I’ve stated here before that for much of my 20s was an unqualified financial disaster. And since I’d like my kids not to repeat my mistakes – or at least, not to the same degree – it makes me a very happy mom when I see them making good choices with the meager amount of money that passes through their hands.
I talk to the boys about earning, spending, saving, and sharing and give them real-life examples of what things cost to help them appreciate the value of a dollar.
But I admit, I haven’t involved them much in shopping. Maybe because when you have five kids, going to the store with all of them at once just seems like punishment? Plus, my boys have never been too picky about what they wear, and it’s overwhelming enough trying to keep track of multiple supply lists without kids swarming around.
But this year I received a challenge from Women & Co, a financial website for women from Citi: help the kids make a back-to-school budget, take them with me to the store, and have them make some of the decisions about what to buy.
I realized that, especially as my big boys get older and pickier about what they want to wear and use, shopping together can be a great opportunity for them to learn just how far a dollar will get you.
To sweeten the deal, Women & Co/Citi provided me with 10 $50 gift cards to use and share with my readers. I gave each boy a $50 gift card for clothes, and reserved a fifth $50 gift card for supplies. I decided to take the kids in two groups – the oldest two boys, then the youngest – to keep chaos levels at a minimum.
Here’s how it went down:
Supplies:
One of the things I really want my kids to learn is that cheaper and more is not always better. Sure, you can pick up some school supplies super cheap, but if the cover rips off the notebook in a month or the binder completely falls apart before the end of the year, you’ve thrown away your money.
Yes, you can buy glue sticks in bulk, but if the kids aren’t going to use more than two or three this year and the rest dry out, it’s pointless and wasteful.
I was impressed with how well the kids grasped this concept. “How about this notebook?” my son Isaac asked. “The cover seems pretty tough.” He was right, and even though the notebook was a few bucks more than the ultra-cheapo version, I’m confident it will last the whole year.
A note on reusing school supplies: we do usually have a surplus of stuff at the end of the year, which I inventory before I head out shopping. I generally buy the kids new pencils, crayons, and markers, and put the used ones in our at-home art basket (which is usually in need of re-filling anyway), but we often re-use binders, folders that are still in good shape, rulers, protractors, scissors, pencil boxes and even notebooks that have just a few pages used.
This is why I label all re-useable items with our family’s last name only. I am amazed sometimes at the things that have survived to get passed down from kid to kid to kid to kid, starting with my oldest son’s Kindergarten pencil box.
Clothes:
Predictably, William and Owen, my two youngest boys, didn’t care much about their clothes. They each picked out a fun t-shirt and a pair of jeans (on my suggestion) at Target, and chose to spend the rest on new backpacks, which weren’t strictly needed but definitely justifiable as they’ve been using hand-me-down packs from their big brothers for several years.
They were surprised to find out that that wiped out their gift cards, as they had thought $50 was “a WHOLE lot of money”, but were satisfied with what they got.
My oldest son Jacob – who started high school this year – was intent on getting “cool” new clothes. I planned to supplement his gift card since $50 won’t get you very far in the men’s department (yes…sob….my son is now wearing men’s clothes and shoes!), but didn’t tell him right away because I wanted him to really feel the pinch. The most memorable moment was when he was considering a $35 hoodie.
“Do you like it?” I asked.
“Yes,” he answered
“Do you like it $35 dollars worth, plus tax?” I asked.
“I think so…”
“That’s more than three-quarters of your money. You’d have about $10 left,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, never mind.” He ultimately chose an equally-cool hoodie on sale for about $17. I was so proud.
My second-oldest son, who’s in 7th grade, wandered around Target and JCPenney but just didn’t get very excited about anything he saw. Because he has the big-brother hand-me-downs, he’s all set on basics (jeans, etc) but was looking for something a little more fun that expressed his personality.
By the end of the first hour I could see him getting that glazed-over look that told me he was overwhelmed with options and feeling anxious. When this happens to me, I feel compelled to start randomly tossing things into my cart just so I can be done with it all, which isn’t exactly great for the budget.
So I suggested that we shop online as it would be less pressure to buy something just to buy it, and we could spend time comparison shopping.
That turned out to be a great move. We found a novelty t-shirt site that was right up his alley, and by Googling the store’s name + “coupon code” I was able to get 20% off, plus free shipping. Isaac got three funny tees that are perfect for a wise-cracking kid like him and still had a couple bucks left over for a pack of gum or something.
