Fiscally fit

"Can I ask your advice about something?" my oldest asked me as he tugged my sleeve.

We were in Wal Mart.

"Of course, honey."

"I need your help figuring out what's a good deal."

"Okay."

"I don't know if I should get a D.S. game or a wii game." (He has a lot of money left over from his birthday.)

We decided we'd go over and look at the wii controllers since we need another one, if not two. I wondered if we should get the motion plus version or the regular version. Turns out it would depend on whether or not he got the game he was thinking about. But the game itself was $50. And then a $40 controller. My son thought he'd pass on the game. I said, "well, maybe we should get at least one regular controller..." but it turned out they were out of stock.

So that solved that.

Meanwhile, my younger two were ricocheting between the toy aisle and us showing off their discoveries -- mostly Hot Wheels- and bakugan-related.

My oldest chose a DS game.

His younger brother had asked for an advance on his allowance so he could buy something really cool. He didn't know what it would be, but it would be really cool. What he chose was actually three dollars less than all he had, so he was then focused on what he could find to buy that was $3.00. After seeing him waving around a six pack of squirt guns I told him, "You don't have to spend all of it -- remember, you won't be getting any more money for two more Saturdays." (Like we need squirt guns.) He made it out of the store with $2.00. By bed time, he was down to $1.oo because he chose to purchase a drink in a vending machine at the middle school tonight.

His older brother -- I have no idea how much money he has left, but he seems to be wise in managing it. On the way home in the car from Wal Mart, I told him, "oh, I haven't heard that song in a long time!" It was a Mario jingle. He told me, "that's because I haven't played this game in a long time."

"Aren't you playing your new game?"

" Yes, but I used to have it and lost it, so, it's not really new."

"Oh, hmmm. Well, maybe you will be more careful with this one, especially since you spent your own money on it."

May be. We'll see.

My youngest doesn't really get money yet and thus does not get allowance so I bought him a relatively in expensive (compared to everything else he was looking at) Hot Wheels toy.