How to teach financial wisdom to your teen? -

Teach financial wisdom to your teen: Money management is a crucial skill for teens.

As your teens take guidance about all other things in their teenage phase, just like that your teens also need to know about value of money and money management in a proper way.

This article is all about how you can teach financial wisdom to your teen.

Topics we have covered in this blog

Why Teach financial wisdom to your teen
6 Financial terms your teen should be clear about
12 Things to your teen should know to have financial wisdom (What to teach)
How to teach financial wisdom to your teen
Conclusion

Why Teach financial wisdom to your teen

According to a research 70% of teens at college grade stated that they learn money management from their parents.

So as a parent it`s our responsibility to deliver proper knowledge to our teens about “How they can manage their money’’.

Financial wisdom helps your teen build self confidence, helps them face challenges and brings about discipline in your teen.

In few short years they will be on their own. Managing their own finances.

And you will be in peace if you have effectively taught them the needed financial wisdom to thrive in the world.

You might be interested in our related articles

self confidence,

Face challenges

discipline in your teen.

6 Financial terms your teen should be clear about

Many teens may usually show a behavior as they are already expert in finance management when parents try to talk them about money.

I want to share my own conversation about budgeting with my daughter. One day I talk to her about money and she replied me “Mom I already know how to spend money in a balance way’’. I was surprised and happy.

So I asked her some of the questions I have given below and when she threw a blank.

We started our journey where I was able to teach what I know of financial wisdom to my teen.

You can also face the same condition.

I have outlined the most basic of financial terms that your teenager should not about.

You might even try to skip this paragraph thinking that my teen does know about it.

However, take a minute to read the 6 terms and know for yourself if your teenager is completely aware of what they mean.

They should not only have the knowledge of these terms, but they also know how to apply them.

(Definitions taken form dictionary.com)

Income: Money received, especially on a regular basis, for work or through investments.

Ask your teen the sources of income they know of? What is the income your family is getting and from which source?

Expense: The cost required for something; the money spent on something.

Ask your teen what they think your monthly household expense is? Ask them what they think is your household’s highest expense and how much?

Saving: an economy of or reduction in money, time, or another resource.

Ask your teen of who they think saves the most in the house? Ask them why the house as to save? How much they think they should save every month?

Assets: A useful or valuable thing, person, or quality.

Ask your teen to name some types of assets. Ask them to call out the assets they think the family has? Point to items in your house and ask if they are appreciating or depreciating assets.

Liabilities: the state of being responsible for something, especially by law.

Ask your teen what financial liabilities means. Tell them to name one or two liability that the family has (it can be your rentals to bills to anything).

Debt/ Loan: something, typically money, that is owed or due.

Ask your teen about the types of loan available? As them if they know what EMI mean? Ask them if they are aware of any loans the family has taken and for what?

12 Things to your teen should know to have financial wisdom (What to teach)

Earnings

Many teens do not earn in teenage phase even parents also don`t want jobs from their teens in teenage phase.

But one thing, you can do is to encourage your teen to earn an allowance by doing simple homework like cleaning of their homes or their siblings’ rooms or help siblings in their studies.

By this way they not only learn responsibility, but they will also take part in their home issues. This is important inorder to teach financial wisdom to your teen.

My Example

However, I personally do not pay my teens for doing chores as I feel it needs to be done as being part of the family. But I do give them incentives.

Such as my daughter takes care of weekly expense of the house. Such as milk, eggs adoc expenses. She gets INR 700 a week and whatever she saves she can keep it.

My Son has a house electricity budget. And for every penny he saves I pay him double. But for every penny he overshoots he pays from his pocket money.

He runs around the house switching off lights, fan etc… And because of this all in the family are very aware of electricity usage.

Budgeting

According to a research 69% of generation born from mid-1990- early 2000s say that they do not know exactly about earnings and savings.

As they do not know how much to spend and how much to earn. From these number mostly teens do not know about budget.

This is not a good thing at all. Budget is the best way to manage and spend money in balance way.

Tell your teens how they can properly take care of their expenses by budgeting. To teach financial wisdom to your teen, teach them the basics of it and sit along and make their first budget. Teenage phase is the perfect age of learning about budgeting and creating a budget.

These days there are also many apps that can help teens to take care of their money right on their mobile phones. You can also encourage your teen about these tools and help them how they can use.

But I would encourage the old-fashioned way of having it written down.

Financial Planning

Teach your teen about financial planning financial planning. Remember financial planning is very different from budgeting.

Financial planning has 3 steps. Teach your teen on how to identify their financial goals, look at what their current situation and make a step by step plan on how to achieve them.

I have this done for all my three kids, they have it written and pasted where they can see, and they strike out as and when they reach their goal. A good way to teach financial wisdom to your teen.

Set priorities

They say, ‘Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house’.

Teach financial wisdom to your teen by teaching them how to set priorities. While in the above saying tending the field is also important and building your house is also important and both are part of needs.

Here is where your teaching is important. Where you teach your teen how to prioritize between to needs and how to go about achieving it.

Ask your teen What the above proverb means. Give them a hypothetical situation and ask them how they will prioritize and guide them with your insights.

Emergency fund

Teach them on emergency funds. Tell them the difference between savings and emergency fund.

Teach them that emergency fund should be easily accessible and in liquid in nature where they can draw it if there is an emergency.

Teach them that they need to prioritize emergency fund first and how much they should have (common wisdom is 6 months of your expense).

Ask your teen what they consider as emergency? Ask them how and where they will hold the emergency fund.

Encourage your teen to save money/ Savings

It is also a good idea to encourage teen for savings. Even these savings can be a few bucks.

