Teaching Kids About Money

Day 16 of Give Aways - My Apologies

2010-02-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

I apologize for any one looking to win something over the weekend. Unfortunately, I was giving my time on a fund raiser (which turned out awesome by the way, maybe I can post pictures later) and I had nothing more to give. I was exhausted. So let's get down to business.

Meatless Monday will be postponed until next Monday (sorry)
Half-Assed HouseWife is our big Valentine winner.
Oh boy its a girl wins the Veggie Tale Movie
Kathy is the big winner of the Cloth Napkins
Teaching Money to Kids is moving! (I am trying out WordPress)
I even have my very own domain name: http://www.teachingmoneytokids.com/
You will have to visit Teaching Money To Kids at the new site in order to get in on the next Give Away.

Sorry for making you move, especially since some of you just got here. But I have been counseled that it makes more sense to do it now, than when there are more followers to lose. I just hope you stick with me.

I am also still feeling my way around WordPress, so it may take a while for me to get the look I want and all the buttons in the right order. Thanks for being patient.

Giving You my Heart - Day 11 of 28 Days of Give Aways

2010-02-11T06:28:00.000-08:00

No Valentines blog about money would be complete without an origami heart made out of a dollar bill. I am here to deliver. This makes a great gift, and also an entertaining hobby, for yourself, or those you wish to impress.
The best thing about giving these hearts for valentines day is that you can be as cheap or generous as you want, and it is still cool. It doesn't even have to be money, it could be opened to reveal a sweet note, or directions to a romantic place. But...Everybody Loves Money.

I want to give you my heart this Valentines Day. This Give Away is for FOLLOWERS only. But the catch is you have to not only be a follower, but also leave me a comment so I know how much you love me, too. This GiveAway is open until Sunday, Valentines Day of course.
This is also linked up with Things I love Thursday.

Saving the world one Napkin at a time

2010-02-10T07:07:00.000-08:00

Napkins are not exactly a huge expense at our house.
But since we started using cloth napkins about a year ago, we have saved even more.
I found whole box of napkins a yard sale. They only wanted $.10 a piece for them, so I bought the whole box. I sorted out the napkins by color, since they weren't really in sets. And I put the more fallish colors in a box with our fall stuff, Christmas colors, etc.
We have come to where we like the blue, pink, yellow, and green ones the best. They match our vinyl fish table cloth, and everyone gets their own color. We have two of each color, except for blue. We have like ten of the blue, which is handy, because My Pet uses the blue ones, and he needs more than everyone else.
Let me tell you about all of the benefits of using the cloth napkins:

We don't have to buy more. Saves money, time, and we don't run out.
We can use as many as we want. We don't have to worry about conserving.
We just throw them in the wash. Since I do a load of towels, etc. every week anyway, we just throw these in, and they don't take up more laundry space.
They clean up great. One napkin can usually take care of most spills, no extra napkins, paper towels or rags needed.
We can use them more than once (if this grosses you out, then skip to the next part) but for many meals, a napkin is just needed for touch up. You can easily fold it the other way, and it is good as new. And since we each use a different color, we don't have to worry about cross contamination.
They are cute. We don't have to decide between cheap or cute. Ours are both.
We aren't living a disposable life. The more I can teach my kids that we don't just buy stuff just to throw it away, the better.
Hubby said just last night, "these are one of the finer things." I thought he was talking about the cheese enchiladas I had made, but no. He was talking about the napkins. Apparently he thinks they are classy.

So now that I have taught my kids how to fold them, they are the easiest switch we have made in saving money and being green.

This has been linked in with Works for me Wednesday, Things I love Thursday, and Finer things Friday, and the Penny Pinching Party.

And now.....

For our 28 days of Give Aways...

A set of new cloth napkins! (set of four + 1 that is just slightly a different color) Just leave me a comment to be entered to win. For more entries, you can become a follower, or a subscriber, each would give you another entry. Leave me a comment, so I know. This Give Away will be open until Sunday, when I announce the winners.

Sorry for no pictures, but that computer has been having virus troubles.

How Do We Get So Much Stuff? 28 Days of Give Aways Day 9

2010-02-08T19:29:00.000-08:00

People like to give us stuff.
I don't know why.
Do they think we are poor?
Or maybe, because we have a lot of kids, they think we need a lot of stuff.
Must I remind them that we live in a pretty small house. We have 3 kids in one room, and are looking to add a fourth. But then that might make them think we are poor.
So I just say thank you.
But then I spend the rest of the year wondering how we ended up with so much stuff. We give it away, we get more. Should I say no? I hate to sound ungrateful when people are trying to be thoughtful. Is it offensive to say no when someone wants to give you stuff?
Having too much stuff is really a burden. It is more to put away, or more to clean, or find storage for, or put away again after Big G pulls it out of the drawer. Again.
So I have decided to give it all away.
Today's Give Away is a box of baby blankets. I am giving it to our local Community Services, who actually expressed a need for this sort of thing. They are making care packages for families. So I am happy to pass these along to someone who will need them.
Now it is your turn. What do you have that you don't need? Is there someone that might actually need it? Consider what you can give to them. Bless them, and unburden yourself.

Meatless Monday - Kids in the Kitchen - Her Own Recipe

2010-02-07T18:48:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Meatless Monday!
Today's recipe is by Miss Love herself. The day after her 5th Birthday she announced that she wanted to make Her Own Recipe. The first attempt was a cross between a crepe and a muffin. It was not bad. Then Friday she announced she wanted to make "Snow Flake Treats." The result this time was more like a chocolate chip lemon bar (without the lemon).
Super sweet, and super yummy.

Her Own Recipe
In 1st bowl:
2 cups of flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg

In 2nd bowl:
1 cup sugar
4 T butter (melted)

Then combine them together and add 1/2 c. chocolate chips
Fill greased cupcake pan 2/3 full, bake at 350* for about 15 min or until golden.
Then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

I mentioned these were sweet didn't I?

But Miss Love has been so proud of her treats. She wanted to call her Grandma and tell all about them, and tonight we delivered some to her friends, so that they could try some, too.

Her "recipe" experiments may seem like a waste of ingredients and money to some people, but I would rather her test her independence with a measuring cup in the safety of my kitchen, then to want to rebel, because her mommy is always telling her what to do.

Also, I like to see the way she has learned about different ingredients from recipes that we have done together. She is starting to get a feel for what flavors go good together.

And now for a bit of business:
Mondays Winner $25 Gift Certificate to Picture me Studios: Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship
Tuesday: Our Local School
Wednesday: Amie @ Adventures with Audrie wins The Grouchy Ladybug
Thursday: Olivia @ Of Such is the Kingdom wins a pair of bath mittens
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: The people of Haiti

And announcing the new Give Away for today:
in honor of Meatless Monday I am giving away a Veggie Tales movie! Duke and the Great Pie War by Big Idea Productions (DVD).
In order to win you have to leave a comment. To get more entries, you have to link up a recipe. And to get even more entries, you can visit the links posted, and then leave a comment about those blogs you visited. I will leave this give away open all week, to give you a chance to visit and leave lots of comments.

Now it is your turn: Please link up with a tip or recipe for our Meatless Monday Carnival. (if you don't have a blog, but would like to participate, you can always leave your tip or recipe in the comment section.) We would love to hear from you.

What is your Story? Haiti Give Away Weekend

2010-02-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

We get to talking about Heaven around our place. What’s it going to be like? What are we going to be able to do? Who are we going to see? And won’t it be fun to hear the stories from the Bible from the people themselves.

Can you imagine hearing about the inside of a whale from Jonah himself?

Or listening to David talking about how big Goliath was?

Or maybe we can find the little boy that gave his lunch away and have him tell us all about eating with Jesus.

But what amazes my kids more than anything is when I tell them that those people from the Bible are going to come looking for them to tell a story. Can you imagine that ?

Getting a tap on the should from Queen Esther, and then she asks, "Tell me your story." And then a crowd gathers at their feet, the feet of my little children. And there is Samuel and Zaccheus sitting next to Ruth and Moses. And they are asking them, "How did God use you to be a blessing?" And maybe Joshua raises his hand to say "Tell us about the walls God tore down for you." And maybe Noah will want to know about when it was the hardest to trust.

Miss Love especially gets wide eyed at the thought of all her favorite friends from the Bible wanting to find her and ask her about her story. 'Cause to me, that is what Heaven will be like. Everyone sharing their stories.

What will your story be like? Will it be like the widow who shared her last meal with Elijah? Or maybe like Peter pulling blessings out of the sea with a net. Maybe God will use your gift to Haiti like He did when he fed the 5,000.

Today is our last day of the Giving to Haiti Weekend. I hope this opportunity has blessed your family.

Tomorrow I will announce the winners from last week Give Aways, plus Give Away even more.

Tomorrow is also Meatless Monday, so get your recipes or tips ready. We would love to have you join us.

