Most parents have heard some version of, “But you have the money, so why can’t I have it?” Maybe it happens over a $12 toy, a $90 pair of sneakers, or the newest phone that costs hundreds of dollars more than a perfectly functional model. Saying “we can’t afford it” may end the conversation quickly, but what if that is not actually true? Telling a child, “We can afford it, but that isn’t how I want to spend our money,” can open a much more valuable conversation about priorities. In fact, teaching kids about money may sometimes require admitting that having enough cash and choosing to spend it are two very different things.
