Money

Money isn’t just about spending, it’s about learning how to make it, save it, grow it, and think differently about it. In this episode, we’re teaching kids simple money habits, investing basics, and the powerful mindset shift from:

“I can’t afford that”  “How can I afford that?”

Small habits now can build big freedom later. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Hello friends, welcome back. I'm so glad you're here. Can you be sure to click subscribe so that you're getting a notification when I launch a new episode? I'm having a hard time keeping up with the weekly episodes, but I'm hoping to put one out at least once a month this summer while I'm hanging out with my kids and working. Today I wanted to talk about something that affects everybody. Kids, teens, parents, adults, and it's money. We're gonna talk about how you can make it, how you keep it, save it, invest it. Did you know that if you don't learn how money works when you're young, you'll learn the hard way when you're older? And most adults will say, I wish someone had taught me about this sooner, because I sure do. Money is actually a tool. It's not a good thing or a bad thing. We just need to ask ourselves the question: Do you control your money or does your money control you? So, first let's talk about how to make money. You don't need to wait until you're 25. You can do little things right now, depending on how old you are. But here are some ideas. You can mow lawns, babysit, pet sit, sell handmade bracelets, wash cars, sell lemonade. Money flows towards value. So if you solve a problem and help somebody or make something easier, you can earn money. I want you to ask yourself, what am I good at? What do people compliment me on? And what are some problems that I can solve? Because that would be a really great place to start. Okay, so here's a mindset shift. Two people see the same thing. One person says, I can't afford that. The second person says, How can I afford that? The first one shuts their brain down, and the second one turns their brain on. I can't afford that is a closed door. But how can I afford that is problem solving. So maybe that means you need to save a little longer, earn more, create something, learn a skill. So making money is important, but keeping it is a skill. So here's a simple rule you can use. You can split your money into three buckets. We can spend, we can save, and we can invest. For example, if you make $30, you spend 10, you save 10, and you invest 10. And you can adjust this, but habits matter more than the amount. What most people spend is 100%, and that's why they feel stuck. You want to build the muscle of keeping some of your money. Saving is protecting your money. Investing is growing your money. Saving is like putting your seed in a jar, and investing is like planting your seed in soil. It's kind of hard for kids to invest, but it's a good skill to learn so that when you start to make money and you're old enough, you can put your money towards investment accounts and you can learn about stocks and buying parts of companies and starting small businesses. This is all big stuff, so you don't have to think about it right now, but we're just learning, right? And here's something cool. When you invest, your money starts working for you. You don't always have to work for money. So let's imagine two friends. So we've got Ava and Jaden. Ava loves to spend every dollar that she earns, and Jaden saves and invests 20% of everything. So when they're like 15 years old, that doesn't look very different, but when they get to be 25, Jaden will have options because he'll have all that money saved up, and Ava will probably be pretty stressed. The difference is who isn't the smartest, it's about habit. And small habits can create big results over time. And here's something important, okay? Listen up. Money doesn't determine your worth. You are valuable whether you have $5 or $15 million. And I just wanted to talk to you guys about this because learning how money works gives you freedom. And I want you guys to live the best lives possible. Freedom allows you to help others and travel and create and take care of your family when you become an adult. So hey parents, are you listening? Here's some questions I would love for you to ask your kids. You guys can pause and talk about it or just talk about it tonight before you bed. Okay, so the first question, what's something you'd love to save up for? Second question, if you had to earn $100 this month, how would you do it? Third question, what's something you could sell or create? Fourth question, what does rich mean to you? Fifth question, what's the difference between being rich and wealthy? In this week's challenge, instead of saying, I can't afford that, say how can I afford that, and then write down three possible ideas. Money is a skill, mindset is a choice, a small habit builds big futures. Thanks so much, you guys, for listening to MindSnacks. If you love this episode, I hope you share it with someone you love, and I will see you next time. Bye. Oh, and hey, MindSnacks is here to inspire and encourage. Please seek professional help if needed.