Email Money to a FamZoo Card for Free Using Square Cash

Darn! Looks like the party and all the magic is over (at least for now). As of October 27, 2013, Square does not appear to be allowing customers to link our MasterCard prepaid debit cards anymore. We have an inquiry into Square’s customer support to find out the details and whether support will be re-enabled in the future. I’ll update this post as soon as we hear back.

You and the kids have FamZoo prepaid cards, and everyone wants to send you money.

• Grammy Jane wants to shoot some weekend shopping money to Haley.
• Mrs. Laurence next door wants to pay Quintin for feeding the dogs while they were away last week.
• Uncle Mark wants to put a quick birthday bonus on Payton’s card.
• Will needs an easy, convenient way to get paid for his odd jobs around the neighborhood.
• You even want to send yourself money — moving funds from your checking account to your parent funding card.

What if it were as simple as sending a quick little email? Like this:

How to Stay Alert About Activity on Your Family's Prepaid Cards

“Sheesh! Evan just spent over $15 at Chronic Tacos. We need to talk about that junk food habit. We’ve got plenty of good food at home that wouldn’t cost him a dime.”

“I just earned 21 cents in interest from Mom for the week. Sweet! It pays not to spend the money on my card.”

“Busted. Dad just dinged me a buck for not making my bed this morning. I gotta shape up!”

“My weekly allowance just arrived. Now I have $54.21 on my card. I’m over half way to my savings goal!”

“What’s Haley doing buying ice cream at 2:41 today. I thought she had soccer practice at 2 o’clock...hmmm.”

“10% of my allowance just went to my giving card. It’s at $25.33. I should make a donation on RedCross.org today.”

“I see Dad ran short of funds for my allowance payment just now. Sure glad FamZoo automatically tracks that as an IOU so I don’t have to remember to bug him about it.”

A Teacher Banks on FamZoo to Make Math Real in the Classroom

Interviewer: “Do you like math in school?”
Alison (3rd Grade): "I would like it if it were interesting."

Sadly, that exchange from a What Kids Say About Math video is all too familiar:

For many kids, math equals boooooring. It’s abstract and lifeless.

So, how can teachers make math come alive for kids in the classroom?

Michelle Reel, a 6th grade math teacher in Indianapolis, figured it out. She runs a “mini-economy” in her classroom. You see, money is always...well...interesting. No kid ever nodded off in class while buying stuff and counting money.

There’s one hitch though: the banking piece of the economy is a hassle. That’s why, back in May, Michelle wrote to us:

You Should Teach Your Kids About Money This Way...Or Not

Parents, do you cringe when you hear a sentence beginning with “You should...” coming your way? Someone is about to hit you with their sage advice on how to raise your kids. Oof. No matter how well meaning the intentions, such assertions are inherently presumptuous about your family’s unique situation. Christine Bader wrote a wonderful post about “You Should” encounters today. Stick with stories instead. Tell a mom (or dad) what you did in your situation, not what she should do in her situation. As Christine says:

“Stories are much more powerful than recommendations.”

Let the recipient decide how to apply or adapt your story...or not. Amen. That’s something we can all keep in mind when talking to others about teaching kids good money habits.

So, how should you teach your kids good money habits? I don’t know, but here are some good stories to consider:

Getting Started with Your Prepaid Card Family Pack

So, you’ve heard about FamZoo’s “family pack” of prepaid cards. You love the story:

• Multiple linked cards for one low fee.
• Instant, free transfers between parent and child (sub-)accounts.
• Safe purchasing/donation power for kids.
• Lots of visibility and control for parents.
• Online and mobile access for each family member.
• Tons of built-in family finance tools that teach kids fiscal responsibility.
• No risk of running up debt.

You’re ready to take the plunge (and you meet the eligibility requirements), but you’d like to see exactly what the ordering experience looks like before you commit.

This post is for you. Prefer watching to reading? Watch this video instead.

The High Level Steps

The high level steps are simple:

1. Order your cards.
2. Activate your cards.
3. Set up your “bank” rules for allowance, chores, extra jobs, parent-paid interest, etc.

I describe each step in more detail below. And, to top it off, I include a slide show at the end with comprehensive screen shots so you know exactly what to expect.

The American Dream vs. The Me Dream: Family Finance Picks #75

“Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.”

That’s a definition of the American Dream supplied by James Truslow Adams in 1931. The American Dream is the common thread running through this week’s family finance picks. Read on to delve into these deep family finance questions:

• Are today’s 20 somethings engaged in the American Dream or the Me Dream?
• How do we encourage the spirit of entrepreneurialism in our kids that is so central to the notion of the American Dream?
• Is our society even equipping kids with the basic financial capabilities required to participate in the American Dream?

How to Install FamZoo Mobile on Your Android Device

The FamZoo mobile user interface works great on Android phones. In fact, I use it every day on my Samsung Galaxy S4. The trick is getting things set up so you can conveniently launch FamZoo with one tap from your home screen. You see, unfortunately, we don’t have a FamZoo app in the Google Play Store just yet, so you’ll want to follow this one-time recipe to “install” FamZoo on your Droid.

The Quick Recipe

The high level recipe is simple and consists of these three steps:

1. Sign into FamZoo on your mobile browser.
2. Create a bookmark.
3. Add the bookmark as a shortcut to your home screen.