I was just reading an article about the psychology of collecting* when I came across this little fact: in a study about money sense conducted by W.S. Monroe in 1899, 2,012 Massachusetts school children were asked what they would do with 50 cents a month. Can you guess what they would spend it on?

Clothing: boys-9% girls-11%

Wood, coal, food, or furniture: boys-4% girls-4%

Toys and pictures: boys-3% girls-7%

Candy, riding, etc.: boys-14% girls-9%

Philanthropy: boys-2% girls-3.5%

Christmas presents: boys-4% girls-7%

Wood, coal, food, or furniture? What a sense of responsibility need cultivated in these youngsters!

*Cameron, E.H. (1923, November). The psychology of saving. Annals of the American academy of political and social science (110), p. 156-164.

Today's rather a neat date, isn't it? Happy 3-2-10!