When he bought the shirts, which were a little on the pricey side for t-shirts, I explained to Isaac that he could probably get 4 or 5 shirts for the same amount if we went back to the stores and shopped sales racks. “Would you rather have three shirts you love, or five shirts you kind of like?” I asked.
He chose three shirts he loved, and I think it was a smart decision.
Overall, I was really impressed by some of the choices the boys made, and how quickly they grasped the idea of quality over quantity, what makes something a good value, and how fast $50 can slip through your hands.
I guess what they need now is practice. We all need to flex that money management muscle to make it stronger, and the younger our kids start building it, the better off they’ll be. I’m picturing a lot more educational shopping trips in the future.
If you’re like me, back-to-school shopping isn’t over yet! Those needs keep on trickling in at the beginning of the year, and sometimes costs take you by surprise. To help, I’m giving away 5 $50 Visa gift cards, provided by Citi/Women & Co. Here’s how to enter:
1. Leave a comment here (scroll down to the regular comments box rather than using the Facebook commenting feature.) In particular, I’d love to hear your thoughts on one of the following:
- A recent Women & Co/Parenting.com study found that moms are spending more on their kids’ wardrobes than their own. Does this hold true in your household?
- What is your best tip for keeping school-related expenses down?
- Do you involve your kids in budgeting and/or shopping? Why or why not?
2. For an additional entry, follow Women & Co on Twitter, then come back and leave an additional comment letting me know you did.
3. For a third entry, subscribe to my email list and then leave an additional email letting me know you did. (No spam, I promise!)
the fine print:
Five winners will be chosen at random using the plugin And The Winner Is. Make sure to provide a valid email address in the “email” field when you comment! (email addresses are not viewable to the public.) Once contacted, you will have 48 hours to claim your prize by responding with a mailing address. If you do not respond within 48 hours, the prize may be awarded to another entrant. This contest is open only to adults 18 and older who reside in the United States or Canada. Redemption of gift card is governed by gift card terms. Children should be supervised in the use of gift cards.
Comments on this post will close on Monday, September 17, at 1 PM EST. Winners will be contacted via email by Wednesday, September 19.
Good luck! Can’t wait to hear what you have to say about kids, money, and budgeting.
I know I definitely spend more frequently on the kids’ wardrobe, but when I do shop for myself, I’ll spend more per item and buy more quality things because I will be wearing them a lot longer than the kids will.
What a wonderful idea. I wish my parents had taught me how to budget. My 20′s were much like yours: a financial disaster. I’ve spent my 30′s recovering from that and trying to save at the same time. I plan on teaching my child(ren) how to be good with money right from the start.
So glad I found your blog!
I definitely involve the girls in my shopping. They know if something is not on sale or we don’t have a coupon for it, it’s not happening!
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I probably spend a little more on my kids than myself, but not by much. For back to school this year, I bought my 9 year old daughter two new pair of shoes for under $20 (that’s both, not each), and one of the boys underwear for about $14. My daughter got new to her capris, a skort and a top for $3.50 at the thrift store, and my sons got “new” jeans by shopping each other’s closets. For back to school shopping, we keep expenses down by not falling into the trap that everything must be new each September. Only one kid needed a backback, and I picked up two as a BOGO so we have a second waiting in the wings. No one needed a new lunch tote, and we had enough other supplies in inventory from last year that supplies consisted of 1 notebook, a stapler, and a package of dry erase markers.
I always shop for the latest fashion for my girls, they’re girls.. they’ve gotta look nice:) and I usually wait till income tax to shop for myself unless its just a t shirt here or there, ive got wardrobe from years ago that I still wear and they are always growing!
I usually do not involve my children in budgeting simply because I have 4 boys with the oldest being 8. I do however let them help pick out some of their own stuff with their own money, saved from birthdays (etc.) And kept in their own piggy bank. The piggy bank was their first major lesson in money management last year. At Christmas time they all received money and after a little help they all decided a bank would help them save more money and they used part of their money to buy them each a bank. They also understand that they can’t have everything they want and have learned if they get rid of old stuff (garage sale) they have money to buy new stuff.
