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Since we were sent our first Trash Packs in the summer my son has been asking me for more! So you can imagine his reaction when I asked him if he'd like to review the new Toilet Trashies...
They really are designed to appeal to boys as they appear revolting to grown ups:
We were sent a 5 pack collection worth £4.99 which is about average for this kind of collectable. Each trashie comes in its own little toilet:
They are all very gruesome (my son's description) with their own unique details:
Like the original versions they can be used for playing games or make mum's stomachs churn! They would make a fun stocking filler for young boys. And with 2 packs priced at £2.49 they are aimed at the pocket money bracket to encourage a collection of them.
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My children have enjoyed the grown up experience of having their own debit cards and being able to buy things for themselves in shops. Once I set my daughter's PIN to something easier to remember she has felt so independent. Their first purchases were at out local Morrisons as they wanted to buy magazines. It was exciting for them to use their cards in the machines on the self service tills!
My daughter is more of a spendaholic than her little brother so is more likely to use her card. When we went to MOSI in Manchester I gave her the card to use in the gift shop. Apparently a few children have been in there with them. It's good for her to be able to see where her money has gone:
At least this shows her why she doesn't have much money left to spend!
My son on the other hand is keen to save up for some Lego as he is an avid collector. It is therefore useful for him to be able to see what he needs to save. We searched online for the Lego he wants and then he set a savings target based on the price:
As he is only 6 seeing it visually makes it more obvious to him. Then he can see ways of earning above his fixed pocket money by looking at his tasks list to see what he can earn:
I have to say my children agreed the rates for all chores! I'm sure they will learn to ask for more in the future as their needs increase.
This post is part of a project with BritMums, sponsored by PKTMNY, highlighting it's launch (http://www.pktmny.com). The new tool allows parents to easily pay and monitor their children's pocket money online, whilst allowing their children to earn, save, spend and manage their money in a totally safe and fun way.
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When I was invited by Britmums to be a beta tester for the new http://www.pktmny.com I found the whole idea very appealing. My children are still quite young at 9 and 6 but I want them to learn from an early age the value of saving money and sticking to a budget. They have traditional savings accounts but I control these for them as the money is needed for things such as swimming lessons and big treats.
I have never yet managed to establish a system for regular pocket money and it was always a bit adhoc and was never the same amount each week! In fact I was guilty of giving them more than they deserved in the form of magazines and small treats when out. This new site allows me to set an automatic minimum payment each week that they get paid into their accounts without me having to remember to do it.
The extra tasks that earn extra money are easy to set up and I agreed with the children a fair amount for things like washing up or tidying their rooms. The good thing about this is that they really have to earn their spending money. So if they want to be able to afford something like a new magazine they need to either wait until they the basic money builds up or get busy with household chores.
My 6 year old still thinks that if his account has £5 in it then he has to spend it straight away. On the other hand my 9 year old has become much more savvy about choosing what to use her debit card to buy. She feels so grown up going into a shop and using her own debit card.
The good thing is I can adjust the maximum amount allowed to spend so that if they really wanted something above their normal allowance and have saved up then I can allow them to spend more. The fact that I can help them learn to budget is a great thing to do as a family. I know myself the dangers of credit cards so I think that starting young with a debit card is a brilliant idea.
As they grow older then the allowances they have will grow with their needs, abilities and willingness to do chores! It's such a simple yet flexible idea. I look forward to continuing to help my children learn to manage their own money better than I did!
This post is part of a project with BritMums, sponsored by PKTMNY, highlighting it's launch (http://www.pktmny.com). The new tool allows parents to easily pay and monitor their children's pocket money online, whilst allowing their children to earn, save, spend and manage their money in a totally safe and fun way.
