Money and Finances Archives - Kids Ain't Cheap

Save Money on Entertainment with Reciprocal Museum Passes

November 25, 2021 | Leave a Comment

Recently, I took my children to our local art museum. It was the first time we went, and we enjoyed it. Buying a yearly pass was twice the cost of one-day admission, so we decided to upgrade. We knew we would be back, so the passes will pay for themselves after our next visit. But then, I found out the passes offer us reciprocal admission to many museums around the country! Those passes will save us a lot of money and give us an affordable entertainment option throughout the year.

What Museum Associations Offer Reciprocal Passes?

The museum we bought the yearly passes for is part of the North American Reciprocal Museum Association (NARM). There are over 1,175 museums in this network, all of which we have free access to with our museum pass. These museums are in the United States, Canada, Bermuda, El Salvador, and Mexico. In our state alone, there are 12 museums to which we will have access.

NARM is just one of many museum networks. You can also choose from the following organizations:

Art Museum Reciprocal Network (AMRN),

Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) Travel Passport

Time Travelers (This pass offers free entry to some participating museums, but others only offer discounted entry with the pass.)

Smithsonian Affiliates, (Note that not all museums on this list choose to participate in the reciprocal agreement. While there are seven museums on this list in my state, only one participates in the reciprocal agreement.)

American Horticultural Society (AHS),

Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), (Membership gives you 50% off at most zoos and aquariums on their reciprocal agreement.)

Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums (ROAM),

Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), (Membership gives you 50% off the 200 children’s museums in the reciprocal agreement.)

Museum Alliance Reciprocal Program (MARP)

How to Save Money with Reciprocal Museum Passes

If you want to get the most for your money, choose the reciprocal program your family will use most frequently.

As mentioned above, read the fine details. Some reciprocal programs get you free admission to any of the participating programs. Others only offer discounted admission. Some have many participating museums in your state, others only have a few.

If you’re planning on taking a vacation during the year, check which programs have museums you’d be interested in visiting during your trip. Using a reciprocal pass can be an excellent way to reduce your vacation costs.

If You Can’t Afford a Museum Pass

Save Money with Reciprocal Museum Passes

Photo by Caroline Hernandez on Unsplash

Buying a season pass to just one museum in one of these reciprocal associations can make visiting museums throughout the year extremely affordable. However, some people cannot afford a season pass to even one museum. For those individuals, consider the Museum for All program.

Museums for All offers SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients free or discounted admission to 700 museums throughout the United States. Where I live, if I go to a local science museum with my three kids, I will pay $30 for admission. However, a SNAP recipient will just pay $12 for her and her three kids to enter, so the savings can be significant.

Final Thoughts

I hope these strategies help you save money on entertainment with reciprocal museum passes. We’re excited we’ll be able to visit our local museum several times this year AND visit other museums in our state that are part of the same group.

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Where to Find Financial Support for Single Dads?

November 11, 2021 | Leave a Comment

When you think of single parents, you likely think of single moms struggling to raise their children and working full-time to support their families. While it’s true there are more single mothers than single fathers in the United States, the number of single fathers is growing. According to Statista, “In 2020, there were about 15.31 million children living with a single mother in the United States and about 3.27 million children living with a single father.” Yet, many of the support programs such as WIC are dedicated solely to women and their children. What financial support for single dads is available?

Where to Find Financial Support for Single Dads

Unfortunately, single dads don’t have specific financial programs for them as women do. Yet, 25% of single dads live in poverty and need financial assistance (Fatherhood). Thankfully, resources are available for any parent living at or below the poverty line.

Food Assistance

One of the most important needs for single parents is providing their kids with enough nourishing food. These programs can help.

National School Lunch Program

You can sign up for the National School Lunch Program at your child’s school. If your household income is below 130% of the poverty level or you receive SNAP or TANF (more on those later in this post), your child qualifies for a free lunch every day. If your household income is 130% to 185% of the federal poverty line, your child qualifies for a reduced-priced lunch.

Summer Food Service Program

This program is run during the summer when school is out and children no longer have access to free lunches. ANY child 18 and under can receive a free meal. No registration is required. Food distribution sites are typically at your local school district. You can go here to find a location near you.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

SNAP provides money for low-income families to purchase approved foods. To qualify, you must apply at your local state office. Generally, SNAP qualification is based on your income (gross income must be below 130% of the poverty level), your assets, and the number of people in the family.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

TEFAP is another safety net that provides food at no cost to eligible recipients. If you qualify for and receive SNAP, you automatically qualify for TEFAP. If your gross income does not exceed 185% of the federal poverty level, you also qualify.

