Saving money with friends Part 2

A toy exchange is a brilliant money-saving idea, not only at Christmas time, but throughout the year. Parents are always looking for new toys as their children outgrow old ones and develop new interests. And we all know that used toys are much cheaper than new ones. But combing thrift stores and yard sale websites can be time-consuming and frustrating. So here's a better idea--exchange toys with your friends! You probably have children around the same age or with similar interests. Your odds increase if you invite a whole play group or classroom to participate. Here are the rules:
1. Everyone brings toys that are clean, working, and have all pieces included
2. For each toy you donate, you may select one new one from the pile.
3. Leftovers will be given to a predetermined group or charity

We hosted one with the Little Tykes play group in December, and it was a huge blessing to us. I feared people might be stingy or greedy, but instead everyone welcomed the chance to clean out their closets, and I was really impressed by the quality and quantity of the toys. Most participants came with a large box, and only wanted to walk away with a few items to give their children for Christmas. I donated a box of mostly baby toys, and was able to choose from plenty of cars and trucks for my 3 year old. Of course, we all had extra stuffed animals and leftover baby toys, so those items were donated to a local charity. We ended up with a few new toys for each of our kids, so we didn't buy them anything for Christmas this year!

A toy exchange can also work for birthdays, if you and some friends have children with similar birthdays. Or you can always make a direct exchange with a friend. I recently heard a friend complaining about how many tea sets her daughter had. I was actually thinking about getting one for my own daughter, so I traded her a toy her children had been admiring at my house. No one has to pay any money, and all the kids are happy to have something 'new' to play with. You can also do a book exchange, if you have extra copies that are in good shape, and then everyone gets something fresh to read at bedtime. Try it out, and let me know if a toy exchange works for you!