Young Game Day Vendor Learns Valuable Financial Literacy Skills in Earning and Saving Money

By Christopher Bedient, Financial Advisor, HBE Wealth Management

Last spring, my son Kaiden decided to submit a job application to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His goal was to sell food at home husker football games.  He got the job and fall Saturday’s have brought a new flavor to the Bedient house.

One of my best memories was the drive home after the first game. He counted the cash and quickly calculated his profit – then rattled off a list of things he wanted to buy.  At that moment I sensed a need to talk personal finance 101.  I stopped him right there and gave him three simple rules.  First, it would be a great idea to save 10% in your savings account.  This will allow for your money to build up and when an opportunity presents itself you will be glad that you have money set aside.  Second, it is important to be charitable with your earnings.  Think about giving 10% to charity – whatever charity you want.  Third, you are free to spend the other 80% on whatever you want (within reason).

Much to my surprise, the next morning he handed me 10% of his earnings and asked that I put it into his savings account. Then I saw him give his little brother the same amount of cash that he gave me for his savings account.  He asked him to put it into the basket at church.  I couldn’t believe what had happened!  It is yet to be seen where the other 80% has went, but this is a good first step.

The associates at HBE understand that there is a need to educate young people about personal finance. Based on our desire to give back to the communities we serve, we have made a commitment to helping local students improve their understanding of personal finances and develop long-term money management skills.

HBE currently offers Financial Literacy resources for students in kindergarten through high school. For more information, please contact our office at 402.423.4343.