My health insurance company recently sent me a letter.

They just wanted to let me know that their security systems had been breached. I, now, had the fabulous opportunity to sign up for free identity protection for a whole year. This wasn’t something I needed to worry about, they assured me, well I should worry a little because some of my personal information was stored in the area that had been accessed and I should keep an eye on my credit report for the next year or more, but really don’t worry because everything is under control.

Around the same time, I’m not making this up, my e-mail account started sending all my friends and family a message about a great way to make money from home with a link to check it out.

So, from a completely average non-expert point-of-view, I’m just really surprised that people don’t worry about mint.com. Obviously, I can’t claim to have an unbiased opinion, because I use Checkbook Pro. Still, as a lover of Psychology, I wonder how the idea of storing all one’s personal and banking information in one place could be viewed as a good idea.

It seems counter intuitive.

How old were you when you began to understand the value of money?

My first memories of money include; my Dad giving us a penny for every dandelion we plucked from the lawn, taking turns sitting on a hot metal folding chair (with my siblings and neighbors) at our very own lemonade stand, and picking rocks at my uncles farm. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of walking along side a flat-bed tossing rocks out of a field, with absolutely no shade, well you haven’t yet lived.

As a kid, a few pennies meant candy or a pack of gum. Things I could have gotten (and sometimes did get) by asking my parents. But it was different buying it with my own money. It was special.

Dan Kadlec, in his blog post, “Kids and Money: How Not to Raise a Spoiled Brat” had this to say about teaching kids the value of money. “I want to make sure my kids understand that success at anything takes genuine effort and that there is no satisfaction greater than earning your keep.” Everyone has there own definition of “genuine effort”. For me, its something I can feel. A peaceful calm that occurs after physical and mental work. Kadlec also talks about how parents struggle to decide how much they should give to their children and how much they should step back and let their children earn things for themselves.

Children learn first by observing everything others do. Getting frustrated with your job? Save the complaining for after the kids have hit the sack. Really want that new “——-” but don’t have the money? Skip it. Or better yet, talk to your kids about how your really wanted “——”  and explain how you are saving up for it. Show your children how money works. Then, give them a chance to earn some. Pick jobs that are tough, but on par with your child’s abilities. A good read for parents looking to teach their children about money early is Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey.

Most people, even little ones, want to earn the good things in life.

Watching, Sunday Morning, last week I found Ben Stein’s commentary amusing. Addressing high school seniors on the topic of college acceptance/rejection letters, he cited famous and influential people who didn’t graduate from ivy league schools. He made the case that getting into the “right” school wasn’t as big of a deal as it seemed.

Great advice. Not only for those just starting out in the world, but for all of us as we go through different stages of life.
Frequently, there are turning points when everything seems to hinge on this big decision or that great event. The job interview, the city to buy a house in, whether or not to have a family. Moments when we ponder, weigh the consequences, and obsess about the outcomes. Sometimes, even after a decision has long since come and gone, we continue to wonder “What if?”

In his commentary, Stein points out that although getting into a good college may help you get a leg up, “…it helps a lot more to have good work habits, make a minute-by-minute effort to get along with the people you work with, and (most of all) to harmonize your goals with your talents.”

Rather than worrying about long-term success, in your career or personal life, ask yourself what you did today, yesterday, this week that was in line with your values.

The truth is that the little things we do every day are what truly make us who we are.