Talk dollars at dinner: Conversation starters for parents

It’s time to talk dollars at dinner 🍽️ This month's theme: back-to-school season! Spark the conversation by asking your kids and teens these questions.

Back-to-school season

• How would you describe what it takes to be a smart shopper? Talk about ways to comparison shop, do consumer research, and avoid impulse purchases.

• Why is tracking a budget just as important (if not more important!) as creating it? How can sticking to a budget help you achieve your financial goals?

• What are some short-term and long-term money goals you have right now? What about by the end of the first semester? School year? Graduation?

• How can investing help you pay for higher education? What are the costs and benefits of advanced career opportunities after graduation? What careers are of most interest to you?

• What would you like to save up for this school year? What’s your plan to save for this item?

Family protections

• Do you know what identity theft is? What could the consequences be if someone pretended to be you to buy things? Why is it important to keep your financial information to yourself?

• What makes a password strong? Are your passwords strong enough?

• How do you keep valuable property — like phones and laptops — safe? 

• Can you explain what insurance is? How can it help someone protect their finances? 

• Besides managing risk and having insurance, how else can you prepare for unexpected events?

• Imagine money management is like wearing a helmet when you bike. What are some “safety gear” practices you can use when managing your money?

• Do you know how much a cell phone costs? How does phone protection help if your phone gets damaged or lost?

• You're planning a road trip with friends. What safety checks and preparations are essential? How would you handle emergencies when traveling far?

• You're at a concert, get separated from your friends, and your phone is dead. What's your plan?

• How do you establish and maintain boundaries with people you don't know well, especially in social settings?

• Do you know what a digital footprint is? (It’s the digital trail you leave when you’re online.) How might this affect your safety or privacy, and what steps can you take to manage it?

Budgeting

• Do you think it would be helpful to have separate budgets for different things, like saving for a big purchase versus daily spending?

• How do you think tracking your expenses could help you with budgeting?

• What are some ways you can adjust your spending habits if you find you're going over budget?

• If you had to create a budget for a family trip or outing, what factors would you need to consider?

• If your job paid you $500 a week, how much of that money would you think is a fair amount to put towards saving and investing?

• If you had $1,000 to give to charity, what would you choose and why?

Smart spending

• If you could go back in time to warn yourself about a silly spending mistake, what would the alert say?

• Imagine you had $30 to spend for the week after saving. How would you decide how much to spend each day and on what?

• Have you ever heard of a 'no-spend' challenge? What would you do if you had to go a week without spending money?

• Do you remember your favorite purchase? What was it? 

• Would you shop in the sale section of the store? Why or why not?

• Let's imagine you just got $1,000 as a gift. What would you do with that money? 

• Can you think of an example where waiting to buy something could make a difference?

• What do you think you spend the most money on? 

• Do you think you spend too much or too little?

• Have you ever regretted buying something right after you got it?

• Have you ever felt good about choosing not to buy something?

Saving

• What’s the most exciting thing you saved up for? How did you accomplish it?

• If you were given a $100 holiday budget, how would you spend or save it?

• What percentage of your earnings (from allowance or a job) do you think you should put into savings?

• What are some things you'd like to save money for, and why are they important to you? Do you know how to get started?

• What's the difference between a standard savings account and a high-yield savings account?

• What are some examples of unexpected expenses that an emergency fund could help our family cover?

• If you could save money for a special adventure or experience, what would it be, and why do you want to do it?

• If you had a choice between buying something now or saving for something bigger down the road, what would you choose, and why?

• What are some creative ways to earn extra money or allowance to boost your savings?

• In your opinion, when is it better to take time to save vs. borrow money?

Real estate & home ownership

• What do you think are the differences between renting a home and owning one? What responsibilities do renters have vs. homeowners?

• If you had to choose, would you prefer to rent an apartment or own a home in the future? Why?

• To buy a house, most people take out mortgages (loans for real estate). What would you consider before taking out a mortgage?

• What makes real estate “good debt,” and when might it not be so good? One positive example: Real estate usually appreciates over time — typically with more than a 10% average annual return — and can bring a profit through rental income. On the not-so-positive side, property can also decrease in value. 

