downwithdebt

Where is the money tree?  I am still looking for it!

 Teaching our kids there is no money tree, and there is a limit on every thing has gone to the wayside since the great world of credit has come to the rescue.  Maybe if there is a good side to this financial crisis, it will be that everyone will actually learn to spend less than what they make.  I wrote an article earlier on this here .

My 12 year old’s friends have:

Cell phones

Ipods

There own personal TV in there room

There own personal Xbox or Wii system in there room

There own computer (Laptop)

There very own room

 My 17 year olds friends have:

 I phone

Computer(laptop)

Nice late model car

Tv with dvd player

Xbox or wii

There own room

I-pod

How can they afford all of this stuff!  I am not saying you should not have anything I have many of these items myself, but we share them as a family.  Many of these families have 2-3 kids, each donned with the latest gadgets and must haves.  With all of this consumerism how do we teach our kids that there are limits on what we buy and that more is NOT better?

I set dollar amounts to my kids spending so they learn what things cost.  A ritual at our house is having the kids buy the family Friday night dinner for $10.00, not a penny over, the rules are simple, it has to feed everyone!  It is fun watching them go through the sales ads and use coupons.  They actually have to plan what is for dinner!  One time they gave my two year old a bag of chips, the lesson, don’t give a two year old a bag of chips unless you plan on buying them or creating a big scene!!!

 In our world of consumption we have failed our kids by buying them everything instead of saying no and setting limits.  When we say no we love our kids, by providing them with what is needed and necessary, not with what everyone else has. 

  Look at the mess are credit markets are in now because of our must have everything NOW mentality.  Even we as adults don’t know how to set limits for our own personal lives. 

How do you get away from living on credit? By not borrowing money, and not buying everything in sight.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS