Archives for January 2011

Effortless and Economical Slow Cooker Meals

January 31, 2011 | Leave a Comment

cheap & easy slow cooker recipes My slow cooker (aka crock-pot) and I are BFFs. It cooks — I clean. We have a perfect culinary partnership. I rely on my slow cooker so much that I use at least once a week — even more during the fall and winter. What I love most about using a slow cooker, is that it is almost like having a home cook meal prepared for me.

Of course, I had to put the ingredients into the crock-pot. Chances are good that there may have been some washing, peeling and/or chopping involved. However, once dinner time rolls around – any work that went into the preparation – is long forgotten.

If you have never used a slow cooker, first let me just say –“WHAT?!?!?!?!?! Oh my goodness darling — you have no idea what you are missing.”

Secondly, I have some great recipes to share with you. These simple recipes will have you on your way to becoming slow cooker savvy! If you have used a crock-pot before, you know the value of a great slow cooker recipe.

Here are three of the most simple, delicious and fairly inexpensive recipes that I make. These are family favorites in our house and I hope your family will like them too.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1 Bottle BBQ Sauce
1 Cup Chicken Broth
Pork Loin, Roast or Chops
Hoagie Rolls or Buns

Put the Pork into the crock-pot.
Mix together chicken broth and BBQ sauce then pour over pork.
Turn slow cooker on low and cook 8-10hrs
Toast rolls or buns (optional)

Slow Cooker French Dip

3 lbs Beef Sirloin Roast
2 tbs Oil
2 packets Dry Au Jus Mix
1 cup Water
Hoagie Rolls
Provolone cheese (optional)

Heat oil over med-high heat.
Brown roast on all sides then place in slow cooker.
Mix together water and one au jus packet; pour over roast.
Cook on low 6-8 hrs.
When ready to serve; prepare the second au jus mix, according to packet instructions.
Remove roast and either shred or slice.
Place meat into rolls and top with cheese if desired.
Serve with small bowls of the hot au jus for dipping.

Three Envelope Chicken

3-4 lbs Whole Chicken
1 dry packet Ranch dressing mix
1 dry packet Italian Dressing Mix
1 dry packet Chicken Gravy Mix
1 can Chicken Broth

Wash and clean chicken (don’t forget to remove the giblets)
Put chicken into the crock-pot breast side down.
Pour chicken broth over the chicken.
Sprinkle each packet over the top of the chicken.
Cook on low for 4-6hrs
When the chicken is finished; remove the skin and remove the meat from the bones (it usually just falls off).
I usually serve this with mashed potatoes or stuffing — and a green veggie of some kind.

If you don’t own a crock-pot, GET ONE!!! I am happy to report that they really aren’t too expensive and they last a long time. The slow cookers that are pictured here, can be found on amazon.com and range in price from $30-$45 at the time of this publishing. They all have pretty decent reviews so check them out.

The Crock-Pot 7 Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker. This cooker sells for under $39.99 at Amazon.

The Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Portable 6-Quart Slow Cooker With Lid Lock. A thousand 4.5 star reviews can’t be wrong. Sells for about $35 bucks on Amazon.

The Hamilton Beach 33861 Portable Programmable Slow Cooker. This cooker is also hugely popular. It retails for $69 at Amazon.

Do you use a slow cooker? What is your favorite slow cooker meal?

Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

Email • Google + • Facebook • Twitter

KidsAintCheap is Now on Facebook!

January 30, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Today we officially launched our brand new Facebook page. We are going to use Facebook as another way to communicate web site updates but we also want to build it into a fun community where parents can meet, talk and post things of use to all of us. Please check us out at KidsAintCheap Facebook Page and while you are there, please hit the LIKE button. If you really like us, you will take a moment to suggest the page to your friends! We need all the help we can get.

Facebook is just one way to stay in touch with the crew at KidsAintCheap. You can also read our tweets on our Twitter page and subscribe to our blog’s RSS feed with your favorite reader.

What are your favorite parenting Facebook pages?

Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

Email • Google + • Facebook • Twitter

Fitness Update

January 30, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Image on Pixabay

Shortly after New Years I made a post about my New Years resolution. It was that very unique resolution of losing some weight and getting in better shape. Okay, well, maybe it wasn’t all that unique but it was an important resolution for me. I have a very sedimentary job and am not nearly as active as I would like. I have two herniated discs in my back that limits my activity and keeps me in a constant state of pain (anywhere from mild ache to a more severe sharp pain). I am about 30 pounds overweight, I started the year at 220 lbs and my ideal weight is about 190 lbs (I am 6′ 6″ so 220 is not that bad but still more than I want). In addition to losing some of the fat, I want to be in better cardio shape and strengthen my body to better deal with my back. I want to avoid surgery for as long as possible and strengthening my muscles will help to take some of the pressure off my lower back.

