Search Results for: blog a little saving can go a long way

Travel Savings Strategies

Choosing to fly during the off-season is an easy way to save money; however, there are many other ways you can pad your wallet when your travel plans take you to the airport.  The key to saving big is a little pre-flight strategizing. For example, if you only fly on commercial airlines a few times a year, you may have a hard time justifying the costs associated with an airport lounge membership.  Still, it’s hard to resist the comforts and services provided at these luxurious airport hangouts. Some of the perks of lounge membership include: Peace and quiet:  Most airport … Continue reading →

How to Be a Hero Mom on a Budget

Sometimes I don’t feel like a hero mom. Such as yesterday. It was very late, and my tween and I were in the grocery section of Target looking to pick up just a couple of food items to help us make it through a long week, since we missed our scheduled food shopping.  As we passed the frozen case on our way to hunt down cheese, my child asked me if we could get ice cream. Apparently he and his siblings already went through the one gallon container, the one quart container, and the box of ice cream sandwiches that … Continue reading →

Financial Advice I Wish I Could Tell the Earlier Me

Once you get to a certain age, you are supposed to be wiser, right? While I’m not ready for the retirement home yet (I don’t think they would let me bring my three school-age kids), the fact is that I no longer have as many years ahead of me as I once did. I do have a little more wisdom than I did then, especially when it comes to financial strategy. It is too bad that we can’t go back in time, isn’t it and give my younger self some financial advice? If I could go back in time, I … Continue reading →

A Child’s Self Esteem and the Frugal Life

My daughter came home the other day from a doll playdate. The girls all brought their 18-inch dolls, you know the American Girl Doll kind. My daughter does have a real American Girl Doll, given to her on her birthday after more than four years on her wish list and some creative saving. She is fond of that doll, and has never once complained about the fact that it is her only one (it is not unusual for her peers to have three or four of these dolls as well as all of the accessories). She did complain though that … Continue reading →

Simple Spring Fun Projects for the Kids

Now that we have sprung ahead an hour, I’m hoping Mother Nature will get the hint and adjust the weather accordingly.  We’re still buried under several feet of snow and the high temperatures are frozen in the 20s. If the weather outside is frightening in your neck of the woods too, then make the most of your indoor time by springing into spring with these simple, affordable and kid-friendly seasonal projects: Candy Lei:  You don’t have to travel to Hawaii to enjoy the beauty and fun of wearing colorful lei.  The eye-popping garland, traditionally worn around the neck, can be … Continue reading →

Preserving the Peace

Much like with marriage, to keep the peace between you and your children, it’s important to learn the fine art of picking battles.  The phrase may seem trite, but knowing how to correctly apply it to your family dynamic can make a huge difference in your quality of life. For example, my daughter struggled with sleep issues for a long time.  And by long time, I mean years… and years and years.  The kid would fight me at bedtime like a combat ninja.  The nightly battles were frustrating, exhausting and downright ugly.  It got so bad that I ended up … Continue reading →

Less is More: How Not to Feel Deprived

Buying less not only means saving money, but it can also be freeing in other ways. For ten years of my life I gave up coffee. This was mostly because of two factors. My new (then) husband could not stand the smell of coffee brewing, and during those ten years, I was either pregnant or nursing or both, and choose to stay away from the caffeine. I didn’t actually miss coffee much after a little bit, and I could knock that expense out of our budget. I no longer felt I needed coffee, had desires for coffee or felt deprived … Continue reading →

Five Steps that Will Help You Go on A Spending Break

If you have an unexpected bill, want to take care of a new purchase with cash, build up an emergency fund or just get closer to paying off your overall debt, you might want to consider going on a spending break. How much extra money you accumulate will depend on what you normally spend in any given time period plus how long you decide to stay on your spending break. Saving $500 this month is not unthinkable for most families. Before you get started with a spending break, you’ll need to have a plan to ensure the best success and … Continue reading →

Helping Hands

As Logan and I were driving home from the train station the other day I hear him say, “Look Mom! Those people still have their Christmas lights up!” I’m not sure why this was such a shock for him, seeing as we still have our up too, but it reminded me of a time when I was small, when the reason for this was far different. We’ve been busy this year and it just hasn’t been convenient to get up there to take them down yet, but years ago I remember our lights being up for months, not because we … Continue reading →

Girls Night: It’s a Must!

I’ve started a new little tradition with a couple of my closest girlfriends. Every other weekend we try to have a night just for us girls. We go out to dinner, raid thrift stores, do crafts, and talk about anything and everything until all hours of the morning. For a long time I didn’t make my friends a real priority in my life. I was going to school full time, raising a child on my own, and trying my hardest to keep up on everything. I didn’t feel like I had time for friends anymore. It wasn’t until this past … Continue reading →