And now a word from…Barrett

We’ve written 16 blog posts so far and all of them have one thing in common: They’re from Kelly and Eric’s points of view.

While we are the adults, and therefore make the vast majority of financial decisions, there are other people impacted by our decision to be a part of Summit Credit Union’s Project Money. And it’s time that you hear some of their thoughts. So, we’re going to talk to each of our three children over the next few weeks and get their perspectives on the road we’ve been on.

We’re starting with Barrett, our middle child. He’s 13 years old, in 8th grade and plays soccer, futsal and hockey and has recently picked up baseball. Here’s an edited Q&A with Barrett:

Q: What have you thought about us being in Project Money so far?

A: It's not that bad.

Q: What has been different for you since we started Project Money?

A: Well, you guys don’t buy as much stuff for us as you used to. I had to adapt to that. It wasn’t that difficult, I just had to learn that. I think I've adapted to it.

Q: One of the changes we made was giving you and your siblings allowances.

A: Yeah, now I can buy my own things. I’ve learned how to save my money more, I think. I used to just do chores to get money and then spend it right away. But now, I’m saving my money to buy things. For example, I wanted some new shoes, so I saved up some money and bought them. (Barrett also earns money as a soccer referee.)

Q: You actually wanted to buy those shoes a little bit earlier. But you had to wait a few days longer because you were a few dollars short, and we wouldn’t lend you the difference. Why was that?

A: Because I bought stuff for my friends.

Q: Did that change your thoughts on spending your money on your friends?

A: No. I think it’s fair, because they’ve bought me stuff before – and next time, it will be their turn again.

Q: One thing we hear from you and your siblings is, “When Project Money is over ...” You do know that we plan to continue to use what we’re learning now in the future, even after the competition is over, right?

A: I think it’s all good right now. If we keep going like this, it won’t be too bad for me and it will be good for you guys. There were some frustrating times when it started, but I feel like we all got used to it. If we stick with it, I think it will just be our normal.