Helpful DuGood Articles

Happy fall y’all!  Today is the first day of autumn, and we couldn’t be more excited.  With the arrival of the season change, comes milder weather (ok Southeast Texas, so we’re still waiting on that part), pumpkin everything, football, and festivals.

I am a firm believer that kids should be taught the value of the almighty dollar.   I think too often in today’s time, parents hand out money but miss the chance to teach their kids a lesson.

Now, before I go any further, please understand.  I am not saying you cannot splurge on your child.  I am guilty of this too!  I don’t think there is anything wrong with rewarding your kids.  All I’m simply trying to say is – many times we, as parents, pay for that toy or candy bar in the store just to get five minutes of peace and quiet. Then, what happens?  You feel guilty that you rewarded your kid, and they didn’t really do anything to deserve it.

Whether you’re hit with a bout of nostalgia for those old school days, or breathe a sigh of relief thinking “Thank heavens, that’s over,” the school supply list that arrives faithfully in your mail or email probably evokes memories. If it’s not memories of your own school days, it’s memories of school supply shopping. And if you dread school supply shopping, you’re not alone.

When you sit down and actually record where your money goes, there are always surprises. More money may be going to food and other expenses than you think. There may be areas in which you can easily cut corners that you won’t see until it’s in writing. Rather than sitting down and deciding how much of your income “should” go to expenses such as food, clothes, entertainment, savings, etc., keep track of where the money is actually going. Using a simple pad of paper, write down everything that you and the other members of your family spend money on every day. Do it for a full month.