Kids – You have many things on your wish lists, from candy to comics, to video games and toys. There are fun things you want to do with your friends, and places you want to go. There is a never-ending list of things you want that cost money, so you need to know how to secure your candy supplies, to ensure you don’t run out of money and miss out.

Parents- You like to make sure that your kids appreciate things and don’t take them for granted. There are many things that kids can do to earn some money:

Secure Your Candy Supplies Through Your Allowance – Young Children
Young kids have many things they want too, and there are some easy ways they can earn their allowances:

• Put their toys away – this means in their room, and around the house, wherever toys may be lying, they can pick them up and put them back in the toy box
• Pick up their clothes – instead of leaving them on the floor of their room or in the bathroom, they can pick them up and place them neatly on their bed, or in the laundry basket
• Feed the family pet – giving the cat, dog, or hamster dry food is easy to do and pets will be happy too!

Secure Your Candy Supplies Through Your Allowance – Older Kids:

Older Kids have lots of options available to them in earning an allowance and getting a raise in their allowances:

• Some of the basic things that kids do to earn their allowance are vacuuming, dusting, sweeping, mopping, dishes, taking the garbage and recycling out, shoveling snow, mowing lawns, weeding gardens and flower beds, raking leaves, taking care of pets, helping with cooking and grocery shopping
• To get an increase in their allowance, they can offer to clean out the fridge, clean out cupboards, sweep the garage floor, wash down a deck or porch, paint a fence or stain the deck, clean up the basement, wash windows, wash the family car, wash walls, and offer to help with the care of a younger sibling.

Secure Your Candy Supplies Through Other Money-Making Activities:

Beyond their allowance, there are lots of safe and profitable ways kids can earn extra cash for the things they want:

• Part-time jobs at local businesses
• Handing out flyers for local businesses
• Paper routes
• Babysitting
• House-cleaning for neighbors
• Garage sales
• Dog-walking for friends and neighbors
• Craft Sales
• Bake sales
• Design and make their own jewelry and sell it online or at events around town
• They can be a busker – if they are good at signing or playing an instrument, and if parents can come with them, they can book a popular spot in town and play for tips
• Participate in suitable online surveys
• E-bay commissions – sell unwanted items of their own or from family, friends, or neighbors – you can send out flyers advertising your services to people in the neighborhood or post them at grocery stores
• Write articles, short stories, and eBooks – if there is something you are really good at, such as a particular videogame, hobby or sport, you can write articles or eBooks sharing this knowledge. You can sell your articles to magazines and other online places. EBooks can keep making them money for a long time. If they are good at, and enjoy, writing fiction, they can sell their short stories to places that will publish them.
• Investing – by putting some of their money into certificates of deposit, bonds, or stocks, can earn a healthy return on their investment

By using these helpful suggestions, kids can learn to secure their candy supplies, to ensure they always have the money available for the things they want. Candy tastes even sweeter when they have had to put some effort into earning the money to buy it, and parents will be happy knowing that they are developing a positive attitude towards money.

Most parents dislike giving their kids money for no reason. They want to know that you are going to earn your allowance. They want you to value the money you receive, and understand that it really doesn’t grow on trees!
Finding ways that you kids can earn your allowance is helpful both now and in the future when you might want to increase the amount of the allowance you receive. There are different things that kids can do depending on their age. This list will help you to know what things you might need to do in the future, as you get older, too.

Things you younger children can do to earn your allowance:

• Tidy up your toys – picking toys up off of the floor and putting them back into your toy box is easy to do and helps your parents out a lot
• Put your books back onto the bookshelf once you’ve finished reading them
• Pick up your clothes – instead of leaving your clothes or pajamas on the floor, you can pick them up and put them into the laundry basket, on your bed, or on a chair or dresser
• Feed the family pet – giving your cat, dog, or hamster its food is easy and fun to do, and your pet will love you even more for it
• Clean up your eating area – scoop your own crumbs back onto your plate after each meal. You can also ask your mom or dad for a cloth so that you can wipe up small spills as they happen.
• Make your bed

Things you older children can do to earn your allowance:

• Take the garbage out, and replace the bags
• Walk the family dog and do the poop-scooping
• Clean your cat’s litter box
• Dusting and vacuuming
• Sweep and mop the floors
• Clean the bathroom
• Mow the lawn
• Weed the garden
• Shovel snow
• Wash and dry the dishes; empty and load the dishwasher
• Do your own laundry, including clothes and bedding
• Take the recycling out
• Tidy up larger areas of the house
• Fold some of the family’s laundry such as sheets and towels
• Offer to help with cooking
• Clear the table for everyone after meals
• Put the groceries away

picture source: http://wonkette.com/313513/all-the-cool-kids-giving-2300-to-mitt-romney

Ways to not only earn your allowance, but also get an increase:
• Clean out the fridge
• Organize and/or clean out drawers and cupboards that are a mess
• Sweep the garage floor
• Wash down the deck or porch
• Paint a fence
• Stain the deck
• Tidy and organize areas of the basement
• Plant some flowers or vegetables in your family’s garden
• Set goals for better grades at school
• Offer to save and invest a portion of the increase
• Offer to donate some of the increase to charity
• Volunteer your time at a charity
• Clean out the interior of a family car and/or wash the exterior
• Rake leaves
• Wash windows and mirrors
• Clean baseboards
• Wash walls
• Clean all the light switches and doorknobs in your house
• Pack items up to be donated to charity
• Take on extra responsibility for the care of a younger sibling – learn to change diapers, give feedings, run a bath, or spend time reading stories at bedtime
• Help a neighbor – this could be with something like snow shoveling or the raking of leaves

Learning about all of the different ways you can earn your allowance, will help you to decide what appeals to you. Your parents might not have even thought of some of these. It is important that kids find activities that they can do and won’t mind doing to earn some extra cash. Everyone needs to work for their money, that is one of the simple truths of life. Finding ways that you can earn your allowance helps you to contribute to your family and makes life easier for everyone. Choose from this list, or think of new ways that you can earn your allowance. Your parents will be proud of you!

Kids have things they want to buy or invest in, whether it’s items such as games, books, electronics or activities they want to do with friends. There are always things that interest them, so having some extra spending money comes in handy. Therefore, finding some earning allowance tips for kids can help kids get the extra funds they need..

Parents you want your kids to be raised with a good work ethic, to appreciate the value of money and understand how much things actually cost. You want them to understand the difference between spending and investment. Parents work hard for their money and support their families, which is why you don’t want to just hand out money to your kids. You want your kids to know that, “Money doesn’t grow on trees“. You want the kids to understand the value of money and how they can contribute to the family, so finding some good earning allowance tips for kids can benefit all involved.

The most common earning allowance tips for kids is tying weekly allowance money to household chores. Even younger children can participate through simple tasks suited to their age, such as tidying their room, picking up their clothes, picking up toys that may be laying around the house, and making their beds. This teaches them at an early age, that they can be helpful by contributing to the family, and will be rewarded and appreciated for their efforts.

Earning allowance tips for kids that are a bit older can be things such as doing the dishes, helping with the cooking and grocery shopping, vacuuming, dusting, sweeping, mopping, mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, taking care of pets, taking the garbage out, and helping with recycling. Depending on your household, such as whether you live in town, or farm, or other unique characteristics, you can add to this list as you see fit. A helpful strategy with older kids is to give them a choice between various chores. Giving kids a choice will allow them to feel that they have some say in how they earn their money (similar to what you did when you went out and applied for jobs). This helps them to take ownership of their activities and often results in applying themselves better to the task at hand.

earning allowance tips for kids, picture source: http://open.salon.com/blog/somyr_perry/2009/07/15/sometimes_adults_really_are_smarter_than_kids

When your kids want an increase, there are some additional earning allowance tips that you can discuss with them. This may be for a specific, higher cost item or activity they want to do, or just because their interests are changing, requiring more money on an on-going basis. This often happens as kids get older, but because they are older they are also capable of shouldering increased responsibility. At this time, it is vital that parents instill the work effort-reward philosophy into them. It is not advisable to just give kids extra money because they want it, or to ‘top up’ the money required for purchases. You will be doing your kids a great disservice going forward, because they will only learn that money comes easily whenever they want it. You want them to appreciate the effort that goes into making the money to buy things. You also want to give them opportunities to be challenged, so that they know what they are capable of. This is how they grow, by increasingly applying themselves. Remember, “Experience is the best teacher“.

