Spending Wisely

Spending Wisely

"Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want to impress people they don't like." (Will Rogers)

I think that here in the US, it is very easy to fall into the trap of living on credit. The power of plastic is undeniable. Personally, I did not have a credit card until I started working. Even then, I made sure to pay the full balance each time. This is something that DH and I continue to do until now. We're not "ideal" customers for banks and credit card companies because they do not earn interest from our use of credit card. In fact, they even end up paying us for using their credit card. We use a cash back program that gives us cash return at the end of the year for a percentage of the purchases we have made.

My husband and I feel strongly that we have to teach our kids financial responsibility. We don't usually give our kids an allowance. We don't pay them for chores around the house. Chores is something we all need to do. Being part of the household means taking part in the fun times and the not so fun times. If mom and dad don't get paid to clean the house, then the kids shouldn't expect to get paid either. Anyway, re: allowance, there really hasn't been any need to give any of our children an allowance. However, we felt that it was time now to start teaching our eldest son to be responsible with money. He now has a weekly allowance. It's a small amount, almost just a token amount but I told him that he needs to set aside some amount as tithe, another for savings and the rest he is free to spend as he wishes. I've also given him simple ledger paper where he can keep track of the money he has received and the money he has spent. It's only been 4 weeks but I think he's getting the hang of it.

I'm really hoping that by doing this, good habits will form early on. When he starts to work, I want him to instinctively set aside money for the church and for savings. I don't want him or any of our children to grow up and fall into debt that they can't get out of. I want to teach them to make wise choices in their spending habits. I've heard of young people who have had to get car title loans Nebraska offers with APRs that are like 300%. It sounds so ridiculous but when you need the money, you grab at whatever is dangled in front of you. I hope that my children will never find themselves in such circumstances.

This is a life skill that I am glad I am finding time to teach my son.

Spring Cleaning

Spring Cleaning

I was doing my chores this morning when the kids decided they wanted to help me. I gave them each a rag and asked them to take charge of wiping and dusting. Of course, DD3 had to get in on the action too so she was right there with me as I vacuumed. Having her "clean" with me actually kept me on my toes. She moves quickly and thus can get into trouble rather quickly too. I think she may be the most effective of any weight loss products available in the market today! LOL!

As we were cleaning together, I just had to stop and smile. This is precisely how I want my family to be like. I want my family to enjoy being together, doing things together even if it is simply doing chores. I look at my girls really enjoying helping me. It may not last long but in their young minds, I think they know that this is part of being family.

After they wiped in the stairs, they declared that they were tired and did not want to clean anymore. As I washed their dirty rags in the sink, DD2 said, "Thanks for letting us help you clean, Mom."

Kids do enjoy helping their parents. And when they see that their help is much appreciated and valued, they are more likely to want to help again. I don't know where the idea that the moms should do all the work come from. Yes, the bulk of house work does fall on the mom or whoever stays at home to take care of the kids and home. But it does not mean that she cannot enlist the help of her kids.

One late afternoon, I felt like I kept asking DS to throw this away, to put this back, to clean this up, etc. I managed to check myself as I did not want him to feel like I was asking him to do everything. The next time I asked him to throw some recyclables in the bin, I prefaced my request with a "one last request..." He smiled at me lovingly and said, "Mom, it does not have to be the last one." And my heart melted.

I was so worried that I was encroaching on his play time that I did not realize that he was enjoying dong these things with me.

I am truly blessed.