Choosing a Place to Support - Give Away Day 6

2010-02-05T11:08:00.000-08:00

There are so many agencies out there looking for money. Each of them have a different spin and a different name. It is hard to know which places to trust, who can do the best job, and what your money really goes to.

Large groups have somehow gotten a bad repetition in some circles. Like somehow if you get too big, you lose sight of the cause. And in the midst of a crisis, like what we are seeing in Haiti right now, you will see a lot of small groups popping up, taking advantage of the circumstances.

I recently got a letter from one of the large groups (so of course there was a bit of bias) outlining why giving to an established organization may be a better way of giving your money. Now it is true that a bigger organization has more employees, and therefore more overhead, I felt like the pros really out weighed the cons.

Here are some things an established organization is more likely to have:

Credibility here - all of the top names in Disaster relief have to go through regular auditing, publishing, etc. to prove to their donors (and the government) that they are doing a good job.

Credibility there - many of the established groups have already been working in the countries, like Haiti, and are familiar with their needs.

Streamlined Resources - The groups that do this for a living are actually pretty good at what they do, because they have been doing it for years. They know how to get through the red tape, the delays, and the politics.

Training - part of the overhead costs, that seem like such a negative in a larger group, actually go toward training their people. Before there is an emergency.

Quicker Response Time - They already have the people to help, many times in the region, plus they can have resources en route within hours of a tragedy, while others are still waiting for volunteers and pledges to come in.

Seeing the Bigger Picture - Because these larger groups have often been in the country before the crisis, are there helping during the crisis, they usually are invested in the lives of these people to see them through to the next step. Beyond living in temporary shelters, these groups are often there for years afterward, helping them build infrastructure, find jobs and get decent medical help and education.

If you want more information, a great site is Charity Navigator. They list the top charities providing relief, and great reasons for not giving to the Government, or smaller groups in the area.

We have decided to give our money to ADRA. Our reasons may be different from what you are looking for, so I will explain our decision.

ADRA has been working in Haiti for a number of years already.

We have friends that have been field directors (in other countries) for ADRA that have testified to their belief in the ministry that ADRA provides.

My sister was an ADRA volunteer in Sri Lanka after the tsunami.

We have given to them in the past. They have a great online donation center, ADRA's really useful Gift Catalog. The catalog lets you see where your gift is going, and you can choose small and large donations. This was my daughter's charity of choice for her Birthday Giving this year.

We believe that they will be there for the long haul, to make sure that the Haitians have clean water, good food, a chance at employment and education, and of course a warm bed.

Thank you for your help in this Give Away. Tell me what your thoughts are on the different charities. Who did you choose, and why?

A Warm Bed - 28 Days of Give Aways Day 5

2010-02-04T19:11:00.000-08:00

I love our bed.
We have a great mattress. And a big feather comforter that is just the thing to snuggle down into on cold winter nights. I love the look of the dark wood and the sleigh bed style (although in a couple months I know I will be too pregnant climb in easily). I love the feeling of relaxation that comes every time my head hits the pillow.
Our bed is a finer thing.
Which is why for day 5, I am giving one away.

What? Giving a bed away? How rich are these people? I can hear you thinking it from here.
I'm not giving it to you.
I am giving it to the people of Haiti.
And you are going to help me. I want you to spend some time in prayer, maybe a bit of time with your budget. Spend some time with your kids, talking about what you can give up, so that somebody else can have a bed. And then come back tomorrow and help me give a bed to the people of Haiti.

This post has been linked in to Finer Things Friday.

Things I Love - Giving Things Away Day 4

2010-02-03T18:54:00.000-08:00

I love giving things away.
Which is probably the only thing I got from my grandma on my dad's side.
I love the feeling of having more than I need, and wanting other people to benefit.

Maybe I just don't want to feel the opposite.
I don't want to feel like I don't have enough. And that I need to hold onto everything I have, just in case.
My Grandma on my mom's side is kinda like that. She grew up during the Great Depression, so we give her a little slack.

But when I am teaching my kids about money, I don't want them to feel like scrooge. I don't want them to hoard their things and their money. I want them to feel rich. Like they have enough to share.

I want to be an example to my kids about the joys of giving things away, rather than emphasizing the joy of having stuff.

So I am having another Give Away as part of my 28 days of Give Aways. Today's prize is a pair of bath and shower gloves. Just slip these babies on, add some soap, and enjoy your shower. "These bath & shower gloves gently scrub your body squeaky clean. Enjoy a quick lather, plus the textured nylon helps stimulate circulation for healthier skin."

So, to enter this Give Away you just have to leave me a comment. Pretty easy. To get more entries, sign up to be a follower, and then leave another comment saying that you now follow (if you are already a follower you can get the bonus entry if you let me know).

This Give Away will be open Thursday, February 4 only. (Although really I am not going to check until sometime Friday so you have a bit of extra time). But if you miss this one come back, because there will be new Give Aways every day. Although truthfully some of the prizes are reserved for charities, and local places, like the library and Good will.

Tell me what you love, and then find out more at the Diaper Diaries Things I Love Thursday.

WFMW - Giving it away {Give Away} Day 3

2010-02-02T18:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Day 3 of 28 days of Give Aways. I am linking up with We Are That Family this week.
I am giving away a free book today. A classic: The Very Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. This prize will be taken from my list of followers. So if you want to be included in this drawing, make sure you sign up as a follower.
Also, followers are eligible for many of the prizes this month, so even if you don't want to win this prize, you will be automatically entered in many of the future drawings.

So today's Give Away is all about books. We have a lot, and we seem to just get more. I used to buy books at yard sales, because that is the only price that makes sense to me. I am not sure if I have ever paid full price for a book before.

But I can't even buy them at yard sales anymore, because we somehow still end up with LOTS of books. Unfortunately we love them all. We read them all of the time. I cannot imagine not having books. Which is why as part of my Give Away today I want to encourage you to also give something away.

You see, there are so many kids out there who don't have so many books. They can't go to bed hearing the same story read to them over and over and over again until their parents can read it by memory. And yet, it is this repetition that creates a love of literature in a young reader. In fact, if you have ever read Freakonomics by Dubner and Levitt, they did a study about kids and having books at home. Having books at home was a higher indicator of future success in school than how many times you went to the library.

I want to challenge you today to go through your books (not just your kids books) and find books in good shape that can be given away. You don't even have to look for an official program, just get a box and take it to your local public school. Say, "I have a box of books I would like to give to kids who need them." Smile, and then go home.

Or you can get more involved, and offer to come and read some of the books to the kids at school, and then let them keep them. I will let you decide.

But know, that whatever you decide, you will be giving your kids a powerful lesson about money.

We never have so little that we can't share with someone who has less
There is always someone who is thankful for having books
Learning how to read is more important than having the best toys
You don't have to have money to give some thing somebody needs

Thank you for joining me for this Give Away. And that is how giving things away Works For Me.

28 Days of GiveAways!

2010-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry for not posting about this sooner. Especially since it is Day 2 of the great Give Away.
Every day this month I will post about a new give away. Some give aways will be for followers only. Other give aways will be for new followers, most frequent commenters, and I have one or two things set aside for local charities. (Sorry guys, you don't get to win everything.)
Giving things away makes me feel rich.
And I want you to have that same feeling. So I am asking you to join me this week in the Great Give Away. You may not have prizes, but I am sure you have things that can go to Goodwill, or other charities. Look around and I am sure you will find some things that you, too, can give away.
Leave a comment each time you give something away, and maybe we can have a prize for that,too.
The give away today is actually for a local school looking for donations for a Silent Auction. Even though my kids are not yet in school, I like to support the schools. Volunteering, or donating to local schools is a great way to show your school and your kids that you value education. Even if you are planning on Home Schooling, your presence in a school will still have a positive impact. Schools need you.
And to announce the winner of yesterdays Great Give Away:
Katie at Kitchen Stewardship has one a $25 Portrait Certificate for Picture Me Portrait Studios (usually found in Walmart Stores)! Thank you Katie for participating in the Meatless Monday Carnival yesterday.

Meatless Monday Carnival - Kids in the Kitchen

2010-01-31T13:57:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Meatless Monday!
I have been looking for a carnival to fit this theme, and I just have not found one that lets everybody link up with their own posts. So if you want something done right.... So here is my first carnival set up. Just link up a Meatless recipe or tip. It can be fun, cheap, easy, for kids, not for kids, expensive, difficult, whatever you want, as long as it can be made with out meat. Vegetarian is a must (dairy products & eggs are okay), vegan is optional.

We happen to vegetarian all the time, not just on Mondays, so you would think that getting my kids to eat their vegetables would be like second nature. It's not. Hubby doesn't even like to eat vegetables, how ma I going to get my kids to eat them?
Well, we have discovered a meal that had hubby exclaiming, "Mmmm... This is my favorite way to eat broccoli!"
This, of course, was followed by a chorus of "Me, toos." The Magic recipe: Cheese Fondue.
And you don't need any fancy pots or forks to eat it with either.
Here is our recipe, adapted from the Family Fun Recipe Site:
Cheese Fondue

12 oz. Cheese (we use the cheddar / Jack Mexi melt - we use that for everything)
4 T flour (divided)
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp crushed garlic
3 T butter
2 1/4 - 2 1/2 C milk
lemon juice (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)

Grate the cheese into a bowl and toss with 1 T flour
Melt the butter in a small pot over medium-low heat, stir in the remaining flour, paprika, nutmeg, and garlic until smooth.
Bring to a boil for 2 minutes.
Add the milk slowly, and stir constantly
Add the grated cheese mix by the handful, stirring well. Once the cheese is melted and sauce is thoroughly combined, stir in lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

We like to dip apples, bread chunks, carrot sticks, pretzels, and, of course, broccoli (best when cooked in semi covered dish for 2 min with 1/2' water). We keep the pot in the middle of the table, and then each person gets their own small bowl and fork.

With supervision, this is a great recipe for teaching kids how to use the stove. It requires constant stirring so they don't get bored and forget. And besides the cheese grating, most of the ingredients just require a dump in the pot at the right time.

But the base for this recipe: the melted butter and flour is a common base used in many sauces and cream soups. If your kids can learn basics like these, then they can begin to experiment with their own combinations in making soups/sauces from scratch, rather than having to buy a can or mix.

Now it is your turn. Share some of your favorites, or even something old that you have on hand.

The Swords of Sharing

2010-01-26T12:57:00.001-08:00

Our Soldier Boy got foam swords for Christmas.
When I tell people that, they get this knowing look that says, "I bet it was from a crazy uncle. I'm so sorry." What really shocks them is when I tell them that I was the one that put it on his Christmas list.
"What?! Why would you let a three year old have swords?"
"Well, everything from my kitchen spatula to his sister's markers were swords any way. I figure that foam swords would be safer for everybody."
"But aren't you worried that it will teach him to be violent?"
"Um.... I think we have already crossed that bridge. He already knows about swords."
"But what about teaching your kids not to fight?"

Actually, this has been teaching him to share. You see, he got 2 swords and the main rule was this You may only 'Get' someone if they have a sword, too. So, its fun to run around with a foam sword in your hand. But, it is even more fun to have someone to play with.

So now, instead of hearing, "He hit me with a car track/sword" we hear "You wanna play swords with me?"

Who would have thought that swords would teach my kids how to share?

This works for me. Check out more at We Are That Family.

I Don't Like to Share

2010-01-25T14:14:00.000-08:00

I know that some women, at delivery, gave up all their selfish desires. The moment that they saw those precious fingers and toes, they never put themselves first again.

That didn't happen to me.
I won't give away my last bite of ice cream, just because you are cute.
The box of stuff on my dresser is MINE.
Whatever it is can wait until I am done taking my shower.
Yes, mommy and daddy are going to do something special without you tonight.

Sometimes I share.
You can have as much of my corn as you want.
Sure, I think we have some canned stuff in the BACK of our cupboard you can have.
You can sleep in my bed for a few minutes, if you let me go back to sleep.

But my sharing still tends to be pretty selfish.
Did I not learn how to share when I was a kid? I know how to take turns. I know how to wait in line. I know how to borrow and lend. I even know how to volunteer, and give.
When it is convenient anyway.
How am I ever going to teach my kids how to share?
Apparently God knew this about me and had the foresight to get it into His book some 2000 years before I was even born.
"Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?" Romans 8:32
Luckily, we have an even better example of how to freely give. So that not only will my kids learn, but just maybe, I will too.

Some Reasons For Not Sharing

2010-01-13T13:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was dealing with a question from a reader about sharing. Click here if you want to know how I feel about sharing.

Some kids don't like to share. Maybe being selfish is natural, and they have to unlearn it. I don't know. But I do know that there are many reasons why kids may not want to share.

It is a special toy. It doesn't have to actually be a special toy, for it to feel like a special toy to a kid. Big G got a set of cars for Christmas that came in a divided cardboard package. he carried his cars around in that for days. I wanted to throw it away, the other kids wanted to play with it, but the answer was always "No."

They want to take care of it. I remember my older brother was always very careful with his books, he would let me read them, but not our younger brother. My mom thought he was just being mean, until BigBro explained that he didn't like that Little Bro folded down the corners of his books, instead of using a book mark.

They don't want to. Yes, this can be personal. I don't think I would share anything with someone who was mean to me either.

They are defensive. If they are always being forced to give up things when they don't want to, some kids may become more resistant to sharing in the future.

They just remembered they had it. Sometimes when they are asked about it, it reminds them that they had it, which may make them want it. Even if they were playing with something else before.

They don't know how. Some kids may worry that they won't get it back, or that they aren't allowed to play anymore. Showing them by example may be a great way to ease their worries about their toys.

To me, these are perfectly good reasons for not wanting to share. The trick then, as a Mom (or Dad) is to teach our kids to want to share, despite all of these reasons.

Do You Share?

2010-01-11T18:33:00.000-08:00

I had a question yesterday about sharing, and then coincidentally we watched the Veggie Tales movie King George and the Ducky, which is about selfishness. Which got me to thinking about where I (we) stand on sharing.

Here's something to think about. As adults, what do you share? Do you share your car? Your toothbrush? Your pillow? While the answer may be no to those questions, the answer is likely yes to these: Do you share the park? The road? or what about a meal? or your home?

With the exception of the road, they do seem to have some pretty strict rules about sharing, nobody MAKES me share. I do it because I want to. My motivations might be selfish, maybe I want something; or maybe I am just generous.

In our home, I think it works the same way. There are "public" things: books, legos, bathrooms, and the sandbox. It would be silly for each kid to have their own. So kids do learn to share these things. But even then, it is not a free for all. They still have to learn to ask, "May I play with you? May I come in? Are you done with those blocks or books."

Now, as a mom, of course I want my kids to share. But I am more concerned about what is going on in their hearts. If my kid is only sharing because he doesn't want to go to time out, well, frankly, I would rather have a selfish kid who ends up playing by himself. Because even though I may be able to force him to give up something of his, he hasn't learned to love, and to give from the heart. When he is thirty-something and making his own money, I want him to share his money with the needy, not because of the tax deduction, but because he has a burning desire in HIS heart to help them.

So this feels like it is getting long, and I have more to say, so stay tuned next time for more on sharing.

Kids in the Kitchen - An Attitude of Grattitude

2010-01-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

This is a new series about teaching kids about money, by letting them help in the kitchen.

"Thank You Miss Love, for helping to make dinner tonight."

"Miss Love, Did you help make our dinner tonight? Well, Thank You."

"Your Welcome. And Mommy helped, too. Thank you Mommy for Dinner."

"Thank You Mommy and Miss Love."

"Your Welcome."

Doesn't that just make you want to smile? My favorite part is that nobody had to tell anybody to say "thank you."

But now Miss Love knows how good it feels to be appreciated and may be more likely to be thankful in the future. And the other kids had a great example of what it means to say thank you for the food.

And an attitude of gratitude is the whole point.

Here's the recipe and how Miss Love was able to help:

Auntie Sarah's Potato Cheese Chowder

5 med. Potatoes

3 cups boiling water

2 1/2 t. salt

6 T butter

6T flour

1/2 t. salt

1/4 black pepper

2 c. milk

2 c. grated cheddar cheese

2 t. mustard

place potatoes, water and salt in big pot. Simmer covered about 20 min.

melt butter in sauce pan

blend in seasonings

cook over low heat till mixture is smooth and bubbly

stir in milk, boil 1 min.

remove from heat and add cheese and mustard

mix potatoes and cheese mix into one big happy pot.

I am standing right next to her, by the stove, to supervise that she is doing this safely. We have an electric stove, so I don't worry about an open flame.

Miss Love does the measuring and dumping, while Mommy does the chopping and the stirring.

This post is linked in to Meatless Monday, and Tasty Tuesday, and Works for me Wednesday

Do Your Kids Need Money? 3. Buying Stuff That They Want

2010-01-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

This is probably the number one reason why kids think they need money. 'Cause who doesn't want stuff? Especially if you've got cheap parents like our kids, your best chance of getting what you want may be to just buy it your self.

But just because your kid may be industrious enough to have earned his money, does not mean that you relinquish your controls as parents. Your role is still the same: you are their teacher, and this has become a teachable moment. Here are some guidelines to help you point your kids in the right money spending direction:

Spending Comes Last. After taking out a percentage for giving, and saving, then you can spend the spending money

Encourage goal setting. Let your kids window shop before they even earn their money. Not only does this help them prioritize their wants, but it can also motivate their work.

Discourage spontaneous spending. Buying little things will eat away at the money that has been earned. Reminding kids about their goal can minimize those junk purchases.

Shop Around. Teach your kids how to compare prices, look for coupons, or wait for sales.

Resist the urge to buy it for them. Regardless of how proud you may be of how hard your kid is working, let them have the satisfaction of buying it with their own money.

