Sun Prairie: Most experts agree we've kept the economy afloat based on heavy consumer spending. But what kind of lessons about savings are we passing on to our kids?

During National Teach Children to Save Day some local bankers went into the classroom to talk about the benefits of a simple savings account.

Whether you're a kid or an adult, saving can be the hardest thing. It's much more fun to spend, which is why bankers around the state were going into classrooms to talk about why it's important to save.

Heather Jones is a vice-president at Park Bank in Sun Prairie. She says some parents could use these lessons as well. "Some people are big savers, but a lot of times you see people that buy everything on credit, overspend-spend more than they can on a house or a car."

Laura Smith teaches 3rd grade at Bird Elementary. Money is a part of the curriculum, but it's probably more complex than what their parents were taught. "What is money, and how can we save it? It's not always cash these days. So kids are starting to understand what is that credit card and can I just buy anything with it?"

Jones says the best way for kids to learn is to get their own savings account. "When adults don't know themselves it's definitely hard for them to pass it down to their children."

She hands out balls titled earn, save and spend, so kids can begin the lifelong battle of learning to juggle their finances. "It's pretty important to teach people early on and kids are pretty receptive to it."