Helping kids appreciate money
...Fort Knox currently holds more than $204 Billion in gold within its vaults? Or that in the past it has stored the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and many other priceless documents and treasures? Learn these and more fun facts about our great nations gold depository.
“I am reaching my goals," said one 5th grader in my class.” “I’d like to earn money for charity by doing extra chores,” exclaimed another. My students are reaching for things they normally would not have, if it weren't for FamilyMint. They now know how to fill out a check, take care of adding and subtracting from their register, and even "envelope" their money. As a teacher, I appreciate helping students brush up on money skills and vocabulary, as well as seeing how happy they are to spend a little time with parents around goal setting and financial literacy.
Read MoreSuccess doesn’t always come easy to the rich and famous. Here are a few examples of some famous people who have overcome difficult situations and odds to offer real rags-to-riches stories.
David Fiske, a 5th grade mathematics teacher at Heritage Elementary school in Saline, MI, and his class have completed the FamilyMint Money Management Certification program. The program was generously sponsored by Bank of Ann Arbor. Mr. Fiske stated, "Real life application is important for student learning. This program gave my fifth grade students practical experience using a financial program which connected with the mathematics concepts that they learn in the classroom and provides a financial unit that is clear and user-friendly."
Read MoreCattle are probably the oldest of all forms of money. Cattle as
money dates back to 9000 B.C. Some cattle were still used as money in parts of
Africa in the middle of the 20th century.
Check out more fun money facts here.
Spring has sprung and summer is just around the corner. Has your family been thinking about or begun planning a summer vacation? Are you seeking some fun, educational, and budget-friendly ideas? It’s not the cost of a vacation that makes it fun for parents and children; it’s the time spent together as a family. Take a look at some of these ideas for family vacations on a limited budget.
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My oldest son is going to college next year and is considering getting an apartment. I don’t know about you, but when I hear these words (“college” and “apartment”), lists of various expenses quickly start scrolling through my mind. I wanted to help my son develop a similar mental picture of this new, expensive world he is walking into. But what’s the best way to relay the enormity and variety of the expenses of this new world to my son?
Read MoreAccording to research done by BIGresearch, in 2011 Americans spent $3.4 billion on dinners, $3.5 billion on jewelry, $1.1 billion for cards, and $1.7 billion for flowers on Valentine’s Day. A recent article in USA Today predicts that Americans will spend 8.5 percent more in 2013!
A quick Internet search of “Valentine’s on the Cheap” will yield some wonderfully romantic and inexpensive ideas for celebrating the ones you love this Valentine’s Day. The following is a small sampling of inexpensive or free ideas:
Read MoreFamilyMint is organized and focused first and foremost on SMART goals. You can use this setup to track very simple loans as well.
Read MoreMy 9 and 12 year olds were laughing so hard in the back of the car they had tears in their eyes. The kind of laugh that just makes you laugh along with them even though you have no clue what's so funny...
Read MoreWhat do kids want to know about money? Who do kids turn to first with their money questions? Do kids think parents are setting good money examples? What’s the most common financial regret for parents? These questions and many juicy others are tackled by the 2012 Annual Parent, Kids & Money Survey by T. Rowe Price.
Read MoreWe love online technology, and we love that our kids love it too. However, the Internet isn't safe for kids to just go roaming about anywhere, so we're big fans of parental control solutions. And we're huge fans of parental control solutions that are both very effective and free.
Read MoreChristmas and birthdays are often a time when kids get a windfall of cash and gift cards. Should you let them run right out and spend it all? Whoa. Not so fast. An incredible teaching opportunity for your kids has just presented itself. Check out Bob's interview with Murray Feldman on Fox 2 Detroit about teaching your kids how to handle the gift of money.
Read MoreWhat if you could instantly increase the desire of your kids to save? Just by showing them a picture of what they might look like when they are older? Interested? Me too!
Read MoreWhen it comes to being savvy about money, the line between what teens think and reality is as wide as the Grand Canyon. Most teens surveyed believe they are financially savvy. But when asked about specifics such as establishing good credit, balancing a check book or what a credit score is, the majority of teens were in the dark.
Read MoreHaving a family of 6 in today’s society means that being disciplined in managing family finances must be a priority. This realization, and ultimately a commitment to do something about it is what brought my family to FamilyMint. If you are reading this blog….your probably have a very similar story.
Read MoreHow many of us could say that we've read every book we've ever purchased? Listened to every song we ever downloaded? Or even used every too-good-to-pass-up deal that we paid for through GroupOn? FamilyMint is no different. We know many parents sign-up because they love the idea and features and want to leverage the benefits, but sometimes life gets in the way, and other times changing the way things are done can take a try or two to make it stick. We received an email along these lines from a parent this week. I wanted to share her question and my response with all of you.
Read MoreDebit cards are under attack. Some well-meaning legislation in Washington called the Durbin Amendment is going to result in higher fees for consumers, potentially the end of free checking, and a shift away from debit cards in general. Why? Let's get take a look:
Read MoreOn the back of the One Dollar bill, you will see two circles. Together, they comprise the Great Seal of the United States of America. The First Continental Congress requested that Benjamin Franklin and a group of men come up with a Seal. It took four years to accomplish this task and two years to get it approved.
Read MoreStatistically, we as adults don’t do very well when it comes to managing our own money, so are we laying the right kind of foundation the generations to come? Watch this video a find out for yourself. Real statistics. Real solutions.
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