To apply, you must go to your local TEFAP distribution site, bring your driver’s license, and answer a few basic questions.

Food Pantries

Photo by Aaron Doucett on Unsplash

Another place to go when you’re having trouble providing food for your family is a local food pantry. Most food pantries are allowed to give one family food once a month or sometimes twice a month. Many families take advantage of this when they have a week or so left before they get their next month’s SNAP benefits and they are running low on food at home.

Soup Kitchens

Don’t forget that you can also get a hot meal at your local soup kitchen.

Medical Assistance

Medical care is expensive but should not be neglected. These agencies can help provide financial support for single dads when it comes to medical costs.

Medicare

Medicare is typically for individuals 65 and older, but if you have a disability or your child has a disability, you or your child may qualify for Medicare. (You can learn more about qualifying here.) If you are under 65 and receive Social Security Disability, you are qualified for Medicare.

Medicaid

Eligibility for Medicaid varies based on which state you live in. Medicaid provides coverage for low-income families, qualified pregnant women and children, and people who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). To learn more, go to your state’s Medicaid website.

Other Assistance

Besides food and insurance expenses, a single father may have other financial needs depending on his income and family size. These programs are also available to eligible recipients.

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

Depending on your location, winter heating bills or summer air conditioning bills can cause financial hardship. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program tries to fill that need. However, the earlier you can apply, the better. When the program runs out of money for the year, even qualified applicants do not receive funds. On average, 20% of the people who qualify receive the funds.

The applications are accepted and reviewed through your local LIHEAP office. Some offices automatically qualify people who receive SNAP, TANF, or SSI. Others do not, so you’ll need to contact your local office to determine what you need to qualify and how much relief funds you may receive. Some offices also set aside funds to help you with weatherization, so you’ll pay less in the future.

Child Care Subsidies

Child care can be a family’s most expensive bill, often even more expensive than monthly rent or mortgage payments. To assist with this need, the federal government gives each state money to subsidize child care. Go here to see what your state offers.

This program mainly helps low-income families where the parent works full-time but earns less than 165% of the federal poverty level, teen parents enrolled in high school or GED programs, people currently living in a homeless shelter, and those who are unable to work due to a disability.

Final Thoughts

Being a single parent isn’t easy! Thankfully, there is financial support for single dads, but you will have to apply to many different agencies to get the variety of aid available. Educate yourself about what is available and apply as early as possible, so you have the best chance of getting aid. Also, don’t be afraid or embarrassed to take advantage of the available services. Remember, your financial situation may be temporary. In another few years, you may have a much better-paying job and be able to pay for more of your needs on your own.

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Five Frugal Tips to Save Money on Your Holiday Shopping

November 5, 2021 | Leave a Comment

The holidays are coming. Are you ready? Holiday shopping can be a nightmare if you don’t plan, but you don’t need to worry.

Today, we’re going to share with you five frugal tips to save money on your holiday shopping. You need to stress less and enjoy a little holiday cheer.

So, let’s look at the best ways to get that shopping done without breaking the bank or your yuletide spirits!

[Read more…]

5 Ways to Buy Legos at a Discount

October 21, 2021 | Leave a Comment

A few years ago, my daughter began a Lego obsession. She asked for Lego Friends sets for her birthday, and she was surprisingly quick at putting the sets together. Not long after, she advanced to Lego sets for teens like Lego Architecture sets with hundreds of pieces. If your child is a fellow Lego enthusiast, I don’t need to tell you how quickly the prices for these sets add up. Luckily, there are several ways to buy Legos at a discount.

How to Buy Legos at a Discount

You can buy Legos at a discount, but you have to be patient and use one or more of these methods.

Buy on Sale

Yes, Legos do sometimes go on sale. Often, especially during the holiday season or when a Lego model is discontinued, you can find the sets for 20% off. The best places to look are Target, Walmart, and Lego.com.

In addition, Lego.com sometimes offers free small Lego kits when you buy a set from them. Last Easter my daughter got two free, small sets when she purchased a larger one.

Buy at Costco

Costco doesn’t always carry Legos, but they do during the holidays. These sets are cheaper than you can buy them elsewhere, but they do sell out quickly. Keep an eye out for Lego sets in October at Costco.

Join Buy Nothing Groups

If you’re not looking for a particular set but just pieces, consider joining a local Buy Nothing group. People frequently sell large bags of miscellaneous Lego pieces at a low price. This can be an excellent way to start a Lego collection.