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Hmmm…good question. To this point I have been EXTREMELY lucky. One of my sister’s friends has twin girls that are exactly a year older than my oldest. At the end of each season she cleans out their stuff and I benefit! The items then usually get passed to my little one too. Sometimes, I have to shop a little more for my youngest because she is a different season, so she may need a couple of items. But mostly I just have to worry about panties, socks, pj’s and shoes for them. However, if my kids need something they will come first. This goes for food too! Recently, Walmart started carrying Almond Dream yogurt and since my oldest has a milk allergy, it’s nice to be able to get her yogurt! She LOVES it, but it costs $1.68 a container! Nearly $10 for the week. I gave up my one weekly snack AND separate lunch food for me. I started stretching my dinners, so I could eat leftovers, so that I could fit it into the budget. It’s always so hard to see her upset when her sister can easily have a container of Greek yogurt whenever she wants and she could not. It’s a healthy snack I can give her.
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When we shop for clothes, we usually shop at thrift stores, and we try to shop the days there are sales. Last week all kids clothes were 50% off and we got 8 new shirts and some other smaller items for my growing boy for $25. Everything is in almost-new condition. I’ll do the same thing for myself when I need new clothes. Because of this, I don’t really know who spends the most on clothes in our family. I will, someday, involve the kids in budgeting. Right now they are 6, 2, and fetal so it’s not quite time. The six-year old did get an allowance for his birthday, and I’m going to write more about how we decided to instrument that soon.
I think we all need to give our kids better financial awareness and money skills. Good job, Mom!
I have had a really hard time finding good stuff at thrift stores for kids as they get bigger. Especially jeans for the preteen/teenage boys – in fact, our local kids’ consignment stores only go up to size 12 and the Goodwill is usually totally picked over for bigger kid stuff. But for my little boys and my girl, I find a ton of great stuff at low low prices.
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As a mom of four children, I spend WAY more on their wardrobe than mine. I always come last. I want them to be comfortable and confident when they go to school. I have always involved my kids in budgeting on our shopping trips. We compare prices and I teach them to be able to put something back if we find sale items later in the store that give more bang for our buck. At only 4-7 yrs old they already understand what costs “a lot” might not always be the best value or choice.
Jessica, I have five and I know I spend more on my kids than myself, too! I don’t like to think of it as putting myself last, though
I figure they outnumber me and they grow FAST, so it makes sense that I’d spend more on them as a group. BUT, I spend more on individual pieces of clothing for myself than I do for them, because I know I can make a great dress or a pair of good boots last several years while they will probably be grown out of all their stuff within a season 
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My little guy is only 3, so for now my clothes shopping for him consists of t-shirts and shorts/pants from Target for less than $10. He’s still growing so fast I can’t see spending a much more than that on something he’ll outgrow quickly. The quality is still good enough that they last to get passed on to my nephews. For my own clothes, though, I’ve definitely come around to the idea that quality is better than quantity. I wear the same clothes over and over again, so I don’t need to have a ton of options. I’d rather get clothes that fit really well and will last.
We are fortunate to get a lot of clothes for our kids from my mother-in-law, but they are definitely better dressed than I am!!
I absolutely spend more $ on my kids clothes than on mine. I rarely shop for clothes for myself, and they keep growing!
My kids spend their own money on clothes. That way, they are making the decisions on is it worth it or not. When we go to a ‘regular priced’ store – they usually balk, realizing they can get more things that are just at nice for less at the local consignment store.
love your blog! ive started talking about budgeting or the value of money with my 5 year old but shes my oldest so we’re just starting that topic. but thanks for the tips!
I definitely do NOT spend more on my kids’ wardrobe (granted, I don’t buy much for myself, but…). My son gets a lot of hand-me-downs and I try to buy winter coats in the spring, for the next year (and in neutral colors so it can be passed down). My kids go birthday shopping with their grandma each year, and get a fair amount of their summer clothes from her. And we do a lot of shopping at Target and the Children’s Place (on sale). Fortunately my kids aren’t label conscious, and they don’t really care about having the latest fashion – we keep it classic.
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At this point my kiddo is only 3yo so I don’t involve him too much with shopping for his supplies and clothes. But the minute he shows even the slightest understanding of money, I plan to involve him immediately, including shopping with a budget in mind, picking quality and long-lasting over cheap, saving for big-ticket items (including compound interest and matching from his parents) and saving for extremely long-term goals like college savings.
I didn’t make too many mistakes with money, but I didn’t have a very healthy grasp of it when I got a job. I figured money was meant to be spent and that life was measured by stuff. I never got into debt, but I also didn’t have much to show when it came down to savings and goals. Now I know better and want to instill this knowledge in my kid.
Q: A recent Women & Co/Parenting.com study found that moms are spending more on their kids’ wardrobes than their own. Does this hold true in your household?
