5 Best Holiday Money Lessons Our Kids Should Know

It's the season of joy and spending time with family & friends; you can also use it to teach your children valuable money lessons.

Children are counting down the days until the arrival of the man on the sleigh. While there may be a gift or two waiting under the tree, there’s one valuable gift no child should go without – learning the value of money.

Try these lessons at home with your kids to help them learn more about budgeting and spending.

Five Money Lessons For The Holidays

Lesson #1: Stay Focused

It’s clear that stores want us to spend more money during the holiday season. Ads and stores will appeal to our senses to make displays look, smell, feel, taste, and sound like the holidays. To make things worse, sales are always for a limited time only.

Money lessons for kids:

• Teach your kids to recognize tactics used to get us to purchase things on impulse.
• If they’re interested in making a purchase, require that they take at least a day to think about it.
• Remind them to only purchase what’s on their shopping list when out and about.

Lesson #2: We Can’t Have Everything We Want

Kids (and adults) learn this lesson the hard way, but even Santa has limited resources. When it comes to the holidays, it’s important to remind your children that choices will need to be made to stick to the budget.

Money lessons for kids:

• Allow your kids to begin making their own choices when it comes to their money.
• If they can’t afford something, have them decide whether they’ll save up for it or buy something they can afford instead.
• Have them purchase small items they need with their own money.

Lesson #3: Get Creative

We’re often encouraged to get creative to get the most out of our limited resources. Your child should be encouraged to do the same. You don’t have to sacrifice your wish list if you find ways to do more with less.

Children should realize saving money doesn’t always have to involve putting more money in a piggy bank. When you’re kids want to do something during their break for the holidays, take the time to brainstorm fun things you can do with little to no money.

Make a suggestion to spend time, not money, together. Some ideas include:

• Volunteering together
• Visiting family and friends at their home
• Driving around and looking at holiday lights
• Hosting a game night
• Finding free events and activities in your city and inviting others to join
• Starting a new low-cost/free tradition

Lesson #4: Find The Best Price

Do your kids know how much the items on their wish list cost? If Santa had to buy these gifts where would he find the best deal? Learning how to research prices and comparison shop can help your children save money now and down the road.

Money lessons for kids:

• No matter who is paying for the gift/item, help your kids conduct research by looking at local ads or going online to compare pricing.
• Explain how they may be able to further reduce costs by using a coupon or promo code.
• Talk with them about how comparison shopping can help them save money and make room for other expenses.

Lesson #5: Online Safety

Everyone knows Santa but do you know the Grinch? There’re some bad people out there. At a young age we’re taught to avoid strangers; children should also be taught how to be safe online.

Money lessons for kids:

• They should only use the internet with your permission, only visit approved sites, and never enter personal information online.
• Set up online ground rules and explain why they need to be safe.
• Be careful storing payment information on your devices as it makes it easier for kids to simply click a button when purchasing things online.

Summary

The holidays are a time of joy, celebration, and spending time with family and friends; it can also be a time to teach your children important money lessons.