His first "investment"

Brock just got a new bike. We paid for most of it as part of his birthday present from back in February. The weather has finally turned sunny and springlike, so he and Chip went shopping for his present. He had an 'allowance' and then picked out the bike he wanted and paid for the rest with his own money. {He loves to save money and see his bank account grow...but had extra cash from his birthday in his wallet for this purchase.} He was so proud to pay for part of this bike by himself. He also has more interest in keeping it in good shape and I just think it is fun to be the 'parent' and watch him learn about spending/saving/taking care of things as well as seeing him proud about something so 'big'.
It's easy to forget all the 'stuff' we learn as kids and really it is important to do these little things along the way to help prepare kids for the real world. I'm so glad my own parents taught me to work and save and to tithe and to be smart with money. There's enough problems in life as an adult and I'm thankful today that I've been able to make wise choices {most of the time} and avoid financial heartaches.
If you're in the midst of one, my wish for you would be for you to start making small changes in life, to find a trusted friend or advisor who can help get you back on track and moving in the right direction. Money can be a real headache in this world. I don't claim to be rich or totally taken care of, but there are things that you can do to make life easier- even if you have financial struggles. Here's a link to some great tools to help get you started.
Okay. That's enough preaching. I just want to remember how happy Brock was with his first big purchase and to remember the joy of being a kid with a new bike. Not to mention a whole week off for spring break to ride all day and really get a good feel for it. Sometimes simple is good.