A: I’m not sure. probably no, but only because I’ve had to do a lot of shopping for maternity and post-maternity clothing and because my post-last-child weight is less than my pre-first-child weight. Otherwise it would be close because I just don’t enjoy spending money on clothes for myself. It actually kinda stresses me out.
Q What is your best tip for keeping school-related expenses down?
A Have systems in place for avoiding replacement due to loss. I built cubbies in my front hall and the school bags go in there immediately upon entering the front door. Lost items are replaced with the child’s own money.
Q Do you involve your kids in budgeting and/or shopping? Why or why not?
A Yes, I find they treat their items with more respect if they have had a say (maybe not the final say) in their selection.
I certainly don’t spend more on my kids and that’s ok. With only two young children of opposite sex, hand me down quality isnt important. They’re going to mess them and out grow them quickly, so I shop thriftily and don’t worry when something gets a stain. I spend more on quality timeless pieces for myself. I’m not changing sizes each season, so the investment is worth it.
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I know I spend more on my son’s wardrobe than I do my own. However, when I buy a piece for myself, I expect it to last. He grows out of his clothes seasonally, so I need to buy him a whole new wardrobe practically every time I turn around. Hand-me-downs have helped keep the cost down, but it still adds up.
Right now I spend more on my own clothes than on my boys; however we spend a lot more on diapers and wipes! I am sure that will change when they get older. I like the idea of involving them in shopping decisions and teaching them about value. For me there are 2 important lessons: lower cost doesn’t always equal value, if it gets wasted/unused or breaks quality ; however brand names doesn’t automatically equal higher quality either.. there’s also overhead cost, marketing costs ..not sure if I can explain those 2 to kids! — and you can get great deals if you wait for sales.
I think it comes out about equal for me. I try to get clothes cheaply for the kids because I want them to be able to play in them without worrying about messing them up. Mostly consignment sales for them. For myself, I don’t shop as often (I’m not growing!), but I do spend much more per item. I do buy more clothes than they need for the kids because I want to only wash when they have full loads.
I definitely spend more on my kids’ clothes – they grow so fast they need new clothes much more often.
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My daughter is still little, so her clothes are relatively inexpensive. That said, I definitely spend way more time and energy on her wardrobe!
I do spend more on my kids collectively because I have three children ages 16, 11, and 4 but I shop sales, consignment, and make sure to inventory what we have before I head out. I also try to use coupons or rewards cards to increase my savings. Up until the last few years my oldest daughter handed clothes down to my youngest but now they are just about the same size. My son still receives hand-me-downs and I only need to buy him basics like underwear, socks, and shoes. I buy very little for myself but when I do I wait for a promotion or sale on something I need and buy quality since I am no longer growing and hope to keep my things for an extended time. Staying out of stores unless necessary helps us to avoid lots of unneeded purchases!
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Oh, yeah. I completely go crazy with my son’s clothes. I swear I won’t, every year, and then I do. Thankfully I just have the one so it’s not TOO terribly horrid!
yes I think I’m definitely spending more on my kids than me these days, their stuff is so much cuter! plus obviouslythey outgrow things and I don’t
I usually shop during special events like black Friday, labor day, tax-free day to save as much as I can
I also take advantages of special deals discounts and coupons
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I spend more on my children than on myself because I can wear most of my clothes from year to year. Also, I stay at home and my children are going to school and I need to have them look their best. I shop for sales, and look online when I can’t find a good deal in the stores. My children are 4 and 6 so I involve them to the extent that I tell them I am waiting to buy them an item until I can find a good deal.
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I probably spend about as much on each, but in either case it isn’t much. We have friends whose kids are perfectly 2 years older than each of mine, and what we don’t get from them my mom is desperate to buy (she’s a bit of a shopper and tells me it’s unfair she doesn’t get to buy all their clothes!) Feeling like as parents we have some responsibility to pay for the things our kids wear, though, we still buy some things ourselves. For me … I learned while pregnant just how little I really need in my wardrobe (hated buying too much maternity stuff I’d wear a total of about 1.5 years of my life) and kept that lesson as the kids aged.
involving kids in shopping – not too much yet but then are 2 and 4. Mostly it comes up in the grocery store where we talk about what we need vs. what we want, and how lots of things that look good aren’t healthy for us. I don’t really talk about cost yet, but I guess you can say I talk about value.
