Ryan and Bridget tackle one of the most challenging questions ever put to “Million Bazillion.”
Why is it so awkward to talk about money?
Using a board game that comes to life and a catchy song, they’ll find an answer that’s better than “because I said so” and give kids (and their parents) the tools they need to have helpful, positive conversations about money.
Some questions you can ask to find out what your child has learned so far:
What’s a good time to ask a money question that might be difficult to answer?
Why do we take the price tags off gifts and presents before we give them?
Why might someone be worried about people thinking they have too much money? Not enough?
We should talk about money, but there are still some money things you shouldn’t talk about with strangers. What are they?
If you’re ready to start talking about money at home, this sheet (PDF) has some great conversation starters. Remember you can always start the conversation with “What do you want to know about money?”. If your kid has a real tough question, you can research the answer together (or send it to Million Bazillion if you’re stumped).
Financial therapist Megan McCoy gave us a lot of help with this episode. Her research found that kids whose parents talked to them about money were better at money management in the future. McCoy told us to remember that talking about money can get tied up with our thoughts on self-worth, but it doesn’t have to be so complicated. She suggests to start by talking about saving. If your kid has something they want to save up for, help them figure out a plan for reaching their goal.
Grown-ups might also enjoy McCoy’s appearance on our sister podcast “This is Uncomfortable,” where she gave advice on avoiding money fights, dealing with the job-loss grief and shoring up your savings for a recession.
While financial therapy is a relatively new field, it offers a lot of tools that can help grown-ups understand their own money-related emotions and behaviors, which research suggests form by the time we’re seven years old. This piece at Vox by financial therapist Lindsay Bryan-Podvin gives good advice for unwinding money shame and anxiety. If you’re interested in learning more about what financial therapy looks like in practice, we listened in on a session.
Finally, we’d love to hear your kids’ money jokes, money poems and best money tips so we can feature them on the podcast! Send them to us using this online form.
Million Bazillion: S3 E2 Talking Money Script/Transcript
Note: Marketplace podcasts are meant to be heard, with emphasis, tone and audio elements a transcript can’t capture. Scripts may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting it.
(SFX – ROLLING DICE LANDING ON A TABLE, BOARD GAME PIECES MOVING)
BRIDGET: Yessss! I made it past the enchanted bog! Better watch out, I’m one roll away from getting the pharaoh’s amulet! Ok, Ryan, your turn.
RYAN: So we just sit here and play board games to pass the time until a kid asks a question?
BRIDGET: Basically, yeah.
RYAN: And how long will that be?
BRIDGET: We have no idea. Now roll, it’s your turn.
RYAN: Ok.
(SFX – ROLLING DICE LANDING ON A TABLE)
BRIDGET: No, no, no, not with the four-sided die! Use the eight-sided die! That way, you can score extra pegasus points! It’s almost like you don’t even care if you win or lose at Forbidden Secrets of the Tomb.
RYAN: I don’t care if I win this game. I’ve already made peace with the fact I will never understand this very complicated game and I’m ok with that. I’m all good.
BRIDGET [MIFFED]: Fine. If you want, we can stop playing and just sit here and be totally bored.
RYAN: I’m fine with that. If we stop and I just look at a wall, I would probably be less bored than trying to win at Hidden Secrets of the Pit.
BRIDGET: It’s called Forbidden Secrets of the Tomb!
RYAN: So, have you, like, ever played a video game?
BRIDGET: Yeah, I play BankTeller 2000 on my computer.
RYAN: That’s not what I mean.
(SFX: PHONE RINGING)
RYAN: What’s that?
BRIDGET: We’re getting a call! From a kid!
RYAN: (sighs) Oh, thank goodness! Let’s roll the opening music! And put the game away!
<OPENING THEME MUSIC>
(SFX: PHONE STILL RINGING)
BRIDGET: You’re listening to Million Bazillion. I’m Bridget.
RYAN: I’m Ryan. And We Help Dollars Make More Sense. Let’s answer the phone!
BRIDGET: We’re here to answer the questions you have about money! And we’ve got a caller with a question on the line right now. Hello?
ISAAC:Hi, I’m Isaac and I live in New York City.
BRIDGET: Hi Isaac, what’s your question for Million Bazillion?
