April is Financial Literacy Month...where did you learn to be financially savvy?

Have you ever made a poor financial decision? Do you wish that at some times in your life you had more guidance on the fundamentals of financial literacy?

Well, I can say yes to both of those questions, but for the most part, I’d say overall I’ve been rather lucky as far as my financial upbringing.

As a child, my parents gave me an allowance for completing assigned chores.  My brother and I were taught to save up for items that we wanted, but we were also given the occasional toy if we were out shopping with our parents. 

When I was in high school, I worked several nights a week at LaPorte Hospital in the kitchen, delivering trays to patients and scrubbing pots and pans, along with patient trays.  Glamourous work? I’d say not… but it did teach me great work ethic, teamwork and probably most importantly, how to manage money.

My parents were very generous and paid for my car insurance and gas as long as the car was used to get to work and to school.  My part of the bargain was that I agreed to save at least 60% of each paycheck and I could spend 40% for going out with friends, etc. It seemed very fair and by the time I was ready to start college, I had a pretty good amount saved up.  I was proud of the money I had saved.

Not all kids have parents who teach their children about saving money and budgeting for needs and wants. Not all parents were ever taught how to succeed at this, themselves!

The month of April is Financial Literacy month and it really got me thinking about what that means, especially since I accepted the position as Program Manager at Junior Achievement.  My goal will always be to help students learn about financial literacy, entrepreneurship and job readiness.  I feel as though we owe that to each student in the area.

As the JA Program Manager for St. Joseph and Marshall Counties, I recruit volunteers to enter the classrooms in these counties and teach curriculum that has been developed to help students learn how to save money, how to determine the different between wants and needs, how to start a business and how to know which career is something he or she might be interested, among other things.

It’s been an eye opening experience for me and a very rewarding one, as well. Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts and please consider how you can impact someone else’s life as far as financial literacy is concerned. A little bit of your time volunteering or a few dollars donated for classes in this area can mean a lot to students who might not otherwise be introduced to this type of learning.

If nothing else, think about your own financial well-being and how you can make well informed decisions! Happy Financial Literacy month… for a few more days J Let's make sure that students today learn how to become financially savvy tomorrow!