News & Views of Phillips Since 1976
Friday December 19th 2025
Five Smart Money Habits to Teach Kids Now
By AMANDA THEISEN, Communications Manager for Sunrise Banks
Summer is almost over, and kids will be heading back to school in a few short weeks. As they dive back into reading, writing, math, science and other subjects, this is also a good time to give them a hands-on lesson in managing money.
A University of Cambridge study found that children typically form habits around money and spending by age seven. Additional research shows that parents, not friends, are a child’s biggest influence on their attitudes and behavior with finances.
Here are five sustainable money habits you can teach the young people in your life now, so they’re set up for financial success later in life.
1. Save a Portion of All Money Received
Age-Appropriate Starting Point: Age 5+
Encourage kids to set aside a percentage of all money they receive—whether from allowances, gifts, or part-time jobs. A simple breakdown could be the 50/30/20 rule: put 50% towards spending, 30% into savings, and 20% for giving or donating. You can alter these percentages based on your child’s age or amount of money received.
Money Lesson Learned: It builds a lifelong mindset of saving before spending.
2. Set and Track Financial Goals
Age-Appropriate Starting Point: Age 8+
Teach kids to set both short-term and long-term goals.… Read the rest “Five Smart Money Habits to Teach Kids Now”
Behind the Decisions: What the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) Does for Minneapolis
by LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
This is the fourth article in the League of Women Voters Minneapolis 2025 Democracy Series. All articles will be available at lwvmpls.org/democracy-series/
In the November election, you will have the opportunity to select members of the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET). What responsibilities do these board members have? How might decisions made by these boards affect you? How can you make an informed decision on who to vote for so your choice of candidate aligns with your values and concerns?
Responsibilities of the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET)
BET may not be on your radar every day, but the decisions it makes affect you greatly.
This board decides the maximum cap on the total property tax dollars our city government can collect. This is called a levy. Before setting the levy, the board holds public hearings to listen to Minneapolis residents’ opinions. For 2025, the city’s overall property tax levy is approximately $511,000,000.
BET sets the maximum tax levies for several funds that come out of the overall tax levy. For example, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) requests its funding from BET. Representatives from MPRB present their budget requests to BET, which includes their strategic plans for using the funds.… Read the rest “Behind the Decisions: What the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) Does for Minneapolis”
The Sky Is Falling
By SHELIA BLAND
The sky is falling
A heart is breaking
Alone in a crowd
Between ears emptiness
Cries in the night
Tears falling from the heavens
Where is this world
Inside a twilight of grief
Wasteland of desire and want
A touchless world of longing
Tunes of anxiety screech across ears
All horror, all anxiety
All a prism of science fiction
Religions of Religions
Religions of objectivity
Religions of science
Religions of statistics
Religions of facts
All is religion—
A belief in non-belief
Longing to shatter the prison of individualism
A prison of me, me, me— I, I, I
Winner-take-all
Survival of the fittest
Philosophy of annihilationism
Dog eat dog
Fight to the finish
Only one left standing
A climax of doom, gloom, and isolation
The real made fantastically unreal
Screeching, screaming hollowness between ears
Oozing the slime of loneliness
Transcendental isolation…
The “I” as Godhead
Shelia Bland lives in Midtown Phillips. She has been writing most of her life to help herself understand the experiences and people in her shared world.
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