Search Results for: blog are you talking to your kids about the financial crisis

Benefits of Bartering

My 8-year-old cries poor like the Pentagon before commencing a $10 billion nuclear weapon upgrade. Granted, she doesn’t get a regular allowance, but with grandparents like these, she wants for very little. Actually, she wants a lot, but as the only granddaughter, she typically gets it all, which is why I don’t give her an allowance. This, of course, has led to many heated discussions on money, spending habits and budgeting.  However, thanks to a recently covered Social Studies unit on our country’s earliest settlers, we’ve added a new topic to our financial discussions:  bartering. Bartering is the exchange of … Continue reading →

How to Talk to Your Kids about the Economic Crisis

“How can I talk to my kids about the economic crisis?” It is a common question that most parents face today. As prices on consumable goods rise, from food and gas to the cable bill, and families feel themselves pinched, even the youngest children are starting to notice that things around them are changing. Neighbors and friends may be moving away, favorite stores and restaurants may be closing, and everyone seems to have to sacrifice something they enjoy just to get through this time. Parents should see this time in our history as a teaching moment, but the lessons should … Continue reading →

Don’t Pay For Convenience

As chaotic as most parents’ lives are, it’s no wonder products such as bagged salad, pre-cut cantaloupe and rotisserie chicken are in high demand. Unfortunately, convenience often comes with a hefty price tag.  Think about how much you spend on items that make your life easier.  Even if you purchase four cheap bags of salad each week for an entire year, you’re looking at paying at least a few hundreds dollars.  You could save money by purchasing a head of lettuce, whole carrots and some celery, and then chopping them up yourself, but how do you put a price tag … Continue reading →

Protecting Your Holiday Cash

Happy Cyber Monday!  The day many of us celebrate finding phenomenal deals on holiday gifts for loved ones, and then wallowing in mild discontent knowing that even though we saved some dough, we’re still out a good chunk of change. Like it or not, Cyber Monday has morphed into the biggest online shopping day of the year.  This is great news for tech-savvy individuals, but if you are a parent or grandparent, who hasn’t embraced the convenience of online shopping, today can be bittersweet.  While you’d love to take advantage of the amazing online sales, there’s a bit of hesitation … Continue reading →

Not Buying It

After nearly two decades working in television news, I’ve learned to be a bit more judicious when perusing headlines. In other words, I don’t believe half of what I see published these days, especially viral items that sweep the globe and become water cooler fodder, despite there being very little fact checking prior to their circulation. But, hey, sensationalism sells, so why mess up the money-making process by letting a little thing like the truth get in the way? It’s a question single moms around the world are left to ponder yet again thanks to an anonymous server who claims … Continue reading →

Are You Spending More to Save?

I am THAT mom. The one that’ll drive an extra five miles out of her way to save five bucks on her daughter’s Halloween costume, even though gas is just shy of $4 per gallon. Though, if I drive an extra 10 miles I can save six cents per gallon. I am THAT mom. The one that’ll spend five hours trying to calculate how much she really saved by utilizing the $5 off costume coupon. Even though the trip included sitting in a gnarly traffic jam which robbed her of 20 minutes of precious time. Make that priceless time. Walking … Continue reading →

A Parent’s Dilemma: Time or Money?

Which would have a more positive impact on your family’s future, an extra $10,000 each year or an extra hour of quality time every day with your kids? The question was posed to more than 2,000 parents across the county via a survey conducted by Parents magazine and the Center for the Next Generation, and the results may surprise you. According to the poll, two-thirds of parents would rather have the extra cash than time with their kids. Chock it up to hard economic times and financial uncertainty. “Parents have some very, very serious concerns about providing for their families,” … Continue reading →

Budget Busting Babies

Have you ever sat down and calculated how much money you’ve spent raising your child? Think about it; if you crunched the numbers from the moment you first discovered you were pregnant until today, the amount of cash you’ve likely dropped on your precious bundle of joy probably exceeds five figures. It’s no surprise that the cost associated with raising kids is a hot topic among parents. So much so that you can visit just about any baby-centric website these days and calculate how much a child will set you back financially. For example, Babycenter.com features a handy dandy calculator … Continue reading →

Moms Stink at Money Matters

Hey, I’m just the messenger. Personally, I think most moms rock at finances, but according to the gurus at LearnVest (a personal finance website for women), most women with kids fall short when it comes to making wise financial decisions. And why do the brainiacs at LearnVest think moms stink when it comes to handling money? We’re. Too. Nice. Apparently, sugar and spice and everything nice is a very bad combo when it comes to money. LearnVest experts claim that because moms are “too nice” and “too nurturing” they end of falling into an abyss of money problems. Competition is … Continue reading →

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

We finally know who won the $336.4 million Powerball jackpot… that I didn’t. According to news reports, an 81-year-old woman from Newport, Rhode Island, is the winner, winner, chicken dinner of the sixth-largest U.S. prize in lottery history. Again, not me. Rather, Louise White is the newest multi-millionaire on the block. She will reportedly take a lump sum payment of $210 million, the highest ever for Powerball, according to lottery officials. The jackpot is said to be the third largest in Powerball history and the largest ever won in Rhode Island. Prior to White’s win the top lottery jackpot in … Continue reading →