Other Things to Consider

You can utilize two other strategies to lower the overall price of Lego sets.

Help Your Child Save for a Lego Set

One of my friend’s sons wanted to buy a Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon kit. These retail for about $130. My friend didn’t want to spend that much on one set, so she made a deal with her eight-year-old son. If he saved $65 for the set, she would chip in the other $65. She was impressed with how hard he worked and how much he saved to afford the set.

If your child wants an expensive set and you have the money to split the cost with him, this agreement can be an excellent way to teach your child how to save.

Can Sell to Recoup Money

Remember, your child won’t always want to build Legos. When she is 16, she may have outgrown Legos. If she has kept all the pieces to her sets as well as kept the boxes in good condition, she should be able to sell the sets and recoup some of her money, unlike many other toys.

Final Thoughts

If your child wants some expensive Lego sets, try utilizing some of these strategies to save money. But remember, start your search earlier. You’ll likely need some time to buy the Lego set at a discount. You’ll need to search the sales and perhaps offer your child a money matching proposition to be able to afford the larger sets.

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How To Save Money On Life Insurance

October 12, 2021 | Leave a Comment

One study carried out in 2020 found that 54% of people had some form of life insurance coverage. It also unearthed a problem. 41 million people admitted they needed covering but haven’t got round to finding a policy. That might be because it can be hard to find the right life insurance policy or understanding when the right time to take one out is. The truth is, there’s no right time to take out a life insurance policy.

Interestingly, many companies provide a life insurance policy, and if they didn’t, the 54% of people who have a policy would probably be much lower. Still, the insurance policies they offer aren’t always the most comprehensive. Whether you already have a policy or not, below, we will explore some of the ways you can save money on a life insurance policy.

Shop Around Online

The internet is a wonderful thing, and one thing it has enabled us to do well is shop online for the best deal. Many brands leverage exclusive online deals to draw customers in because they know that most people shop online now. What you’ll notice when you shop around is that there’s a huge difference between the cost of a policy even though they’re all offering the same type of coverage.

Shopping online using comparison websites can help you to see the difference clearly. Comparison websites can also help you see how policy prices differ depending on the amount of money you’d be willing to pay upfront if you needed to claim. Most experts say you should at least put $500.

Consider A Term Insurance Policy

A term policy means what it says – the policy covers you for a predetermined amount of time rather than extended periods. Naturally, insurers will charge you less because they know you only need to be covered for a shorter amount of time, meaning there’s less of a chance they’ll have to payout.

That might also be a time to consider multiple life insurance policies. Having more than one life insurance policy can help you save money in the long run because you’re maximizing your coverage for less, which some people call a ladder strategy. You might have a short-term and a long-term policy at the same time.

Buying Sooner Rather Than Later

It’s sensical that life insurance is cheaper the younger you are. The longer you wait, the more likely you are to pay a higher premium. You don’t necessarily need to wait until you have the responsibility of being a parent. Let’s put it into perspective.

The average premium for a $500,000 insurance policy lasting 20 years for a man who doesn’t smoke is $406 if the cover starts before the age of 50 and $1,461 if the cover starts over the age of 50.

The older we get, the more likely our lifestyle is damaging and that an insurance policy is likely to be used. Locking in those lower premiums from a young age, even at an age where life insurance can seem irrelevant, pays off in the long run.

Switching Insurers VS Loyalty

There’s an age-old debate about whether you should switch insurers or stay loyal, and the answer depends on the options available at the time. Realistically, unless you’re taking out short-term life insurance policies, you’re going to stay loyal to insurers throughout most of your life. Locking yourself into a 30-year contract will most likely mean you’re not going to change.

However, if you have a term contract, consider shopping around when it comes close to your policy’s expiration date. Many insurers offer new customer discounts that might trump the loyal customer discount that your current insurer offers. Or, you might find that your current insurer offers the best deal.

Look Out For Fractional Premiums

Fractional premiums can really catch you out, and it is the same for any insurance or contractual policy you take out that requires payment. Fractional premiums are the term used to describe when payment is made quarterly, or monthly. While it can seem appealing to pay a smaller amount over the year rather than one lump sum, this is what most insurers are hoping you will do.

They want to leverage your monthly payments by increasing the overall premium. It’s easy to see the difference between the total monthly payments and what it would be as a one-off payment. You’ll notice some insurers charge hundreds of dollars extra for the luxury of paying monthly, and others don’t. If you have to pay monthly, shop around to find an insurer that reduces any additional charge for not paying in one.

