Let’s pretend they NEEDED everything in these bags.
In the interest of transparency, I'm about to tackle a subject that I still struggle with. I KNOW the difference between wants & needs, yet the immature part of my brain often takes over. If justifying purchases I don't actually need were an Olympic sport, I'd be a gold medalist.
Maybe you're the same and we can agree not to judge each other, please & thank you.
When it comes to my kids, I'm trying to do better & give them lots of opportunities to identify the difference between wants & needs and ACTUALLY practice exercising restraint (Nana is less devoted to the cause). Let's face it: we WANT to give them everything they ask for, but we NEED to get them on the right path for making decisions down the line (see what I did there?).
These lessons are going to vary widely based on the age you're working with, but here are a few places to start helping your kid identify wants vs. needs & practice making good choices:
Make it a game Use ads, a catalog or magazine to ask questions like: "is this something you absolutely have to have to live, or is it something that's just nice to have?".
Use natural opportunities The grocery store or clothes shopping is the ideal location for a hands on lesson about needs vs wants.
When you start talking about birthday & Christmas gifts, have them make a list (my kids have one on Amazon because that place has EVERYTHING). They will be able to see how things can fall into wants, needs, or even both & make comparisons to satisfy some of each.
Don't hide your budget If we haven't drilled it home yet, transparency is a big deal. Even if it's just a simplified version of your budget, or just a portion of it, showing your kids how you ACTUALLY make wants vs needs decisions will really drive the message home.
Volunteer! There's nothing quite like seeing people who really have genuine NEED to really make us grateful for the resources we have, even when we have to make hard choices sometimes.
Do you struggle with making yourself stay on budget? Do you do mental gymnastics to justify stuff you know you shouldn't buy? What tricks do you use to stay on track? Let us know in the comments.
