Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

Saving Money This Halloween

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Focusing on saving money this Halloween? Here are my best tips for saving on costumes, candy, and decorating.Like most holidays, Halloween can be expensive. For us, the costs are split between costumes, decorations, candy to give out and stuff to make for our daughters Halloween party at daycare. I was hopelessly optimistic that we could accomplish all of this for under $30. Boy was I wrong.

To start, the cost of candy was significantly more expensive that I remember (even from just last year). I want to be prepared for at least 100 kids and a box of 50 candies was coming in at $15. Half my budget. I accepted we would be over budget so I did what I could to re-coop costs in other areas.

Here’s how we’re saving money this Halloween.

Costumes

I was happy when our daughter announced she would be a princess and wear her favorite pink dress-up dress which we already owned (on clearance last Halloween so scour those racks this November!). The only request she had was that she wanted ‘’princess gloves’’ which my husband found for less than $5.00.

If you don’t already own the costume that you require, look into making it. Making it isn’t always cheaper though, especially if it requires a lot of items you don’t already own, but look into materials cost as a start. Also consider time to make the costume. Another option is to look online or second hand stores for used costumes. Costumes are often only worn a handful of times and usually in pretty good shape.

If you know someone you could borrow from, this is also a great option.

Use the Dollar Store

I love the dollar store. Especially when I’m preparing treats for my daughters daycare parties. I admit to spending too much time admiring what others accomplish on Pinterest but when you’re working full-time, and the party falls within the workweek, time is limited. For less than $10, I was able to buy everything I needed at the dollar store (as well using a few pieces of candy we had already purchased) to make up little treat bags for a handful of toddlers.

The dollar store was also where we found the crown and jewels for our daughters princess costume.

Avoid over-decorating

I wouldn’t decorating at all if it was up to me, but my daughter wanted to know why we couldn’t. She would ask every day if we could decorate ‘like they did at daycare’, and like her Auntie does. I was about to give in and head to my local dollar store for a few items (I was a kid once who loved to decorate for Halloween too) but thankfully my Halloween-obsessed sister-in-law had some extra stuff laying around which we could borrow for free!

Unless you love Halloween more than some people love Christmas, don’t spend too much money on decorations. If you enjoy a few decorations buy a few that you can reuse rather than one-shot deals that you’ll throw out.

Halloween can be a fun but like anything, busting your budget is never fun. In the end we ended up spending closer to $50 on Halloween this year, an amount I know has the potential to be much higher in years to come.

How much will you spend on Halloween?

Is a Pet a Good Idea For Your Family?

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Is a pet a good idea for your family? Here are some questions to ask before venturing into pet ownership.Anytime my three year old sees a dog she either asks if she can have that one, or if we can get another dog to live with us. As a fellow animal lover, she comes by wanting it honestly but we simply cannot have a dog for a number of different reasons but this doesn’t stop her from asking.

A pet is a huge responsibility, especially a dog. One of the big reasons I wouldn’t bring a dog into our lives right now is because we have an incredibly stressed out cat who suffers from IBS and I’m sure the stress of any other animal in the house would be enough to set off her IBS bad enough that it kills her. It would be totally unfair for us to do that to her.

I’ve always had pets growing up, cats, fish, hamsters, birds and dogs. We were big into animals but now that I’m a homeowner, mother and pet caretaker I have a totally different perspective on animals and the responsibility that comes with it. We can’t even go away overnight without having our cat looked after since she’s on such a strict feeding schedule.

So many families take on the responsibility of a pet without thinking it through and it doesn’t always end well. There are a few things that need to be considered before you bring any pet into the picture, regardless of your family situation.

Can you afford it?

Pets are expensive. To properly care for an animal they, at the very least, need regular food and exams. Expect extras too, in our case it’s expensive prescription cat food and multiple vet visits per year. All of these expenses need to fit into our budget. The cost of owning a pet goes beyond simply paying the pet store or adoption agency the initial fee.

Does it work for your family lifestyle?

