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Family Forum / Parenting / Twins / September 2004Budgeting
Money has been tight around here lately and I feel I am always saying 'no' to everything that costs $. We've decided not to eat out right now and are trying to cut corners elsewhere too. We plan on having Grandpa buy school clothes, not so many after school activities next year etc. Today we went to the zoo (free since we are members) but the kids wanted snacks (not the ones I brought in the car), they wanted to ride the train $3 for each x 4 and see a zoo movie $3 for each x 4. I has to say 'no' 3 times and here I am taking them on a great outing. I tried to point this out but just got pouty faces. I am starting a home web design company so things may pick up this winter but right now it's definitely tight. Any tricks for getting the kids clued in to a money shortage without scaring them into thinking we'll be homeless? -- Erin Morgan and Megan 2/15/97 Evan 5/14/00 > Money has been tight around here lately and I feel I am always saying 'no' > to everything that costs $. We've decided not to eat out right now and are [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > them on a great outing. I tried to point this out but just got pouty > faces. Well. I'm kind of in your shoes right now, and the only answer I have is to say "Look. I brought treats. Either eat them, or don't eat them, but we're not spending $2 on an can of soda." But I make sure I bring actual treats (maybe homemade choc. chip cookies, and cans of store-brand soda). It's hard though. An alternative is to say, "I didn't bring money for these things. I brought treats, but not cash or credit card, so it's not possible to pay for these things." --angela Erin -- I don't worry about the kids thinking we're going to be homeless, as they know better. But when we get into a situation like that, I normally try to figure out what I am willing to spend, then let them help decide how to spend it. Bring $12 along if you have it, and let them decide whether they'd rather watch the movie or take the train ride. The rule at our house is that they have to decide civilly and fairly (and sometimes they just do Rock/Paper/Scissors ). Do they have their own money? Allowance or anything? Maybe they can bring their own money for snacks if they're not willing to eat what you bring. They might think twice about it if they have to spend their own money, which might help them see your side of things. Julie Mom to Erica & Chris, 07/97 > Money has been tight around here lately and I feel I am always saying 'no' > to everything that costs $. We've decided not to eat out right now and are [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Morgan and Megan 2/15/97 > Evan 5/14/00 Erin- When my kids ask for things and then ask why they can't have them I tell them "Daddy works hard to pay for our house, clothes, food, electricity, and for you to go to preschool. We don't have a lot of extra money for _______." This answer seems to satisfy them for now. I want my kids to understand that we have to spend money for the things they take for granted, like a roof over their heads and food on their plates. Since they don't have a concept of bills it's a hard thing for them to understand. From a child's point of view it must look like adults have an unlimited supply of funds when they see us get money from machines, pay with plastic, or write checks. :) If only it were that simple, right? Good Luck, Andrea twin girls-Madison & Jordan 4 yrs old >Money has been tight around here lately and I feel I am always saying 'no' >to everything that costs $. We've decided not to eat out right now and are [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >Morgan and Megan 2/15/97 >Evan 5/14/00 Erin, I think you address a great question. Whether money is tight or not, it is hard to get kids to understand that it does not grow on trees. I loved Andrea's point about why they would think that...I pull up to an ATM and they think it's so cool that money just comes out! It is very hard to explain that it's really not that simple, obviously. I have really been working on this with my Erin. She is getting old enough to start understanding the value of some things. She had a rude awakening after Christmas when we went to the mall to spend the money she got as gifts. I think she had $50 and just HAD to go to Limited Too. She found two pairs of jeans that she loved, took them to the register, and you should've seen the look on her face when she found out they were almost $40 EACH! Now, I briefly considered just paying the difference, but then I thought, nope...she will never learn how to appreciate the value of a dollar that way. She had to decide for herself whether or not she wanted to spend the whole amount on one