Budgeting with kids

Sometimes it is hard to budget with kids. You have to pick between wants and needs, which could hurts others feels at times. Thing is you got to do what's best.

Sometimes it is hard to budget with kids. You have to pick between wants and needs, which could hurts others feels at times. Thing is you got to do what's best.

I totally agree. It can be tough for them to understand why things are the way they are, but I think it helps them become more understanding. When I was young and would go grocery shopping with my mom, she'd cry sometimes and tell us that we couldn't afford everything in our cart since both my parents were out of work. As a kid, it was tough to see my mom break down like that, but it's made me more conscious about budgeting as an adult

My dad would put a rubber band around the checkbook which meant our money was "closed" during that time period. We all knew that it meant no unnecessary purchases. It's stuck with me to this day as an adult. I also learned to price hunt for the best bargain (much harder before the internet – I used to look through the ads in our Sunday paper and in the mail!) and that buying second hand saved a lot of money. These things guide my finances today still, even though I'm in a better position than my parents were.

My biggest challenge is with the food budget. The kids don't understand how expensive food is and my grocery bill is hands down the largest item I need to tackle. They like to waste snacks and request things that they never eat. I am trying to figure out a way to help them understand it's all hands on deck right now and we can't waste food!