Electronic tools make money feel “invisible.” Primary school principal: spending money makes you feel no heartache. An NGO uses songs to teach financial concepts.

With the popularity of modern electronic payments and online shopping, the nature of money transactions has become abstract. A primary school principal agrees. Under electronic payments, children “just tap and pay,” mistaking money as something readily within reach. He encourages parents to teach their children to set spending boundaries, to distinguish between “wants” and “needs,” and to form the right concepts about money.

In addition, a non-profit organization has been running the “Cha-Ching financial literacy workshop,” helping junior primary students learn financial management concepts of earning, saving, spending, and donating through a relaxed approach using cartoons, sing-along activities, and games.

Electronic tools make money “invisible” — Primary school principal: Spending lacks the feeling of heartache

▲ With electronic tools becoming prevalent, Liang Ruxi, principal of Shek Lei Catholic Primary School (left), believes that electronic currency makes money feel “invisible.” When children spend money, they lack the feeling of heartache, making it difficult for them to understand the value of cherishing money. On the right is Chan Yu-kwun, principal of S.K.H. Tsing Yi Estate Primary School.

The Humanities subject for primary school includes financial education. Leung Yu-fai, principal of Shek Lei Catholic Primary School, said that the school will hold birthday parties for students to teach them to purchase food and gifts wisely—for example, not using all money to buy the same snack, comparing supermarket discount offers, and so on. “First, teach them to choose appropriate items. If they buy all potato chips, it’s not ideal. Second, compare prices before shopping. Smart financial management means comparing prices at several stores.”

Leung Yu-fai added that after electronic payment tools became widespread, students have fewer and fewer opportunities to carry out transactions using cash. Money becomes “invisible,” and as a result, their consumption mindset also becomes blurred.

“Back then, when you used physical money and then spent it, losing even one note would hurt. Now you just tap and the money is gone. It’s as if children can spend as long as they press a button, with no real change in their lives.”

Chan Yu-kwun, principal of S.K.H. Tsing Yi Estate Primary School, said that online shopping is the shopping method commonly used today. “When parents shop online, children may learn that behavior too.” Therefore, it is necessary to teach children from a young age to “protect their money.” For example, before planning an online purchase, obtain consent from parents first and discuss together whether the relevant products are worth buying.

NGO promotes sing-along workshops—Junior primary students learn financial literacy while singing

To help junior primary students grasp financial knowledge from an early age, Youth Business Hong Kong, Hong Kong, has organized the “Cha-Ching Sing-along Learn Financial Literacy” workshop. The workshop is produced by Prudential Asia Public Welfare Fund and promoted with support from Prudential Insurance. Through songs, cartoons, and games, it helps students from Primary 1 to Primary 3 learn four major financial concepts: “Earning,” “Saving,” “Spending,” and “Donating.”

The workshop activities center on the “Cha-Ching Band.” Students learn how band members make choices when facing different consumption scenarios through the songs.

For example, in “Little Consumer, Think Twice,” band member Pepper goes on a wild shopping spree in a shopping mall. The lyrics mention things like “Buying stuff without thinking—looks like the money is flying out,” and “Thinking is required for every purchase,” teaching students to think twice before spending and not to splash out money on shopping just because discounts are tempting, ultimately wasting money.

Fang Wei, head of corporate affairs at Prudential Insurance, said that during the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years, Prudential Insurance will organize 25 workshop sessions, reaching about 2,500 junior primary students. The company will also send more than 70 staff members, including financial advisors and employees from different departments, to serve as workshop volunteers to provide guidance on the spot.

The principal shares 4 methods to help junior primary students with financial literacy—encouraging parents to set a good example

Chan Yu-kwun said that his school schedules the “Cha-Ching Sing-along Learn Financial Literacy” workshop during regular weekday classes. He said many students can clearly describe the characters’ spending behaviors and symbolism, reflecting that the cartoon elements help students remember the financial lessons.

Leung Yu-fai added that for primary school students, slogans, songs, and mascots are the tools they find easiest to grasp. “Telling them what to do is not enough. It’s when you carry the message through stories that it really goes into (the students’) hearts.” He also noticed that many students sing the relevant financial literacy songs at school, meaning the financial lessons from the lyrics have been stored in their minds, and during performances they can even bring the financial knowledge to those around them.

In addition to in-school programs, Chan Yu-kwun also encourages parents to set a good example at home by building an environment for transparent communication, understanding their children’s consumption views. He recommends the following four methods to help parents help their children establish the right money mindset:

• Manage Income: Teach children that pocket money and red envelope money are not “created out of thin air.” They are money earned by parents through hard work, and should be cherished.

• Spend Where It’s Necessary: Before shopping, distinguish between “wants” and “needs,” and at the same time, there’s no need to be overly frugal.

• Set Savings Goals: For example, if they want to raise a pet, calculate all kinds of expenses together, and then set a savings goal.

• Be Grateful and Cherish: Understand the principle that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” When there is some room in the budget, they can buy flags or lottery tickets to give back to society.

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