Have a borrowing plan. Your plan may simply be NO BORROWING. Or you can work out terms for repayment, if you decide that borrowing is a good option. However, this does teach your kid that credit is a viable option, and you may not want to go there. Be sure the pay out terms are short.

Figure out a Cash system. It may not be advisable for kids to carry around their own money. You may decide to carry it for them, or to purchase it, and then have them reimburse you the price.

It is okay to say NO. You are still the parent. If what your kid wants to buy does not fit in with the values of the family, then it should not be purchased. It does not matter whose money it is.

It is now theirs. That means anyone else in the house has to ask permission to use It. That also means that when the time comes to get rid of It, your kid should get the money, or the decision power of what to do with It.

With It comes responsibility. Now that they own It, they are responsible for Its up keep. this may mean batteries, clean up, repair, etc. However buying accessories for them is usually a great gift idea for relatives, since you know that your kid liked It enough to buy It themselves.

Usually I just tell my kids to put whatever they want on their Christmas or Birthday list, but when you have a birthday in January it can be a long wait until the next gift giving season. Some kids, like mine, don't shop much, and don't see many commercials. Their wants may be fulfilled by gifts that they get. Don't talk them into wanting something just for the sake of having something to earn their money for. Wait until they are ready. The time of wanting will come.

Buying Gifts for Others

2010-01-05T12:13:00.000-08:00

This is actually part of a series called "Do Your Kids Need Money?" I know it is a bit late, having just passed the biggest gift giving holiday of the year. But now you have a whole year to prepare your kids to buy gifts for others.

Miss Love will be Five in a couple weeks, and this is the first year that she has expressed interest in giving gifts to other people. But since she did not have any disposable income this year (see taking care of other peoples things, and a future post) we had to be creative in the gift giving department.

I like to encourage her to make gifts. I make many of the gifts that I give away each year, so it is a habit I think will be useful to her forever. This year she made a book, The Fish Who Escaped, dictated by Daddy and illustrated by Miss Love herself. It was quite an impressive story for one not quite five, and, of course, Nana cried. Everyone else got felt star car fresheners. Since we used leftover craft supplies, there was no need for her to earn extra money for those gifts.

She really wanted to get Grandma and Grandpa clothes (I have no idea why). But since she didn't have any money, I let her "help" me pick out a turtle neck and a sweatshirt from the whole family.

I like that she wants to be generous in her gift giving. And I know that it can be frustrating to not be able to earn enough money to buy the big gifts. But if she can learn now to only buy what she can afford, she will be one step above those adults that are swimming in credit card debt.

Roth IRAs for Kids - a link

2010-01-04T13:29:00.001-08:00

I found this great information about opening up Roth IRAs for kids. Jeff Rose at Good Financial Cents lays out a simple scenario to help a reader decide the best path for giving money to his grand kid.

A Roth IRA is a great way to earn tax free money, but there are some specific things that you need to know before you sign your kids up for one. Check this site out to find out more.

Job vs. Chore - In the Living Room/ Family Room

2010-01-04T12:43:00.000-08:00

Because the living room is usually a shared space with the whole family, much of the daily or weekly cleaning will fall in to the chore category instead of a job that you would pay for. If you are looking for more information on the difference between a job and chore click here.

Chores:

vacuuming

dusting

picking up toys/books/clothes

straighten books/magazines

Jobs

washing windows

cleaning spider webs

washing the floor (we have wood floors)

vacuuming couch

wiping fingerprints off walls/switches/pictures/stereos

vacuuming under furniture

cleaning bugs out of lights

Most of these jobs would only require attention once a month or less. Different rooms and different houses may have more to clean than ours does. But this should give you a place to start.

Tell me about who does these chores or jobs at your house.

The Going Rate - The Changing of the Sheets

2010-01-04T12:03:00.000-08:00

We have only been paying for work around here for less than a year. It is hard to figure out the going rate for many jobs. Frankly, we don't have a line item in our budget to pay for someone to clean our house. But since we are only paying Miss Love so far, things haven't gotten out of hand.
One thing that I am trying to be careful about is not overpaying for jobs. For instance, changing the sheets on the bed. Right now, taking the sheets off the bed takes a bit of energy, because she is not so big, but the bed is. However, as she gets older the job will get easier and faster. I don't want to pay less then, just because she is better at it. So I tried to pick a wage that may seem small now while the job is tough, but may be about right later. Also, there is room for a raise if need be.
So this is what we have done so far:

taking accessories off the bed (blankets, animals, pillows) ...........$.05
taking the sheets off the bed (and pillowcases) ..............................$.05
taking accessories out of the crib (involves climbing in) ...............$.10
taking sheets off the crib ...................................................................$.10
taking accessories of Queen bed (guest or master bedroom) ......$.10
taking sheets off Queen bed .............................................................$.10

Nobody gets paid to do their own beds. When My Soldier Boy gets old enough, he can do his own bed, and Miss Love will have to find a different source of income. If Soldier Boy decides to pay her out of his own money, then that is his choice.

I cannot wait until Miss Love ( or any of them for that matter) are able to put sheets back on their beds. Especially the crib. I am inclined to pay double for this, just because I don't like it that much. Which is how our economy works. People get paid more to do the jobs nobody else wants.

putting sheets on the bed (twin) ....................................................$.25
putting accessories back (neatly) ...................................................$.05
doing the whole job(twin) ................................................................$.50
putting sheets on the crib ................................................................$.50
putting accessories back ..................................................................$.10
doing the whole job (crib) ................................................................$1.00
putting sheets on the Queen ...........................................................$.50
putting accessories back ..................................................................$.10
doing the whole job (Queen) ...........................................................$1.00

Now, I still stand by the belief that everyone needs to make their own bed daily, but I am happy to pay some one else to change my sheets. And according to her allergist, we should be doing this at least once a week due to the dust mites.

It seems like a lot of work to have the jobs broken down this way, but these kids aren't physically able to do the complete job, yet they are still willing to do work. I want to be able to encourage their industriousness while still being fair. This way they can still get paid for partial jobs, but then they can earn a bonus when the whole job is complete.

So do these seem like fair wages? or am I taking advantage of poor innocent children?

Mary Poppins

2010-01-01T19:40:00.000-08:00

My kids love Mary Poppins. They can sing you every song and quote you nearly every line. But there is this one part that is their favorite. Everybody is up on the roof top with the chimney sweeps covered in soot. Then the chimney sweeps start singing and dancing and doing these balancing tricks on the edges of the roofs. It doesn’t matter how many times they see this movie, these kids are still sitting on the edge of their seats, worried that one of them might fall.

I want to laugh at them for being so silly. They know how it ends, why would they still be worried? But then I think of some of the things that I worry about: where are we going to put another kid? How can we afford to send them all to school? The list could go on and on and on.

Looking at the beginning of the year it would be easy for me to sit at the edge of my seat too. But instead of thinking what is this year going to bring, I have to remind myself to look forward to whatever wonderful things God has planned for this year, and keep worshipping him with my tithes and offerings. When I trust in the one who knows how it ends, it is easier to sit back and enjoy the show.

Why We Take Care of Other People's Stuff

2009-12-31T14:20:00.000-08:00

Taking care of property or objects that belong to other people, goes beyond just "having good manners." Teaching kids to take care of things when they are young, may be the best way you can teach them about money, even before they can count change.

We take care of their things because we love them
And when you love some one, you love their things. YOU don't even have to know them. Just reminding them that Jesus knows them and loves them is enough of a reason.

We take care of their things because we aren't wasteful
Breaking things wastes time, money, and energy. Plus, it creates garbage. All of these things could be avoided if we were more careful.

We take care of their things because it is too expensive not to
Rarely do we include restitution into our budget. We tend to spend money on things that WE want, rather than replacing things that belong to someone else. Suddenly being responsible to fix a couch, because we let our darling children jump on it until it made that funny sound, may change how quickly you can take that trip to Disney World.

How you take care of other people's things is a direct result of your level of respect for them. Vandalism and defacing of property is never done to things people hold as precious. But carelessness should not be overlooked. Breaking something on accident, is still breaking something.
This has been linked in with We are that family and Works for me Wednesday. and the Penny Pinching Party at Thrifty Home.
Leave me a comment and tell me what you think.

A Conversation with my Soldier Prince Alligator Boy (His official Title)

2009-11-17T14:17:00.000-08:00

Mom Stop!

Babe, you have to move out of the way. The other carts can't get by.

But the Macamodi is on sale.

Macaroni and Cheese isn't really on our list this week.

But Mom! It's on sale. We have to get some.

Okay, we can get some. But just a few.

One, two, three...

That's probably good.

four, five, six...

okay, we don't need any more.

Mom. It's on sale. seven, eight..

Nine, Ten. We're done. Now let's get some peas. We can't have macamodi without peas.

I have created a monster...

Stocking Up

2009-11-08T18:01:00.000-08:00

So we got sick any way...

