thin mints

Those Girl Scouts aren't just about selling cookies -- the green-sashed entrepreneur who supplies your Thin Mints is also preparing to be the boss. The GSA now offers 13 merit badges to teach its more than 3 million members financial literacy -- everything from good credit to savings and investing.

If you couldn't resist buying a box or two of Thin Mints or Samoas (both are favorites in my house) from a Girl Scout recently, don't feel bad. These pint-sized dynamos have honed sales skills that rival those of some of the most savvy adult professionals. If fact, some Scouts sell thousands of...

It's hard to say no to a pint-sized cookie peddler, sweetly asking: "Would you like to buy a box of Girl Scout cookies?" But in an age where you're watching every penny, it can be equally hard to cough up between $3.50 and $4 for a box of 15 cookies -- even if those Samoas are perhaps the best...