Be thrifty
Thrifty may seem like an old fashioned word. Thrifty doesn't mean cheap. When you call someone cheap, like Scrooge, that means they're really stingy and selfish with money.
Thrifty is really about what we do with what we are given. When you think about it, we all have three things that belong just to us: time, unique and amazing talents, and resources (like our money). Thrifty people make the most of these three things. They don't waste time. Whatever talents they have, from speaking another language, to playing the guitar, to skateboarding – it doesn't matter – they don't waste their abilities, they make them better. And, they use their resources wisely and make good decisions about how they are going to use them.
Thrifty people don't sit on the couch and wait. Thrifty people do things. They're outside practicing their hoop shot or learning a better way to hit the ball. They're organizing a recycling program for all of the paper that gets wasted in school. They're putting their allowance in a piggy bank to save up for the bike they really want. They're making great choices about their time, talents and resources.
When you grow up, you'll know right away who is thrifty and who isn't. The thrifty people will be the successful leaders who are doing great and having fun!
It's pretty cool to be thrifty. It's also pretty easy to be thrifty. Read about what other kids are doing – and talk about it.
Be Generous
Take a second to think of someone who is generous in your life. Okay, what's the last thing they did that was generous?
Bet it had to do with them giving their money, their time, or their talents to help someone out. Being generous doesn't just mean sharing your money. There are two other precious resources that all of us can give: our time and our talents. Generous people give all three gifts, their money, their time and their talents to other people.
Generous people give their money to charities. They donate some of their clothes or toys to people who need them. They spend time volunteering at a local shelter to help homeless people get a good meal. No matter what talent they have, whether they can dance, sing, draw, write, rap, do sports – whatever – they don't waste their abilities, they share them with others, maybe on a team, or teaching someone who wants to learn their talent.
Why are people generous? Because it feels really good to help someone else out. People who share always say they get back more than they gave. Generous people are happy people. There are lots of ways to be generous. Explore some easy things other kids are doing, then talk about them.
But first, see if you can answer this: Can you be generous if you're not thrifty?
Trick question! There's no way you can be generous if you're not thrifty. First you need to be thrifty and make good choices about your time, talents and money, and that way you can be generous and share them with others.