Whether your child is in preschool or middle school, we have age-appropriate tips to make saving money simple, fun and rewarding.

    My top six suggestions: Start early. Start small. Keep it simple. Make it fun. Set a goal. And reward your children's efforts. Here's practical advice on how to do all those things as your children grow:

    Preschool through primary:

    The piggy-bank years

    Kids this age think about money in very concrete terms, so make saving as hands-on as possible.

    Piggy banks are great as both teaching tools and fun toys. Nowadays they come in all sizes and shapes, from traditional pigs to soccer balls to talking ATMs. For banks with a twist, especially for children in primary grades, take at look at www.moonjar.com; www.msgen.com; www.prosperity4kids.com, or www.sharesavespend.com.

    And for a fun lesson in saving, read It's a Habit, Sammy Rabbit! or listen to the book's companion CD （www.itsahabit.com）.

    Remember that kids this age don't have a long time frame. So saving for college, though a worthy goal, isn't always a realistic one when a week might as well be a lifetime.

    But they can certainly save their birthday money for a trip to the dollar store, or tape a picture of their coveted item to their piggy bank so they don't lose sight of their goal.

    Elementary through middle school: The allowance years

    Kids this age have a more mature understanding of money. They know what it can buy and can plan farther into the future.

    So they're prime candidates for getting an allowance. And requiring them to pay for certain purchases -- collectibles, entertainment, trips to the mall -- gives them an automatic incentive to save.

    They can also divvy up their allowance into pockets of money for spending, saving, giving and even investing （like the piggy banks mentioned above）.

    If you don't want to take the trouble to parcel out your kids' allowance into pots, a simple alternative is to require them to save, say, a flat 10%.

    Around age 8, kids are old enough to have a real bank account. But be careful to explain how the system works. Even at this age, banks can be a mystery to children, who are often horrified to see their money disappear.

    For a good online introduction to saving, try KidsSave, a program that includes interactive tools that let youngsters set goals, track their progress and see how their money can grow over time （$29.95 with a 35-day free trial）.

    And you can always encourage kids to save by matching what they put aside -- your very own family 401（k）.

    Once your children have achieved their goal, let them spend the money and enjoy the payoff for their efforts. Saving may be spinach and spending dessert, but as my son once told me, "Saving can be dessert, too, if you save for something you want."

    我们有一些的有趣而且有效的小办法来教那些还处在学前或者中学年龄段的小朋友来养成节省的好习惯。

    我的六条建议是：尽早开始；从小进行；使它很容易做到；使它更有趣；制订一个目标；回报孩子付出的努力。如何在孩子成长过程中做到这么多事呢？别急，我来给你一个实用小方法：

    幼儿园到小学：小猪存钱罐的年代

    孩子们在这个年纪对钱的认识是非常具体的，所以尽可能的让他们亲身体验存钱的感觉。

    存钱罐就非常好的集教学工具和可爱玩具于一体。现在它们有各种型号和外形，从传统的小猪外形到足球外形再到会讲话的自动柜员机。就这样，还是有很多不同种类的，特别是给小孩子们用的存钱罐更是丰富多样，你可以让孩子选一个它喜欢的存钱罐，同时你可以给孩子上一堂有趣的关于存钱和节省的课。

    你要记住这个年纪的孩子都没有一个长期的计划。虽然存钱上大学是一个很不错的目标，但我们的目标绝对不局限于它必须是现实存在的东西，也不局限于要在固定的时间内完成。但是他们完全可以从过生日的钱中省出一部分，这样就可以去一元店淘些宝贝，或者是弄一些他们梦寐以求的东西的照片贴在他们的存钱罐上，好让他们不会忘了他们自己的目标。

    小学到中学：零用钱的年代

    孩子们通常在这个年纪对钱有了更多的认识。他们知道钱可以买到什么也知道钱可以为未来做一些什么样的计划。所以基本上可以给他们一些零用钱。并要求他们用于正确的用途--买小收集品，娱乐或去逛商场--让他们有一个自觉自愿存钱的意向。他们也可以把他们的零用钱分布到花销、存储甚至是投资方面。如果你不想把孩子的零用钱分配错，那么还有一个简单的做法可供选择，就是要求他们按零用钱的10%去存。

    在孩子8岁左右时，他已经完全可以拥有一个真正的银行帐户了。但你一定要仔细给他解释怎么在银行进行存取。因为就算是这个年纪的孩子，银行对他们来讲也是很神秘的，通常他们会看到钱在这儿忽然就不见了，并为此担心。

    你也可以通过将他们所丢弃的东西变废为宝来鼓励孩子养成节省的习惯--让他们更深的意识到这是你自己的家。

    当你的孩子实现了他的目标时，让他们去购买他们计划已久的东西并乐在其中吧。 孩子们的节省很可能是为了一些很无足轻重的目标，但就像我儿子曾告诉我的："我可以为吃更多甜点去节省，只要你愿意你可以为你想要的所有东西去节省。"