Originally published: 17th April 2019

AD | Putting money aside is a great way to better prepare your child for their future. Of course it’s important that all of us learn how to manage our finances on our own but a little helping hand never hurt anybody. There’s plenty of ways you can save up money to go into a saving pot for your child’s future; whether that’s for a car, education or even something else. There are also some pretty unique ways to make and save money like buying shares. Especially this year! You might think it’s a good idea to buy zoom shares right now. Here are some super easy ways to get started.

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Create a Junior ISA Account

People in the UK try to put money aside for their kids future, some people use cash ISAs, put money into savings accounts and so on. But using a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA, allows people to put money in and make it potentially work a bit harder and return some better gains than just a normal savings account.

The great thing about this option is that Stocks and Shares Junior ISA can be moved at anytime, you wont be penalized for withdrawing or moving it early and it has the potential to make the money work harder than a standard cash ISA or savings account rates that banks offer.

Sell the things that they grow out of

We grow up… and quick! Even as an adult we grow out of the things we buy (hey Jenny, remember that blender you bought 3 years ago in an attempt to get healthier? You’ve used it twice, get rid of it) but with kids, it’s almost happens in fast forward. Ebay, Depop, boot sales or even an ad in the local newspaper are great ways to shift the things that you child no longer needs, free up space in your house and a neat way to build up your kid’s future fund!

Financial gifts instead of products

With four million occasions throughout the year, your child doesn’t need 27 new toys for every single one of them. Despite what they say. For birthdays and Christmas in particular, maybe consider asking close relatives who you know would have spent money on toys and gifts anyway for a financial gift instead, which can go straight into their savings fund. Small amounts add up too, don’t forget!

Make Smart Investments

One of the best ways to make the most out of your savings is to invest your money and create a steady source of income that can feed the savings pot. Now, there are some downsides here. Every investment carries an inherent risk to it, even if you’ve done everything right. You must be prepared to lose what you invest, which can make this a difficult decision to make.

With this in mind, not every investment is created equal. Do your research and look for help to make intelligent investment decisions that will help your child in the future. If they’re old enough, you can even talk them through what you’re doing with their money. Find out more about how investment consulting can help you to make better decisions with your investments.

Educate them from a young age

It’s great to be able to give them that helping hand when it comes to cash but they’re going to grow up eventually and are going to need the tools and knowledge to be able to handle their funds by themselves. So whilst they’re young and you’re saving up for them, teach them what you’re doing and why it’s important and perhaps even encourage them to try things out for themselves such as:

• Sorting through old toys to sell
• Baking cakes to sell at a craft fair or something similar
• Doing extra chores for money
• Helping out a neighbor or a relative

This will hopefully give them a sense of independence and an idea of the importance of money – even a small amount and can be adapted as they get older and into their early teens.

Do you have any other suggestions of effective ways to save for your children’s future? Have you personally done anything unique to save a bit of cash?

* This is a sponsored post