Learning about Earning

The kids had a busy summer - or atleast their parents did and they were stuck following suit. (Not my ideal way for us to be over summer break.)  But sometimes there are just busy seasons and this summer was that. One thing we did start early this summer tho was our earning jars. I got these at Dollar Tree ($1 a piece obviously) . Then the kids decided the colors they wanted put on. Caleb's are green and orange (His favorite colors) ...

And Laney's are more pastel/transparent

This was not a hard project. Very easy, simple and very easy to stick to as well.
I made the kids a chore chart. One area of the chart includes their daily things that are expected of them (i.e...make their beds, clean their rooms, clean table after meals etc.) the other area on their chart had ways they could earn money (pick up sticks in yard, fold laundry, wipe down cabinets, gather trash etc..). They learned quickly that the more checks they had on their chart the more money they earned come Saturday.

Once we gave them their earnings they put it into their jars. We didn't exactly do percentages since they are a little young for that and since it is hard to always have exact % on hand in cash. Instead they would put about half into their spend jars, and then the other half would go 2/3 to Saving (their bank accout) and 1/3 to Giving (church or other worthy cause). It wasn't always exactly that ammount but it came out close to that at the end of the summer.

Their Spending jar they only got to spend at the very end of the summer.  When that time came they had done really well. Laney had over $32 in her spend jar and Caleb had $28.

They took their earnings and were very careful in spending it. You could tell they didn't want to waste it. They worked hard for that money and wanted it to go to something they would really like.
We are continuing using the jars and recently when we had a yard sale they each chose toys to sell and their earnings they got to keep and divvy up in their jars. Laney also sold more band bracelets at the yard sale and Caleb sold ice cold bottled water. :)

 So the jars are getting full again and they are plotting how they will spend it this time around.

I am glad to finally have a regular system for this so that we can hopefully instill the value of working into our kids. I felt like I struggled doing this consistently before but now it is much easier since it is a well laid out plan. Even if we skip a week or two here and there the kids are now so motivated that they help remind me.

And I don't mind having extra help with the household chores - at all!  :)