Farm Raised Family | Financial Planning Series – Article 11
How to Teach Kids About Money – If you’ve ever handed a kid a dollar and watched it disappear into a gumball machine or gas station snack, you know: money doesn’t come with instruction manuals.
But teaching kids about money is one of the best gifts you can give—and farm life offers the perfect classroom.
When kids grow up around animals, crops, chores, and seasonal income, they have a front-row seat to real-world finances. Use that to your advantage!
How to Teach Kids About Money – Why Financial Literacy Starts at Home
Money habits form early. Kids watch how we spend, save, stress, and celebrate. And if they don’t learn it from you, they’ll learn it from the world—and not always in ways that serve them well.
By starting young, you help your children:
- Build confidence with money
- Understand the value of work
- Learn delayed gratification
- Make wise financial decisions as adults
How to Teach Kids About Money – Everyday Ways to Teach Money on the Farm
1. Chore-Based Allowances
Tie payment to effort and consistency, not just task completion. For example:
- $1 for feeding chickens every morning
- $5 for cleaning out the goat pen
- $2 for washing produce before market
Let them save for something they want to reinforce the work-reward connection.
2. Market Day Math
If you sell eggs, produce, crafts, or baked goods at a local stand or market, involve your child:
- Help count inventory and set prices
- Let them handle change or use a calculator
- Track sales and profit at the end of the day
Real-life economics at its best!
Spend Save Give Piggy Bank for Kids
3. Save, Spend, Give Jars
Use three labeled mason jars (or envelopes) and help kids divide their money:
- Spend for fun
- Save for bigger goals
- Give for church, charity, or community
This teaches balance, budgeting, and generosity.
4. Let Them Make (Small) Mistakes
If they blow all their spending money on candy and don’t have enough for a toy later—let it happen. It’s better to learn that lesson at 10 than at 30.
5. Teach the Cost of Ownership
Let your teen pay for part of their phone bill, animal feed, or 4-H project materials. Ownership brings awareness—and responsibility.
How to Teach Kids About Money – Teaching by Example
Your kids are always watching. Let them see you:
- Talk openly about money (in age-appropriate ways)
- Budget as a family
- Save up for big purchases
- Donate to causes you believe in
- Stay calm when money gets tight
📘 Resources to Check Out
- Books: The Opposite of Spoiled by Ron Lieber, Smart Money Smart Kids by Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze
- Apps: Greenlight, BusyKid
- Printable chore charts and money trackers
How to Teach Kids About Money – Raising Money-Smart Kids = Raising Capable Adults
You don’t have to teach everything at once. Just start the conversation. Use what you already have—chore charts, farm sales, family goals—and let your children grow up knowing that money is a tool, not a mystery.
We have multiple new series starting now to give you the best in information concerning financial matters for families. Join our community so that you never miss anything, plus get some great exclusive insight!
✍️ Up Next:
“Seasonal Financial Checkups: Keeping Your Finances on Track Year-Round”
Let’s wrap up the series by creating a routine to review, adjust, and stay ahead of your family’s financial goals.
MORE WAYS TO CONNECT
We also, as a homesteading family, have a variety of blogs that might interest you. A Life on the Farm focuses on the more personal side of the homesteading life. We discuss subjects like family, parenting, relationships, homeschooling, cooking, canning and so much more.
Two Oaks Farm Talk concerns the more technical side of homesteading. We discuss subjects like gardening, food prep, and farm building and construction with lots of tutorials!
Farm Raised Family is basically a hub for everything under the Two Oaks Farmstead umbrella. You can learn a great deal about all parts of the farmstead there. The Farm Raised Family blog focuses on financial matters such as budgeting, saving, and more and on current events affecting families.
You can also have a more in depth look at all that we do by visiting our Two Oaks Farmstead YouTube Channel and be sure to subscribe so that you don’t miss a thing!
Farm Life and Freedom is the new podcast we are in the process of launching! It is going to be so much fun! You could also check in with our Farm Life and Freedom Youtube Channel.
Two Oaks Farmstead is the farm store… the one that holds the umbrella! Check us all out and join us, not only on our blogs and Farm Life and Freedom podcast but come join the fun on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… wherever you get social!
