I Sell Soda To My Kids

My kids are always asking me for sodas. I get tired of it. I don't even buy it very often, but when I do, it's for my husband, John. I drink water. I haven't drank carbonation in over two and  half years. I usually only buy soda around holidays or special occasions.

Recently, John expressed a desire to have more sodas in the house so he didn't have to go to the gas station to fill his cup all the time. It would be nice to open the fridge and just pull out a Diet Coke or a Diet Dr. Pepper. So, I started buying them a little more often.

Well, since  I have done that, the children are ALWAYS asking for them. I mentioned to the youngest, who is seven, that I should start charging .50 a can. She told me that was a great idea! So, when she and I returned home, I mentioned it to my thirteen year old. She said it was a great idea, too. The school sells their canned soda for $1.00. Therefore, she thought it was a great deal. She said I should do it. The decision was made. I told my fifteen year old and she said she would never drink soda again. Less than an hour later, she brought me .50 and asked if she could buy a soda.

I now have a Soda Money canister on the counter where the money is put when they buy them. I make a fairly good profit too when I am buying Coke and/or Pepsi products. I use their money to buy more sodas. Their money pays also for my husbands soda addiction, thus leaving us to pay for none of it.

To keep my little business rolling, I ask them what kind they want me to buy. I love it when the little one asks for Shasta Black Cherry! That's pretty cheap. I make a good profit then. Oh, and when their friends come over and want a soda, I don't make their friends buy themselves a soda. I just tell them, "hey don't worry about it. I'm sure Sadie or Savanna will buy you a soda." They do. Then, I'm really making bank! The other night, these girls had five of their friends over and they went through an entire twelve pack. I made six bucks in one night! YAY me.  I didn't even have to do anything but put it in the fridge.

Savanna and Sadie earn their own money, too. They sure don't get it from me. That would defeat the whole purpose. They babysit for people in the neighborhood. Sometimes they clean this guys house when he's on the road (he's a trucker so he leaves and comes home to a clean house).

My little one, I don't give her money either. She usually gets money from the older two. The older two are smart though. They will not just hand over money to her either. She can earn money though. She earns money buy doing some of their chores. They pay her to do them. Sometimes she goes over to Grandmas house and earns money over there, too.

I do not sell soda to my kids to be a mean parent. I sell my kids soda to teach them that they have to work/earn for what they want. The older two also have cellular devices in which they pay $10 a month for.

On the cell phones, the $10.00 is due on the first of the month. They have a seven day grace period. If it's not paid by the seventh, there is a $5 late fee. If it's not paid by the 15th, The phone is "turned off", meaning I confiscate their phone until the $15 is paid. If the next month rolls around, of course they owe for that month too.

The money goes into their individual savings account for school clothes, supplies, movies, shoes, trips to the mall, etc.....

I do this to teach my children responsibility, not to be mean. My daughters have had cell phones for two years. I have charged one late fee.