Had to explain spending money equals less money to an adult (AGAIN)
The generation that told millennials we'd never survive adulthood continues to keep me employed.
Today's lesson: spending money makes the number in your account go down. It does not stay the same. It does not go up. It does not enter a magical cocoon and emerge later with friends. If you spend $50, there will be $50 less in the account.
I explained this in at least six different ways. The answer remained remarkably consistent each time.
Previous lessons in this continuing education program have included:
- Debit cards and credit cards are two different things.
- A debit card uses money from your account.
- If there is no money in the account, the debit card is just a loyalty card with extra steps.
- No, the debit card cannot spend money that does not exist.
More recent lessons included:
- You need to remember your password to log in.
- The computer does not know the password if you don't know the password.
- No, we cannot issue a brand-new password every day because you refuse to write it down.
- Getting angry at me does not increase the account balance.
At this point, I'm one PowerPoint presentation away from explaining that water is wet, gravity is not a personal attack, and the "available balance" isn't a suggestion.
Tune in next week for another exciting episode of Banking: The Unexpected Sequel to Common Sense.