When it comes time to feeding your baby solid foods, your initial vision might be dipping a spoon into a little jar of pureed peas, carrots or bananas. Did you know that your baby will eat about 600 of these cute little jars of baby food? And that the cost of all these jars can add up $400-$600?

If you are interested in making a HUGE dent in this baby budget line item, we recommend you make your own baby food. Now don’t laugh, roll your eyes or start trembling at the thought of cooking – most people find it surprisingly simple and quick to make baby food.

Homemade baby food will cost less than $100, saving your family up to a whopping $500! And before you ask ” but who has the time?”, think about using the tried n’ true ice cube tray method of making baby food. It will take only 30 minutes per week! There are not many things you can do in 30 minutes a week to save hundreds of dollars.

Here are the four basic steps to making baby food:

Step 1: Start with fresh fruits or vegetables. Depending on the type of food, you will need to wash, chop and peel the fruits and vegetables. If you are using frozen produce, simply open the package.

Step 2: Cook the food in the microwave or steam the food on the stove. Foods are done when the can be pierced or mashed easily with a fork.

Step 3: Pour the food and cooking juices into a food processor or a blender and puree to a soft and velvety texture. You may need to add water to get the right texture.

Step 4: Spoon the food puree into ice cube trays. Cover and place them in the freezer. When frozen, pop the baby food cubes out into a freezer storage bag. Baby food cubes stay fresh for up to two months in the freezer.

When it comes time to feed your baby, simply select baby food cubes from the freezer, defrost and the rest is YUM!

Apple Puree
6 medium golden delicious apples

Step 1: Prep – Wash, peel, core and cut apples into one-inch (3 cm) slices.

Step 2: Cook – Place apples in a microwave safe dish. Cover. Cook 5 minutes and let stand for 5 minutes. Cook an additional 5 minutes. The apples are done when they can be pierced easily with a fork.

Step 3: Puree – Place apples and cooking juices into a blender or a food processor. Puree to a smooth texture.

Step 4: Freeze – Spoon into So Easy Baby Food Trays or ice cube trays. Cover. Place in freezer eight to 10 hours or overnight. Remove cubes from trays, place in storage container or freezer bag, and return immediately to the freezer.
Makes 24 1-ounce servings. Stays fresh for two months in the freezer.
To serve, select frozen apple cubes from the freezer, defrost and warm, check the temperature and feed.

Age to introduce: About 6 months.

Sweet Potato Puree
2-3 medium to large sweet potatoes

Step 1: PREP – Wash, peel and chop sweet potatoes into one-inch (3 cm) cubes

Step 2: COOK – In a medium-size saucepan, pour ½ cup water. Set a steamer basket in the saucepan and place sweet potatoes cubes in the basket. Cover. Bring water to a boil and turn down the heat and simmer for about 12-15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. They are done if the sweet potatoes can be mashed easily with a fork. OR Place sweet potatoes and 2 Tablespoons (30ml) of water in a microwave-safe dish. Cover. Cook 8-10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. They are done if the sweet potatoes can be mashed easily with a fork.

Step 3: PUREE – Place sweet potatoes and cooking juices into a blender of food processor. Add ½ cup (60 ml) of water. Puree. Add additional ¼ to ½ cup (60 – 100 ml) of water, as needed, to develop of smooth texture.

Step 4: FREEZE – Spoon into So Easy Baby Food Trays or ice cube trays. Cover. Place in freezer 8-10 hours or overnight. Remove cubes from trays, place in storage container or freezer bag, and return immediately to the freezer.
Makes 24 one-ounce servings. Stays fresh for 2 months in the freezer.
To serve, select frozen sweet potato cubes from the freezer, defrost and warm, check the temperature and feed.

There are few more money saving secrets to making baby food:

1. Buy fresh produce that is on sale or in season
2. Use coupons for frozen fruits and vegetables
3. Make baby food in large quantities and freeze it in single servings

When economic times are good, you may be inclined to shop with little regard for price or value. But when conditions turn sour it’s another story. As your dollars must now be stretched longer and harder, you’d better spend each of them wisely.

What brand of watch do you wear? Whether a top-of-the-line Rolex or an economy Timex, recognize both keep excellent time. The current models all do a better job than the “precision” pocket watch your Great-grand-uncle Elmo used as a railroad engineer. The only justification for a high-priced model is self-image and the illusion of prosperity. These are both overrated.

And while on the subject of small mechanical devices which serve a need, consider the hyperbole employed by one firm to convince us of the importance of a $600 ballpoint pen. The arguments include an appreciation of beauty and workmanship, the profound emotional experience you receive utilizing a fine writing implement, and the implication you will be admired by clients and associates for your taste and culture. There are two fascinating aspects of this campaign, the first being that the hired pitchmen manage to keep a straight face while reading their lines. The other is that anyone not certifiably demented actually believes a word of it.

What can be said about wristwatches and ballpoint pens is equally true as to other highly promoted products. These include magazine offerings, timeshare projects, $300 per ounce bottles of perfume, Las Vegas weekend getaways, and the purchase of lottery tickets, to name just a few. As a rule of thumb, the more overpriced the merchandise, the more innovative its promotion.

Let me offer a few other examples of money badly spent, which added up over a lifetime represents a fair chunk of your earnings. Twenty-four rolls of a popular brand of toilet paper is available at Wal-Mart for $10.19. Six rolls of the same product, selling at a major market of $6.46, are easily dropped into a shopping cart. The 250% markup doesn’t seem to bother many housewives. It should.

And speaking of paper products, where might stationery be bought cheaply? Except for top-grade rag content or custom-engraved stock, avoid the stationery stores. Even the major discounters are not the places to go. A little comparison-shopping reveals paper supply houses offer the lowest prices, and most are open to the general public.

When you fill your car with gasoline, does the lesser-priced regular grade or the higher-priced premium grade end up in your tank? Don’t base your decision on assurances by the service station manager promoting the more expensive fuel, but on performance you can actually experience. The fundamental difference between the two grades is octane number⎯burning speed—when in earlier years slower burning helped prevent engine “knock.” Because of the lower compression ratios of today’s cars, most function satisfactorily on 87-octane fuel. Unless that causes your auto engine to “ping” when climbing a slight hill, use the cheaper fuel.

I hope this message is coming across clearly. Don’t make your buying decisions based on urging from shopkeepers or exhortation from advertising. Sharpen your buying habits with a healthy dose of skepticism. Look closely at the product, read the specifications, verify the quality, and compare prices. You’ll often find what is claimed is not what is offered. In most of your purchases you are less familiar with a product than are its vendors. You can overcome this disadvantage with a little effort and by educating yourself. The results are cumulative and your performance will improve with time.

2009 is almost here and it’s time to wipe your slate clean, start over and set goals and resolutions for the New Year. One resolution that should be at the top of everyone’s list is to save money and stick to a budget in 2009. Now that the economy is in a full-blown recession it is important to plan ahead and stay on track with your money.

CouponChief.com offers these easy tips to stay on budget in 2009:

- Write down your budget goals: It has been proven that people who write down their goals are much more likely to achieve them. Spend some time at the beginning of the year planning a monthly budget. If there is a month where you know you will spend more money, perhaps due to an important birthday or vacation, be sure to spend less in a different month.

- Find a “Budget Buddy”: After you have written down your budget goals for 2009 share them with a Budget Buddy. Encourage them to share their budget as well so you can hold each other accountable. A Budget Buddy can be anyone from a spouse to a trusted friend. At the end of each month, check in with your Budget Buddy and tell them if you have stayed on track. If you are not comfortable sharing actual numbers, you can share percentages, for example, “I was under budget by 4% this month.” By working together and keeping each other in check, you will be more likely to stay on course.

- Write out a list before you shop: Before heading to the mall write out a list of items you need to purchase and the stores you need to visit to buy these products. Making a list of exactly what you need before you shop is a great way to keep your spending in check and prevent impulse purchases. Train yourself to NOT buy anything that’s not on your list. You will also be able to shop more quickly by going to only the stores you need to visit, saving money and valuable time.

- Don’t buy anything at full price unless it’s absolutely necessary: With the current economy and slowdown in consumer spending, retailers are doing everything in their power to get you to open your wallet by offering great deals and promotions. Take the time to comparison shop before you make a purchase. Use the internet to research prices before you head to the store so you know you are getting the best deal out there. With so many discounts and promotions, there is no reason to pay full price.

- Clip coupons and use online coupon codes: Along with cutting back prices, more and more retailers are offering coupons and online discount codes. There are several ways to find these coupons including searching in the Sunday paper, signing up for email newsletters from your favorite retailers and searching online coupon sites.

The start of the New Year is a great motivator to get your spending in check. Be sure to check out CouponChief.com before making any online purchases for the best discount codes that will help you stay on budget through the year.

Santa must have an unlimited supply of money. How else would he be able to afford gifts for all the children of the world when we struggle to purchase gifts for the dozen or so people on our list? At a time of the year when goodwill should be abounding, our debts are the only thing mounting. Below are some suggestions for how you can reduce the cost of buying Christmas years this year.

