Search Results for: blog why do you spend money

School Suspends Fourth Grader for Using Imagination

It is typical for young children to re-enact the stories that they watch in a movie. One of the reasons they do this is simply because it is fun. In addition, children engage in imaginative play in order to figure out the world around them and where they might fit into it as an adult. Play can be an important component of learning. That being said, a fourth grader who is a student at Kermit Elementary School, in Kermit, Texas, was suspended for using his imagination in a way that is typical of children who have been inspired by a … Continue reading →

Frugal Is as Frugal Does

Life may be a like a box of chocolates, but for the really frugal minded, those chocolates were half price and purchased with a coupon. Pick a random group of 25 people and ask them what it means to be frugal and how they make choices to be good stewards of their money. Chances are that you will get a lot of different answers all across the board concerning frugality and saving money. It tends to mean different things to different people. I recently read an article in a national women’s magazine about a family that decided to be frugal, … Continue reading →

Make Money from Mom’s Taxi

Just when you thought you couldn’t wear another hat, your kid decides to join the school’s soccer team and now you are spending yet another afternoon carting him to and from practice, in addition to driving him to piano lessons, Scouts, and karate. Mom’s taxi is constantly on the move, so why not make money from your driving skills? While it’s not a traditional home business, running an independent taxi service is not a far-fetched idea for an ambitious mom; especially one who practically lives in her vehicle. If you are worried about the type of people you’d be driving … Continue reading →

Think Positively and Save Money

Thinking positively can help you save money. When you focus on the blessings in your life rather than on the things you don’t feel that you can afford, you will naturally be happier and require less of the material things. Also, thinking positively may help you figure out creative solutions the next time you feel as though you need to acquire something expensive. We do our best thinking when we are in a positive emotional state. Here are some ways that you can think positively about being frugal and consequently save money. Have goals and imagine how your life will … Continue reading →

Five Steps that Will Help You Go on A Spending Break

If you have an unexpected bill, want to take care of a new purchase with cash, build up an emergency fund or just get closer to paying off your overall debt, you might want to consider going on a spending break. How much extra money you accumulate will depend on what you normally spend in any given time period plus how long you decide to stay on your spending break. Saving $500 this month is not unthinkable for most families. Before you get started with a spending break, you’ll need to have a plan to ensure the best success and … Continue reading →

Online Shopping Secrets: Seven Websites that Will Save You Money

Grab the lowest prices on everything you buy online by checking out the following seven websites before you make a purchase. Retailmenot.com and Fatwallet.com Check Retailmenot.com and Fatwallet.com for coupons and coupons codes that you can use to get discounts on the things that you buy online. There are coupon codes for both products and online stores. In some cases, you’ll also find rebates to redeem. Just search for the store or the product to see what might be available. Some coupon codes are straight forward, such as 10 percent off a purchase or free shipping, while others have specific … Continue reading →

Save Money by Planning Ahead

Dear overachiever mom who attached stuffed animals to the Valentine’s Day cards your kid passed out at school last week:  I don’t hate you.  Never mind, that all my 8-year-old Scotch-taped to her Snoopy Love Day cards were small packages of Skittles.  Not six-inch plush puppies.  I’m sure you never intended to make the rest of us parents feel like inadequate, uninspired, cheap losers. Listen, I considered flexing my creative muscle and having my kid attach snack-sized bags of peanuts to the cards.  Get it?  Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy… the Peanuts gang?  Of course, sending nuts to school in this … Continue reading →

Pre-Existing Condition Plan is Suspending Enrollment

The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, (PCIP) one of the first portions of the Affordable Care Act to go into affect, is suspending enrollment. The short answer as to the reason why is because the funding is running out. Those currently enrolled will still be covered by the plan. The Pre-Existing Condition Plan (PCIP) is part of the Affordable Care Act. It was created in 2010, and was one of the very first health reform changes to go into affect. The main purpose of the PCIP was to guarantee health insurance coverage for people who had previously been struggling to find … Continue reading →

Saving Money on Beauty Products

You might think that you have to spend a lot of money to look beautiful, keep away the zits or the wrinkles, get the latest trends in makeup or just looked polished and professional. The truth is that the more you know, the less you have to spend, so you can save a lot on beauty products. Beauty Specialty Stores Beauty speciality stores, such as Ulta, Sephora and Bath and Body Works tend to be very generous with samples. Sometimes you’ll find baskets of freebies there on the counter, other times you may have to ask. Either way, a visit … Continue reading →

Why Credit Card Spending Doesn’t Feel Real

It is true. Spending cash is painful to us, while using a credit card doesn’t quite feel real. Oh sure, logically we know that we are spending the money on that new television, iPad or boots, but there is a well-documented disconnect in our brains that makes it much easier to spend when we do it with a credit card. Think I might be wrong? The average household credit card debt through the end of 2012 was $15,422. The average cash debt? That is $0, of course. With cash, you don’t want spend what you don’t have. So why does … Continue reading →