May have (or may be not have) mentioned somewheres around these parts that theKid is a straight A student.

As in, all A’s.

As in, nothing less than an A.

As in, no B’s, C’s, D’s or heaven forfend! F’s.

A big part of that (I believe) is that a child will meet the parents’ expectations.

Set the bar high – they fly.  Set it low, they crawl.

Despite all evidence to the contrary, I consider myself fairly smart, and somewhat accomplished professionally.

Not a lot.  By no means.  “Fair” and “somewhat” as the qualifiers controlling that belief.  By anyway …

And although I bish and moan about Half, Half is smart too, highly intelligent actually, and succeeds in a field where there is a lot of failure.  And idiocy.  Lots of lowlights, shall we say.

So theKid is expected to perform.  And unlike some, we (me ‘n Half) provide the tools necessary for theKid to succeed … as opposed to just throwing into the sea, we actually offer swim lessons and lifejackets. 

Point?

A person’s debt IQ is often shaped by the parents.  My parents thought nothing of bankruptcy.  I have an aversion to individual insolvency, but received no real direction as to how to stay out of / away from … it, other than spend, pay, spend, pay, and then oops setback … settlement (ah-hem!) satisfaction. 

Breaking the cycle / teaching a new skill to theKid is one of my life goals, definitely on the bucket list before kicking the bucket.  Making sure theKid understands money is just a tool, and interest is something you earn, and nothing you pay, ever.

Recently read a very smug, self-congratulatory, back-patting article (does your elbow hurt?) about how the inflation of the 70’s prepared this guy for the inflation of the now, and how he had to pay for his own gas in ’74 so he actually felt the pinch at the pump as a teenager.

Now that he’s in his, oh dunno, hunnerts, he lived his life in such a way as to be debt-averse.  Paid off the mortgage, never had a car note, zero balance on credit cards á la debt payments (paid off each month), maxed out the retirement accounts … you (Other Person You) get the idea. 

The thing that bothered me most about the article was the lack of foresight in his hindsight.  This guy is discussing how his past experience directed his financial lifetime, and the average individual is not perfectly positioned to get the knowledge needed at the point in time when that information could make the most difference. 

There is a public education system that fails to educate on the life basics … teach the younglings the harm/trap/nightmare of debt, treat it like garlic to vampires, and provide the life strategies necessary to life a debt-free life.  Living below the means, buying with cash, recycle/repurpose rather than billing cycle/repurchase. 

College graduates with seven-figure debt and five-figure careers.

What sense does this system make?

Oh yeh.  Masters of mankind. 

All of the above being said is that lessons to theKid re getting / staying out of / teaching all about debt are invaluable … literally … to the young. 

Before the student loans. 

Before the first credit card. 

Before the first car loan. 

Making sure theKid understands exactly what theKid is giving up by burdening future income with past debt, and avoiding my mistakes like the latest plague.

Helping theKid do/be/want better. 

Because theKid / the kid is the point.  Otherwise, no real need to bother.  Life is fleeting, and there is nothing new under the sun.  Especially new cars.  Never buy a new car.  Buy a car that’s new to you. 

Lease a new car as a business expense (tax DEDUCTION YEH BABY) but buy a good, used vehicle, keep up the maintenance until the engine blows or it gets wrecked.  Then buy another car that’s new to you.

And cash will always be the world’s king, especially because it denies the true King.  {Acts 19:15-16}

We shall see.