Moonjar Conversations To Go!
During the holidays, our thoughts often turn towards money.
How much can we spend? How much can we save? How much will we give to others in need?
As my children grow, I want to share with them my values about responsible spending, saving, and whole-hearted giving to those less fortunate.
One simple, concrete way to help kids see a separation in how they choose to spend their money is to use a Moonjar Classic Moneybox.
The moneybox is divided into three chambers, for Saving, Spending and Sharing!
The Moonjar Classic Moneybox comes with a family guide and a passbook to track transactions.
Moonjar’s founder and CEO Lalie Scandiuzzi has developed these six tips for teaching responsible money management to your children:
1. Talk with your young children about money concepts. Most children, beginning at age 4 or 5, are visual learners, so using hands-on tools like check registers and moneyboxes can better help them learn concepts such as allocating funds and what interest means.
2. Set goals and prioritize. Use pictures to help them visualize their goals and then prioritize what they are saving for, what they want to spend their money on, and with whom or with what they want to share their money. Set short and long term goals then discuss where the balance should be spent and shared on an ongoing basis.
3. Discuss the difference between wants and needs. Working with them to set goals will help in overcoming the desire for “instant gratification”.
4. But… let them make a few mistakes. Children, like adults, learn from their mistakes. From time to time, allow your child to buy a toy you believe will not be enjoyed very long, for example. Sure, they may be disappointed in a few weeks, but many lessons can be learned from this experience. Encourage them, without guilt, to plan their future purchases, weigh the cost and the benefit of their choices and to think twice next time, even sleep on it.
5. Encourage young giving and youth philanthropy. Help your children understand that they are part of a larger world community through discussions about sharing their money and/or donating time to causes of their choosing.
6. Be a good role model. Make sure your children see you doing the things that you are teaching them. Let them in on your bill paying, savings and investment plans and charitable giving. Discuss your attitudes and philosophies about money and tell them your dreams for how your money can fuel your passions.
Another great product from Moonjar is Conversations to Go, a cute box filled with 100 conversation starters like, “What animal would you like to be?”, “What is the difference between peace and getting along?” and “People who ____ have the most courage in the world”.
Some questions are better suited for older-thinkers, but everyone in your family is bound to have something to say!
Conversations To Go would be a good diversion on the holiday drive to go visit family, or something to introduce at the holiday table.
Maybe if you have Conversations To Go at your holiday gathering, you can avoid those other topics that you would rather NOT discuss with the relatives!
There are three styles of Conversations To Go (The Game That Has Everyone Talking, The Game That Talks Travel, and The Game That Questions Money), and right now, Moonjar is having an unlimited buy-one-get-one sale!
That gives you 2 Conversations To Go for $14.95.
Woohoo, holiday bargains!
Win your own Conversations To Go!
1.) To enter to win, leave me a comment with a possible “conversation starter” about giving and/or sharing with others.
Please don’t just comment with “Enter me” or “Sounds great”. That totally annoys me. Those entries are not eligible to win.
One winner will be chosen by random number generator.
This giveaway is open to those with a US mailing address.
2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.
Already a subscriber? Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.
Want to subscribe? Just click here: Subscribe to Mom Most Traveled by Email (Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)
3.) Twitter about this giveaway (include a link to this page and @MomMostTraveled ) and comment here with your Twitter name.
4.) Blog about this giveaway, including a link to this post. Leave me a comment with the link so I can check your post!
5.) Enter the Moonjar Season for Sharing Giveaway Contest on the Moonjar blog, and leave me a comment here letting me know you did so. I will be checking! *waggling teacher pointer finger at you!*
This giveaway will close on December 4, 2009, 11:59 pm EST.
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26 November 2009, 8:39 am
Here’s a conversation starter.
It’s really wet out today. I have an extra rainhat. Would you like it?
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
26 November 2009, 8:40 am
I’m an email subscriber.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
26 November 2009, 8:59 am
“You have noticed a friend at school hasn’t brought any lunch for the second day in a row and she looks hungry. You brought you favorite lunch with you today. What can you do to help your friend?”
26 November 2009, 8:59 am
I am an email subscriber
26 November 2009, 9:05 am
I entered the Moonjar blog giveaway
26 November 2009, 12:50 pm
As I see the homeless vet sitting in his wheel chair waiting for a handout “Sir I would enjoy offering you a cup of hot chocolate” as I sit next to him with mine.
26 November 2009, 12:51 pm
Subscriber!
26 November 2009, 2:00 pm
one question to ask is what has been your most memorable gift
26 November 2009, 2:00 pm
subscriber
27 November 2009, 12:13 am
Can you think of a time that you shared something with someone and how you felt?
27 November 2009, 12:14 am
I’m an email subscriber.
27 November 2009, 12:19 am
I entered the Moonjar Season for Sharing Giveaway Contest on the Moonjar blog.
