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Soon, you will have your child(ren) deciding "Is a Quarter Pounder Meal worth $4.50 out of my savings?" or "Do I really need that new video game that cost $50?".
This "brand free" approach can be applied to all other shopping areas aside from supermarket example.
When you are shopping for clothes, ONLY buy necessities. Ignore most expensive and most popular items. Only buy what you, or children, absolutely need, ignore all rest.
Regarding toys and games, you can make it so that your children ONLY get "free" toys on Christmas and their birthdays. If they want something additional, they must purchase item with their own money.
Taking These Ideas One Step Further
Once you have inspired your children to participate in this money saving, "brand free" lifestyle, it's time to MOTIVATE them to help increase their success.
As with everything in life, having a goal to strive for greatly increases probability of success.
Goals help us stay focused on task at hand. Goals help individual strive for something tangible that's meaningful or important to them.
A runner's goal may be to shave 10 seconds off their lap time. This runner will then practice, workout, and time themselves, striving to run a lap 10 seconds faster than before.
In our "brand free" exercise, you may want to come up with a goal that you and your children can strive towards. For example, you could establish a short term goal that states, if your children can eat healthy and not ask for any "brand name stuff" for two months, you will take them to any movie they want to see.
Here are some more ideas for various goal ranges:
Short Term: 1-3 months
picnic, trip to beach, movie of their choice
Medium Range: 3-8 months
new game, doll house, Chuck-E-Cheese trip
Long Term: 8-12 months
Disneyland trip, Water Theme park, day at carnival
Sticking To Your Plan
Regardless what your decide to implement, remember that this is your plan. You are parent, so you decide what's best for your children. Don't take any negative remarks or any bad mouthing from your kids in regards to this new lifestyle. Stick with it!
Just keep in mind that these exercises and lessons will benefit your children in long run regardless of what they may think of it at moment.
Best wishes teaching your children to be "brand free" and money conscious.
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This article tackles the issue of getting your children "brand free". If approached correctly, not only will your children become "brand free", but they will have learned valuable lessons on budgeting and managing their finances.