Month: August 2014

Summer Memories

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All the fun your kids had this summer will be the topic of conversation in years to come.   Kids’ memories are of activities, not toys or gadgets.  Never have I heard kids reminisce about their video games, or music systems. Unless of course, they battled for them.   Childhood memories come from fun – physical memories, the cold lake swims, physical challenges, swimming in the rain, bike trips, the list goes on.

If you want your money well spent, save it for family fun.  Take day trips, take the kids to the park, rent a house on the water or a cabin in the mountains, buy a swimming pool.  Invest your money on your family. 

You’ll get your money back in years to come when your grandchildren join the supper table.  The future grandkids will hear about what you gave your kids.  Plus, it’s likely, the activities that made your kids so happy, will be the ones they give to their kids.  Keep your bag packed, because you’ll be invited to make new memories.  

School Supply Madness

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I wish I had thought of this when I had school-age kids. When buying school supplies, give your children the budget. If they have a given amount to spend, you will likely find they are thoughtful spenders. Your kids will likely stretch the dollar, knowing there’s a limit to the spending.

Give it a try. Classroom supplies may become far more functional and less flashy, saving them money. Kids may gravitate to the sale racks, since almost no kid needs winter clothes for the start of school. Sneakers and backpacks may also be more conservative, knowing there’s a budget.   Here’s a novel idea, kids may even decide they can wear the clothes or use leftover school supplies from last semester, thus stretching their dollar further.

If you are like I used to be, school shopping included negotiating, arguing and I finished broke, and worn out. If I were smarter, my kids would have spent more thoughtfully. They would have figured a way to get what they wanted and needed, all the while, wasting less money. After all, it’s a lot harder to spend your own money than someone else’s.