Step 1: Start shopping early in the year. Make your Christmas list during the summer and decide on your budget at that time. There may be some additional people to add as you get closer to the holidays, but chances are you already know who needs to be on your list. Now that you’ve created your list early, begin making gift purchases at least 6 months before the holiday season. If you commit yourself to purchasing at least 2 gifts a month until Christmas you won’t feel the money crunch that other shoppers feel come December.

Step 2: Pick up the Sunday newspaper. The Sunday newspaper is full of ads and coupons. Some stores publish a 40%-50% off coupon on one item each week. Because you have begun your shopping early, it should not be necessary to pay full price for any of your gifts. There will come a time that the items you have your eye on will go on sale. Be patient.

Step 3: You’ve begun your Christmas shopping during the summer. That means there are many holidays that happen between summertime and Christmastime. Large retail stores will have sales at the 4th of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, etc. Take advantage of these sales to mark some items off your list. If you’re courageous enough to brave the Thanksgiving weekend sales, there are deep discounts during this time.

Step 4: Don’t be afraid to explore venues other than retail stores. You can find new items at garage sales, Goodwill or the websites www.Craigslist.com or www.ebay.com. If you go this route, make sure the item is in fact new and comes in its original packaging.

Step 5: Consider removing some of the “items” from your list and replacing them with opportunities to spend time together. For instance, does your husband really need that new watch, or would he appreciate concert tickets instead? The tickets might be something he would have purchased for himself, so you’ve effectively cut that future cost from your family budget while still giving him what he wants. And, it’s an event that you will be able to attend together!

Step 6: Don’t use credit cards to make Christmas purchases. This is the biggest mistake consumers make during the holidays. Not only are you responsible for the cost of the purchase itself, but you are also responsible for the interest that your credit card will charge you.

Step 7: Keep track of your purchases and the amounts that you spend over the course of the several months of shopping. Once you see your expenditures written down, you will be able to evaluate and re-evaluate your purchases for the next holiday season. If the total costs scare you, don’t be afraid to start looking at where you can make cuts to your list for next year.

It’s amazing how many people we give gifts to during the holidays. If only we had unlimited funds and we could give generously to everyone on our list.�

But, unfortunately, that is not the case for most of us. In these harsh financial times, I know very few people who can comfortably give as much as they would like this year.

The fabulous news is that you can still give meaningful and appreciated gifts to all the people on your list and do it on a reasonable budget.� Frugal giving is the way to go this year and so is staying out of debt.

We all know that you aren’t doing your family any favors if you have to struggle to pay bills for months because you bought gifts you could not afford in December. Even if you have a good job today, being frugal now will help you later if that good job goes away as so many others have in the last few months.� Take a look at the following frugal gift ideas and start thinking about the people on your gift list.� I’ll bet you can find some great matches.

Homemade goodies from the kitchen: Some of the most popular (and loved) frugal gifts during the holidays are edible treats. Choose from cookies, fudge and brownies baked from scratch, hot chocolate mixes in a mug, soup mixes in a bowl, fudge, pies, homemade bread, fudge, a bottle of wine, quick bread mixes in a loaf pan and little gingerbread men. Did I mention fudge?!� See http://southernfood.about.com for a number of recipes including brownies in a jar and fudge, of course!

Hobby related gifts:� Many folks have hobbies they love.� Some people collect coins, stamps or glass horses. Some are train enthusiasts or enjoy taking pictures. If someone on your gift list has a hobby, find a gift that will contribute to that hobby, without breaking the bank.� Buy a� magazine subscription for the train enthusiast, rolls of film or photo paper for the photographer, specialty scissors, paper or stickers for the scrapbooker, exotic spices for someone who loves to cook.

Picture perfect:� Some great ways to share your family with loved ones is through framed photos, scrapbooks, photo albums and digital photo frames (split the cost with siblings for a gift for the parents or grandparents).� Many photo centers in malls (like JCPenney) offer high quality, low-cost portrait packages for around $20. These often include multiple sheets of the same picture with larger and smaller photos, excellent for gift giving in an inexpensive frame from a craft store like Michaels.

Arts and crafts: Nothing says love like a piece of artwork from a child or a handmade scarf (which would take me 800 years to produce!).� Drawings from the grandkids in inexpensive frames, handprint concrete stepping stones (these can be found in kits for under $10 at most craft stores), knitted scarves, and crocheted blankets all make for impressive and lasting gifts.

Corny coupons:� It may sound corny to give a coupon you made on the computer to someone but it’s not corny to the new mom who could really use two hours of free babysitting so she can go to the store all by herself.� Or consider a coupon for a homemade dinner for that same new mom who has no time or energy to cook.� Sometimes just helping with the everyday responsibilities is the best gift of all. Coupons are also great for kids. Consider a coupon book with coupons for an afternoon at the park, dessert at the local ice cream shop, a trip to the museum, their choice of movie rental, etc.� None of these outings needs to be expensive and they are great ways to spend time with the kids or grandkids.�

Gift Certificates: Gift certificates are an excellent choice when you aren’t sure what someone would want or you want them to be able to choose something they can really use.� For the college students on your list, those big box stores have just about anything they could ever need. For the kids, certificates to book stores make great gifts. For the person on a fixed income, a grocery store certificate would be very appreciated. You don’t need to spend much. Even a $10 certificate can go a long way.�

Donations to charity: Some folks would rather not receive a gift themselves but would love for the money to be spent on a donation to a favorite charity.� You don’t have to donate $10,000 for the gift to be meaningful. Any donation is deeply appreciated when it is to a charity the person cares about.� For instance, we give to the Gynecologic Oncology Program at Duke Medical Center in North Carolina each year in honor of my mom, who has ovarian cancer and is being treated at Duke.�

Gift Baskets: People love receiving gift baskets.� It is just so much fun to see all the goodies packed into a cute container and then get to take out each item and “ohhhh” and “ahhhhh”. Look for bargains all through the year and make themed gift baskets geared towards the people on your list.� For the person who loves to watch movies (or any teens on your list), put together a Movie Theme Basket with movie rental certificates, microwave popcorn, candy bars and soda.� Other themes include a Baker’s Basket, Chocolate Lover’s Basket, Coffee or Tea Basket, Sewing or Knitting Gift Basket, Gardening Gift Basket, Bath and Beauty Gift Basket (great for college students) and Kids Craft Basket.� See http://rubyglen.com/gifts/giftbaskets.htm for ideas on what to include in many themed gift baskets.� She also has creative ideas on containers to use.�

Holiday cards: The high cost of holiday cards is shocking to me. I love to send cards to all our friends and family and I would go broke sending cards purchased at full price.� For the last 10 years, I have bought my cards in January when the boxed sets are marked down to 75% – 90% off. The selection is still surprisingly good at many stores (including Target, CVS and Walgreens) and the cost is excellent.� For those who still need to purchase cards for this year, consider letting the kids make cards out of high quality construction paper, some stencils, stampers and holiday stickers. Have everyone sign the cards and you will be giving a handmade gift your family will love.�

Most of my shopping is now finished for this year and I am already thinking about next year.� I’ll hit the clearance sales in January and stash away cards, decorations and many gifts to use next December.� One of my favorite websites for finding out about holiday clearance sales is Hot Coupon World at http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/after-christmas-clearance-deals-discussions-2008/. In the next few weeks, they will be posting the best clearance deals after the holiday.
For a list of 63 inexpensive gift ideas under $10, see http://www.betterbudgeting.com/articles/money/63giftsunder10dollars.htm.

Just think of all the happiness you can bring to your friends and family with thoughtful and frugal gifts.� Don’t forget the joy you will feel because you stayed within your budget and avoided those high credit card bills after the holiday.� As I always say, it’s your money, spend it wisely. Happy spending, happy saving and happy holidays!
�

Many parents do not know how, do not want to, or lack the communication skills necessary to talk to their children about money in general. So when a money crisis develops, the potential to pass fearful and negative attitudes towards money to the next generation increases.

How effective are you at talking about money? What words do you use when you talk about money in front of or directly to your children? Below you will find a list of the ten best things you can say to your children about money. Use it to gauge your money talk skill level.

10 Best

1. “It’s allowance time. Everybody get your envelopes!” One of the main reasons for having allowances is to teach children about budgeting. The envelope system will help you do that. Children are concrete thinkers. That means if it is not in their hands, it is not in their minds. Envelopes will help you make the teaching of budgeting a concrete process. Label envelopes with several budget areas, including savings, investment, charity, and spending. Children can divide their own allowance by placing the amount of money they choose in the appropriate envelopes.

2. “I’m willing to pay part of it.” This phrase is useful when your child wants something that exceeds the budgeted amount you had earmarked in your budget. If you had $80 set aside for sneakers and they want a pair that costs over $100, this sentence defines your limit. It also invites the child to take responsibility for coming up with the difference. It curbs feelings of entitlement and allows children to take ownership for achieving their desires. In addition, if some of their money is invested in the article, they are more likely to take care of it.

3. “Did you bring any of your money?” This money talk question is helpful for those situations where children ask impulsively for things while you are shopping. It helps them to see that they need to have forethought in the money purchases they make.

