With the holidays around the corner as well as a possible double-dip recession, the Christmas of 2011 might be one of the most modest of ones yet for millions of American families. Chances are the kids in these families have grown accustomed to lower quantities of gifts and more elastic hopes of getting what they want. Nonetheless, even the iconic “big” gift central to any young person’s wish list is hard to afford these days. However, the following are three common wants of kids during the holiday season, and the inexpensive alternative that parents can opt for instead.
“A smartphone would help me do so much better in school…” – Sincerely Samantha
It isn’t surprising to have a five-year-old or younger approach a parent asking for their very own mobile device. The appropriate age for a child to have their own phone is something left up to their parents, but no matter how old a kid is when they get their own mobile device added to the family contract it’s always an expensive investment. For cash-strapped families, the prepaid cell phone is a reasonable alternative. Usage limits keep surprise costs out of the equation as well as mature content.
“A laptop or tablet would be AWESOME!” – Your loving daughter Rachel
The audacity of a child requesting their own iPad when the parents themselves are jealous for a pair of their own tablets notwithstanding, kids these days really do need their own portals to the web. Laptops, notebooks, and tablet computers are pricy, however netbooks can be several hundred dollars cheaper. As long as it connects to the web and restrictions can be applied by the parent, it gets the job done.
“iTunes! Pleez!” Love, Timmy
An easy way to max out your credit card during the holiday season is by stocking up recklessly on those iTunes gift cards that make for superb stocking stuffers. Instead, get your kids to embrace the power of Pandora, a customizable online radio of sorts that is free with advertising played between songs. It can be used through the aforementioned prepaid phones and netbooks, as well as any other device connected to the web.
Lackluster holiday spending limits don’t necessarily mean your technologically-savvy tikes have to settle for second hand gifts from Goodwill. There are plenty of discount options that can help ease the burden on any Christmas budget.
Image courtesy of this Flickr member.
This is a sponsored post (which means I received monetary compensation to pay some bills… or buy some coffee.).