Yahoo Finance Money-saving tip: In-house your kid-friendly chores and save $410 per month
Recruit your kids to help with those annoying household jobs and teach them about money in the proocess.
Escalating expenses and our continually high cost of living mean that money is tight for us all but, if you have kids like me, they might be able to help you in-house some of the jobs you usually out-source, which could help you save as much as $410 per month.
Here’s how.
I now have an 11 and a 14-year-old. I’ve always been big on the daily team tasks like unpacking the dishwasher, helping with dinner, setting the table - then, clearing and cleaning up afterwards. That they keep their own rooms clean is just expected (although often ignored).
But I think I've missed a trick by not recruiting my ‘little’ ones to help complete household chores and actually save me both time and money.
Well, sorry kids. I’ll save $410 per month by stopping out-sourcing and starting in-housing instead, and it'll look like this:
Save $140 on gardening
A buddy of mine has been mowing my (large-ish) lawn for the past couple of years, for the bargain price of $100 once per fortnight.
But my son is now big enough to handle the significant slope – and it helps strengthen and improve his stamina for volleyball. Tick and tick.
I’m going to pay him $30 – or $60 per month instead of $200. That’s a monthly saving of $140.
Also by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon:
Save $120 on the pool
Is it just me or is getting your pool serviced really expensive? Especially when most pool shops will analyse a water sample free.
Though my pool – like most – turned green in the recent rain, one ‘chlorine bomb’ later and running the pump for 48 hours, and the reading in the shop was actually pretty good.
I already had the salt and bit of extra chlorine required to get it right. So, I walked out of there without paying a cent. Again, we can handle this ourselves.
Monthly saving: $120 plus, I suspect, a few unneeded chemicals.
Save $150 on car cleaning
I am not big on paying for car cleaning but my car is also dirty.
The kids – note they are now finally motivated by money – will clean this once a month for $30 for both the inside and outside. Which I believe would cost about a million dollars professionally.
Saving: Dust, allergies, embarrassment and at least $150 versus if you were to out-source the job.
The priceless lessons you are giving
All this delivers three amazing things to your kids:
Money - ‘seeing’ and managing it is essential to them becoming financially functioning adults
It teaches them the economics of money-in versus money-out, with regard to your family, as well as giving them the halo glow of making that equation better by making a tangible difference
It instills a work ethic - money is earned and not bestowed, and the sooner they appreciate that, the more plentiful their life will be - and so will yours.
Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon is the author of How to Get Mortgage-Free Like Me, available atwww.nicolessmartmoney.com. Follow Nicole on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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