Consider Your Lifestyle

There’s one aspect of your lifestyle that all insurers are interested in, and that’s whether you smoke. One study found that a smoker is likely to pay a third more than a non-smoker, and a smoker over the age of 50 might pay up to two-thirds as much. It’s simple logic, the healthier you are and the better your lifestyle, the less risk you pose to insurers.

That’s why most insurance companies ask you to complete a medical examination before taking out a policy – and why experts recommend you take it. Taking a medical test can dramatically reduce your premium.

Life insurance doesn’t have to be complicated, but it is essential to take the time to shop around and find the best deal for you. There are plenty of self-help articles online like this one with excellent sources of information for guidance.

Save Money & Keep Kids Entertained by Rotating Streaming Services

September 23, 2021 | Leave a Comment

If you’re a parent, you probably feel like your life is constantly juggling between caring for your family and working to make ends meet. It’s easy when it comes to entertainment because the options are endless, but this can add up in cost quickly. So if you want to save money and keep kids entertained at the same time, you can try rotating streaming services. With a variety of movies and TV shows, you’ll have something new every week without going over budget!

The Benefits of Rotating Streaming Services

Rotating streaming services offers three main benefits.

Save Money

If you have several streaming services, the costs can add up quickly. In our family, Netflix is approximately $15 a month, Hulu is $7 a month, Disney+ is $8 a month, and Peacock is $5 a month. Sure, each service is not unreasonably priced, but together, they add up to $35 a month. Keep in mind, we get the most basic of the basic services. If you want to pay more to avoid commercials or bundle streaming services, you’ll pay more.

Recently, we cut Netflix and Peacock, so our monthly streaming costs went down to $15 a month. The $20 savings doesn’t sound like a lot, but over the year, we’re saving $240.

Limit Boredom

How is this for irony? When my kids had all four streaming services, they constantly told me there was nothing to watch. Then, I cut Netflix and Peacock about four months ago. They dug around Hulu and Disney+ and found shows to watch. They were happy for about three months.

Once they started complaining, I cut Hulu and reinstated Netflix. They were so excited because during the time we weren’t paying for Netflix, several new seasons of their favorite episodes had dropped. Now, they are happily watching their favorite shows in the evening. However, my daughter is already planning when we should cut Netflix again and reinstate Hulu.

Maximize Your Usage

When you have many streaming services, your kids can just gloss over what’s available. Because they have so many choices, sometimes they feel overwhelmed. I know as an adult, I used to feel overwhelmed by 200 cable channels when we had cable. Because there’s so much available, you don’t know where to start.

When you limit streaming services to two as we did, your kids have to dig deeper into each service to find shows they want to watch. This allows them to maximize what they get out of each streaming service.

Then, when it’s time to rotate, they can dig through the next streaming service. My kids have found shows they enjoy that they never would have tried if they continued to have so many streaming services available.

Final Thoughts

Streaming services are a luxury. Because each one is affordable, many people buy several streaming services at once. However, limiting and rotating streaming services can be better for your wallet and your kids. You limit their boredom, and they can maximize each streaming service. If you haven’t tried rotating streaming services yet, I highly recommend it.

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Better Ways to Gift Money to Children

September 10, 2021 | Leave a Comment

Children are the future, and one way to invest in them is financially. Gifting money to the children in our lives can help not only this generation but future generations. This generational wealth can cause a positive ripple effect in a person’s family tree. Manage your money correctly, so you can help the next generation. Then they can help the generation after them. However, you must first determine the best ways to gift money to children.

5 Ways to Gift Money to Children

There are five different ways to gift money to children. You might decide on one way or utilize several. Which you choose depends on your goals for the money, the children’s interests, and the children’s ages.

Give Cash

The most basic way to give money to kids is to give them cash.

Pros

Giving cash is desirable for two main reasons. First, it’s easy to do. Second, the child gets instant gratification. I still remember how much I loved getting cash when I was little because there were so many possible ways to spend the money!

Cons

However, there are also cons to giving cash. Because the money isn’t invested, it can’t grow and earn interest as it could if you gifted the child money in an investment vehicle. Second, you don’t want to give the child too much cash at once. A cash gift is usually suitable if it’s a smaller amount, which isn’t helpful if you want to gift more money. Third, most kids like to spend cash, so they may not keep it long term as you might want them to.

Contribute to a 529 College Savings Plan

One of the best ways to gift money to children is through a 529 college savings plan.

