Raising Cash Savvy Kids

April has been a great month to celebrate Financial Literacy Month.  As school is coming to a close and summer vacation is starting it is time for student to start looking for jobs and for parents to start teaching their kids personal money management.  Let's start with students looking for jobs.  April is a great month to start researching jobs, submitting resumes, and completing job applications.  But where do you start and what can you expect to get paid?  Students must consider how they will get to work first will it be public transportation like the bus, or train.  Will you walk to work or have a parent take you.  Once you figure out your primary means of transportation begin looking for local job postings in your community.  Your local grocery store, gas station, or mall maybe hiring.  Other great opportunities for you to pursue is with your county Workforce Development Agency.  Some Workforce Development Agencies have specific jobs for students, these jobs may include working for parks and recreation, watershed or waste management, and other county departments.  These jobs often pay more than minimum wage but you have to apply now!

Parents this year is critical in talking with your kids about personal finances.  It's never easy to talk about money matters with your kids, but teh time is now.  There are several things to help start those conversations, and you must also provide them with the right tools to get them engaged.  Promoting the use of technology in financial literacy is key, technology is the lanuage that our youth speaks today. On April 28th-30th fifteen speakers including myself from across the globe will facilitating a FREE teleseries entilted "Raising Cash Savvy Kids".  You can get tips and ask questions of experts on financially literacy and how best to communicate with your kids about money.  You can register free at www.smartkidzmatter.com under the resource tab, just click on the Raising Cash Savvy Kids link.

Don't let summer come and go without you talking to your parents about money, and parents don't let school start again without providing your kids tips on becoming Cash Savvy.                        

Smart Kidz Smart Money Tips for Teens

If you are an employed or unemployed teenager you have to be very smart with the money you make. It is easy for teens to go out and spend money because the newest music CD, or latest fashion trend is always at your finger tips, but music and fashion will eventually become classic or vintage chic. This means you'll always be able to find it somewhere in a great trendy boutique, or online, but your future wont be fashionable or vintage chic if you do not prepare for it today. There are many things you can do and several other things you should do however, let's start with baby steps.

Smart Teens always talk to their parents, or guardians about money. Your parent may not be comfortable sharing with you how much income they are payed from their employers. Let them know you are not interested in knowing their salary, but more so in what bills are paid each month and the amount of the bills due. Knowing the total amount owed on the household bills will help you make better spending decisions about your own money. If you get $15.00 in a weekly allowance and you normally spend $12.00 per week in junk food, you are fully aware now that you may need to save $5-10.00 each week in case something comes up and you are not able to ask for additional allowance from your parents or guardian because the household bills need to be paid.

Always save 10-33% of your allowance or monies earned from working. This will allow you to have money when larger items need to be purchased. Larger purchases like the latest "Guitar Hero". This will also help you set financial goals by entrusting you to think about your purchases before you buy them and develop creative ways to raise more money for the things you want.

Smart Teens talk about money with their parents and set realistic financial goals that lead to financial success.