Some suggestions for additional earning allowance tips for kids who want more cash are to take on special projects at home, such as cleaning the basement or the garage, organizing and cleaning cupboards and drawers that have been neglected over time, cleaning out the fridge and giving it a good wash inside, washing cars inside and out, painting a fence, washing down and/or painting (or helping to paint) decks, or washing walls and windows. You can also get them to put a portion of their increased allowance away as savings and charitable contributions.

Following these helpful earning allowance tips for kids helps your children grow. They learn to apply themselves, build a good work ethic, be appreciated for their efforts and have a sense of personal accomplishment. Most importantly, they learn that their financial success is directly related to their own efforts. The harder and smarter they work, the faster they’ll get ahead. Help them become productive members of society by starting off with these easy earning allowance tips for kids.

Kids learn very quickly, and as they get older, it is important to find meaningful activities for them to participate in. One way to do this is by getting them directly involved in their own financial future through looking at some money earning ideas for kids. You want to ensure your kids are engaged in safe, productive activities, and finding ones that are also profitable will catapult them to a solid financial future, as they learn good work habits, and make the connection between money and effort.

Money Earning Ideas younger children:

• Bake sales
• Lemonade stands
• Garage sales – this is a good one for kids young and old, if they have things they no longer are interested in, they might make some money from them
• Simple crafts that they can sell at community craft sales – people often can’t resist something made by a child
• Many money earning ideas for younger children are best suited to be carried out in their own home, and is more like earning a regular allowance – things such as cleaning their own rooms, putting their own toys away, picking up their clothes, feeding the family pet, watering plants (if within reach), and making their beds

money earning ideas for kids - picture source : http://blog.ultimatebet.com/2009/05/life-lemons-lemonade/

Money Earning Ideas for older children:

• Babysitting
• Paper routes – also good exercise for the kid
• Hand out flyers for nearby businesses
• Part-time jobs
• Craft sales
• Designing and making their own jewelry
• Housecleaning activities for neighbors, this doesn’t have to be a full house clean, your kids can offer to just do vacuuming or mopping, or wash down sidewalks and decks, for example
• Garage sales (again a good one for older or younger kids)
• Dog walking – good exercise for the dog and the kid
• Participate in age-appropriate online surveys
• Earn a commission selling your family’s unused, but still potentially valuable items on sites like eBay
• Investing – by putting money into bonds or certificates of deposits, your kids can make their allowance money or other earnings work for them by accumulating interest
• Write articles or e-books on subject matters they have become knowledgeable in – this could be anything from tips on getting great scores in videogames, to how to do well at a particular sport they have competed in successfully, to a hobby that they love such as quilting, knitting, painting, drawing, photography, or putting models together – getting paid to do something you already love is a wonderful thing!
• Be a busker – if your kid is gifted musically, you can book spots around town where they can play or sing, and you can enjoy their performances along with them, too!
• Write and sell short stories – if your kids have a knack for writing, they might find great publications suitable to their age group that accepts submissions from younger writers, or if they’re really good, age won’t matter
• Jobs for neighbors – some examples of these are shoveling snow, mowing lawns, washing cars, walking dogs, raking leaves, cleaning pools, or painting fences

These money earning ideas for kids will help them to set goals, plan their time, understand the importance of committing oneself to a project, the benefits of producing good quality efforts, and the value of a dollar. It can help them to build self-confidence, hone skills, and gain a great sense of their own abilities. Through these money earning ideas for kids, your kids might discover a passion, nurture a talent, develop positive working relationships with others, and learn good money management skills while they are saving money for their future. They can start to sow the seeds of their own bright, successful futures!

Parents you are always on the lookout for learning opportunities to help your kids evolve into well-rounded young people. You want your kids to become confident, capable, and self-reliant, as they get older. Kids learn very quickly, so finding investment solutions for kids, means this is one more area where they can become knowledgeable.

Solution #1
Kids as young as six years old can start on their investing future by having a savings account. You can take your kids with you to set the account up after you do some preliminary research yourself, and allow them to choose between a couple of options. Letting them feel responsible for some decisions that affect them, gives them a sense of ownership in the process. They will also be much more inclined to pay attention during the process. There are many financial institutions that have government insured savings accounts. Going to one that is close to home may be beneficial because the financial institution will be handy for future visits.

