All over the world in December, families will be trying to balance their traditional gift-giving celebrations with their long-term household spending (and hopefully saving) plans. The excuses to spend never end, and for those with young families, it can be even harder. What we all need is a helpful tool. GiftingSense.org, a three-time MAIA winner, has an answer we love: improve the quality of requests your children make by getting them to ask themselves if their gift lists make sense. We think it’s the ultimate parenting flex for the holiday season.
That’s why we asked their founder, Karen Holland, to guest host this issue of “Money Explained”, so we can all learn why enabling young people to request purchases we will be happier supporting (in the short, or sometimes, longer term), isn’t just popular, but practical advice. Over to Karen! – Michael Gilmore, Co-Founder of the Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards
Great, memorable, cherished gifts often make a lot of sense!
The holidays are filled with excitement — decorations, special meals, and of course… gift-giving. We love the holidays! But 92% of the children we had in thinking-before-buying workshops last school year said they’d received a holiday or birthday gift they did not use or appreciate. And there is a shocking $23B (yes, billion!) in unredeemed gift cards sitting around in kitchen drawers or glove compartments in the United States alone.
Holiday wish-lists are an attempt to ensure that no one’s time or effort is wasted buying gifts that aren’t quite what the gift receiver had in mind. But with so many choices (and ads, and ways to pay) coming at kids every day, it can be hard for them to resist the temptation to ask for all sorts of things before they know if they can really use or appreciate them.
That’s where the DIMS – DOES IT MAKE SENSE?® SCORE Calculator comes in. It gives kids a fun, fast way to think through what they’re asking for — and gives parents, grandparents, and the rest of the gift-giving family valuable peace of mind because a thoughtfully preferred wish list means smarter spending, less waste, and happier celebrations for the whole family.
What is the DIMS - DOES IT MAKE SENSE?® SCORE Calculator?
The DIMS SCORE® Calculator is a permissionless (no login or paywall required), online mindful spending tool that enables young people to make thoughtful, informed spending decisions, learn about money, combat FOMO, and avoid buyer’s remorse. Think of it as a “spending speed bump”. It only takes minutes for kids to answer simple questions about typical purchases, before they spend their money or anyone else’s. But those minutes can spare a young person and their family weeks, months, or sometimes even years of disappointment and waste.
What is a DIMS SCORE® Report?
A DIMS SCORE® Report is the shareable summary of all the math and thinking a young person completes when calculating the DIMS SCORE® for a possible purchase. Our mindful spending tool asks kids to answer simple questions — like how much sales tax and shipping will add to the overall cost, or how often they will use it. The report is a polite way to share their responses with anyone who’s asking: “What would you like this year?”
The reports organize information about a possible purchase in a way most adults are open to receiving. They can serve as the agenda for a relaxed, productive conversation about spending (around the kitchen table, or in a classroom), not to mention as a way to crowdfund the purchase of a single meaningful gift rather than a number of smaller “so-so” presents.
What does a DIMS SCORE® Report look like?
See some here:
- For bringing home a pet.
- For that, “everybody has one” water bottle.
- Dreaming of tickets to FIFA 2026?
How does thinking before buying help young people and their families?
- 💡 It allows kids to show real understanding. Thinking before buying is a way for kids to demonstrate they get the full picture — of the cost and effort required to purchase an item or experience. Adults appreciate this. It makes them feel respected.
- ♻️ It helps the whole family reduce waste and regret. Thinking before buying eliminates gifts that get used once… or never. Smarter choices not only protect a family’s wallet, but they also protect the planet.
- 🎁 It enables crowdfunding a single, more meaningful gift. DIMS SCORE® Reports make it easy for relatives to chip in together on one single item (or experience) instead of buying random “meh” presents that may never be used or appreciated.
- 📬 It helps (particularly) out-of-town family members stay connected. DIMS SCORE® Reports are especially helpful for relatives who live far away — and desperately want to choose something that is needed and enjoyed by their grandchild, niece, or nephew.
"Pausing Before Purchasing" helps everyone feel good over the holidays - mission accomplished!
Thinking before buying helps young people receive gifts they genuinely want and need. DIMS SCORE® Reports help gift givers feel confident that their gifts will bring absolute joy. Isn’t that what holiday gifts are all about?
Give Your Family the Gift of Confidence
So, this year, before adding their next wish to any list…ask your children (or students!) to take 2–3 minutes and run a possible gift through the DIMS SCORE® Calculator. It’s the easiest way we know to make the holidays brighter and more enjoyable for them, you, and the planet! And the real gift? Early success with thinking before buying inspires kids to seek out the more sophisticated financial information they’ll need later in life, when it is relevant and therefore helpful, which is how pausing, gathering information, and reflecting before spending helps young people become financially literate citizens for life.
To learn more about our permissionless mindful spending tools, click on the pink or blue buttons below.
Child Development Financial Literacy For Parents For Teachers
