Put It Into Action

This weekend I am on a trip with my family. We came to Tennessee for a couple of days. Like most of our trips, this one is a camping trip but the campground we’re staying at just so happens to be very close to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, two cities that are HUGE tourist destinations - aka- expensive! The kids are dying to get out and go to all the attractions - Ripley’s Believe It or Not, river rafting, sky lifts, go-carts, arcades, and even Dollywood. While all of these things are so much fun, we can’t do them all so the kids will have to choose. But this year, we’re going to add a little something to the day - a budget.

I know at this point you’re probably thinking I am THE WORST MOM EVER! You might think, “That sounds awful!” But before you think I am totally ruining their fun, hear me out! We are going to set a budget for our ‘outing’ day but we’re going to let them decide how to spend that budget. Here is what we’re going to do:
First, Matt and I will set a budget for the day. Then we’ll talk to the kids and let them do a little research to see what attractions we could do on that budget. We’ll let them decide if they want to pack a lunch or eat out while we’re there and we’ll calculate other expenses like a little bit of gas money and parking costs.
Finally, Abel, the oldest, will have a chance to get online and see if he can find any discount deals or reduced-price packages to possibly stretch the budget a little further. Then, we’ll go and have a blast and not feel guilty about the money we spent!

Believe it or not, my kids enjoy doing things like this. They like getting to choose and they like feeling in control. Also, they feel proud when they get to find the deal that allowed us to stretch that budget even further.

The lesson from this: sticking to a budget. If you make a budget for outings or trips or activities or even grocery store runs and stick to it, the reward is endless! Making a budget is making a plan. Making a plan is planning to succeed! When there is a budget in place, there is no shock and there is no guilt about money. Imagine if you learned how to make a budget and actually implement one when you were a kid! As an adult, it would just be second nature and that, to me, would be awesome! What a helpful tool to use!

So, here are your action steps:
1. As a family, pick something to plan for - a birthday party, a day trip, a weekend getaway, or even a trip to the grocery store
2. Set a budget for your activity
3. Tell the kids the budget and let them loose! Let the kids make the plans for your outing, etc., or decide on the grocery list if that’s the one you chose. Let them know the necessities and how much those will cost and let them plan the other things. If you have kids old enough, let them do a little research to find some deals or better prices.
4. Go out and do it!! Stick to your budget, talk about it along the way, and be proud of the ESSENTIAL lessons you’re teaching your kiddos!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!