Pro

The major pro with this strategy is that the money can grow throughout the child’s entire childhood. Whether you give a lump sum early in the child’s life or give yearly to a 529, with compounding interest, this gift could pay part or all of the child’s college expenses. Also, there’s no limit to how much you can contribute annually to a 529 plan. However, if you gift more than the allowable yearly gift amount (currently $15,000 for 2021), you will need to pay a gift tax.

Con

However, there is one major con to this type of gift. If the child doesn’t go to a private school sometime during kindergarten through 12^th grade or doesn’t go to college, the child can’t withdraw the money tax-free. Instead, he’ll have to pay a tax penalty since the child won’t be using the money for an educational expense.

Contribute to a Roth IRA

For a less traditional gift, consider giving to the child’s retirement. You can do this by contributing to the child’s Roth IRA if the child is employed and making some money yearly.

Pro

Imagine if you had put money in a Roth IRA when you were 16, and it had grown for 50 or 55 years? The pro here is easy to imagine—compounding interest.

Even if you made one lump sum contribution to the child’s account and didn’t contribute anymore, at retirement, the child would still have easily 20x more money than when you made the initial contribution. That’s a gift that keeps on giving.

Cons

There are a few cons to this gift. First, you can only contribute as much as the child makes working. So, if the child only makes $3,000 in a year, that is all you can contribute to their Roth IRA. The second problem is that even if the child makes $10,000 a year, you can only contribute to the maximum yearly contribution limit of $6,000 a year for a person under 50.

Contribute to a UGMA

A more flexible choice is to gift the child money through a UGMA (Uniform Gift to Minors Act) account.

Pros

If you’d like to gift a child a large amount of money, this is a perfect account to do that because it has no limit. In addition, the money is not earmarked for one particular expense such as a 529, which can only be used for educational expenses.

Con

The major con with this type of gift is that you have no control over the money when the child is of age. If he uses the money to buy an expensive sports car, you can’t do anything about that. Also, once you give the gift, it is irrevocable. Make sure you want to gift the money before you do. Finally, as the money is technically the child’s, the account can affect her ability to get financial aid when she goes to college.

Contribute to an ABLE Account

If you have a child or grandchild with special needs, consider contributing to an ABLE account for them. A child can have an ABLE account set up if she was younger than 26 when the disability was diagnosed. She can open and maintain the ABLE account at any age.

Pros

Many kids with disabilities receive government services and funding. While this is a blessing, this funding often comes with strict rules. For instance, once the child is an adult and working, she cannot make more than a certain amount or she loses services and funding. However, relatives can put money in an ABLE account for the child to use. This money does not count against the amount they’re allowed before losing benefits.

Cons

The con is that the child can only receive $15,000 per year in her ABLE account. So, if you’re the grandparent and the child’s parents contribute to her ABLE account, you need to coordinate with them so that the child only receives $15,000 total in a year.

Final Thoughts

Investing in our children is one of the best things we can do for our kids and for our future generations. If you are a parent or grandparent or even an aunt or uncle, you can use one or more of these five ways to gift money to children. Which way you choose depends on the child’s needs and goals.

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Editors Note: If you are investing for your children, you might consider actually teaching them how to invest. A good place to start is a very good article by How Much Is That In Tacos titled “Teach Kids About Early“. Check it out of you have a chance.

Can You Refinance Student Loans? Yes. Here’s How…

August 13, 2021 | Leave a Comment

Are you feeling financially overwhelmed? Do you worry that you may not have the money you need to take care of your monthly expenses?

If you are having these thoughts, you may want to consider refinancing. [Read more…]

How Much Does Unschooling Cost?

August 12, 2021 | Leave a Comment

Homeschooling can take many different forms, from essentially recreating school at home by using workbooks and taking multiple tests to a Charlotte Mason method where children derive their education largely through reading living books. There is also the Classical Education philosophy based on learning the classics like Greek and Roman history and language. However, perhaps the most misunderstood homeschool philosophy is unschooling. While detractors say unschooling isn’t really schooling at all, unschoolers see it as a viable educational form. If you’re interested in unschooling, you first must understand what the philosophy is and how much unschooling costs.

What Is Unschooling

Unschooling is an educational philosophy. Unschoolers don’t typically have their children take standardized tests or any other test. They don’t use textbooks or follow a set curriculum. Instead, the child determines what he would like to study based on his interests.