But even then it was an amazing answer to prayer. It all started around 3 AM. I was the first to go. Twenty minutes later it was Hubby's turn. In the morning we discovered that my mom, visiting from California, started around 4 AM.
That's right, we got the stomach flu.
We don't know how, or when we got it, or why the kids didn't get it, but we did know that we were glad we had the extra help, no sick kids, and a stock pile of easy to make comfort foods.
There is nothing like macaroni and cheese and canned soup when you are sick.

Stockpiling seems to be quite popular right now. I want to share with you some reasons for stockpiling that go beyond just saving money.

Stocking Up to Save Money
Buying food when it is on sale, saves money over buying food when it is not on sale. It is hard to argue with that. But time and space may put a limit on how this can be practical. You have to prioritize what you buy and how much.

Stocking Up on Seasonal Items
Some foods go on sale at certain times of the year, but there are other foods that are pulled from the shelf when they are out of season. There is a certain Mango flavored iced tea that I love, but after about September, it cannot be found on any shelf but my own pantry. If I want to enjoy this year round, I have to stock up in order to make it last.

Stocking Up for an Emergency
keeping basic food items on hand is a good idea no matter where you live. Even if you are not susceptible to seasonal storms like hurricanes, a power outage like was seen on the east coast not long ago is a good example of when having food on hand could be crucial. When preparing for an emergency always think ahead to what you might need to prepare the food. Do you need a heat source, a can opener, or clean water? Do you have food that you can grab and go, if you need to evacuate?

Stocking up for Lean Times Ahead
If your income fluctuates, or a job may be in jeopardy, stacking up on food may give you peace of mind to face the coming months. Many rash decisions happen when parents are stressed out about putting food on the table. Ease this worry by having things on hand that can carry you through several months.

Stocking Up for the Holidays
being prepared for last minute "bring a snack" parties, or hosting those drop in relatives, makes you thankful you thought ahead and stocked up on some crowd pleasing basics. To some people that could be a bag of chips and salsa, while others must have the cheese ball. I say break out the OREOs and we'll call it a party, but I am easy to please. What do you have on hand to serve unexpected guests?

Stocking Up for Giving
This is often the time of year that food is collected to give to needy families. Planning ahead for this kind of giving allows you to teach your kids how to be happy helpers. They see you shopping wisely for others, and not desperately digging in the cupboard for food no one else wants.

Stocking up to Save Time
What could you do with an extra hour or two every week? Well stocking up so that you don't have to go to the market as often may give you that extra time. It may take you a bit more planning time, but the time saved out of the store more than makes up for it.

Stocking up for Health Reasons
Last week, while we were sick, we went on voluntary quarantine. Nobody left the house. I was so glad that we had food on hand. Nobody felt like shopping, and trust me you did not want us out spreading our germs. But not every body does this. And they go shopping while they are sick... So one less trip to the store during flu season is okay with me.

Stocking up for Peace of Mind
Money is the usual motivator for stockpiling, but I think this may be realist. Whether your peace of mind comes from knowing you won't have to deal with a melt down when the Cheerios run out, or that you could survive an Alien Attack just by hiding out in your bunker, keeping food on hand may give you that peace of mind. After all, you can't eat money. But remember, that food is not the source of peace. That can only come from God.

What are your favorite things to stock pile?

This is linked up with We Are That Family on Works for me Wednesday.

Job vs. Chore - In the Bathroom

2009-11-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

If you would like to read about the other rooms in this series Job Versus Chore click here.

This week we are braving the bathroom. The Bathroom is a room in the house that is generally shared by many people. It also needs to be cleaned often. I usually err on the side of If Everybody Uses It, Then Everybody Cleans It. But how you decide to delegate chores is up to you or a later blog post.

Chores for the Bathroom might include:

Cleaning the Toilet
Cleaning the Sink/faucet
Cleaning the Bathtub / Shower
Cleaning the mirrors
Putting away Bath toys
Putting away personal care items
Wiping/mopping/vacuuming the floor
Shaking out rugs
Cleaning Windows
Putting towels / wash cloths away
Emptying the trash
Freshening the hand towel

Since this room is usually shared by so many people, you could easily make everything a chore and not have any jobs. But these are things that I would consider paying someone to do:

Changing Light bulbs

Cleaning Light fixtures

Changing batteries in Fire detectors

Cleaning vents

Changing/ cleaning shower curtain and/or liner

Refilling soap dispensers

Taking inventory of personal care products and 1st aid kit

In our house, we don't have a separate Master Bathroom, we have an upstairs bathroom, and a downstairs bathroom. But many houses do have a Master Bathroom, or even a guest bathroom that is not shared with the general house. I think it would be completely appropriate to consider those chores as potential jobs, or at least possibilities for chore trading.

(Chore trading is when one person may have all of chores of a certain category, i.e. washing mirrors, that he does through out the house, even in rooms that he does not use. In exchange, I or another member of the family may have the chore of cleaning all of the toilets. You can divide the chores up this way, or see how your kids barter and trade based on their likes, dislikes and skills.)

Many of the skills listed under Jobs, could be considered chores, but since they are not regularly done, I think I would prefer to hire them out to a kid that had the initiative.

But teaching your kids to have a daily cleaning routine in the bathroom will save them money in the future.

New Identity Theft Scam

2009-11-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

I just heard a piece on the radio put out by Crown Financial Ministries. They have a radio ministry helping families get out of debt and be good stewards. The information they shared today was about a new identity theft to be aware of. Here is how the scam goes:

You get a call from "your credit card company"
They are warning that your account has been "flagged" by their fraud dept.
They know your name
They know your address
They even know your account number
They want to send you money to reimburse you for those "fraudulent charges"
They just need to verify that you still have your card in hand
So you give them the 3 security digits on the back of the card

Bingo!

That is what the whole call is about. They just wanted those three numbers. They already had the other information, likely purchased from some data mining source. But they didn't have the security digits to easily make online purchases. Until now.

Meanwhile....

You are not worried about your account because your "Credit Card Company" is already on the case.
You don't check for fraudulent charges
You don't call to make a claim
Mr. Identity Thief has several days to go on his shopping spree

Many credit card companies are quick to resolve Identity Theft claims. They don't want you to stop using your card, after all. However, every time a thief gets away with his crime he is emboldened to do it again. And to brag to all his other thieving friends how easy it is.

Even though you may not pay for those charges out right, we all pay for it. The money comes from somewhere, usually in the form of extra fees hidden here or there.

If you choose to use credit cards, it is key that you teach your kids some of these basic safety measures:

Never give out information to people who call you
Always go to a statement to get a phone number and call them back
Keep cards and statements secure - at home, stores, restaurants
Check statements regularly for fraudulent charges
Try to use other reputable sites, like Pay Pal, when buying from an online source

You don't have to be afraid of online shopping, but you do have to be careful. Your example will go a long way to teaching your kids about money.

Why I Give - The Check is in the Mail

2009-10-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

Originally published as a Call To Offering April 2005.

You know those stories that you hear. The ones where somebody really needs some money, and they pray and miraculously a check comes in the mail?

Well that happened to us! Just before Miss Love was born our furnace went out. They fixed it, but we are going to need a new one.

So imagine our excitement when we get an unexpected check in the mail!

The money was from a previous job that reviewed its records and discovered that they had withheld too much tax back in 1995. Imagine, God had answered our prayer before we even asked.

Except the check was for only $17.

So was this an answer to prayer? I mean, Lord a furnace costs a lot of money and this is only $17. What do you do with an answer like that?

I’ll tell you what I did. I cashed it.

Do I stop being faithful to God, just because he didn’t solve my problem the way I wanted?

No, God may not have rubbed his magic genie lamp and fixed all my problems, but He did go one better. He reminded me that we aren’t doing this alone. No matter how much we worry or plan, He is still in control. Knowing that I worship a powerful God is even better than having Him pay all my bills.

#1 Money Saving Tip This Winter

2009-10-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

DON'T GET SICK!
I know, it looked like I was yelling at you, and I am sorry. But seriously. If you want to save money this winter do your best to not get sick. Or you can at least do me the favor of not bringing your kids out if they are sick, so that mine don't get sick.

It may not be a big deal to many families, a drippy nose here, a little cough, cough there. No big deal.

We have what they call a "high risk" child. That little cough, cough can turn into breathing treatments that we have to do twice a day. And at $3 a pop, it's not just Starbucks we are having to cut back on.

This winter we are going to do our best to not get sick. This could be a savings of at least $750. And that is just our out of pocket expenses. Thankfully we have insurance.

So in teaching my kids about money, I have to include little lessons like:

washing their hands
covering their mouths
getting enough sleep
eating good food
drinking lots of water
avoiding sick people
not putting things into their mouths

This may be our hardest money saving goal yet.

Do you have any tips for us on how to avoid the bugs?

This has been linked in with We are THAT family.

We Have Arrived...

2009-10-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

Minivan? Check

3 kids? Check

Dog? Check

Soccer player? Yes, we know have that one, too. It seems I have arrived. I am officially "A Soccer Mom."