4. “The car needs to be washed. What do you think that’s worth?” The purpose of a child’s allowance is so they can learn how to spend, save, and use money. If they want or feel they need more money than the allowance provides, there are additional ways to get it. Doing out of the ordinary jobs around the house, over and above their normal chores, is one way for them to earn additional income. This will help them internalize the concept that if they want more they can work more.

5. “Help me figure out the tip.” This type of money talk helps children in several ways. In addition to providing a real life example to use basic math skills, it also gives children the awareness of the cost of the meal so they can appreciate what is being provided for them. Learning about tipping also gives children the message that being appreciative for the service provided is expressed in the form of a tip.

6. “Oh, I think you gave me the wrong change.” Allow your children to overhear you telling cashiers or waiters when the change is incorrect. If you were short changed it models sticking up for yourself. If you received too much change, your words demonstrate honesty and communicate integrity around money.

7. “Our charity jar is almost full. What should we do with the money this time?” Teach the charity habit by contributing to a charity jar regularly at allowance time. Set a goal as a family as to how much you want to accumulate during a specific time frame. Watch as the jar fills up with the individual family contributions. Decide together where to donate the money. Give your children opportunities to have input on this important decision.

8. “Wow! I found a quarter. The money just keeps on coming.” Money comes to us in a variety of ways and in unexpected times and places. Finding a coin on the ground is a sign that the universe is continually active in providing money for those who are open to receiving it. Stay open and allow the Attraction Principle to bring you money even in the smallest of ways. It is a sign that more it is on the way. Appreciate what you receive verbally so that your children can hear your gratefulness.

9. “Bummer. Sounds like you have a money problem. What can you do about it?” This piece of money talk communicates to children that the current money problem they face is their problem. It informs them you will be the supportive listener, but not a rescuer. With this style of language, you also remind yourself that there are times when allowing children to experience the consequences of their actions and choices is the best way for them to learn.

10. “You don’t have to wait until you’re a grown-up.” Children can make money, own a business, save money, invest in the stock market, and give to charities. Money is not just for adults. It is for anyone who has parents that are willing to help their children become financially literate.

Bailout Wall Street. Bailout the banks. Bailout the people and institutions that got us in this financial mess to begin with. Is that a good idea? Who knows? Certainly not us.

We do not know enough, nor do we claim to know enough, about the current economic crisis facing our nation to be telling people what to do about it. We do not have sufficient understanding of all the interlocking ramifications of doing or not doing a financial bailout. The situation is outside our area of expertise.

What is not beyond our level of expertise, however, is what to do about the issue of bailing out our children. We firmly believe it is not helpful to rescue, save, or bailout children for their inappropriate choices or actions that result in natural consequences that would not be a health or safety risk to them. If fact, it is harmful. When you do so, you teach your children they do not have to be responsible for their choices and actions. You show them that the cause-and-effect relationship that is at work in the universe does not apply to them because someone will always be there to save them from experiencing the legitimate consequences of their actions.

Do you bail out your children? Are you inadvertently teaching them they do not have to act responsibly because they will not be held accountable for their choices? Consider the following.

1. If you are running lunch, homework, gym shoes, band instruments, or other forgotten objects to school, you are bailing out your children. You are not giving them a real reason to remember the forgotten object next time. Your job is to teach your children a system for remembering. Their job is to use the system.

2. Do you return home to get forgotten shin guards for soccer or a teeth guard for karate? Again, teach your children a system for remembering. If they forget, allow them to experience the natural outcome of their behavior. Give them a real life reason to remember in the future. Why would they ever have to remember if someone keeps bailing them out?

3. Do you give advances on allowances? If so, you are rescuing. One of the reasons for allowances is to help children learn that if they spend it all the first day, there is no more until next week. You are depriving children of the opportunity to learn an important lesson when you bail them out. Allow them to deal with the outcomes of their spending, saving, or budgeting choices.

4. Are you a rescuer with your child’s homework? Do you care more than they do? To step out of the rescuer role, be available to help with homework, set a study time and create a study place. Once again, your job is to create the structure. Their job is to use it. If they come to you at 9 p.m. and inform you they need a poster board for a project, resist the urge to jump in the car and drive all over town trying to find one. Procrastination on their part does not necessitate an emergency on your part. Allow them to experience the consequences.

5. When your teen gets in over her head with a cell phone bill, parking tickets, or lack of gas for her car, rejoice. She now has the opportunity to learn a valuable lesson about the importance of keeping control of her spending behavior. Allow her to learn the lesson. If she doesn’t learn it now, she will have to learn it later when the stakes are higher. Debrief the situation with her and help her create a system for keeping track of her spending. This will come in handy when she goes off to college and someone offers her a free T-shirt if she accepts a credit card. Better to learn this lesson now rather than later.

6. Did your son visit an inappropriate Web site on your computer? If so, it is time to remind him that opportunity equals responsibility. When responsibility in using the computer goes down, so does the opportunity to use it. Hold him accountable so he can experience the consequences before he gets another opportunity to use the computer. Then increase your level of monitoring and reset your Internet safety programs.

7. If your child accidentally breaks a neighbor’s window with a football, help her create a plan for paying for it. Help her learn that her actions produce results and that she is responsible for the results she creates. If you bail her out by paying for the window without having a payment plan in place, you teach her that she doesn’t have to be responsible for her actions.

Resist the urge to bailout your children regardless of what you see modeled in our culture or government. When you regularly hold your children accountable (with an open heart), they will learn to see themselves as the cause of the results they produce. As you help them experience the direct relationship between cause and effect, they will become more empowered and view themselves as both capable and responsible. We could use more of that attitude today in our government, in our businesses, and in our world.

During economic slowdowns, everyone is looking for new and immediate ways to save money. Whether it’s clipping coupons, buying sale items or cutting out extra purchases all together, there are many ways families can curb their spending. But what about MAKING some extra money in a time of need?

There are several ways to make additional money from the comfort of your own home simply by doing a little research on the Internet to find programs that give you cash for your time. Many of these are affiliate marketing programs and are a great way to make some extra money while giving you the flexibility to regulate how much or little you do. You can find time for these programs when the baby is down for nap, when the kids are at after-school activities or an hour each night after the kids have gone to sleep. This is a great way to make some extra money that will help cover the rising price of food, gas and everything else these days.

So what can you do to make money online? CouponChief.com recently launched a program called Pays-2-Share, where users make money simply by uploading coupon codes to the site. Consumers sign up and upload new online coupons and CouponChief.com pays them 2% cash back on all purchases made from coupons they submit. Consumers can make up to $25 per month for each store, so if you upload coupons from a number of stores, you can make some serious cash!

The top user has made around $1,000 in just one month since starting the program and has been able to find hundreds of online coupon codes to use Pays-2-Share effectively by making the most of each coupon she uploads. Following are some tips for using this program to get as much cash back as possible:

o Search the Internet - There are literally thousands of coupon codes floating around online. A simple search will give you access to more coupon codes than you could ever dream of.

o Upload smart coupons - To make money with the program you must upload coupons that people will actually use when shopping online. Remember that 2% of $0 in purchases is $0!!! Try to vary the type of coupons you upload. Coupons from mainstream retailers like Target, Macys and Best Buy are great because many people are constantly searching for deals at these stores. However, finding coupons from smaller stores is good too since it’s less likely the coupon is already on the site. Regardless of retailer, make sure it’s a good deal, like free shipping, or 10% or more off the entire purchase. If it’s a coupon that you would use yourself, other people are more likely to make a purchase with it too.

o Sign up to receive emails from retailers - Many retailers will send emails to their customers with upcoming discounts, sales and deals. Many of these emails include their new online discount codes, this is a great way to have coupon codes come to you! The next time you are shopping online and you are asked if you want to receive email updates, be sure to sign up.

o Track your progress - CouponChief.com allows you to easily track you progress online. You can see which coupons are being used and making you money! This will help you determine which coupons are most popular, so you can upload similar discounts or more codes from the same or similar retailer. It will also help to motivate you to make more money!

o Use your online presence - If you have a blog or social profile that accepts javascript you can tell your friends about the coupons you upload using a CouponChief widget. You can pick up to five coupons and display them on your widget. Each time someone makes a purchase by clicking through your widget, you receive 2% cash back of the purchase price.

I encourage you to take advantage of this unique new way to make money online, as well as search for other money-making solutions. While online cash programs won’t allow you to quit your day job, it’s a pain-free way to supplement your base income with some extra spending money.

Over the years that I’ve dispensed financial advice, I’ve never distinguished much between the genders. It’s always been my attitude that an investment approach which suits a man should equally suit a woman. I’ve reasoned that a dollar in the hands of Jack is no different than in the hands of Jill, inasmuch as they both tumble down the hill together.

It appears, however, that I’ve been overlooking something. A provocative book by Lois P. Frankel, PhD, a business consultant and psychotherapist, titled Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich: 75 Avoidable Mistakes Women Make with Money, points out numerous factors that my male chauvinist focus fails to consider. She explains that “Our [women’s] real roles revolve less around money and more around relationships,” adding that “throughout our lives we’re given multiple, often conflicting, messages. This double bind causes little girls to limit their interest in acquiring wealth.” She further stresses that “if you don’t think rich, you certainly don’t consciously engage in behaviors that will contribute to getting rich.”

