Frugal Friday: Teaching Kids

I sat here thinking, what I am going to post for Frugal Friday this week? I’m not feeling particularly frugal this week as I have spent a bit of money on getting things done that need to be done. I did comparision shop and do what I could to save money, but…

Then, tonight, on the way home from the store, I asked munchkin if she wanted a Happy Meal from McDonalds. (Now, see, I really didn’t feel like making dinner tonight, so I was trying to get out of it.) Her reply, “No, thanks. I’d rather eat at home.” What, a kid not wanting a Happy Meal? But, it’s the next part that really cracked me up.

“Mommy, when is the 99 cent night? That’s when we should really get a Happy Meal. It’s too expensive if it’s not 99 cent night.” I guess I’ve said that a lot, huh? No, she isn’t always like that, but it got me thinking that teaching our kids to be frugal really does help in the long run.

We can’t just say, “because I said so.” We need to teach them the value of money. We need to teach them why we don’t spend money on this and that. We also need to allow them to make some mistakes with their own money, so they can learn the value of money on their own.

Most importantly, we need to lead by example. If our kids see us friviously spending money, they will be more likely to spend money like it grows on trees. If they see us budgeting and searching for the best deals, they will be more likely to do the same.

Munchkin has learned that she can often have what she wants if she’s willing to wait for a good deal. She knows that I’m unlikely to buy something that she wants at full price, but if we wait for it to go on clearance, she might just get that something.