A Smart Alternative to SpendSmart and BillMyParents Teen Prepaid Cards

Apparently, spending like a pop star finally caught up to “the responsible teen spending company.” Today marked the formal end of the teen prepaid card programs offered by SpendSmart Networks, Inc. and endorsed by none other than teen idol and dubious financial role model, Justin Bieber.

Is Your Kid Ready for a Bitcoin Allowance? End of 2014 Family Finance Picks

Warning, nerd alert on this first one!

I love this article about a dad who pays his son’s allowance in Bitcoin using a service called ChangeTip. Check out the post Why I Pay My 7th Grader’s Allowance in Bitcoin. Gil explains how he does it and why. It’s as much about father-son bonding and education as it is about money.

I dig the approach, but you have to be willing to jump into the brave new world of Bitcoin which is still fairly daunting and somewhat sketchy in my opinion. Here’s a good place to start if you’d like to see what’s involved: Getting Started with Bitcoin from the Bitcoin Foundation.

Here are the rest of my favorite family finance picks from the month of December.