Dr. Frankel’s book—of which I’ve now completed its entire 283 pages—demonstrates her sound understanding of both economics and the feminine approach to wealth. Perhaps it’s time I altered a few of my previous financial recommendations. There are four specific areas of advice I want to direct in ways to better address my women readers.

1. Generosity. If, as suggested, you are more sensitive than men by nature, then channel your caring attitude in ways less financially detrimental. Don’t loan or give money or possessions to friends or relatives. Instead, express your generosity in ways that don’t cost anything. Personal letters expressing condolence, congratulations, or regrets in lieu of loans of money or gifts will give you satisfaction without the sting. You may be equally generous with smiles, compliments, and expressions of understanding without an inclination to dip into your handbag.

2. Knowledge. Once you’ve made an effort to objectively investigate a matter, don’t presume that others—particularly men—know more about the subject than you. This is especially true of stock brokers, insurance representatives, real estate agents, and financial advisers of all varieties. It’s probably equally so in dealings with assorted clerks, vendors, and shopkeepers. Most importantly, there is no one with a greater interest in your own well-being than you. Your actions should reflect that reality. Rely upon your judgment and remember always that if something does not make sense to you, presume it to be senseless.

3. Expenditures. Evidently social pressures that bear heavily on the female community can lead to unwise spending. Dr. Frankel describes the lack of sales resistance many women exhibit and recommends that impulse buying can be better controlled by making a list before you shop and always sleep on purchases that exceed $250. I have an additional suggestion that may prove even more failsafe. We cannot deny that much unwarranted spending is the result of a universal proliferation of credit cards—one of the more insidious devices that ever tempted the unwary. For this reason, if you cannot control your purchases, you’ll do well to destroy your credit cards and conduct your life on a cash basis. The inconvenience it will cause will be preferable to a lifetime in the plastic jungle.

4. Assets. No one should arrive at the later years of life without an assured stash of assets. This is in keeping with the shrewd advice of that skeptical heroine Lorelei Lee, portrayed by Carol Channing in Styne and Robin’s Broadway musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, where she offers these delightful lyrics:

Time goes on and youth is gone,
and you can’t straighten up when you bend.
But stiff back or stiff knees, you stand straight at Tiffany’s.
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.

Lorelei’s opinion as to reliance on we males of the species is also well presented.

He’s your guy when stocks are high,
but beware when they start to descend.
It’s then that those louses go back to their spouses.
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.

This requires that you get to work early so to amass what you’ll need. An individual IRA account (Roth, if you can swing it) into which you systematically accumulate suitable securities over your productive lifetime is a reasonable way to go about it. Although I prefer interest-bearing investments such as CDs, treasuries, or corporate bonds, the acquisition of no-load index funds through low-fee institutions such as Fidelity, Vanguard, or T. Rowe Price, is an acceptable substitute.

I’ll say no more, except to apologize for my past omissions. In the future I will endeavor to give greater consideration to the proclivities of the fairer sex.

I am often asked, “What store has the best deals?” The answer is that no one store has ALL the best prices. Some stores have consistently low regular prices on their generic products and some stores have even lower sale prices on name brand items. When you factor in coupons, especially those that may be doubled, your savings potential is even greater. Whether you are a couponer or not, you can still take advantage of good sales and loss leaders, and save more of your grocery money by shopping at more than one store each week.

Loss leaders are the items that stores mark down considerably to entice you into their store. They may actually lose money on these items, but they expect you to buy enough additional items to make up for the loss leaders. Your goal as a smart spender is to go in, buy the loss leaders (and only the loss leaders) and get out.

Most communities offer a number of different locations where you can purchase food and non-food staples. Although specific store chains vary from state to state, the concept of store types remains the same. Knowing what types of stores are available will help you increase your buying power.

Locations for purchasing food and non-food staples fall into eight basic categories:

Grocery Stores – Grocery stores are the traditional place to buy most groceries. If you target sales (especially Buy One Get One Free sales) and use coupons with those items on sale, you will find fabulous deals. Those deals are even better if your grocery store doubles coupons. I buy the majority of my food from grocery stores, shopping the sales from week to week. My willingness to shop Grocery Store A this week (because they offer the best sales on the items I need) and Grocery Store B next week saves me significant amounts of money. Since I drive by both stores each week on the way to other activities, I am not wasting gas making extra trips to lots of different stores.

Drug Stores – Drug stores, including CVS, Rite-Aid and Walgreens, are excellent places to stock up on deeply discounted bath and beauty items. Take advantage of the many rebate and reward programs drug stores offer and you will find that you never pay full price for toothpaste, deodorant, razors, shampoo, aspirin and cough medicine. Often, these items will be free after rebate. See the “Fabulous Drug Store Deals” article at http://www.cleverparents.com/2007/08/16/smart-spending-fabulous-drug-store-deals/ for all the details.

Warehouse Clubs – Warehouse clubs can offer good buys on some items. The key is to exercise extreme willpower and diligence when you are shopping. Just because the store sells a 400 ounce bottle of laundry detergent or a 10 pack of peanut butter, it doesn’t mean that they are selling it at a low price. I actually stay away from warehouse clubs because I have a number of grocery stores in my area that offer great sales and doubled coupons every day of the week. Good sales coupled with doubled coupons results in greater savings than I could get at warehouse stores. When shopping at a warehouse club, keep in mind that it is very tempting to buy all the convenient, frozen prepared items and giant sized boxes of everything. These purchases do not save you money if you can make the dishes yourself for less or if you use coupons combined with sales for better-priced packages at the grocery store. Remember to take into account the annual fee for shopping at warehouse clubs when you are determining whether to shop at these stores.

When in doubt, figure out the cost per unit of the products you buy to determine if the warehouse club has a better deal. To figure cost per unit, take the price of the item divided by the size of the item = cost per unit. A $3.99 box of 14 ounce cereal is 28 cents per ounce ($3.99 divided by 14 = .28). If the grocery store has that same box of cereal on sale Buy One Get One Free for $1.99 per box, you will only pay 14 cents per ounce. If you have a 50-cent coupon that is doubled, your cost is lowered to 7 cents per ounce, a 75% savings over the warehouse club price.

Mass Merchandisers – Many mass merchandisers like Wal-mart and Target offer good, low cost generic and name brand options. They accept manufacturer’s coupons at face value which helps lower the prices of name brand products. If you don’t have any grocery stores that double coupons in your area, you will find some good buys at the big box stores. Because of the all the great deals I find at drug stores and grocery stores that double coupons, I don’t often shop the mass merchandisers for groceries. When I do shop these stores, it is mainly for loss leaders and non-food items.

Health Food Stores – Stores including Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are popular for those wanting healthy food choices. Many health food stores offer organic produce and other eco-friendly products at a premium price. Not all health food stores are created equal, though. Some, like Trader Joe’s, offers great tasting organic produce and store brand products at a much lower price than many of the other health food stores. Keep in mind that many traditional grocery stores are now carrying organic produce at excellent prices as well. Not only is it important to be good stewards of our planet, it is also important to be good stewards of our own money by not overspending at high priced health food stores.

Dollar-Type Stores – Some dollar stores offer very good buys on name brand items you know. You aren’t going to find fresh produce but dollar stores do offer some bargains on packaged foods, cleaning and bath and beauty products. Many dollar stores don’t accept manufacturer’s coupons but some actually do accept them. .

Convenience Stores – Convenience stores are generally not a good place to buy food. They are usually overpriced and it is best to avoid buying your groceries at the local gas station. There are times when gas stations use milk or 12-packs of canned soft drinks as a loss leaders to get you to buy gas and other items. If they are truly offering a great buy, enjoy your good deal and don’t be tempted to buy other overpriced items while there.

Farmer’s Markets/Roadside Stands – I love our local roadside produce stands. Here in North Carolina, the summers are rich with beautiful produce and the local farmers offer delicious, fresh-picked choices. There is nothing like a fresh tomato and cucumber sandwich made with produce picked that day. For those items I don’t grow in my own garden (of course I grow my own cukes and tomatoes!), I depend on my local produce stands. Here in NC, we have Certified Roadside Stands with produce grown by the operator and other local farmers. For more information and a list of NC certified stands, see http://www.ncfarmfresh.com/CertifiedStands.asp . Your state may have a similar program so check out your state’s Department of Agriculture website. These roadside stands not only offer delicious food, they are often at a better price than you will find at the grocery store. While the grocery store may be selling tomatoes for $1.99 per pound during the summer, my local produce stand has them for .99 per pound.
You may be thinking that with the price of gas these days, it isn’t cost effective to drive farther to shop at another store. Although this may be true if you are picking up only one or two items, it is not the case if a store is offering great sale prices on many items or if a store is doubling or tripling coupons. Keep in mind that you may be able to save $30.00 or more during a good sale, which is certainly worth the $3.00 you may spend in gas to get there and back. Bring a friend and share the fuel expense as you take advantage of the excellent buys and loss leaders. Try to incorporate many errands into one trip to reduce multiple trips and save gas.
I usually shop at one grocery store and one drug store each week. Many weeks I will also make another trip to a different grocery store to pick up their loss leaders. Those trips are quick and easy and are made while on the way to other activities, so I am not making a special trip.

