Children are definitely the most costly part of family life so how do we get them involved in saving money around the home? Mum Dawn Baker came up with a great idea.

She devised a genius 'game' to get the kids to turn off the lights, something which, let's face it, is the bane of most family homes. Simple but effective, this not only helps parents save on bills - so important with the rising cost of living crisis - but also teaches them a good life lesson at the same time.

Dawn works for Home Start Birmingham, a charity that helps families in crisis, and so she has lots of suggestions for ways kids can learn to save money, from getting them involved in budgeting and meal planning to cutting down on food waste.

Read more: 45 money-saving tips to help with the cost of living crisis

"At home, I often say are we entering for Blackpool Illuminations?" said Dawn, who has helped hundreds of families get on top of their finances over the years. "If you have a smart meter, look at it with your child and make it fun.

"Turn everything off in the house at the plug and look at the smart meter together and then go round and turn them back on one by one. You can make it into a bit of a game by seeing who can find the lowest and highest energy sources to turn on and off."

Dawn shares loads of tips on the Brummie Mummies podcast - listen here

She added: "Get them to think about things we leave plugged in, especially things we leave charging overnight. A lot of our phones are charged quite quickly but they carry on using electricity for the rest of the night.

"Laptops and TVs are often left plugged in. You can buy smart plugs that turn off the device at the plug when it goes into standby mode. Anything that's left with a little light on - extension leads, chargers, TVs - is still costing you money. Get your child to see how many little lights there are left on around the house."

"Parents can start talking to their kids at quite a young age, as soon as they start counting because it can help them with their numbers and values. Involve them in discussions about shopping and spending. When you go into a small shop, encourage them to pay for something for themselves.

"It's not about saying we have no money or that we're in debt, it's not about putting pressure on them, but teaching them for the future and having responsibility for their own money. I don't feel budgeting is covered in education but I think once you learn that skill it's really important and stays with you for life."

Find out more about Home Start by visiting the Home Start website. The Brummie Mummies podcast is a Laudable production, that's available on all major platforms, including Spotify and Apple. Please share this episode with anyone you think might find it useful. You may also want to check out our episode with Money Mum Gemma Bird too.

Dawn's family money-saving tips

• Check out your local Food Pantry where you can get cheap meals for a small weekly sum
• Try some of the Energy Saving Trust tips on saving money around the home
• Explore free childcare options
• Contact Home Start for details on grants and schemes that can help
• Look up the £500 Sure Start maternity grant for people on low income

For more money-saving tips, sign up to our Brummie Mummies newsletter, follow us on Instagram and and Facebook and listen to our podcasts

READ NEXT:

• Savvy shopping hack from mum who paid off her mortgage at 40
• Universal Credit mum shares clever tip to save money on food shop
• More money saving stories
• Every single episode you can listen to right now on the podcast