My son is only in Pre-K, but we still shop for all his school supplies when they are on sale during the back-to-school sales. I’m trying to see what he will need next year in KG and buy the supplies on currently on clearance at Target! Otherwise, we “shop” through what we already have at home first. I do try and involve my kids with grocery shopping, which exposes them to buying items on sale and with coupons. Now my 4 y/o knows to ask “is it on sale/do you have a coupon for that?” when looking at things he would like to buy!
I am the mother of 4 (ages 6, 5, 3, 1), and I NEVER shop for clothes for my kids, except underwear and shoes. I am just not a shopper in general, and the children rarely go to a store. It’s just too much to take them all! Other than what my mother-in-law buys for the kids, they wear hand me downs and second hand clothes. We are very fortunate to have several people in our lives who hand down clothing to us, so we are able to get clothes that are in excellent condition. I grew up in a VERY thrifty home, and I have no problem dressing my kids this way. I really have no interest in them having brand names or trendy clothes. We have not really gotten to the place where they receive allowances or that we discuss money at all.
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I do the same thing you do with school supplies – only label them with the last name! Same reason: multiple kids, and there’s no sense in spending money on school supplies that you already have.
I always buy extra school supplies at the beginning of the year. It’s a lot more cost efficient to stock up on notebooks, etc. when they’re all on sale then to run out and buy new every time my kids need something in the middle of the year.
Due to financial necessity, I’ve also taken to buying almost all of our clothes at second-hand stores — and found out that we can get some really great stuff there! We did the bulk of our back-to-school clothes shopping at Goodwill, and for less than $100, my oldest got a virtually new (to him) wardrobe (and some of it was, quite literally, new, w/ tags attached!) Boy #2 got at least 1 shirt, #3 got a couple of shirts, #4 got some shirts and pants and I got a new light sweater vest. We also got some new cups and a kids’ baseball bat that normally retails for $100.
We also talk about it — if we buy our clothes there, vs. other places, we’ll have more money to spend on other things. I think my kids get it.
Unfortunately it is true in my life. I spend way more on my daughter than I do or would consider spending on clothes for myself. I feel as though if my child looks great then so do i
If I do & she doesn’t, pitiful & selfish is what I’d feel.
I was just saying to my husband last nite that my boys have a better wardrobe then me. so its true in my house
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I do spend more on my kids wardrobes–but mostly b/c I hate shopping so I can go years without buying myself something new. The kids grow out of theirs and therefore MUST get something new. I don’t include the kids in budgeting as much as I should. My oldest is 8, I guess it’s time. To keep expenses down, I shop the back-to -school sales and buy clothes for the next year at the end of this year’s season. I.e. My daughter is stocked for next summer with clearance educated guess clothes.
HAHAHAHA!!! NO not AT ALL. My kids wear almost exclusively hand me downs from my friends. As in, my oldest is 3 and I already have two giant tubs in my attic already full of 4T and 5T clothes from friends. I LITERALLY spend maybe $50 on both of them ALL year. And that’s a big maybe.
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My kids are too young to be involved in shopping yet, but I really appreciated this post. I remember that when I was a teenager, in high school, one of my good friends had a what I thought was a VERY BIG allowance. But her parents would only get her the school supplies at the beginning of the year and then she would have had to use her allowance to buy clothes, go to the movies or anything else she needed or wanted. And I think it is a very good way to go. She did learn to be responsible with her money, to save to buy what she really wanted, etc..
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To keep costs down, we buy used clothes (eBay or yard sale) and also use hand-me-down clothes from friends — which we then give to other friends after we are finished.
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My biggest back to school shopping advice is don’t do it! The only thing I bought this year was a back pack for my 7 year old son because he was still using the same one since he was three and while we could of used it for a few more months, his snow pants would not fit in that tiny pack. There really is no need for new clothes and our kids don’t need any school supplies – the school provides all of them. If we won the $50 gift card we would use it to buy new sneakers when the ones from last school year get two small. There is a difference between WANTING new clothes and NEEDING sneakers because of bigger feet. ( I already get your emails).
I spend way more on my daughter then myself! She is aleays outgrowing and needing new ones but i shop sales!
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I definitely spend more money on my clothing. Working full-time, I need higher quality items and “2 wardrobes” of sorts. For the kids, hand-me-downs always abound, and the quality doesn’t have to be very high for it to last a few months (at the rate they grow). I actually mostly boycott Target clothing for myself (quality too low/clothing is always falling apart), but I often find kid kid clothing at thrift store prices. So I don’t do much thrift shopping these days – just hit Target – to round out their wardrobes or to give them something new once in a while (particularly the youngest who does drown in hand-me-downs – I picked up a few $2 clearance items just the other day).
