A Bubble Off Plumb

What do you give the prospective or recent graduate? These are kids who aren’t sure there will be a job market to go back to once Covid is in our collective rearview mirror. Or if they just finished high school, whether their preferred school will open in the fall in person. They may have to continue to live at home and attend school virtually. Those who plan on entering the workforce may have a tough row to hoe.

Sure, they could all use money, whether folding green stuff or a gift card. But what about a book on a topic they may never have considered or ever want to consider? What about a book on how to create and live on a budget?

It isn’t exciting to tell your money where to go and what to do. Until you get to the week before payday and there is still money in the bank or in your pocket. That can be pretty exciting. Learning how to decide whether to finance a shiny new car or pay cash for a beater you can afford isn’t a discussion most kids want to have. Until the repo man shows up and hauls the shiny expensive car away.

And figuring out how to get a college education – if they want one – without being buried under a mountain of student loan debt also isn’t that glamorous, but it will pay immense dividends down the road.

Beyond being about dollars and cents, budgeting is about learning to be content with what you can afford until you have enough money put by to afford what you want. Delayed gratification isn’t a long suit for most students, but it is part of becoming an adult. It isn’t even easy for people who are supposed to be adults. Perhaps maturity is a better word for it.

It really is ok to give the grads a gift they may not use for a while, maybe quite a while. It’s ok if they aren’t thrilled about the whole idea of living like a grown up, on a budget. But once they decide to crack the book – consider Anthony O’Neal or Dave Ramsey books as a start - and take its advice, put it to use and find out how to have money left at the end of the month after the bills are paid, they will thank you from the bottom of their checkbooks.

Connie Burcham can be reached at Editor@WatongaRepublican.com