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Take Inventory Before You Shop

Before you shop, stop! Try this quick trick that will save you money now and in the long run. To save money, do a quick inventory of what you already have before you go shopping.  This will help save money in so many ways. From duplicate purchases to avoiding the pitfalls of shopping for bargains that you don’t need, a quick assessment each time you are ready to shop can make a difference. DVDs I’m ashamed to admit that we have two copies of a certain new Disney princess DVD movie. We simply forgot that we had the movie and … Continue reading →

Benefits of Bartering

My 8-year-old cries poor like the Pentagon before commencing a $10 billion nuclear weapon upgrade. Granted, she doesn’t get a regular allowance, but with grandparents like these, she wants for very little. Actually, she wants a lot, but as the only granddaughter, she typically gets it all, which is why I don’t give her an allowance. This, of course, has led to many heated discussions on money, spending habits and budgeting.  However, thanks to a recently covered Social Studies unit on our country’s earliest settlers, we’ve added a new topic to our financial discussions:  bartering. Bartering is the exchange of … Continue reading →

What Not to Do in Front of Your Kids When It Comes to Money

Children learn what they see. It is a true statement for any kind of behavior including money management. Children’s attitudes toward money and whether or not they will be able to make it work for them as adults has much to do with their parents. If you are married, think about any differences that there might be between you and your spouse, regarding any issues having to do with money. Is one of you more a saver than a spender? Do you approach investing or debt the same way? Chances are that you may each have different ideas about handling … Continue reading →

End the Year With Family Time

New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to take stock of your life and focus on how you can make the most of 2013.  A new year means a fresh start.  Out with bad habits and in with better ones. For busy parents, evaluating the year gone by is a chance to reprioritize; for many that means figuring out ways to spend more time with their children. Of course, there’s no time like the present to get a jumpstart on that resolution.  To illustrate your newfound commitment, consider spending the last days of 2012 bonding with your kids.  Remember, it’s … Continue reading →

The Gift of Fit Living

What is one of the best gifts you could give this holiday season?  How about the gift of health? Maybe you have been thinking about what to buy for someone you love.  Or you have been asked what you would like for Christmas.  The following are some fit living gift ideas. Let’s start with an easy one.  How about a gym club membership?  Sometimes you can get really good deals at this time of year.  You might receive a discount for the first year or three months free.   Shop around and see what’s out there. Fitness gadgets and accessories make … Continue reading →

Developing a Fitness Plan

So you’re ready to get off your duff and get moving? You might feel a bit overwhelmed about developing a fitness plan…but you don’t have to be. First, write down your plan. I prefer to type mine up. There is something about seeing your plan in writing that makes it easier to stick to. My current plan looks this way: Monday – Cardio- Tuesday – Arms Wednesday – Core Thursday – Legs Friday – Core Your plan could look very different. You may have instead, the days you will go to the gym, the days you will walk or whatever … Continue reading →

The First Step

One thing you hear a lot as a single parent is, “ I don’t know how you do it.” My answer is always, you would be surprised what you can do when you have to. When it first became apparent that divorce might not be just something that happened to other people, I started looking at my options. I remember crying because the only place I could afford to live was a place I wouldn’t live. I decided right then I need to make some changes in my life. I had always believed that my income was “extra”, my husband … Continue reading →

Make A Change For The Better

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As a single mother I try to remember every day that I am the example Hailey sees most often. I try to live a life that I want her to emulate. I want to be kind, giving, loving and have no bad habits that have a negative effect on my life or my health. Maybe in my next life I’ll be able to give up chocolate and diet soda but in this one I’m struggling! We all have habits that we wish we didn’t and things we certainly don’t want our kids to pick up. Maybe you bite your nails … Continue reading →

Clinic Will Charge Unhealthy Workers Higher Insurance Rates

The Cleveland Clinic, in Ohio, is going to charge workers who are considered to be unhealthy a 21% higher health insurance premium than it will charge to employees who are healthy. There is a lot of debate over whether this type of plan achieves the goal of making workers become healthier. Charging some workers more for insurance, based upon that person’s health, is part of a growing trend. The Cleveland Clinic is about to do something that many other employers have done. They want their workers to become healthier. More and more employers have become very interested in how healthy, … Continue reading →

Small Changes That Can Make a Big Difference

With all of the attention that big-picture financial issues like the debt ceiling, social security, retirement planning, the real estate market, and so on, it can sometimes seem like the small financial decisions that each of us make many times each day do not have all that much of an impact. Those little things do matter, though, because both the good things and the bad things add up over time. By recognizing that even small financial decisions can greatly affect out big picture financial situation, we can learn to treat those every day choices with more care. Suze Orman, a … Continue reading →