a savings account at the financial institution of your choice.
More Money Lessons Parents Should Teach Kids
Money Lesson 2 Parents Should Teach Kids: Dream Big - Aim High!
Money Lesson 3 Parents Should Teach Kids: Goals are Like Gold!
More Money Songs
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Your friends in early age, youth and family financial literacy education for the last 20+ years and counting.
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Enroll them in Sammy Rabbit's FREE Money School Membership program. The program:
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