HOW TO GET YOUR WHOLE FAMILY INVOLVED IN SAVING MONEY
Bribery
No, don’t offer money to help you clip coupons, but do let them in on the fact that the more they help and save, the better off their chances are of getting what they want and need. Perhaps set a savings goal that is equivalent to the new pool out back, or the luxury vacation they all want.
Take Them With You
Don’t just go shopping and come home excited about your deals found. Take them with you so they too can watch the number drop when you begin giving the cashier your coupons. Get them involved and show them what you have saved.
Give Them An Allowance
Giving your kids an allowance and responsibilities will help them to realize the value of their dollars. Give them a weekly allowance then require that they use it for part of their weekly expenses. Make them pay for their lunch, bus fare or other similar things out of that allowance. This will help them understand the value of a dollar.
Use A Change Jar
It may sound old school, but it often works wonders. Set out a large jar for everyone to put their change into. Empty pockets daily and put all the change you collect into this jar. At the end of the year dump it out, roll the coins and see how much money you have saved.
Make It A Competition
Challenge each person in your family to save a set amount of money. You can create a competition by seeing who can save the most in a specific time period, or who can save a set amount first. This is a great healthy competition way to get them thinking about how they spend their money on a daily basis.
Get your whole family involved in saving money this year by using these tips. Often it simply takes making them become more aware of their spending habits to see results really happen. Use incentives, competition and reminders to keep everyone on track. A family that saves money together is an excellent way to teach the kids better financial responsibility that will be needed as they grow.
Hi Esther! I rarely use coupons and am wondering about how much on average you actually pay per week for everything your family eats and drinks. I shop at Amelia’s, an Amish bulk food store, get my milk from a farm, and any remaining items at Yoders. I stock up on meat when it goes on sale, do canning and freezing, and pretty much make ever thing we eat. There are 8 people in our family. The baby nurses so he is free. 🙂 I spend $200 -230 a week. I’m just trying to see if it’s possible to save even more. Thanks so much!
Hey Juanita, thanks for taking time to comment. To answer your question I would say I spend around $50 per week on groceries and that is for 4 people which 2 of those are a 6 & 9 year old girls. Like you I also buy meat like chicken by the case when it is on sale. I then shop at Aldi for staple pantry items that I need each week. I also get fresh fruits and veggies at Aldi. And then when there is a sale at stores like Weis and Giant I stock up and buy as much as possible. Over time this has allowed me to create a stockpile. I love the gas reward program at Giant and this week for example there is a moneymaking deal when you buy paper plates. I plan to buy enough plates for all the picnics and times we have company over in the next year. This may mean buying 10 or more packs but then I won’t be buying plates again for a long time. Giant also has a deal on blocks of cream cheese and I was able to score 7 blocks for only $0.06 each. The exp. date is through June 2015 so I won’t need to buy cream cheese again for awhile. I hope this makes a least a little sense?
Wow! That’s impressive. So I should be able to do it for at least $100 if not less. I’ve never been to Aldi because it’s not close but perhaps it would pay me to run. I’ve just recently started shopping at amelia’s so I may notice a drop there but that’s more hit and miss. Thanks so much! You gave me a new challenge!
Please don’t feel like you have to get to numbers like I gave. I don’t want you to read that and feel like you need to save more on groceries. I feel that the Gaint gas deals are really what helps me save so much. I think you are doing awesome for the amount of people you are feeding. It must pay to run to Aldi at least for some people because I often see Amish there who paid a driver and they are buying HUGE heaping carts of groceries and then load everything into a trailer. It really is a sight to see 🙂 I hope you find good buys at Amelia’s. Just think what you would be spending a week if you were walking into a name brand grocery store and paying full price for everything. A penny saved is a penny earned 🙂
My kids are a little young to be able to do most of these things, but they are already very aware that we don’t often buy things unless they are on sale or we have a coupon. In fact, I find it amusing to watch them play and buy things with “coupons”. I truly hope that even if they don’t use coupons as adults, that watching us spend our money carefully will help set a good pattern for them.
Thanks for taking time to leave a comment! I love watching my kids play with coupons too. The girls now are old enough to figure out if there is a price tag hanging at items and have pretty much figured out if they are going to beg for something special it better have a sale tag hanging there.