M: What's the best way to teach children how to save and spend their money?
W: You should make money a regular topic of discussion. It's best to start young, so it's instinctive rather than a scary subject.
M: In our family, we talk openly about things like the budget for holidays, how taxes reduce your income, and how to shop around for the best deals.
W: Indeed. It's also essential to make money real for children through practical examples. Working out how much we save using discount pizza coupons, for example, is much more relevant than abstract sums.
M: We also give our kids pocket money, and the amount they get is linked to chores, such as putting the bins out and emptying the dishwasher.
W: We do that too, and it's paid according to their age. Two pounds for each year so they can see some progression.
M: Teaching them to save is important. We opened a savings account when they were young. After birthdays and Christmas, they would go to the branch and deposit their gift money.
W: Oh, I hadn't considered doing that. In our house, we have transparent money boxes for them to put small change in, so they can see their savings grow.
M: When the time is right, I'll start talking to our children about investing and show them how the money saved for their further education has grown.
W: I am always talking to my elder daughter about the importance of saving into a pension. She's just started a part-time job and was thinking of not contributing to her pension. Luckily, I managed to persuade her otherwise.
M: Yes, it's such an important lesson to learn.