Friday, April 24, 2009  The saving gene  So, Ben's ninth
birthday is imminent and he's been receiving checks and cash in
the mail with his birthday cards. You know what he wants to do
with this money? Save it. Put it in his wallet or his savings
account and never take it out.  Sure, he'd like to reserve the
right to buy any desired loot he doesn't receive as gifts—but
he'd like to buy those items with someone else's money. Birthday
money that has been given to him immediately ceases to be other
people's spendable money and is transformed into Ben's Must-Be-
Hoarded Money.  While I applaud the child's inclination to save
(aw, he takes after his ma and da), he was completely missing
the point of birthday money. I think he understands now that
I've laid it out straight and will not ask his parents to buy
crap for him right on the heels of receiving more crap than he
needs. (And by "crap," I mean "thoughtful gifts," of course.)
There will be no post-birthday bailouts for greedy children!
Are you more a saver or a