Even before we had kids a pet like a dog wouldn’t work for us. We’re not home enough and for an animal like a dog, which needs to be let out regularly and walked, we simply can’t do it. We also like to travel, even just to see family for a weekend, and a dog wouldn’t work. Consider your day-to-day schedule and see how owning a pet wold impact it. If you can’t make it work fairly for both you and animal it’s not a good time.

Who will care for the animal?

Another huge reason we won’t have a dog anytime soon is because my husband doesn’t have much interest in caring for one. He’s being fair and honest. I would hate for him to push me to have one leading me on to believe he’d help when I know it’s not something he’s interested in right now. With busy careers and a toddler running around I don’t want to be stuck doing everything myself which is precisely how it will be. For years my mom wouldn’t allow my sister to get a hamster because she knew very well she wouldn’t do stuff like clean it’s cage so until she proved herself she didn’t get one.

Pets take up more time and energy than I think most families realize. While I totally sympathize with wanting all things cute and fuzzy, unless you’re prepared to care for the pet on all fronts it may not be the best plan for your family. It can just lead to unnecessary stress.

Great Family Photos Don’t Have to Be Expensive

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Are you on a tight budget right now? This one strategy will help you get cheap family photos that you'll love.Growing up the only family picture we ever had done was at an uncles wedding. It wasn’t something we did but as someone who has always loved looking at family pictures, it was something I vowed to do with my family on a regular basis.

The fall is my personal favorite time of year to have pictures taken around here because the weather and colors make for a nice outdoor picture. We had our first family picture taken in the fall of the year my daughter was born. That was three years ago and we’re now well overdue for an update. Every fall though, around Canadian Thanksgiving, I try and get some pictures taken outside to update our gallery wall.

If you want some family pictures taken it doesn’t have to be a super expensive ordeal. I was expecting to spend a lot more money than we did when we did have our professional picture done but savings were to be found. I managed to get a free sitting fee with this particular photographer and only paid for prints. Though they weren’t cheap, I was very impressed with the care that went into the selection of print, his professional input and quality of print when we did get it. I would gladly do it again.

DIY and Save

Having a professional photographer may not be an option but that doesn’t mean you can’t capture some family photos for your wall. If you have a little time, consider DIYing some photos with a little help from a friend or a tripod. Some of my favorite pictures are ones taken by my sister-in-law on her cell phone!

Knowing we’d be capturing some family pictures this past weekend I made sure we wore relatively neutral colors and nothing too distracting (crazy prints for instance). We waited for the sun to set a little (glaring sun in the face makes for scrunched up faces) and went outside. We took most of our pictures in shaded areas that were still bright from the sun being up (i.e. you want bright but not direct sun or weird shaded areas everywhere) and they turned out really well. We had a combination of cell phone pictures (let’s be honest, some of the smart phones today rival on- market cameras) and a decent digital camera. I honestly can’t say one took a ‘’better’’ picture over the other.

Though we didn’t have fancy photography equipment to redirect light and flashes, I was really happy with how out pictures tuned out. The lighting was great and they all turned out really clear. I haven’t printed any yet but based on how they uploaded onto the computer I don’t expect any issue when they are printed.

We didn’t have too many poses- we were spending most of our time wrangling a three year old to sit still- but they still turned out well. Some of the best ones were when we weren’t trying at all. For me the importance is capturing our family together, not how much we spend to do so. Family pictures are impotent but they don’t have to be expensive either.

How often do you update family pictures? Do you spend money to do so?

How to Plan a Great Date Night on a Budget

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Spending time with your significant other doesn't have to be expensive. Here's how to plan a great date night on a budget.People will tell you that once kids come into the picture, having traditional date nights will be hard, and they’re right.

For a multitude of reasons it becomes difficult to get away sans kids. We’re bad for not making it a priority. Part of the reason for us is that quite honestly we enjoy having our daughter around. It’s not too often that we’re eager to get away from the responsibilities of parenting and be alone but we know it’s essential to our marriage.

You don’t realize how little engagement you and your spouse have until you’re in a situation where it can happen. Though we get away or go out, we usually have our daughter with us and no fault of hers, she consumes almost all of our attention and conversation. She’s at an age now where if we tell her we need a few minutes to talk or whatever she gets slightly offended so it’s more appropriate to just plan an evening or day where she can have fun doing kid stuff (with a sitter) and we can have uninterrupted time alone.

