Your idea of what a great vacations costs likely has a lot to do with how you vacationed as a child. There were no trips to Disney World or Disney Land in my childhood (though I now know it can be done on a tight budget!). Instead, summers were spent in a rundown cabin where the menu was limited to hot dogs and generic-brand potato chips. Of course, I thought it was heaven.
It was only after becoming an adult that I realized that many families assume their annual vacation will cost as much as a used car.
In my book, Money Smart Mom: Financially Fit Parenting, I wrote about how babysitting co-ops are a great alternative to paying for a babysitter (if you can even find a good sitter). I had looked into one in my city, but two things stopped me from signing up: 1) I didn’t seem to ever be home enough when I ran my own retail store, and 2) the idea of watching other people’s kids freaked me out.
Are you hiding debt from your spouse or partner? Financial infidelity has a high price to pay. In an article for the Calgary Herald, I wrote about married couples who hide debt — big or small.
With the newness of the lunch routine that started in September long worn off, many families are now buying their lunches (parents and kids alike) out of boredom with their regular packed-at-home fare.
Growing up a fair-skinned blonde meant slathering on plenty of sunscreen and wearing lots of wide-brimmed hats. But despite protecting myself from the harsh rays of the sun, in my late teens I noticed a distinct and perpetual red flush along my nose and cheeks.
As someone who tracks her grocery pricing to the penny and refuses to buy her kids even the most inexpensive Scholastic books, I’m a total Spendthrift Sally when it comes to my cell-phone bill.
The Zellers coupon fiasco of last week ended with the company receiving more than a thousand comments on their Facebook page. The Cliff Notes version is that Zellers released an online coupon on their Facebook page that permitted one item per customer to be purchased at 50% off—and sale items were included. So the mattress pad I’ve been eying was 60% off, then 50% off of that price—a total steal of a deal.
If you’ve ever read an article about working moms, or checked out an online forum or moms group about the issue, you know there’s this working mom versus stay at home mom debate. Millions of words have been printed trying to prove that there’s one perfect, ideal choice in the matter, and it can be scientifically proven. A recent study gained headlines for determining that working moms are happier than stay at home moms.
In a Moneyville article posted last week, a writer did the math on why she thinks cloth diapers are more expensive than disposable. While cloth diapers are certainly not right for every family, they make the most financial sense if you launder them yourself.