Save Money by Teaching Your Kids Home Economics
July 13, 2011Whatever happened to Home Economics? I remember taking this class in the seventh grade, and I don’t even think it was an elective—we all had to take it. I remember learning how to measure ingredients and follow cooking instructions so we could bake cookies, cakes, and bread. I remember learning how to load a washing machine, and how to iron clothes when they came out of the dryer. I remember learning how to thread a sewing machine so we could sew holes in our jeans, make clothes, and create stuffed animals to play with. (I made a stuffed frog out of camouflage and named him Camo-frog.) I enjoyed that class very much. Not only did it teach me things I would need to know in the real world, but it also taught me how to follow instructions, how to respect my work space and keep it clean, and how to work with others—you never bake alone. What I didn’t realize is how much money it would save me over the course of my life.
It’s funny, my kids have never heard of Home Economics. For them, money grows on trees (figuratively, of course). I’ve been telling you how my wife and I are attempting to provide our children with practical lessons this summer, so instead of television, video games, and the internet, for the next two months our kids will learn how to save money around the house. Here are the areas we’ll focus on:
Laundry
Did you know it can cost up to $2 per shirt for dry cleaning? A husband and wife could easily spend over $80 a month. So here’s what we plan to do. We’ve got four kids (you can imagine the piles of laundry we go through), on laundry day, the younger ones separate clothes into piles of whites, darks, and coloreds while the older ones learn how to load a machine, measure detergent, and iron a blouse or dress shirt.
For the Kids
Ages 3-6: This is an excellent time to teach about colors, so kids this age can help separate into piles.
Ages 7-10: Kids this age are your heavy lifters. Have them push, pull, and carry laundry baskets around the house. They can have fun “shooting” dirty clothes into the baskets.
Ages 11+: These kids can learn how to operate the machine, how to measure and pour the detergent, and eventually how to iron clothes.
Sewing
Ripped jeans and torn shirts may be the fashion in Hollywood, but in the Ward household they’re a reason to change outfits. With the rough and tumble gang I have, if we discarded every thread of clothing that had a hole in the knee or separated seam, we’d be buying clothes as often as we buy milk. To get more miles out of our wardrobe, we’ve started mending the clothes ourselves using a sewing machine. (Thanks to Ms. Zalinski, my Home-Economics teacher, I actually know how to thread a machine.) Now, it’s just a matter of teaching the kids how to use it properly, and not like it’s a race car.
For the Kids
Ages 3-6: Kids this age can help thread the needle while mom or dad holds it.
Ages 7-10: Kids this age can practice sewing small holes with parental supervision.
Ages 11+: These kids are ready to learn how to operate the sewing machine. Since this involves using a pedal, it will also be good practice for when you teach them how to drive.
Cooking
The average lunch can cost anywhere from $7 to $10, and dinner can cost twice that. Throw in five other mouths and you can easily see how dining out can be one of the most expensive items in the budget. Since the kitchen can be a place where family memories are created (Susan grew up in an Italian family, and she has fond memories of cooking with her family) not only is this an opportunity to teach the children a skill that can save them tens of thousands of dollars over their lifetimes, but it can also be a time that brings us closer together. From setting the table to cleaning the dishes, we hope our children learn that mealtime is more than just a quick bite to eat.
For the Kids
Ages 3-6: These little ones can stir, pour, taste, etc.
Ages 7-10: Reading instructions, cracking eggs, opening boxes, setting timers, anything hands on is appropriate.
Ages 11+: Measuring ingredients, turning the oven on and off, using oven mitts to put in and take out trays, electric mixers; if it has an on/off switch, teach them the proper use starting now.
By learning how to do laundry, mend clothes, and prepare meals, not only are the children helping us to save money, but they’re also learning how to be more self sufficient. When the day comes for the kids to leave home and make in on their own, Susan and I will feel better knowing they’ve had a bit of an education in Home Economics. 🙂