This is the logic of Estelle, my five-year-old little girl. Her deduction is not incorrect, although receipts, vouchers and cards (credit, discount, membership, etc) may be the actual contributors to a bloated wallet.
She came to her conclusion as we sat down for a snack at the petrol station after a car wash. HG and I were discussing how expensive car washes are in Finland: we paid €17.50 for a full wash (comes with soap compared to €14.50 for just water) and another €2 to use the vacuum cleaner (our interiors probably yielded a cup worth of gravel). Estelle was confirming the meaning of the word "expensive".
We try to teach our kids the value of money. They can't buy everything they see or want. They can't visit the pay-per-entry playground every day, or even every week. At €9 per hour per child, I bring them only when I really need to let off some steam.
My aunt thought it's shameful that we don't buy toys for our kids. How could they walk out of a toy store or department store empty-handed? We were heartless to deny them their childhood joys. Since it's not a matter of affordability, are we being stingy?
But we think our kids have many toys already. And we do buy them new toys, just not ALL the time.
We also want to teach our kids patience and decision-making. Since our holiday in Lapland last year, we established this practice where our kids could buy one item at the end of the trip. They would look wherever we went (aka window shopping) and make their final decision the day before we leave.
This means that if our holiday lasts 5 days, the kids have to wait for 3 days to make the actual purchase. Besides patience, they also learn to prioritise their wants. We think they will ultimately be happier with their buy than we having to argue about why we aren't buying a second (or third, fourth...) item or having them regret their initial choice if they buy the first thing they see.
Like other kids, they periodically receive gifts from friends and relatives, which all add up to their trove.
I didn't grow up having everything we wanted. I remember going out with parents and leaving the shopping centre empty-handed most of the time. Sometimes, I could buy a bottle of teddy bear-shaped juice, which left me rather satisfied.
Fast-forward to present day, I'd say that I don't crave for an IT bag or shoes. It's ok not to carry a branded bag or be spotted in red-soled Christian Louboutin heels.
Would I like to have them? Sure. Can I live without them? Sure. And not feel like I'm missing out? Most of the time.
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