• Other than a mortgage, what are some examples of “good” debt? What is not an example of good debt?

• A down payment is the first big payment you make when buying a home. How would you save for a big purchase like that?

• Have you thought about how saving money now could help you buy a home in the future? 

• What do you think “property taxes” are? Who pays them?

• How do you think someone could get passive income from real estate?

• What do you think having “equity” in a home means? (It's a key concept in homeownership that can help build wealth over time.)

Borrowing

• If a friend asked to borrow money, what factors would you consider when deciding whether or not to loan them your money?

• If you borrowed money from a friend, would it be fair if you didn’t pay it back within a reasonable amount of time?

• Do you know what happens when someone uses a debit card vs. a credit card?

• Do you know what information lenders check when you apply for a credit card?

• How do you think credit cards have changed the way people spend money?

• Do you know what happens if you miss a credit card payment? What are the consequences?

• Do you know what a credit limit is? How is it determined?

• How do you figure out how much you should borrow? What factors would sway your decision?

• What should you consider before taking out a student loan to pay for college?

• When planning a significant purchase that requires a loan (like a car), how would you try to get a low interest rate?

• Why do you think banks would be willing to give a lower borrowing rate to someone with a higher credit score? 

Goal-setting

• Why is it important to set financial goals ?

• What challenges do you think you’ll need to overcome to reach your money goals?

• If you could have any job, what would it be? How would you save and manage your money to achieve that dream?

• What are three things you really want to do in life? How can you start saving money now to make those happen?

• Do you know the difference between short and long-term financial goals? Can you think of examples and how you might achieve them?

• Do you know what a S.M.A.R.T. goal is? What makes it different from a general goal?

• If your life was a movie, and there was a scene about your financial success, what would be happening in that scene, and what goals would you have achieved?

• What is a financial topic you're interested in learning more about?

Investing

• What’s the difference between saving and investing money?

• Would you rather buy a new pair of Nikes, or buy a share of Nike?

• Would you rather buy a single stock or a basket made up of different stocks? Why?

• If you bought a share of a company at $5.00 and a year later the share is valued at $15.00, what would you do: sell it, keep it, or buy more shares?

• What do you think the benefits are when you start to invest at a young age, even if it's just a small amount?

• The stock market can sometimes feel like a roller coaster ride. What do you think makes it go up and down?

Entrepreneurs

• If you could solve any problem in the world with a business idea that you're passionate about, what would it be and why? How do you think you can turn those ideas into a reality?

• Have you thought about teaming up with friends to bring your business ideas to life? How do you think teamwork can benefit your entrepreneurial ideas?

• Would you need money to get your business idea started? If so, how would you raise money?

• What components make up a business plan? Can you think of a few must-haves to help your business succeed?

• What do you think are the most important skills an entrepreneur should have? How can you develop those skills?

• Can you think of a new app, service, or item that could make a positive impact on people's lives? 

• Who is your entrepreneurial role model, and what qualities or skills do they possess that inspire you?

• Can you think of a few benefits to owning and running your own business?

Earning

• Have you ever thought about earning your own money? What kind of jobs do you think would be fun for someone your age?

• Did you know chores can teach us valuable life skills? Making your bed every day teaches you the value of routine and keeps you accountable! Can you think of another example?

• Let's imagine you've just landed your first job. What would you want to do with your first paycheck?

• How do you think earning your own money can give you more freedom and independence?

• Can you think of any jobs that you think would be interesting to learn more about? How can we start learning about them now?

• What do you think is the most important thing to consider when choosing a career?

• What do you think you could do to earn some extra money right now?

• Do you know anyone who has started their own business? What do you think they had to do to make it successful?

• Think of something you would like to save up for. How much would you need to earn each week to save up for it over a few weeks, months, or years?

• Can you think of some examples of when earning money might be difficult? How can we overcome those challenges?

• Can you think of some things we could do to earn money as a family?

• What are some lessons you've learned about earning money from your own experiences?