Trying To Frugally Raising Kids

I consider myself a frugally balanced guy!  If there is a way that I can save a buck, without too much hassle, you can bet I’ll try it.  So I don’t wear expensive clothes.  If you were to see me working around my house, you’d think I didn’t have much money and was just scraping by.  I’m the type of guy that will try to make my things last as long as possible.  Even at the expense of the aesthetics of the possession.

So, you’d think that I’d be just as cheap with my family, trying to get my kids to wear there shoes and clothes as long as possible, but this is not so…  I try to get my kids involved in as many sports or extra activities as possible.  I also like to buy them new shoes whenever theirs gets old or too dirty looking.  I try to encourage my wife to make my kids the most healthy meals as possible too (I may have to start cooking a bit more, for this to happen).  I do make my kids buy their own stuff, since they get an allowance.  If it wasn’t for our kids, we wouldn’t have gone to Disney last year…

So what are the Reasons that I’m “less frugal” when it comes to my kids?

• They only get to be a kid once!  So I try to make it the best I can for them.
• My son and daughter’s health is very important to me, so I get new shoes when they need them, and try to make sure they get good nutrition.
• My kids are exceptionally good kids.  They are both a joy to be around, so I try to cut them some slack.
• My wife is the hard one on them, so I try to buffer out the strictness, life should be fun.
• I want my kids to have the opportunities I didn’t have as a kid.
• It’s a different world then when I was a kid, now kids just have more things…

 This is a very tempting area to let “lifestyle creep” get out of control.  I know as my kids get older they will get more expensive.  I’m already starting to think about starting to save money for a car for each of them.  Not to mention the cost of insurance each car will add.  This will be a battle that I will be fighting with myself on.

 I do know if you plan early (I did this with their college saving accounts; it can become a more manageable task).  The trick is to treat future kid expenses as any regular expense early.  If you are young and just starting your family, sock away money in a fund for child expenses now.  Trusts me, it will come in handy later down the road!

I’m trying to achieve the best balance as possible when it comes to being frugal with my kid’s activies and needs.  Luckily, my kids don’t ask for much 🙂

-D