With your busy work schedule and your child’s schoolwork, it may seem impossible to find time for a family dinner let alone a lesson on money management. Unfortunately, many schools do not have time or funding to include basic money skills as part of students’ K-12 curriculum, and therefore the burden falls on parents. Incorporate the following three concepts into your daily life and help prepare your child for a financially secure future:

Spending: As a parent you realize how expensive it can be to run a family. With so few expenses in their lives however, children rarely understand the concept of budgeting. Bring your children along on your next shopping trip and be sure to show them how you make your purchasing decisions. Explain the purpose of a budget and encourage them to build a budget for their own needs and wants. A child-friendly budget worksheet can be downloaded for free by visiting http://www.consumercredit.com/resources.htm.

Saving: Children need to understand how much time and effort you have put into acquiring your most important assets. While you appreciate your home, your car, and your education, your children may take them for granted if they do not know otherwise. Encourage your child to put a portion of his or her allowance or income away each week. Help your child set a goal to achieve, such as buying an ipod. Once your children can see how long it takes to earn the money to buy such an item, chances are they will understand just how valuable it is.

Sharing: Your children will truly appreciate their income or allowance once they have a better grasp of the value of money in general. Encourage your children to share some of their earnings with others who need assistance. Find a local charity, drive, or initiative and help them start a savings fund for a donation. Even spare change can add up to a significant donation over time, and your children will be proud of themselves for helping to make someone else’s life better.

ABOUT ACCC: American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to empowering consumers to regain control of their lives through education, counseling and debt management. ACCC provides individuals with practical solutions for solving financial problems and recognizes that consumers’ financial difficulties are often not the result of poor spending habits, but more frequently from extenuating circumstances beyond their control. As one of the nation’s leading providers of financial education and credit counseling services, ACCC works with consumers to help them with the best plan of action to reduce their debt and regain financial stability. For more information or to access free financial education resources log on to http://www.consumercredit.com