28 November 2009, 7:27 am
what i doing with my extra holiday monies is mverno@roadrunner.com
28 November 2009, 9:55 am
As said to a 2 yr old…What train do you think Brian would like to play with…
28 November 2009, 9:55 am
e-mail subscriber
28 November 2009, 11:58 am
Ask them what is the best thing someone gave them or they gave someone else and how it made them feel
28 November 2009, 11:58 am
E-mail subscriber
28 November 2009, 12:00 pm
Entered the Moonjar Season for Sharing giveaway
28 November 2009, 12:48 pm
I asked my daughter how she would feel if we didn’t have any money to celebrate the holidays.
dmkayes@gmail.com
28 November 2009, 12:48 pm
Email subscriber.
dmkayes@gmail.com
28 November 2009, 12:49 pm
I entered the Moonjar Season for Sharing giveaway.
dmkayes@gmail.com
28 November 2009, 2:05 pm
when we see the salvation army man ringing the bell outside our store i spark up convo about how we must give to those in need
lynnnjoe@hotmail.com
28 November 2009, 2:06 pm
i subscribe to your emails
lynnnjoe@hotmail.com
28 November 2009, 2:08 pm
I follow you on twitter and tweeted
LynnAnnMatthews Win a neat contest!~ http://mommosttraveled.com/…#comment-57813
lynnnjoe@hotmail.com
28 November 2009, 2:10 pm
I entered the Moonjar Season for Sharing Giveaway Contest on the moonjar blog
lynnnjoe@hotmail.com
28 November 2009, 7:44 pm
What can we do to help others in our neighborhood during these economic times in Michigan?
29 November 2009, 6:37 am
Can you think of someone in your life that you have given something to lately? What did you give and how did it make the person feel?
29 November 2009, 8:59 am
[...] Mom Most TraveledWhat: Moonjar Conversations to Go GameHow To Enter: Leave a comment on the giveaway/contest [...]
29 November 2009, 5:45 pm
I worry when its the same students that are late every day
29 November 2009, 7:53 pm
” Is there somebody you know who did something nice for you and you would want to do something nice for them?”
29 November 2009, 7:53 pm
I am an email subscriber
29 November 2009, 7:55 pm
Here is my tweet
http://twitter.com/dwalline/statuses/6187426645
30 November 2009, 12:04 am
Guess who I just donated toys to for the holiday Season?
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill@comcast.net
30 November 2009, 1:28 pm
What do you think is the best way to figure out what kind of present someone might like?
30 November 2009, 3:19 pm
This is such a great product. At our church, they teach them the same concept of Share, Spend and Save.
I would use a starting conversation along the line of ‘How would you want to use your money in the way that God would like you to do?’
30 November 2009, 7:04 pm
What’s the most meaningful, thoughtful or helpful gift you’ve ever received (given)?
30 November 2009, 9:32 pm
I’m a subsriber
30 November 2009, 9:33 pm
If you were going to take a cookie from the cookie jar what kind of cookie would you like to take?
01 December 2009, 10:52 am
A conversation starter could be, What did you give that made you the happiest? Why did sharing that gift make you happy?
01 December 2009, 10:58 am
I entered the Moonjar Season for Sharing Giveaway Contest on the Moonjar blog.
01 December 2009, 11:47 am
Can you think of something we can do for a little boy whose parents can’t buy him any presents for Christmas this year?
01 December 2009, 4:47 pm
If you knew that there was another child in your neighborhood that was needy and didn’t have some of the things you have such as nice clothes, toys or books, would you be willing to give him or her something of yours?
01 December 2009, 11:24 pm
My conversation starter would be what is the best gift to give to someone that you don’t know who is in need when you have a limited budget yourself? Then the same question if you have no budget. thanks for the contest!
01 December 2009, 11:24 pm
I’m an email subscriber! thanks
02 December 2009, 8:33 am
I would start out by asking them, do they know anyone who is less fortunate and how they could help!
02 December 2009, 8:34 am
email subscriber
02 December 2009, 12:03 pm
I always liked the would you rather, it always sparks things that you don’t know about people!
02 December 2009, 12:04 pm
Subscriber!
02 December 2009, 8:22 pm
Email subscriber. I think this would be a great way to teach my boys about saving and sharing!
04 December 2009, 10:16 am
Who can you help this year to make you a better person.
04 December 2009, 11:01 am
You could ask what great homemade present could they give to someone not as fortunate as them…
04 December 2009, 11:01 am
I subscribe by email
04 December 2009, 4:32 pm
Your friend forgot to bring something for show and tell. Is there some way you can help them?
04 December 2009, 6:52 pm
What would you do if you had to give away $1,000,000?
04 December 2009, 10:45 pm
Ask about how their day went or what they had for a meal.