I have run across some statistics that have made me pause and think about the situations we create around money.
Here are some statistics:

1. Only 37% of American workers say they have calculated how much money they will need to have saved by the time they retire. Making matters worse, many who say they have crunched the numbers used less-than-reliable methods or obtained dubious results. (2003 Retirement Confidence Survey)
2. A whopping 29% of workers say they have not saved for retirement at all. Regardless of whether or not they have saved for retirement, 48% have no stocks or stock mutual funds, either inside or outside of a workplace retirement savings plan.
3. 28% of students age 16-22 say they have a major credit card. 28% of those students with a major credit card say they roll over credit card debt each month. 40% of students are likely to buy a pair of jeans (or something similar) they really want even if they do not have the money to pay for it. 22% would pay for it with a credit card. (1999 Youth & Money Survey)

The reason for these startling statistics and worsening trends is our financial conditioning.  Our beliefs and attitudes are handed down from prior generations. Often, the “rules” we grew up with are no longer working in today’s world.
Habits that may have been helpful back in the 1800’s may not serve us as well today – yet, we’re still ingrained with beliefs and practices that have been passed onto us over the generations.
“Money doesn’t grow on trees”
“You have to work hard to make good money”
“There’s never enough”
“We can’t afford it”
It’s important to note that these sayings aren’t necessarily right or wrong. And it doesn’t mean the person who shared them with you is a bad person, or meant you harm. Remember, they were only sharing information that was handed down to them. What if we can learn to reframe those questions so that the messages are more positive and get us thinking more prosperously?
For instance, instead of “We can’t afford it,”  could be rephrased to “Let’s see how we can afford this.”
OR: Instead of beating yourself up over a bad investment and telling yourself ,”I don’t have any skills when it comes to investing” – how about if you turned it around and said, “Well, I guess that experiment didn’t work!”
I, personally, want to make a difference my household attitude towards money. We talk openly about our finances, plan for events, save together and participate as a family.
We look forward every year to tax time, because we know we will be getting a little bit back.  And as a family, we decide how to spend it. Last year we made a budget with our tax refund and with our children, ages 9, 11 and 13, planned how we’d spend it.  We included Summer Camp for each child, including the supplies they’d need (like real cowboy boots for Horse Camp). We planned our Summer vacation and campout. We paid off some debt. And we set some funds aside for entertainment.  We all agreed on each item as a family.
Our children loved the experience, learned from it, and felt included in the decisions we were making in all our lives. The most important thing to me, is that their ideas about money, taxes, spending and saving are being molded right now while they are young.