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Christmas in July

Have you ever noticed that if you don’t buy a swimsuit by Memorial Day that you probably can’t find one at a local store? Thank goodness for online shopping! I once needed a pair of flip flops for a cruise I was taking in early December; Amazon saved me. 

Now, retailers are ahead of the game. They start gearing up for back-to-school (and sometimes cold weather, and the holidays follow shortly thereafter) as early as July–right after the 4th.

Maybe there is something we can learn from that.

I know you are probably barely settled into your summer routine. You probably haven’t yet taken your vacation or been to your family reunion. I highly doubt you are thinking about fall and everything it brings. But it IS a good idea to get a look at what’s ahead.

The start of a new school year isn’t always just about new clothes, colored pencils, and backpacks. There are lots of activities that coincide with it: sports, martial arts, music lessons, clubs, etc. If you are a normal American family, your kids are probably involved in more than one. How do these affect your budget? And the extra cost isn’t the only thing you need to consider.

I encourage you to not OVER-schedule your children and, as a result, yourself. Sit down with your significant other AND your kids. Find out which of their extracurricular activities are the most important to everyone. Discuss the financial end of things. Discuss scheduling, carpooling, and how all these activities affect dinner and family time. You’ll be doing everyone a favor and teaching your children some important principles INCLUDING finances. Getting their input allows them to learn that they have power and control over their outcomes. 

It’s a total win-win!

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