As I stood in line to order $5 footlong for lunch over the next two days, I overheard this gem from a table of teenagers:

"I just signed up for a credit card."
the others at the table scoff

"No, it's a Walmart card. It's a real credit card. It's got $2,000 on it and I'm going to max it out and then just pay it off with cash. Then I'll have good credit and I can get a car."

I bit my tongue from interjecting, but wanted to so badly!

Good credit doesn't come from one shopping spree. It comes from consistantly paying bills you can afford. So soon he'll have a bunch of useless junk from Walmart, instead of $2,000 in the bank that would better help him to afford the car.

I left thinking of creative ways to squeeze life lessons like this into the conversations I have with my kids. I can't help strangers' kids, but I can sure point mine in the right direction.

Still. No. Debit. Card.

On a positive spin: I had 19 NSDs in August. Thanks new bank!

ETA: debit & checks arrived via UPS last night at 7:51 pm so all is well =)