Shopping the sales at more than one store may seem like a lot of work, but with careful planning, you can be in and out of most stores in very little time. If you can shave $50.00 or more off your grocery bill each week, you may find that an extra stop here and there is more than worth your while. As I always say: It’s your money – spend it wisely!

This week the Parent Blog Roundup shares an article on fiscally responsible children from The Donald himself. Plus, the latest from Cabbage Patch Kids and the Cuddoozle Nursing Pillow reviewed, a Fleurville diaper bag and $100 giveaway, and an interactive Chinese gender chart – does it work for you?

Moms Buzz: “What You Owe to Your Kids” by Donald Trump Here is an interesting article Moms Buzz found in Trump University blog written by Donald Trump himself about “What You Owe to Your Kids.” In his article, the famous business whiz gives parents of older children an advice on how to make your children financially responsible, how to deal with financial setbacks and manage money.

Classy Mommy: Cabbage Patch Kids Fun to Feed Baby Talk about a blast from the past! How fun to see my little girl enjoying one of these dolls. Check out review here on the latest Cabbage Patch Doll.

One Chic Mama: Feed Your Baby in Cushy Comfort We review the Cuddoozle Nursing Pillow. It’s make from memory foam and has it’s own little sidekick pillow to offer extra support.

Boston Mamas: Chittypulga Goodies! There’s just a few days left to enter to win a Fleurville diaper bag PLUS a $100 gift certificate to fill up the Fleurville with fabulous finds from Chittypulga!

Healthy Bump: Win a Zoobie! Zoobie Pets are patented, award winnng, plush animals that turn into pillows and blankets. Enter now by visiting the Healthy Bump Blog.

MomFinds: Win a $100 Shopping Spree at Joggermom.com Need a new stroller? Enter this week’s giveaway by telling us how you’d spend the $100 if you won the prize.

The Nest Baby: Interactive Chinese Gender Chart Found in an ancient royal tomb near Beijing, this Chinese gender chart — now in flash and interactive — is said to be over 90% accurate. Skeptical? Try it out yourself and help us figure out just jow accurate it really is.

Happy New Year smart spenders! As we ring in 2008, it is time to look at your household budget. Now if that doesn’t sound exciting, you are missing out! This is your opportunity to hit that budget hard, line-by-line and determine if you are on track to pay off debt, save for college expenses and eventually… someday… hopefully….. retire.

If you are not one of those budget driven spenders/savers, you need to be – period, end of story. There is no getting around the need for a realistic budget. This all-knowing tool allows you to have an accurate financial picture and keeps you on track to reaching your short and long-term financial goals. Your budget guides all your spending and saving and should be seen as a friend who has only your best financial interests at heart. If you listen to that friend, you will head towards financial freedom and a debt-free life. If you neglect that friend, you may be doomed to dance with debt forever.

THE RISING COST OF FOOD: In nearly every family budget, groceries are a tremendous expense. I know families who spend $200 per week to feed a family of four or five. That’s $10,400 per year! Gone are the college days of being able to live on ramen noodles and peanut butter for weeks on end. Children require nutrition and variety in their diets and food costs are increasing at an alarming rate. According to a 2007 story from ABC news, food costs are up almost 4% from 2006. The article goes on to say that in California, the price of milk has risen 30%! Here in North Carolina, milk is at $4 per gallon and rising. Clearly, our hard-earned money does not buy as much as it used to at the grocery store. Experts have predicted that prices will continue to climb in 2008 because of the demand for corn and rising energy costs, so be prepared for continued high prices.
What does all this food inflation mean for your grocery budgets? Are you destined to blow the budget before you even see the middle of January? With careful planning and creative shopping, you can conquer those high prices and stay within a reasonable budget.

Each month, for the next year, I will write about a different money saving topic related to grocery shopping. We will be covering couponing, using rebates, understanding retail tactics, meal planning, where to shop and much more. My hope is that by the end of the year, you will have cut your grocery bills significantly while still eating the same variety of healthy, tasty foods you now enjoy. Not only will I address food items, I will also touch on non-food expenses including toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and paper products.

THE CHALLENGE: For this month, I challenge each of you to take a long critical look at your food budget. How much are you spending per week on: fast-food, take-out, coffee from the pricey specialty shop, lunches at the office cafeteria, school lunches and snacks, convenience store chips, vending machine crackers, drug store sodas, grocery store purchases and all your other food expenses? Tally those numbers for the month and I am betting that most of you will be SHOCKED at how much money you and your family have spent on food each week. Once you have an accurate picture of how much you are honestly spending, look closely at the expenses you can cut back or totally eliminate.

Consider trying a few of these suggestions to help lower your food total:

• Make double batches of freezable meals like lasagna or enchiladas so you always have a meal to throw in the oven for dinner.
• Send leftovers for lunch with the kids and your spouse.
• Put a stop to vending machine and coffee house purchases.
• Buy larger bags of snack foods (ideally when they are on sale and you have a coupon to go with them) and package snack size servings in reusable plastic containers instead of buying from the vending machines or the school cafeteria.
• When you do go out to eat, only drink water. Beverages at restaurants are overpriced and run up a food tab quickly.
• Eat at home – use a meal plan to make dinner stress free.

You will be amazed at how much less money you have spent when you cut out the non-essentials and stay out of the fast-food lane. Even if you only cut back on the extras a couple days a week, you will see a positive difference.

I would love to know how you are doing with your tracking as the month goes on. Please post your results and we can all get a good idea (and lots of empathy I am sure!) about what it costs to feed our families. My monthly grocery budget for our family of 4 (2 adults and 2 elementary age kiddos) has been $50 per week for years, but I am finding that it is challenging to stay in that $50 budget each week as prices keep increasing. I am a long-time couponer and meal planner with a great overstock pantry and an extra chest freezer, so my monthly grocery expenses are usually less than most. I hear from people nearly every day about how hard it is to feed their families on a budget. The techniques I will cover in the next 12 months will give you the tools to cut your grocery bills and hopefully ease some of the pain of those rising grocery costs.

For more information on creating a budget see: http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/Financial_Literacy/Jan07_budgeting_howto_a1.asp?caret=2a and http://www.betterbudgeting.com/budgetformsfree-basicbudgeting.htm

Now, let’s hear your food budget stories and savings ideas and start slashing those grocery bills! I wish you all a happy, healthy, financially responsible year. Remember, it’s your money – spend it wisely!

Do you remember what you spent on your last tube of toothpaste? Was it on sale or did you pay full price (gasp!). The average tube of name brand toothpaste is $3.00. That is about $3.00 too much for me! I can’t remember the last time I paid more than a few cents for toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, deodorant, or body wash. Don’t be alarmed – our family still uses all of those items daily. In fact, not only do I find fantastic deals on health and beauty products, but many of the best deals are for higher priced national brand products. Smart spenders know that many national drug store chains offer excellent buys on health and beauty items through in-store promotions and rebates. The secret is to use these promotions to stock up and never pay full price again.

Drug stores chains including CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens offer rebate promotions that result in free and almost free products every week. Each chain has weekly and monthly deals that include rebates on name brand items as well as store brand products. The weekly sales begin on Sundays and end on Saturdays. Last week, hand sanitizer was free after rebate at Walgreens. Colgate toothpaste and Lady Speed Stick deodorant were only 13 cents at Rite Aid using manufacturer’s coupons. By combining sales and coupons, Schick women’s razors are free this week at CVS.

With different store promotions offered each week, your best bet is to choose those deals that appeal to you most. Nobody wants to drive all around town looking for every deal. Focus on the great buys for your family’s needs. The more flexible you are with brands, the more money you will save. If you are willing to use Crest, Colgate and Aquafresh, for example, chances are good you will be able to buy at least a couple free tubes per month. Even if you are somewhat brand loyal, you will still find many good deals on the brands you love with these promotions.

Following is a description of the rebate promotions for Walgreens, Rite Aid and CVS. To see the weekly and monthly promotions for each store, go to their websites at www.cvs.com, www.walgreens.com, and www.riteaid.com. Sale ads and rebate booklets are available at your local store, as well. If you are not sure which of these stores is in your town, go to the store websites and click on store locator. Enter your zip code and you will see a list of the stores closest to you.

Walgreens offers a traditional rebate program. They publish the monthly Easy Saver Catalog rebate booklet. Buy the promotional items listed in the catalog, send in the rebate form and receipt and receive a check in the mail. You can also request your rebate in the form of a Walgreens gift card and they will add an additional 10% of your rebate amount on to the gift card. If your rebate amount for the month is $20 and you choose to receive your rebate on a Walgreens gift card, they will add an additional $2 (10% of $20) for a total rebate of $22. Then, each month, you pay for your rebate items using your Walgreens gift card you earned from the rebates in the previous month. This is called “rolling” your gift card so you have very little out of pocket expense from month to month. You simply use the gift card from the last month’s rebates to pay for the current rebate items. You send in the rebate form for the month all at once and there is one rebate per household per month. Easy Saver Rebate Catalogs can be seen online at http://www.walgreens.com/store/rebateclub.jsp and can be found in the store.

