The Mt Kenya Times 
Family During Christmas
By: Wanjohi. P. Mugambi
Worth Noting:
- Money has the power to destroy relationships, which are infinitely more valuable. Experiencing financial difficulties is an opportunity to change spending routines that have gotten out of hand and focus on the truly important things of life: family, faith, and friends.
- If wealth is your priority, then family life, personal health and a healthy union maybe negatively affected. Spending time and/or money to create shared memories is a good investment. Budgeting concerns every member of the family. Everyone should take part.
- Children should be exposed to the concept of budgeting so that they will be prepared to cope independently with situations, such as being away from home and living on an income of their own.
Family is considered the most important unit in a child’s life. A successful family doesn’t just happen. It results from a passionate commitment to shared values and from family members, who invest their love, time and energy into helping each other, discover and pursue their calling.
Family is the sacred ground for training and passing on beliefs, values and traditions. Each family member has a role to play in a family. As soon as children are able to help around the house, they need regular chores. It’s more important that they learn to be productive and see themselves as active contributors to the welfare of the home.
Don’t assume that certain household tasks are always the husband’s or wife’s responsibility. Let time availability guide you as you share the load. Shared meals provide an avenue for communication. Don’t set an agenda for your child’s life. Whether it’s excelling at sports, earning high grades, or choosing a particular vocation, forcing a child to fit a mold of your making—one that doesn’t consider how God designed the child—is a sure path to frustration for both of you.
Money has the power to destroy relationships, which are infinitely more valuable. Experiencing financial difficulties is an opportunity to change spending routines that have gotten out of hand and focus on the truly important things of life: family, faith, and friends.
If wealth is your priority, then family life, personal health and a healthy union maybe negatively affected. Spending time and/or money to create shared memories is a good investment. Budgeting concerns every member of the family. Everyone should take part.
Children should be exposed to the concept of budgeting so that they will be prepared to cope independently with situations, such as being away from home and living on an income of their own. Knowing how to budget and then establishing the right pattern of money management will enable them to make ends meet.
People tend to spend their money in ways which give them the greatest satisfaction. Some have smaller incomes than others and spend most of their income on food, the most important item of expenditure. If a certain level of food consumption is to be maintained, less money will be left for other needs, especially when prices are high.
Far too often consumers are tempted into spending more than is really necessary. Catchy advertising, attractive store displays and fancy packaging are some of the inducements which tempt us into parting with our hard-earned dollars and cents.
Before making a purchase, a shopper should ask: Do I need it? Can I do without it? Can I afford it?
Budgeting does not mean that we will be ‘pinching pennies’ and neatly recording how we spent every one, but it does mean that we will:
- Be able to manage the money we have better.
- Face money matters frankly and write down problems
- Consider wishes and needs of each member of the family
- Agree on realistic plans for spending and saving.
- Adjust plans as circumstances change.
We all need to work out a budget so as to get the best out of incomes which are becoming more and more difficult to ‘stretch’. It is only through careful budgeting and clever spending that we can hope to beat the ever-rising cost of living.
In making a budget, the following simple guidelines should be useful: Get an idea of your pattern of expenditure by keeping a record of how much is spent for a given period on food, clothing, housing and other necessities. Prepare another list showing the amounts planned for spending and saving.
Adjust the amounts where necessary. ‘Cut’ and ‘carve’ spending to fit income. Check regularly to see that the amounts spent on particular items are within the sum allocated for these items. There are several headings under which spending and saving may be divided. The major categories can be: food and drink or Going for walks and swimming
After you have planned how you will manage your money, put your plan to work. Form good buying habits. Here are some general hints to help you get the most for your money:
Learn all about a product before you shop for it. This is especially important when purchasing appliances and other standard household items.
Be alert to factors which cause prices to differ. Is it brand name or quality or how well the product is advertised? Compare prices. Are there any cheaper substitutes? Develop good buying habits. Take advantage of specials, seasonal sales in food, clothing, linen, cleaning supplies etc. Learn how to use credit. Know what it will cost you to use credit to help you get the things you need. Credit costs money. It may be better to wait a bit longer and get an item by saving for it than to get it immediately through credit.
Use your own and your family’s skills — grow vegetables and fruits; make some of your clothes; carry out simple repairs to furniture, etc. Make use of free or inexpensive educational and recreational services
Keep records; they will help you decide whether your dollars are giving you what you really want and need. Keep your records simple. Receipts are good records. They can be kept on a simple spindle made from a wire clothes hanger. A drawer, folder or box can serve a similar purpose.
At the end of the day before Christmas week, month or other budget period which you may have established, compare what you spent with what you planned to spend. If your spending was quite different form your plan, find out why. The answer to the ‘why?’ will help you to find ways to improve the next plan.
If the plan fitted your needs but you had trouble sticking to it, you may need to exercise stricter self-discipline and better management, as well as enlist more co-operations within the family. Just about all families expect children to contribute in some way to family life. Some children have household chores or jobs they’re responsible for every day or week. Other children help out when their parents ask them to. Either way, getting children involved benefits everyone.
Key Messages to Parents
- Family is considered the most important unit in a child’s life.
- A successful family doesn’t just happen. It results from a passionate commitment to shared values and from family members who invest their love, time and energy into helping each other discover and pursue their calling.
- Family is the sacred ground for training and passing on beliefs, values and traditions.
- Each family member has a role to play in a family. Spending time and/or money to create shared memories is a good investment.
- Having a plan for how to manage your money
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