ISAAC: So my question is, why is it so awkward to talk about money?
BRIDGET: oh, good question Isaac. Yeah, a lot of people don’t like talking about money because it makes them uncomfortable.
RYAN: I’m with you on that Isaac. What are the specific questions about money you’ve been wanting to ask?
ISAAC: Well, the big one is, how much money do you have? But I know that question is really awkward.
RYAN: I think you might have the right idea about that, Isaac.
ISAAC: [laughs] Every time I imagine that conversation, it’s always the same like, why do you want to know how much money you have?
RYAN: Yeah, I’m really curious about that too, but it seems like an inappropriate question to ask for some reason.
ISAAC: There are other things, like, that maybe I haven’t thought of, that I need to know, but maybe there’s something that everybody may need to know.
RYAN: Oh, and if not talking about money, what are we missing? Yeah, I think we can figure out the answer to this one, what do you think, Bridget?
BRIDGET: For sure, thanks for the great question, Isaac!
RYAN: We love a challenge!
BRDGET: We’re on it!
RYAN: Let’s do this! We’re not gonna let you down Isaac!!
BRIDGET: Alright so I’m guessing that, Isaac has figured out there are some things people don’t want to talk about. And sometimes, MONEY is one of those things.
RYAN: Yeah, it’s, “taboo” if you will. A taboo is something we don’t do or talk about. Like talking loud in a library or burping loud at the dinner table.
BRIDGET: Oh yeah, and Americans are kinda known for not wanting to talk about money. That’s not the same in other parts of the world but yeah, we get all weird about it sometimes.
RYAN: But maybe we SHOULD be talking about money? What if we’re missing out on knowing something REALLY important about money because we’re not talking about it!
BRIDGET: You could be right! But how do I know??
RYAN:Exactly! You don’t know what you don’t know what you don’t know, y’know. We’re going to find out what we don’t know we didn’t know about talking about money. Right after this!
–Asking Random Kids NOT SO Random Questions–
ANNOUNCER: And now it’s time for Asking Random Kids NOT SO Random Questions. Today’s question is: what’s the silliest thing you’ve heard grownups say about money?
RANDOM KIDS: “That it burns a whole in your pocket.” “Do you think I’m made of money?” “That it’s overwhelming and too much.” “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” “One silly thing that I’ve heard about money is that the secret to double your money is to fold it over and put it in your pocket.” “That it’s causing all the problems and it’s the worst thing in the world basically.”
ANNOUNCER: That was Michael in Connecticut, Evie in Alabama, Roshan in California, and Daphne and Collette in Wisconsin. This has been Asking Random Kids NOT SO Random Questions.
RYAN: And we’re back! Today we are saying YES, we hear you! You listeners are INTERESTED in money, that’s why you’re listening to this podcast. And yet! There are some things about money that we, as a society, just don’t talk about.
BRIDGET: So this is something you’ve really been thinking about too, Ryan.
RYAN: Oh, yes, and I have a list, actually. [SFX OF ROLL OF PAPER UNFURLS]
BRIDGET: Whoa.
RYAN: Have you ever noticed that grown ups always take the price tag off the gifts they give? What gives? What are they trying to hide? And why won’t they tell us how much they’ve saved for our college education? And how much money does everyone have?? How much do we have? Do we have more money than our neighbors? Are we rich? Are we poor? How much was your car? Can we buy a bigger car?
BRIDGET: Ryan, Ryan…those are all really good questions. Maybe we start from the top?
RYAN: Well, what’s with the whole price tag thing?
BRIDGET: Oh right, why do we take the price tags off presents. Ryan, Is this about your birthday?
RYAN: It might be.
BRIDGET: Well, I think I know the answer to this one. Let me set the scene.
(SFX: “CURB YOUR ENTHUSIAM”-STYLE MUSIC. “STREET PARADE”)
BRIDGET: It was a few weeks ago. And we were celebrating Ryan’s birthday. Day two of Ryan’s Birthday-ah-palooza Month.
RYAN: Everyone was having a great time, eating hors d’oeuvres, celebrating me.
BRIDGET: Yes, and I gave you the present you’d repeatedly hinted at wanting, One of those little pitch pipes you toot before singing a song like they do in cartoons.
