New Chores

The big helper jar will now serve a new purpose. We will no longer be going to the dollar store for a reward after he's completed his chores. This little guy has graduated to bigger guy chores and just started receiving cash. We're just into week two of the new chores but he's excited to save and to spend his own money on the myriad of toys he's dreaming of. Literally dreaming of too. He has a habit of creating toys in his mind that he wants to buy at the store but that don't actually exist.

I purchased the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Junior kit (on sale for a little less than half price). It comes with this chore chart and three plastic zip up envelopes for cash. One envelope says SPEND, one says SAVE, and one says GIVE on it. At the end of the week when he gets his allowance (which right now comes to about $6) he puts one dollar in the give envelope, three in the save envelope and two into spend. The save envelope isn't for college or anything like that. It's savings for a bigger purchase like a $20 toy. The spend money he can spend right away if he chooses.

I'm honestly not sure how much he should earn for each chore. Right now I'm just winging it. Currently he has four chores but I've written in a bonus spot because he does usually help out with something each day like yard work or laundry or dishes. I'll add a few more after we're two or three weeks into this new routine. I picked just the four to get this new system started. I'm honestly excited to watch this little dude learn about saving and spending and to learn the value of a dollar; knowing that you don't just get what you want when you want, that you have to work for your money (and things), and that saving money is hard work but worth it. He seems excited too.