Solution #2
Have your kids put at least 10% of their money away as savings and investment funds from the moment they begin receiving an allowance or monetary gifts from members of your family. This will build healthy money habits and make saving an ingrained part of their thought processes. They can still have fun with the remaining funds, but by being responsible with part of it, they can take pride in knowing their money is growing.

investment solutions for kids - picture source: http://www.thedigeratilife.com/blog/index.php/2008/01/10/5-hot-tips-for-first-time-investors/

Solution #3
At a very early age, you can have your kids start putting some of their money into certificates of deposit and bonds. These are great teaching tools, in that they can earn a higher rate of interest than a straight savings account, and they introduce important financial terminology into your child’s vocabulary. The sooner and more familiar they become with these terms, the better off they’ll be in the long run. You can show your kids how to assess the various options and help them make appropriate choices, such as length of the terms, and hence the rates of interest they will receive.
Once your kids are a little older, they can then start investing in the stock market. This is something that they will want to take even more time and consideration with. It is a good idea for you to brush up on your own stock market know-how, if necessary, before you begin with your kids. Then have them start practicing by using pretend funds – most online options have this available. They can practice as long as they need to, before starting to use actual money. You can then discuss various strategies and results with them as you go, in a safe environment.

Solution #4
Play boardgames with your kids that teach about money. This makes it a fun, family event, and is a great opportunity to get them thinking regularly about money matters. Kids learn very well when they are having fun! There are many excellent Educational Online Games that will help them to Learn.

Solution #5
With any investment strategy you choose, have your kids keep good records of their investments so that they fully understand what they are doing, and ensure you set strict budgets. You never want to top up an investment, or cover a loss. The only thing that will teach kids is that someone will always come along to bail them out.
There are many excellent investment solutions for kids that will enable them to learn solid financial habits early on. Starting kids off at a young age, means that the unique terminology inherent in the financial markets will become familiar to them. They will be shown how to think in terms of making wise decisions with their money, having a healthy respect for the markets, and know the various options available to them. They can learn how to analyze options and become meticulous record-keepers, which builds useful organizational skills and critical thinking. Help your kids get a financial head start in their life by becoming savvy investors.

Teaching kids how to invest at the earliest possible age means that your kids will become as comfortable with investing as they are with their video games. Kids love to learn new skills and feel confident and knowledgeable about things – this includes money. Showing them how to build their reservoir of skills to make more money, so they can do and buy the things they want in the future, will result in capable, self-reliant young people.

Parents want their kids to have a great overall education and to prepare them as best as they can for the world that awaits them when they become adults. School will teach them many things along the way, but one area it falls short in, is in financial matters. It wasn’t until most of us entered the workforce and/or had exposure to this in our post-secondary education, that we became investors ourselves. Think of how much further ahead we could have been had we started learning the ropes when we were very young. This is why emphasis needs to be placed on teaching kids how to invest as early as possible.

Believe it or not, you don’t have to wait until your kids are teenagers with part-time jobs to start them on their investing activities. If a child is receiving any kind of allowance, then they are ready to start investing. This means that kids as young as six years old can start being taught some basic investing strategies.

Teaching Kids How to Invest – Step 1
It is a good idea to set up a savings account for very young children. If they have money coming in either through allowances, or money gifts at birthdays, etc. from family, you should get them used to saving at least a portion of it each time they receive it. You want them to get into the habit of automatically setting at least 10% aside (more as they get older). This will become second nature to them. You can get them excited about their growing bank balances, by showing them the interest they are earning, while still allowing them to enjoy spending the rest of their money as they want to.

teaching kids how to invest : picture source: http://www.iparenting.com/articles/children-and-finance/a-good-investment-443/

Teaching Kids How to Invest – Step 2
Play boardgames and online money games with your kids. There are many boardgames and some free online games that come with financial lessons that are also fun to play. Make it a part of your regular routine so that knowledge continually seeps into their minds.

