Updated: November 29, 2022
If I remember it right, it was my aunt who gave me my very first piggy bank, and it was a holiday gift. When I asked what it was, she said, “It’s where you should keep all the money you’ll receive this Christmas.”
I did not fully understand why, but I did it anyway. And by the start of the new year, she and my mom opened a “kiddie savings” bank account from all the money I had in there.
Immediately after, my aunt then told me, “From now on, whenever you have money left from your allowance, put them in the piggy bank, and then we’ll bring the money to the bank again when it’s full.”
“Why?” I finally had the courage to ask.
“Because you should learn how to save,” she answered.
“Why?” I asked again.
“So you’ll always have money when you need it,” she replied.
Needing money is not something I thought about as a 7-year-old, so I never fully understood what my aunt meant by what she said. However, I did follow her advice, and would always make sure I had money left from my allowance at the end of the day for my piggy bank – but not because I wanted to save, but because I liked hearing the clanking sound of the coin whenever I put one in.
Most of us probably had the same experience as a kid. We were given a piggy bank and told that it’s good to save. But we never really fully understood why we need to do it, and the usual reason we got was that it’s “for the rainy days”.
That’s why today, I’d like to improve on this childhood lesson and change how kids should begin learning about money and saving.
And it all starts with a simple task… to give your child three piggy banks instead of just one – one for saving, one for spending, and the last one, for charity.
The First Piggy Bank
Teach you child to pay himself first by “forcing” him to save as soon as he gets his allowance. Suggest a minimum amount, perhaps 10% of what he’s receiving, but let him ultimately decide how much he wants to save.
When he asks why he needs to do this, tell him that it’s for buying things he uses in school that gets lost or broken. For example, if he misplaces his pencil, then that’s where the two of you will get the money to buy a new one.
This will give him a more concrete understanding of what “the rainy days” are and why he needs to save money.
The Second Piggy Bank
As a kid, I’m always happy when there’s school because I’d have an allowance to buy White Rabbit (with the magic wrapper). But weekends were a problem because it meant I’d have no money to buy my favorite candy.
But then I figured, if I buy only a couple of White Rabbits instead of the usual three, I’d have money left to spend during weekends. It sounded like a good plan and so that’s what I did.
However, when I get home, my mom would always take the coins and put it in my piggy bank. When I said that it’s for candies over the weekend, she’ll tell me that it’s bad to always eat candies and I should save my money instead.
Let your child experience the joy of spending by giving them the freedom to buy whatever they want from their allowance. There’s no need to tell them to “save their money” because they’ve already done that at the start.
Instead, encourage them to use a second piggy bank to safe keep their spending allowance. Tell them that unlike the first piggy bank, they can take money there anytime, and they can spend it on anything they like.
Use this opportunity to teach your child the value of delayed gratification, and show how they can afford chocolates and ice cream (the more expensive stuff) if they don’t spend all their allowance on candies, and save part of it every day.
The Third Piggy Bank
Despite being the third, this piggy bank is also used at the start, together with the first one. Likewise, suggest an amount but let your child decide how much he’ll put in his charity piggy bank.
Saving the same amount as the first piggy bank (around 10% of his total allowance) is a good start, as it gives him 80% of his full allowance to be allotted for spending.
When he asks what the money he puts in here is for, tell him it’s for helping other people. He can drop the coins in donation cans at fast-food restaurants, or save them the whole year to buy toys to give street children during Christmas.
He can spend it on whatever he wants, as long as it’s for others and not for himself.
Teach your child to be generous, and they’ll learn that being rich is not just about being able to afford the things you need and want, but more importantly, it’s having the means to help others in their times of need.
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Photo credits: denise and vindihaaret
Thank you for this article. I will try this on my kids 🙂
Great post, Fitz! 🙂
I am old enough to have grown up enjoying a sound that’s even better than the clanking sound of putting coins in a piggy bank – the sound of putting silver coins in a piggy bank.
For some reason, the sound of silver coins excites me to save up more. Of course, silver coins have been out of circulation for many years but I save up all the coins I get in change, drop them in a jar, and when the jar is filled I buy some silver coins and put them in my piggy bank. It makes a happy sound and so far has beaten inflation for me.
Hi! This is really nice. But I have a little question regarding the 2nd Piggy bank. Ano ang mga pleasurable things “toys, candies,pamporma, etc.” that we should be buying for our kids so that they don’t feel like they are the only ones providing for their pleasure. After all, providing some nice things for our kids for pleasure and comfort is part of our responsibility din naman diba? Para they don’t feel deprived din naman. Do you have any examples or illustrations? Thanks.
This is really great Fitz!
I am teaching my brother how to save. Currently he is doing well with 10% savings, 10% for God so that he will learn to really give credits that his blessings are all from God.
I will try and add one savings for spending.
It would also be nice to have a fourth piggy bank for tithe or charity money so that children will also learn the value of humility and sharing what they have with other people.Just my two cents. =D
My kids have 4 jars. Spend, Save, Give and Grow. Spend for daily expenses, Save for future needs/wants/pleasure, Give for sharing and Grow for investing. I want them to start early on investing. What’s your view about that?
Wow! I should do this to my kids. 🙂 Thank Coach Fitz. You’re the man!
By the way, I have a question. I remember this familiar strategy (3 Piggy Banks but for Adult Version of Saving) – a video which I’ve watched several months back that suggested a “transparent Piggy bank” or something that you can collect your money in like piggy bank does will help you get “addicted to save money” because you saw how much money you’ve put into the piggy bank.
Does this really has an impact coach?
– Felix
Wonderful way to start the little ones on the correct path. May I also offer a slight correction to what Felix Albutra directly above my comment posted? You are not doing this “to your kids”, you are doing this “for your kids.” For me, it sounds less like a punishment and more like a positive thing but I get what Felix intended.
[…] It is prudent to teach and ready kids how to fund their needs and wants. One way of doing this is by explaining to them the value of saving money. Financial consultant Fitz Villafuerte suggested one helpful way to teach kids the “three piggy banks” approach. […]