You have a lot of ideas about ways to earn money even at an early age, such as having a mini library at home, babysitting, crafting, web designing, etc. However in this part of the world where degree holders find it extremely difficult to get a reasonable job, having a part-time job before completing formal education is really difficult, if not impossible!

Therefore kids, now is the time when you start saving as much money as you can from the pocket money you get from your parents. Here I would like to share with you some valuable money-saving tips that will help you in the long run.

Every day counts The sooner you start money management, the richer you'll be! Most of us think that there is no rush to save money from an early age as there is plenty of time. But the longer you leave it the more difficult it will be. So kids, when it comes to making the most of your money, it is never too early to begin. 

Save before spending Whenever you get money, be it from your part-time job or your daily allowance, take your savings out immediately before spending even a single penny. Once you've removed your savings, you're free to spend the rest.

 Cut down on eating out Celebrating each and every occasion at expensive restaurants is one of the easiest ways of wasting money. So from now onwards, give treats to your friends at home with mom's homemade delights. Be it your birthday or any other occassion, request your mother to prepare some delicious items and give your friends a healthy as well as an inexpensive treat.

 Being chatty is not wise Remember there was life before mobile phones, and it wasn't too long ago either. Mobile phones have, no doubt, revolutionised the way we communicate — but what's this guys! Sending useless text messages in bulk to hundreds of unknown people! It is a silly and 'money wasting practice'. The packages offered by the mobile service providers are just to attract people like you who don't care about the hard-earned money of their parents. Therefore, pledge to yourself that you will use the mobile phone only when it is really necessary, never to make useless calls or send junk text messages.

Time to be independent I know many of you may have travelled by public transport, but dear kids, if you begin to abandon your luxurious habits at an early age, trust me, it will help you later in your life. Leaving school vans and going to school on foot or by public bus (in case your school is not at the other end of the city), will not only help you save lots of money, but it will also make you tough and independent. Of course you need to talk to your parents about this first. 

Don't misuse your stationery Get organised and purchase only what you need. Extra pencils, pens, erasers and other stuff will only make you careless in using these things. Even a pencil today cost five to ten rupees, so don't discard a stationary item until it has been used completely and don't lose one every day at school. Besides, being responsible with your belongings will make you a dutiful and sensible person.

Find a way to reuse items Reusing is the key to saving money. Try to look for ways where you can reuse your existing stuff. There is no need to buy a new notebook for rough work. The leftover pages in your old notebooks can be taken out and stapled to make a new copy to note down extra class work.

Also maintain your textbooks well by covering them paper and plastic coating. And instead of buying custom-made plastic covers for your school books, get sheets of transparent plastic, cut them up and cover the books yourself. You'll be saving a lot of money this way. Take good care of your text books so that your younger siblings or cousins can use them later on.

And this should also apply to your school bags, uniforms and other items. A new school session does not mean everything you have needs to be new. If your old ones are in good condition and fit well too, there is no reason why you can't keep on using them.

Show your love without spending money Giving greeting cards to loved ones on different occasions is an old tradition, but these days inflation has shot up the piece of every item including greeting cards! You can still give your friends and family members beautiful handmade cards. You can use stuff already present at home — old calendars, card boards, boxes, colourful pictures from old magazines, unused accessories, etc., to make attractive greeting cards.

A hand-made greeting card will save your money and also leave a far deeper impact on the receiver than the one you bought from a shop.

If you start thinking in terms of saving money, soon, I am sure, you will be guiding your parents in making wise financial decisions too. Happy financial life!