Search Results for: blog budgets for kids

Poor Economy = Fewer Kids in Daycare: Who’s Watching Your Children?

Parents around the world are cutting corners these days due to the struggling economy. Some have restructured their household budgets to eliminate family vacations while others no longer go out to eat or have decided to give up their weekly trips to the movie theater. For other families, who have suffered layoffs or a reduction in work hours, the nation’s economic troubles have meant pulling their children out of daycare. According to news reports, daycares are the latest causality of the financial crisis. One of the hardest hit childcare centers is in Rockford, Illinois, located about an hour northwest of … Continue reading →

Bad Economy + Tooth Fairy = Unhappy Kids

How much money does the Tooth Fairy leave at your house? My brothers and I used to get 25 cents per tooth, but in the decades since our teeth fell out it appears the Tooth Fairy has adjusted her rates and is now paying out a pretty penny (in the form of 5 and 10 dollar bills) for baby teeth. Evidently, the days when the Tooth Fairy could get away with leaving a couple coins and a pack of Trident gum are long gone. Our neighbor’s 6-year-old son ran over to our home yesterday flashing a new toothless grin and … Continue reading →

Don’t Bail Your Kids Out

As parents, our initial gut reaction is to rescue our children. While in many instances, this can be a good thing. When it comes to money, it is usually better not to step in. Kids need to learn from an early age that managing money is their responsibility. Not that mom or dad will bail them out if they don’t have quite enough. Unfortunately this financial reliance on parents doesn’t always go away as children grow. When it comes to money matters, you usually need to teach them to be independent. No doubt kids learn quickly that money can buy … Continue reading →

Budgets for Kids

As your children grow older, it is important to introduce additional money strategies. While they live in your home, it is the perfect opportunity to teach them critical financial skills that can help them as they move on in the world. Once your children can grasp the concepts of allowances, saving, and tracking spending, the next step is to teach them some basic budget skills. Older kids may even enjoy doing this on the computer. Start by first sitting down with your children and show them your budgeting system. Talk together about the whys and whats of a budget. Explore … Continue reading →

The Frugal Blog Week in Review: Jan. 27 to Feb. 2

Hello there! It is a quiet Saturday evening on the day before the Superbowl. my husband is getting the last kid to bed, I’m listening to my new Nora Jones music, and I am seriously thinking of taking a nice hot bath. Before that, though, I wanted to bring you the week in review for the Frugal Living Blog. I know you read every blog faithfully, so I’ll just assume you want to reread them all again. Saturday, January 27 Save on Paper: Take Advantage of Junk Mail In an earlier blog, Save on Paper: The Three Best Ways, I … Continue reading →

Five Ways to Afford Video Games

Are your kids asking for the $70 Skylanders game or a new video gaming device that costs more than your first car did? Video games can get expensive, and because new and hot games are constantly emerging, and the old technology can become obsolete in a year or two, many parents feel like they are spending quite a bit of their budgets keeping their kids up to speed with video games. To reduce the cost of video games, try the following options. Consider an Older System The newer the gaming system or computer, the more it will cost. Consider purchasing … Continue reading →

Colorado Expands Its Medicaid Program

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The state of Colorado is extending its Medicaid program to include coverage of some adults who do not have children. There is something in the Affordable Care Act that will offer a federal match of funding to help states cover this group. Only seven states have decided to take advantage of this provision. Medicaid is a public form of health insurance. It was designed to assist people who were very low-income and who can not afford to pay for a health insurance plan from a private insurance company. In general, the program covers children who come from low-income families, women … Continue reading →

Affordable Winter Getaways

With parts of the country still digging out from nearly two feet of fresh snow, it’s no wonder flights to Florida are jam-packed. Why wouldn’t you want to escape to the sun, sand and surf instead of battling frozen sidewalks and brutal wind chills? Fortunately, there are places along Florida’s Gulf Coast that can accommodate even the tightest budgets. The trick to securing decent lodging this time of year without breaking the bank is to book early. According to Florida’s tourism experts, reasonable winter rates along the Sunshine State’s central Gulf Coast are available if you know where to look. … Continue reading →

Baby Sticker Shock

Forget about the pain of labor, the chronic fatigue and saggy body parts. There is something far more frightening to consider when it comes to adding a bundle of joy to your family: bankruptcy. You don’t have to be a CPA to know that adding a baby to the mix can subtract some serious cash from your bank account, but did you know the cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 —-not including college -— can drive you to the poorhouse? The government just released some scary financial facts about raising a child in the 21st century. … Continue reading →

Another Thing for Parents to Worry About

I worked in TV news for nearly 15 years and would roll my eyes whenever my photographer and I squeezed our way through a crowd to cover a major event and heard people shout: “I don’t watch the news!” C’mon, who doesn’t watch the news? Then, I gave birth and I figured out there really are people who avoid turning on the evening news. Parents. I now see why some parents don’t watch the news. They’re trying to preserve their sanity. With so much to worry about on a daily basis in their own little worlds, why fan the flames … Continue reading →