7 Ways to Teach Kids What Life Actually Costs

by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Jan 7, 2016 | Managing Money

How do you teach kids about money–so that they understand what life actually costs? Those of us who are blessed to be parents need to remember that we’re not raising children; we’re raising future adults. And one of the biggest ways that adults get...

Is It Time to Close Those Purse Strings?

by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Sep 6, 2013 | Family, Parenting Teenagers

Every Friday my syndicated column appears in a bunch of newspapers in southeastern Ontario and Saskatchewan. This week’s column talks about money and how we raise our kids to financial independence. One of the hardest things about sending my daughter off to...

Clothing Allowance for Kids

by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Jul 18, 2011 | Family, Managing Money, Parenting Teenagers

photo © 2007 mike wright | more info (via: Wylio) I’m taking some time this summer just to rejuvenate, so I’m running this guest post by Patty DeLoach from Patty’s Pen. When our kids were small dressing them was a breeze. They...

Planning for Poverty

by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Jul 28, 2009 | Family, Managing Money

I feel like part of a parents’ job is to plan for poverty. Okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Yet most of us hope that our children will surpass us–that they will be more successful, more leisured, more content. While the more content part...

Works for Me Wednesday: Redesigning Allowances

by Sheila Wray Gregoire | May 6, 2009 | Family

I love allowances. I really do. I think they’re a great way to teach kids how to save money, how to spend money, and especially, how to work. We’ve always tied our allowances to chores, starting at age 3. They receive quite a hefty sum, $1 per year of age...