Teach your children

Recently a friend asked me confidentially how I had managed to stay out of debt. She was concerned about dealing with her own credit card debt that she couldn't seem to get a handle on. I think she turned to me because I have never had any credit card debt and I have always paid off my credit card bills completely every month. It simply never occured to me to do otherwise when I had the choice, and I have been lucky enough to not have credit card debt from difficult circumstances (health emergency, school debt). I believe the root of this behavior began when I was 10 or 11 and my mother decided to try something new. Right around the time when I started to want designer jeans and expensive sweaters she decided to institute a clothing allowance. Every year I got a certain amount of money to spend on clothes and that's all I got. When I ran out, tough luck. I learned quickly which purchases I soon regretted and which purchases I felt good about. By the time I graduated high school, I had learned very practically how to budget, spend wisely, and make good money decisions. My suggestion: think of very practical ways to involve your children in money decisions as soon as possible to begin good behaviors early. Anyone have other ideas?