(SFX: PITCH PIPE TOOT)
RYAN: But you forgot to remove the price tag.
BRIDGET: Right, and you opened the present, and do you remember what you said?
RYAN: “Fifteen dollars?! That’s not very much! And I see you bought it on sale for half-price? Am I not worth a full $30 to you? ”
MUSIC CUTS OUT. ROOM GASPS, GLASS DROP AND SHATTERS IN THE DISTANCE, AWKWARD SILENCE FILLS THE ROOM,]
(SFX: ONE SAD NOISEMAKER GOES OFF)
(CURB STYLE MUSIC AGAIN)
RYAN: WHAT? Was that such an awkward thing to say? Why can’t I ask that? She left the price tag on! She’s a price tag-leaver-onner! I know what you spent now and I want to talk about it!! How come no one wants to talk about it?
(MUSIC ENDS)
BRIDGET: And that’s exactly why people take the price tags off gifts. Because they want you to be thinking about how much thought and care they put into it, not how much money they spent.
RYAN: Okay, fair enough. When gifts are involved, we pretend money doesn’t exist. But what about the next one on my list, when parents won’t give you a straight answer about how much they’ve put in their kids college funds?
BRIDGET: Ah yes, the college fund. That’s a way parents might start saving money to pay for college or some other extra education and training when their kids graduate high school. It might be a bank account or something else.
RYAN: A very large jar…
BRIDGET: And as for why parents won’t give a straight answer about how much they’ve saved… I’m not sure. I know some parents do talk about college savings. Other parents might not want their kid worrying about that stuff until later. Or maybe they don’t have a lot saved and they feel bad so they don’t bring it up?
RYAN: So you’re saying there’s a lot of different reasons grownups stay hush hush about money. This could get complicated.
BRIDGET: Totally.
RYAN: We need to find someone who knows what grownups are thinking…probably is a grown up…but who isn’t afraid to say the stuff about money others won’t. Do we know anyone like that?
MCCOY: “Yes!”
RYAN: (STARTLED) Ahhh!! Who’s that?
BRIDGET: Don’t be scared. That’s Megan McCoy. I talked to her about this earlier.
MCCOY: “I love talking about the emotions and thoughts that come up when we talk about money.”
BRIDGET: She is a professor and the Director of the Financial Planning Program at Kansas State. And she’s also a trained therapist. She can help us figure out why some money conversations are awkward,and what to do about them. Especially when it comes to having our FIRST money conversations, which are probably going to be with our parents or other trusted grownups.
RYAN: So why won’t grown ups just tell us how much money they can share with us for college?
BRIDGET: Actually, there are a lot of money questions that parents sometimes don’t want to answer. The college savings account might be one. Or how much money they make. And sometimes they don’t talk about money AT ALL. Megan explains:
MCCOY: I think a lot of parents are brilliant in so many areas of their life. But they’re worried about saying the wrong thing when it comes to money. Money should just be simple, like just math, but it actually gets like built into other things about success and worth and all these things and parents are worried they’re going to share the wrong thing with you. And they don’t want you to make the same mistakes they potentially have had in the past.
RYAN: Hold the phone, parents aren’t perfect at all this money stuff?? I am shocked!.
BRIDGET: Oh, wait…so maybe the parents don’t want to tell you how much they’ve saved because…maybe they wish they had saved a whole lot more? And they feel bad about that? And if a parent isn’t great at saving, maybe they feel a little shy about trying to teach YOU how to save. But saving is a really important skill and we should all know how to do it.
RYAN: But what advice would Megan have for a kid who’s trying to learn about money from an adult, named, let’s say, Blyan, who doesn’t know anything about it?
MCCOY: I think that one thing I wish people knew is that you don’t have to have all the answers right away. And actually learning how to find the answer is more important than having the answer.
BRIDGET: That is especially true when it comes to money. Some of this stuff is kinda confusing. We know it’s okay if we don’t know the answer when we get a question, but we can all learn together and that’s half the fun.
RYAN: I’m asking this one on Isaac’s behalf, but we’ve been dancing around this all day and I simply must know. Why can’t I ask people how much money they have?
BRIDGET: Wait, is that really that awkward?
RYAN: Yeah remember last week at the Million Bazillion cafeteria?
