I knew money was important starting at a very young age. At one point I had decided that I wanted to work at the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, because I loved the feel, smell, and look of money (okay, I know that sounds weird). I squirreled my cash away and saved up for things I really wanted to buy.

Now, imagine what your life would be like if you were to live like I did when I was a child. Young me had a mindset for money, and had I kept that mindset I would probably be a billionaire by now. It’s never too late to start!

I’m going to go back in time and dive into my adolescent mind. I’m going to find out what I had that so many people lack (me included!) and suggest ways to make a change for the better. Let’s dive right in!

I was a collector

I liked to collect things. Not just any things, but certain playing cards, toys, or as you may have guessed, currency. I loved money from all over the world and wanted to own all of it. You bet your butt I picked up every single penny I found on the ground! I just wanted it to be mine so I could add it to my collection. I noticed that each dollar had its very own number, and I wanted to get as many as I could. I stashed away coins that were special to me. Wheat pennies went in one place, half dollars in another, and two-dollar bills in yet another.

So what does this mean for us in our age-range? Well, If we can find a way to trick our minds into thinking of money as a collection, we will want more of it. Not only that, but we won’t want to spend it and get rid of it. I still like to stash money away in different places. Not as a way to hide them, but more of a way to organize it. I have a jar that I just started where I put all of the money I find. I like to see how quickly I can fill a jar up, and then get excited thinking about what I will do with it. That leads me to my next point.

I had goals

When I was younger I was all about those Beanie Babies and Pokemon Cards. There was a gift shop across the street from where I did archery, and every week I would go in there and drool over all of the beanie babies! I knew that in order to get those beanie babies (which were actually quite expensive at the time) I would need to save my money. Luckily, other than the things I collected I wasn’t much of a spender. As I had mentioned before I loved having lots of money, so spending it on something trivial would disappoint me eventually.

Even then, I knew that I should have more than what I actually needed for a Beanie Baby so that after the purchase I would still have money left over.

So how can we apply this to adulthood? Well, we have things we want to buy, but we also have bills, mortgages, rent, and necessities we must buy. When there is something that is not considered a necessity, but to us it is important and we want to buy it, we can’t spend all of our money. We must be sure to leave extra for emergencies, or those bills that are coming up. This is why it is so important to set up a budget, and start working on your savings account. If you can, open a third account for that special something you are saving up for.

Example:

Say you make $2,000 each month. You have $1,000 in bills that you must pay every month, not including those necessities. That leaves you with $1,000 left over. You’re trying to save up for an original painting by your favorite artist. You are aware that although it is not a necessity, it is something really important to you, so you have a separate account where you are saving up to buy it. You still need to buy groceries, gas, and have a little extra left over of just in case money. You decide that $800 should be more than enough to cover all of that, so you keep that in your main account. That leaves you with $200. You already have a good chunk in your savings account, so while you’re saving up for that painting, you decide to just put $50 in your savings, and put the other $150 toward the painting. After a few short months you can finally buy that painting! Congratulations!

The best part about this is, when you aren’t saving for anything in particular, you can put all of that extra money in your regular savings account. Also, at the end of the month if you have any money left over, you can transfer that to your savings as well.

I had ambition

I believe I was 9 when I got my first real job. I was a fitted swimsuit model for a sportswear company in my area. My mom found an ad in the newspaper looking for a girl with certain measurements, so she measured me and I was the closest fit for what they wanted! My mom drove me there every week so I could earn some money. I wholeheartedly believe that this is one of the reasons I am the way I am today. My mom showed me the value in working for things that you want and need.

After that, I found all sorts of ways to make money. I did the lemonade stands, I sold my extra Pokemon cards, I held yard sales. When I was 15 I became a lifeguard, and at 16 got a job at McDonald’s. There wasn’t a moment when I didn’t have some kind of job or side hustle going. Because of this, I was able to buy my first car as soon as I got my license! It wasn’t anything fancy, but it worked and allowed me to get jobs farther away so I didn’t have to walk there after school. I could also visit friends and take myself to school (freedom!).

As adults, it’s easy to get sucked into the mundane routine of the 9-5 job. We get the same amount of money every two weeks, put the same amounts in our accounts, and before we know it we are 10 years older and miserable.
Side hustles are so important when it comes to financial freedom. It is perfectly fine to have a 9-5 job. However, imagine if you had a side hustle that brought you in an extra $500 – $1000 per month. You could pay of debt, buy new bath towels, put your kid in karate lessons. A little extra work can make your life so much more interesting!

I was generous

I didn’t have all too many friends, but I was always willing to help them out. I liked to surprise them with small gifts every now and then to show my appreciation, and I always left a tip when eating at a restaurant.

We are very grateful to have the opportunities that others may not have. Some people couldn’t get jobs if they wanted to. Find an organization that means a lot to you, tithe at church, or help someone in need. It doesn’t have to be much, but it will make you feel better and will brighten someone’s day.

Sometimes if we want to improve some aspect of our lives, all we have to do is take examples from a child. The young minds are the purest, and are usually filled with more wisdom than we could ever imagine.

Do you have any money-related stories from your childhood? I’d love to hear about them! Leave a comment or shoot me a message, and please don’t forget to subscribe 