Saving So Easy, a Kid Can Do It

With the convenience of plastic, it is rare that you find cash in your wallet or purse anymore. One thing my nephew reminded me this week was the reward in saving change. Yes I said it, those pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters aren’t worthless. He has a piggy bank for each of them. As a two-year-old, he’s learning the shape, size, and colors of each coin as he puts them into the right piggy bank. But his parents are also teaching him another valuable lesson that is often forgotten: it is never too early to form good saving habits, no matter what the amount.

By viewing their monthly budget, students can easily see where to allocate cash for the month to cover entertainment, food, or gas expenses. Any change leftover can simply be recycled into a jar (or a hamburger bank,which is my nephew’s favorite, most likely because it holds the largest of his shiny silver coins).

Saving change may be an easy thing to pass up, but with a little time, the copper and silver coins can add up to big rewards. My nephew is on his second round of saving $500.00, which is then put away in the bank for him by his parents. What students do with their newly acquired fortune is up to them, but the thing to take away is that saving coins didn’t take much effort. Simple savings in a piggy bank savings account can reap major rewards.

To make saving easier, my sister mentioned she likes to keep the piggy banks separate in order to make the rolling of the coins easier. She refuses to use any coin machines since they charge a fee. Even banks that once had this free service have now added the indecent charge. Coin rolls can be found at your local dollar store. The time it takes to roll up the coins pays off in the end.

For more savings tips and budget worksheets, check out our free Live Life Smart Guide and our library of recorded financial literacy webinars.

April Hastings, Learning Engineer, Nelnet Partner Solutions