It’s a simple “lesson in life and money for children.”  The story of Three Cups contains pleasant illustrations by April Willy—from the big, tall bank building to the dollar bills overflowing from the tea cups, not to mention the adorable little boy with blue eyes and a baseball cap.  It’s easy to read and depicts quite simply the long-term benefits of giving, saving, and spending.

Three Cups uses the idea of separating a weekly allowance into three separate cups labeled give, save, and spend.  We didn’t grow up with an allowance, and at this point don’t plan to give our children one.  However, I was easily able to change the references to a weekly allowance woven throughout the tale into “birthday money” and “got paid for a job”, etc.

I grew up with a little divided bank—there were three little spots for giving, saving, and “fun”, and one big spot for “goal money.”  But my thrifty young self put a label over the “10% savings” and turned it into “10% goal”, allotting the 70% for savings.  (The savings label has long fallen off, but the bank still sits in my childhood bedroom dresser, where my sister uses it to store extra cash.)

CPA Tony Townsley’s tale Three Cups (written by Mark St. Germain) keeps it simple—it doesn’t tell you how much to put in each cup, it doesn’t require a special bank.  And yet, it plants the ideas of bank accounts and interest into young minds.  There are 10 tips for parents at the back, and even a website where you can share your stories of an adventure with three cups.

And, Tommy Nelson Publishers wants to give one of you a copy of Three Cups to help a young person in your life get the new year started with some great financial goals!  To enter the drawing, comment to tell us about a childhood money memory, your favorite piggy bank, or a lesson you learned young in life about giving, saving, or spending.  Giveaway ends Wednesday, January 4, at midnight EST.  {Congratulations to Erin for winning a copy of Three Cups from Tommy Nelson Publishers!}

(Click here to view a flipbook preview of Three Cups.  Plus, you can check out Crown Financial Ministries’ articles on a similar theme: “Children and Finances” part 1 and part 2.)