Well THAT was fun...

First of all, my eldest just turned 14. Gasp! How did that happen? His take on it? "Only two more years, Mom." I am so not ready for this. Those two years better go s-l-o-w-l-y!!



Now the "fun" part comes in. My kids are required to deposit a certain amount of money each month into a savings (term CD) account. This will go towards missions (or for girls, wedding / education if they don't go on a mission). Pre-12, it is 20 percent of their income. After they turn 12, the amount to save each month rises every year of age, and it's a pretty hefty chunk for a kid. The good news is: Mom and Dad match the contributions. The bad news is: allowance goes away. Time to earn and time to get creative! Last year and this year they've done candy/cold drink booths at two local town fairs. Fun times! It has actually gone pretty well. We make loans to cover the booth fees, goods to sell and beginning cash box. Then after they pay us back, the rest is profit (after taxes and tithing, of course!). They are also required to pay for their scout camps, so we decided to pitch that as well. People are great about helping boys get to scout camp. Anyway, not a bad little adventure in entrepeneurship! Lots of work for Ma and Pa (helping organize, set up, purchase supplies, supervise, etc.), but we figure we are expecting a lot from these boys and we had better support their efforts! (Speaking of Ma and Pa...J left for Trek today. Sniff! My baby boy all grown up!)