Jobs Jar

In an effort to both teach my boys about earning and handling money and get a little help around the house, I have started a jobs jar. I write jobs for the boys to do and the amount that they will be paid if the jobs are done well on slips of paper and put them in a clear glass jar on the kitchen counter. The jobs are things outside their regular chores and include items such as: dust baseboards, sweep the garage, wipe down the tops & fronts of the washer and dryer, pull a sack full of weeds, use the Wet Jet on the bathroom floors, etc. The amounts that I pay for each job are either $.25, $.50, $.75, or $1. The jar also holds two small notebooks, one for each boy. These notebooks are their jobs jar account books. Whenever the boys decide to do a job, they pull a slip from the jar, complete the job listed on the slip, write their initials on the paper and leave it on the counter. I write down the amount of money they have earned in their notebook and then once a week, total the amount of money they have earned and pay them. I help them set aside 10% for tithe, 10% for savings, and let them have the rest to use for whatever they want. Some weeks the boys are really eager to work and earn and do all of the jobs in the jar right away. There are other weeks that see several slips of paper still in the jar at the end of the week. The boys are learning that things cost money and that money is earnes by working. It has already made them think twice about some smaller impulse purchases so that they could save for something larger that means more to them. They are also being generous in giving from what they earn. A side benefit is that the boys are learning to do several smaller household tasks in a way that is fun for them and a great help to me.