I know this puts me into a whole new category. I am just not quite sure what to expect, now that we are here.

Here are some things I did not expect:

I did not expect to be so proud of my kid just standing on the field.
I did not expect that I would ever bribe my kid to kick the ball.
I did not expect to be scandalized by the snacks the other soccer moms brought.

Apparently the apple slices and home made cookies that we brought were not as cool as the many variations on junk food that Miss Love ended up with after every other soccer game. How was I supposed to know that snacks had changed since I was a kid?

Nobody said anything, of course, and I was glad that we had been first to bring snacks. Who knows what I would have done if I had had a clue. Would I have given in to peer pressure? Would I have bought the expensive, yet cool snacks.

Am I prepared to teach my kids about money even when it means they won't have the cool snacks? Being a soccer mom is a hard job, but someone has got to do it.

And I will admit, I was inwardly ecstatic to see that for our final game we had Home made Cupcakes and all the kids cheered because "they have rainbow sprinkles!"

Why I Give - Being a Tightwad

2009-10-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, it is time for me to confess. I am really a tightwad. When it comes to money, I am not generous. I am more than willing to share my house, my time, my food or my ideas, but when it comes to money, I want to know where it is going.
So we have this budget. At first, it was just so we could keep track of where our money was going. Then we saw things that we should probably change, so the budget helped keep us on track. Now, with less income, our budget has become crucial.
To some, our budget may seem restrictive, or ridiculous. But we have taken the money that we have and split it up between the things that we spend money on. This allows us to make sure we have 10% set aside for tithe, and then we do an additional 5% for offering. We set aside money for groceries, entertainment, cash, and yes, Hubby even has his own hobby fund.
If you knew how many speakers we had in our basement, you would understand.
I don’t mind telling you that our budget is in good shape. I keep an eye on it. Even though our spending trends fluctuate, we are still on track with our spending goals.
We write a check once a month for our tithe and offering. Several weeks ago I noticed that on those other weeks, after the call to offering, Hubby was taking cash out of his wallet to put in the plate. Well, I only take out so much cash every month, so I asked him about it. Should we change our budget to reflect this difference in giving?
He said no, he hasn’t run out of cash yet, so he didn’t think it was that big of a deal.
Finally it hits me.
Duh!
This is how it is supposed to be.
There is the regular money that we set aside for tithe and offering, and then there is the money that we give to God, just because we can. I am so glad, that when God blesses us, he doesn’t just stop with the things we need or expect. He is so generous, that he gives to us just because He can.

Stocking Up - Mayo

2009-10-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

This last spring during artichoke season we had a crisis. We had the most delicious artichokes, the Four Cheese Rice a Roni, and the kids in bed early. Only to discover we had run out of Mayonnaise. Artichokes must have mayo. But no worries, we have the best neighbors ever. So we called them and they said, "No problem, we have plenty."
But they didn't.
They had miracle whip.
It's not the same thing.
So hubby says, "We are going to have to get some real mayonnaise." He hops up and runs down to the store (he could have literally run to the store, we live that close, but in an emergency situation, I do believe he took the car).
The rest of the evening was spent without incident. But in the spirit of Scarlett O'Hara I vowed right there to never go without real Mayonnaise again.
It was with this thought in mind that I got quite excited about the sale on Mayo this week at Meijer. It was nearly 50% off. So I stocked up. I bought 10 of them. Which for us would last us clear through next years artichoke season.
Only...
When I got home, it seems there had been an earlier sale that I had forgotten about. I already had a stock pile of Mayonnaise.
Ummm....note to self, we don't need any more mayonnaise.
Now I like to teach my kids that stockpiling is a way of saving money, you know, buying when things are on sale. But I am afraid my lesson may have backfired this time. I think the lesson for me today was, "you aren't saving money if you don't need it."

This has been linke dup with Things I love Thursday at the DiaperDiaries.

Job vs. Chore - The Master Bedroom

2009-10-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

Generally the Master Bedroom is off limits to many kids. My kids occasionally take naps on our bed when we need to spread out a bit. Right now the three of them share a room, so it's nice to have a quiet place if necessary. But most of the time Mommy and Daddy's room is left alone.

Which means most of the responsibilities fall on us, too. This makes for a great opportunity for kids to earn some extra money. Jobs in the Master Bedroom aren't usually time or skill intensive. Here are some ideas:

Changing the sheets on the bed

sweeping/vacuuming the floor

dusting

putting clean laundry away

emptying the trash

washing the windows

Look to see if any of these jobs fit the skill level of any of your kids. When they are looking for some extra money you may want to refer to this list and give them a job first, rather than just giving them the money.

Now there are chores that I did not add to this list, such as:

making bed
picking up dirty laundry

Call me a snob, but I believe that there are some jobs people should do for themselves regardless of how much money they have. I hope to teach my kids that there is no such thing as too rich to make their own bed or put their own dirty clothes in the hamper.

Do you have any jobs like that?

So We Got a Cell Phone...

2009-10-15T12:22:00.001-07:00

Now, just last week I was ranting about how much I hate cell phones. So it would seem quite a switch that i am already loving having one. Here is what happened after HOURS of research:

Hubby got a cell phone - quite a nice one, too. Kind of like a cheapo version of a blackberry I think, that has WIFI calling.
Hubby signed up for At&t Go Phone which is like $10 a month.
We canceled our long distance - this was the cause of the whole problem in the first place. How can they charge so much? Ridiculous!
We couldn't cancel all phone service - that's how we get our Internet, since we aren't cable subscribers.
We discovered WFRN's Phone Friend - they have a $10 plan and the minutes get rolled over, and the service is way better. I thought they had a referral program, but I couldn't find it anywhere.
Our Wifi phone has free calling anywhere there is free Internet: our house!, the library, many airports, coffee shops, etc.
I can log onto Google Calendar from anywhere! - We just figured out google calendar, and we set up one account for our whole family, so I can update info, and my Hubby can see it on his calendar at work, our calendar at home, or my phone.
This may revolutionize my grocery shopping. - No, I can't just call home like my mom does and ask the poor sucker that answers the phone what we have in the fridge. I mean, I can make a list on our computer, and have it show up on my phone!

I am still looking into ways that I can enter the price of food from different stores, that will tell me where the cheapest place to buy a certain item might be. Or if something is on sale, is it really a good stock-up-for-winter sale, or just a so-so buy-an-extra-to-have-on-hand-for-company-kind of sale. So if any of you know of anything like that let me know. I would hate to invest unneeded time on excel.

So now I have to admit that I love my new phone. Thanks Babe, I love you.

I just have to promise to not become one of those people. You know the ones. The cell phone talkers...

This has been linked in to Things I love Thursday at the Diaper Diaries

Why I give? - Our Mortgage

2009-10-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

This is part of a series originally published in November 2004. The timeline reflects our circumstances of that time.

Well, it’s been two years now since we’ve been trying to have a baby. For some reason, still unexplained, there were problems. This created quite a physical and emotional roller coaster for me. Through different doctors, tests, medications, weird side effects, and prayers, it wasn’t just the silence that was frustrating. Month after month, all we seemed to hear was No, No, No. Until just as suddenly, this spring, after 18 months, God said yes.

Then we had to figure out how we could make this work. Hubby and I were both committed to me staying home when we had children, so we had to look closely at our finances. Luckily, God had been working in our lives in a different way this whole time.

We had been very good at putting half our income toward paying off our house each month. Because we were careful with our spending, and committed to our goal, we were able to make our last payment on our house this summer.

Now that we are down to one salary, it is just enough to cover our basic monthly expenses because we don’t have a mortgage or any other debt to worry about. Looking back to where we were two years ago, I can see that we couldn’t have done that. Financially, we were still a long way from being in a position where I could stay home.

From the outside it looks like we were really smart. It looks as if we waited to have children. It looks as if we had this whole thing all planned out. Well before you give us any credit, let me remind you, this was not our plan. We were praying for something else entirely, and we weren’t very patient about it. This was God’s plan. He’s the one that had everything worked out.

Now when I look at our bills and wonder if we can do it, I get a little kick in the ribs reminding me that God has it all worked out.

This post has been linkedin with Thankful Thursdays

Job vs. Chore - in the Bedroom

2009-10-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

I believe that kids are responsible for the upkeep of their own rooms, so most of the things will be considered chores. Many things I currently do for my kids, but as they get older they will take over these responsibilities.

changing their sheets

making their beds

putting away dirty clothes

putting away clean clothes

putting away books and toys

dusting

dusting the floor

setting out clean clothes

These are the things that I would (and may have already) pay for:

changing a siblings sheets - right now the boys aren't old enough to do it themselves, so Miss Love is helping me, by taking off old sheets. We are still working on getting the new ones on.

Putting siblings clothes away - see note above.

removing spider webs - this is usually just a once in a while job

cleaning window

mopping the floor - I like to really clean the wood floors with water once or twice a year

I think it is okay for kids to pay each other to do things, or essentially trade chores, but we haven't had the opportunity to try out this theory.

