Every family has a different approach to pocket money, and we love hearing from parents and nimbl users about how our card and app are helping them to grasp important financial skills.
To get the inside track, we decided to catch up with one of our valued nimbl families to see what they’d been getting up to with their nimbl cards.
We asked Stephen and his sons Hugo (11) and Viktor (8) to talk to us about their experiences of nimbl, both during and beyond lockdown, to find out a little more about how it’s helped shape their outlook on money.
Did lockdown change the boys’ spending habits at all?
Definitely! Before, they’d mostly used their nimbl cards to make lots of lower-value purchases, like buying the odd ice cream or cheap toy, but when lockdown hit they weren’t getting as many opportunities to do this.
Being house-bound actually encouraged them to develop a longer-term outlook on money, as this was the first real time they understood they value of saving up for something they really wanted.
Seeing myself and their mum working from home also taught them lots about the world of work, and how in the adult world money is earnt. At first, they were a little amazed that I could earn a living just sitting in a chair all day, but it was good for them to understand how money is made, as well as spent, in the “real world”.
How has the return to school affected your sons’ spending?
They’ve actually done a really good job in retaining their lockdown savings. Between them, through top-ups from their grandparents and rewards from helping out around the house, their collective savings shot up significantly last year.
They’ve been really careful not to blow this savings pot though, and are still saving their pennies for bigger purchases – usually one item per month. They really love their sport and currently have their sights set on a mobile tennis net!
Are they doing anything around the house to help supplement their monthly or weekly allowances?
Lots of things! Since they made the link between doing chores around the house and pocket money top-ups, they’ve become quite the entrepreneurs, always seeking out ways to earn a few extra pounds. They’ll get stuck into anything – from watering the plants, to unloading the dishwasher and doing the mopping.
We’re hoping to get away for a last-minute family holiday this summer, so the boys have been assiduously saving so they can buy themselves some euros for the trip. Fingers and toes crossed!
What’s the main lesson that nimbl has helped teach the boys about money?
I think it’s that money isn’t a given, or to use the well-known saying, ‘doesn’t grow on trees’. It’s given them a good grounding for adult life, as through nimbl they now understand that being paid their monthly allowance is dependent on them behaving well and completing their pre-agreed chores – much like with a job!
How do you plan to use nimbl as they get older?
As the boys are both still at primary school, they don’t tend to have their cards on their person all the time; we currently keep them in a safe place in the house for them to get out as and when they need.
With Hugo about to start secondary school and get more independence over what he spends his money on, we definitely plan to make use of the app’s spending controls to help keep him on track.
Thanks to Stephen for sharing his great insights. If you’ve got a story to tell about how your family is using nimbl, and fancy featuring on our next nimbl family Q&A, reach out reach out via email or our Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. We’d love to speak to you!