• Home
  • About Us
  • Archives
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy

Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

  • Home
  • Toolkit
  • Parenting
    • Baby Stuff
    • Books and Reading
      • Aesops Fables
      • Comic Books
    • Education
    • Family Time
    • Green Living
    • Growing Up
    • Healthy Living & Eating
    • Holidays
    • Parenting
    • Random Musings
    • Shopping
    • Stuff to Do
  • Money
  • Product Reviews
    • Books and Magazines
    • Discount Sites
    • Furniture
    • House Keeping
    • Reviews News
    • Toys and Games

Archives for November 2018

Can You Get a Personal Loan with Bad Credit?

November 30, 2018 | Leave a Comment

Most people with bad credit can easily get discouraged when looking for a financing option. That’s because finding a convenient loan when you have bad credit can be a tad more challenging.

Nonetheless, there’s no need to despair, there are still some lenders, such as www.micropaydayloans.com, which offer more lenient terms. Leaving that aside, we’d like to focus on the ways in which you can still obtain financing, in spite of your credit rating, which isn’t the best.

Defining Bad Credit

We hear a lot of talk about good credit and bad credit, but what is, really, the distinction between the two? Each borrower has a credit history, which incorporates details concerning late payments, collection accounts, bankruptcy records, and the list may go on. Usually, these are the aspects that are prone to negatively affect your credit rating.

Since different lenders define bad credit differently, we cannot assign something specific to the bad category. That’s because each lender has a given perception. In fact, your credit might be better than you think it is. You should take the time to verify it before applying for a personal loan, and you’ll know for sure what to expect. And while some problems might still be there, there is still the possibility that some of the listings there are incorrect.

What Options Do You Have in RegardtoBad Credit Personal Loans?

Happily, gone are the days in which there weren’t many options when it came to lending money. In the past, if you didn’t fulfill the lending criteria of a conventional bank, you didn’t get the chance to get financing for your needs. The good thing is that this doesn’t apply anymore.

You have a bunch of options to choose from. So to speak, there are payday loans, installment loans or cash advances.

  • Payday loans

In general, payday loans are provided by short-term lenders. Note that this type of financing is created expressly to address unexpected emergency expenses that may arise. To that end, we don’t encourage you to turn to this financing solution on a regular basis. This should constitute an alternative for emergencies only.

At the same time, granted that you don’t manage to repay the sum you borrowed in the form of a payday loan, the interest and penalties are likely to add up, further complicating your financial situation.

  • Installment Loans

Moving on, installment loans are also worthy of your attention, as they entail making equal payments over the course of a couple of months. In comparison with payday loans, for instance, the APR is lower. Nonetheless, if we were to compare installment loans with other types of personal loans, the APR would be higher.

To conclude, it’s as simple as this: if a lender’s criteria are more lenient, it implies that the additional fees and interest rates will be higher. This is because the lender must compensate for the added risk one takes when lending money to a risky borrower.

Filed Under: Money and Finances

Tips for Surviving a Shopping Trip With Your Kids

November 26, 2018 | Leave a Comment

shopping with kids

Tis the season to shop and if you have to shop with your kids, you may not be in a jolly mood. Lucky parents can find a babysitter and others have to prepare themselves for the battles that will likely happen in the aisles. But you don’t have to fight with your kids if you establish some ground rules before you get into the car.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Money and Finances, Shopping

5 Things to Know Before You Start Your Business

November 19, 2018 | Leave a Comment

Life as a business owner or entrepreneur can be both an exciting and nerve-wracking experience. On the one hand, there are few things more thrilling than running your own company, where you get to choose your own hours and decide how much you want to charge for your products or services. On the other hand, running a business means taking on a lot of stress. Sometimes, you won’t know for sure how much you’re going to earn on any given month.

To help you launch your business with no regrets, we’ve put together some quick things that you need to know before you start running a company. This blog will help to guide you through the first few months in your new venture.

  1. Your Business Plan is Crucial

In today’s fast-paced digital world, a lot of would-be entrepreneurs assume that they can get by without any business whatsoever. After all, business plans take a lot of time and effort, and if you’re keen to jump straight into action, you might assume that you can simply make things up as you go along.

Business plans are useful for a range of reasons. First of all, they ensure that you know exactly what you’re getting into from day one. When you write your business plan, you’ll figure out how much money you need to earn, and how much work you’ll have to do to earn a reasonable income. Additionally, your business plan will also be crucial when you decide to pursue funding from investors and banks.

  1. Passion is Crucial

The best businesses solve a significant problem in the marketplace. If you can design a product or service that other people genuinely need, then you shouldn’t have too much of a hard time selling your product. However, it’s not enough to merely have a great idea. You also need to be passionate about whatever it is you’re going to promote or sell.

While there’s more to a great business than just passion, it’s your commitment to your niche that will help you to keep going when times get tough. Since any business can have its ups and downs, make sure that you’re getting into something that you can genuinely commit to from day one.

  1. Know Where You’re Going to Get Funding

Money is crucial in any business. There’s the cash that you’re going to make from your customers and clients, and then there’s the money that you’re going to need to invest into your organization tog et it up and running. As they say, sometimes you need to spend money to make money.

Unfortunately, unless you’re a very lucky person with a lot of extra cash, the chances are you won’t have enough cash to simply fund your company out of your own pocket. This means that you’re going to need to speak to a bank about getting a loan. Remember, when you’re searching for the right business loan, compare your options online. The lower your APR, the less you’ll have to pay out each month when you have other expenses to deal with.

  1. Be Ready to Get Some Help

Even if you plan on running your business as a one-man band, to begin with, that doesn’t mean that you won’t need help to thrive. Most business owners start off on their own, then hire other people and contractors to fill the gaps in their skillset. One of the most obvious professionals you’re going to need to begin with is an accountant.

Managing the financial and tax-based side of your company can be very difficult, particularly when you don’t have any experience with tax law. An accountant will help to keep your books on track, so you don’t have to worry about explaining mistakes to the IRS when it’s time to send off your tax returns.

  1. Be Prepared for Anything

Finally, as exciting as it can be to run your own business, it’s also a nerve-wracking experience too. You need to go into it preparing for anything – including failure. Remember that things won’t always go according to plan with your company, but if you can stick to your guns and continue working on your strategy, you might be able to pull ahead again.

Sometimes, running a successful business is about knowing how to push forward when the going gets tough. Other times, you might need to understand when it’s time to step back and change your strategy. Be flexible and be ready for anything.

Filed Under: Money and Finances

Owlet Smart Sock 2 Review: Is the Owlet Worth It?

November 16, 2018 | Leave a Comment

is the owlet worth itBringing home your baby from the hospital is a joyous occasion, but it’s also scary, especially for first-time parents. You may be even more scared if your child has health issues. For this reason, many parents turn to baby monitors for help. The Owlet Smart Sock 2 is the most unique type of baby monitor on the market. Created by Kurt Workman, Zack Bomsta, and Jordan Monroe, the Smart Sock is getting rave reviews after just a few years on the market. Is the Owlet worth it? Here’s what you should know.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Baby Stuff, Money and Finances, Parenting, Product Reviews for Parents, Safety Tagged With: owlet baby monitor, Reviews

Kid’s Clothing Consignment Sales: Are They Really Worth It?

November 14, 2018 | Leave a Comment

kids consignment salesYou have likely seen ads in your area for kid’s clothing consignment sales. Usually, a group will set up in an abandoned storefront or maybe in a civic center or gymnasium for a weekend. Many communities have permanent consignment stores that sell items from kids clothing to baby items including furniture.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Money and Finances, Secondhand Stores, Shopping Tagged With: consignment stores, kids clothing, Saving Money

Learning Through Games: 5 Best Educational Gift Ideas for Kids

November 13, 2018 | Leave a Comment

Learning through play is one of the most effective forms of education. Different toys and games hone cognitive and motor skills and stimulate creative thinking.

By giving your children the right toys, you can expedite their emotional and linguistic development. Games can teach children to deal with adversity and challenge, as well as being gracious in defeat as well as victory. Here are 5 great educational gift ideas for kids that you don’t want to miss.

Subscription Boxes

Monthly subscription boxes for kids are a great way to spark a child’s interest in a topic. There are boxes available on subjects like science, nature, engineering and art. There are even specifically-designed sensory therapy boxes for children on the autism spectrum.

Every month your child will receive a box packed with activities, reading material, games and arts and crafts on their chosen subject. They are a great way for children to learn about the world and have fun doing it.

Lego

Lego has been a permanent fixture in children’s toy chests since the bricks first went on sale in the 1940s. They have managed to stand the test of time in the constantly shifting world of children’s toys because both kids and parents love them.

Kids love them because they are fun. Parents love them because they allow children to unleash their creativity. They teach children basic engineering principles, hones fine motor skills, and the kits teach them how to follow instructions.

Walkie-Talkies

Role-playing is a good way of building effective communication skills. Seeing a child convey the world they are imagining inside their head to another child is a beautiful thing to see.

What better way to encourage communication and role play than with a two-way walkie-talkie? Your children will have endless fun creating imaginary worlds and scenarios in which the walkie-talkies are essential and required.

Snap Circuits

Last year I saw a Snap Circuits Electronic Discovery Kit for sale online and bought it on a whim. It ended up being a real win, and one of the few toys that comes out of the toy box again and again.

It is basically a child-friendly circuit, complete with batteries, snap wires, switches, music and speakers. It comes with instructions on how to build more than 100 circuits, including a doorbell, a lamp, a flying saucer and a police siren.

Snap Circuits give children a basic understanding of electricity and how it works, starting them off by building a simple circuit with a light and building up to more complex projects like a replica circuit board for a TV.

Science Kits

Nothing quite captivates the mind of a child quite like potions. There are now plenty of kits on the market allowing children to make their own eye-catching potions through basic chemical reactions.

The chemicals used are always child-friendly and non-toxic, like baking soda, citric acid or cabbage powder. As your child becomes more intrigued and capable, there are also plenty of more specialized science kits, including microscope sets, perfumery sets and even a science kit that lets them make their own ice cream.

Science kits are a great way of showing children the science behind everyday activities because they allow them to learn by doing. Instead of a teacher explaining how ice cream is made, they get to get stuck in and do it themselves. This creates a more meaningful and memorable learning experience.

Filed Under: Money and Finances

Will You Miss Toys R Us This Holiday Season? Try These Kids Toy Stores Instead

November 6, 2018 | Leave a Comment

kids toy storeBlack Friday is just a few weeks away and you may be missing that Toys R Us wish book. Toys R Us was always the kids toy store with great deals on the biggest shopping day of the year, and parents across the country would line around stores hours before they opened to get them. I have some good news and bad news. The brick and mortar stores won’t be back for the holidays after the company’s bankruptcy this year. But the company is putting popup stores in 600 Kroger-owned stores in select locations. The selection will be small – maybe 35 items and the Toys R Us stores are expected to be temporary.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Money and Finances Tagged With: kids toy store

Motivational Daylight Savings Cards

November 2, 2018 | Leave a Comment

The time to set our clocks back is coming soon now that the long days of summer are over. Smartphones keep most of us on time no matter if we are springing forward to Daylight Savings Time, or falling back to Standard time. But, for some of us, if we don’t pay attention, the jump by an hour may come as a sudden surprise regardless of whether we live by our smartphones or not.

 

While I’m preparing for that move back an hour as winter arrives, I need to find a way to help my kids become accustomed to the time change too. “Alphamom” has thought of a few ways to get your kids involved in the time change routine by exploring the fun of Daylight Savings Crafts. The process of catching onto what may be a difficult concept for many kids can be more easily broken down with an educational and creative art activity.

 

My favorite idea from this website is the Spring Forward cards. The same concept can be applied for Fall Back to Standard Time. Print out these little cards for your children to decorate and pass out to friends and family.

DIY Fall Back Reminder Cards

What You’ll Need

  • Cardstock
  • A printer
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Markers, crayons, pencils, gel pens, or paint
  • Anything else you’d like to use to decorate such as glitter glue or stickers
  • Scissors

Card Assembly Steps

  1. Using a word processing or other appropriate program on your computer, create a template for a small card that your children can decorate. The template provided by Alpha Mom features the words “Spring Forward!” at the top, and a reminder at the bottom: “Don’t forget to set your clock an hour earlier on Sunday.” You can follow the same pattern but with wordage that’s appropriate for Fall.
  2. Print your template out and cut out the cards.
  3. Let your children cut out small circles and create clocks to attach to the cards.
  4. Wrap pipe cleaners around a pencil or pen to create a spring/coil effect
  5. Glue or tape the pipe cleaner to the front of the card and the back of the clock to create a bouncy, springy effect.
  6. Let the kids decorate the clocks and cards with crayons, markers, stickers… whatever inspires their creativity

Tips for Extra Punches of Originality

An easy way to give this particular craft some colorful flare is by using unconventional materials or effects that fit with a fall inspired theme.

Go Bold With Black

If we’re getting ready for shorter days and longer nights, why not accentuate that theme with black paper and vibrant neons or metallic writing materials? Mystery Metallic Gel Crayons are a beautiful way to decorate a pitch dark night sky made from black coloring paper. A card made with these pops of vibrant, glittery color will be sure to get everyone in the mood for fall while giving them a reminder card they won’t forget.

Try Metallics for Fall Flare

Another stunning way to decorate your card for adults and children alike is to use Modern Metallics Colored Pencils. Use glimmery reds, rusts, and golds to highlight the crispness of fall colored leaves. Or try covering the card first in a misty background of sparkly color created by Sparkle Watercolor Gel Crayons before adorning your card with fall leaves on top.

 

Whatever method you choose to create the look, these cards are the perfect way to teach your children about the complicated concept of Daylight Savings time. And they’ll have a ton of fun passing them out so that you and all of your family and friends will be reminded and prepared!

 

Filed Under: Money and Finances

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Basic Principles Of Good Parenting

Here some basic principles for good parenting:

  1. What You Do Matters: Your kids are watching you. So, be purposeful about what you want to accomplish.
  2. You Can’t be Too Loving: Don’t replace love with material possessions, lowered expectations or leniency.
  3. Be Involved Your Kids Life: Arrange your priorities to focus on what your kid’s needs. Be there mentally and physically.
  4. Adapt Your Parenting: Children grow quickly, so keep pace with your child’s development.
  5. Establish and Set Rules: The rules you set for children will establish the rules they set for themselves later.  Avoid harsh discipline and be consistent.
  6. Explain Your Decisions: What is obvious to you may not be evident to your child. They don’t have the experience you do.
  7. Be Respectful To Your Child: How you treat your child is how they will treat others.  Be polite, respectful and make an effort to pay attention.
Best Parenting Blogs

Copyright © 2025 Runway Pro Theme by Viva la Violette