Dates don’t have to be expensive.

When we were planning our anniversary last month we decided to take a little afternoon road trip instead of spending a bunch of money on each other and something like a fancy dinner out. We were home by supper time but it was so nice to sit in the car together for a few hours and just chat. We stopped for lunch and went for a little walk around a few local stores. Including lunch and gas the whole day probably cost us $100 this is, without a doubt the most we’ve spent on ‘’each other’’ in a long time.

When you’re on a budget you really feel the pressure when it comes to dating your spouse. Start with easy areas to save, we started with nixing unnecessary gifts. It really is the thought that counts and saving your money to reach your financial goals will keep you much happier than a materialistic item. Discuss this if you decide to do it though so feelings don’t get hurt. Budget or not I’ve never been on who wants gifts. I just don’t really like ‘’stuff’’ and if we’re going to spend money I’d rather save it for an experience together rather than something like a fancy watch.

Dates at home can be fun. Buy a few cheap treats at the store, and watch a movie together. This is something we don’t do enough and have few excuses as to why not. Getting a babysitter to even run errands together can be fun. Sounds dorky but we love a kid free stroll in Costco! Learn a card game, cook dinner together when kids are in bed…

Having a date with your spouse is about the time together not money spent. It be hard to get past the traditional ‘show up with flowers and wine and dine’ your spouse but especially after becoming parents you’ll quickly realize it’s about making the time for other person, regardless of what the event actually is.

What’s your favorite cheap date?

How to Save Up For a Downpayment When You Have a Family

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Saving for a downpayment when you have the responsibilities of a family isn't easy but is doable. Here are some helpful tips.Homeownership is a huge goal for many people.

Given the many expenses that come with having a family, it is often, though not always, a goal that is easier to obtain before kids come into the picture. Just because you have a family before homeownership doesn’t make it impossible though, you just need to get creative when it comes to saving for a downpayment.

Get a Second Job

When you have kids, this can be difficult but if money needs to be made this is the simplest way to do it.

A friend of mine growing up always rented an apartment with her family until one day she told me her parents finally bought a house. Her dad had been getting up at 4am Monday-Friday to deliver newspapers. Though he hated the hours, he reaped the benefits when, two years later, he was able to buy the family home he has always wanted with the income he earned from his second income alone.

Sell Kids stuff

With kids comes stuff, and lots of it. After three years of collecting stuff for our kiddo I’m finally at the point of realizing some of it has to go. I had grand ideas of holding onto a lot of it in case we have more children but I’ve come to the realization that if we do have more kids they will likely get stuff too and then we’ll have multiples of things.

If things are kept in good shape you can get a decent return on money spent. By taking care of kids items and reselling them you can start a decent savings goal for that downpayment account.

Downsize temporarily

Whatever your current living situation, if it’s possible, downsize. Maybe siblings will have to temporarily share a room or you’ll need to get rid of some things for the move but short-term pain for long-term gain may definitely apply here.

My co-worker sold their house and moved in with her in-laws for six months to save money. In six months alone the managed to save $15,000 since they were able to live rent/mortgage free and no utilities. The mother-in-law insisted on no money but instead they paid for all the groceries while living there. Though she hated every second of living there, without doing so it would have taken her almost 24 months for the same goal.

Make it a Family Goal

If your kids are old enough, involve them in the plan. Explain to them what your goals are and why things may be changing to reach the goal. Maybe cutting out a summer camp or a dance lesson will be required to meet the downpayment goal but in the end the whole family will benefit and they need to understand this.

Homeownership can seem like an impossible goal to reach but with a little extra effort and family commitment, it is possible, even after the financial responsibility of kids creeps in.

Did you buy a home after your kids were born? Did you need to do anything differently?

4 Tips for Staying Fit on a Budget

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Contrary to popular belief, getting healthy doesn't have to cost a fortune. Here are four tips for staying fit on a budget.Exercise is something that’s always been important to me. Growing up, my mom treated the family every year to a family membership at a local rec center. We loved it! We had unlimited access to multiple swimming pools, skating rinks, classes for all ages and as we got older we capitalized on the use of the gym.

Having a rec center membership isn’t an option for everyone. Not only does everyone not necessarily have access to a rec center, they can be expensive. For us as a family, while we work towards other financial goals, we’ve opted to not have a membership and instead stay fit with what we can do at or from home. Most things are pretty cheap, if not free.

Get Outside!

This is the easiest way to stay fit. Go for a walk, ride a bike, find a place to hike. The best shape I’ve ever been in was when I was walking 5km every day round trip to school. Since we don’t have access to a rec center my husband recently bought a new bike that was on summer clearance. This is something he’ll be able to use for years to come and didn’t cost much at all! I love walking and when I’m home with kiddo I like to put her in the stroller and walk around our neighbourhood. Hiking is another favorite activity of mine though I don’t get to do it as often.

YouTube

When I was home on maternity leave I would search for YouTube exercise videos to help with the baby weight. Combined with a good diet and regular walks with the baby I got to my pre-baby weight. There are entire YouTube channels offering free workout videos depending on what you’re looking for.

Home Workouts

There are entire companies out there that were established to make working out at home possible. I recently started following the video series of one of these programs and actually really like it. I can do it from the comfort of my home and all I need is a few cheap weights (check local second hand stores or garage sales), and a yoga mat. Be careful you don’t get sucked into buying some of these companies’ nutritional supplements though. They usually have a reasonable ‘’first time’’ price but can get you on subsequent orders. Eat a well-balanced diet and exercise, you don’t need fancy supplements.

Check Out Local Programs

Our local library often has fliers advertising free or cheap classes, everything from toddler ballet to 65+ Tai Chi. Some of the courses are free (Yoga in the park every Sunday!), but some have a small fee associated. When I was in university I partook in a cheap learn to run course and it was a great experience, I was especially thankful for my tight budget!

Some people only think of fancy gyms and pools when it comes to losing weight and staying fir when the reality is that you can live a very healthy life without paying for anything.

Do you have any tips for staying fit on a budget?

Non-Traditional and Easy Jobs for College Students

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Making money in college doesn't mean you have to work at the local pizza place. Here are some easy jobs for college students that won't tie you down.Though I managed to hold a part-time job while in university, it wasn’t easy. I did it totally out of necessity, and if I could have managed without one, I would have. Don’t get me wrong I would have made money during the summers but having the responsibility of a job while studying can be challenging. Thankfully I had a very understanding boss who made sure I had the time off when I needed but not all students have that flexibility.

I would encourage any post-secondary student to be very choosy about your jobs. If it will hinder your studies in any way, it’s not worth it. There are a few non-traditional jobs that may be a good compromise though by keeping the money coming in, but on your own free time.

Tutoring

If you’re in university or college, tutoring may be a great way to make money. It could be in a specific topic or it may be guidance to help graduating students prepare what they need for their college applications. Tutoring is a great way to make a decent amount of money in a short period of time. You could easily charge $20 per hour, or more. Tutoring for just a few hours a week is a great way to make a decent amount of money in a short period of time.

Teaching Assistant

Once you get into university if you excel at a topic you may be asked, or have the option to apply to be a teaching assistant. The tasks assigned will vary but range from helping to mark papers, organize things for the professor for lectures, run tutorials or labs for the class. Though I never did this I had a few friends who did and managed to make a pretty decent amount of money too.

Mystery Shopping

I had a friend who I met during my second degree who did mystery shopping what seemed like every day. In her case it paid very little cash but majorly supported her living away from home. She would pick jobs like ‘’spend $50 at X drugstore and document your experience’’. She’d stock up on stuff she needed like toilet paper or mascara then submit the receipt for a full refund as payment for her time and report. Another favorite was dining in restaurants. She didn’t have much money to spend on socializing so this was a way she could dine out for free.

Event/Promo Staff

There are constantly events and promotions on campus and surrounding areas. Though these gigs can be inconsistent, they have the potential to pay well. A few friends of mine got on with a local beer company to promote during things like Halloween parties, FROSH week etc. They’d probably only ‘’work’’ maybe four weekends a year, they’d easily make $300 in a single weekend.

Holding a traditional job can be very demanding while pursuing intensive studying. If you look outside the traditional job route you may be surprised what is actually out there.

Have you ever done any of these jobs? Did you work in university?

5 Reasons Why Renting is Sometimes the Better Choice

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renting a homeDid you know that “houses for rent”, “rental properties,” and “apartments” are some of the most searched keywords? Check the classifieds of any local newspaper, and you’re sure to see vast numbers of listing of rental properties.

Millions of people worldwide are choosing to lease a rental property, either temporarily or even for several years. As a former student and struggling writer, I had my fair share of rental properties – and I’m telling you, I’ve got some good experiences (more than bad ones) with it. Here are five perks of just renting a home:

Perk of Renting # 1: You’re not responsible for the homeowner’s insurance, PMI insurance, and property taxes.

As a renter, you’re are not liable for any additional cost of owning a property including the homeowner’s insurance. These expenses can add up quickly and it could mean that is more affordable to rent a home than to buy. This is also true if you’re not planning to live in the area for an extended period of time.

Perk of Rending # 2: You’re not responsible for the home repair bills.

Call it Murphy’s Law or whatever, but homes will need repairs occasionally. I once rented an apartment with three of my college friends, plus my cousin (Kristian, you still owe me money!) A few months after moving into the apartment the sink pipe started to leak all over the kitchen. The repair bill was shouldered by the landlord – all $400 dollars of it! Had I own the house, I’ll have to shell out that amount of money. Therefore, renting a home means you won’t have to pay for natural property damages that may occur.

Perk of Renting # 3: You don’t need to worry about the property losing value

Because it’s obviously not yours! While the value of some homes can increase, most of them can decrease as well. If you’re a homeowner, chances are you’d probably lose some of the equity and down payment. As a renter, you needn’t worry about trivial things such as this. Good for you!

Perk of Renting # 4: You don’t need to pay a Realtor’s commission fee when you move in.

Owning and selling a house entails multiple fees from a realtor who will work on the entire process. Say your home is $175,000 and his fee is 6%, this is translate to $10,500. That’s a heck of a lot of money! Something you don’t need to worry about when you’re a renter.

Perk of Renting # 5: Renting gives you all the flexibility in the world

Talk about freedom! Sometimes, the life and environment in an apartment complex might be better suitable for you than a fixed lifestyle when you have your own house. The structure of the apartment can also be better than a house you could afford to buy. You just need to look for a perfect property for rent that’s just right for your current needs.

And who knows, you might even find the love of your life – he/she might even be your neighbor. It’s true in my case. And yeah, we are still happily renting together.

Four Home Ownership Costs to Consider Before Buying

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Thinking of buying a house? Here are four home ownership costs you need to consider before signing on the dotted line.For some, homeownership is a huge goal. At one point, it was one of my goals too. I fantasized about owning a home of my own every day until it happened. Though we did, what we thought was a lot of homework before buying, there was still so much we didn’t know, or think about, until the time came.

Here are four home ownership costs to consider before buying.

How much money do you need, after closing?

We knew we’d need the downpayment, but we weren’t exactly sure about how much everything else (deed transfer etc.) was going to cost. Thankfully we overestimated and ended up having a little extra saved, never a bad idea. There are small annoying costs to consider too like, you may want to pay to have new locks installed or carpets cleaned before you move your stuff in.

What is included/What needs upgrading?

Find out exactly what is included and see if anything needs to be bought or changed. For us, though all window coverings were included they were pretty awful. This was a cost we did not consider at the time and slowly had to change them out. We actually went without bedroom curtains for almost a year! We had all appliances included as well, and most were ok but something we didn’t really pay attention to when we bought, was how old the washer and dryer were. We only had to use them once to realize they weren’t in the best working order and needed to be replaced, another cost.

How much will it cost to actually move?

At the time we bought our home, we were moving from a small apartment to a house. We didn’t have a lot of stuff and were able to move by ourselves no problem. For the cost of renting a truck and paying our friends in beer, we were moved over in an afternoon. Moving from our current home to our next house will be much more difficult and we will likely need to hire movers. Between our friends having many more commitments now (careers and young families) we have too much stuff and will likely need help from professionals if we want it done in a timely manner. This isn’t going to be cheap and a cost we will need to investigate before we move so we’re not surprised when the bill comes in!

