November is Financial Literacy Month.
Students from Pinetree Secondary School in Coquitlam share their thoughts about how they want to become "money smart" after recently participating in a financial education course by Edward Jones Canada.
The following submission was written by Dario Moshfeghi in Grade 10.
Being "money smart" is always a wise thing to do because 99 per cent of people don't have an amount of money so vast that they don't even have to care about it.
The majority of people aren't part of that one per cent, it can be very beneficial to have an estimated budget, and spending plan, and to keep an eye on your finances.
As a teenager, it might not seem like it is a crucial thing to do; however, learning about and starting these valuable habits from a younger age can set you up for success in the future.
As a teenager, you can work jobs, and these can all be excellent learning situations for being financially smart. You could manage some stuff with your salary such as cell phone bills, paying for food when you go out, etc.
Some people, especially teenagers have not learned the value of money, because they have yet to pay their bills and manage their finances based on their paycheck.
Most rely on their parents to keep manage of all the bills and payments but don't even stop to consider all the planning that goes into it.
Many rely on that bi-weekly or monthly cheque; to be able to pay for food, rent, car payments, phone, and many other necessities we rely on in this day and age.
It allows us to prepare for the future when we have to manage our finances. It can also prevent us from being in debt and help us save up for the future.
Being "money smart" is a valuable skill that people of all ages can learn to manage better, with the help of financial advisors.
It can improve their spending, savings and possibly even the amount of money they make.
All these will further benefit the daily life of you and your family.
