Hi There, 

Welcome to this week’s edition of Mini Millionaires.

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If you’d like to learn about a specific topic, feel free to send us a message or reply to this edition of mini millionaires.

This week, we’re talking inflation. It’s the money monster that makes things cost more while your Rands buy less.

Just like every week, we unpack the week’s topic with a mindset to cultivate, a habit to form, and a tip to try.

Let’s talk about: How to teach kids about inflation.

Remember when you’d walk home from school (barefoot and in the snow) and that R10 in your pocket bought a feast at the corner shop? 

Today, it barely covers a small, inexpensive chocolate.

Inflation feels like a money monster eating our kids' savings, but it’s actually the perfect opening to discuss wealth preservation. 

For a mini millionaire, understanding that a Rand’s value changes over time is one of the first steps toward financial literacy. 

This week, we’re turning "everything is getting so expensive" into a lesson on outsmarting the rising cost of living. 

The Time Traveler Perspective.

Teach kids that the value of money isn't frozen.

A Rand today is stronger than a Rand next year, meaning it has greater purchasing power historically, simply because you could get more bang for your bok.

So instead of seeing price hikes as unfair, help your mini millionaire view inflation as a benchmark to beat. 

If the price of their favorite toy goes up by 6% annually, their savings need to grow by 7% just to keep up.

Takeaway: Don’t just save for today’s price; invest to outpace tomorrow’s cost.

The Shrinkflation Detective.

Turn the weekly grocery shop into a fun game. 

Ask your child to spot shrinkflation on the shelf.

Shrinkflation is when the cereal box gets thinner or the chip packet airier while the price stays the same. So while the shelf price hasn't increased, you’re getting less for that price than you previously did.

By comparing the price per kilo on the shelf labels, your mini millionaire learns to see through marketing tricks and understand how inflation hides in plain sight.

Takeaway: Tracking the price of the usuals turns them from passive spenders into active, inflation-aware consumers.

The Inflation Gap Match.

If your mini millionaire’s savings account earns 4% interest but inflation is 6%, they are technically losing buying power. 

Offer to match the 2% gap as a parental dividend. 

This visualises the concept of real returns and shows them why simply hiding cash under a mattress (or in the couch 😉) is a losing strategy over the long term.

Takeaway: To stay wealthy, your money must work harder than the rate of inflation.

This week’s free downloadable resource is the Bit by Bit resource.

Let your mini millionaire put their shrinkflation detective skills to the test.

When you’re out shopping with them, grab two similar items from the shelf, like juice or cookies. 

Use the Bit by Bit formula in this week’s resource: divide what you pay by what you get, whether it's grams, milliliters, or single items, to get the price per piece (or unit).

For example, is a 120g packet of chips for R24 a better deal than 150g for R27? 

By finding the price per piece, your mini millionaire/shrinkflation detective can make sure they get maximum value for every Rand, and outsmart sneaky price tags and marketing tricks every time.

Are you a school headmaster, an Economic Management Science teacher, or even a parent looking to empower your learners with the financial skills they need to thrive?

Look no further than Fintr4Schools, a gamified digital learning platform with a CAPS-aligned Economic Management Science curriculum that helps make money lessons stick.

Bringing real-world money lessons into the South African classroom, Fintr4Schools makes complex topics like inflation and saving easy to grasp for every student.

But don't just take our word for it. As Josua Swanepoel, Vice Principal & EMS Teacher at Laerskool Stellenbosch, says: "It's a good thing to use Fintr4Schools as a tool in the classroom."

Equip your learners with the skills they need for a brighter financial future. Join the growing movement of South African schools prioritising financial literacy in their classrooms.

Last week, we asked what the first thing a Mini Millionaire should look for in a home? And it seems like what a home’s long-term value, and how big its garden is are what we should be looking at…

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🧱 What a home will be worth later.

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🌳 A big garden for adventures.

🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️🏗️ A house that’s built to last.

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️💰 A bargain price that leaves money for other investments.

🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️🤳 Will it look cool in selfies?

What you said: 

“Dunno if you can truly put a price on the place your kids will take their first steps, throw their birthday parties, have pyjama dance offs, and concerts that seem to go on forever. A place where you enjoy dinners with friends, celebrate milestones, come home to after a hard day at work to a soft place to land. If home is where the heart is, maybe some of those other things don't really matter in the long run.”

JM

Right in the feels. 🥹🏡♥️

What’s been your mini millionaire’s favourite lesson they’ve learnt from our newsletter so far?

Or is there something you’re navigating on their money smart journey right now you’d like us to talk about in an upcoming feature?

Hit reply and tell us. We’d love to know.

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