Games and Shows Teaching Kids About Money

Here is a really helpful article from TVO Parents giving some advice on educational shows to help children understand the concepts of money at a young age.

All TVOKids shows and game are based upon Ontario elementary school curriculum, making it your one-stop-shop for digital tools to support your child’s learning. Be sure to check out the hundreds of shows, games and apps TVOKids has to help you help your child succeed in school and in life.

• Carney The Coin Counting Cat Your kids can learn their coins and practice counting with this TVOKids show aimed at preschoolers.
• Tumbleweed Shops School-aged kids can learn about how far money goes watching Tumbleweed go on a shopping spree.
• Learning Decimals Teacher Troy teaches kids all about decimals in money numbers in this video lesson.
• Learn to Count This online game helps kids learn how to count up coins while having fun at the same time.
• Tumbletown Mathletics Your child can test his or her skills for math and fractions by playing Tumbletown Mathletics online.
• Coin Spot Game This online game teaches kids to recognize Canadian coins, after they’ve had to fun of searching for them hidden in a room!

Source: http://tvoparents.tvo.org/article/games-and-shows-teaching-kids-about-money

Teens and a Budget: Is There Such a Thing?

Not only are young children expensive, but holy crap those teens can cost you too! I never realized how expensive I was back in the day, but now that I am aware I found this for you parents out there. Keep that wallet lined, my friends and thank Tamara Wilson from Mommyland.

If you have teenagers, then you know how expensive they are. The old saying that small children need small things and big children need bigger things certainly is true. But, can you successfully set a budget with your teenagers? Of course, you can. It may not be easy, at first, but it is certainly doable. There are a few tips and tricks to setting and keeping a budget when you have teenagers.

It’s All about Communication

If you are determined to set a budget and stick with it, be sure to include your teens in the conversation. Implementing a budget and not letting them in on it, is like pulling the proverbial rug out from underneath them. You cannot expect good results if everyone is not on the same page.

Start out by letting your teens know that you are implementing a budget. Sit down with them and your spreadsheets if necessary and show them what the bills of the house look like. If you do not feel comfortable showing them what the monetary intake of the household is, that is just fine.

Be certain to let them know how much money you need to make up at the end of the month and what your thoughts are as to what needs to be cut. Sit down and have a round-table discussion, letting everyone know you will have a meeting to discuss the budget.

Get Control of Your Kid Stuff with Consignment Stores

Your kids can be expensive. Especially with clothing because they grow up too darn fast. Thankfully, SimplyFrugal.ca has a handy article with some tips to keep kid costs down.

As a Mom of six kids, I rely on hand-me downs to stretch my budget. But sometimes an item doesnʼt get “worn out” enough by the time the last child has outgrown it.  And what about the oldest — where can I get hand-me-downs for her?  The solution: childrenʼs consignment stores!

Consignment stores are gold mines for the de-cluttering Mom.  Buy and sell all types of childrenʼs gear: clothing, toys, footwear, swings, strollers, high chairs, books, tapes — in other words, the works. They are an fantastic place to get barely used childrenʼs clothes, often with the tags still on, for a fraction of the price.

Consignment stores work by selling gently used items for you, and keeping a portion of the price (usually around half.) Unlike thrift stores, they pre-screen and organize all the merchandise into a shopper friendly format, making them a super go-to resource for the frugal parent.

Here are some tips to make your consignment shopping and selling, something youʼll be doing again and again.

Research your Store’s Policies

Before you bring your items in, either phone or drop by to see what your local storeʼs policies are. For some stores you need an appointment, and others are drop in. Find out if they pay you up front for the items they take, or after they sell. Most stores have a limit on the amount you can bring in at one time, and the type of items they will take, so check ahead to avoid aggravation and a wasted trip.