I was contacted this week by the Raleigh/Wake County branch of the American Association of University Women, which is holding some classes this month on savvy shopping specifically for middle-school girls. The AAUW was seeking tips that they might share during the classes.
Of course, I've got plenty of general savvy shopping tips, but none specifically for middle-school girls. I thought some of you with kids that age might be able to offer some assistance. Please share your tips!
Rene' in Cary adds:
definitely stress the needs vs. wants and anything that steers kids AWAY from the allure of instant gratification.
My oldest son turns 13yo next month and he is learning this lesson firsthand. He wanted so much for me to buy him a $200 hockey stick because, you know, the stick instantly turns you into a star hockey player (uh, check with Luke on this one, but I'm thinking NOT!). LOL
Through the magic of connections, he negotiated a position working after school a few days each week at a local hockey equipment shop. He isn't paid with a paycheck; instead, he earns store credit at a reasonable hourly rate. This past Friday, he came home with his new stick...after many, MANY afternoons of working for it. He's already planning how many hours he'll need in order to get his next new piece of equipment. :-)
How about tips on how you can still look good and not spend a fortune at the mall - for instance, there is a store near where I live that sells gently used clothing and accessories for tweens/teens that are trendy - they also buy clothes, so you can get a little extra spending money by selling items to them that you don't want anymore.
I'd also suggest hitting on the short-term v. long-term satisfaction of a purchase.
Hi Sue...
Several years ago I did something similar with 9th graders.
I would try to hit on:
Needs vs. Wants
Basics of Saving
Basics of Debt
The Magic of Compound Interest: They don't need to calculate it at their age, but get the point across by showing a chart that shows if they just save $2 per day starting now, they will have $1 million in 50 years. (Assuming 10% annual interest.)
Re: Savvy tips for middle school kids?
Thanks, all! I'll pass these on to the team doing the training. For more info, please see rwc.aauwnc.org.
-Nancy