Family donation Vote

It is important to me to teach kids about money.  As in saving for things they want or need. But also as in being empathetic, giving human beings who reach out to those who are not as fortunate.  I try to make sure that we model this in a number of ways, through service as well as through charitable donations.  But the way that seems to bring it home best to the kids is our family penny jar. 

Now each of the kids has their own piggy bank which they use for their immediate spending.  Sort of a place to park a modest amount of money that they want to bring with them on a field trip or when we go camping. They have passbook savings accounts where we put their allowances every Saturday morning.   This is their long term savings.  It is also where most of monetary gifts go that are over $5.00.  And then there is the family penny jar.

It was initially borne of my desire to have people stop fighting when one child found a coin on a walk and the other 3 did not.  And it solved a problem with one particular child who periodically had a bit of a "sticky fingers" thing going where money was concerned.  So the rule became that we as a family would put our small change after purchases (think fifty cents or less) and any money found on walks,hikes and playing at hte park, in the family money jar.  It has an auto count thingy at the top so they know how much they have in there.  At the end of the year, we have a family vote and decide where to send the money.  Last year they sent a flock of chickens to someone via Heifer Project.  I think that was around $30.00 or so.  This year we have saved $28.41 and they have chosen to send it to the ASPCA.  I love doing this because in addition to the saving and the giving there is also the discussion of where the money should go and why.