money and finances according to e

E has always been fascinated with the concept of money. Since she was a little girl, she has loved putting "monies" (as she calls them) in a piggy bank. Every night she gets to put John's pocket change in a money jar. And when she was younger, John and I could get dressed in the morning while she would put coins in her piggy, open the cork snout, dump the coins out and start all over again.

As she's gotten older, she has begun to understand more and more of the concepts of money...namely, that you buy things with it. Yes, at the tender age of three and a half, she's become quite the saavy consumer. Here are some lessons about money that E has taught us this week.

On America's Over Reliance on Credit Cards...
E: "Let's go to Pickle Bob's. You have to have monies to go to Pickle Bob's. Pickle Bob's doesn't like credit cards."
Me: "But, E...I don't have any monies with me."
E: "That's okay. Do you have your credit card? We can go to Maggie Moos!"

On Parents Buying Their Children's Love...
Me: "E, where did you get the new book from?"
E: "The Book Fair at school!"
Me: "But, E. I took you to the Book Fair yesterday and got you girls each a new book. Didn't you tell Daddy that?"
E: "Well, Mommy, I didn't want Daddy to feel bad that he didn't get to go the Book Fair. He really wanted to go."

On Budgeting...
E: "Mommy, your special day is coming up this weekend!"
Me: "It is, E! I'm very excited!"
E: "We're going to buy you lots of presents. Some pants and some shirts and an Orange Birginya sweater. Do you need an Orange Birginya sweater?"
Me: "Wow! Pants, shirts AND a sweater! That's a lot of stuff. How will you pay for all of that?"
E: "Daddy."