Making- and Reaching- Money Goals

A couple of months ago I reviewed the FamilyMint Money Management Certification Program. In the course of using that program the kids were asked to make some money goals. One of Rylan's goals was to buy a laptop by Christmas this year. His target amount to raise was a hefty $1000. He had his sights set on a Mac. He started saving his money. Mowing grass and doing extra jobs for us. He helped his grandfather plant seedlings, bushes and flowers. He mowed grass for him as well.

When Rylan wants something he borders on obsessive. He spends way too much time researching options and prices and everything else. He also asks a million questions and wants our opinion on every little detail. Over the last few months we've had a lot of conversations about what he wanted the laptop for. And eventually he came to the decision to get a cheaper Windows based computer now and when it dies in a few years trade up to the Mac then. So he lowered his goal to about $300.

This weekend, his chosen computer was on sale. He was $8 short. But since he would earn $5 of that in his weekly mowing and he agreed to mow a couple other areas that needed cutting, we spotted him the $8 and took him to Best Buy.
 

And now he's loving setting up and playing around with his new toy. He's already installed Lego Digital Designer and ordered and received a cable that allows him to hook his computer to the TV to watch some of our iTunes movies.