But this is good way to teach financial wisdom to your teen. Once your teen start receiving their pocket money, you can encourage them to save few bucks every month as your savings.

You can motivate them by talking about your savings and benefits of savings.

Investment basics

You cant teach financial wisdom to your teen without teachingwhat investment is. Teach them that they should not put their eggs in one basket. Teach them why you are saying it and the wisdom behind this.

Ask them what the investments are they will do when they are big. It will be nice to see and if need be influencing their thought process.

Teach them how they can spend wisely

Teach them how they can spend money smartly and wisely. Tell them how they can get rid of habits which drain your budget.

You can also tell them how they can use their student card

for purchases to get off on things. There are many services around for students like in hospitals or shopping malls.

Encourage them to use such services and take advantage of their student card. By this you not only teach financial wisdom to your teen you are also making them smart.

Open Bank accounts and teach them on credit cards

These days all the process of finance is all digital.

So, it is wise on our part to teach them about how digital world works as part of your quest to teach financial wisdom to your teen.

Start with opening a minor bank account for your teen. Get then their own debit card and transfer their allowance to their bank.

Teach them on credit cards also teach them how they work, on interest charged, minimum due, risk, and discipline needed to use it.

Give them all the good, bad, and ugly of the credit card so that your teen thinks not twice thrice but ten times before getting one.

Teach them about compound interest

Teach your teens about compound interest. Tell them how they can use compound interest technique for earning.

Tell them how they can earn by setting aside a little amount of money every month.

And how adding a little money every month they can get interest on their money.

I took a pen and paper and showed by daughter month on month for 5 yr. period how Rs. 100 every month she saves with a 1% interest will give her the money needed to buy her own phone in 5 yrs. time.

She has now saved not just for the phone but also for the phone monthly usage bill also.

Discuss the Difference of Need & Want

It is very important to teach your child what is the difference between need and want.

Some teens don`t realize the difference between both. you can teach your teen with examples. For instance, you can say “understand mobile phone is your need but an expensive smart phone is you want’’

You can also say it`s need to drive you to school or college but if you demand for your own car it`s a want not a need.

Teach your teen to be content

“Mom! my friend bought a new car I also want to own a car’’

“Mom! my friend got to foreign country for vacations. When we will go??

“My friend bought a new dress I also want to buy the same dress’’ Many parents must be familiar to such sounds.

Sometimes, this situation become difficult for parents as they don`t know how to answers such questions and demands.

But to avoid this, as part of your journey to teach financial wisdom to your teen you should teach contentment to your teens. Teach them to count their blessing and feel grateful for the things they have.

Teach them how they can buy a good dress in normal budget also.

HOW to teach financial wisdom to your teen

With the WHAT to teach your teenager being said. Let us touch on the HOW to teach financial wisdom to your teen.

Set a good role model

Kids often mimic their parents in almost every behavior. So, to learn about proper management of money they will also follow their parent’s behavior.

So, if you take care of your expenses, your budget, and savings in a good way then there is a strong possibility your teen will also follow your behavior.

But if you often make impulsive purchases without any need or requirement then your teen likely to follow your behavior and may be, they also spend money without any need.

That is why it is very important to set a good example for your teen. You can also include your teen in your budgeting or finances of your household. In this way, they can learn a better management of Finances from your behavior.

Motivate your teen to keep track of purchases

Motivate your teen to keep track of their purchases at the end of every month.

Teach them with a record of purchases they can know about their spending. You can also check receipts of your teen purchases at the end of month.

If you see any extra expenses and purchases, you can guide them how they can avoid extra expenses.

My grandma would force me to send her a mail every 15 days once on what I have spent, and she would analyze it and give her inputs.

Give some financial responsibilities to your teen

It`s very important for teens to know the value of money. When parents give them some financial responsibilities, they become more able to get clear idea about the worth of money and about expenses.

For example, you can give responsibility to your teen to get groceries of a week in strict budget. In this way they can learn about the value of money and costs of thing.

My Example

This worked like a charm for my elder son. He started looking at MRP tags and value and quality at the same time and pick the best economical ones with good quality for the house.

He was given a fixed amount and he could keep what he saved. We soon found him cracking patterns of vegetables and would buy few extra of vegies that can last 2 weeks (onions, garlic, potato) when he gets a good deal. He also started finding wholesale shops and started experimenting with bulk buying to get offer and discounts. So, month end he still have money in his pocket.

Encourage them for a job

If you are worried about your teen expenses or large purchases without any requirement. Or if your teens demand extra money then you can encourage them to find a part time job.

This thing will encourage your teen to take care of their expenses with more maturity. Even a job can prepare your teen for the future work also.

Help them to find one as per their interest. My kids went to a mechanic shop to work and learn.

Give responsibility of your bank account to your teen

It`s also a good idea to give responsibility of any of your bank account to your teen. Guide them about transactions process.

Give them a cheque to deposit or withdraw. Send them to make a DD for their fees. Update your passbook. Collect a deposit slip etc.

In this way, money management process for teens go to the next level. And your teen will prepare for managing accounts with better way in future.

Tell them the reality of social media (peer pressure)

As this is the era of internet and technology and teens spend too much time on the social media. Many people these days upload status of their high standards and high expenses.

Teens can get negative influence from such people. Or may they want to follow that standards. For this reason, tell them there is difference between reel life and real life.

Teach them how they can spend a joyful and happy life in available resources. Teach them how their birthday parties and other events can also become memorable without spending lot of money.

POPULAR POST

How to teach financial wisdom to your teen?