Virtual Piggy ~ A Safe Way for Kids to Shop Online

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I have always been a frugal shopper. Getting the most bang for my buck has been something I’ve done for as long as I can remember. Growing up when given a dollar value for a gift expenditure, I’d carefully figure out all the ways I could get what I wanted and perhaps something ‘extra’ on the side.

It was with great joy that I found out when dating him, that my husband to be was a saver – not a spender. Since we also were both brought up with a giving mentality as well, we had financially aligned goals. And then we had a child…

We’ve been adamant over the years that she thinks before she spends. That whether money is gifted or earned, there is a responsibility attached; to give generously to those who don’t have, to pay your debts/bills, save, and only then spend what’s left wisely. Posing questions at the dollar store on whether she would rather have instant gratification and spend the $1.00 she was given, or should she save it until she has $10.00 and buy something more substantial. Ideas like that have been fostered in her since she was old enough to put money in a piggy bank.

These days we have a system that is more ‘virtual’ in nature. Since we pay our credit card bill off each month we try and maximize the points it offers us, so it benefits us to charge everything. She gives us the cash she wants to spend, and we charge the item. This system has also shown her how to use a credit card properly, that you don’t purchase with it unless you can pay it off in full. And we all know that whether it’s credit or debit, those plastic cards are almost always necessary to make an online purchase.

Now there’s a place where your kids can make purchases online at select retailers. Virtual Piggy provides a safe and secure environment for kids to buy online and gives parents the ability to track spending, approve set purchase amounts, and set donation amounts. It’s a good way to help kids learn smart spending. Virtual Piggy also has a wishlist feature so kids can share items they want for holidays or birthdays.

This is how it works:

• A parent registers a master account and provides the payment information and shipping address
• Then the parent can create accounts for their children, set up controls (approved merchants, dollar limits, approval on purchases, etc.)
• The child never has access to the payment or shipping information – but can check out at the approved merchants using a name and password

Why would you want to use Virtual Piggy?

• There are a lot of reasons, some are that you can set monthly allowance limits, savings targets and/or charity goals
• Within an approved framework you can help teach your child financial responsibility and how to manage money and budget – especially online where so much spending is done now.

For a limited time Virtual Piggy also has a Member Value Program. The MVP offers hundreds of dollars in discount promo codes for families when they sign up for Virtual Piggy. Once you log in you can see them all. The codes will update regularly so keep checking to see what’s new. The MVP ends on January 15th so get on it while it lasts! I think it’s a great way to teach kids to watch for special offers, sales or coupons to use their money most effectively.

You can learn more about Virtual Piggy at their website, www.virtualpiggy.com on Facebook at www.facebook.com/virtualpiggy and www.twitter.com/followpiggy.

How do you teach your children financial responsibility and budgeting skills?

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post from Splash Creative Media on behalf of Virtual Piggy. All opinions are my own. Published by Tammy Litke.