Having The "Money Talk" About Gift Giving

HAVING A MONEY TALK ABOUT GIFT GIVING

April, 2025

By: Charlene A. Day, PhD

One great way to start your children thinking about money is to actually talk about it.  So many adults in the life of a child simply never talk about money with them.  Perhaps they think:

It’s a complicated subject

…it doesn’t have to be. 

It can get to personal

…not unless you make it be.

I don’t know enough about the subject

…you don’t have to know a lot, just share your thoughts.  

Shared below is one idea for how to begin average ordinary conversations that have money as a theme with a child in your life.  Over the course of the next few months, I will add more ideas and urge you to share some too.  Email me at visitus@savvysistersteach.com.

Some of your friends are having birthdays soon, what do you think we should get them as a gift?  

1. Make a list of friends and family for whom you want to buy a birthday gift this month/year.

2. Discuss what would be a realistic price for each gift and why.

3. Take this opportunity to research how much the things on the list cost.

4. Discuss how many friends you will be purchasing gifts in a given month/year.

5. Talk about other things you could/should do with the money if you bought a less expensive give.

6. Use this conversation to talk about how much things cost and how much they cost.

7. Discuss buying gifts in bulk (more than one thing at the same time and putting them away to give as gifts throughout the year to friends).  This can be the less expensive option (5 of the same great books, five of the same game, toy, etc).

Begin your conversation this week. It’s the first day of Financial Literacy Awareness Month, 2025.  What a great way to kick it off.  Let us know how it went.  Contact me at visitus@savvysistersteach.com.