(SFX: CAFETERIA AMBIENCE. GROUP LAUGHTER)
(FADE UP: CURB STYLE MUSIC AGAIN)
BRIDGET: Ohhhh yeah, we were having a great time, laughing around the lunch table when…
RYAN: “Say, I got an idea. Whoever makes the most money should pay for lunch. Everyone say how much money they make out loud right now.”
(MUSIC CUTS OUT)
(SFX: FOUR SPIT-TAKE “SPITTING-OUT-WATER” SOUNDS IN A ROW)
BRIDGET: Ryan, you’re not supposed to ask that!
(FADE UP: CURB STYLE MUSIC AGAIN)
RYAN: You all spittaked your drinks onto me! Now, I’m drenched! You’ve drenched me! I’m gonna have to retire this shirt! Because of an awkward money comment I made. I can’t stop being awkward! I’m always messing up and making people uncomfortable!
(MUSIC STOPS)
BRIDGET: Oh, yeah, that was pret-ty painful, huh? You truly are the King of Cringe.
RYAN: What can I say? So does Megan know why asking people how much money they have freaks them out?
MCCOY: Either we discover that we have more or less than other people–And it makes us feel bad either way.
RYAN: But why would I feel bad if I found out I have more money than my friends?
BRIDGET: Well, I don’t know, what if everyone looked at you differently? Like maybe they thought you were mm-spoiled
RYAN: I don’t want that! I’ll just tell people I have practically no money at all.
BRIDGET: Okay. But what what if some people thought not having money meant you weren’t successful in life?
RYAN: Well, hey now, there are different kinds of success in life. I know this for a fact. If you don’t believe me, go to a rock concert. Every band always writes their best songs when they’re starting out without much money. And then they make a bunch of money and are like “Here’s one off the new album” and people are like, “Boo, no, don’t sing us the songs you wrote, like, yesterday in your pool. Your songs are bad now. You don’t know anything about anything. You live in a mansion. Sing us the one you wrote when you had no money and we actually liked you.”
MAN, I’m starting to see why people don’t want to talk about this stuff.
BRIDGET: Yeah. I’m not saying we should never talk about money. But be thoughtful when you do it, and about what you say, and when you say it. Maybe don’t bring up your money questions at a birthday party or surprise someone at lunch?
RYAN: Got it so, I’m going to pick my moment, and think out what I’m going to say. Wait, what am I going to say? What are the money questions I should be asking? What’s Megan say?
MCCOY: What’s the best way to save? What’s the best way to spend your money? What do I need to know about earning, spending, saving?
RYAN: Ooh, Bridget, let’s ask each other some money questions right now, so we can learn all these things we didn’t know we didn’t know! Can you imagine the possibilities of what we can do with these new super smart brains and confident-seeming attitudes of ours?? Go ahead! AMA! Ask me anything!
BRIDGET: But there are some things about money that we shouldn’t share. Like, you shouldn’t share your bank account number with a stranger.
RYAN: In fact, talking about money at all with strangers might be a bad idea. But if you want to talk more with your parents, we have some tips at our website, Marketplace dot org slash million. But before we go to break, I recently asked my close friend, Broadway sensation Lin Manuel Marimba if he’d write a little song for us about how we, as a society, don’t talk about money- and wouldn’t you believe it, Lin agreed.
BRIDGET: Wait. You’re friends with Lin Manuel Miranda?
RYAN: No, I said Lin Manuel Marimba. Different guy. Anyway, Lin wrote us a song that I think you’ll agree feels very “of the moment.”
BRIDGET: Oh no. Are you gonna sing a song right now?
(MUSIC)
RYAN [SINGS]: We don’t talk about money
Grown-ups don’t find it funny!/
We don’t talk about income!
Whether we save it or spend some – om om om!
If you knew how much I make/
It would make both our brains break/
Our friendship could not survive it/
So we’ll just keep money private
Take it, Bridget!
BRIDGET [TALK-STYLE RAP]
When discussing money, tread lightly
Proceed in a way most politely
Adults are more nervous than we seem
Money hits at the core of our self esteem
We worry about it all the time
But we rarely discuss, even when it rhymes
I can rap, I can flow
But I can’t have chill finance convo
RYAN [SINGS]: We don’t talk ‘bout dinero
My bank balance is zero- oo – oo oo oo
Now I am embarrassed
I told you too much ‘bout money/
Can we just take a break now…
BRIDGET: Um, there’s more coming up when Million Bazillion returns…
Part 2:
BRIDGET: Ok, so when we left off, we promised you some tips for talking to your parents about money.