How I’m going to reach my resolution to loose weight

My plan of attack was to count calories, ride my bike 3 days a week and do some strength training two days a week. I took me a little while to get my bike out of the garage, get it in riding shape again and get my new bike rack installed but I am happy to report that a month into the new year, I have stuck to my plan and have lost 4 pounds so far. Here are some more details for those who are interested:

Counting Calories

I am using a web site and iphone app called MyFitnessPal to track my calorie intake each day and stay at or under my alloted 2150 calories a day. There were only 2 days this month where I went over and I tried to make up for it the next day. You can see my profile and friend me if you use the same tool at MyFitnessPal

Bike Riding

I hadn’t ridden my bike in 7 years and it was a bit out of shape. I took it to the local bike shop and got a tune-up. I also bought a new bike for my wife and a bike rack so we could ride together and transport the bikes. All this took me two weeks so I didn’t start riding until the third week of January. In the last two weeks we have had nothing but snow and rain but I stuck to my commitment and rode 3 times in both weeks for 30 minutes on my lunch break.

Strength Training

I bought some dumbbells, an exercise ball and worked out an exercise schedule for Tuesday and Thursday (my non-biking days). Last week was the first week where I actually did it but I am pretty happy with the routine I have worked out. I am not crazy about the weights I bought, not enough weights in the set but it will work for now.

I realize that I won’t be able to keep up the pace of 1 pound per week but I do think I can reach my goal of 190 lbs by the end of the year and maintain it. So, what about you?

Did you make any New Years Resolutions and have you stuck to them?

Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

Email • Google + • Facebook • Twitter

Consignment Shop; Lesson Learned

January 29, 2011 | 1 Comment

Last week I posted about ways to get rid of unwanted stuff. One of the things I talked about was consignment shops. We have a great consignment shop in the area, they carry quality stuff at great prices but they are so popular it often takes months to get an appointment with them. I decided to try out a new consignment shop that opened across from where I work. I wanted to try them because it was convenient, they could take the stuff right away and they were not very picky.

Consignment store isn’t in it to make a huge profit

I made the mistake of letting them price out the merchandise I dropped off. Since we split the money 50/50, I assumed that it would be in her best interest to get the most she could for some of this stuff. I was wrong, she sold all of the good stuff in the first couple of days which had me pretty excited but then I found out how much she sold it for. We had a $200 stroller that we bought when we had our second child. It had room for the baby upfront and a place for our toddler to sit in the back. We only used it for about a year and it was in fantastic shape. She sold it for $15! She sold that, a high chair, a pack and play and some clothes which made me a whopping $16.50. I could have gotten a lot more using ebay or Craigslist and probably should have just tested the new shop out with one or two big items and a box of clothes.

Oh well, live and learn. I can feel good that a family that needed a new stroller and high chair at a very cheap price, it’s no longer taking up room in my house and I got a tiny bit of money for it.

Have you ever sold at a consignment store? What was your experience?

Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

Email • Google + • Facebook • Twitter

Why Dogs Make Horrible Babysitters

January 29, 2011 | 2 Comments

Don't trust this dog to babysit your kids! — Image on DeviantArt

First of all – I would just like to say – that I do not suggest using your dog as a babysitter while you and your spouse go out for a “date night.” If you would like to go and have a pedicure do not leave your dog in charge of the children. It is not even acceptable to leave your kids with the dog while you run to the store really quick. I know this and would never do such a thing because of course — it is illegal! Besides that, dogs are just no good at changing diapers, getting kids to eat their vegetables, or putting children to bed at a descent hour.

What I am talking about instead, are those times when I just needed to leave the room for a moment and thought, “The babies are in their exercisers and the dog is watching them; how much trouble can they really get into?” Oh boy, let me tell you; things can get ugly fast.

Leaving the dogs in charge

One example of this is happened, when I left my dog in charge of the boys, they were about 18 months old — (Yes, I realize how crazy that sounds.) They were in their high chairs, happily eating some cottage cheese – one of their favorite things to eat at the time – they were using their spoons, and everything! It was an idyllic scene; something straight out of a Norman Rockwell calendar.

I had been cleaning, and decided to run the garbage outside really quick. I would be right back and it would take 30 seconds tops! So there were my sweet little boys and my sweet doggie. I told the dog, “You’re in charge. Mommy will be right back.”

Huge mistake! HUGE!

When I walked back in, it looked like someone had turned on a snow machine as soon as I shut the door – and apparently – they had. The boys were covered in cottage cheese, the dog was covered in cottage cheese, and the kitchen was covered in cottage cheese. Yes – that’s right folks, the kitchen I had just cleaned was now totally cheesy.

The boys were laughing and flinging cheese in the air like it was confetti — and what was my sweet, responsible dog doing you might ask? She was licking the cheese off of everything, as fast as she could.

Since that day, I am totally convinced that dogs and children can communicate! I’m pretty sure the conversation that my dog had with the boys that day, went something like this.

