How to Save Money on Your Holiday 2008 Toy Purchases

With our local schools out all week for Thanksgiving, it's definitely close to "that time of year." For the next 4 weeks, our email frequency will increase as we bring you tips and thoughts to improve your holiday shopping experience.

One thing that appears certain - this will be a different holiday than past years for many families. And another thing that is certain is that every parent and grandparent longs to show their children love through special gifts and toys. I am going to be addressing holiday toy buying in tough economic times in the coming weeks. Read on to hear my tips on how to make the most of your holiday toy experience.

It all started with a friend who read my last newsletter, and responded by telling me that the newsletter was great, well written and interesting, but that I'd missed the mark by not talking directly about the one thing foremost on so many people's minds these days - the economy. He went on to tell me the story of a plumber who had increased his business significantly by educating his customers about how much money they would save if they purchased "on-demand" water heaters. Even though the original purchase price is higher than a regular water heater, the savings over time quickly makes up for the difference, making this an economical choice.

Well, that had me stumped for a while. I kept thinking that no matter how hard I tried, I could not come up with a way that buying toys could actually save a family money! They can save sanity, and they are important, and they are fun. But I just could not think of anything to tell you that is the equivalent of "Buy a chess set and your electric bill will go down by X amount of dollars in the next year!" I can tell you to buy an on-demand water heater, but I can't tell you to buy it from me!

At least, at first that's what I thought. But then as I let this idea percolate, I realized that I have plenty to say about how you can save money through buying your holiday and every day toys wisely. And I want to share that with you. Each of my newsletters in the coming weeks, and there will be 2-3 each week, will feature some aspect of this strategy. I will make some recommendations for specific products, but the main point is to give you the information you need to make the best choice for your family.

My premise is this - there are certain decisions that you cannot afford to make right now! In a challenging economy, bad decisions have a larger impact than when things are good. The things that you cannot afford to do right now are: (1) to create waste, either of time or money, (2) to weaken your family, or (3) not do all you can to support your children's health. OK, really, you can't afford to do these things any time! But we all do some of the time. When times are good, it is much easier to coast along and not think hard about the choices we make. But when every penny counts, suddenly we have the opportunity to focus in on the values that matter the most to us.

Tip #1: Consider Toys That Will Become Heirlooms
You can't afford to create waste right now, by purchasing junk that will not last. How many toys are broken within a day? How many times do we devalue gifts by giving too many, overwhelming children and relegating many of them to the trash heap in short order? What values do we impart to our children when we do this?

Instead of quantity, think about selecting toys that are so well made they will become a family heirloom. My "heirloom potential" feature will focus on suggestions that have the potential to span generations. Think wooden railway, wooden dollhouses, rocking horses, and some new toys that have the potential to be passed along to the next generation.

Tip #2: Purchase Toys That Strengthen Family Ties
Next to our own health and our own lives, our families are the most valuable things that we have. We need each other. The hectic times we live in often present challenges for families trying to maintain togetherness. If there are stresses on the family, they impact all members.

Almost any toy can foster family togetherness and bonding if you play with your children. But there are certain types of toys that are outstanding in this area, that most easily cross age groups and generations and that foster social interactions. These include games, puzzles, and many construction toys and sets. Pretend play and drama can also strengthen your family. My "Family togetherness" features will encourage strong families.

Tip #3: Purchase Toys That Keeps Kids Healthy Through Activity
Our health is the precious gift we are all born with. Childhood obesity is now considered epidemic. Depending on how it is defined, somewhere between 1 in 20 and 1 in 5 US children are obese, and about 1 in 3 are somewhat overweight. Childhood obesity is the leading cause of pediatric hypertension, is associated with Type II diabetes, increases the risk of coronary heart disease, increases stress on the weight-bearing joints, lowers self-esteem, and affects relationships with peers. There is one cure for obesity - eating less calories than are burned. This means plenty of physical activity, to start children on a lifetime of health and good habits.

Being active comes naturally to most children, and many of the sedentary habits that they take on are only there because we've made it easy. Television and video games are hard to walk away from. Encourage physical activity all year round, for optimal health. My "Physical Activity" feature will help you find toys that will make TV sound as boring as it really is.

And here's where my argument comes full circle - keeping your children healthy and at a reasonable weight will save money. I happen to think it is even more important that it may actually save their lives, but this will also manifest as saving money. Overweight children have far more health issues than those at a healthy weight. Part of our national economic dilemma is due to our health care crisis. Although that is a complex issue, each of us plays a role in solving it when we make decisions to stay healthy and to keep our family healthy.

So there - go ahead and save money and energy for your home with an on-demand water heater. But when it comes to your kids - let's not try to save their energy! Let's get them to use that energy up, so they grow into healthy, stimulated adults. Save money, time, and sanity by buying well.