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Things to Know About CHIP

The Children’s Health Insurance Program, which is abbreviated as CHIP, is something that is talked about in the news from time to time. Your child might qualify for the program, or could currently be benefiting from it. The CHIP program receives funding for a certain amount of years, and then depends on Congress to allow that funding to continue. Facts About CHIP The Children’s Health Insurance Program was passed in 1997. CHIP provides health insurance for 9 million children. CHIP helps families who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but who don’t make enough to be able to … Continue reading →

Pre-K Proms are a Thing Now

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It is no longer unusual for schools to hold a kindergarten, or pre-kindergarten, graduation. Some feel that this small ceremony encourages children to believe that they can and will graduate from high school. The newest trend is for schools to hold “Pre-K proms”. Understandably, parents have mixed feelings about this. A prom is usually something that is for high school students. Teenagers (or their parents) spend a lot of money on tickets to the prom, the nice clothing the teen will wear to the prom, and perhaps some extras like dinner at a fancy restaurant or a limo to get … Continue reading →

Be a Better Parent in the New Year

What’s your New Years Resolution? Many people choose something related to weight loss, or money, or productivity. This year, why not pick a resolution that will be much more meaningful? Resolve to take steps to be a better parent in the new year. Parenting can be as rewarding as it is difficult. It is easy to see why parents often make mistakes. Everyone does it – nobody is perfect! Ideally, people learn from those mistakes so they do not repeat them. What I’m trying to say is that parenting is a skill that can always be improved upon. It is … Continue reading →

Touring the City on Less: Food Extravaganza

The summer and fall are great times to tour a fun city. Of course, you want to do it for less. Yesterday I shared the money-saving way to save on transportation around the city. If you missed that post, you can find it here. Today it is all about having a food extravaganza. Part of the fun of visiting a city is all of the great food that you can try. Most cities offer a variety of great food, different fusions and ethnic dishes, traditional and down home fare. It would be a shame to waste this opportunity because of … Continue reading →

Look Around: How is the Economy Doing?

Sometimes, in order to gauge the state of the economy, you just have to look around. I check the news reports often, and am intrigued by reports about trends that will affect how my family spends and saves. For example, when there were problems with the peanut crop, I made sure to stock up on peanut butter, a staple in my household. I also like to look around at what is happening locally, in my neighborhood and community. Houses seem to be selling better than they have in a long time, and this is good. Fewer abandoned properties and homes … Continue reading →

How to Save Money at Oriental Trading

Oriental Trading is my go-to for supplies when I am planning a big birthday party, as I am doing this year. They have a ton of stuff, from decorations to crafts to goodie bag items. It is easy to find items to fit practically any theme. The spending could quickly get out of hand, unless you know the Oriental Trading money-saving secrets. My youngest, who usually gets short-changed in most things, by fortune of his birth (hand-me-downs and a much slimmer photo album) is finally getting his do with an elaborate (for us) knight-themed birthday party. He is inviting all … Continue reading →

Pitfalls of Yard Sale Shopping

Yard sales, garage sales, tag sales, whatever you call them, they are in full swing during the early summer and a lot of fun to shop. Through yard sales, you can pick up some great deals, and since you never know what you are going to find, yard sale shopping can be a real treasure hunt. You do have to be careful when shopping at yard sales. There is buyer’s remorse, of course, when you pay too much for an item or get home and realize it isn’t what you wanted. There really is no return policy. If you aren’t … Continue reading →

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 →

Waste Not

My mom spent years battling stage II breast cancer, three of my aunts died from the insidious disease, and I am long overdue for a mammogram. I keep ignoring my doctor’s suggestion to make an appointment and potentially save my own life, yet I refuse to eat unopened yogurt that’s been in my refrigerator even one day past its expiration date for fear of getting sick. How’s that for irony? And by irony I mean stupidity. My senseless thinking hurts my budget as much as it does my head.  What’s more, I take little solace in the fact that studies … Continue reading →

What I Wouldn’t Do If I Were Rich

Guess who didn’t win last week’s $590.5 million Powerball jackpot? That’s right. I also didn’t win the subsequent jackpot worth a mere $20 million despite there being a zillion fewer people buying tickets. Because why play when the prize is only 20 million? Clearly, I don’t subscribe to that line of thinking, but I highly encourage the rest of the world to do so, as I need all the help I can get to bolster my odds of winning. I’m a working parent, after all. A very not rich mom who will likely die without ever being able to afford … Continue reading →