The dog: “Hey, boys! You know what would be really fun?”

The boys: “What?”

The dog: “Wouldn’t it be great to throw the cottage cheese in the air like it’s snowing? That would be really fun and totally hilarious! I bet Mommy will think it’s hilarious too! Do you boys want to do that?”

The boys: “Yeah!”

The dog: “Aren’t I the best babysitter ever?”

The boys: “Yeah!”

When I posted a warning to others via my Facebook page “FYI — Dogs do not make good babysitters” the only thing people wanted to know, was if I had pictures. Pictures? Are you kidding me?

Of course, now I wish I had taken the time to take pictures but all I could think about then was cleaning everything up – that was spotless – only minutes before.

So if you are thinking about leaving your dog in charge of the kids – learn from my mistakes and don’t do it!

Do you have any funny stories like this?

Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

Email • Google + • Facebook • Twitter

How to Decide if You Should Be an At-Home Parent

January 28, 2011 | Leave a Comment

I have always wanted to be an at-home Mom. Always! However, as my husband and I started to plan for a family, neither of us thought we could make that happen financially. We discussed that I could possibly go part time one day – maybe after baby #2.

At the time, I had been working for a family owned jewelry store for almost 9 years. I made a decent income, was given a lot of responsibility, had fantastic customers, and a wonderful boss! It was all going pretty well and I really had no intention of leaving.

Once I finally did become pregnant – even after discovering early on that we were expecting twins – I still intended to go back to work. My boss’ Dad would say “Once you have those babies, you aren’t going to want to come back.” I would laugh and tell him that of course I would come back — how we were going to afford all those diapers anyway?

Well – right before I was due to go back to work – my husband and I did decide that I should stay home with the boys. Because I had been placed on bed rest – 3 months before the boys were born – we had to tighten up our budget even before they arrived and we decided we would be able make it work financially.

Staying home is not for everyone. People whose sense-of-self is strongly intertwined with their career, people get who depressed if they don’t get enough adult interaction, people who are not at all interested in staying home with their kids all day, or know that it would be a financial hardship on their family — might not want to become an at-home parent.

So how do you know if you are making the right decision to stay home? Well, you have to ask yourself and your partner some important questions.

Can We Afford It?

This is usually the biggest question parents face. My husband and I thought there was no way we could manage – but what we didn’t realize – was how much money we were just frittering away. We cut back on a lot of things in the beginning; cable, dining out, and other unnecessary expenses. It was hard to go from buying what we wanted, planning for a bigger house, and getting a different vehicle — to just making do with what we had and finding ways to cut back on everything!

When we brought the babies home, they didn’t care that our house wasn’t bigger or any of the other stuff. All they cared about, is that they were surrounded by people who loved them and all their needs were met. That’s it! Admittedly, it was much harder on my husband and I — but we made it through, knowing that our boys have never had to do without. We always make it work and every year we become financially stronger.

Should I work Part-Time?

Working part-time is a great option. When the economy was really getting bad, my husband’s hours got cut at work. I decided to get a part-time job. I looked for something that wasn’t too stressful or time consuming. I found a fun job and worked there for two years. After 21 months of not being in the work force, it was nice to be back and working with the public. I’m a social person, I like people, and can talk to just about anyone. It felt good to have more adult interaction — even if I was working.

Working part-time can take away some of the guilt Moms (or Dads) can feel when they drop their child off at daycare. The child may only be there a couple of days a week and really love playing with other children. We didn’t do daycare for the boys because it wouldn’t have made sense financially – so when I was at work – my husband was home with the boys.

Staying home also opened the door to other opportunities, I never really thought much about – like freelance writing. It’s something I have always wanted to do but never thought I could actually do professionally. I am happy to report that I was wrong. What are you most interested in and what are your talents? Could you teach a fitness class? Would you be great at selling cosmetics? Is graphic design your thing? There are many ways to make money doing what you love and still be able to stay home with your kids.

Will I Be Bored?

There is always tons stuff to do but you might get bored because you aren’t being challenged in the way that you had been at work. Especially in the beginning, it may be hard to get out and about. You probably won’t be around a lot of adults because your day will revolve around nap/feeding schedules. The first year with the boys, I really didn’t get out much at all. This can be really hard for some people – it was for me – but I had great support which helped a lot.

The good news is, there are all kinds of groups for Moms and stay at home parents. The public library is fantastic with story times and other activities. There are groups, clubs and classes; which can get you and your children out and about.

Not everything you do has to involve your children. You can do volunteer work, join a book club, and participate in Mom’s Night Out functions. Soon you’ll have the support of others like you.

Staying Home Vs. Working Outside the Home

Staying home involves giving up many things. Sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do. You have to be parent, teacher and homemaker. There is no time clock to punch when your day is done. You are on-call even in the middle of the night.