Cooking, gardening, and raising animals can all be part of the school day for an unschooler. Unschoolers also may code a robot, research the Titanic, do a science experiment, or record a new YouTube video all in the name of school. The idea is that unschoolers will learn more deeply because they’re working on things that interest them and that they choose to pursue. Hopefully, this helps the child become a lifelong learner.

However, critics argue that unschooling does not lead to a well-rounded education necessary for adult life. If an unschooler is not interested in math, she may not study it, which could cause problems in adulthood. Similarly, one who is interested in science may not study writing because she’s not particularly strong in that area.

How Much Does Unschooling Cost?

Unschooling costs can vary widely depending on the amount of money the parent has to dedicate to unschooling and the child’s interests.

Ways to Unschool for Free

If you don’t have much money to dedicate to unschooling, that’s okay! You can still give your child a stellar education. Consider these opportunities:

The Library

The library offers many educational items for your child from library books to movies to foreign language learning programs. In addition, most libraries offer regular learning programs such as wildlife experts who bring animals to the library or scientists who teach astronomy. Most libraries also offer activities like chess club and teen time that your child can join.

The Outdoors

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

One of the greatest classrooms is the great outdoors. Give your child ample time to hike and take nature walks. Some children enjoy keeping a nature journal. They can search for animals, observe the seasonal changes, watch birds. . .the possibilities are endless.

The Internet

There are some high-quality educational services on the Internet.

EdX

EdX offers free online college classes from 160 universities including Harvard, MIT, Boston University, and the University of California, Berkeley, to name a few. You can study architecture, math, literature, engineering, food and nutrition, and many more subjects with some of the greatest minds in the United States.

YouTube

If you think of YouTube as a place to waste time, think again. You can find tutorials and even educational lessons. My daughter and I are studying Japanese, in part through YouTube lessons that we find.

If You Have Money to Spend

If you have more money to spend on unschooling, you can take advantage of other academic resources.

Camps

Educational camps offer your child a unique way to learn. There are science camps, sports camps, liberal arts/reading camps. You can find what you need for your child if you have the money to pay for it.

Subscriptions

Likewise, you can also take advantage of subscription services to help your child in her educational endeavors.

Magazine Subscriptions

Magazine subscriptions from National Geographic to LEGO Magazine to Architectural Digest may feed your child’s desire to learn more about their current unschooling interests.

Box Subscriptions

Likewise, box subscriptions can also help spark your child’s creativity. Some of the most popular educational subscription boxes include Kiwi Crate for science and art, Atlas Crate for geography and culture, Tinker Crate for science and engineering, and Eureka Crate for engineering and design.

If your child is more creative, there are I Create Art boxes for budding artists. Young chefs may enjoy Eat2Explore cooking boxes.

For most interests a child can have, you can find a subscription box.

Tools & Learning Aids

If you have a budding scientist, and you can afford to buy a student microscope, your child can spend time creating slides and looking under the microscope.

Photo by Simon Delalande on Unsplash

You might buy a telescope for a child who is interested in astronomy or ample art supplies for a student who is interested in art.

A child who is interested in chemistry might benefit from a chemistry science kit. A history buff may want to take field trips to historic sites and museums to learn more.

If Money Is Available but Limited

Most of us aren’t independently wealthy. If you have some money to spend on your child’s education, but that money is limited, consider handing over control to your child. Let’s say you have $3,000 a year to spend on your child’s education. You can give your child $750 per quarter. Then, she can decide how to spend the money on her education each month.

If you feel comfortable letting her have this control, you are embracing the philosophy of unschooling as a child-lead schooling option. Plus, just letting her choose what to buy and deciding if the items were worth the money is an educational experience in itself. She’ll also learn how to budget the money. If she wants to attend an expensive camp in the summer, she’ll need to save the money from previous quarters to afford the camp.

Final Thoughts

Unschooling is a controversial form of homeschooling, but many unschoolers have gone on to be successful adults. If you opt for this form of homeschooling, know that unschooling costs as little or as much as you want it to.

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5 Worthy Investments for Your Kids

July 27, 2021 | Leave a Comment

Rearing a child is no easy feat. It takes a lot of effort and investment in terms of time, money, and effort. However, as a parent, not every penny we spend on our kids brings worthy interests. For example, buying them clothes they will grow out of is an inevitable, but ultimately futile purchase. Parents should not feel bad or guilty if they hold back spending on their kids. However, there are some investments that may actually bring good value, not only for you but also for your kids. If you’re going to spend good money on your kids, this is where your funds should go: [Read more…]