We all know couponing and promo codes can stretch the family budget, but once you get your kids involved, you may be surprised at how resourceful they can be in helping you find great deals. Coupons for kids can also help introduce them to consumer math and make them smarter shoppers and students since they will have to use math skills to calculate and determine any potential savings. Consumer math is one of the most important types of math you can learn as a student, and a key aspect of understanding commerce is knowing how to also find and calculate discounts and redeem coupons or promo codes. But what exactly is consumer math you may be wondering? Consumer math means math relating to money and business, and that includes items on sale.
Before kids can understand the idea of shopping and using coupons to save, the first lessons a student should learn are the names and values of coins and bills. Then, they can learn how to count up money, add and subtract prices, and make change.
Once kids have mastered these skills, they can work on more advanced math, such as multiplying and dividing prices and learning about how to use percentages, fractions, and decimals –all necessary for calculating coupon savings and discounts. Learning how to convert fractions to decimals is important, and vice versa.
Money math also comes with its own specific challenges. A consumer math student must learn addition, subtraction, multiplication and percentages to calculate sales tax, shipping costs, and even tips. Percentages also come into play when items have a price discount. Discounts typically come in the form of a sale or a coupon. So, for kids learning to coupon, math skills are essential. Couponing for kids is helpful for learning the value of things as well as understanding the concept of savings.
One of the best ways to get younger kids excited about coupons (and build both math and reading skills) is to have them go through the newspaper inserts with you. Have a shopping list ready and then ask them to hunt for coupons to match any items on your list. Older kids can then read the coupon terms to see if there are minimums or exclusives that may apply. When it comes to kids and couponing, it's important to match skill levels to the challenge. The youngest kids may be able to recognize items your household regularly uses and find them in the pictures on the coupon flyers. Older kids who understand multiplication and percentages can help calculate the overall savings.
You can also set up shopping lists in your favorite grocery store apps and then ask kids to look for coupons within the app to apply before you get to the store. There are more ways kids can save money with coupons if they receive via email sign-ups, search social media, or even use browser extensions such as Cently or Honey, However, these options are best for older kids with strong budgeting skills and any online service or email sign-up should always have adult supervision and review first.
If there are specific stores your family is shopping for, try also browsing for Coupon Follow discount codes first. For example, our Target promo code summary has 25% - 45 % off deals now and promo codes you can review before you shop in-store or buy online.
In addition to the fun of scanning inserts and matching them up to items on shopping lists, online math games are an excellent way to build reading and math skills in a way that feels like fun. Kids can build on the skills they have learned in school by taking interactive math quizzes and playing money and shopping games. Build their skills as future savvy money-saving consumers by practicing math games and coupon games that feel like fun but at the same time they're learning. Games are an excellent way to build consumer math skills in a way that feels like a game instead of sitting in a class. Students can also build on the skills they have already learned in class by taking interactive math quizzes and playing money and shopping games. Math is very important to all kids and their future as a consumer and eventually for making their own investment decisions. Consumer math is critical to understanding how to balance the costs of running a business and making a profit, even something as simple as running a lemonade stand. Check out these online math games to help kids learn about money, making change, and understanding discounts as well:
Once kids understand that coupons can save them money, channel those savings into other math skills and the ability to make smart money choices. Younger kids can learn to save towards a special purchase while older kids can start to learn about making investment decisions. The benefits of money games for students can help kids understand not only the value of money but also how to save and even how to delay gratification by earning money towards purchases over time. Try these online math and savings/investment tutorials to get started: