Kids grow up so fast, sometimes too fast – especially when they start talking about getting their first car. Kids may not realise the financial implications of getting a car, but you do. Teaching them from a young age will help them understand what responsibilities they will need to take on when they get one, even if you agree to cover the cost until the leave for university. Having a car will be one of the first major financial responsibilities your child can have, and it’s important to prepare them right for it.
Have them save towards the car
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One way to teach kids about car finance is to make them save towards any car they plan to have in the future. Whether this is through saving their allowance or getting them to take on a part-time job, it’s important that they realise that saving is a key part of getting the things that they want, rather than relying on borrowing/credit to get there faster. One way to get them to learn is to teach them about cutting household expenses and other costs which could help them to make the savings they need.
Show them the bigger picture
As well as the cost of a car, children will need to know about the other costs that come with it including fuel costs, repairs, maintenance, and insurance. These costs annually can amount to as much as the car itself if their first car is an older car, and they will need to learn how to work and save to be able to afford all of these things, and not just the car itself. If you want to take it further, you can talk to them about pricing up the cost of accidents, why they might need to hire a personal injury lawyer and the costs associated with parking fines and speeding tickets. The message her is that a car isn’t just a single item, there are many other responsibilities that come with it.
Don’t stop at now
For most kids, a first car will be more of a run-around, a second-hand car which will teach them responsibility as well as helping them to learn to budget. This could teach them more about car finance and responsibility than getting them a brand new car would. In the future, your kids will need to earn money in order to afford a nice new car, and learning all about the different finance options, including leasing, will help them understand for when that time comes.
Even if you’ve done all you can to put them off the idea of owning a car for the meantime, it’s a subject that will keep coming up as they get older. Helping kids find ways of saving for a car will make the end reward much sweeter for them, and will make them appreciate their car more because they bought it with their own money. There’ll be tough lessons to learn, but you can certainly guide them from a young age.