What don’t you have?

When we move to our next home in a few years there are things we will need that we don’t have in our current home. We’ll likely have another child at this point and they will need their own bed. We will also need a new couch since the plan is to get rid of our current couch when we move, one less thing to move but one more cost we need to consider. (Here are some tips on buying secondhand.)

Getting into homeownership is exciting but also a lot of work and money spent! Though most people consider the downpayment costs, it’s easy to overlook the other costs involved in buying a home. Though some of these costs snuck up on us the first time, we’ll be much more prepared next time!

Did you overlook any costs when buying your home?

Planning Out a ‘’Big Girl’’ Bedroom on a Budget

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Our daughter is quickly outgrowing her room. So, we've decided to do a big girl bedroom on a budget. Here are budget friendly decorating plans.I have finally come to terms with the fact that our three year old has outgrown her bed. We have a crib that converts to a daybed and finally, with the help of a conversion kit, you can turn it into a double bed headboard and footboard. She has been out of her crib for a while now and has been sleeping in the daybed but it’s getting to be tight quarters. I have been finding her hanging off the edge the last few weeks and she’s a pretty small kid.

Other than needing a new bed, redoing the rest of her room really is not a necessity but rather something we’d like to do for her. When we did her bedroom up initially we didn’t put anything ‘’too babyish’’ on the walls or anything we couldn’t easily remove, really other than the crib which now needs to go (we’re not buying the conversion kit or double mattress) it’s just changing a few of the decorations.

She received a little money for her birthday last month with instruction to use it for something that she needs, that something will likely be put towards a new bed followed by updating her bedroom a bit from the baby stuff to a slightly more mature room.

Thankfully she still loves the color of her walls (purple) so we don’t need to paint for a while (mom and dad are glad!). We need a new bed, maybe something on her walls to replace the two or three things we plan on removing, something to help with storage and materials to redo her dresser.

My goal is to get all of this (including new bed) for less than $400. Here are our plans to make a big girl bedroom on a budget.

Saving on a Bed and Mattress

I’m all for buying used for most things in life but I won’t buy a used mattress so we need to shop the sales. We’re only getting her a twin bed though so that will save some money (and space in her bedroom) and the beds we’ve been looking at don’t require a separate boxspring.

We haven’t yet decided if we will be buying a bed or making one though. I have found some blueprints to make a loft-style bed but I suspect for what we’ll pay in wood and supplies, we will be able to buy a twin bed somewhere (also the advantage of time with buying).

Homemade Wall Art

For the walls, instead of buying fancy prints at a department or home goods store, we will probably check out Etsy.com or even make something myself (like a collage of her art which can be swapped out). There are a million great ideas on Pinterest that can be checked out.

Other Problem Areas

Her dresser is an antique that was handed down to us. While I like the functionality of it, I don’t love the look so I would like to somehow fix it up. It has some wood veneer on it which makes it kind of difficult to redo. I need to spend some time investigating how to work with this product before I was time and energy on it.

I don’t think we need too much for additional storage. Most of the storage issues in her room can be solved by us going through and organizing her closet better. Our entire house has a lack of storage issue so closets often have multiple uses. Unfortunately for us though, she really does need the closet to be just dedicated to her things so the stuff that I have stashed in there needs to be moved.

Updating your kids room doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Even if you wanted to do with an all-out themed room you’d be amazed what you can get at places like dollar stores. I know it will be tough but I think we’ll be able to do it within our budget!

Have you re-done a kids room? Any tips for places to score deals?

Cleaning Poop and Other Jobs Your Kid Can Do This Summer to Earn Money

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Is your little one wanting to earn some extra cash? Here's a list of jobs your kid can do this summer to earn some money. These aren't all fun but they are worth it!A few weeks ago as I was getting my daughter ready for bed there was a knock at the door. It was two kids, about 14 asking to mow our lawn. My husband was already planning to do it the next day so I thanked them and gave my apologies.