However, staying home is also the most rewarding work you will ever do. There may not be any big promotions or exciting business trips to go on but as you see your children grow, learn, and discover the world around them — your heart will become so full of joy you might think it will burst.

Going back to work will involve balancing your job, time with your kids and spouse, household chores, and everything else in between. It’s a delicate juggling act, to be sure.

In turn, going back to work can provide a sense-of-self; which some people may not feel when they stay home, you may find that you are stronger financially (which is a stress reliever), and you really make the most of each moment you do have with your family, because it is so very precious.

No matter what you decide — make sure you really think things through. Remember that all any of us can do — is our very best. Whether you decide to stay home or work, your children will love you and your life will be extra blessed because you’re a parent.

What are your thoughts on being a stay at home parent?

Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

Email • Google + • Facebook • Twitter

Introducing Deb Verville; Our Newest Writer

January 27, 2011 | 4 Comments

First, before I even introduce myself I would like to say how honored I am to have been asked to join the team on http://kidsaintcheap.com/. Being a mom to four great kids always has me looking for ways to save money and get great reviews on products I am looking into buying.

Meet our newest staff writer

My name is Deb (age 40ish) and I am a wife and mother. My husband works more than full time and I work full time from my home office as a writer. My writing consists of medical, financial, family as well as anything else that may catch my fancy at the moment.

I have four biological children, (three boys and one girl) ranging in ages 20-10 yrs. (wow, how time flies). Two are in college, one in middle school and the youngest in elementary school. My days are always busy, hectic and full of trying to invent ways to multitask more than I already do. I cannot say my life is boring in any way, shape or form. And I have to admit my house is too quiet when my kids are at school.

I love to write and always have from the time I was in middle school. Before deciding on writing full time a few years back I worked in the medical field. My days were 12 hours long and I missed my kids. My days off were spent trying to catch up on everything that I didn’t have time to do during the week. I felt like I was missing too much and exhausted all of the time.

Health issues

My youngest son (age 10) was an emergency delivery a month early. He immediately required open-heart surgery and was then diagnosed with Hirshsprungs Disease. Anyone that has a child with health issues will be able to understand when I say not only is it one of the most emotional things a person can go through but it is also financially devastating. When your child is fighting for his/her life it’s amazing how we manage to make ends meet to get through. We lost pretty much everything including our family van. He is now doing wonderfully and keeping right up with life.

What have I learned in having children? Money cannot ever replace them. I want to be with them as much as I can. If I am gone from home 12 hours a day I can give them all the toys and gadgets they want but that is not as important as the chance to be with them. I work as a writer to help the household income and I love what I do. I love being able to be with my kids and husband when needed. We don’t have luxury cars but we are comfortable and happy.

I hope to be able to make a worthwhile contribution here and learn at the same time. I am extremely grateful to be given this opportunity to write on a site that helps families unite for resources and money saving tips.

So now I am off. I have writing to do. In August of 2011 my beautiful daughter is getting married and I will then have another chapter to write and share.

Have you ever had a child with a major health issue?

Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

Email • Google + • Facebook • Twitter

Basic Baby Tools Reviewed

January 23, 2011 | Leave a Comment

A crib is one of the things you need to buy when expecting a baby — Photo on CAPL

Funnily enough, 2010 seemed to be the year of the babies. I have so many friends who welcomed their bundles of joy last year and so many who got pregnant and are expecting this year. It really is beautiful to see the beginnings of a life, to see the joy in the parent’s faces, and to see all my new mommy-to-be girlfriends fret over all the baby things they think they need. This is especially true (and fun to watch) with my friends who are going to be first time mom’s.

I remember very well what I thought I needed when I was pregnant with my first child. I remember it was a few months in chaos listing all the things magazines and sites were telling me I needed. And, being the anal person that I am, I got MOST of these items. Only to find out later that I didn’t really need half of them. Good thing was I was able to use them for my second child. Wonderful how some baby things just don’t go out of style.

Anyway, I thought about doing a list of things you really need after you find out you are expecting and a basic time chart for when to get them. It might be helpful for all the first time mom’s out there.

6 months before D-Day:

By this time, I think it is OK to start getting the big stuff. This is because you will have had enough time to save up for them and because you will still have enough time to pay them off should you decide to get these on installment.

1. Crib

OK, you can choose whatever crib you want here but I personally think that if you have no baby cabinets yet, then get the ones with the drawers and the ones with the bed that can take the baby into the growing years. There are some cribs that are cute and may fit a little nook in your room, but for practicality and for budget’s sake, these are not the smartest choices.

2. Stroller/Car Seat/Bassinet

OK, there are sooo many choices in the market today and some ranging from the reasonably expensive to the outrageously expensive. The things I would say to look out for are the material of the stroller and car seat, the quality of the belt and the fasteners, the padding around the bars, the size and quality of the wheels and the shocks of the stroller. Any brand that presents above average standards for all these is a thumb’s up for me.