Rite Aid also offers a traditional rebate program with a rebate booklet that shows the available rebate deals. The biggest difference is that you can request your rebate online at https://riteaid.rebateplus.com/ instead of sending it in via snail mail. You can also check your rebate status at anytime from the Rite Aid website. Rite Aid just bought out Eckerd and Brooks and they are currently changing over those stores to Rite Aid stores.

CVS has a fantastic rebate program that offers ECB’s (Extra Care Bucks) instead of a cash rebate. ECB’s are CVS store coupons that print out at the end of a qualifying sale and can be used to purchase almost anything in the store (except prescriptions, stamps, tobacco and a few other items). For example, Aquafresh Advanced toothpaste was on sale last week for $2.99. There is also an ECB August monthly promotion that offers $2.99 in ECB’s when you buy one of the Aquafresh Advanced toothpaste tubes. If you use the $2.00 Aquafresh Advanced manufacturer’s coupon from the 7/08/07 Sunday newspaper, you will pay 99 cents plus tax for your toothpaste. At the end of the sale, on the bottom of your receipt, you will then receive your $2.99 ECB coupon. The smart CVS shopper will then turn around and “roll” that ECB into another ECB deal to earn more ECB’s lowering the out of pocket expense. Recently, CVS also offered a $20 ECB when you bought $20 of Kraft, Nabisco and other products. So, if you bought $20 in qualifying products (such as Planters peanuts, DiGiorno pizza, Post cereals, Wheat Thins), a $20 ECB coupon printed out at the end of your receipt that can be spent on anything in the store. You also earn $1 in ECB’s for every 2 prescriptions that are filled at CVS. For a much more in depth tutorial of CVS ECB’s see Hot Coupon World at http://hotcouponworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28157.

Remember to read all the rebate details before buying an item at any store. Make sure the rebate is still valid and that you are purchasing the correct brand and size. When filling out rebate forms, be sure to follow all the directions on the form including circling rebate prices on the receipt or enclosing UPC’s. Whenever you are sending in any rebates to drug stores or manufacturer’s, make sure you keep a copy of all the information you sent. If your rebate is lost in the mail or there is a dispute, you will need the copies. Most drug store rebates take 4-8 weeks to receive except the weekly ECB’s from CVS, which print immediately.

Now it is time to take a look at your weekly sales flyers and rebate booklets and discover what you can purchase for pennies this week.

Do you find that the only time you truly purge your wallet is when you buy a new one? It’s time to gather up your wallet (or wallets, if you have more than one that have items inside) and dump the contents out on a table. Wipe your wallet down lightly with a germicide cleaner and set aside.

Purge-

The first step is to toss out the trash from your wallet; receipts that you don’t need, out of date appointment cards, etc

Organize-

Place back into the wallet the following items:

• Insurance medical/prescription ID cards
• Driver’s License
• Membership cards
• Supermarket bonus cards- Make sure you purge out the stores that you really do not shop at, just carry the card around. If you have more than 5 bonus cards, you may want to hole-punch a corner of each (make sure you stay clear of the magnetic strip) and place them on a carabiner key ring (can be found at sporting good stores) and keep them separate from your wallet.
• Roadside Assistance card (if it is through your cell phone company often it is valid in any car that you are in, regardless whether you own the car).
• Credit cards – Only the ones that you really need to carry
• ATM card
• Cash – Keep $20- $30.00 in your wallet, depending on how many cash transactions you do in a week.
• Coins- Only keep a couple dollars worth of change in your wallet in a variety of coins.
• Emergency contact card- If you don’t have a standard emergency contact card, simply grab one of your business cards and write your contact information on this. Keep it very simple: just make sure your name and phone is marked on here. In addition, place the phone number and name of person (or persons) to contact in the case of an emergency. In addition, place on here any other information that could be helpful (blood type, allergies, etc).
• Checkbook

Protect:

Take all of the cards you have decided to keep in your wallet and lay them face forward on a copy machine (may have to do this more than once). Once you have made a copy of the front, turn over and make a copy of the backside. Keep this paper with your other important papers. In the event your wallet becomes stolen or missing, you will have all the information (account and telephone numbers) for each of your items in your wallet.

Simplify:

Once a week purge out your wallet. If you do this weekly, it should not take more than 2-3 minutes.

Have fun while gaining control over your wallet!!

Betsy

For the first few years of our marriage, I felt like Diane Sawyer every time I met someone who seemed to be living frugally. I wanted to pry deeply into their financial psyche and ask a million questions about the fiscal details of their life. I am every bit as anxious now as I was then to learn from people who seem to know a thing or two about living well, while living well beneath their means. I’m certainly not an expert when it comes to financial matters, but here are a few ideas I’ve picked up in my quest for frugal living.

1. Make a Budget. Yep. I said the “B” word. My husband recently received some training on financial advising and one piece of advice he received was, “whatever you do, don’t say the word budget. Call it a ’spending plan.’” You can call it tropical paradise if it’s really a matter of semantics, but whatever you call it, the most important thing is that you live by it. I never thought I’d hear myself say that–let alone tell anyone else to do it, but we’ve been living on a budget for four years (though only about 2 years of that’s really been effective.) I used to think budgeting sounded like a tightly cinched financial corset, but now I realize that we’ve got to live within our means whether we plan it out or not, so we might as well plan and choose where we’re going to spend our money rather than just spend it willy nilly ’til it’s gone. The thing that really helped me understand our limited resources was living on cash–the old envelope system. We did it for several months in college and it knifed me to the core to pull out a bill every time I wanted to buy something. I also realized that if I overspent at the grocery store, I had to take that money from some place else (literally) which meant there was less to spend on entertainment or gas or whatever fund I borrowed it from. We don’t use the envelope system anymore, now we use YNAB software (visit www.youneedabudget.com for more info) and have a monthly budget pow wow about how and where we’re going to spend our money.

2. You don’t have to have a lot of money to have fun. Here are some free (or almost free ideas) that I thought sounded really fun.

• Adopt a holiday from another country and celebrate. Plan a Chinese feast for Chinese New Year or eat crepes and watch classic French films on Bastille Day.
• Check out the local museums and find out when they offer free admission nights/days. Here in Dallas the art museum is free to the public the first Tuesday of every month and every Thursday evening.
• Shake up the evening meal routine by serving breakfast for dinner and have everyone come to the table in their pajamas.
• Celebrate twice as often with half birthdays: serve half a cake, buy a small gift, and give the birthday boy/girl the royal b-day treatment for half a day!
• Buy your spouse or child a small gift and then set up a scavenger hunt that will lead them to it. Nate bought me a Venus razor one time and hid clues all over the house that finally led me to find my new razor in our shower–it was SO much fun!
• Celebrate the birthday of a historical figure that you admire. For example, find out when Mozart was born. Plan a celebration with Austrian cuisine, play his music and have someone prepare some biographical information that they can share with the family. If you’ve got a musician in the family, have them give a concert of his works.
• We don’t have kids old enough to do this yet, but I would have DIED if my mom had done this for us. Play Hooky! Surprise your kids by taking a day off work and keeping them home from school. Plan a fun outing or just hunker in at home and watch a movie, bake cookies, play games or make a craft. They’ll think you’re the coolest of all cool parents!
• Camp in the living room or in the backyard. Set up the tent. Roast hot dogs and marshmallows in the fireplace (or just make them on the stove if you don’t have a fireplace). Tell ghost stories by flashlight. This is better than real camping in many ways, you get to shower in your own shower, use your own bathroom (you could even sneak into your own bed after everyone else was asleep if you really wanted to…none of which can be done at the campground in the sticks!)
• Set aside a day in which you’ll do things opposite of how you normally do them. If you’re sports fans, go to the symphony. Eat dessert first. Switch up the family chores–if mom usually makes dinner, have the kids do it. If you usually eat in, go out.
• Volunteer together (and not just around the holidays.) Visit a nursing home, an animal shelter, a lonely widow or a soup kitchen and serve someone who could use a little cheer.
• Go for an ice cream cone. It’s a tasty date for less than $10.00. Then go for a walk or a drive and ask each other really important questions like, “If you were an animal what would you be and why?” “If you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would you go?” “If you could be on Oprah’s Wildest Dreams show, what would you ask her to do for you?”

*Some of these ideas were taken from the September 2006 issue of Real Simple magazine. The article is called “New Family Traditions.”

3. Use cloth rags or towels instead of paper towels. It’s easy to clean rags if you buy white ones and soak them in a sink of water and bleach–they’re clean and sanitary in 10 minutes and they’re earth-friendly as well.

