Mom and Dad took us out for dinner that night, going to one of Noah's favorite restaurants to keep on celebrating his birthday. There, they gave him a birthday card with a check.
Noah's jaw dropped. "No way."
"It's not just spending money." Mom instructed. "Half of it is going to your savings account."
"But Mom-"
"No buts." She waved him off. "You know we don't usually like giving you kids just cash for your birthdays, but you're getting old enough to make your own gift choices. That doesn't mean you can just be irresponsible and spend it all on video games. I want half to go to your savings for future big purchases you might want to make."
Noah thought about it for a second and gave a small nod. "Okay...that makes sense. I promise to put half into savings."
Dad smiled, proud. "Good boy. I'm sure it'll come in handy down the road."
