HomeEconomiser Newsletter Articles — Kids and Money

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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?

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!