Hehe... I think it's sinking in.

**mommy4ever** · 03-26-2008, 10:58 AM

Ds13 is on spring break for 2 weeks. Yesterday I brought him to do errands.

We only had one manufacturer coupon. But I had 2 superbucks coupons(7.5¢/L for gas at the store gas bar).

So we did our shop. Total was $34.26 paid $24.77. DS13 looks at me...."But that's like almost $10 off!!"

He was shocked. LOL. Then on the way home. He started talking about it. He was surprised that 1/3 of our shopping trip was free. I explained that while we aren't poor, it is important that we save where we can. At the grocery store, on sales. By turning lights out, not running water unnessarily. While some might only save $2 a month, that's $24 a year. And if we do that with lots of things, it adds up even more. So he's quiet. He goes... so not smoking?(he doesn't smoke). He says "Uncle smokes a pack a day...that's like $10 a day.... 70 a week.... over $3500 a YEAR????....... Mom, is Uncle rich?" I told him no, but it's a choice he's made. (Uncle is several hundreds of thousands in debt....but ds doesn't need to know that). So he's quiet a little longer. "And driving? If we weren't in sports, you'd save lots and lots on gas and on sports right?" I nodded, we would. "so maybe we shouldn't be in sports, then you and dad would have more money." Bless his heart. "Yes, we'd have more money, but that's not the point. We save our money when we can and try not be be wasteful, however, but doing that in some areas...it ALLOWS us to get things we think are important, need or save for what we really want. We feel it's important you kids are active, that you be in a sport. So we save in other areas, so you guys can do it." He was pretty quiet after that. I think it's sinking in that mom and dad aren't money pits..lol.

Later, we went to the HMV(music store), he had a gift card. Rather than buy 1 CD, he took his time and combed through the sales bins. He likes the rock from the 70's and 80's, but looking through those, he got one of the original CD's rather than the new "greatest hits" with all the songs he wanted for 1/2 the price, so he was able to get 2 instead of 1. Usually, he'd go for the latest and greatest only.

I think it's sinking in! I don't do the whole budget with them, I don't think they need to worry about all the bills we do have, but seeing how to save when you do shop, is important. Working with a grocery budget important. As he gets older, we'll include him in more, paying mortgage and utilities and how to budget. He's a real worry wart, so I don't want to stress him. But getting him to understand that money isn't growing on trees is a BIG step!

**mombottoo** · 03-26-2008, 11:13 AM

Kudos to your son for making a wise choice and kudos to you for instilling great habits!!! We don't realize how much we can influence our children, until something happens to make us realize just how much we do!

**MirandaK** · 03-26-2008, 11:21 AM

That's awesome!!! What a wonderful 'Eureka!' moment...and how sweet of him to think immediately of how they could cut costs.

Congrats!

**Momof3girls** · 03-26-2008, 11:31 AM

How smart you are! I think if kids see us doing careful shopping, making do, etc... those habits rub off!

**shoiji** · 03-26-2008, 11:32 AM

Wonderful story. Good for you teaching your son how to spend money wisely.

**Darlene** · 03-26-2008, 07:50 PM

Woohoo! Oh how your post made me smile! Love those lightbulb moments!

**bumplett** · 03-26-2008, 08:44 PM

That was a great story!!

Thanks for sharing!!

((I hope he tells a friend or two about his great shopping trip to the music store))

**Megareader** · 03-26-2008, 09:06 PM

Your ds sounds like an amazing kid!!

**Becci** · 03-26-2008, 09:14 PM

I taught ds12 the value of a good buy when he was only about 2 or 3. He would always want the expensive cereal. So I would say to him for the same amount of money we could get this huge box of the same type of cereal for the same money. So instead of having that cereal for a few days breakfast you can eat it for over a week. He's quite mathematically minded so he understood that at that age. I would tell him the same thing about clothes too.
He's pretty good at getting good buys and doesn't mind som much about not having brand name things (that might change in the next few years though lol).
But he's terrible at saving money. If he's got money he has to spend it. We teach him to save half his pocket money (which goes into his bank account) and the rest is for him.
So he tends to spend it straight away rather than saving it for when he might really want something. This tends to backfire on him when we go out for a day trip somewhere though and he doesn't have any money to buy what he wants.
I think it's mainly down to his impulstivity with his ADHD, but he has to overcome that or how will he go as an adult?
Anyway enough about me lol

**cissylu** · 03-28-2008, 10:03 PM

that is very smart of you.this is a awesome story thank you.

**suzysaver** · 03-29-2008, 03:22 AM

Good for you. They just don't teach this in school...and why is it, we have to wait until we owe and are deep in debt years later, before we learn this valuable lesson. Smart kid and will be more money wise from an early start, as it should be.