This past October, I spent 31 days brainstorming ways to balance beauty and the budget. Often we confuse the matter. We think that living a full, beautiful life necessitates having a large bank account, but often it’s about being smart and creative with the resources we have allotted to us.
With five children, balancing the budget creates challenges of its own,  but training those blessings to be children that actually understand the value of money, and then actually save it, in a culture where the credit card “is king” is our long term goal.
My husband and I’s desire to raise children committed to debt free living has encouraged us to implement important steps that aid in casting this vision. A vision, which one way or another, will impact generations to come.
Since our eldest just turned 18 last week (gasp), and our youngest is 8, we’ve had lots of year creating gimmicks to try and help us along in teaching finances to our kids. Fortunately for us, there have been others putting their creative juices together to help assist those whose desire is to teach children how to handle their money.

Recently, I was approached by the Kidworth about become an ambassador for their service. Honestly, most emails I receive from “financial” groups I instantly delete. They want to help “save money” by debt consolidation or lower credit card rates, but when I read Kidsworth’s mission, I was instantly excited.
Kidworth helps families focus kids’ financial resources (typically gifts, allowance and earnings) towards meaningful goals, developing an appreciation for the power of saving and a lifetime habit of achievement.
Better yet, there are no gimmicks. Kidworth is a free service for parents to help teach children money management that will last a lifetime. Their service allows parents to use their children’s income (gifts from granny, allowance, gift cards etc,) to set up accounts for their children, create goals each child is working towards, and invite family and friends to help via emails, social sharing, and invites.
Just like me, Kidworth is committed to helping develop a generation that is “financially enabled.” Ont their site, they share that the U.S. economy is straining under the weight of mindless consumption. In a generation savings rates have plunged from 30% to near 0%.
As we head into the Christmas season where the tree will be stuffed with items that many of us do not need, my mouth dropped open when I read the statistics that the Kidworth CEO researched.

Kids Need a Financial Foundation

Most kids encounter significant assets during the cradle to college years. Yes, significant. Kids get an average of $25, 000 in gifts and cash from 0 – 18.  This comes in the form of gifts, allowance, earnings and other support. However, most kids reach adulthood with very little – no financial base, very little in the way of skills and poor habits and psychology about finances.
What happened to all those assets over all those years? Most gifts were forgotten and other resources consumed with no consideration for a kid’s long term needs or values.
We believe Kidworth can change that. By intelligent goal setting, we can make kids wiser consumers. Through goal achievement, we can breed a psychology of success. As kids build value, they will learn the skills of saving and investing.
Kidworth kids will transition into adulthood with a head start. They’ll have wiser consumption habits, a history of achievement and a financial foundation. A generation of kids financially enabled. What a gift to us as parents.

How wonderful to have a company stand beside us, offer a free service and help direct us in ways to improve our children’s financial goals.
Have you started educating your children about finances yet?
I highly encourage you to check out Kidworth, before the Christmas chaos sets in.