RYAN: Also, we sang a song.
BRIDGET [EMBARRASSED]:: Um. Yeah. Just a little song.
RYAN: Why are you downplaying it? I think the song was a pretty important part of the lesson.
BRIDGET: Sure, but now’s let’s focus in on how kids can-
RYAN: If any record labels are interested in signing us, we’re open to it. We like doing this show, but we’re not against the idea of live touring- I’m made for the road, I love hotels, I love gas station food and-
BRIDGET: AHHHHEM. So to illustrate how kids can talk about the forbidden subject of money with their parents, I came up with a great idea. Let’s go inside our favorite board game, Forbidden Secrets of the Tomb! There’s a whole challenge that’s based on talking about things we’re not supposed to talk about.
RYAN: Awwww! No! That game is so boring!
BRIDGET: Look, YOU got to sing your song. And we can Jumanji ourselves into it!
RYAN: But wouldn’t that be like a reverse-Jumanji? Cause in Jumanji, the game comes out into real life. They don’t go into the game.
BRIDGET: No, they go into the game too.
RYAN: Wait, are you talking about old Jumanji or new Jumanji?
BRIDGET: All of them. In every Jumanji, someone goes into a game.
RYAN: Not how I remember it, but you’re the Jumanji expert, apparently.
BRIDGET: So, on the count of three, let’s transport ourselves into the game. Ready? One, two…
BRIDGET [EXCITED]/RYAN [UNENTHUSED]: Three.
[SFX – AN OTHERWORLDLY SWIRLING AND SUCTION]
[SFX – SWIRLING SOUND STOPS ABRUPTLY, REPLACED BY JUNGLE NOISE]
BRIDGET: Ryan, welcome to the Perilous Jungle of toth! THIS is SO. Cool.
RYAN: Wow, this is just like the game- except I’m getting stung by real mosquitos. Are there real snakes in this jungle?
BRIDGET: Oh yeah, huge pythons with super venom! And look! There’s the Forbidden Tomb itself! Let’s go inside!
RYAN: GREAT idea! Outta my way!
[SFX – RUNNING FOOTSTEPS]
[SFX – ECHOEY, DRIPPY CAVE-LIKE AMBIENCE.]
RYAN: Oh, it’s really dark in here. And musty.
BRIDGET: To learn how to talk about the forbidden subject of money, we’ll have to complete three challenges, surviving only on our wits.
[SFX – GIANT STONE MOVING]
KROZAR]: Who dare trespass the tomb’s threshold?
RYAN: Ahhh, who’s that?
KROZAR: I am Krozar, the giant sentient stone who guards the tomb! You want to address the taboo subject of money, eh? For your first challenge, you’ll need to come up with an easy question to ask your parents about money…that they’ll actually want to answer.
BRIDGET: Hmm, what’s a good subject? Stocks? Grownups like talking about stocks, right? Interest rates?
RYAN: How about…just ask your grownup what you need to know about money?
BRIDGET: Ah, interesting. Unexpected. So simple. Great chance to talk about life skills like earning, and saving, and spending. Grownups love that stuff! Ryan, how’d you come up with that idea?
RYAN: I remember what Megan McCoy, that money expert from earlier, told us.
KROZAR: You’ve passed the first challenge!
[SFX – STONE ROLLING, FOOTSTEPS WALK FORWARD ON STONE FLOOR]
RYAN: Woo hoo! Bridget, this game is kinda fun when you start winning it. I get the appeal now!
BRIDGET: See?
KROZAR: You’ve made it into the next chamber of the tomb, where before you stands a grown-up who refuses to buy you something you want.
RYAN: Oh, like a pitch pipe?
BRIDGET: Or a learning video game, like Bankteller 2000 2.0?
KROZAR: Um, yes, I don’t think any kid would actually want those things, but sure. How will you handle this challenge?
RYAN: We need to convince them to let us have what we want. Please! Pretty please! I’ll clean my room! I want it! I want it! Uhhh, everyone else at school has it! This is unfair! We have money for other things! Why not my thing!?