4. Thrift! ( I love this one!) Shop the second hand stores in your area. Look for good garage sales, consignment sales, and estate sales. I especially like to visit the thrift stores in the wealthier parts of town because you can find high quality, brand name items for a few bucks. I regularly find items from Banana Republic, J.Crew, Harold’s, Nordstrom’s, Gap, etc. at our local thrift store. Find out what day they put their new inventory out and go then; you’ll get first dibs on the treasures. Beware though, just because it’s second hand doesn’t mean it’s the best deal, especially if you’re shopping for kids’ clothes. If you watch the sales at department stores and places like Wal Mart and Target you’ll be able to find brand new clothes on sale that are often cheaper than what you’ll find at a thrift store. The other day I bought a shirt/short set for Henry at Wal Mart for 2.99 — that’s better than any price I’ve seen at consignment or thrift stores. Also, Henry has cycled through several sets of clothes now–some from GAP and Gymboree and others from Wal Mart. I have not noticed a tremendous difference between these clothes. In fact, in some instances I’ve been really unimpressed by the quality of the uppity brands. Kids wear clothes for such a short period of time before then grow out of them that it’s almost impossible for them to get worn out. I understand buying higher end brands if you plan to have several kids and want to keep the same clothes for all of them. I also understand and recommend buying well-made adult wardrobe staples like white blouses, black slacks, blue jeans, black dress shoes, etc. I think in the long run you end up paying less per wear for a higher-quality item than you would for one that is cheaply made. When possible, I say shop the thrift stores and consignment sales and buy them gently used for less than half of what you’d pay for them new. Also check on E-Bay. I bought a 20 piece lot of boys clothes for Henry (mostly reputable brands) for $30 (with shipping.) He’s been able to wear those clothes for almost a year. Just to give you an idea, here’s a snap of the clothes I recently bought for Henry at a local consignment sale–I bought him 12 clothing items (and 3 trucks) for just over $30. (This shirt really bumped up the total. It was $5, but it was so cute I couldn’t resist!) Other sites to see for bargains: Overstock.com, Shop.com, Craigslist.org, Etsy.com, bargainshopping.org, Amazon.com (for used books) and half.com. That’s just a teeny tiny start…I’m sure there are bajillions more out there.

5. Buy generic. Some things (a lot of things) just taste the same whether you buy the premium priced brand that’s packaged to dazzle or the plainly-packaged generic imitation. I buy generic pasta, pretzels, oatmeal, sugar, flour, butter, diced tomatoes, canned beans, paper goods, dish-washing detergent, salad dressing (some kinds), and a lot of other things! I must make the disclaimer that I am also not a food snob, so some of you with more distinguished palates may disagree. If food is your passion, make it your indulgence and budget accordingly.

6. Cancel your cable. Or at the very least reduce down to the basic cable package. If you have it, you’ll watch it. If you don’t, you probably won’t miss it and maybe you’ll develop a neat hobby or skill in the time that you used to spend in couch potato oblivion. We don’t get TV, but we get Netflix (which is $4.99/month) so we watch great movies on the weekends.

7. Adjust your thermostat–set it lower in the winter and higher in the summer. We keep ours at 68 in the winter and 80 in the summer. We’d probably put it even lower in the winter if we didn’t have Henry, but he doesn’t know how to stay under his blankets, so his only source of nighttime warmth is his fuzzy-feet cozies. There are also a lot of great websites with suggestions about how to lower your utility bills by doing everything from taking shorter showers to running your A/C every other day.

8. Don’t use your dryer. Hang your clothes to dry. I hang everything to dry except Henry’s blankie ’cause he can’t go without it that long. I got my drying rack at Target and I think it’s paid for itself several times over in money saved not running the dryer all day long. I also see this as one little way that I can be “green.” Imagine the aggregate effect if everyone hung even half of their laundry loads to dry–that’s a lot of conservation!

9. Move your savings to a higher interest bank account like Emigrant Direct or ING Direct. They don’t charge any fees and there is no minimum balance. ING is currently paying 4.5% and Emigrant Direct offers 5.05%. (Compare this with Wells Fargo’s annual yield of .10%.)

10. Pack a lunch. If you or your spouse works full time and eats out for lunch even twice a week that’s probably somewhere in the neighborhood of $15.00 per week (depending on how extravagantly you dine)…that’s $60/month, $720/yr! Think of all the things you could do with $720 if you didn’t spend it on hamburgers for lunch.

11. Choose an indulgence. I sort of mentioned this earlier in the “Buy Generic” segment. If you love to cook and eat and try new foods–make that your indulgence. Allow yourself to splurge on that, and try to keep the financial reins pretty tight on the rest of your expenses. If you’re a fitness buff, splurge for a gym membership. Make sure your budget allows for fun and enjoyment, but like I mentioned above, realize that indulgence in one area may necessitate parsimony in another.

I know some of these secrets may not seem very secret. Some might seem outright obtuse, but I’ve found them to be helpful. Now, it’s your turn. Leave a comment and share your tips for frugal living, the fun things you do for free, and your favorite venues for bargains. Please, I’m so curious.

Tuesday, February 27th had me a little worried about the state of economy. As an entrepreneur, the sunny days are what I live for. When money is moving, people are spending, and businesses are doing well, everyone is happy!

When the closing bell rang yesterday at the NYSE, there were probably more than a few people crying into their double machiattos. The drama began with a 9% slip in Chinese stocks, the Dow began to fall, and then the poo poo really started to hit the fan when the computer automated sell programs started to kick in. By the late afternoon, $632 billion was lost in US stocks touching every sector.

It was the worst day in the market since 9/11.

Today the Fed Chief issues some comforting words about our economy(check out the Must Read Media on MC) and seasoned investors seem unfazed calling the tumble, “all part of the market’s cycle”.

You know what the problem seems like to me? If you have multiple children or have ever babysat at least three kids at once, you’ve been in this situation that I think mirrors the stock market and consumer confidence almost perfectly.

Imagine having three kids in a car. You’re rolling down the highway, everything is going fine until Kid #1, overtired because he missed a nap, throws a sippy cup, splashing juice on formerly happy Kid#2.

Kid #2, annoyed because the orange Tampico got in his eye hence momentarily distracting him from his Nintendo DS marathon session, spits in Kid #3’s ear.

Kid #3, who was looking for a reason to act up, begins kicking the back of your seat. Hard.

And then you crash the car. Just kidding.

If mom, in her infinite authority, saw Kid#1 start getting fussy, turned back and in her serious-scary-mom-voice and said, “Don’t even think about it,” therefore cutting the chaos off at the pass, the whole catastrophe could have been avoided.

Someone needed to get up on a giant platform and tell all of the world’s traders, “Don’t even think of freaking out. Calm down,” before the panic selling started.

That’s why moms should be in charge of the stock market.

How many times have you wished there were more great coupons available for your favorite grocery and drug store brands? Week after week, you thumb through the coupon inserts in your Sunday paper wondering if you will find the elusive coupons for the products you love. Unfortunately, week after week you only cut out a few coupons. Lament no more. There is an easy and FREE way to find coupons for the products your family loves – flattery. Whoever said that “flattery will get you nowhere”, clearly did not have e-mail!

Since September, I have been sending e-mails and making toll-free phone calls to manufacturers who make the products we like. The e-mail I send is nearly the same for each company. First, I let them know how much our family likes their product. Then I mention that I am a stay at home mom who needs to stick to a budget. Next, I politely ask if they have any coupons available. Finally, I thank them again for such a great product.

Here are the results of my little coupon request experiment:

E-mails and phone contacts made: 74

Companies that sent coupons: 51

Companies who refused: 20

Companies that have not responded yet: 3

Face value amount of coupons sent: $200.30

I average three contacts per week, mostly made via e-mail once the kids have gone to sleep at night. To date, I have received coupons worth $200 for products we use all the time. Even better, in three grocery chains in my area, and in many stores throughout the country, they double coupons. If a company sent me a coupon for 50 cents off one product, that coupon will be doubled to $1.00 at Harris Teeter, Lowe’s Foods and Kroger stores in my area. My family loves Green Giant frozen sugar snap peas. So I e-mailed Green Giant and they sent four coupons for 50 cents off any frozen or canned Green Giant products. I waited for the frozen sugar snap peas, which we love, to go on sale for $1.00 each. Using the 50 cent coupons, I was able to buy four boxes of FREE vegetables once the coupons were doubled.

That $200 worth of coupons was actually worth more than $300 once the stores doubled the coupons that could be doubled. Another surprising result of this experiment was that many companies sent coupons for FREE items including free yogurt (Dannon), cereal (Kashi), canned tuna (Starkist), jelly (Smuckers), paper plates (Zoo Pals), and tissues (Scotties). Dannon even sent stickers and magnets for the kids and a t-shirt for me! Wasn’t that nice?!

Your homework for this week (and every week if you want a reason to look forward to going to the mailbox):

*Look through your pantry, fridge and freezer.

*Choose three products your family likes and look on the package to find the website addresses of those companies. You can also do a Google search to find the website addresses.

*Once on a company website, click on Contact.

*E-mail (or call) the companies using the format below.