4. Bottles and sterilizer

Now, if there were many crib and stroller choices, there are even more bottle choices. And the manufacturers have made these bottles so complicated that it almost feels like you need a degree to choose the right one! The rules I followed were two things: that they were designed to produce a non-colicky baby, and that they were made from material that does not leach BPA or bisephenol, which is a harmful byproduct of plastic that can go onto the liquid in the bottle if it is heated above 175F. The thing is a lot of the really cute and popular bottles use Polycarbonate plastic despite this fact because it is lightweight to bring around and for the baby to hold and offers flexibility in design of nipples and bottle. But there are a lot of bottles made from safer and greener plastic that are just as pretty. It really is personal choice here.

3 months to go:

1. Bedsheets, clothes, blankets

I cannot stress how many of these you will think you need in the first two months after the baby is born. You will want sheet replacements in case you need to change the sheets, and change you will need to do often. You will want clothes that can come off and go on the baby as easily as possible and these usually are the ones that you tie up front. For tropical countries, it is important to have cotton clothes to keep the baby cool and it is essential to have changes of clothing to keep the baby clean and fresh. I has a set of 6 tops that you tie in front, 6 that you button on the shoulder, and 6 wide neck ones. I used them all. Blankets and towels are equally important as they cover the baby, keep the baby warm, and is what the baby will be wrapped in for chnks of hours over the day. I had 6 of these although I know of others who had a dozen to be safe.

2. Washing/changing station

If you are old fashioned like me, you will do with a regular tub with a dipper in the bathroom. If you are more mod, you may want to use a changing table that can convert into a washbasin. This is entirely a personal choice.

3. Breast pump

Now, if you do not intend to breastfeed, this is a moot point. But, if you do, finding a good pump will be a lifesaver. Like most things, a pump has a price range. I didn’t try all but I have tried a few to be able to make some kind of recommendation. I’ve also thrown in comments from friends for good measure.

Medela- This range of breast pumps is, as far as I’ve heard, the Ferrari of breast pumps. It is strong but not painful and really gets the milk out. Plus it has some sort of suction imitation thing that keeps breast milk in production even if the baby is not breastfeeding from the breast all the time. This is pricey though.
Avent- very very well known for quality bottles and pumps, I had the opportunity to use the manual breast pump. It was very good. No need for an electric pump at all. It was virtually painless to use, had good suction, and was easy enough to use for a few hours straight. The only thing I found a bit off putting was that it was rather large to use and hold (for me at least) but this really depends on the woman’s grip and hand size. I would recommend this breast pump if your budget allows as this is also a bit on the pricey side.
Pigeon- this is the more budget friendly brand and I was able to use the manual and electric varieties. The manual one was great. It was small enough so it was not cumbersome, the pump was soft enough to use for a few hours straight, it was virtually painless as well. I would definitely recommend this pump. I used the electric one as well because i thought i could get a lot of milk minus the manual pumping. It was very painful. I stopped using it after two tries. I do not recommend this at all.

4. Diapers

You will need to change the baby around eight times a day in the beginning and will only taper off when the baby is well withing the first year so stocking up early is not a bad idea. Diapers do not have an expiration date but they do have sizes so stock up on some newborn diapers and small ones first. Research on how often you need to change the baby and how fat they grow on average to get a rough computation of how many pieces you might need. If you want to use cloth diapers, you will need about 2-3 dozen of the small to medium ones first. You will need some baby friendly soap and a good washing machine and dryer as well. Have a basin with some water mixed with detergent handy so you can soak soiled diapers immediately. This makes them easier to wash and prevents staining.

5. Diaper bag

You can have two to three of these ion different sizes. You will need a variety as the amount of things you will bring around will change depending on where you are headed. make sure to have bottle holders, a changing mat, other dividers and an insulated area. It would be great to have an outside or other pocket for your personal things so you don’t have to carry a handbag but this is optional.

These are the most basic things you will need to have before you welcome your new baby. Of course, there is a whole novel full of other things you will want to have but those you can stress less about. Having these basics will at least get you through the first couple of weeks.

What are your favorite tools for caring for your baby?

Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

Email • Google + • Facebook • Twitter

Getting Rid of All That Unwanted Stuff

January 23, 2011 | Leave a Comment

One of the biggest things I was unprepared for when I had kids was the mass accumulation of stuff and how quickly some of that stuff became obsolete! All parents talk about it and tell parents-t0-be about it but it’s hard to grasp the reality of it until you are surrounded by more baby and little kid stuff than you can handle. Kids grow up so fast and as they grow up, they grow out of the old stuff and you need to make room for all the new stuff.

So, how do you deal with it? The easiest thing to do is throw it out when you are done with it. It’s easy, but I don’t think it’s the responsible way to deal with it. With a little effort, you have a lot of options open to you and some of them can even help you financially. In this blog post, I am going to tell you about the methods I use and am aware of. If I miss anything, please leave a comment below and let m know what I missed.

Save it for your Next Child

If you aren’t sure if you are done having kids and you have the storage room. Don’t get rid of it. I hate clutter as much as anyone but if you can keep it organized and stored out of the way, hold on to it if you think you might have more children. Keep in mind however that if any items are broken, missing pieces, or simply just not great for children (shoddy work happens still!) then it would be safe to get rid of them properly. You could also go around the house and declutter each room as well simultaneously, helping to make a fresh slate for the next child, or just a fresh slate at least until your current child’s next birthday and the items come pouring back in again. If you think it will be a rather ambitious project to get all of it gone, then you could hire a dumpster that’s ideal for decluttering your entire smaller home, saving you multiple trips back and forth to the dump or recycling centre.

Pay it Forward

I don’t know how it was for you but when we had our two boys, things were pretty tight. We barely had a nickel to scrape together let alone excess funds available to buy everything a child needs. We managed to make it mostly because of the generosity of family and friends. Whether it was in the form of presents at our shower, presents from the grandparents, hand me downs, or gifts when our babies were born, we managed to do just fine. It’s important to my wife and I that we pay it forward. We don’t know a lot of people that have kids that are younger than our own but we make an effort to give what we can. It doesn’t have to be someone you are close with or even friends with, if you know of someone that could use what you no longer need, consider giving it to them and pay it forward.

Sell it Online

The Internet has made getting rid of stuff easier than it ever, and sometimes you can even do it profitably as long as you are careful about what you choose to sell. You would have to travel to a far corner of this world to find someone that doesn’t know what ebay is and almost every major region has a free Craigs List classifieds service.

ebay

With ebay, I never opt for listing upgrades, they typically end up being wasted fees. A basic listing will get you what you need in most cases. The most important things with ebay are listing it in the correct category and pricing it correctly. You don’t want to start the bid off too high or people won’t start bidding, they will assume if it’s already at that level that it’s going to go higher than they will want to pay. You also don’t want to start it off too low because if it sells at the starting bid, you will be bound to that price. When I price my listings, I typically start at the lowest amount I would be willing to part with the item. I come up with this price by looking at a few things. I look at what similar listings have sold for on ebay, how much I paid for it, how much it’s going to cost me in fees, shipping and packing material to ship the item and my time. That last one is important. It doesn’t make sense to go through the hassle of selling something on ebay if you are only going to make $1 off of it. Your time is more valuable than that.

Craigs List

I use Craigs List for items that are bulky or too cumbersome to ship. I know ebay has local options and I have used them but since Craigs List is free, that is where I start. Make sure if you post to Craigs List that you anonymize your email so people can’t see your personal email address. SPAMMERS crawl the site regularly and try to harvest email addresses from postings for their lists. You can avoid that by simply using Craigs List free feature which makes your email anonymous. I also don’t put my phone number in the listing. If someone is interested, I ask them to email me and I will call if I want to sell it to them. On popular listings, this prevents you from having to field a bunch of phone calls from people after you have already sold the item.

Another tactic I have used to get rid of stuff is post things to Craigs List that I am willing to give away for free. I had a huge pile of bricks leftover from when I installed our backyard patio. I tried selling them but no one was interested. I didn’t want a bunch of perfectly good bricks to go into a landfill so I posted an ad offering to give them away for free to anyone that will come and pick them up. I got rid of them within 48 hours. It saved me the hassle and expense of having to cart them to the dump and someone else was able to get use out of them.

Personally, I am pretty picky of what I am willing to try to sell on either of these two channels because I just don’t have the time to spend doing it if I am not going to make a decent amount off of it.

Donate it to Charity

We donate quite a bit of what we don’t need to Goodwill. If we can’t find friends or family that need it and it’s not something we want to ebay but is still a good, usable item, we often donate it to Goodwill. They take those donations and sell them in their stores at very cheap prices so that families that don’t have a lot of money have cheap access to clothing and necessities. One thing a lot of people don’t know is Goodwill will take everything but they won’t necessarily keep and sell everything. If something is junk, they throw it away. This is an expense for them so keep that in mind when you are adding stuff to your Goodwill pile. If you know something is junk, get rid of it yourself rather than putting that expense on a non-profit charity.

The best tip I can give you with Goodwill is to always ask for a receipt and then make sure you put that receipt in a safe place. I stick it in a folder marked “taxes” so at the end of the year, I can hand it to my accountant and hopefully get a deduction.

If you don’t have a Goodwill that is convenient to you, there are other charities that do the same thing like the Salvation Army or your local church.

Consignment Shops

We have used consignment shops quite a bit over the years as both buyer and seller. Kids outgrow things so quickly, if you can get nice used stuff, then why pay for something brand new? For the longest time we had one local consignment shop that was very popular and very picky about what they took. Being picky is a good thing in many ways. It means the quality of the merchandise is higher and hopefully the average price the stuff sells for is also higher. Unfortunately, this consignment shop has gotten so popular, it often takes months to get an appointment and they end up rejecting more than half the stuff we give them.

A new consignment shop opened up across the street from where I work and while they seem to do a good business, they aren’t as picky and it’s very easy to get an appointment. They keep the stuff for 3 months and if they can’t sell it in that time, they donate it to a local church. I took a bunch of old stuff, lot’s of clothes, baby items we didn’t need, toys, VHS tapes and a high chair and so far, they have done a pretty good job of selling it. It’s certainly not going to be a big windfall but it’s money I didn’t have before, it was very little work on my end and if they can’t sell it they pass it on to a charity for me. All the money I do get from the consignment shop goes straight into the budget to pay off debt.

Final Thoughts

Be careful about what you sell and what you give away. We had a crib that we used for both of our babies. It’s the kind where the side drops down. Not that long ago, these cribs were found to have caused death in infants. The cribs were recalled and they are no longer made that way. The chance of a baby dieing in a crib like that is small but there is still that chance. We took it to the dump, we weren’t comfortable with the idea of selling it or giving it to anyone else if that slim possibility existed. Same goes for things like car seats, they are recalled all the time and improvements are always being made. Before you pass it on to someone else, make sure it’s still safe for someone else to use.

Another thought is that you may need to use it again in the future – for example, if you’re planning on having more kids, you may not want to get rid of that old crib. In those cases, using a storage courier to store it for a while, or renting a storage locker, could make more sense. It gets the item out of your house, but you don’t get rid of it forever.

With a little effort, we can all live slightly less cluttered lives. Of course, if your house is anything like mine, the new stuff coming in will quickly fill the space you made from getting rid of the old stuff. Oh well.

How have you gotten rid of unneeded stuff in the past?

Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

Email • Google + • Facebook • Twitter

Get a Free Movie from Amazon on Demand

January 16, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Netflix has the majority of the market when it comes to movies on demand but Amazon wants to change that. They know that if they are going to take customers away from Netflix, they are going to need to make it easy for you to try them out and that is exactly what they have done. New customers of Amazon on Demand get to start out with a $5.oo credit which will allow you to get more than 1 free movie streamed directly to your PC. Most movies cost $0.99 with new releases at $2.99 so $5.00 will get you a nice bit of entertainment at no cost.

With Amazon on Demand, you can watch a movie on your computer without having to download any special software. Just like iTunes and Netflix they offer both movies and TV shows. With the huge economic power of Amazon behind the service they have a great selection so give them a try. New customers can get a free movie at Amazon on Demand by going to the Amazon on Demand New Customer page.

Have you tried Amazon on Demand? What do you think of it?

Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

Email • Google + • Facebook • Twitter

Some Thoughts on Life’s Lessons

January 16, 2011 | Leave a Comment

I have to say, this first month of 2011 has been a busy one. There just seems to be a never-ending string of things to do! It is amazing. But, I am not complaining. I like being busy and, while single parenthood is never boring, it is a different feeling to be busy in the workplace and doing things outside motherhood. That said though, I find it funny how I am constantly reminded of things that are kid-related. Let me elucidate.

I grew up in a relatively comfortable home. I was educated well and I was able to travel to a few places around the world and experience different cultures and meet all kinds of people. As a result, I like to think that I have maybe an additional perspective on some things compared to others who have not had the chance to experience the same things. Don’t get me wrong. I am in no way belittling anyone or making myself bigger than who I am. I am simply saying that I believe I have a wider take on things having had a bit more experience compared to how I think I might have viewed things had my circumstances been otherwise.

Because of that, I try my best to apply what I’ve seen to how I raise my kids. I want them to be open-minded and exploratory. I want them to question and come up with their own answers and be independent. I want them to judge and treat people well and not to be so fixated on material things. I want them to be comfortable but to understand the values of patience and hard-work and not to take anything for granted. So, I try to guide them and introduce them to as much as I can and think they should be exposed to at their age, that I feel would help them develop this way. I want to give them the same chance to experience what I did growing up but I also want them to have some simple roots. I grew up in a much slower time after all and back then it was easier to sit back and see things move without getting a migraine. I have come to observe though how tough this considering what they are surrounded with today.

Do we really need all this technology?

There is so much to do, so much to see, so much you are told you should want and have that it is easy to lose track of simple things that cost you a fraction of the cost of what is suggested and adds character, develops the mind and body, and teaches the child lessons that no amount of money can buy.

