Getting Children Involved in Saving Money at Home 
1.  Teach kids about how things are made.
2.  Teach kids about what happens to trash.
3.  Turn off lights.
4.  Eat generic or store brand cereals.
5.  Keep small toys such as puzzles in zip-lock bags to prevent loss.
6.  Eat popcorn instead of chips.
7.  Drink water instead of pop.
8.  Make your own frozen fruit bars from juice.
9.  Pack school lunches.
10.  Check out videos and music from the library.
11.  Have a roll of duct tape and shoe glue to repair items.
12.  Stay healthy . . . eat healthy.
13.  Make cloth napkins that can be washed instead of using paper to be thrown away.
14.  Make cards and gifts for birthdays and special occasions.
15.  Give jobs to children to earn money or redeem points for things they want.
16.  Encourage children to earn money to buy the extras they want.
17.  Plan a garden.
18.  Sell produce from your garden.
19.  Teach children to cook from scratch.
20.  Make your own bread.
21.  Make your own pasta sauces.
22.  Learn to respect property, household items, furniture; treat them with care so they last.
23.  Wear slippers so you won't wear holes in your socks.
24.  Make your own chocolate milk and hot cocoa mix.
25.  Turn off the television when no one is watching.
26.  Teach kids to sew some simple things for themselves like a book bag or reusable lunch bag.
27.  Label and box "art supplies" and fill with posicle sticks, old buttons, toilet tissue tubes, yarn and fabric scraps, and other things that might normally get thrown away.
28.  Teach kids how to knit a scarf for the winter.


Copyright © 1999 Michigan State University Extension.  For information about Hunger Resources and Programming, contact <wrublec@msue.msu.edu>. 

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