item. I think for things like zoo outings (we are members too, so I don't plan to spend $$ either when we go), just lay down the law before you go. Tell them you are bringing food and that you won't be buying any "extras". And if it turns into the whining, begging, etc. for the things you already told them they are not getting, you just won't go back to the zoo. I am also really starting the allowance thing with Erin. She is learning that the ice cream truck costs about $5 for the three of them every time and that I'm not going to pay for that every time they hear that music! Maybe your girls could do a couple of chores to "earn" that train ride or movie ticket. Good luck, Ellen -------- Erin 6/26/95 Bradley & Alex 10/5/00 kmetz98@aol.com wrote: > She is learning that >the ice cream truck costs about $5 for the three of them every time and that >I'm not going to pay for that every time they hear that music! I liked the solution Amy Dacyczyn came up with for that one -- she got a large package of Fudgsicles that cost her something like ten cents each, and every time the ice cream truck went by, she sold them to her kids for twenty-five cents each, which was much cheaper than the Popsicle man. I may have the amounts wrong, but it was something like this :-) --Helen >I liked the solution Amy Dacyczyn came up with for that one -- she got a >large [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >--Helen I LOVE that one, Helen! Definitely something to consider for next summer :) Ellen -------- Erin 6/26/95 Bradley & Alex 10/5/00 > kmetz98@aol.com wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > cents each, which was much cheaper than the Popsicle man. I may have the > amounts wrong, but it was something like this :-) I did something like this, this summer. So now the girls wait for the ice cream man to go by - and wave - and then say 'Mommy, can we have a ice cream sandwich from the freezer?' --angela I hate the ice cream man! We haven't started an allowance yet. Maybe this would be a good thing to start. On the last day of school the kids wanted scooters and I told them I would get them for them as a gift if they paid for half. They got the money out of their piggy banks real quick. The problem is they have been getting money for 7 years but not spending it so we have quite a bit to go through before their banks no longer are full. I will work on them spending more and me less. -- Erin Morgan and Megan 2/15/97 Evan 5/14/00 > Erin, > [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > Erin 6/26/95 > Bradley & Alex 10/5/00 >I hate the ice cream man! We have no ice cream man in our neighborhood. Knowing our city, it's probably illegal for an ice cream truck to solicit business. -- -Seth Jackson, proud father of Derek and Mariel(10/1/99). Pictures at: http://hitmeister.home.mindspring.com/familypictures.html Music links: www.mp3.com/SethJackson www.mp3.com/loudspeaker www.SethJackson.net *sigh* I remember when the ice cream man used to be $.50. Gayle Mom to bbg 09/24/03) http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/d/datriplets/ > Erin, > [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > Erin 6/26/95 > Bradley & Alex 10/5/00 Gayle (thehuwes@ameritech.net) wrote: >*sigh* I remember when the ice cream man used to be $.50. I can remember when popsicles were a dime. I once tried to get a popsicle man to take a sixpence that my father had brought back from England, on the theory that an English penny was worth two of ours, so that a sixpence was worth more than a dime. --Helen My mother in law kept trying to get me to do things for her with the promise of receiving a "yankee dime" but wouldn't tell me what it was. I refused (My dad is a practical joker and so I grew up leary about things like this.) As it turns out, the yankee dime was a kiss. :-) Gayle > Gayle (thehuwes@ameritech.net) wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > --Helen Or when I was young (in the early 50's), a medium cone was 10 cents! Shirley > *sigh* I remember when the ice cream man used to be $.50. > [quoted text clipped - 55 lines] > > Erin 6/26/95 > > Bradley & Alex 10/5/00 On the "Money comes from machines" note: My husband and I were discussing money issues one day while we were out with our two nephews (7 & 5 yrs). We passed a Papa John's Pizza Restaurant. The oldest says "Papa John's!! You can get money from there!!" Their dad works part time delivering pizza from Papa John's and whenever their mom needs money, she stops in and picks up some money from their dad. :-) Of course the Papa John's that he works at is over an hour away from THIS one. Gayle Mom to bbg (9/24/03) > Erin- > [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > >Morgan and Megan 2/15/97 > >Evan 5/14/00 |
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