I am not a big reader but a few years a go I read the book Raising Boys which inspired the idea of this trip. More recently I also read the Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape, which I also found very inspiring, not only on financial matters but on priorities and what is really important in life. Whilst an absolute convert to the principals espoused in the book I have yet to put them all in to practice ( Guess what my New Years reso was !!). Last year Pape released a new version of his book aimed at families, or more specifically at kids. It was intended for parents to read and then pass on the teaching to their children in order for them to avoid the pitfalls of credit card debit and to adopt some of the principals of savings and not borrowing money to buy depreciating assets etc.
I brought the Barefoot Investor for Families book along with us on the trip with a view to both reading it myself but also to try and encourage Quiddy to read it so we could disicuss finances, savings, superannuation and the future.
With Scarlett, not a lot of encouragement is required to get her reading. Just suggest there is a horse or a mystery involved and she is in. With Quiddy however, things get a little trickier. I guess he looks at an unopened book like an elephant on a plate. Asking himself how am I going to eat this and will I enjoy it. Well both require the action of just starting it ... one bite.... one page. So since finishing his school holocaust book, I have been subtlety trying to encourage Quid to start the Barefoot book. Until last night I had no success but then ...Quid read the first chapter and we are off and running.
To Just give you an idea of what it is about I have included a photo of one page early in the first chapter. After 15 minutes we were discussing setting up savings accounts, how superannuation works, getting a part time job, university and all sorts of other financial and future related topics. It was amazing how much thought and discussion the first chapter generated. I am not looking to create the next Warren Buffet, just a financially secure future for my son by teaching him a few things I would love to have known 20, 30... 40 years ago. And don’t get me wrong, I had very solid advice from my parents based largely around them being raised in a post WW2 England where things did not come easy (hence why when I use more than the thinnest scrape of butter on my toast, I hear my wonderful mum telling me I have just used a weeks worth of butter rations!!). I was taught to save and not use credit. I just think there are even greater pressures on kids today with easy credit, advertising, online purchasing and an incredibly strong consumer culture. More on the book later as we get deeper into it.
On a lighter note, I have had many questions about consumption of vegetables since embarking on this trip. Well check out (closely) the burger patties we cooked last night. Those specks of colour are almost certainly vegetable matter. Also I saw a post on Facebook yesterday that stated pork fat is the 8th most nutritious food on the planet, so a few less of the middle rashers and more full rind bacon and I think we are good to go !!!!!
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