Spending

Where and how to save
Back to School
Sale items – not necessarily a bargain!
Do you borrow books? Why not borrow toys, too?
Children's parties and the gifts that go along with them!
Receive several magazines for the price of one.
Children are strongly influenced by brands of all kinds
Be a smart consumer!
Is this something you really "need"?

Where and how to save

Here are some ways to help you save some of your hard-earned money without feeling deprived.

Clothing

• Take advantage of sales.
• Visit second-hand shops and church bazaars to find some really great deals.
• If you have young children, why not organize a clothing swap with friends and family? It's also a great way to get together and have fun.

Leisure

• Some movie theatres offer weekday or weekend matinée discounts.
• Do you like to ski? Find out about promotions. During the week, some ski resorts charge less, offer two for one specials or have discounts for ladies.
• Video stores often mail out coupons. Use them the next time you rent a game or movie.
• Instead of buying books, borrow them from your local library.

Groceries

• Clip the coupons in the store flyers but make sure that you actually need the items. If you don't, it really isn't a bargain!
• Plan your meals according to weekly store specials. Some flyers even print a recipe next to the featured promotion.
• Don't go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.
• Buy the fruits and vegetables that are in season: they cost less.

Happy saving!

With August is already upon us, it will soon be time to think about going back to school and getting the supplies your child will be needing.

The following tips will help you get through this hectic time without losing your shirt.

• Read the school supply list carefully and, together with your child, decide what can be recycled from previous years. (e.g.: scissors, geometry set, glue stick, etc.)
• Watch for sales and take advantage of promotions.
• Stock up on loose-leaf paper, notebooks and pencils. Kids often run low after Christmas vacation.
• Let your children pick some things they like. They'll look forward to working with their new supplies.

Have a good time!

Like adults, children are targeted a great deal by television, newspaper and magazine advertising. Young people are an important target market, since they influence their parents' purchasing decisions and are tomorrow's consumers. Stores use a lot of different ways to sell their products. Often, they'll put the emphasis on the amount of discount offered: Savings of $XX.

Discounts, as attractive as they may seem, do not represent real savings if they entice you to buy something that you don't really need, that you don't necessary like or that you simply shouldn't be buying at this particular time.

As parents, you want your children to become savvy consumers and avoid making bad purchases. Here are a few questions that can help your kids make smart choices.

• Do I really like it?
• Do I really need it?
• Do I only want it because it's in style?
• Do the product features correspond to what I'm looking for?

Even sale items require a little bit of forethought!

Do you borrow books? Why not borrow toys, too?

There is a tremendous variety of toys and games out on the market, enough to satisfy kids of all ages. The toys and games our children want so badly sometimes turn out to interest them only for a short while and quickly end up at the back of the toy closet.

We live in a time where every dollar counts. Before buying a toy or game, why not try borrowing it for a short period of time?

There are organizations which have put in place toy and game lending services in many towns and cities. If this service is not available in your area, ask your family members, friends or work colleagues if they have the game you're looking for and if they would be willing to lend it to you. This way you'll be able to determine if it will hold your child's interest for a matter of hours, for days or for years.

Is it worth buying? That's for you to determine.

Children's parties and the gifts that go along with them!

Your child has a social life too and will probably be invited to a friend or schoolmate's birthday party at some point. As we all know, birthday parties mean presents!

You may be wondering how to choose the right gift at the right price. Ask your child about the friend's personality and what he or she might like. The relationship between your child and the birthday boy or girl will determine how much to spend on the gift: you could spend $15 for your child's best friend and $10 for a classmate. You could also fix an amount to give to your child, who can then add some of his or her allowance to buy a bigger gift. Just be sure that your child understands the importance of spending reasonably.

Receive several magazines for the price of one.

Does your child want to subscribe to kids' magazines just like the rest of his friends? To reduce the cost of magazine subscriptions, why not suggest that he and his friends make a list of the magazines they would all like to receive. Each set of parents can then get their child a subscription to one of the magazines, which all the children can share among themselves. This way your child can read all the magazines he wants without it costing you a fortune.

Children are strongly influenced by brands of all kinds

Advertising has a major impact on our teens. Designer clothes are a way for them to define their style and affirm their image. Obviously, name brands cost more. Tell them about the hidden costs you pay when you purchase those designer brands, compared to similar clothes of the same quality.

If they still want the specific brand, why not ask them to contribute financially to the purchase? Offer a "floor price" and get your teens to cover the difference.

If they help pay for their own clothes, maybe they'll take better care of them...

Be a smart consumer!

As consumers, we acquire or use goods or services. And we have to pay for them. To teach your children about making enlightened choices and comparisons, take them window-shopping. Talk with them about basic consumer concepts such as durability, usefulness, price, colour and brand. This is a perfect subject for discussion with children between the ages of 9 and 12.

Is this something you really "need"?

Children learn the value of money very fast. But the notion of "need" is something else! "What's a need?" they may ask. Or "Are we supposed to buy only essentials or is it OK to buy things just for fun sometimes?" Ask your children to make a list of what they consider their essential needs. Then talk with them about real needs like eating, drinking, sleeping, clothing and housing, as compared to less essential things.