Happy Friday: Kiddos Can Stretch a Dollar Too

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Sent from reader, Caroline:

My 6 year old daughter recently earned $2 for doing a chore around the house. Right away, she wanted to waste it at the Dollar Store. I told her I didn’t want her to waste it because I wanted to show her how to make her money stretch further. So we printed coupons, made her list, and went off to Shoprite. This is her haul:

4 dole smoothies
12 jars baby food (she bought these to donate to a food pantry)
3 candy bars
Total = $9.07

Coupons used:
$0.75/1 (our store doubles up to $1)
$1/4 stage 2 Beech Nut
B1G1 free 3 Musketeers

Total Out of Pocket = $1.09 ( + received a $1.50 Catalina from Dole!)

HAPPY FRIDAY! 😀


Do you have a funny, “Hip”, or unique photo to share?! Email us at happyfriday@hip2save(dot)com. Every Friday, I will post one photo, submitted by you and/or another Hip2Save reader, that gives us a glimpse into your frugal lifestyle or simply makes us smile. If your photo is published on Hip2Save, we’ll email you a $10 Amazon e-card!

** Check out all of the previous Happy Friday pictures here.

Join The Discussion

Comments 43

  1. Sirena

    She is soo cute God bless her. Great way to her To save And Give back. Great Job Caroline!

  2. Ali

    Bravo! Teaching can be rewarding!

  3. Sherry

    This is SUCH a great story. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

  4. jane

    she is a beautiful, smart and thoughtful.

  5. Nicole

    What a beautiful and smart young girl! Thanks for sharing this. I love seeing young people get excited about being frugal and socially responsible and seeing parents facilitate this.

  6. Amanda

    What a little Doll!

  7. Karla

    Caroline, Great job teaching your daughter how to be a good steward with her money!

  8. Crystal

    Such a sweet little girl. And a very smart Mom to start teaching her early in life.

  9. Julie

    What a great life lesson!

  10. Michelle

    I love that idea. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  11. Barb

    That’s great.

  12. Tina

    She is just too cute! Great job kiddo! My 5 year old loves coupons too! Have her keep going with the Catalina and see how much longer she can keep it going!

  13. Katrina

    My kiddos LOVE those smoothies! What a treat! Who doesn’t love candy bars? 😉 Good job, mama! Keep it up 🙂

  14. Rachel

    That is a really awesome thing to do! I think I will follow your example the next time my girl wants to blow some money at the dollar store.

  15. ali

    Great job! I know I get some funny looks at the store when we are looking at toys at my 4 and 5 year old kids will hold something up and say “Mommy, do we have a coupon for this?” If I say no, then they just calmly put it back and say “We’ll have to wait for it to be a better price”. It makes me so proud! Keep up the good work, other coupon moms, and we can try to raise the next generation to not be foolish with their money! 🙂

    • holly

      So cute! My 3 year old loves to “cut coupons” with me (I give him old magazines to cut up). It’s a good lesson to early in life! What a sweet gal in the picture!

    • Tilla Ham

      my daughter always says “lets wait until it goes on clearance” that’s right baby girl! then you can get way more clothes instead of one shirt for 50 bucks

  16. Jennifer

    Love it!

  17. Jackie

    Way to go Brooke! Keep up the good work your famous now! Brooke is one of the most caring and thoughtful girls I know (so lucky she is family). Love you!

  18. Jasmine

    Excellent job Caroline !!!!

  19. patti

    That is adorable! You’re teaching her a money lesson that almost surely will make her life better as an adult – wonderful 🙂

  20. Nick

    Rock on!! Never to early to learn the value of a dollar and to save money. Btw she looks a little bit like Selena Gomez lol.

  21. Vicki B

    That is absolutely awesome not only is she learning to save her money, but also learning compassion for those less fortunate by making a donation to the food pantry.

  22. Carol

    So sweet, thanks for sharing. 🙂

  23. Rayla

    I understand the lesson you are teaching. I’m glad she is donating the baby food.I hate when people do this extreme couponing and buy things that they dont need simply because they got it free, when other people just as well could have used them.

    • Renee

      I know exactly what your saying-felt huge knot in my stomach when some lady “on that show” bought a ton of dog flea collars to “fill up her stock pile.” She said she liked the way they looked on her shelf-never saying she would donated them but the best was when her hubby said “We don’t even have a DOG!”

  24. Melissa

    Isn’t it funny? Most people think that one is being frugal by shopping at the dollar store. And there are some good deals at these stores. But we couponers know how to stretch our money so much farther! Good job, Caroline!

  25. mary g.

    very inspiring!! i can tell she is one proud shopper 🙂 another hip2save-er in the making – yay!!!

  26. Elaine

    Take me next time!! That’s so great!

  27. mj

    yes its a great story!!!!!!!!Thank You Collin
    how to be frugal and savy and yet help others even if its so litlle

    world would be so much better if women rule it …lol
    we are just nicer and more caring ……

  28. kipfer76

    Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Totally awesome! Both mom and daughter!

  29. Ashley

    So wonderful! I’m working on teaching my five year old the value of money and giving back. In fact, she’s already learned my motto, “if its not in clearance, it’s not for me!”

  30. Alexi

    Caroline! That’s so great! My 3 year says he “LOVES coupons just like mama!” My Dad, though, he’s been hard to teach… please teach my Dad!

  31. Heather C.

    What a wonderful idea! I’ll definitely be doing this the next time my 8 year old daughter wants to spend her money! It’s funny, my little ones know I coupon and that I go to certain stores to do my “deals” (as they call it :)), but never seem that interested in learning more… and I’ve really never given it a second thought until reading this post. This will be a great way to get them involved and interested in something that will help them out so much throughout their lives! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

  32. Luann Vanderpot

    Good teaching job Mommy! Way to go Caroline!

  33. Tracie D

    This picture and post made me smile! Such a good way to teach the value of saving money. Although my 4-yr. old knows what coupons are and she sees me with them, it never occurred to me to start teaching her. THANK YOU! (I also loved that she used part of her money to donate–yet, another lesson!)

  34. paula

    What I think is neat, she did all that and still had .90 left over for herself (plus I’m sure the candy bars were her’s also) lol
    Good, good job.

  35. mommy1

    Aw, can’t wait until my daughter can do this with me (she is 6 but at a 2 year-old level). One day!

  36. CW

    I’m thinking back to the stories that Collin posted about high schoolers and college students learning early how to make their money stretch on a tight budget. She will be ready for that by middle school! Wonderful story! I bet the savings (if she starts now) might pay for a good chunk of her college. 🙂

  37. Lisa K.

    One of the proudest moments I’ve had as a mother is when my 19 year old son recently told me how he went out to eat with another college student with a coupon he had! If nothing else, he’s learned how to be a thrifty shopper from his mom! 🙂

  38. Laraine

    excellent opportunity!!! an incentive for us all!!!!!!!!!!

  39. Mar

    Collin you are truly a blessing! You solidified what I have been trying to teach my boys all along. Thank you

  40. lori dow

    I just wanted to say thanks! I can’t find your post now, but i just happened to see a post about wedding bands that were soo inexpensive from tanga.com, and it was just what me and my fiance were looking for. Thanks for helping us! Planning a wedding on a budget with two toddlers..is such a challenge!

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