Job vs. Chore

2009-10-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

There seems to be some confusion out there about what constitutes a job, and versus a chore, and why should we give money to kids for jobs that they should be doing anyway. I want to clarify my position on when kids should be paid for their jobs.

A Chore is something you do:

because you are part of this family (or live in this house)

even if you don't want to

because you eat

because you wear clothes

because you sleep

because you want to do fun stuff

A job is something you do:

when your chores are done

when you need money

that someone else is willing to pay you to do

Obviously this definition is subjective, and can be defined in different ways by different people.

There are things that I believe that a kids should be responsible for, as soon as they are mentally and physically capable of doing it. But there are some responsibilities that I have taken on in my own quest to provide a nice home for our family. If one of my kids wants to learn how to do that task, to take it off my hands, I would gladly pay them. The only reason I don't pay someone to do them now, is that I am cheap, and I know how much house cleaners cost. Besides, I don't think they would come to my house just to vacuum rice from under my table.

So this is the first in a series about chores and jobs. I will look at each room of the house, and give examples of what would be considered a chore vs. a job. Realize that I am not an expert, I just play one on the Internet.

This is linked in with We Are THAT Family for Works for me Wednesday.

A Conversation

2009-10-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

A conversation about Budgets with Miss Love

"Do you know what I am doing, babe?"

"What?"

"I am checking our budget."

"What for?"

"I am checking to see that we don't run out of money."

"And to see what we are buying?"

"That's right"

"And to make sure we aren't buying naughty things"

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes people buy naughty things that they don't need, and then they don't have enough money."

Wise beyond her years, that one is.

Looking for Extra Money? - Selling on EBay Part 4 - Stuff that Kids can Sell

2009-10-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

It is amazing what you can find for sale on eBay. Which means the reverse is also true: It is amazing what you can sell on eBay!

Help your kids think out of the box and together you can sell many things on eBay. Remember, that you must be of a certain age to have an account on eBay. However, working as a team, you and your kid can learn a lot about money by selling a few items that you may already have.

There are many people who make selling on eBay a business. This usually involves making or buying items on the cheap and then selling them for a profit.

Other people sell on eBay merely as a hobby, or as an occasional means to get some cash. This usually involves finding items from around your house and then selling them rather than storing, yard selling, or merely giving them away.

Here are some ideas of things you may already have that you can sell:

outgrown clothes

out grown shoes

out grown coats

Toys

books

DVDs

Collections

Costumes

Backpacks/bags

Games

Computer Games

New Stuffed Animals

Baby Gear: Diapers, bottles, cups, blankets, etc.

Coupons

Gift Cards

Knick Knacks

If you find that you have a lot of low value items, you can group them together into "lots." This saves you time in listing, and it creates a better value for your customers. Here are some good examples of "lots" that may not sell very well by themselves, but do great in a group:

Used clothes

small books

used movies

small toys

art/craft supplies

seeds

coupons

Learning Kits

You, of course, will have to look around and see what you have available to sell, and then compare it with what is selling. Just because nobody else is selling it, doesn't mean nobody wants. That may make it more valuable.

Why I give - The Summons

2009-10-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

This is part of the Why I Give series, originally published as A Call to Offering. This post is from May 2004.

I got something in the mail the other day, that I have been waiting for for awhile. Years actually. Yes, I finally got my first jury summons in the mail. Of course, I still have to be chosen, but I honestly can’t wait to go for a variety of reasons.

I am really interested in the legal process, I’ve seen it on TV, but I’ve never been in a real courtroom before. Another reason is that I recognize that my community has asked me to serve, and I am excited to be able to answer that call.

In a similar way your church has summoned you to serve. It may be with time, prayer, or money. Recently I have noticed that many have really taken up the call with their money. At our church, which is quite small compared to many, their is sometimes a record of recent giving. Now I tend to watch these numbers as closely as I watch gas prices and I have noticed some things. A few months back, our giving was way down. Ten thousand dollars down. Each month we were giving less than our budget called for.

However I think that God has been working here in this church. Many had been praying about where to give money, and how much to give. Look at the effects that prayers have had. For the past several weeks our weekly giving has exceeded what was budgeted for. We are actually getting ourselves out of debt. Way to go.

Jesus talks about this in his parable of the talents in Matthew 25 “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

You have been summoned.

This has been linked in at Beautiful Calling.

Looking For Extra Money? - Selling on EBay Part 3 - Is it Worth the Energy?

2009-10-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

After you have considered the potential time and money invested in selling an item on eBay, you still have to ask yourself

Is it worth the energy?

You may have the perfect item but things still might not go as you plan. Consider these ideas before you invest the energy:

A. What if it doesn't sell? - Are you ready to re list, and invest the listing fee again?

B. What if it sells for less than you were hoping?

C. Do you have enough positive feedback to be a trustworthy seller?

D. Can you afford to refund the money back if something unfortunate happens during shipping?

E. Do you have the patience to deal with many emails from potential buyers?

Selling on eBay can be a great way to make extra money. Many people have work at home jobs based on eBay selling.

I strongly recommend anyone who is considering selling on eBay to at least buy something first. That way you can be familiar with the process. You will know from your experience what to do to make buyers more confident in the sale, and hopefully comeback for more!

Selling eBay can also be a great practice for teaching kids about money. From the safety of your home, your kids can learn about customer service, investment vs. reward, and value.

Looking For Extra Money? - Selling on eBay Part 2 - Is it Worth the Money?

2009-10-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

Investors every where will tell you that you need money to make money. So you have to ask yourself, how much money am I willing to invest, in order to make money selling on eBay?

Is it worth the money?

Similar to the time issue, you need to be aware of the costs involved in selling on eBay:

A. Listing fees- eBay charges a basic fee for listing, plus more for any extras

B. Final Value Fee - eBay also charges a small percentage of what your item sells for after the auction closes.

C. Paypal - by far the easiest way to receive money, there is often a charge to the seller from paypal

D. Packaging Costs- If you have to buy boxes or packing materials you should subtract that from your profit to get a true feel for the costs

E. Shipping costs- Yes, the buyer pays for this but you still have to get it there, and many buyers may decide that it costs more to ship something than the item is worth.

F. Insurance costs- The buyer usually pays for this, too, but if something goes wrong during shipping, they will look to you to solve the problem. Many times this may require you to refund the money which equals a loss of item, plus a loss in listing fee.

EBay sends out a monthly invoice that is charged to a credit card (maybe they can do bank direct, too). You have to register this information up front, which may be why they require you to be of a certain age. It is possible that you won't have to put out any money up front, because your sale may cover the costs, but be aware, in case they don't.

EBay has also added a selling bonus. The first five items listed every month are free. you only pay a final value fee if your item sells. This definitely reduces the risk of losing money if your item does not sell.

Looking For extra Money? - Selling on Ebay Part 1 - Is it Worth Your Time?

2009-10-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

A common place for people to turn when looking for extra cash, selling on eBay could solve some cash flow problems. Now, you have to be of a certain age to sell on eBay, but this could be a great place for you to help your kids get some extra cash.

If you have not yet sold anything on eBay, but want to, here are some things to consider before you jump in:

Is it worth your time?

This is a big one, because it takes time. There are many steps to selling, that can make the whole process cumbersome:

A. Preparing your item for sale - washing, gathering, etc.

B. Taking good pictures - pictures are super important

C. Downloading pictures onto computer

D. Researching potential value of your item (really you should do this first)

E. Describing your item -check it over completely for ANY possible flaws

F. Listing Your item - decide starting value, shipping, payment options

G. Packing - over pack items especially breakables

H. Check messages often - good communication is crucial in keeping positive feedback

I. Shipping

Each of these steps may take only a few minutes, but all added up, you may decide that it is not worth your time. I personally don't like to list items that I don't think will sell for less than $10. I only have so many free moments in the day, that it seems a shame to spend them all on eBay.

However, if I have several lower dollar items that are similar, I can do many of the steps at the same time- taking pictures, down loading, researching, describing, etc. eBay makes it simple for you to use one listing as a template to sell other things, so this can make it a snap if you plan to sell many of the same things.

Feeling Rich - #1 We Actually Have a Budget

2009-10-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

And yes, we look at it and compare our spending.

Having a budget doesn't really matter if you never look at it, its not adjusted regularly, or it doesn't match your lifestyle. Here are some basic ways to make budgeting work for you.

Make It Easy. We like to use Quicken software for managing our budget. It is easy to set up, easy to download credit card transactions, and easy to make adjustments. If it is not easy to do, you know you aren't going to stick with it. So start easy, you can always make your budget more complicated later.

Start Right Now. The great thing about a budget is that you can begin immediately. Don't wait for debts to get paid off, the new year, or life to get easier. As you start tracking your spending, you will see patterns. The more information you have, the better.

Make it Flexible. As you notice patterns, it is okay to change your budget. If it doesn't fit your life, you know you won't stick to it.

