More Green Savings – “Stickers” for Kids!

April 16th, 2008

There are certain things that I just HATE spending money on. Chief among them are stickers for kids. Have you ever noticed how expensive they are? Think about it- those stickers must cost just pennies to make, and they’re sold for $1.50 to $2.00 or more for a pack of 20 or so stickers. Plus, there’s the packaging issue – they’re shrink wrapped in plastic, which is environmentally harmful.

This tip came to me purely by accident. My five-year-old, a budding naturalist, admired the American Kestrel stamps at the post office. When I told him he could get ONE HUNDRED of them for just $1, he was sold. (Of course, it helps that he has to spend his allowance money on stickers!)

kestrell.jpg

What’s the difference between North American Kestrel stamps and commercial stickers? Nothing except several dollars (on just one purchase) and less packaging waste!

Works for me! And I hope it works for all those Moms participating in Crunchy Chicken’s Buy Nothing Challenge – like my bloggy friends MamaBird and Gray Matters. Those women committed to buying absolutely nothing for a month – I knew I couldn’t do it this month, so I didn’t want to disappoint by signing up! Anyway, here’s hoping they have some nice stamps they can pass off to their kids as new “stickers!”

And speaking of Gray Matters, she has a great tip posted about a recycling program through the US Mail. Go check it out here!


4 Responses to “More Green Savings – “Stickers” for Kids!”

  1. Alana on April 16, 2008 12:49 pm

    Love this idea – what ages were your kids when you started giving them allowance?

    Thanks for the links. Take care!

    Just started with my eldest at age 5. He gets $5 a week, and $1 goes into a bank account for long term savings, which he’ll get after he graduates from high school. $1 goes to church or other charity, and $3 is his to spend or save for a larger item. It has been working out really well, but I took a class about this through PEP (http://www.parentencouragement.org). That was a big help! — Lynn

  2. MamaBird on April 16, 2008 4:20 pm

    Great idea, Lynn, although somehow the utilitarian side of me can’t bear to waste the stamps! Ach, my Depression-era grandmother lives on. And you’re right, horrifyingly enough they *are* cheaper than outright stickers! My fave is getting free stickers from children’s mags or charitable organizations. Also, a different tactic, but my daughter’s a gluing fanatic so we save dustjackets from all the books we buy, wrapping paper, greeting cards, and calendars for her to clip and glue. Satisfies a different urge, I realize…. Thanks for the support on the Buy Nothing Challenge!

  3. matt on April 17, 2008 2:23 pm

    Great idea! We get so many free mailing address labels, that they more than help us keep the boys in stickers. But, I’ll keep this tip in mind for when the supply runs down.

    Glad you liked it, Matt! :) — Lynn

  4. Kookaburra on April 18, 2008 10:54 am

    Wow… great find!

    My 2 year old is fascinated with stickers as well. So far, I’ve managed to not spend a dime on them because, just as MamaBird and matt said, we get plenty of freebie ones in the mail along with credit card offers and all those address labels from charities.

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