Yes, you can have the joy of raising children without going broke. If you buy your next big-ticket item with cash instead of charging it or financing it, you can save about 15 percent on the cost of the item. If you buy it used, you could save over 50 percent. Although we live in a very materialistic society, it is incumbent upon all of us to teach our children well. If you can teach them money literacy early, you will have gone a long way toward saving them years of financial and emotional grief.
Kids learn best by example.
If they see you buying new shoes every month, they will want new shoes. If you get the newest computer every six months, they will want the new Nintendo. If they see you being smart with a dollar, they just might learn that, too. There are scores of ways to have fun with your kids, teach them positive values, and still save money. It is probably safe to say that it was not some prefab, store-bought costume, but rather a homemade, creative masterpiece.