Make a gift through Kidworth this Christmas.
As a kid, I loved discovering a mound of presents choking the tree on Christmas morning. But I can’t help but wonder, now that I’m familiar with the website Kidworth, if some of those gifts could have been given as investments.
Did you know that the average child, according to Kidworth founder Rudy DeFelice, comes across $25,000-$30,000 in gifts by the time they are 18? And yet, how many 18-year-olds do you know that have more than a few bucks to their name?
Awesome dino hoodie for kids!
Children’s toys are the focus of Day Three of the Bargain Babe Hot Holiday Gift Guide. Shopping for my nephews is one of my favorite parts of Christmas because I imagine how happy they will be with their new toys!
We’ve also suggested electronics gifts, and gifts at Sears. Over the next two weeks, we will suggest gifts for kids, teens, men, and women. There will also be a day devoted to unique and quirky gifts, and we’ll finish the gift guide on Dec. 9 with a roundup of the best overall gifts.
The Raptor mouth shirt
Earn $10 for joining Kidworth!
With a baby on the way, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to raise my kid so that she is savvy with money. How do I show her to save money, to live frugally, and to make savvy spending decisions? When should we first give her an allowance? How do I instill in her the pride I take in donating money to help others?
Enter Kidworth, a new website founded by a father who was tired of going to kids’ birthday parties and witnessing hundreds of dollars wasted on “plastic junk.”
So this father, Rudy DeFelice, did some research and discovered the average kid comes across $25,000-$30,000 in gifts by the time they are 18. Holy *$(%*#! How many 18-year-olds do you know that have more than a few bucks to their name?
“The way we treat kids reinfornces mindless consumption,” Rudy told me. He wanted a way to counter balance that consumerist message. He wanted a way to train kids to deal with money that would give kids a better chance.
Kidworth is not about creating more money, but about using resources – gifts, allowance, earnings – in a better way. Parents create an account for their kid, from babies to teenagers, and set up save goals, spend goals, and share goals. Depending on how old the kid is, they can get involved, too.
On a practical level, parents can use Kidworth to send out birthday invitations and holiday cards, using the opportunity to share their kid’s goals. It’s a not-so-subtle way to ask for specific gifts and donations, instead of the aforementioned plastic junk.
When you visit a kid’s page, family and friends can see what kind of progress the kid and what the kid is doing with their allowance, gifts, and earnings. Only first names are used, and no identifying information is shared or asked for. Pages do not show up in search engine results, but parents can share their kids’ pages with whomever they wish.
Kidworth is totally free to use, though sending an egift card costs $2.50 and sending a physical card costs $5. Both fees go to covering credit card processing fees.
If you’re dreading an onslaught of unwanted gifts this holiday season, sign up for Kidworth! The next 100 people to sign up via Kidworth’s Facebook page will earn a $10 credit when they create a goal in their Kidworth account.
I don’t have kids and I’m excited about a new site I just learned about called ConsignmentMommies.com, which lists kids consignment sales across the country. The site capitalizes on a newish trend – people buying and selling gently used kids clothing, toys, and gear at massive sales that resemble garage sales on steriods. There are 544 sales listed already.
You can search for sales within 5-100 miles of a particular zip code. A search in my hood resulted in two sales I already knew about and four new ones. Now if only I had kids!
You can post a sale on the site and review sales you’ve been to – all for free. Business listings are for a fee, however. A mother-daughter team launched the site in 2009 and they are still adding features, like a page listing all sales by state.
ConsignmentMommies.com also has a blog with helpful tips. One recent post shared pricing guidelines for maternity and kids clothing:
• Tee shirt $1-2
• Casual Top $3-4
• Dress Top $5
• Jeans $5
• Jean Shorts $2-5
• Shorts $1-4
• Pants $1-4
• Dress pants $3-6
• Casual Dress $3-5
• Dress $5-8
• Suit $10-$15
• Swim Suit $5-10
These sound like great prices to me! One parent I interviewed years ago said she made enough money selling her kid’s old gear, clothing, and toys, to buy what they needed for the next growth spurt. I hope this site helps you find a sale with great prices near you.
I went for a run on Saturday past homes I love to imagine are mine to a soft dirt path that circles a golf course. Just before the course there is a street that ends in a roadblock, except for a sidewalk that allows foot traffic through to a cul-de-sac on the other side.
As I approached I could hear children playing a game of kick ball in the cul-de-sac. I was running around it when six more children burst onto the street. The girls wore dresses, stockings and black Mary Janes. The boys wore suits, dress shoes, and had yarmulkes pinned to their dark hair. They were overdressed for kick ball and completely unaware of it.
The thrill of playing in the street consumed them. Oh, to have one last hour of fun before daylight disappears and parents call you inside! A girl skipped high into the air, throwing an arm up with each leap. A tiny fellow who looked to be about 5 flung his arms straight out, tipped his head to the sky and ran blindly forward, screaming with delight. They were showing the world exactly what they felt, without any self-awareness.
I wanted to take a picture, but I had only my eyes to capture the moment. Playing in the street, I decided, is as universal a childhood experience as any. And tonight, I was a kid again.