Teaching Kids How to Invest – Step 3
As kids get a little older, you can start them investing in very safe instruments such as certificates of deposit and Government Bonds. However, the further out you invest in maturity date of the security the more risk you will have because of interest rate fluctuations. Both of these avenues have minimal risk, but provide greater interest payments on funds invested. Once they are comfortable with those, you can start introducing them to the stock market. It will be a great opportunity to open up discussion with them.

Teaching Kids How to Invest – Step 4
Have them keep records of all of their investing activities. Show them how to set up different pages for the various types of investments they have, so they can keep track of maturity dates, interest payments,

and dividends so they can see how their money is growing over time. Kids can gain a great sense of pride in their financial accomplishments, and it builds their self-confidence as well. Keeping records is also a helpful tool to show them what their money is doing for them, rather than just being spent on things that have little or no future value.

By teaching kids how to invest, you will be giving your children a huge leg up in their future financial success. You will be instructing them in respecting money, appreciating it, and how to make it work for them. By breaking them in slowly at a young age, they will get used to thinking of their money in terms of all of the options it can give them, outside of being spent and never seen again. Kids are eager learners, and love to feel knowledgeable and capable in life. Give them the opportunity to gain some strong financial know-how and you will be setting them up for a stellar future.

Starting your kids off with a savings account is a good first step, but their money management shouldn’t end there. Kids’ financials are an important teaching tool for them. Money matters aren’t taught in school, so it is up to parents to give their kids a solid foundation of financial know-how to adequately prepare them for the future.
Kids’ financials can and should involve many different aspects. The same way that adults need to have a variety of investment strategies to meet their needs and goals, kids should also be taught numerous techniques for handling their funds.

Strategy #1: Make saving a habit
Start your kids off to a good financial future by always having them put at least 10% of their money away as savings. They can still have fun with the remaining 90%, but this will get them in the habit of saving for their future. Down the road, you can increase the amount they set aside for things such as saving for a rainy day fund (say to pay for repair costs on a bike or skateboard they damaged), a specific item they have their eye on, such as electronics, as well as charitable donations.

Strategy #2: Diversifying their portfolios
A savings account is the first and most basic step for kids’ financials. You can show your kids how they are earning more money by keeping it in a bank account, and why they should never draw it down entirely. Then, you can also have them put money into certificates of deposit and various bond issues. This will allow them to make more interest income on their money, while teaching them patience in having some money unavailable to them for periods of time. You can discuss the various options with them, and have them participate in making the choice of which route to go, such as choosing a longer term with higher interest, while accepting that their money won’t be able to be withdrawn without penalty.

kids financials - picture source: http://www.forbes.com/2008/10/30/savings-kids-money-pf-ii-in_et_1030youngmoney_inl_slide_2.html?partner=cbc

Once your kids reach anywhere from 9-12 years old, you can start educating them in the stock market. You may want to brush up on your own knowledge first. Many of the Brokerage and Investment Banking firms have online Universities where you can find information. There are many good books about investing available. The Government has many free publications that are avialable to you for no cost. Begin by using practice accounts. This keeps their money safe, while they are learning the ropes. You can try out different strategies to see the various outcomes.

Strategy #3: record-keeping
Just like you do for your own accounts and investments, your kids need to be shown how to keep detailed, organized, meticulous records of any and all transactions. The only way to properly assess how well they are doing is to have an informative record of what they did, and when, for tracking maturity dates, interest payments, fees, deposits, and withdrawals. This gives you a basis from which to discuss the success, or setbacks, they have experienced and to analyze where improvements can be made, or highlight what is working well. Having a diversified portfolio requires solid recordkeeping.

Strategy #4: Have fun and see that little rewards are given along the way
Investing needs to be taken seriously, but there should also be some lighter-hearted aspects to it. One way to do this is by playing boardgames or free online money-themed games. Those are great family activities that can put a fun, playful spin on money matters. You also want your kids to celebrate their achievements as they are getting positive returns on their investments, so finding small ways to reward this, that are free or low cost, but meaningful, helps them to feel good about what they are doing.
Knowing these strategies for taking care of kids’ financials means that your kids will stay well ahead of the curve in their money education. They will gain a greater understanding of, and appreciation for, how money is earned, how it can work for them, and how it can build safeguards for their future. Kids love to learn new skills that make them feel capable and knowledgeable, and parents can be excellent teachers and role models for them. Take ownership of your kids’ financial education and give them the tools they need to be resourceful, self-sufficient adults.

