Everyone remembers the first time they had (what they thought was) a lot of money. I remember it vividly. I was in second grade and I had like $100. I spent an eternity walking up and down the aisle overwhelmed by all the different things I wanted. I finally settled for 3 G.I. Joe figurines, 2 Nintendo games and a brand new Super Soaker 50. Then I was broke. Two weeks later those three new G.I. Joe’s were no different than the 20 others I already had, my brother and I had conquered those video games and my Super Soaker 50 sucked compared to my neighbor’s Super Soaker 100. I really wished I still had that $100. This is a great life lesson, because it’s our first introduction to how real life works. This irresponsible and frivolous spending is fine for an 8-year-old. It’s not so fine for an adult with financial responsibilities. If we decide to spend more money than we have on things we don’t need as an adult, we’re left with something far more serious than envy at our friend’s killer water gun, debt. As we mature and move into the real world we begin to realize … Read More