money talk: how to get what you want
Parents are always talking about money… how much things cost, what they can or cannot afford and how hard they have to work to get it, but how can you get your own and how can you make money?
pocket money
The first and easiest way to start having your own money is to negotiate a weekly or monthly pocket money allowance with your parents. To do this they may want you to convince them that you can be responsible with money first, and they may also want you to work for it.
Earning money at home through doing chores, running errands or looking after younger siblings can be a great way to show that you are willing to put in effort to get what you want, and that you are able to help your family more by doing tasks others already do for you.
Showing you can be responsible with money might take a little more planning and time. First you need to understand the difference between a ‘want’ and a ‘need’. Your parents will already be providing you with all the things you really need each day like clothes, food and a warm safe place to live, but you may think that there are other things you desperately need… a new game or book for example, or perhaps the chocolate bar you’ve been thinking about all day since you saw your friend eating one!
Budgeting
You may have heard the word ‘budget’ being used and creating one to show your parents will go a long way to making them impressed with your attitude towards money. All you need to do is pick one thing you’d really, really, like to buy and decide how much of your weekly or monthly amount you’d be happy to put aside to go towards it. That way you can use some of your money to buy the smaller things you want right now, while still saving up towards that more expensive object, and you never know, they might be willing match what you save with a little extra donation!
Remember it can often feel hard to save every penny we have even when the goal is something we really want. That is why having smaller rewards along the way can help keep your motivation up because every little bit counts, you’ll reach your goal before you know it and getting something you’ve worked hard for always feels great.