The Secret Millionaire’s Club is designed to help both Kids and Parents learn solid Money Management skills and Estate Planning strategies, that they can carry with them throughout their lives. It provides helpful, practical advice in things such as savings, investments, allowance tips, fundraising activities, legal issues, and other money making and estate planning strategies. In addition, The Secret Millionaire’s Club will keep you informed of news and press releases relating to our theme. An example of this would be Warren Buffett’s Cartoon,  which depicts a new animated series which was just released recently,     You can view this series at http://www.smckids.com/
The series involves the billionaire, Warren Buffett, as the star in a children’s cartoon. The animated character of Warren Buffett is to teach kids about Investing. We probably could not find a better person to teach kids about investing than Warren Buffett!

picture source : http://www.tbivision.com/article.php?category=2&article=1028&page=1

Our Secret Millionaire’s Club will help give your kids a headstart in life, by teaching them important lessons they aren’t learning in school.
As a parent you want to give your kids all the advantages and tools you can, so they grow into confident, educated, self-reliant, successful young adults. The Secret Millionaire’s Club is loaded with great tips to help you do just that.
What are some of the helpful things that The Secret Millionaire’s Club can offer you and your kids?

• Earning Allowance Tips for Kids – this will give you numerous strategies on how your kids can earn their allowance, ways they can earn a raise in their allowance, and what to do with the money they earn. There are lots of ideas for kids of all ages, which can get them contributing to the family and appreciating the results of their own efforts.
• Fundraising Ideas for Kids – whether it be for a sports team, school equipment, field trip, charity, or other causes and events, getting helpful advice on the activities your kids can do to earn money will make their fundraising an enjoyable experience with a successful outcome.
• Kids’ Financials – Like Warren Buffet’s Cartoon you want to teach your kids solid methods of keeping track of their finances, which will include a number of different financial strategies.
• Rule 72 Tips for Kids – this is a clear-cut benchmark that kids will easily understand and remember in how to make their money grow.
• Certificates of Deposit for Kids – help your kids to make a better return on their money by not keeping all of it in savings accounts. It’s also a great way to start diversifying their portfolios.
• Kids investing in bonds – these are investments that may help your child’s money grow. A savings account is a good first step, but you want to expose them to other financial instruments as well. Find out all the things that investing in bonds can teach your kids.
• Stockholders kids – yes, kids can benefit a great deal from learning the ins and outs of the stock market, and from making wise investment decisions in various stocks. Parents can learn a lot, too, and be given the opportunity to have meaningful, valuable dialogue with their kids over analyzing stocks and tracking performance. Learn helpful tips on how to introduce your kids to the stock markets. Have your kids view Warren Buffet’s Cartoon series when it is released. You should show them as many sources of information that are available. Kids can absorb a considerable amount of knowledge at their young ages.
• Learn how kids avoid bankruptcy – teaching them practical methods now, will help them steer clear of financial difficulties later in life. It is never too early or too late to show your kids what the consequences of various decisions can be, and how to keep a clean financial track record throughout their lives.
• Money earning tips for kids – beyond their allowance, there are many things kids can do from a young age to earn money of their own. Help your kids combine their interests with excellent money-making tips that can be profitable for a long time to come. Your kids will learn to become resourceful, self-starters, with a solid work ethic. Once they see the wonderful rewards they can achieve, they will carry that entrepreneurial spirit forward into other endeavors, as they get older.
• Kids’ Legal Issues – Various Estate and Tax Planning strategies to help you organize your lives and protect your families from unforseen circumstances.
• Kids’ Resources- Under our Kids’ Resources Category we will keep you advised and provide you with offerings of both old and new products for Kids which will include: Books, Educational Courses, Games, Toys and other interesting things specifically meant for kids.

The Secret Millionaire’s Club is a valuable resource for kids and parents alike, and provides excellent information on how to raise your kids to be smart money managers. Giving them the financial know-how now will allow them to develop healthy money habits that they can benefit from their whole lives. The earlier you start, the more your kids can reap the rewards of being financially savvy. Their future wealth depends on you taking these helpful action steps now.