Farmers State Bank helps students learn saving

With summer just around the corner students at Cameron Intermediate School received lessons on how to save their money from Farmers State Bank.

As part of a educational program by FSB, students received an introduction into saving with many students spending their summer hours toiling away at yard work and other chores to earn a few dollars.

“April is National Financial Literacy month and April 9 was Teach Children to Save Day,” said Margie Zieber with Farmers State Bank. “I came in and did a presentation on saving your money, how it can add up, what denominations are the bills and what presidents are on the bills.”

Along with the presentation, Zieber also left piggy banks for the children to paint. Earlier this month, those banks were returned to the intermediate school students after some time in a kiln and FSB officials selected Jaylynn Powers, Maddie White and Jentry Bird as this year’s winners.

“The winner got $10 or, if they wanted to open an account they, got $20. The honorable mentions both go $5, but if they opened an account they both got $10,” Zieber said. “We also gave each of them a Gold dollar in their banks to start the saving. They were all really cute and once we got 130 it’s hard to pick three. Next year we’re going to change it up a little.”

Zieber said she received a strong response from this year’s students and said most had familiarity with the subject. 

Zieber said familiarity of investment at a young age is vital because it allows children to better identify what is a luxury and what is a necessity.

“It’s really important to know the difference between wants and needs so we went over that,” Zieber said. “There may be something you want today, but tomorrow is it that big of a deal. 

“If you would have saved for a month or year, what better item could you have purchased with That money or what money would you have if you would have saved for the future.”