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Media Events

The Jordan Rich Show / News Radio WBZ1030 featured Candi Sparks on 12/22/07 - How to stay out of debt this Christmas. Thank you Jordan!!!
To Clean Up Holiday Debt, DO:
Leave the credit cards at home. click here to continue.
Workshops ...are fun interactive teaching about money, with the brain and the emotions in mind. Titles and content include:

Check It Out! Banking, checking and savings for Elementary School, Junior High School.

What\'s In Your Wallet? Electronic Payments, Identity Theft, Risk and Lost associated with each for Elementary School, Junior High School, High School

Grown Up? Own Up! Credit Cards, Debt, Taxes, Responsible Savings and Spending Wisely for High School, Adult

Family Money Workshop How to function successfully as an economic unit for Families
Kids and Money Talking to children about money, teaching kids the value of a dollar, allowance, avoiding financial mistakes, instant gratification. Content will be leveled for audience. Good for all ages - Children, Teens, Adults, Families.

Max Gets It! Allowance, asset allocation, impulse buying, instant gratification, budgeting, planned spending, opening a bank account, owning a business for Elementary School

Nacho Money Checking, Debit Cards, Credit Card Debt, Savings, Income, Budgeting for Elementary School (4th & 5th grades), Junior H.S., High School
Money Doesn\'t Grow on Trees! Creating Money consciousness in children without turning them off for all levels.
Financial Literacy Changes Lives
Food for thought - how would your life be different if you had been given financial literacy tools when you were growing up? What can you do to improve the chances of success for the children you care about?
In my opinion, we are not properly preparing our children for the real world, if we do not give them a proper financial education, before they leave home. Maybe it's because we can't teach what we don't know. Adults are struggling themselves, and may not feel qualified to teach the subject of money. Or, maybe they feel "negatively" about money, in general. If so, adults owe it to themselves to seek the help that they need. You have to help yourself before you can help them.
Another reason that many are reluctant to giving children advice about money, is that today children are very "sophisticated." They don't like to be told what to do. So what!? No one does- especially when it comes to money. But, we teach children to eat vegetables and cross at the corner for their own safety - whether they like it or not! So, let's teach them about money, before they go off and get into financial trouble on their own. Let's be proactive, for their safety!
I think children stand a better chance, if we provide financial literacy, from an early age. In addition to the basic teaching about money in math class, we can teach them how to shop, budget, plan their spending and set financial goals. At some point, when children have money of their own (such as an allowance, getting a neighborhood job, gifts or "reward" money), they can make their own spending choices. Through trial and error they can develop good money habits. We can help with through our own experience and helping them to have discipline. Everything is easier when someone believes that you can do it. Let's help them understand money. Before it's too late!

A Few Things I Think Children Should Know, Before They Leave Home
In my opinion, they are more likely to succeed financially if they have already had some teaching, experience and discipline in:
How to set and stick to a budget.
How media and advertising affects them.
The difference between a want and a need.
The difference between debit and debt.
How electronic transactions work.
How to use credit wisely.
That loans come with interest.
How to set a financial goal and reach it.
How to pay yourself first.
How to write a resume.
How to look for a job.
How to conduct themselves on an interview.
How to keep a checking account.
How to balance a check book.
How to evaluate benefits package.
How to shop for the best price / value.
Understand insurance (life insurance, auto insurance, etc.)
The importance of charity.
How to protect their identity.
What investing means.
The difference between savings and investing.
What is meant by an investment risk.
Why it is important to plan for retirement, before you get there.
Provider is a certified M/WBE, NYC vendor and DOE vendor. "CAN I HAVE SOME MONEY" is a trade mark of Sparks Fly. Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.
Contact toll-free by telephone at (866) 556-2432 or email
$ Tips on Getting out of Holiday Debt
Most people don't plan to stay indebt, they simply fail to plan a way to become debt free. When it comes to debt, what is your plan? Remember, learning to handle money properly involves teaching with the brain and the emotions in mind. To get out of holiday debt do:
Buy only what you need.
Make cash purchases only. If you can’t pay in cash, you really can’t afford it.
Brown bag your lunch and eat at home.
Negotiate lower interest rates (if you pay on time and more than the minimum).
Find more money – were there any rebate offers on your holday purchases? Did you submit all of your flexible spending expenses from 2007?
Figure out how to lower your bills. Review and analyze your expenses – can you get a better deal on your cell phone?
Figure out what you can do yourself – do your hair, nails and clothing repairs, and your own home repairs.
Make gift returns or exchanges right away – some stores set a time limit for holiday merchandise to be returned or exchanged!
Plan the next holiday season WAY in advance, so you won't feel this way a year from now!
To Clean Up Holiday Debt, DON'T
Borrow more money to pay off the other debt!
Ignore the bills – missing a payment will only make matters worse – you will incur a penalty and may even trigger other lenders to raise their rates. The credit reporting agencies will pick up this information and it may come back to haunt you.
Lose sight of your goal of being debt free! It's worth it!

