If you’re like most people, you want to be able to provide a good life for your children and leave them a strong financial legacy. But if you’re not wealthy yet, you may be feeling discouraged. Don’t worry – you can still build generational wealth on a shoestring budget! In this blog post, we’ll discuss How to Build Generational Wealth on a Shoestring Budget. By starting early, you can help them develop healthy money habits that will set them up for success down the road.
How to Build Generational Wealth on a Shoestring Budget
It Starts With You, The Parent
It’s no secret that financial literacy is not taught in schools. In fact, a recent study showed that only 17 states require high school students to take a personal finance class. This is a problem. A BIG problem. As parents, it’s our responsibility to make sure our kids are equipped with the knowledge and tools they need to be financially successful. And that starts with teaching them about money.
Money is a topic that can be overwhelming for both parents and kids, but it’s so important to have these conversations early and often. Money doesn’t have to be a taboo subject. We need to normalize talking about finances in our homes so our kids can grow up to be financially responsible adults.
So where do you start? In order to begin building generational wealth for your children you should:
- Talk about money often.
- Teach your children that investing is vital.
- Show your children how to leverage life insurance.
- Discuss saving and budgeting to build discipline.
- Lead by example.
- Give your children a head start.
- Get your children involved in family finances.
- Teach your children about credit and debt.
Talk About Money Often
Making money a normal conversation in your household is important to remove the stigma associated with discussing finances. It’s important to open the conversation with your children and discuss financial matters involved in smart money management. By discussing ways to adopt strong financial habits you are showing your children that finances are a matter of extreme importance and something to take seriously. The earlier you start these conversations, the better off they’ll be when it comes time for them to manage their own money.
Teach Your Children That Investing Is Vital
If you’re not already investing for your future, now is the time to start. I’m not talking about putting a few bucks into savings each month or even maxing out your 401k (although those are both great things to do). I’m talking about real, tangible investing. And if you want to help your children become millionaires in their lifetime, Roth IRA accounts are the perfect place to start. Investing early and often is the key to building serious financial wealth and there’s no better way to do it than with a Roth IRA.
With a Roth IRA, your money grows tax-free and when you retire, you can withdraw it all without having to pay any taxes on it. That means more money in your pocket and more financial security for your family. So if you’re not already investing for your future, now is the time to start. And if you want to help your children become millionaires in their lifetime, start with a Roth IRA account.
Show Your Children How To Leverage Life Insurance
Since we are on the topic of building generational wealth, I wholeheartedly believe that one of the best ways to do this is through a permanent life insurance policy. Now, I know what you’re thinking… Life insurance is kind of a bummer topic. And maybe you think it’s only something old people need to worry about. But I want to challenge that way of thinking because I believe that life insurance is one of the smartest investments you can make – especially if you are young and just starting out on your financial journey.
To put it simply, a permanent life insurance policy gives you the ability to accrue cash value over time. And that cash value becomes accessible while you are alive. This means you become your own bank and can use your own life insurance policy to make smart financial investments like purchasing real estate or starting a business.
Now, I’m not saying this is something everyone needs to do. But I am saying that it’s important to have options and to be empowered with the knowledge of how to use them so that you can make the best decision for your own family. If you have children, I believe it’s important to teach them these smart financial secrets so they can be empowered as they get older.
Discuss Saving And Budgeting To Build Discipline
While saving money may not be the fastest way to create generational wealth, it will teach your children discipline when it comes to money. Everyone who’s anyone knows how easy it is to spend money as soon as you get it. It takes real restraint to consider better ways to put money to use and can really help your children when it comes time to buy a house of their own. Teach them the importance of nest egg accounts and emergency funds so they understand why saving money is necessary.
Setting simple money goals such as no eating out for a month, saving $25 from every paycheck, and budgeting will help them see that small changes can have a big impact down the road. Plus, they’ll be more likely to make wise financial decisions when they know they have a savings cushion to fall back on. So while you may not become a millionaire overnight by being frugal, you will be teaching your children valuable lessons that will last a lifetime.
Lead By Example
Your kids are watching everything you do, so make sure you’re setting a good example when it comes to money. Show them how to make smart financial decisions, how to spend wisely, and how to give back. One way to do this is to start by exploring better paying employment for yourself. This shows your children that they should always be looking for opportunities of financial growth. If you’re not happy with your current job, start looking for new opportunities.
Talk to your kids about the importance of finding work that is fulfilling and that pays well. Share stories about your own career journey and encourage them to follow their dreams. Help them understand that they can create the life they want by being proactive and making wise financial choices. Most importantly, lead by example and show them that it’s never too late to make positive changes in your life. When it comes to money, your kids are always watching and learning from you, so make sure you’re setting a good example.
Give Your Children A Financial Head Start
As a parent, one of the best gifts you can give your child is the gift of financial responsibility. By requiring them to pay a bill, you can teach them the value of money and how to be responsible with their finances. And, as an added bonus, you can secretly save the money they would have spent, providing them with a nest egg to use later in life. (This is what I do for my son.)
Whether they need it for a down payment on a house or an emergency fund for unexpected expenses, your children will appreciate having the security of knowing that they have some savings to fall back on. So instead of simply giving them money, give them the gift of financial responsibility – it’s a gift that will keep on giving for years to come.
Get Your Children Involved In Family Finances
Your kids are growing up fast. All of a sudden, they seem like miniature adults with their own opinions and ideas. And while you may not be ready to hand over the family finances just yet, involving them in your financial decision-making process is a great way to teach them about money. Not only will they learn how you manage your finances, but they’ll also get a front-row seat to your financial planning process.
This can be a great opportunity to get them involved in balancing books, setting up budget envelopes for the month, and walking through past month finances to learn what worked (and what didn’t) and how to learn from those mistakes.
Teach Your Children About Credit And Debt
Credit and debt are facts of life, but that doesn’t mean your kids have to become slaves to their debts. Teach them about the importance of good credit and how to avoid getting into too much debt. Show them how to eliminate debt and how to dispute any incorrect information with the major credit bureaus.
You can also teach your children that setting up an LLC and building business credit is an alternative way to use credit so they can protect their own personal credit profiles when it comes to making more risky financial decisions and investments. By understanding how credit works, your kids can make sound financial decisions that will benefit them throughout their lives.
We’ve seen the importance of financial literacy and how it can benefit our kids in the future. Let’s commit to teaching them early and often so they can avoid the financial pitfalls that trap so many adults today. By starting early, we are giving our children a foundation for a lifetime of success. What are some things you are doing to create generational wealth? Share with us below and I hope you enjoyed this article on How to Build Generational Wealth on a Shoestring Budget.
