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necessary, so our spending plan will allot a small amount of money each month in order to move slowly and steadily towards these goals, while still paying for our current needs.

Businesses are out to make a profit. Thus, they have a budget. If we are out to make a profit and increase our income, we should have a budget/spending plan as well.

Principle #5: Hard Work is How You Earn

In a recent poll done with American high school students, a significant majority of them said that they expected to be very wealthy as adults. The next question provided options for how they would become rich. Over half of the students polled declared that they would become rich through winning a major lawsuit.

This is a sign of financial illness.

The idea that hard work is how you earn money seems to be fading. Perhaps this is a product of the Information Age we live in, but this perception is wrong, even considering the unusual stories of overnight millionaires. The majority of people will only be able to provide for their needs by working hard.

We need to remember this every day. Disciplined, diligent labor increases our chances of providing for our needs and our family's needs. Teaching children this principle, through example and instruction, should be a priority in families.

Principle #6: Teach Children to Manage Money
Obviously it would be useless to try to teach a five-year-old how to invest, but this child could certainly learn what a certain amount of money can buy. The necessity to teach our children how to manage money, both through indirect example and direct instruction, is great.

As our children grow up, we need to demonstrate to them where money comes from, how it is used, and the value and respect it deserves. This instruction should be age-appropriate, of course, but it should never be forgotten. This instruction, along with principle 5, will help our children avoid the entitlement attitude that is all-too prevalent today.

One thing to remember in connection with this principle is that children will learn best if they are given the opportunity to make money decisions. They should be given opportunities to earn money and save it toward certain goals. They should also be allowed to suffer the consequences of poor money management.

Principle #7: The Family is a Team
This principle applies, obviously, specifically to families. A family wherein the parents are worried about finances but the children continue to expect to have all of their wants met will have a very bumpy ride. Parents

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