5 Pitfalls To Avoid When It Comes To
Spending For The Children

Having a child, and starting a family of your own, can
be quite expensive; especially if you fall for every child based marketing
tactic and trick invented. There are 5 pitfalls in particular, that we feel all
parents should stay away from. They are as follows.

Bedroom Furniture Meant Exclusively For Kids

A mistake most parents make when decorating a growing
child’s bedroom, is buying them furniture, especially beds, which they feel is
age-appropriate. As a result, they end up having to buy newer furniture when
their child grows too tall for these baby-sized beds or when they grow into
their teens and are too embarrassed to sleep in them. Buy adult beds; save the
“baby” theme for the decorations of the room. Of course, cribs are necessary
and unavoidable. But you can still be smart and save here too, by selecting a
crib that can be transformed into a bed as your baby grows; allowing you to use
this piece of furniture for at least 5 years. 

Expensive Clothes That They’ll Outgrow In Weeks

From birth to the age of almost 12, kids are growing
constantly and in pretty rapid speed. This means the shoes you buy them today
may not fit their feet in 6 months. When it comes to toddlers, don’t make the
mistake of buying expensive clothes that they’ll only get to wear for a few
weeks. Of course, we understand you need to buy them clothes that are of good
quality. But quality does not necessarily have to be expensive. It’s also a
great idea to save some of those little girls dresses, shoes, booties and tiny shorts that your toddler
wears. This is either for a sibling in the future, or to donate it to someone
who needs it.

Buying Easy Food Meant For The Kids

Admittedly, many of us have little time to spare.
Supermarkets and businesses know this fact, and use our lack of time for their
advantage, by promoting “kid friendly” foods that they guarantee is healthy and
nutritious. We will never know if their claims are 100% true. Instead, opt to
buy foods that the entire family can eat, foods that will not go to waste if
your toddler/preschooler doesn’t like it. Opt to cook your meals yourself, so
you know what is exactly going into the meals of your family…

Enrolling Them Into Expensive Schools

Another great example of “expensive does not mean
quality” is education. Parents make the mistake of selecting and enrolling
their kids to the most expensive school around; assuming it’s the best. Do not
rely on another’s opinion for your child’s education. Do your research yourself
and ensure that the teachers and facilities are of the best quality before
enrolling your child. The distance from home to school also makes a great
difference, so keep that in mind as well.

Adopting A Pet When The Kids Are Not Old Enough
To Be Responsible 

Preschoolers are smarter than they ever were nowadays and are perfectly capable of getting their way with parents especially if the notion of a pet gets into their head. Do not get fooled into buying them a pet before they are capable of taking care of it themselves, as pets can be very expensive to have around. You’ll be spending a fortune for everything from their food to their health; and will have to spend your precious time taking care of them as well.