PARENTS' GUIDE
Teaching Your Kids About Money

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| Everyday Teachable Moments In many families money is a taboo topic. But you can help your children and grandchildren learn financial lessons that will last a lifetime by looking for teachable moments in your daily life that naturally bring up the topic of money. Here are some examples of teachable moments to help you get started:
When depositing your paycheck, talk to your kids about:
 | Budgeting some of your paycheck to pay for things like rent, food and clothing. |
 | Saving a portion of your paycheck to build a nest egg for future expenses like college tuition
and retirement.
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When grocery shopping, talk to your kids about:
 | The difference between a need and a want — milk is a need, candy is a want.
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 | Using coupons, buying in bulk, and other ways that you save money on groceries, etc.
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When using your credit card, talk to your kids about:
 | Paying for these purchases each month when the credit card statement comes in the mail.
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 | How using a credit card is like taking out a small loan for each purchase.
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When giving children an allowance, talk to your kids about:
 | Setting up a budget. For example, decide how much to save, spend or share with others in need.
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 | Setting a financial goal, such as buying a new bike, and figuring out how to achieve it.
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When you pay bills each month, talk to your kids about:
 | How a check is taking money out of your account at the bank to pay the bill.
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 | Keeping track of the checks you’ve written in the check register so that you don’t spend more than you have in your account.
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When using an ATM machine, talk to your kids about:
 | How the money is coming from your account at the bank.
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 | Recording withdrawals in your check register so that you don’t overdraw your account.
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© Copyright 2006 American Bankers Association, 1120 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036. All rights reserved.
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