(SFX: ROCKS CRUMBLING AROUND THEM)
(MUSIC: SUSPENSEFUL ADVENTURE SCORE)
RYAN: Ahhh! What’s happening?
BRIDGET: The chamber is crumbling all around us. We’re gonna get squashed!
RYAN: I don’t get it! I’m yelling very annoyingly at the parent. The goal is to get what we want, right?
BRIDGET: Wait! This challenge might be a trick!! Maybe the point isn’t just to get what we want. Kids should try to be patient with their parents!
RYAN: Ahhh, you’re right. Only the patient shall pass. Let’s just take a deep breath.
(SFX: THEY TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND THE CRUMBLING STOPS)
RYAN: Ahh, I see, all my complaining wasn’t helping.
BRIDGET: It’s ok! We understand there might be reasons a grown up won’t buy us something and we just have to accept it. When we earn our own money we can spend it how we want!
KROZAR: You passed the second challenge!
BRIDGET/RYAN: Whooo hooo! We did it!
RYAN: Only one more to go!
KROZAR: For your final challenge, you must enter only one of the three doors before you. Behind each, is a time and place, and you must choose the proper time and place to ask grownups a sensitive question about money. Behind door number one: a backyard bar-b-que with the neighbors. Behind door number two: a family reunion with all your relatives present. Behind door number three: at the kitchen table when it’s just you and them.
RYAN (TO BRIDGET): Hmmm, what are we thinking? I like the bar-b-que.
BRIDGET: Really? That seems like sort of an inappropriate time to ask an awkward question.
RYAN: Yeah, but there’s food. Ok, how bout the family reunion?
BRIDGET: That also seems maybe not the time or place to bring up money.
RYAN: Well, I don’t know then- the kitchen table? That way the grown up won’t feel pressure to give this great answer around other people like neighbors or distant cousins?
KROZAR: Third challenge complete. Congratulations! You’ve passed the challenge!
(SFX: STONE ROLLING)
KROZAR: You’ve solved the Forbidden Secrets of the Tomb and won the game!
BRIDGET: YES!! Wow I’ve never beat this game before! What a thrill!
RYAN: [HAPPY TO HAVE WON]
KROZAR: Good, I’m happy for you.
(AWKWARD BEAT)
RYAN: Y’know Krozar, we’ve been so focused on winning these challenges, we never really stopped to ask: how are you doing?
KROZAR: What?
RYAN: As a big stone head who lives in a tomb, how are you doing in here? Do you need anything
KROZAR: Oh, um. That’s nice of you to ask. I guess the only thing I miss in here is music. I wish someone would sing me a song.
BRIDGET: We got a song!! We have a brilliant song composed by Broadway legend, Lin Manuel Marimba!
KROZAR: Lin Manuel Miranda?
BRIDGET: No, Marimba.. Different guy.
KROZAR: Oh. Ok.
RYAN: Awesome! Hit it!
[MUSIC – SALSA BACKING TRACK RETURNS]
RYAN [sings]: We don’t talk about money
Cause it’s so awkward, honey…
We don’t talk about money
When it’s rainy or sunny…ee ee ee
Take it Krozar!
KROZAR (SINGS):
We don’t talk about pesos
Why not? Cause I say so oh oh oh….
–MINI SEG: ELLIE’S MONEY TIPS–
KROZAR: In this episode, we’re learning about how to talk about money. Here’s a listener whose ready to share some big thoughts about money
Ellie: Hi, my name is Ellie and I’m from Michigan. Well I used to not like spending my money because I would regret spending my money on things. Once I went to the fair and my mom let me play one game and I got into it, but I got super mad and sad because I don’t like spending my money. And the money would just like- be gone. And it’s sometimes hard to earn. Any money I put it into my piggy bank so I don’t spend it, until birthdays and holidays and stuff. I usually buy my sister’s books at the bookfair. She spends her money wisely and plan what you want to buy so you can save up for it. But I’ve always not wanted to spend my money that much. Thanks for listening!
KROZAR: What do you think about money?
Part 3:
(SFX: JUNGLE SOUNDS)
RYAN: How do we get out of this boardgame anyway?
