Welcome to Bedtime History.
Hello, this is Breck.
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When I was in high school, I started mowing lawns for neighbors.
I still remember how proud I felt after that first $20 earned with sweat, sunburns, and a lot of grass clippings.
Now that I'm a parent, I want my kids to learn that same lesson.
And Acorns Early makes it easy.
It's a smart money app that grows with your kids.
You can start with the built -in chore tracker so they learn the value of a dollar.
Then they set their own savings goals.
And when they're ready, they get to spend what they've earned using a customizable debit card. All with you still in control thanks to spending limits and real -time notifications.
My kids love setting goals for things like a new toy or saving up for a trip.
and I love seeing them learn real -world money skills.
Ready to teach your kids the smart way to earn, save, and spend?
Get your first month on us when you go to acornsearly .com forward slash bedtime history or download the Acorn's Early app.
That's one month free at acornsearly .com forward slash bedtime history.
Acorn's Early card is issued by Community Federal Savings Bank, member FDIC, pursuant to license by MasterCard International.
I'm really excited about our current sponsor, Acorns Early, because it helps kids and families learn to manage their money at an early age, and also to invest it.
So I thought it would be fun to focus this episode on how money works and how you can grow it.
You've probably heard the saying, money doesn't grow on trees.
And it's true. You can't just plant a dollar bill in your backyard and expect a tree to sprout leaves made of cash.
But here's the fun secret.
Money can grow, kind of like a tree, if you know how to use it the right way.
In fact, a single dollar, just like a tiny acorn, has the power to become something much bigger over time imagine holding a little brown acorn in your hand it's small hard and doesn't look like much but if you plant that acorn in the dirt water it and give it sunlight and time something amazing happens it grows into a big strong oak tree money works a lot like that when you invest your money put it somewhere smart where it can grow it can turn into more money over time investing means putting your money to work so it can grow.
It's different from spending where the money goes away.
When you invest, you're giving your money a job.
For example, imagine you have $10.
If you spend it on candy, it's gone.
But if you invest it, that $10 might turn into $20, $30, or even $100 someday.
How? By putting it into things that grow, like a business, or a company, or even the stock stock market.
These are places where your money can earn more money over time.
That's called interest or growth, like sunshine and rain for your money tree.
Warren Buffett is one of the richest people in the world.
But he didn't start out that way.
When Warren was a kid, he sold gum, soda, and newspapers.
He saved his money and instead of spending it, he invested it.
He bought small parts of companies and watched them grow.
Over time, his money turned into more money, like planting one acorn and growing a forest. He still lives in the same house he bought back in the 1950s and doesn't spend a lot on flashy things.
Warren knows that letting money grow is smarter than using it up fast. Do you know once of the most famous women in TV grew up in pretty tough circumstances?
Oprah worked hard and became became a famous TV host, but instead of spending all the money she made, she invested in herself and her dreams. She created her own production company and built a business around sharing stories and helping others.
By making smart choices with her money, Oprah turned her small beginning into something huge, like a giant oak tree full of branches.
Beyonce may be a music star now, but her journey started with small steps and smart habits.
When she was a child growing up in Houston, Texas, her parents helped her understand the value of money early on.
She began performing when she was young, and instead of spending everything she earned, she learned how to save. Her father, who managed her early career, taught her about budgeting and planning ahead.
These lessons stuck with her as she got older.
As Beyoncé became more more successful, she didn't just spend her money on fancy things.
She used it to build something bigger.
She invested in herself and in her own company.
She created her own fashion brand and got involved in producing films and music.
By making smart choices with her money, she didn't just become a performer, she became a business leader.
Beyoncé shows that even if you start small, saving and investing wisely can help you grow something powerful that lasts.
Walt Disney is a great example of someone who used creativity, hard work, and smart investing to build something amazing.
When he was young, Walt loved to draw and tell stories.
He started out small, just a boy with a pencil and big dreams. He didn't have a lot of money, but he was willing to take risks and put his time and energy into something he believed in.
in. He worked long hours and saved what he could.
When he finally made a little money from his cartoons, he didn't rush out to spend it, instead he used it to build something even bigger.
One of Walt's biggest risks was creating the first full -length animated movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
A lot of people thought it would fail, but Walt believed in the idea so much that he invested everything he had into making it.
And it worked. worked.
The movie was a huge success, and the money he earned helped him build more movies than Disneyland and eventually a whole company that brings joy to people all over the world.
Walt Disney's story shows that investing in your ideas and being patient is one of the best ways to help your dreams grow.
Here's another example that's close to home.
When I started my podcast, I didn't have much of an audience.
I had to invest not only a little money for equipment, hosting, and software, but also a lot of time.
I wrote the episodes, recorded them, and put them out on the internet, even though almost no one was listening at first. I kept doing that for a couple of years, staying consistent even when it felt like nothing was happening.
But I was planting seeds.
And just like a tree takes time to grow, the podcast started to grow too.
Today it's something I'm incredibly proud of, and looking back, all the the work and patience was completely worth it.
Here's a cool trick.
When you invest, your money doesn't just grow once.
It grows again and again.
Let's say you invest $10 and it grows to $11.
Next time, you're not just growing $10 – you're growing $11, then $12, then $13.
That's called compound growth, and it's like giving your money a superpower.
power. It's slow at first, like a tiny tree, but over time it gets bigger and faster.
That's why it's smart to start early, even if you're just a kid.
Saving and investing are cousins, but they're not exactly the same.
Saving means putting money aside for later, like in a piggy bank or a jar.
It's safe and good for short -term needs.
Investing means putting money somewhere it can grow, grow, like a company or a business.
Both are smart. But investing is how you make your money work for you.
You don't have to be rich to start growing your money.
You just need a little money, a smart place to put it, and time.
Whether you want to buy something big someday, help others, or build your own business, the habits you grow now, like saving and investing, will help you reach your goals.
So, the next time you hear someone say, say, money doesn't grow on trees, you'll know something they don't.
Because even though you can't grow a dollar tree in your backyard, you can grow your money if you plant it right.
All it takes is a little care, some patience and the belief that small things, like a single acorn, can become something mighty.
And just like planting a seed and watching it grow into a tree, learning how to save and invest your money when you're young can lead to big things later in life.
That's why I love Acorns Early.
It's a simple and fun way for kids and families to learn smart money habits, set goals, and even start investing.
If you're ready to help your family grow their money the smart way, you can get your first month free at acornsearly .com forward slash bedtimehistory.
That's acornsearly .com forward slash bedtime history.
Click on the link in the show notes to check it out.
