Piggy Bank Principles

I still remember the smell of newsprint and the weight of that canvas bag slung over my shoulder before the sun came up. That paper route was my first job—and my first real lesson in money. Not just in how to earn it, but how to respect it.

After finishing my route, I’d head home, proud of my earnings—mostly coins, sometimes a few crumpled dollar bills. I had this red Coca-Cola bottle-shaped piggy bank on my dresser, and the rule in our house was simple: every time you make money, you save something. It didn’t matter if it was a quarter or a five-dollar bill. You threw it in the bank. Make it a habit. Every single time.

Sunday mornings added another layer to this lesson. In Sunday School, we had something called the Gleaners Folder—a cardboard booklet with tiny slots for coins. We’d collect quarters, nickels, dimes throughout the week and bring them in to support missions and community work. Those little coins, collected one at a time, were our first taste of giving with purpose—and saving with intention.

But our lessons in saving didn’t stop there. Growing up, families like mine found creative ways to stay ready for life’s surprises. We had a Christmas Club account at the credit union— where small deposits each month added up to a payout just in time for the holidays. You couldn’t touch it early, and that was the point.

It was about patience, planning, and resisting the urge to spend before the time was right.

Some folks went the investment route. I remember hearing uncles and neighbors talk about their broker like he was a wizard— handling modest stock portfolios or long-term savings accounts. It wasn’t glamorous investing, but it was intentional. It was about setting money aside to create options for the future: for college, retirement, or just a cushion when life hit hard.

And then, there was Grandma—the original bank of the family. She didn’t trust banks much, so she saved the old-fashioned way: under the mattress, behind books, even sewn into coats she no longer wore. Laugh if you want, but she always had something stashed for an emergency, for the light bill, or for helping someone in need. That was her system, and it worked just fine.

My parents always preached one thing loud and clear: “Save for a rainy day.” They’d say it with the kind of urgency that only comes from experience. Because in our house, Murphy’s Law wasn’t just a phrase—it was a warning: If something can go wrong, it probably will. So we were raised to be ready. You didn’t wait until the rain started to find an umbrella—you had it in hand ahead of time. That mindset kept our household grounded and resilient, no matter what came our way.

And you know what? Those same principles apply to business. Whether you’re a teenager with a paper route or the president of a company, money needs a mission. Every payment that comes in is an opportunity—not just to spend, but to prepare. A chance to reinvest, to build up reserves, to keep your business ready for lean seasons and sudden surprises. The biggest mistake I see—

especially in small business—is treating saving like an afterthought.

But in truth, saving should be your first line item. Smart households

and successful companies have that in common: they pay themselves first. They prioritize reserves. They prepare.

These days, saving doesn’t require a glass jar or a trip to the bank. We’ve got tools like Cash App that let you tuck money away with a tap. Platforms like Acorns will round up your purchases and invest the spare change—saving on autopilot. It’s the same principle, just in digital form. A modern piggy bank, working in the background while you live your life.

The habits I picked up as a kid— from folding newspapers to filling up my Gleaners Folder—still shape how I move today. They remind me that wealth isn’t built on what you make—it’s built on what you keep.

And more importantly, what you do with it.

So to the next generation: develop a system. Stick to it. Whether it’s a savings app, a Christmas Club account, or grandma’s old envelope system—make saving part of your rhythm. Make it a daily habit, not a seasonal intention. Because in money, like in life, the folks who stay ready never have to get ready