At the foundation of your children's financial intelligence should be this undeniable truth: It is not the amount of money you have but what you do with it that matters. This is true for a child managing a $5 weekly allowance and a corporate executive with a $5,000 weekly salary.

For many years of my life, I didn't know this truth. On the contrary, I believed that more money was the answer. I was convinced that if we just made more money, won the lottery or received some unexpected inheritance, all of our money problems would vanish. But the more we made, the worse our problems became. Because I didn't know how to manage what we had, more would have never been enough. We didn't save. We didn't give. We didn't plan. And we had no idea where all the money went.

Unless your children learn simple wise money management techniques, more money will never be enough.

The simplest way to get started building financial intelligence in your kids' minds and hearts is by putting them on an allowance and requiring them to either suffer or enjoy the financial consequences of their decisions.

An allowance teaches kids about real life. With their own money, kids learn about responsibilities, consequences, saving and charity.

An allowance helps them learn how to distinguish needs from wants. Having their own money forces kids to think about what to spend it on.

An allowance puts an end to the nickel-and-diming. You create a set budget item called "Kids' Allowances," and that stops the constant drip, drip, drip of money flowing from your pocket and going toward random stuff for them.

An allowance builds trustworthiness. By giving kids money to manage, you demonstrate that you trust them. And they soon learn that to keep the money coming, they need to become trustworthy.

An allowance promotes self-confidence. Managing money has a magical effect on their self-esteem.

Want to get your child's allowance program off to a great start? Consider the Moonjar Moneybox. This clever savings bank is actually three banks in one to teach children to save, spend and share their allowance.

Over the years, Moonjar (which is the creators' names, Noom and Raj, spelled backward) has received multiple awards for innovation, and it's no wonder. This money box is well-made and easy to use. Kids as young as 4 years old can understand and learn from the process. I believe this durable tin money box is a timeless gift that will inspire and teach children to save, spend and share wisely for a lifetime. It costs about $19.

Mary invites questions, comments and tips at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.