Teaching Kids the Value of a Dollar & How You Can Win $500

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Synchrony Financial. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hey friends!  I know – it has been a while! We have moved, been busy with getting started in a new school in a new city – all the fun changes that life throws at you sometimes.  But I’m excited to share a little glimpse at what we have been up to!  All summer long, my kids have been earning trips to the dollar store.  If they do their chores and keep up with what they need to be doing, they earn a dollar each week to choose something they want.  This is something I was able to do as a kid, and I was thrilled to introduce the tradition to my own kids.  Each week as my kids came home with their treasures, and took extra care of their special purchases all summer, it really hit home that this experience is so much more than a fun way to spend an hour (and a dollar). While my kids have gone through about eight bottles of bubbles using their bubble guns, this is not just the purchase of a few cheap toys, or bribing them to help out around the house.  This is teaching my kids responsibility and the value of money.  This is a way for them to take pride in their work, and enjoy free time after getting their work done.  This is planning, budgeting, and working toward a financial goal.  It’s awesome! I’m sure that most of you out there have a similar story.  I mean, after all, every time we buy something, it’s more than just a purchase.  It’s a birthday card to tell someone you love them.  It’s ingredients to bake cookies or cook a special dinner.  It’s a new swimsuit to go on vacation, or to just take your kids to the splash pad.  It’s a new suit to make a great first impression on a job interview.  Big or small, the things we buy aren’t just things. Synchrony Financial knows this is true, and sharing your story could make you a winner!  “Not Just a Purchase” is an Instagram contest that celebrates the meaningful stories behind the things we buy. Synchrony Financial is awarding $500 to one winner every day during the #NotJustAPurchaseContest! Share your story by taking a photo of your meaningful purchase, and enter to win by following @SynchronyFinancial and add #NotJustAPurchaseContest to your Instagram entry.  It’s that easy.  (No Purchase Necessary to enter the Not Just A Purchase Contest. Void where prohibited. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S., including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and US Territories, who are 18 years of age or older as of date of entry and possess a web-enabled device as of 9/17/17. Starts 10:00 AM ET on 9/18/17 and ends 11:59 PM ET on 11/16/17. For complete Official Rules and entry details, visit www.synchronyfinancial.com/notjustapurchasecontest. Sponsored by Synchrony Bank.) It may look like just a bubble gun, but as long as it keeps my kids motivated and teaches responsibility, it’s worth so much more than $1. Thanks for joining me to read about what we’ve been up to this summer.  Be sure to share your #NotJustAPurchaseContest story by 11/16/17, and you can stay up to date with Synchrony Financial by following them on Facebook: @SynchronyFinancial, Instagram: @synchronyfinancial, and Twitter: @SYFNews. See you all again soon!