We talk a lot on this blog about how you can save money. You can consolidate your debts under the umbrella of a low-interest home equity loan. And you can save money on your mortgage simply by using a mortgage broker. We’ve even broached the subject of groceries and tuition expenses, showing how you can save money on both. But there’s one way that frugal parents are saving some cash, and some may be able to relate to it better than any study done on household debt. It’s tooth fairy money.
Yes, while the price of food, gas, and just about everything else continues to climb, the price of a tooth continues to drop. This from a recent study done by the Delta Dental Plans Association, which asked 1,335 parents how much money they gave their child for a tooth. It’s not a new study; it’s one that’s been done since 1998. And it’s one that shows numbers have continually dropped over the past decade.
When the study first began, it was found that the average price left for a pearly white was $2.52. In 2010, that price dropped even further, even though Canada was one of the countries doing best during the Great Recession. During that time, the price of a tooth fell to all-time lows, with an average of only $1.68 being left under the pillow. And this past year, the Tooth Fairy didn’t leave much more, with just $2.10 being slipped under the pillowcase. But that doesn’t mean that’s what being exchanged for every single tooth. It’s just the average; most parents say that they usually leave one dollar for a tooth.
It’s very interesting to see that the price of a tooth took the hits of downs during a time when the entire world was trying to come up for air financially; and how it starts to climb when people the economy as a whole starts to recover. Seeing as how 2011 was one of the best years for global economics since the recession hit, 2012 should be one of the best years yet in the last ten – even for the Tooth Fairy.
But it’s not just economists, analysts, and the Delta Dental Plans Association that have noticed the difference. Kids have too! The study also found that after the first tooth has been lost, kids expect the dollar amount to grow with each succeeding tooth. Given the way the economy’s going, they might now be able to get it. A spokesperson for the Association said after the poll was completed, “Like many, the Tooth Fairy had to tighten her belt in 2011, but she’s hopeful for a recovery this year.”
