DD has saved up £70 - should she be allowed to spend it?

[Hulababy]

Just listening to 8y DD and DH discussing this matter.

DD has been savng up her pocket money and didn't spend her birthday money in April to put towards it.

She now has about £73 or so.

She wants to buy the Sylvanian Families mill. It is £60 on Amazon at the moment.

She already has SF toys. She is getting some more smaller sets for Christmas. She has now big SF home.

Should she be allowed to buy it now?

If you think no, why not?

yes of course she should. It's the ultimate reward for not blitzing it on crap - she's saved the money for something she REALLY wants, which is a very adult way to behave, so I think you should accord her the dignity of an adult in this matter and let her have the Sylvanian Families set.

Older people spend more money on much sillier things.

Why not? It's her money. DS saves his money and sometimes spends it on plastic tat that I tell him he will not play much with, but in the end it's a lesson for him as well, to really think hard before spending it iyswim.

If she really wants the mill I would let her.

But she knows she is not getting this for Christmas. She will still want this as she has been saving up specifically for a SF house. It is also currently reduced. t may not be after Christmas.

However DH thinks - wait til after Chistmas. But has no real reasoning behind this.

She's saved her money and has seen something she would really love. I'd let her buy it. I'm impressed she has saved since April!! My teenage girls spend all money that comes to them within 24 hrs!

What is the point in her saving up, if not to buy something she wants?
Mine has just spent £60 on cogs and gears and bits of copper and brass for his steampunk creations. It was his money that he'd saved up, and he wasn't buying alcohol or porn or anything else unacceptable to me.
It looks like a pile of junk, but in my mind, he has the right to choose.

yes, of course she should. it would be a shame to reduce motivation for mature behaviour by placing restrictions on what/when she can buy with her savings.

I think Dh is losing here.

i agree with the majority. her money, he saved up for it. Also means that I know what I can spend Christmas mone I know she will be getting on - more furniture for it, which would come at Christmas then.

Well done to her for saving so much money. My DD is 8yo and cannot save £7.30 never mind £73.

Yes, let her spend it. Otherwise she may start blowing her pocket money on junk, if she is not allowed to buy what she really wants with it.

Imo it's her money so she can spend it when and on whatever she wants.

I think she absolutely should be able to spend it now as she has saved up so well, otherwise what is she learning about saving? That it's a waste of time cos you'll still be vetoed by mum and dad?

The only reason I'd say no is if you think she wouldn't buy it having received the smaller sets for Christmas, but if you are sure she'll still want it anyway then she should buy it.
I am in favour of children choosing what they want with their own money. I remember DD1 really wanting to buy a car seat for her baby born doll. I didn't think she should buy it because it cost £30 and I wad fairly sure she was going to grow out of the baby born stage very soon afterwards. That is what happened but I think it was a good lesson for her and she has been careful with her money since. She is now 17 and takes care with what she buys.

Is he usually this controlling?
How does your DD feel about it, is she accusing him of changing the rules retrospectively yet?

I would let her buy it and in fact would put a small amount of money towards it or buy her something to go with it - ie a little family or something to show her you're proud that she saved her money :)

Yes she should be allowed to buy it. If he doesn't want her saving up her own money, then she shouldn't get pocket money.

Or have a rule about putting half of all gift money into a bank account.

I agree with everyone else - it's her money, she should get the reward of spending it on what she wants.

Plus, if she's not allowed to use it when and how she wants it sends out a very bad message about saving.

Ie blow it now on what you want, or save it up and get earache from DH.

Of course.

It is her money. She should be able to spend it how she pleases. How else will she learn about finances?

I agree, she has done really well to save so much and should definitely be allowed to spend it. Especially as the item is currently reduced.

If your DH wanted to set rules about what she saves for, or when she can spend her money, this should have been done with her agreement when she first started saving. It's completely unfair to say something now and will put her off saving in the future.

My parents refused to buy me a My Little Pony when I was 6 on the grounds that it was plastic tat. I saved up at the rate of 20p per week for MONTHS until I had enough to buy it (think they were about a fiver at the time, so it really was a long time to save).

I think it gave me a valuable lesson about saving up for something you really want and not relying on adults. And it showed my parents that I really did want it.

Had they THEN vetoed the purchase after I'd saved up, I would have been devastated and the point of the lesson would have been completely destroyed.

Good on her - let her spend it and enjoy it!

Omfg, will people stop linking those damn reborn dolls, I ave just had my eyes blinded by doll PENIS ffs

Yes I believe she should... She's a very sensible little girl to have saved hard for something she wants, you should be very proud of her. I see no reason to wait until after Christmas, unless you/Sants had planned on buying it for her instead.

DS1 is 8yo, and saves his pocket money like this,often for a criminally expensive brand new computer game that I am unlikely to buy at full price. However, it's his money, he's saved hard, and he's allowed to buy what he wants with it. Currently he opened his own bank account 6 weeks ago that he put his saved money into and he now has more in his account than I do in mine £67 in there! . Apparently he's saving up for an X box 360!