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Maternity Care in the U.S.

The recent birth of the royal prince cost $15,000.  That sounds like a lot, right?  It is, but it’s only half the cost of a birth in America.  That’s right: the average price of a birth — in a normal hospital, not a luxury wing — in the U.S. is $30,000.  That makes us, according to an in-depth article by The New York Times, the nation that pays the most for maternity care.  Yet, we also have one of the highest infant mortality rates in the developed world.  It seems like these two things should counter one another, but in … Continue reading →

Be Content with What You Have and Save Time

Something funny happens when you start being content with what you have. You gain more time to do the things that you love. No longer are you having to hunt down and scheme for the material things in life, or work harder to afford them. Instead, you can sit back and enjoy the little things that make life worthwhile, all while saving time. Here is a good example. We used to spend most weekends or even weeknights running around doing shopping errands. You know, the typical trips to Target and Home Depot with maybe some groceries thrown in. While we … Continue reading →

Can You Afford Room Service?

If you don’t mind forking over $16 for three strips of bacon, then room service may be a no-brainer for your morning, noon or late-night meals. The saying, “If you have to ask price, you can’t afford it,” takes on new meaning when you are traveling.  After all, we have to eat to survive, but we certainly don’t have to opt for the $20 chicken salad sandwich, plus the 18% gratuity tacked on because we’re too lazy to eat somewhere other than our hotel room. With the economy still in the dumpster, can anyone afford the high cost of hotel … Continue reading →

Dunkin Donuts and the Affordable Care Act

You can add Dunkin Donuts to the list of businesses that have expressed opposition to the Affordable Care Act. Their complaint is somewhat different than the others. Dunkin Donuts wants to change the rule about how many hours it takes to officially designate a worker as full-time. There has been more than one restaurant chain that has voiced disapproval about certain portions of the Affordable Care Act. Darden, parent company of Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and more might be the most well known one. In that situation, Darden declared it was implementing a pilot program that would cut the hours … Continue reading →

Seven Ways to Save $1,000 for Your Emergency Fund

Dave Ramsey, financial guru who has helped so many families get out of debt, recommends that most of us start on the path to financial solvency by first saving up $1,000 toward an emergency fund. By having a solid emergency fund, we are less likely to go into debt, should the unexpected happen, such as the home furnace needing to be replaced, the car needing to be repaired, or the experience of a medical crisis. Saving that $1,000 is the first step of Ramsey’s overall get-out-of-debt plan. How can you save that much when there doesn’t seem to be any … Continue reading →

Simple and Affordable Valentine’s Day Fun

    Why say it with fancy flowers, expensive jewelry or extravagant five-star dinners when you can show love this Valentine’s Day with affordable gifts from the heart? Whether you are celebrating the holiday with your child or a significant other, these simple crafts will go a long way to show your special someone how much they mean to you: I LOVE YOU HEART BANNER Materials: 12×12 scrapbook paper in Valentine’s Day colors or prints Red, white or pink cardstock Scissors Ribbon Hole punch Directions: Cut-out heart shapes from the 12×12 scrapbook paper. Make one heart for each letter of … Continue reading →

What’s New at HealthCare.gov?

If you haven’t visited HealthCare.gov recently, you will want to go back and take another look. There have been many changes made. Previously, the website was a resource to learn more about upcoming changes in insurance. It still is, but the focus has shifted to helping people get ready for the health insurance Marketplace. HealthCare.gov was specifically mentioned in a recent post by Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services. The post first appeared on HealthCare.gov, and also can be read at the White House Blog. The post is titled Countdown to Affordable Health Insurance. It has information about … Continue reading →

Sebelius Announces Countdown to Affordable Insurance

Kathleen Sebelius has written a very interesting post on HealthCare.Gov today. It is titled “Countdown to Affordable Health Insurance”. It gives exciting details about the upcoming health insurance exchanges, and how to access them. Some of you might be able to get help with the cost of coverage right now! Kathleen Sebelius is the Secretary of Health and Human Services. You have probably heard her name mentioned quite a lot in regards to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (which is also called Affordable Care Act or “Obamacare”). Right now, you can go to HealthCare.Gov to read her post … Continue reading →

Affordable Ways to Combat the Winter Blues

So much for my New Year’s resolution. I’ve been consuming carbs at a frightening pace while battling severe allergies. Truthfully, I doubt the two are correlated.  Rather, I am blaming the wicked winter weather.   I’d bet a hundred bucks I wouldn’t be tempted to gorge on donuts, French toast and cinnamon buns if I were basking on a beach right now… in a bikini. Winter is brutal here in the Upper Midwest, which is why so many people suffer with seasonal doldrums.  The winter blues can strike family members of all ages, including children.  Consequently, it’s a good idea to … 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 →