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HomeEconomiser Newsletter Articles — Kids and Money

Welcome to the subscriber only newsletter archive — a compilation of every newsletter article that we’ve written since 2003 along with exclusive previews of new book content. We’ve covered every household expense from groceries to housing to pets and more. Have fun searching for money saving ideas —and let us know about your financial victories too!

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  • 09/2009
    The 5/50/500 Money Rule

    Preparing your child to live an independent life may not be on the top of your to-do list, but if you knew the impact of the 5/50/500 money rule, you’d want to get started today. Here’s how we first learned about it.

     

  • 07/2009
    music lessons

    Music lessons and kids seem to go hand in hand — two of our five kids play instruments . . . the others play the radio. Over the years we’ve searched and landed some really good deals on instruments and also found some awesome instructors. Subscriber Donna Korzun from Dowagiac, Michigan offers some of her ideas (with our comments in italics) on how to get the most out of your musical instrument money . . . hey, these ideas don’t just apply to kids — some of you play instruments also.

  • 07/2009
    Ready to leave the nest

    No matter how long ago it’s been, everyone who has ever given birth, adopted or just loved a child fondly remembers the many firsts. Their first smile, the day they first rolled over, their first steps and their first plaster hand print . . . do you remember? The years rush past in a blur until those cuddly babies want fewer cuddles from us and are preparing to face the world on their own.

  • 03/2009
    Stop sign

    Americans are infatuated — maybe even obsessed — with people who have what we don’t. The media encourages our coveting by presenting a steady diet of lifestyles of the apparently rich and famous in magazines, on TV’s celebrity news and on Internet sites. We dress like celebrities, talk like them and may secretly aspire to live like them.

     

  • 01/2009
    brown bag lunch

    Gas prices may have come down a bit, but other prices haven’t. Using some of these simple money saving ideas will help you put more money in the bank to protect your family against the uncertain times ahead.

  • 01/2009
    wish lists

    We’ve always made lists: chore lists, errand lists, to-do lists, projects lists, possible baby-names lists, financial goals lists, Christmas lists — and the lists go on and on. But years ago, when we were “dirt poor,” we started doing something that has stuck with us to help avoid impulsive and costly purchases. It has also helped us to stay focused on what we really want and has given our kids and us great satisfaction. It’s something we call a wish list.

     

  • 01/2009
    money in savings envelope

    By Abbey Economides

  • 11/2008
    expensive Gym shoes

    I was surprised to get my Home Economiser newsletter in September and see my note that I sent a few months ago. (Sybil had read our book, and with her husband had quickly paid off two large debts and built some savings. Two months later her husband lost his job).

  • 07/2008
    Kids and Money

    It was a Tuesday — 99-cent scoop night at Baskin Robbins. Several Boy Scout adult leaders were sitting and talking at a table while the kids were getting ice cream. One dad looked at Steve and said, “My 16-year-old daughter has put a full-court press on me to give her a car. All of her friends at school are getting them — and we’re not talking used Chevys — it’s more like BMWs. What do you do for your kids when it comes to cars?”

  • 05/2007
    My Family sign

    If you have observed the business world for even a little while, you’ve seen how businesspeople  structure their operations to guarantee success. They have business plans, projected budgets, quarterly reports, annual reports, five-year plans, boards of directors, employee committees, project meetings and most importantly, profits. Some of us may cringe at the structure required to manage a successful business, but without these checks and balances, most businesses would fall into disarray and eventually close their doors.

  • 05/2007
    garage sale signs

    It’s summertime and every weekend you’ll see the signs—“Huge Garage Sale,” “Monster Yard Sale,” “Moving Sale” or simply just “SALE” scrawled across neon-colored poster board. More than 60 million of us shop at garage sales, spending close to $1 billion each year. We’ve hosted dozens of garage sales—single-family, multiple-family and huge fund-raiser sales. Each time, we’ve fine-tuned our strategies and improved our execution. You can make money, but without careful planning and preparation, you’ll spend more than you’d like to pay physically, emotionally and financially.

  • 01/2006
    Kids clothing wars

    Often interviewers ask us how we manage to maintain a thrifty lifestyle and still have happy, well-dressed kids. Our kids do dress well and feel good about the clothes they buy and wear. We believe that the better you dress, the better you’ll be treated. For many families, the battle over kids’ clothing rages on. Faced with peer pressure, movies, TV and ubiquitous ads, how can you dress your kids well while spending less money?

  • 09/2005
    Suggested Toy List

    Our suggested Toy List compiled from our experience with five kids and over 20 years of teaching kids in church, clubs and scouts. It accompanies the article "Toy Stories" which you can read here

    Our list is also available as an MSWord Doc and as a .pdf at the bottom of this page

  • 07/2005
    kid in hammock

    Our dear friend Lyn Haberstock from Phoenix, AZ shares some ideas for surviving the summer with kids.

    We use summer for fun and relaxation, but also work projects and training in the care and management of a home. If the kids had their way, it would be sleeping half the day, playing the rest and, of course, being waited upon hand and foot!

  • 06/2005
    bag of clothing

    Donna Brooks from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, describes her five saving strategies for clothing her family inexpensively:

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