From “Can I have it?” to “Is it worth it?”
What happened when a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old started practising money with Monty.
By Mark Sharma, founder and Simon and Mikey's dad · Published · Updated
In less than a week, “Can I have it?” started becoming “Do I have enough in my Spend Jar?”
Founder-family observation · Simon, 5, and Mikey, 8
Not financial theory. A system for practising real decisions.
Two kids, real money, small stakes — and the same quick weekly check-in.
Split the allowance
Give each dollar a job.
Review jars & goals
See what moved.
Talk about the week
Notice choices, not just balances.
The grocery store test
Less than a week after starting, the app showed up in a place that mattered: the toy aisle.
Mikey wanted a Hot Wheels car. I told him he had enough, then asked whether another car was worth delaying his other goals by a few dollars. He looked through the cars, decided there wasn't one he wanted enough — and walked away.
Simon then brought a Hot Wheels car toward checkout. When I reminded him it would come from his Spend Jar, he returned it too.
“How much money do I have in my Spend Jar?”
Mikey, age 8 · unprompted
“Do I have to pay for the pineapple from my Spend Jar?”
Simon, age 5 · separating his money from family money
Progress became the reward.
Watch the goal move
Both boys split allowance and reviewed goals. Simon gave an enthusiastic "YES!" when he saw his progress.
Choose to spend
At Canadian Tire, Mikey checked his Spend Jar and chose a PEZ dispenser. We logged the receipt at home.
Repeat in real life
While camping, both boys bought Hubba Bubba — then reviewed the receipt back at the trailer.
The $20 discovery
Simon found $20 in an old book, put $13 toward his toy goal — enough to reach it — then emptied his piggy bank and did the math himself.
Monty isn't teaching kids that spending is bad. It's teaching them to notice the choice.
“Was it worth it?”
By the fifth Monty O'Clock, the ritual added one more question. There was no correct answer.
Not worth it.
He said the Hubba Bubba wasn't worth it, and he wouldn't buy the gum again. A purchase can teach after the money is gone.
Worth it.
Both the gum and the PEZ dispenser were worth it. He'd buy another PEZ — just a Toronto Maple Leafs one next time.
Adults think about money before buying. Kids can learn just as much looking backward — that's how a personal definition of value gets built.
What changed in five weeks
Ask before spending
They began checking their own balance before deciding.
See the trade-off
One purchase could visibly delay another goal.
Walk away voluntarily
The toys weren't denied. Both kids chose not to spend.
Set meaningful goals
A $10 giving goal and a $200+ LEGO goal could coexist.
Connect earning & ownership
Allowance, earned, saved and found money became one picture.
Reflect after spending
A purchase became something to evaluate afterward.
Practise real math
Coins and balances gave arithmetic a real purpose.
Think about giving
Giving connected to something Mikey genuinely cared about.
One family. Two children. Five weeks. Useful early signals — not a controlled study.
The biggest lesson so far
Before we started, I thought one of Monty's biggest benefits would be helping kids save. After the first month, the bigger opportunity looks like helping kids think before they spend.
A five-year-old putting back a Hot Wheels car because the money would come from his own jar isn't mastering personal finance. He's practising a habit: pause, consider, decide.
The shift
“Can you buy this for me?”
“How much money do I have?”
Raise a kid who's actually good with money.
A few dollars. Three jars. A goal. A short conversation every week.