>For tax brackets, I like the bucket of ping pong balls analogy. After filling up each bucket you color a percentage of the balls green (done on the whiteboard of course), which represents the government's cut. When a bucket gets full, balls overflow into the next bucket. And monthly paycheck deductions are based on 1/12'th of the green balls in each bucket.

Thank you, this looks like a really clear and concise way of explaining the topic! I've been looking for a better way to explain it, particularly the bonuses.