Little Frugal Lessons: When it Clicks

As I mentioned, we’re saving together for an all-out trip to Disney before my oldest daughter, Ady, heads to Kindergarten this year.  We’ve been working hard to tell our daughters how we are saving our money by not going out to dinner as much and cutting back here and there.  They somewhat get it, but I often think that they see it as “you can go to McDonald’s or Disney” and Disney just always wins versus the actual transfer of money from the eating-out budget to the vacation budget.

For Christmas this year, one of the items high on my daughter’s list was Dora Links, which my Grandma happily bought and made her day (or entire Christmas, maybe). Now, I know that all toys don’t have to be educational. I know that kids should be kids and sometimes it should just be about fun.  But, for some odd reason, whenever my daughter is on the computer doing something that is more likely to be sucking brain cells straight out of her head versus teaching her something valuable, I sit nearby being eaten away by guilt.

Ady LOVES that Dora doll and not only sleeps with her, but we’ve had to put a timer next to the computer to limit her time (and she hasn’t once mentioned my attachment to my own computer!?).  I expected something similar to Dora on Nickelodeon, which we use to watch together.  Instead, it was more of a fashion show for Ady.  She spent the entire time dressing Dora up in different outfits, styling her hair, and doing her make-up.

Have you seen this thing?  It hooks into your computer and connects you to a virtual world. Then you can go to the salon to cut her hair and the doll’s hair literally shrinks back into her head! When you put make-up on her, her cheeks light up. It’s an interesting mixture of really neat and slightly disturbing.

There were games and adventures, but Ady only played them to earn some money and as soon as she has enough money, she buys something. Anything.  She kept getting upsetsince she never had the money to buy the things she wanted and I tried hard to explain the logic behind saving up.  It seemed the money burnt a hole in Dora’s pockets though.

Today, I was sitting on the couch nearby working, while Ady was playing her Dora Links game.  Suddenly she said, “Mom, I really want to buy Perrito (Dora’s dog) something, but it’s $100. I am saving my money and I have $30 in my piggy bank. I’m not spending it. I’m saving it, but how much more do I need?”

She’d never made it past $10 before. It was all I could do not to jump up and hug her, but I calmly answered her question.  Then she said, “And this is why we can’t buy all the candy at the store right? Because we are putting it in our piggy bank for Disney?”

It was the silly talking Dora doll with her growing hair and light up cheeks that helped it click, but you know what?

I’ll take it!

And on a side note, yes, this is exactly why we can’t buy “all the candy in the store”. Not, because I’d end up eating it all after the kids went to bed (To save them from eating too many sweets, of course. It’s all about them.).

This post is unique!