Our take home reading section is all about giving you a little more to chew on at home, by giving you and your children tips, answers to your questions, access to our monthly newsletters, and some downloadable forms that will help smooth out sticky money areas.

To view a slide show I created for iVillage about kids and money, click here. If you want to use your child's allowance to introduce your young one to a lifetime of good money management skills, use our form as a guide!

Allowance Agreement

Here we're all about helping you with those important questions that kids have about money. You and your kids can email us with a question and we will post it here.
Is money the most important thing in the world?
NO. YOU ARE! You and the people you love.
Why is money so important?
Because everybody needs it! Even people that don't have a job need the things that money can buy (like babies, kids, stay at home parents or retired pople)! It takes money to feed a family, buy clothes and keep the lights on so that kids can do homework and watch TV. Having money come in on a regular basis, really helps!
Even with a regular paycheck (or "income"), sometimes it seems as if the price of living goes up, faster than the paychecks! The price of milk, food and other things the family needs can go up with out warning! (Click here, if you want to compare "old school prices" to what things cost today. Did you notice anything that costs less today?
To keep from running out of money, working people usually have to plan how they will spend their money, so they can keep on taking care of the people they love. This plan for money is called a "budget."
Where can I get some money?
Lots of kids get money (at least some of the time) from their family or as a birthday gift from friends. Some kids get an allowance. Growing up includes learning how to make money, save money and accumulate (a fancy word for "multiply") money of your own. When you learn about how to work with money, eventually, you will be able to say "I have my own money!"
How can I start getting an allowance?
You can talk to your family about it and see if they agree with you. Some families might not believe in giving an allowance, but will give you money when you ask for it. Other families might think kids can earn an allowance for good behavior. Sometimes parents think back to when they were your age, and they got an allowance for doing chores. There might be some extra things that you can do to help out. "Extra" means that you are not getting paid for the normal kid things you are already doing -like cleaning up your room and making up your bed. If your family thinks that you are mature enough to get an allowance, you can download an Allowance Agreement at the bottom of this page and work out all the details of your allowance.
If your folks set up a way for you to earn an allowance, it is probably their way of letting you know that if you want money, you can do what most grown ups have to do - they have to work for it.
Are there other ways to get money?
Yes, sometimes. You can borrow it. You could win it. It could be a gift that someone gives to you. You might inherit some. Scholarships are a great way to get money. Some people apply for grants. You could invest money in place that it will make more money. It is possible that you could start a business that is "the next big thing!" and make lots of money that way too.
Where you get money depends alot on your age, and the reason you are looking for the money and if you have been good about at handling money in the past.
Is paying with cash the same as buying with a plastic card?
No! First there are different types of plastic cards - debit cards, credit cards, pre-paid cards and others. Most of these plastic cards have additional fees (money that you pay the issuing company for using them). Cash is cash. But, both can be complicated.

Here is an index of archived CAN I HAVE SOME MONEY? newsletters. You can also sign up to receive our monthly newsletter automatically!

October 2007 Newsletter: Teens & Money Education or Debt-u-cation?; Should Children Get Allowance? Financial Literacy Changes Lives
November 2007 Newsletter: 'Tis the Season (for planning & reason); Re-gifting (The gift that keeps on giving); Making Extra Cash for the Holidays; Is Harvard Affordable?
December 2007 Newsletter: Go Green! Cash is Healthier than Plastic; Kids & Money - What Homemade Holidays Teach; Workshop Review - Can I have Some Money? for 8-10 year olds in Brooklyn, New York
January 2008 Newsletter: Affluenza and Holiday Debt; Teens & Money - Teaching them how to shop; 2008 Holiday Worksheet & Budget Planner

February 2008 Newsletter: What Teens Want is Money Lessons; Pre-Schoolers & Money Teaching them now; Year Up Paid Internships for 18-25 year olds

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