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Get the Back to School Savings Pass at Staples

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It is August, and that means that a new school year is about to start. Parents are going to have to purchase a pile of school supplies that their children require. If you pay attention to the Back to School sales and deals, you can save some money while shopping. Here are a few that are going on right now. Staples has a Back To School Savings Pass. You pay $10.00 for the pass, and it gives you a discount on hundreds of school supplies from now until September 15, 2012. The pass can be used only on in-store purchases, … Continue reading →

Are Student Loans Really Good Debt?

For as long as I can remember, I have heard people referring to student loans as “good debt”. I even believed it myself for a while, until I came to the end of my educational journey and stepped out into the real world. While I do not regret the years that I spent earning my J.D., I am certainly not a believer in this whole “student loans are good debt” concept any more. For the concept of “student loans are good debt” to work properly for an individual, a few things must happen. First of all, you must actually complete … Continue reading →

We’re Broke! Why Do We Need a Financial Planner? Part 2

Once you have made the commitment to achieving financial independence and have selected your advisor, the next step is the discovery interview. It is at this point that your planner will be attempting to ascertain how you feel about money. While that may sound pretty straightforward, money is a highly charged matter for most of us; it has come to represent many of the key structures of our lives—like security, safety, power, prestige, independence, and even love. In American society, money—how much we have, how we earn it, and how we spend it—has become a stand-in for our moral character. … Continue reading →

The Most Frugal Thing a Parent Can Do

As my son gets bigger and taller and smarter, college costs are constantly on my mind. It occurs to me that the biggest frugal win is not to have to pay for college. That makes ensuring your child has a good education the most frugal thing a parent can do. If you are a parent with young children, this means you need to start investing into your children now. Spend time at the kitchen table making sure your children’s homework is done and that they understand the assignments. Teach them how to organize their notebooks and to organize their thoughts … Continue reading →

The Breakdown Cost of Raising a Child

We always hear all of these scary numbers about how expensive it is to raise a child. Unfortunately those numbers can be pretty accurate or even a little bit under, depending on your lifestyle. It is enough for some couples to decide not to have children at all. I’m glad I didn’t know about these numbers when we first started our family, because I might have panicked! Bankrate.com has broken down the numbers for the cost of raising a child based on the total cost released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These numbers apply to an average family making … Continue reading →

Grant and Scholarship Advice for Homeschoolers

As the costs of state colleges continue to rise deeming them unaffordable, I am becoming worried about how my homeschooled kids will pay for college. While it is a known fact that homeschooled kids have no problem getting into college, getting scholarships without the help of student advisers can be quite a challenge. So what is a homeschooling parent to do? Homeschooling parents must go the extra mile beyond being the child’s teacher, to also being the child’s guidance counselor as well. As guidance counselor to your child, you must find out everything you can about not only college entry, … Continue reading →

Extra Money from the Government

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Between our tax returns and the additional stimulation package, many of us will be receiving some extra money from our government this month. What should you do with this financial windfall? In terms of the economy, the government hopes you will spend this money. Still, even if you invest it in stocks that should also help the economy. How should you decide what to do? Whenever you receive a bonus amount of money, that is both unexpected and not part of your budget, it can be a time to make financial amends. Some good examples of ways to use this … Continue reading →

Start Saving for your Kid’s College Education NOW!

I have a New Year’s resolution for you to start 2008 off right. Vow to begin a college savings plan for your kids and add as much or as little as you can each month starting next year and beyond. It doesn’t even matter if all you have to save is $25 a month or $1000. Save what you can and get started. The sooner you begin investing, the further your savings will go. The less money you have to set aside for your kids, the sooner you need to start. Money saved when your children are young… less than … Continue reading →

Want to Start a Family in 2008?

Many childless couples worry they can’t afford to have children. Looking at cost estimates in our current economy of $200,000 to $500,000 to raise one child for 17 years it is no surprise. Certainly having a child is a huge expense, but so is buying a home or saving for your retirement. If you sincerely want children, don’t let cost hold you back. Instead, use smart money management and good budgeting to allow you to invest in your bundle of joy. While most families don’t think ahead about money matters when they have kids, it is certainly beneficial to do … Continue reading →

Good Old-Fashioned Savings

Finances are one of those stressful topics that come up again and again for the average single parent. We struggle to make enough money and make what we do have stretch as far as it can. There are questions about insurance, education, and credit and all sorts of other financial concerns that pop up again and again. Even for those of us on the tightest budgets, there is something to be said for good, old-fashioned savings… I think that it doesn’t matter how little we make, we can still put some away in savings. I am not talking about living … Continue reading →