noted. SMART MONEY
Financial literacy for kids—on a deeper (and digital) level
ISTOCK
WORDS VICTORIA TONG + ALEXIS PATTERSON
H
OW MUCH CASH IS IN YOUR WALLET RIGHT NOW? These days, we’re lucky if we have anything at all to tip the carhop when we run the kids by Sonic for an after-school treat. (Ugh, tip guilt.) In this digital world, we’re more likely to pay for things with our smartphones using apps like Venmo, Zelle or Paypal, or—if we’re feeling a bit more old-fashioned—with a debit or credit card. While these forms of payment are convenient, they don’t inherently demonstrate that “real money” is behind every purchase. If you don’t want your kiddo to learn that lesson the hard way, it’s time to start talking about spending and saving. You can start with the very basics when they’re young (make a game out of identifying coins, for example; DFWCHILD | april/may 2022
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