How to Handle Money with Kia Commodore

Financial literacy is a skill many of us wish we had learned earlier in life. For Kia Commodore, founder of Pennies to Pounds and author of "How to Handle Money," teaching young people about money has become her mission. At just 26 years old, Kia has established herself as the voice of young finance in the UK, and her journey provides valuable insights for anyone looking to improve their financial literacy.

Kia's money journey began early, when her mother took her to the bank for the first time. Instead of spending Christmas money on sweets and toys, her mother encouraged her to save most of it. The experience of physically going to the bank, signing her savings book, and watching her money grow planted the seeds for her future financial habits. This early introduction to savings created a foundation that many of her peers missed, highlighting the importance of exposing children to financial concepts at a young age.

By age nine, Kia had started her first business, knitting scarves for her classmates after her mother taught her how to knit. In secondary school (around age 11), she began selling cookies and donuts, capitalizing on her school's healthy eating regime that left students craving sweets. Her entrepreneurial ventures continued into her teens when she began wholesaling hair care products from the US to sell in the UK and Europe. These experiences taught her valuable business skills and laid the groundwork for her understanding of money management.

Beyond her own entrepreneurial activities, Kia observed her parents' side hustles. They would purchase items from pound stores (similar to dollar stores) and resell them on eBay for significant profits. Her father even flew to New York to buy Nintendo Wii consoles when they were hard to find in the UK, selling them at a premium. Watching her parents find creative ways to generate additional income influenced Kia's approach to money and business.

What sets Kia's financial education apart was the intentional way her parents taught her about money. They introduced different financial concepts at appropriate ages - savings at 6-7, budgeting at 11-12, and more complex topics like credit and mortgages as she got older. This progressive approach ensured that she wasn't overwhelmed and could understand concepts in context as they became relevant to her life.

By the time Kia reached university, she was well-equipped to manage her finances, but she noticed many of her friends struggled with basic budgeting. This observation led her to start creating financial literacy content on YouTube and eventually launch her podcast, Pennies to Pounds, which has grown into a successful platform for financial education.

One of the key financial skills Kia emphasizes is creativity in spending. She encourages people to find ways to enjoy social activities without breaking the bank - meeting friends for home-cooked meals instead of expensive restaurant outings, going for walks instead of paid activities, or finding other low-cost ways to spend quality time together. This approach allows people to maintain social connections while still working toward financial goals.

Kia's story demonstrates that financial literacy doesn't have to be intimidating or complex. By making financial information accessible and relatable, especially for young people, she's helping to raise the financial literacy age in the UK (which she notes is currently around nine years old) and empowering individuals to take control of their financial futures. Her work reminds us that it's never too early - or too late - to improve our relationship with money and build strong financial habits.