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I frequently see postings on social media, mostly by 18- to 30-year-olds, lamenting what they wish their parents had taught them before leaving home. It runs the gamut from how to do laundry to investing for retirement. I taught my children the basics; however, there is always the issue with how much information got through and how much was retained. It’s that old “you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make them drink” scenario.

The top wishes were related to money, including writing a check, budgeting and money management, savings, and saving for retirement. Teaching budgeting is something that can be taught early on by having children “earn” money or tokens to buy things they want. By providing the mechanism to earn, they learn that if they want a toy from the store they will need to earn the money or tokens to buy it themselves. From personal experience with my children I can assure you they place a high value on items they bought for themselves.

A system of earning, saving, and spending opens an opportunity to teach children the value of setting money aside for the things they really want/need. Basic needs are typically provided by Mom and Dad, but it’s important to be age-appropriately honest about the cost of things like rent, house payments, insurance, cable, internet, etc.

It’s never too early to begin teaching children about saving for the future. Even saving a dollar a week will provide thousands for retirement. Especially if the money is put into an IRA or money market account. Even if something catastrophic happens when they are young adults there will be funds to fall back on. In an era where many people live paycheck to paycheck and believe they have no income to save, they really do. Do you spend $5 on a latte every day, have your nails done every two weeks, buy expensive shoes, clothes, and purses that end up collecting dust in the closet? Are these things vital or would it be better to take that money and put it into a savings account? Our children watch us and often learn more by what we do than what we say. Setting a good example is more important than you realize.

Another wish often mentioned is cooking – this something I heard recently from a friend of my daughter. To be honest, the ability to cook has a big connection to saving money, as it is far less expensive to cook your own meals than to eat out. Granted, dining out is easier because someone else does the preparation, cooking and cleanup. But it is much more expensive and may not be as healthy.

Time is always a consideration, but new kitchen gadgets like Instant Pots and air fryers are helping reduce the time it takes to put a meal on the table. Budgeting time for cooking is as essential as budgeting money for it. Spending a few hours prepping for meals, cutting vegetables and meats, etc. can save you much time during the week. Learning to cook is relatively easy – if you can follow instructions you can cook (although many cookbooks fail to cover the basics). Cooking courses covering basic skills are sometimes offered through Head Start and Parks & Rec. Finding a good basic cookbook is a great start — I recommend the Betty Crocker cookbook — and never be afraid to ask people who cook how they do it.

Two things I am most grateful my parents taught me were work ethic and the love of learning. I believe my parents instilled in me a good work ethic and set the example for being dedicated and thorough. When I was about 14, I recall committing to a babysitting job for a neighbor when friends invited me to go to the movies. I fully intended to blow off the babysitting for a night of fun with friends. My parents sat me down and said that I had made a commitment to babysit and I needed to follow through. They were adamant that in order to be successful you had to live up to your commitments and promises. That’s something I made a point to pass on to my children. In a previous job position, I had the opportunity to meet many business people and have repeatedly heard that youth today lack work ethic. I enjoy learning, I read constantly, and if I happen upon an unfamiliar topic, I will research it to learn more. I honestly believe we can always learn new things throughout life.

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Pendleton home economist Virginia Justice and her husband have two college-aged daughters.