Advertisement
Keep it simple and ensure they understand the cost
Tough question. Some parents won’t want to go there just yet. Others will see texting and Snapchat as part of their kids’ social lives. Whatever you do, keep it simple. You can get a smartphone for a young teen and keep it on your own plan. In high school, give them one of mom or dad’s used iPhones. “But they have to understand the monthly cost,” says Steve Schaffer, father of three young teens and founder of the coupon website Offers.com. To help with that, you can adjust their allowance to cover the cell phone bill and have them hand over the money every month. Nothing makes it sink in faster than having to hand over cold hard cash every month. Alternatively, you can show them the monthly cell phone bill when it arrives in your inbox and encourage them to find a cheaper plan. Have them do the comparison shopping and if they find a cheaper deal, let them keep the extra dollars in their allowance as reward.
Share this article Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Share on Reddit Share on Email
Post-secondary education is expensive, but you can cut the cost by taking advantage of these tax breaks.
Canadians are keeping their mobile phones for longer. Follow these six tips for extending the life of your phone.
Which industries are adopting artificial intelligence and how are they using it? You might be surprised.
MoneySense celebrates Earth Day by sharing our editors’ top tips for reducing waste, saving money and shrinking our environmental...
Tech industry warns that the budget's capital gains proposals could cause “irreparable harm.”
Many eco-minded home owners want to harness the power of the sun. We’ll help you weigh the costs and...
In her new book, Candice Batista reveals the best ways to live a sustainable lifestyle—and save money. Here are...
Cut costs, not corners. With inflation making it harder to balance the family budget, here are easy ways to...
CBC’s new miniseries BlackBerry looks at the 2000s super stock, but we look at five takeaways for investors.
