Simple Ways To Teach Kids To Be Frugal by Mary Hunt on Creators.com

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Simple Ways To Teach Kids To Be Frugal

Wise parents look for daily opportunities to teach important lessons to their children. It appears from the "Everyday Cheapskate" mailbag that lots of readers are using these teachable moments to develop in their children the gentle art of frugality.

CRUSTS FOR QUACKS. When my kids make their sandwiches for lunch, they cut off the crusts. Instead of throwing them away, I collect them in a bag in the freezer. When it's full, we go to the park and feed the ducks. — Stella S., Texas

TEEN GIFTS. Birthday gifts for teens can really blow your budget. My teenage girls love giving and getting collages of meaningful pictures and funny phrases cut from current magazines. They mount these collages on poster board or foam core or frame them for cute gifts. Then they write sweet letters on the backs. — Stephanie A., Maryland

FRIENDLY FAMILIES. I found a great Web site, called BabysitterExchange, where parents can create their own communities to keep track of baby-sitting, pet-sitting and other family-related tasks. It's not just for baby-sitting. The site uses a point system to keep everything fair, and it is FREE! This has been a wonderful tool to help make date nights with my husband possible. — Ginger O., e-mail

PIZZA PERFECT. My kids love it when we have pizza night. I prepare a couple of bags of pizza mix and divide the dough.

Everyone gets a cookie sheet with dough for a personal pizza. Then I lay out all the ingredients, and everyone can make a pizza. The only rule is that you have to eat what you make, so if you are going to experiment, you have to eat it. We also make our own calzones this same way. The kids enjoy helping with dinner and are likelier to eat if they make it themselves. — Lori H., e-mail

DIAPER WIPES. My daughter had a horrible diaper rash, and store wipes stung the area. That's when I found this homemade recipe: Saw one roll of high-quality paper towels in half with a sharp kitchen knife to create two short rolls. Save one half for later. Remove the core from the other half, and put it in a container that has a lid that seals tightly. In another container, mix two cups of warm water with two tablespoons of Aveeno Baby soothing relief creamy wash. Add one tablespoon of Burt's Bees vitamin E body and bath oil and an optional 1/2 teaspoon of jojoba oil. Pour the mixture slowly over the paper towels so it gets absorbed thoroughly. Seal the container, and turn it upside down overnight. It will be ready for use in the morning. — Alexis, Michigan

Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. Include your first and last name and state. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including "Debt-Proof Living" and "Tiptionary 2." To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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Re: Tips to jog your memory...
I used to manage a hotel front desk. You'd be surprised at how many people leave behind their cell phone chargers.
Whenever I'm on the road, I run the charger wire through my car key ring, so I can't leave without remembering my charger.
People also lose their cell phones. Take a minute and put one of those return address labels on the outside of your phone. Anyone who finds it can return it to you. Information in the cell phone ("ICE) only works if the phone is charged and is not password protected.
I also put a return address label on my cell phone charger.
Forget your charger when traveling? Check your local hotels. We always had a box of 'left behind' chargers.

Comment: #1
Posted by: Walt21601
Wed Feb 17, 2010 5:08 AM

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I left my cell phone charger at a hotel.

you can also put those diaper wipes in a zip lock bag, they dry out faster but unless you use your wipes slowly, it should be OK

Comment: #2
Posted by: Laurie
Sun Feb 21, 2010 4:10 PM

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