Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Ways To Stop Kids From Spending Too Much

By Alix Montoya

These days, more and more kids are falling for marketing tactics that encourage them to spend more of their money on things that they see everywhere. Expensive clothes and hi-tech gadgets are just some of the things that you'd find on every other kids' wish list. In fact, the percentage of teenage consumers seem to be increasing every passing day.

Believe it or not, your role as a parent is actually vital if you want to teach your child about handling money responsibly. There are a lot of lessons about being a more responsible and discerning consumer that only you can impart on your young ones and this is something that they would be able to use until they've grown up.

You have to show your children that money doesn't magically appear on trees and that you actually have to work hard to get some of it. The best way for them to learn this is by having a job on their own. If your kids are old enough, tell them work hard for money or start a business of their own in Texas craft shows. Kids appreciate money more if they worked hard for it.

Save up. Sit your kids down and talk to them about having a savings account. Tell them that saving up is not an act of masochistic deprivation, but an act of insightful preparation. Discuss it with them and make sure that you make them feel like an adult in the decision. It helps make them more mature when it comes to making decisions for themselves.

Another great idea is to teach them how to budget their cash. This is a great way to allocate portions of their allowance or earnings, if you've convinced them to have a job, for certain things that they might find necessary in everyday life. It also makes sure that they're always saving something after a regular period of time.

Those are only a few ideas on how to teach your kids financial responsibility. But don't forget, the best way to lead is by example, so don't go preaching all these around to your teens and then indulging in whole day shopping sprees for yourself.

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