Admittedly, their school has a uniform policy, which I HATE. But MIL loves to buy them clothes, and they like to wear shorts most the year. which they outgrow very slowly. So that hasn’t impacted the budget too much – we also try to do laundry every other day so we need less uniforms. Overall, I think the uniform policy is anti-frugal. Which is why it annoys me, because it is pushed to hide financial inequality. With messy rough and tumble boys, the idea of only having one uniform and wearing it every day, is a total laugh. !!
I definitely spend more on the kids, they grow so fast that every year we have to start all over with the basics.
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I will say that I spend about equal on my clothes versus my kids clothes – but that is mostly because my wardrobe needed serious revamping after 3 years of pregnancy. (I’ve got children 360 days apart). But it makes sense to me why people spend more on kids clothes than their own, as they grow out of stuff and we (hopefully) don’t! I try to buy staples for my wardrobe to carry me from year to year, and then get few fun things to feel like a got new things each season.
As for keeping costs down, I do a LOT of hand me downs. I’ve got a great relationship with friends, and we trade clothes all around. And, I’m on a moms list, just yesterday I got a bag of 23 pairs of 5T pants for $34. Yes, 23 pairs of pants is a lot… But whe they are used, I find that knees blow out fastens, so it’s good to have the back ups (and the woman was willing to sell the whole bag for a cheaper price that peice by piece).
I also subscribe to wittlebee – I get a box of brand new clothes once a month. Its cheap, but you don’t get to pick the clothes. You do get to give color preferences and taste.
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I definitely spend more on my kids’ clothes than my own! I try to be conservative and shop consignment and eBay for a lot of stuff but it seems like there are always things they need at the last minute that we can’t scrimp and save on. Ugh!
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I have started letting the kids shop for their clothes. Training my daughter to only buy what she loves so she won’t have a closet full of clothes she doesn’t wear. Love the idea of getting them a card so they have to budget!
I spend more on myself than on my kids because my MIL is a fantastic bargain shopper and buys all the kids’ clothes.
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I spend about the same on my kids’ clothes and mine. We have been blessed with hand me downs in great condition from family so we just supplement that with a few items per season and they’re set! I frequently let my 3 and 5 year olds help with shopping (picking out produce or a snack) and they get allowance every week that they can spend on whatever they want. That’s been a lot of fun and is actually saving me money! Instead of me deciding whether or not I feel like buying them something on a given day, I just ask them I’d they have enough money for it. There’s also that wonderful opportunity for them to spend all their money on a candy machine and not have any left for a toy.
I loved this article and the focus put on quality over quantity. I’m a recovering penny-pincher and still have to resist the urge to buy the cheapest of everything
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I do spend more on the kids. I don’t know why- well, with 4 kids it’s easy because they all have different styles and maybe I like shopping for Ivy a little too much…
I love fashion but I guess I’m not growing like they are and I can make my wardrobe stretch through the seasons/years a bit more.
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Yes, I fall into the category of Moms who spend more on clothes for the kids than for myself. Partially because I am a SAHM and have my comfy basics that I wear over and over, and the kids just won’t. stop. growing!
My son’s school has a wonderful program in which you can order the next year’s school supply kit at the end of the year. This means no trips to the supply section trying to get the best deal, no add-on items (like we need another pack of crayons anyway!), and no added trips to search for that one elusive item on the list (orange pocket folder with brads!). I compared what I spent one year shopping for supplies on my own with this program, and it was comparable enough that it’s well worth it.
My older son gets a weekly allowance, which we tied to his performance in school rather than the chores he does around the house. Half of it goes into savings and the other half is for him to do with as he pleases. When he wants to spend some, I ask him if he’s sure, and remind him that he will be starting from 0 if there is something else he has his eye on. He has done very well with this.
Thanks for the chance
If I win, I think I’ll buy myself some new clothes 
Teaching budget is a big deal at our house. My husband and I work on explaining price and the concept of value as often as we can to our 5 year old who is starting to pick it up. Some things aren’t worth their $25 price tag while others might be a bargain at that same price. For new clothes my son knows that we try to wait for coupons or sales to our favorite stores where we join the loyalty programs. We trade clothes back and forth with some friends and supplement with a few key new pieces. Since we have a boy pants and shoes are often new since they wear out. Only fully price purchase this year – a special hoodie.
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