Buying dumb things using allowance money
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From: gmbeasley on 19 Feb 2010 08:36 On Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:03:50 -0000, "Welches" <debbie.welchNO(a)SPAMntlworldPLEASE.com> wrote: > >"Ignoramus15568" <ignoramus15568(a)NOSPAM.15568.invalid> wrote in message >news:OLCdndzb5pNequHWnZ2dnUVZ_oqdnZ2d(a)giganews.com... >> My son, who is 8, is getting an allowanca and has accumulated some >> money. >> >> Now he wants to buy something that is, in my opinion, a complete >> ripoff, which is a pack of "Club Penguin Trading cards". He wants me >> to buy them online and he would repay me in cash. The deal is $49 for >> a pack of 50 cards. (!!!!!!!!!!!) >> >> My first instinct was to just refuse to do so, but now I am having my >> doubts. The cards are not really harmful (as would be if he asked me >> to buy cocaine for his money, for example), they are just a dumb way >> to spend money. But maybe this is his prerogative to do with his money >> as he sees fit, as long as no harm is done. >> >> On the other hand, if, say, he would want to participate in some kind >> of fraud, like a pyramid scheme, I would be right to refuse. These >> cards are just one step away from fraud, so maybe the refusal has >> merit. >> >> Thoughts? >Basically it's his own money so I'd say within any limits you've already set >he can spend it. But my initial thought (translating into �) is how much >pocket money does he have? My 9yo would have to be saving up for over 6 >months to get that amount. >Me and my husband were discussing last night how our children spend their >money. #1 (age 9) spends very little on herself. She buys things for >friends, presents for family and puts the rest in whichever charity box >she's got at the time. #2 (age 6) tends to spend her money on odd junky >things that give her immediate pleasure but have no lasting value. >Debbie > One of the things a parent hopes to do is install a sense of thrift in their children. At that age I had an allowance, but it was not really actually 'my' money. I had to pay my Girl Scout dues, I had money for my church envelope (amount set in advance), and I had money that I was expected to save for something in the future. During WWII, I used the money to buy stamps to put in a book and eventually I would get a savings bond. If I wanted candy (which I often did), I would sometimes go without milk or something at lunch so that I would have money to buy it. When I was 12, my mother decided that I needed to have a clothing allowance. The allowance (1951) was $30/month. I was to buy all my clothes or the materials to make them. My mother made me buy a winter coat, and two dancing class dresses at the beginning of the year and I made myself a dress in home ec. But after about 2 years, I had $300 in savings (and no goal for spending it) and no clothes except ones that my mother could not resist buying me. I hated shopping (Don't you like this blouse? It is on sale. It's OK, but I don't like it enough to spend my money) She tried the same thing with my sister, but my sister continued to be unable to make up her mind about what she wanted to buy and to second guess herself about buying it. We are both still the same way. I don't like to shop and do most of it by catalog or on the Internet. She had to have a personal shopper help her pick out a mother of the bride dress for her daughter's wedding because otherwise she wouldn't be able to decide. We are both sensible about money in general though so maybe having an allowance to spend helped. |