A photo of me when I was 14 (and a valuable financial lesson my parents taught me)

(That’s a photo of a photo of me at 14. I tried to find one of me when I was 12 but most of them were cut up into small sizes and shapes for photo albums!)

When I was 12 years old, my parents let me start doing something that ended up changing my life in ways I’m still so grateful for today.

What was it? They let me start paying for many of my own expenses — things like clothes, gifts, and personal spending money.

I see it was one of the best gifts they gave me. Because it challenged me to learn to stretch my money as far as possible and it motivated me to think outside the box. For instance, I discovered I could often buy an entire season’s worth of clothes at the thrift store for $12–$20 (on their dollar days!) — instead of spending $60–$80 at retail stores.

The habit of thinking outside the box when it came to money laid the foundation for years of creative saving and smart spending. And that “figure it out” mindset? It’s saved our family thousands and thousands of dollars over the years!

It also encouraged me to find ways to earn my own income from a young age. At 14, I started teaching violin lessons. When I was 15, I was waitressing at a local tea room. By16, I was juggling violin lessons, waitressing, babysitting, and working as a mother’s helper.

I loved the challenge of learning to juggle a lot of different things. I loved getting to buy things with my own money and the fulfillment that brought. And I discovered just how entrepreneurial I was — which honestly laid the foundation for me now owning my business!

Looking back, I’m so thankful my parents let me pay for a lot of my own things. It challenged me to be resourceful, to look for opportunities, and to build experience and skills that have served me so well into adulthood.

If you’re looking for ways to help your teens start building great financial skills and are looking for ways to help them earn money, I have a free resource for you!

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Helping your teen take small steps now can set them up for big wins later!