I love the delayed gratification system Joanna Hampton’s parents instituted for purchase requests over a certain dollar amount:
- Write the desired purchase on a piece of paper. Sign it. Date it.
- Post the paper on the family fridge.
- Wait the agreed upon number of days.
- Make the purchase. Or not.
Often, the bloom falls off the rose long before the waiting period is up.
The duration was 30 days in Joanna’s case, which seems a bit long. Pick what makes sense for your kids. In fact, you might scale the waiting period with the price: over $20? 2 days. Over $50? A week. Over $100? A month.
The digital variation on the fridge setup would be to have your child register the desired purchase in a text message, or in a shared google sheet, or on a shared google calendar, or via a money request in FamZoo.
Fridge or no fridge, it's a simple, effective system for putting the chill on instant gratification.
Looking for some other tips for delaying gratification? Try:
- The 48-hour Rule.
- The Abandon Cart Rule for online purchases.
- The Written Proposal Rule for questionable purchases.
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Want to turn these tips into action? Check out FamZoo.com.
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