Our cookies are on a mission: to help girls learn five skills that are essential to leadership, to success, and to life.

Skill #1—Goal Setting
Skill #2—Decision Making
Skill #3—Money Management
Skill #4—People Skills
Skill #5—Business Ethics

When girls have mastered the money management skill, they’ll be saying:
“I make change happen!”
“It’s cool that I get to make change when someone buys cookies. I’m really careful about it. I count it out twice, so I know it’s totally right. And I know each box sold gets us one step closer to our goal.”

Girls develop a budget, take cookie orders, and handle customers’ money. This matters because girls need to know how to handle money—from their lunch money to their allowance to (someday) their paycheck.

Go-getter troops are preparing for cookie season now by practicing identifying bills and coins, counting out correct change, and knowing the amount due for various quantities of cookies purchased. Girls should know who a check should be written to, and how customers can pay with a credit card.

Pro tip: Experienced cookie business leaders should design a creative thank you card/receipt to be given to every cookie customer, as a record of their purchase and sign of appreciation.

Because your Girl Scout takes cookie orders and handles customers’ money…

• She’ll be less likely to lose her lunch money or field trip fees.
• She can handle a checking account, help with the grocery shopping, and even stay on top of her cell phone bill!

What’s the most important thing you’d like your Girl Scout to learn about earning and managing money?