Today is the age of the Internet and computers and all these high tech toys that are so attractive and do so many interesting things that it is easy to believe that you just absolutely need one and that you cannot live without one and be up-to-date. Well, I have nothing against computers and games. I actually find that a lot of the games tackle history and music very well. And, c’mon, I have blogs! But I really think there is something about books, and outdoor play, and arts and crafts for children that technology cannot teach.And this is the experience of the activity for itself, not pixelized or in HD or from a flat screen TV. I hope I will be able to properly explain what I mean. Let me try through a couple of examples.

OK, call me old-fashioned. I read somewhere that babies born this year might be reading from e-books and that speciality bookstores might be extinct in 10 years or so. Well, I think that is just sad. While you can practice your imagination reading off a tablet as well as the page, the beauty of the printed word, the smell of a book, the feel of a genuine and hand-crafted cover is something that adds dimension to your creative experience and adds something to your appreciation of the story and the story teller. It’s just something that would be lost reading from a tablet. I understand how games today are supposedly designed to add dexterity and to improve fine motor skills but how about all of us folks who became dexterous without the latest Wii game? I think we did really well and had the added benefit of healthy lungs, fit bodies, and a joy of sports and activity that I think is lacking today. And how about appreciation of nature, and smelling how fresh the air can be in a park, or watching the sun rise or set and feeling the droplets of rain on your face, all during outdoor activities. Who can say that those experiences are not treasured memories that give that special glow to an otherwise sepia image of your childhood?

The point here is that I am reminded everyday, during those pleasurable times when I am busy, how great it is to be busy and how great it is to know what it means to also be simple as well. And this is something I want for my kids too. Yes, I want them to be modern but I also want them to be unassuming and appreciative of things that they might overlook surrounded by technology. I think this is important in creating open-minded, independent, discerning, and balanced individuals.

Do you embrace technology for your children or try to promote older activities?

Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

Email • Google + • Facebook • Twitter

Tips for Getting Your Kids Excited About Going to the Dentist

January 13, 2011 | 1 Comment

I have a confession; I love going to the dentist. Most people look at me like I’m crazy when I divulge that little tidbit — but it’s true! I absolutely enjoy getting my teeth cleaned. My favorite part is the gritty polishing toothpaste. To me, it’s like having a spa treatment for my teeth. I honestly, don’t even mind going to the dentist when I have to get other work done.

I do know that there are people out there who feel the exact opposite. Considering some of the stories I’ve heard; I can’t say that I blame some of them. Not only do they dislike going to the dentist; they actually fear it. Are you one of those people?

I think the reason I like going to the dentist, probably has a lot to do with the fact that I’ve had pretty good experiences. I have sincerely liked all of my dentists, and I’ve really never had any major issues. My teeth are not perfect. I’ve had my share of cavities, I had extensive orthodontic treatments when I was younger, and getting my wisdom teeth out (all four at once) was a major pain – but all in all, things haven’t been too bad.

Many times when people fear going to the dentist, they put off getting necessary treatments done. These can then grow into bigger — more painful issues. When they finally can’t take it anymore – and absolutely must go to the dentist – what they had feared would happen (usually pain) can sometimes become a reality.

I really wanted our boys to look forward to going to the dentist. I decided to do my best to make it a fun, and positive experience from the very the first time they sat their little tushies in the dentist chair. I really hope that instilling good dental habits, and getting them comfortable with going for routine check-ups, will help prevent bigger issues; which can then lead to disliking or fearing the dentist.

Here are a few tips that can help your kiddos excited about the dentist.

Start Early

As soon that first little pearly white, makes it’s grand appearance, start brushing. Be sure you use an age appropriate toothbrush and children under the age of 2 should not use a fluoride toothpaste. Getting children used to having their teeth brushed will make it easier for you and the dentist later on.

Educate Yourself

Visit the Parent Resource Center on the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry web site. There you will find straight forward answers from the experts.

You’ll also want to begin your search for the right dentist. Taking your child to a pediatric dentist is ideal. Their offices are usually colorful and full of all kinds of things kids love; toys, cartoons, and video games. Ask as many questions as you need to; to feel confident that your child will receive excellent dental care.

Educate Your Child

Take a trip to your local library or visit amazon.com to find books and/or videos about going to the dentist. These can be a helpful tool in getting your child familiar with the dentist and what to expect when they make their first visit.

In addition, many dental offices are happy to schedule an introduction visit for your child. This is a time when you and your child can go in, they can sit in the dentist chair, see and learn about the different tools the dentist uses, and just get a feel for how things work.

No matter what your past dental experiences may have been, it is important that you do not to project your dental fears onto your child. Keeping a positive attitude, and ensuring your child knows what to expect, can help prepare them for their first visit and get them excited about going to the dentist.

Here’s a great book that can be found on Amazon.com. Just click on the book for more information.

The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist (First Time Books(R)) – Paperback (Oct. 12, 1981) by Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain

What are some things you have done to get your child excited about going to the dentist or the doctor? Do your kids like going to the dentist? Does your child have a favorite book about going to the dentist?

Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

Email • Google + • Facebook • Twitter