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The Gifting Sense Blog

Every $pend Counts

We offer practical tips, reflections on everyday life, shared experiences, and book reviews chosen for their ability to help raise money-smart young people. Let's shape a future where kids understand how and why every purchase, big or small, can move them closer to the life they want.

MOST RECENT

Child Development . For Parents . For Teachers .

Spring Break Planning Activity

Didn’t get a chance to complete the popular Next Gen Personal Finance Holiday Gifting Activity? Don’t despair. Here’s a Spring Break Planning Activity appropriate for January-March.

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Child Development . For Parents . For Teachers .

Childhood financial legacy doesn’t have to be destiny.

Kids who grow up "with money" don't automatically become money-smart adults; this means childhood financial legacy isn't necessarily destiny, which is excellent news!

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For Kids . For Parents . Gifts & Holidays .

The Ultimate Guide to Convincing Your Parents to Help You Buy Something

Talking to parents about money, particularly spending, can be easy. How? Consider entering the conversation having quickly researched answers to the four questions most adults ask themselves when shopping.

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1 2 3 … 23 >

TRENDING

Child Development . Financial Literacy . For Parents . For Teachers .

Answering Chicago’s “Questions to Pose”

The Financial Education Initiative at the University of Chicago developed a set of questions parents and community members can ask schools to understand if a financial education program is high-quality and unbiased. We answered all of them.

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For Parents . For Teachers . Inspiring Financial Writers .

Why We Need to Teach Kids About Money in School

Yanely Espinal got a full-ride to an Ivey League College - but unwittingly amassed $20K worth of credit card debt while she was there. Her new book is a powerful reminder of why we need to teach kids about money in school.

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Back-to-School . Child Development . For Kids . For Parents .

5 Reasons Families Use the DIMS SCORE® Calculator When Back-to-School Shopping

There are two times in every calendar year when supply and demand for typical childhood purchases line up: back-to-school and the winter holiday gift giving season. Learn why families enjoy using the DIMS SCORE® Calculator for both.

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All Blog Posts

Child Development . For Parents . For Teachers .

Spring Break Planning Activity

Didn’t get a chance to complete the popular Next Gen Personal Finance Holiday Gifting Activity? Don’t despair. Here’s a Spring Break Planning Activity appropriate for January-March.

Read post

Child Development . For Parents . For Teachers .

Childhood financial legacy doesn’t have to be destiny.

Kids who grow up "with money" don't automatically become money-smart adults; this means childhood financial legacy isn't necessarily destiny, which is excellent news!

Read post

For Kids . For Parents . Gifts & Holidays .

The Ultimate Guide to Convincing Your Parents to Help You Buy Something

Talking to parents about money, particularly spending, can be easy. How? Consider entering the conversation having quickly researched answers to the four questions most adults ask themselves when shopping.

Read post

DIMS SCORE® Questions . For Parents . For Teachers .

Reflective Moments Help Kids Learn About Money

Reflective moments are essential when kids learn about money. Meet Kay. She offers young people time-tested guidance about what constitutes ample use (e.g., number of wears) of a possible purchase and other helpful hints.

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DIMS SCORE® Questions . For Parents . For Teachers .

Why are the possible answers “Yes” or “Not Applicable”?

Our mindful spending tool makes it easy to think about a possible purchase more than once. Learn how super-smart kids helped us understand why we had to change the possible answers for some of DIMS SCORE® Calculator questions very early on.

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For Parents . For Teachers . Inspiring Financial Writers .

We’re in the “think more” versus the “feel bad” business!

As we head into our 10th year of making learning about money immediately helpful to youth, we want to be clear: Gifting Sense is NOT in the “feel bad” business, but rather in the “think more” business. Learn why careful spending doesn't have to be "bad tasting medicine".

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DIMS SCORE® Questions . Teacher Resources .

Total Cost Doesn’t Impact a DIMS SCORE®!

We aim to help youth uncover all the costs associated with a purchase they want. The decision as to whether or not spending that amount of money makes sense for a family - is theirs alone – as it should be.

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Child Development . Financial Literacy . For Teachers .

7 Reasons Teachers Enjoy Using the DIMS SCORE® Calculator in the Classroom

We don't start any other subject "in the middle" so let's begin personal finance lessons where subject mastery always begins - at the beginning. Learn how our thoughtful spending tool helps educators do precisely that.

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DIMS SCORE® Questions . For Kids . For Parents .

The “Style Question”

The Style Question helps youth avoid making purchases that don't accurately reflect their (albeit still developing) personal style. It generates the most conversation in thinking-before-buying workshops.

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DIMS SCORE® Questions . For Parents . For Teachers .

Why Does Adding Cost Reduce My DIMS SCORE®?

The DIMS SCORE® Calculator uncovers phantom costs that can make a seemingly small purchase much more expensive than originally anticipated. These costs reduce the DIMS SCORE® ever so slightly.

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1 2 3 … 7 >

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