Money Saving Ideas for Kids
The money you can save by teaching thrift to your kids can add up in more ways than one. First, you'll achieve your family goal to save money. Second, you'll get kids to start learning how to think before they spend. Third, kids get to participate in every idea. Who knows? Your kids may finally get into saving and cut down on spending. Try a few ideas and see.
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Clothes
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Have a fashion show and decide what's still "ready-to-wear." Put on a fashion show at home and create a "cat walk" in the living room. Let kids model so-called "old" clothes from their wardrobe. Let family members serve as fashion show judges, and by round of applause or secret ballots, vote on clothes that are still "ready-to-wear" and what's ready for the yard sale or consignment store.
Shop post-season. Buy basics like t-shirts that aren't too trendy. Avoid patterns and designs that may not be "in" next year. Shop fabric stores to update items with buttons, trims, sequins and faux fur. Let kids jazz-up their clothes with a cool new look. Sign-up for newsletters from the "hip" stores to get announcements about in-store specials and online only sales.
Going Out
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Buy candy in bulk from club and dollar stores. Purchase candy in bulk from club and dollar stores. Use baggies to sort into grab bags for movies and road trips. The savings will be huge, especially compared to prices for theater candy.
Get annual or family passes to favorite places such as the zoo, children's museum, aquarium, fun centers and amusement parks. After all, kids pretty much like going to the same places anyway. Go online and join mailing lists to get in on special discounts. Get a group of kids together from school and around the neighborhood to qualify for a discounted group rate. -
Staying In
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Buy basic pizzas and let kids jazz them up with veggies. If your kids go to the movie two to three times each month, eliminate one and replace it with a family movie night. Rent or get pay-per-view movies. Make your own popcorn and buy soda pops by the liter. Watch how much you'll save every month.
Get large frozen pizzas with just the basics. Top with fresh veggies from your refrigerator. Kids will have fun creating their own sections of the pie topped just the way they want it.
Alternate weeks when you purchase brand name grocery items, and buy store brands the other week. Get kids to help clip and sort coupons. Make saving a family affair.
Video Games
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Search for free-to-play online games. When you absolutely, positively have to buy a game, wait until it's available to purchase used. Check online stores and auction sites. Ask friends and family if they have games to sell. You could even start a video game swap group.
Party Time
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Party with a purpose. Read to the elderly or donate to the homeless. Party with a purpose. Use birthdays as a day to take kids and their party friends to volunteer time at the animal shelter, or read to seniors at a nursing home. Ask kids to bring their outgrown clothes as a present instead of buying gifts. Donate the clothes to shelters for the homeless. Have kids bring a can of dog or cat food to contribute to your local animal shelter.
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References
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- Photo Credit piggy bank with money 2 image by Melking from Fotolia.com kids clothing image by Nenad Djedovic from Fotolia.com candy image by michele goglio from Fotolia.com Serbian Pizza image by bokijono from Fotolia.com woman in the park image by studio vision1 from Fotolia.com