They looked totally defeated. They obviously hadn’t had any luck and had been lugging their lawnmower all over the neighbourhood looking for someone to help. My husband felt bad, went outside and asked their price. For $15 they would cut both the front and back yard, $20 and they would add in the whippersnipper. We did it.

Did we need to, absolutely not, we’re both able-bodied and can mow our own lawn but these kids were looking to earn some cash of their own and we wanted to help.

The summer can be a great opportunity for kids of all ages to earn some extra money. What they use the money for will vary but there are many opportunities for kids to have a little hustle of their own with their free time. Here are a few ideas to help your kids start-up a little side-gig:

Lawn mowing: This is an easy one but start in neighbourhood where there is a knowing aging population, a group who would benefit from the help the most. Make simple flyers and hand them out. The biggest downside is how weather dependant it is.

Yard Sale: My sister and I used to do this all the time. We would gather items and ask our mom to help pick stuff out for us to sell. We’d make a few signs the morning of and hope for the best. We’ve also rented tables for $10 at flea markets to sell. This isn’t usually consistent income but helps unload stuff and make a lump-sum of cash.

Yard Cleaning: This is something I searched online for the year we moved into our house. After we demolished an old shed on our property I contemplated hiring someone, ideally a cheap young high school kid, for a few hours to help clean the area up and prep it for a garden, only problem was that I couldn’t find anyone! There is always yard work that is needed and that people need and want help with.

Clean poop: Sounds gross but someone has to do it. There are companies dedicated to cleaning the dog poop from your property especially in the spring when the snow melts but it really is a task that needs to be maintained. If your kid is eager enough they could probably make a decent income for the upfront cost of good gloves, a mask, some buckets/bags and a rake.

Dog Walk/Pet Sit: People travel in the summer and the pets sometimes need a place to stay or for someone to check up on them. If your teen is attentive enough, and good with animals, it might be a lucrative summer career that can stretch beyond the summer months.

Until kids are of the legal working age it can be hard to earn income of their own. With a little effort and determination they may have luck in one of these areas to help them earn some money to put towards their own wants and needs.

Your Teen and Their First Car

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Thinking of getting your teen their first car? Here are something you need to think of first.Growing up, I didn’t really have to worry about the need for my own car once I turned 16. My mom had a vehicle which she used rarely and for the most part allowed me to have it when I wanted it. I however don’t know if I would do the same with my kids.

Though owning a car is a huge responsibility (something I learned at 22 when I finally bought my first car), I don’t know if I want my newly licensed teen driving around in my vehicle either. I’ve always been a responsible driver but managed to get myself in two accidents writing off my mom’s car once (not my fault!). I also don’t like the idea of a car simply being given to a teen because they’ve reached a certain age, but I do like lessons that are learned in the responsibility of co-owning a vehicle of their own.

The car doesn’t, and shouldn’t, be anything fancy or new. It should be something safe, reliable and affordable for the teen and parents. Something that won’t require a bunch of money to maintain but something that you won’t be too heartbroken over if it ends up being written off in a car accident (hopefully not!).

As adults we know you can’t own a car if you don’t have income coming in. Same would go for the teen. They will be responsible for their own gas (in their car or yours) as well as contributing to the maintenance of said vehicle. If they don’t have a way of financially supporting themselves I personally don’t see how it’s fair they have access to a vehicle of their ‘’own’’.

Some teens require a car to actually earn money depending on their job while others may just want a vehicle for leisure, to get to and from school and soccer practice. Whatever the reason behind the wanting of the vehicle, they should help pay for it, if not finance the whole thing.

If they can’t come up with the money to pay for the vehicle in cash themselves, and they need it (maybe they got a job doing pizza delivery starting in two weeks) consider implementing a family issued loan. Someone I know issued a loan to her daughter when she turned 18 so she would be able to drive to and from university which was an hour each way. Mom bought the car for $2,500 and gave her daughter 12 months to pay her back, knowing she had a great summer job lined up. The car was repaid before the end of the summer.

If and when a teen gets a car of their own, is definitely unique to each family but I think there are many advantages to giving them access to a vehicle early into their driving days. There would obviously be many rules in place but I think if obey have the ability to teach many important life lessons.

Did you have a car when you were a teen? Did your parents help you buy it?

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