Every year as birthdays or the holidays approach, parents, extended family, and caregivers spend a lot of time and energy thinking about what they can get their children for gifts. Children 11 and older often have stronger preferences for what they might like. Parents often find that “tweens” and teens, in particular, will really only use and appreciate items that come with price tags that exceed what individual gift givers typically spend. So, how do you teach your kids the value of a dollar and some gift etiquette while making their wishes come true?

Can you make dreams come true and respect economic reality?

Well, for starters, you can ask them to calculate the DIMS-DOES IT MAKE SENSE?® SCORE for possible wish-list items. At Gifting Sense, our mission is not to waste shopping for back-to-school clothing and equipment and holiday or birthday gifts. It’s an incredibly natural opportunity to deliver the ABCS or 123S of being good with money: the habit of thinking before buying.

It only takes 3 minutes to prepare for a relaxed, productive conversation about spending.

Kids take three minutes to answer 10-12 questions when calculating the DIMS SCORE®. Those questions help them figure out things like the all-in cost of an item, including sales tax, shipping and duties, and its cost-per-use or wear. The DIMS SCORE® Calculator merely reminds young people of the questions caregivers normally want answered before agreeing to spend money. For example, “What is the total cost of attending a concert, including the safe transportation, snack, and souvenir costs, versus just the ticket price?”

They can easily share their DIMS SCORE® report with out-of-town family members.

Youth can generate a shareable summary of all the math and thinking that’s gone into asking for a “thoughtfully preferred” purchase. It can be emailed, printed out, or texted to help families discuss spending in a gracious and organized way. The DIMS SCORE® report can even be used to invite close friends and family to come together, and crowd-fund the purchase of one larger, more meaningful gift – because some things are just too expensive for one person to buy.

This lets parents off the “What would Susan like?” hook!

Parents are often asked, “What would Susan like for her Birthday this year?” The DIMS SCORE® Calculator helps families give a rock-solid answer! For out-of-town family members, the ability to put money towards a thoughtfully preferred gift that they know their niece, nephew, or grandchild will really use and appreciate is both elegant and efficient. Who wouldn’t rather put $40.00 towards a new pair of basketball shoes that their niece or granddaughter has asked for versus buying her a $45.00 sweater she may never wear? It’s a win-win.

It’s a win-win-win!

We’ve all purchased gifts and then questioned their value or necessity. We created a purpose-built platform to deliver some early financial education just in time to avoid disappointment and reduce waste. Kids can fully comprehend the value of their requests. Family members know they’ve spent their gift dollars as wisely as possible. The planet is spared the waste of unwanted gifts piling up. At the risk of repeating ourselves, this is why we confidently state our process is a “win-win-win”!

If any of this sounds interesting, ask your kids to use the DIMS SCORE® Calculator the next time they’re asked what they might like to receive for a holiday or birthday gift. Only you’ll know that giving them the awesome power of spending with a plan is their real gift—one of the best they could ever receive!