BRIDGET: Not sure. But I don’t mind sticking around here a while. Yep! Ok, what did we learn from all this, Ryan?
RYAN: Oh! That I have a golden singing voice, operatic really, and should probably be using it a lot more on the show
BRIDGET: Ryan!
RYAN: Oh, sorry yeah- Money is awkward to talk about for all kinds of different reasons. Sometimes, it gets in the way of the feelings we’re trying to share with each other. Sometimes, it seems like money is supposed to be a sign of who’s a hard worker and who isn’t, but that’s just not true. Sometimes, money is just hard to talk about because we don’t know what to say, and that might be one reason why your parents won’t answer your money questions.
BRIDGET: And speaking of parents, maybe go a little easy on your parents if you’re going to start asking money questions and they take a little while to give you the answers you’re looking for. They get to choose what they tell you and what they don’t. You’ll have plenty of time to learn about this stuff as you get older. Just make sure your parents know you want to learn. And we’ve got tips to start those conversations in the tip sheet for this episode, which you can find at marketplace.org/million.
RYAN: Right – like Isaac suspected, it’s worth learning how to talk about money. And when we refuse to talk about money at all, it can create confusion, misunderstanding, and even worse- unfairness. So it might be about time we all grow up and learn how to discuss money with honesty and compassion. Because if the children of the world can learn, surely we adults can….
(SFX: SNAKE SLITHER, RATTLE)
BRIDGET: Uhh, Ryan….
RYAN: Hold on, I’m in the middle of my big point here about the wisdom of children.
BRIDGET: There is a HUGE snake slithering around your head. Don’t move. It’s very poisonous.
RYAN: Oh man, I knew coming into this board game was a mistake.
BRIDGET: Try not to even breathe! It can sense your fear.
RYAN: (WHISPER) Do you think it would like to hear a song?
CLOSE MUSIC + CREDITS
RYAN: Thanks for listening to Million Bazillion — we help dollars make more sense. If you want to keep getting smarter about money, sign up for the Million Bazillion Academy and get four weeks of lessons you can do at your own pace. Sign up today at Marketplace.org/MBA.
BRIDGET: We’ll have an all new episode for you next week. If you liked this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review! Maybe even tell your friends about us?
RYAN: Million Bazillion is brought to you by Marketplace and American Public Media.
This episode was written and hosted by me, Ryan Perez, and Bridget Bodnar, who’s the senior producer too.
BRIDGET: This episode was also produced by Marissa Cabrera with help from Tiffany Bui. It was edited by Sanden Totten, sound designed by Chris Julin, and mixed by Bekah Wineman.
Our theme music was created by Wonderly.
RYAN: Our digital producer is Tony Wagner. Donna Tam is the Director of On Demand at Marketplace. Neal Scarbrough is the VP and General Manager
BRIDGET: We are grateful for the voicing talents of Kimberly Adams and Drew Jostad. And special thanks to the people who provided the startup funding for Million Bazillion, and who continue to help keep us going: The Ranzetta Family Charitable Fund and Next Gen Personal Finance, supporting Marketplace’s work to make younger audiences smarter about the economy.
RYAN:To all the grown-ups listening right now – we hope that you and the kids in your life are having some good conversations about money thanks to Million Bazillion. Help us keep those conversations going. Donate today at marketplace.org/givemillion. Your support means a whole lot.
The Ranzetta Family Charitable Fund and Next Gen Personal Finance, supports Marketplace’s work to make younger audiences smarter about the economy. Next Gen Personal Finance is a non-profit that believes all students benefit from having a financial education before they cross the stage at high school graduation.
Greenlight is a debit card and money app for kids and teens. Through the Greenlight app, parents can transfer money, automate allowance, manage chores, set flexible spend controls and invest for their kids’ futures (parents can invest on the platform too!) Kids and teens learn to earn, save, spend wisely, give and invest with parental approval. Our mission is to shine a light on the world of money for families and empower parents to raise financially-smart kids. We aim to create a world where every child grows up to be financially healthy and happy. Today, Greenlight serves 5 million+ parents and kids, helping them learn healthy financial habits, collectively save more than $350 million to-date and invest more than $20 million.
The Sy Syms Foundation: Partnering with organizations and people working for a better and more just future since 1985.
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