Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

Free Ways to Keep Kids Occupied If Under a Shelter In Place Order

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If you’re like me, one day you knew that there was a virus circulating the globe.  You knew that there were cases in America, and you were cautious, but not too concerned.  And then, on a Thursday, things started to get intense.  Shops were running low on groceries.  A few days later, kids’ schools were cancelled.  And now, just a few weeks after that, much of the United States is shuttered.  If your kids are bored, here are some free ways to keep kids occupied if under a shelter in place order.

Free Ways to Keep Kids Occupied When Under a Shelter in Place Order

Set a Schedule

The most important thing I would suggest you do with your kids is set a schedule.  It doesn’t have to be rigid, but instead, just a general guide for the way the day will go.  Kids thrive on routine (school is based on routine), and without it, kids can feel bored and lost.

At our house, we already homeschool two kids, and the other one is home from public school.  We do school roughly most of the morning, the kids get a tv break before lunch, then we do more school and creative activities in the afternoon, and the younger ones get TV time or video games before dinner.  After dinner, we have a show we watch together, then we have read alouds, and then bed.

Even though the whole world feels off-centered now, we roughly know what will happen every day.

Encourage Creativity

As I mentioned, we have creativity time.  You can browse Pinterest for craft ideas, or YouTube for art videos.  Or, you can join Mo Willems for Lunch Doodles and get a free art lesson daily.

Require Some Learning Every Day

If your children are home from school, they likely have class work to do.  If their school has stopped all coursework, still have your children do something educational every day, whether that’s doing Khan Academy, or playing a math game online, or reading a book, or watching a documentary on television.  My kids and I are still doing three to four hours of school a day.

Be a Little More Lenient with Media Time

Having said that, we’re all a little bored and stir crazy, so it’s okay to give your kids a little more media time.  I’ve doubled my kids media time (from 1 hr. per day to 2 hours per day).  Just be careful not to let them spend all of their time on media.

Free Ways to Keep Kids Occupied If Under a Shelter in Place Order

Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

For many kids, increased time watching TV and playing video games can lead to increased negative behaviors, so give them more leeway within reason.

Enjoy the Family Time

Lastly, enjoy more time as a family.  Before this pandemic, most of us were too busy every day.  Now we have the gift of time together.  Take that time to play a board game together or watch a movie or have a family discussion.

Final Thoughts

If you’re stuck at home, as so many of us are, try to find the positives of the situation.  We’re all experiencing something we’ll likely never experience again in our lifetimes.  Use these free ways to keep kids occupied if under a shelter in place order to make the time go faster and be more productive for the whole family.

How To Save A Ton of Money by Trading Your Kids’ Old Clothes

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How To Save A Ton of Money by Trading Your Kids' Old Clothes

Kids grow fast. The speed at which they grow often means they only get a handful of wear out of brand-new jeans before their ankles start making an appearance. Buying new clothes at a rapid case is a sure way to go broke. It’s also wasteful. The good news is that most moms are in the exact space you are. Trading your kids’ old clothes can save a ton of money. Here’s how to do it.

Three Ways To Save Money by Trading Your Kids’ Old Clothes

1. Host a Clothing Swap

A clothing swap is a great way to not only save money by finding new-to-you clothes for your children; it’s a great way to socialize and meet new people with similar interests.

Invite your friends with kids roughly the same age (or size) as yours. If your kids attend school, you can send an invite through their classroom. Ask everyone to bring a few gently used items of clothing for a swap. 

As everyone arrives, collect the donated items of clothes. Give everyone a ticket for the number of things they brought. As they browse the merchandise, they can turn in their tickets for new-to-them clothes. 

2. Consignment Shop

By swapping clothes at a consignment shop, you can not only save money, but you may also even make a little.  

Once a month, I take a bin of clothes to two consignment shops in my town. I’ve collected the clothes all month as I’ve done laundry and noticed things don’t quite fit anymore. I also strategically save holiday and seasonal items until a few months before, as the shops are more likely to purchase at that time.  

The consignment shop will sort through my bin based on what meets their qualifications. They’ll offer cash for the items they want, or a 20 percent bump if I choose store credit instead. Depending on if I need new clothes for my kids, I may choose the store credit and grab some items they may be lacking. What they don’t take, I’ll hit up at the next consignment shop, or take directly to goodwill.  

Occasionally, I’ll take the cash and apply it to whatever financial goal I’m currently working on.

3. Selling Online

Selling online has become much more sophisticated since the days eBay first came on the scene. It’s more convenient, especially if you tend to have higher-end clothes or clothes with tags.

Think about the clothes you receive for your kids from Grandma and Grandpa that never get worn because they’re already too small. Sell them online, then use that cash to subsidize the cost of new clothes. Better yet, make that cash go further buying gently used clothes either on the same site you sold to, or a consignment shop. 

Some of my favorite online resources for selling kids’ clothes are Kidizen, ThredUp, and Josies’ Friends.

Do you have a favorite method to save money on kids’ clothes? Share with us in the comments below.

Read more:

Here Are the Best Online Shopping Sites for Affordable Kids Clothes

Save Money And Host A Clothing Swap

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

how to evaluate the cost of extracurricular activities

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the cost of extracurricular activities

As my children grow older, I’m beginning to explore the need to keep them busy while 1) allowing unstructured time for them to play and 2) providing them with moderate access to technology. It’s an art, and I’m often wondering if I’ve found the best recipe. What are the optimal measurements of each?

Part of this exploration also involves determining how much my budget allows for extracurricular activities.

Because – like kids, extracurricular activities ain’t cheap. And it continues to rise.

Choosing The Right Extracurricular Activity

My daughter takes to things reasonably easy. She’s a quick learner, prone to beginner luck with almost every activity I’ve signed her up for – ballet, soccer, gymnastics, cheerleading, karate, art, piano – to name a few. But once it gets hard and she has to make an effort, she doesn’t enjoy it, and it becomes a power tug of war between the two of us. It’s a juxtaposition of forcing her to stick to her commitments vs. allowing her to explore her real interests.

However, to my delight, riding horses has proven to be something special. It wasn’t love-at-first-sight, but I watcher her desire to learn blossom a little each day. 

The Cost of Extracurricular Activities

What was not to my delight, equestrian hobbies come at high expense. Between weekly riding lessons, show clothes, and show fees – I spend approximately $300 a month, on average. And we don’t even own (or lease) a horse. (yet)

I could buy a car for that. Not a Testa, but a reasonable car – something like a Honda Civic. 

Once I realized that riding horses was something she was going to stick with, I realized I needed to adjust my budget. But truth-be-told, I wasn’t sure how – our budget is pretty tight, and I would prefer to pour all my money into paying off our mortgage. 

Is the Cost Worth It? A Cost / Benefit Approach

At this point, I wrestled with whether the cost of riding horses was something I was willing to bear. What value was this adding to her life? The merits can be debated, but where I landed was that riding a horse requires caring for a horse. 

She has to groom her horse before she can ride. Horse camp involves mucking out stalls. Caring for an animal like a horse develops responsibility, as well as respect for an animal. She’s also building her confidence as she showcases her skills in front of her peers and judges. 

I hope that her relationship with horses continues to grow and as she enters junior high and high school, she chooses to spend her time at the barn, rather than out partying (as I did at that age).

Making Adjustments To My Budget – Now and in the Future

Ultimately, I decided the cost was worth it. I took on some additional writing assignments to offset the cost, and I cut back on the amount I was allocating to my mortgage-free fund.  

My son, on the other hand – he’s a different beast. He has little to no interest in extracurricular activities, and he’s an introvert. This combination is something I’m aware needs special attention in the current society we live in. I need to make sure he develops his social skills, but balance this need with respect for his personality. 

He’s also extremely bright. Over the next few years, I believe I will find myself becoming a chess or Mathlete parent. I’m okay with that. Time will tell. And when it does, I’ll need to adjust my budget again.

 

How do you approach the cost of extracurricular activities for your children? Have you found them to be more expensive than you initially expected?

Read more:

Paying for Extracurriculars Without Breaking the Bank

Teaching Kids the Value of Hard Work

Four Money Habits You Need To Teach Your Children

What To Do When You Are Overspending at Christmas

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Overspending at Christmas

I have a confession.

I overspent my Christmas budget.

(And I’m not done shopping.)

Overspending At Christmas

I did everything right. I made a list of who I was shopping for and created an overall budget. All was going well until I deviated from my plan.

Typically I plan a vacation for Christmas. I prefer to gift experiences to my family over wrapped presents. Last year, we went to Disney World. The year before, we went to Great Wolf Lodge.

However, this year, my daughter wanted a saddle, and my son had been asking for some 1000+ piece Lego sets. These were items I’d buy for my kids outside of Christmas, so I thought let’s go ahead and have Santa buy them. We’ll stay home this year and spend our budget on Christmas presents.

I also expected this would create a more relaxed Christmas. I wouldn’t have to coordinate the logistics of travel, and I wasn’t planning to buy much for Christmas. After all, the presents I was going to buy weren’t extra for the sake of Christmas.

I was wrong.

It’s not more relaxed and I’m buying more presents than what was on my list.

Creating A Budget Buffer

Something I always do is that I plan to go over budget ahead of time. I do this by creating a budget buffer – usually 5 to 10% of my overall budget. Because overspending at Christmas is not an unrealistic scenario.

Since we’re home this year, I’ve been more inclined to accept invitations to Christmas parties. Also, because we are home, we’re going to my in-laws Christmas morning. This added additional people to shop for that were not on my original list.

But good plans are fluid, so I adjusted the budget per person to accommodate the extras.

Another thing that surprised me is my kids wanted to buy presents for other people. I appreciate this, and it was a simple budget obstacle to overcome.

They pitched ideas on what they would do in exchange for extra money. I was able to secure some “maid” service for the next few weeks in exchange for some small gifts. The amounts were small enough that it didn’t set me over budget because I had built in a buffer for unexpected purchases.

Plan For Budget Obstacles

What I didn’t expect was nostalgia to travel over Christmas. Impulsively, I booked a 3-day trip to Legoland. I paid the full price for the hotel room and park tickets. I was able to use miles for two of our plane tickets and paid for the other two. This was the primary reason that led to my overspending at Christmas.

So what am I going to do now that I’m WAY over budget?

Good plans should be fluid and be able to accommodate roadblocks.

I have to sacrifice in other areas of my budget. I reduced the amount my husband is allowed to spend on me and I pulled from our travel savings account to cover the hotel and tickets.

To pay for the plane tickets, I pulled from January’s budget by cutting expenses. Food was cut back, clothing was eliminated, and I cut the flash cash budget in half.

What I Learned

Through this process, I have been reminded of how grateful I am that:

1) I have set my budget up to accommodate impulse decisions – knowing this is standard behavior for me,
2) I have diversified my income so that I know I can generate some back-up income when I needed, and
3) I am committed to remaining debt-free. A few years ago, I would’ve slapped the trip on a credit card and not thought twice about taking two years to pay for it.

 

Have you gone over budget this Christmas? How do you handle impulse purchases? Is your budget set up to accommodate your personality? Let us know in the comments.

Read more:

5 Ways to Buy Cheap Christmas Gifts for Kids

Three Things You Can Do to Make Money for Christmas

Favorite Family Christmas Traditions, Modernized!

 

Are Parents Legally Obligated To Pay For College

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Are Parents Legally Obligated To Pay For College

In August 2013, a New Jersey girl sued her parents for the cost of her college tuition. Caitlyn Ricci won that case in 2014, and the decision was upheld in court later that year. The details of the lawsuit is worthy of soap opera. Amongst which is that Ms. Ricci is estranged from her parents for failure to follow the rules laid out by her parents. While we leave the legal merits of the case up to the judges, it begs the question, are parents are legally obligated to pay for college.

This topic is particularly personal for me. We save money for our children’s college. However, I don’t necessarily plan on spending that money on college. My parents didn’t pay for my college. The education I gained from that alone was worth as much as the cost of my degree.

There is No Hard and Fast Answer

While there is no black and white answer, there are some signs that point to yes, parents are expected to contribute financially to their children’s higher education. This may not always come in the form of payment for a child’s tuition; it can be through other means of financial support, such as providing housing or transportation.

The State You Live In Matters

The case referenced above was filed in the state of New Jersey, which is a progressive state in terms of state laws that have been established which define parental requirements in terms of financial contribution towards a college education.

Each state sets its own laws, and some states such as California are on the other end of the spectrum and limit parental obligations. Overall, there is no specific requirement for parents to pay for their children’s college education in most states. However, if a parent is divorced, this may be a game-changer.

It Will Depend On The Parents Marital Status

The obligation is more strict when the parents are divorced.

When a marriage ends in divorce, and parents and children get involved, the parent with custodial rights generally receives some sort of financial contribution from the other parent. This is agreed upon as part of the divorce settlement, and higher education costs are typically included in the agreement.

Again, each state will differ – here is a breakdown of requirements by state.

The Child Must Participate In The Cost

There is an expectation that the child should make a reasonable attempt to contribute to their college education. In the case referenced above, Ms. Ricci’s parents appealed on the grounds that she did not apply for all applicable scholarships and loans. The claim was ultimately rejected in favor of the parents due to the fact Ms. Ricci was emancipated from her parents. Thus she showed intent to be independent of her parents. The court applied that independence to financial support, as well.

 

Do you think parents should be legally obligated to pay for college? Are you planning to pay for yours? Share your opinion in the comments below.

Read more:

Best Ways To Save On College Needs

7 Key Ways to Save for Your Kids’ College Education

5 Ways to Prepare Kids for College

A Guide for Building A Child Trust Fund

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Child Trust Fund Guide

A child trust fund isn’t just for the Rockefellers and the Rothschilds of the world. They’re also for normal moms like you and me who want to leave a legacy for our children and our grandchildren, but you also need a child trust fund guide.

What Is A Child Trust Fund

Trust funds are a financial tool associated with estate planning. They represent a separate legal entity that holds assets such as cash and property for the future benefit of a child.  

Three terms that are helpful to understand are:

  • Trustee – the beneficiary of the trust, or the child
  • Grantor – the person who set up the trust
  • Trustee – the person or company that manages the assets of the trust

Why Do You Need One And How Does It Differ From A Will

The primary benefits of a trust include tax savings for the grantor and asset protection for the beneficiary.

A trust allows for the distribution of funds over time for a specific event, for example, monthly distributions to pay for a grandchild’s college expenses. With a trust, this is possible before the grantor’s death. A will does not go into effect until a person dies.

With a trust, the specific conditions set by the grantor are met. Where this is different than a will, is the property passed on through a will must enter probate, which can get messy, can cause delays, and can cost extra money. A trust is done outside of the court system so that you can avoid probate.

Types of Child Trust Funds

The most popular type of Child Trust fund falls under the term, Irrevocable Trust Funds (ITF). There are two major types of ITFs – Section 2503 (b) and Section 2503 (c).

Section 2503 (b) Minor Trust Fund – Qualifies for the annual gift tax exclusion based on current limitations. Distributions of the trust income to the child or a custodial bank account must be made on a yearly basis or more frequent basis. Access to the principal at the age of 21 is not required.

Section 2503 (c) Minor Trust Fund – Qualifies for the annual gift tax exclusion. All the money (both principal and income) in the trust must be transferred to the child at the age of 21.

How To Set One Up

There is a lot to consider when setting up a trust fund for your children. Not only are there legal and tax issues to consider, but you’ll also have an emotional impact to think about. For example, you’ll need to consider the individual personalities of your children. Do you believe they will be mature enough to receive a significant distribution of assets at the age of 21? If the answer is no, you’ll want to avoid the Section 2503 (c) fund.

Seek out the counsel of a qualified estate attorney during the process of setting up your trust. Their experience with the federal and state laws will ensure you, your children, and your assets are adequately protected.  

Do you have any experience setting up a trust fund for your kids? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Read more:

How to Prepare a Living Trust & Will for a Single Parent

7 Key Ways to Save for Your Kids’ College Education

Child Savings – More Than Money in the Bank

Four Money Habits You Need To Teach Your Children

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money habits for kids

If you want your child to grow up as a financially independent adult, start teaching them money habits young. Today, I’m talking about four money habits you need to teach your kids if you don’t want them living at home until they’re in their thirties.

1. Delayed Gratification

As technology has changed throughout the years, we’ve adapted to receiving instant gratification. Think about how irritated you become when it takes longer than two days to receive a shipment. Thanks, Amazon Prime! When you don’t know an answer, it takes less than 60 seconds to search for the answer. Thanks, Google!

While these are amazing benefits of living in our modern world, having instant access to whatever we desire can lead to bad habits. Force your children to wait for something they want, even if it’s just a few minutes. For example, increase their allowance by 10% if they wait for payment on Saturday, instead of Friday. Small changes in your day-to-day living that delay access can lead to increased resistance to instant gratification for your child.

2. Compound Interest

Go beyond teaching your children the value of saving. Teach them the benefits of saving early, specifically how compound interest can grow their money over time.

You’ll want to keep the concept simple and age-appropriate. You can pay compound interest on their allowance while encouraging them to save up for something specific (say the latest video game). If you’re struggling with coming up with a way to teach them, consider this marshmallow game.

3. Live Below Your Means

I know with my kids, the minute I hand over their allowance, they’re already figuring out how many Pokemon cards they can buy. I have to remind them to split their money up into giving, spending, and saving categories. We even have these special piggy banks to make it fun.

While using this 3x concept, they’re learning to save and give, which is amazing. However, I’m more interested in teaching them to live below their means. When they get ready to buy their first home, I want them to laugh at what the bank is offering them for a mortgage. They’ll instinctively know that they don’t want to spend as much as they can afford. Instead, they’ll understand the value in living below their means, so they have additional money to fund their emergency fund and to put in the church plate, and to help a friend out in need without requiring them to repay the loan.

4. Creating A Positive Money Story

As we grow into adults, we create our own money story, and that money story is directly attributable to how we spend and save our money. Help your children the best money story for themselves, one that will provide them with a strong sense of balance between saving and spending.

While her program is not kid-related, Natalie Bacon’s course, Money Mindset for Her, is where I learned how my money story was leading to poor money habits, specifically to overspending. She taught me to change that story, and it continues to have a positive impact on my life a year later. If you’re not clear on your money story, consider giving her course a try. Then teach the principles to your kiddos. And even better, teach by example.

Lastly, it is important you make sure that you are making the lessons you teach your children relatable and memorable in some way. You may consider getting toys that teach kids about money, like these. You may also have good luck finding some money games to play with them as well. The most important this is you are passing down your knowledge of finance.

Do you have any additional money tips for kids? Let us know in the comments below.

Read More:

Year-round Money Saving and Fun Activities for Parents and Kids

The Average Grocery Bill for a Family of Four (and How to Save on Yours)

3 Unexpected Options for Stay At Home Moms to Make Extra Money

Meal Planning For A Family On A Budget

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Meal Planning For A Family On A Budget
Meal planning is the holy grail of the kitchen. The most organized of moms have weekly meal plans prepped somewhere between chaperoning their kids to a myriad of extracurricular activities. You can’t help but wonder how they do it? How do they meal plan for a family on a budget.

But every time you try to pull a meal plan together, it seems more expensive than when you wing it. You’re on a budget, so you need to stick to a reasonable cost per meal, and you’d like some leftovers for lunches. You know there has to be a better way.

Five Tips to Help You Meal Plan For A Family On A Budget

1. Start By Cleaning Out Your Fridge

Before you start your meal plan for the week, open up your fridge, freezer, and pantry. Notice what leftovers you have and plan a meal based on those items. You’ll probably find you have all or most of the ingredients you need for an entire meal. 

This process kills three birds with one stone. One, it allows you to clean out your fridge. Two, you’re less wasteful of the food you’ve purchased. And three, you can save on your weekly grocery shopping. It’s a win-win-win.

2. Rotating Menu of Quick Meals

Make a list of 4 or 5 meals that your family likes and that can be made super quick. For example, every member of my family will eat pizza, anytime, anywhere. As such, there are always 4 or 5 frozen pizzas in our freezer. Other quick and easy dinners include spaghetti and meatballs, grilled cheese and tomato soup, chicken alfredo, and cheeseburger casserole.

Once you have your list complete, always make sure you have the ingredients for these meals on hand. The best practice is to buy them in bulk when they go on sale. Rotate one or two of these meals into your meal plan for the week for an easy, budget-friendly option you know your family will eat.

3. Change Your Life Chicken

The first time I read about Change Your Life Chicken from Kendra Scott of The Lazy Genius – I didn’t think I’d like it. But it seemed so simple that I decided I’d give it a shot. And guess what? I not only liked it, but I loved it.  It’s now a staple on the rotating meal plan in my house.

It’s inexpensive because it uses chicken thighs, it’s easy to make, super simple to clean up, and uses up any leftover vegetables in the fridge. Another good thing about it is the ability to change it up based on what your family likes, or to add variety from what you had last week.

Check out the recipe here and incorporate a version of Change Your Life Chicken into your meal plan once a week. It’ll change your life!

4. Breakfast for Dinner

Who doesn’t love pancakes and bacon for dinner? Breakfast for dinner is a great budget-friendly meal to incorporate into your meal plan once a week. It’s also a good meal for your kids to help out with. They can mix the pancake batter, or whisk the eggs for omelets.

I typically make breakfast for dinner on Sunday nights. We always nap after church so don’t like to eat a heavy meal in the evening.  Breakfast for dinner is is a fun, light meal to whip up together as a family and close out the weekend with.

5. Purchase Budget Meal Plans

If you’re not a creative cook and struggle to pull meal ideas together, consider buying one. Meal plans for sale are are crafted with intention. They pull together similar ingredients so are often budget-friendly and the cost is typically minimal because they’re prepared by seasoned experts.

Some of my favorite meal plans are $5 dinners, MyFreezEasy, and Momables. If you’re interested in taking an online course, I highly recommend Erin Chase’s Grocery Budget Makeover.  I personally took this class and was able to immediately apply some of the concepts to my budget. (contains affiliate links)

Do you have any tips for planning your meals on a budget? Share them in the comments below.

Read More:

The Importance of Family Dinner and How to Bring Back This Tradition

My Favorite Resources to Use When Cooking For My Family

Good Eating As A Parent Is Easier Than You Think

6 Tips For Choosing A Super-Healthy Protein Bar

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protein bar

As fitness becomes the buzzword of the day, more and more health-conscious people are beginning to understand the significance of increasing their daily protein intake. But this is easier said than done because few of us have enough time to prepare protein-rich, wholesome snacks and meals to ensure that we get a hefty supply of this key nutrient. However, this does not imply that getting enough of it is impossible, because there are plenty of supplements that you can rely on to fill your dietary gaps. Protein bars make an amazingly healthy, grab-and-go supplementation option for those who want to be in top shape despite all challenges.

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Best Tips To Teach Your Child How To Meditate

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Studies are showing that when children learn how to meditate, they learn how to handle their emotions better and are capable of self-soothing when situations arise. No matter how old your children are, it’s never too late or too early to teach them a few practices. Teaching them also ensures that you are also taking some time out to do a bit of meditative practice. Here are some of the best tips I can give you on teaching your children this invaluable skill.

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