Sample letter:
“Hello, I am writing to let you know how much our family loves the boxed Green Giant Sugar Snap Peas! Even my 5 year old, who is very picky, eats them all up and asks for more. If you happen to have any coupons available for the sugar snap peas, I would really appreciate it. We are a one-income family, on a budget, and I use coupons whenever I can. Again, thank you for offering a healthy product that my picky 5 & 7 year olds love! Best Regards, Your Name.”

That wasn’t so hard, was it? For just a few minutes a week, you can offer valuable feedback to companies and fill your mailbox with coupons for products you know your family likes. Now wait patiently for your coupons, use them with good sales and enjoy your great deals. Remember, it’s your money – spend it wisely!

I believe it was Hemingway who said, “All things truly wicked start from an innocence.”

That explains my work situation.

The idea to start a business from home; or work from home (ironic as that term is to me now), came to me soon after my daughter was born. Like many new moms, the thought of jumping into the rat race and leaving my helpless offspring with a licensed but undeserving stranger was about as attractive to me as a freshly-birthed placenta.

After much thought, a voice of genius (who I now refer to as “The Devil”) whispered to me one evening: “Why not start a business?”

Fast forward six months to me engaged in a perpetual dance between my laptop and very curious 7 month-old who would love nothing more than to chew through every single document on my desk.

Don’t get me wrong, I feel very privileged to be able to catch all of those Kodak moments with my daughter: Seeing her discover her feet for the first time, listening to her giggle as I make breakfast and leisurely cuddling with her in bed at an hour when more serious types are buzzing about in offices and on freeways.

I’m lucky and I know it (clap your hands).

I’m sure there are many moms who are pondering ditching their day jobs to work at home, whether it is to telecommute or start a business.

A word of advice: Don’t trade your Ann Klein power suit for sweats just yet. Working under the supervision of a child, or children, is not for the faint of heart. There are things every mom and mom-to-be must know before hanging up their time card.

1. Your children are not your coworkers. They are not dedicated to your corporate mission statement and purpose.

Getting everyone “on board” to make mommy’s business dream a reality may seem like an appropriate preliminary step, but let’s take a giant leap into reality. If your kids are under five, hell, even if they’re old enough to drive, the truth is that they don’t care.

Children are first and foremost concerned with being children. If your chain emails are going to create a kink in their lifestyle, they’ll unmercifully let you know it.

This is not to say that there won’t be moments where they will be great little helpers and lick envelopes, but don’t fool yourself, having mom half there is not better than having mom not there at all. Mom’s business hours are usually during naps, in the middle of the night, and during play-dates.

2. You only have so much energy and no combination of wishing and/or Red Bulls can change that.

If you decide to join the thousands of entrepreneurs who create businesses every year, be prepared for one thing: to end everyday exhausted. It is a self-satisfied exhaustion, but exhaustion all the same.

The tenacity that accompanies a fresh, exciting business idea forgives the late nights at the drawing board. Six months, 18 months, three years into a business and many owners not only feel the burnout, they embody it.

Symptoms of spreading yourself too thin include: your family hating you, hating your family, hating your business, and “the shakes” (an involuntary twitching that is more commonly observed in drug rehabilitation centers).

The #1 way to avoid burnout is to develop the ability to say three words that will revolutionize the way you do business: “It can wait.”

Sometimes, dropping everything to roll around on the floor with your kids, have a conversation with your husband (remember him?), or enjoy a Frappuccino break is essential.

Running a business is like having an extra child: it needs grooming, feeding, and attention. But unlike the real children tearing through your office, your business is not your reason d’etre.

This leads me to my last point.

3. Where your ego lies, there your heart will be to. Run your business, don’t love it.

It can be very easy when you’re burning the midnight oil with only the soft glow of the computer monitor to warm you to begin to have strong feelings for your business.

You two have been through it all: the first customer, the first newspaper write-up, the infamous Hardrive Crash of 2004…so many memories.

Unlike the human beings in your household, your business is also a constant ego stroke which can allow a rational mother to transmutate into a selfish, stressed workaholic.

One can learn from the literary work of Mary Shelley. Your masterpiece will soon become your Frankenstein if you fail to control and remain the master or it. Remember who created who.

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If a stranger were to peer into my window to find me in front of my laptop at 4 a.m. answering emails and noting invoices, they might deduce by the tired skin around my eyes and the colorful mugs filled to various levels with stale caffeinated beverages strewn about my workspace that perhaps I am over my head.

Maybe. While being a mom business owner does add one more trip-inducing Lego to the proverbial playroom that is my life, I just remind myself that the essence of motherhood is not mastery and calm, but learning and taking joy in the mess.

When it comes to money, are you a saver, spender, or giver? You’re probably all three, but if you’re like most Americans, I bet I know which one you are better at. As a parent, you know that making your children financially responsible is important, but it isn’t easy… especially if you weren’t born with the ‘money-gene’ yourself. Enter the LearningCents Bank.

Designed by two moms in Atlanta, the three compartment bank has space for money to Save, Spend and Give. The compartments are clear so kids can see their money grow which is a nice improvement on the ‘how much do I have in there’ problem inherent in the old-fashioned piggy bank. Other great features include the aforementioned Give compartment which is a nice addition to teach children about charity at an early age. Another feature are the dry erase lids on each compartment to easily track money. The lids are also large enough so the bills, coins and even gift cards can be placed in the compartments. The LearningCents Bank is the brainchild of Caryn Boxer, a clinical psychologist and mother of two, and Gail Duner, a consultant who is also a mother of two. The duo founded LearningCents in 2005 and have already racked up awards from national publications. In addition to running their company, Caryn and Gail also lead workshops for parents about raising financially savvy kids.

We asked Caryn and Gail about the ‘money-gene’, chores and allowance, and encouraging charity in children.

Clever Parents: You mention that your kids weren’t born with a ‘money-gene,’ do you think that some people are naturally better at managing money than others?

LearningCents: Yes, some people seem to be naturally better at managing their money. In the same family, you will often have one child that’s the “saver” who hoards every penny, while another has to spend every dollar as soon as they receive it. And then there are some kids that are very charitably-minded and want to give all their money away. As parents, it’s our role to help kids learn how to best allocate their money for spending, saving and giving.

CP: Do you believe that kids should have to perform chores for their allowance?

LearningCents: We think that the main purpose of an allowance to give children the opportunity to learn how to manage money.

We support paying children on a weekly schedule. This regularity helps reinforce that money is a part of our everyday lives and it comes in a predictable way, like a paycheck for an adult. (e.g. knowing that they have to get 4 weeks of allowance before they have enough to buy a specific thing they want).

We also believe that as a member of the household, children should be required to perform age-appropriate chores. And there should be consequences for failing to fulfill their family responsibilities. However, it may not be effective to tie the chores and the allowance together, because some kids may “choose” not to do their chores and be willing to forego their allowance. This defeats the goal of enabling parents to pass on the money values they want to instill.

CP: What are the big differences, in your mind, between the LearningCents Bank and the old fashioned piggybank?

LearningCents: The LearningCents Bank is more than a place to store your money, which is the main purpose of a piggy bank. The LearningCents Bank is also a system that teaches kids that money is not just for spending, but is also for saving and for giving. By allocating their money amongst the 3 compartments, children learn the
important life skill that money has multiple purposes and can be actively managed. The LearningCents Bank also has dry-erase lids and a pen, so kids can count their growing cash flow and track the amounts in each compartment. The old-fashioned piggy bank is a one-dimensional whereas the LearningCents Bank better reflects the more complex financial world in which we actually live.

CP: I like the idea of a separate ‘Give’ section. What are some ways that parent can encourage charitable giving with their kids?

LearningCents: There are lots of ways parents can encourage charitable giving and teach their children to take pride in being contributors to the community.

Some activities include:

• Have kids research charitable organizations (disaster relief, animal shelters, children’s hospital, religious institutions) to decide who will be the beneficiary of their “Give”dollars
• Create a matching fund to generate greater giving power
• If it’s local, visit the charity so kids can learn how their contributions help others
• Make regular contributions to school, church or synagogue.
• Birthdays and holidays are a good time to teach our children about giving, when they are the beneficiaries of so much.

One option is to make cash contributions to a favorite charity

A second option is to participate in a food or toy drive,where children can use their GIVE money to purchase needed items and deliver them directly.

CP: You say that families should set fixed amounts, either dollars or a percentage, for contributions to each section. Do you think kids should be involved in the setting or is that something parents should set ahead of time?

Learning Cents: The parents should set the allocations ahead of time and keep them consistent from week to week. The dollars or percentages that each family adopts reflect the family’s values of spending, saving and giving.

CP: How can I buy Learning Cents?

LearningCents: The LearningCents Bank is available online at www.learningcents.com. The website also lists many retailers across the country who stock the bank.

Looking for ways to save time and money as you buy groceries? Check your favorite grocery store’s website and see if they offer online weekly ads. Harris Teeter sends out their ad each week to your e-mail. Not only does it have all the weekly specials, they tailor the ad according to what you buy most with your VIC Card! Safeway, Kroger, and Publix also show weekly deals online.