Review it Regularly. It is good to watch for categories that are out of whack. Sometimes it will have too much money allocated, and sometimes it may not have enough. Know this before it is too late.

Build in a Cushion. Allow for spending to fluctuate each month. Add a small percentage more to each category to allow for any extras. At the end of the year, you can always use that surplus to buy something special or give it away.

Prepare for Long Term Savings Categories. Putting a little bit in a category, like new car, each month will let you afford things before you need them. This way you can track how much you have saved up for an item.

Have some Blow Money. This comes from Dave Ramsey. Everybody needs to have a bit of cash that they can just spend as frivolously as they want. You don't have to track it and you don't have to defend it. You don't even have to spend it.

Miscellaneous Category. This is great for those times when you need something that really doesn't fit into any other category. Like an umbrella. You don't really need an umbrella category, but its not food, or clothes or gas.

Combine Categories. We buy diapers, shampoo, and Dog food at the grocery story. It seems silly for those to have their own category, so we just lump them together in a single grocery category.

Separate Categories. We knew we could cut some money by not eating out, but we wanted to know how much. So we put eating out into the entertainment category instead of a food category. Now we know how much is left for when date night comes along.

Your Budget means Freedom. When you are trying to save money, it is easy to get into a rut of being a tightwad. But having a budget means saying yes to buying what you need and even want, saying no to what you can't afford, and knowing the difference.

Having a budget has meant peace of mind for our family. We have a zero balance budget, which means we write down how much our income is, and subtract all of our expenses until we get to zero. Using a computer program helps us play with the numbers easily so that we can add or subtract here or there to make it work. Because we have a budget, we can prove that it is possible. We know how much we can spend on each thing, and we DON"T HAVE TO WORRY!

Not having to worry about money is the number one thing that makes us feel rich. You don't have to make a lot of money to know that you have enough.

Your kids will learn about how budgeting works by seeing that the family has one and follows it.

Why I Give - Coat Pockets...

2009-10-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

This is the first in a series of Why I Give. Originally published as a call to offering. Some of these posts date back as far as 2004, but I thought they would be interesting to revisit. This is from October 2009.

There are so many reasons to love the fall. The changing colors, autumn harvest, fresh baked apple pie, and, of course, breaking out the winter coats.

What? You ask. Why would anyone love to get their winter coat out?

Well, it’s not the coat exactly. It’s the surprises.

Let me show you. This week in my coat pockets I found:

some Hot chocolate flavored chap stick,
an old grocery list,
a baby pacifier,
a coupon,
a book of matches,
a pair of gloves,
my library card,
a plastic spoon,
a pen, and
$5.

What’s even more amazing, is that I didn’t even pray to find any of this. It was just there. Before I even asked.

I know that God blesses us in so many ways that I don’t even notice. I don’t want to wait all year wondering if I am receiving blessings. I want every day to feel like that first cool day of fall. When I reach into my pocket and find something special. I want to notice all the ways that I am blessed every single day.

And I want to be able to share those blessings.

Please think of all the little or big ways that you have been blessed, just this week.

This has also been linked up to Things I Love Thursdays at the Diaper Diaries, and Tune- up Tuesdays @ Beautiful Calling.

Cleaning Tips - In the Bathroom

2009-09-28T15:32:00.000-07:00

My Bathroom Cleaning Routine has become just that, a routine. I used to spend an hour once a week coughing on cleaning fumes, trying to get my bathroom clean and spotless. Now I spend less than three minutes everyday, and with NO cleaning fumes. That's right. Zero, zip, Zilch.

Let me introduce you to my tools:

The soap - squirted on #2 - Yep, I only use soap to clean the toilets.
The toilet brush - If I swish and swipe every day (or every other day if I get lazy) there is no build up, and no need for strong or expensive chemicals
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser - I use this sponge to scrub down my shower walls - WHILE I AM STILL SHOWERING! It is just another excuse to stay in the hot shower one minute longer. When it gets done at every shower, there is no build up. Amazing. I could probably get away with just soap, but I like how Mr. Clean gets the orange residue off my white grout.
Cleaning Wipes - I just swipe off the counters and then sometimes the toilet seat or maybe the floor, or even the drawer handles. I am just finishing up this free pack that I got with a coupon, and then I will probably go back to the baby wipes with vinegar. I probably could use a wash cloth here, and save some money, but this is my one area where it is just nice to throw it away.
Spray bottle - Just a spritz of water on the mirrors, and they are ready to shine.
Microfiber cloth - wipe down the mirrors and shine up the faucets. I like to use the cleaning wipes on the faucets first, since they tend to be germy, but then I can shine it up with the microfiber cloth.

All of this takes me less than 3 minutes, plus I love what I am teaching my kids about cleaning and money.

You don't have to spend the big bucks on cleaning supplies
You don't have to pay someone to do something that should only take 3 minutes
Sometimes having the right tools makes the difference in doing a good job
Not only can they do this for themselves, but they could do it for pay for someone else
Doing a little bit every day, makes a big job seem small
Sometimes the easier solution actually is the better solution, too: for the environment, pocketbook, and your own health and safety

Thanks to Flylady for the swish and swipe tip and the scrub and tub. they have revolutionized my time in the bathroom.

This tip has been linked in to Works for Me at We are that Family. Check it out for more cleaning tips.

Why We Don't Have a Cell Phone

2009-09-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

This is my Top 10 list of reasons we do not own a cell phone. There are probably a hundred reasons, but I am going to try to stick with just the top 10.

Some times I just don't want to be that accessible I know, I don't have to answer the phone, but then why would I carry it around, if I wasn't going to answer it?

I'm not a very good Mommy while I am on the phone I have a hard enough time trying to pay attention to what my kids are doing while I am on the phone at home, I cannot imagine trying to do that IN PUBLIC!

I tend to like having my time planned better than that People with cell phones tend to do last minute things. They allow themselves to forget stuff, because they can ALWAYS call someone to get what they need. Really, that drives me crazy. I would hate to turn into that.

Cell phones aren't safe This has nothing to do with cancer, or whatever. But you can't rely on your cellphone to be your safety net. What if your battery dies, what if you are out of range, or you don't know where you are. If you have not made a plan, or told someone where you are, because you had a cell phone, you can be putting yourself at risk. (despite the obvious safety benefits of having a cell phone.)

I can't believe how expensive they are. I also can't believe that I didn't mention this until #5. It is amazing how each little gadget adds so much every month. And people still pay it!

They aren't as comfortable to talk on. I would miss being able to cradle the phone under my chin while I did other things.

Cell phone culture is not really something I want to be a part of. You know what I am talking about. You're in the middle of a conversation with someone and they stop talking, check their phone, and then leave. What? Wait a minute? Weren't we just talking? Or worse, they stand there and have their conversation, leaving you completely hijacked.

Or what about cell phones in the car? Just because you may have hands free, does not mean your mind is on your driving. And what about the other people in the car? When there is somebody, anybody, on the phone the radio has to go down, and nobody can talk, because you are always on the verge of losing connection.

I don't like how addictive they are There are always people to call, people calling, new phones to get, new gadgets to have. I am afraid that it won't ever stop, and that good enough will never be good enough.

I worry about what it teaches my kids about money Am I teaching my kids the right priorities about spending time, and spending money. How much emphasis are we putting on convenience?

I write this because our long distance rates went up. Again. So hubby is doing some cost comparisons to see if maybe a cell phone could be cheaper.

I am interested if any of you have cell phones, and if you have tips for how I can fight all of my negative feelings about them. Or if you don't have one, what made you decide against.

This post is linked up to Tune Up Tuesday at Beautiful Calling

I confess...

2009-09-27T19:37:00.000-07:00

We use credit cards.

I know, it's shameful, but it is true. We like the money back rewards that they offer. We also like that we can download our purchases into quicken, which makes it easier to budget and track expenses.

When we were first married, hubby only used cash, and he always needed more. But we had no idea what he was spending the money on. Saving receipts was not a reliable option. So using credit cards has actually made us more accountable to how we are spending money. But this may not be true for everybody.

I also don't feel safe carrying around a bunch of cash in an envelope. Anti-credit card people recommend using a debit card instead of a credit card. But if we have our credit card paid from our checking account, how is that different from a debit card? Maybe I missed that lesson.

We also take advantage of the same as cash offers that different stores offer for making big purchases. We usually have the money in hand, but put it in an interest earning account, until it is due, and then we can pay it off in full.

But paying interest is not one of our budget items. If we had to pay a percentage every month, we would have to have a serious change in our lifestyle to just be able to afford to go into debt. It is so much cheaper to just live debt free.

Some people might consider the fact that we use credit cards as us having debt, so I admit, we are not purists. Maybe some day. I also realize that our kids may be getting a skewed viewpoint about money when they just see us using a credit card at the market or gas station. But it's not like we don't ever use cash. Besides, by the time my kids graduate, we may be on a moneyless system anyway, and this way they will have learned some self-control.

Feeling Rich #2 - Living Debt Free

2009-09-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

I had always wanted to stay at home with my kids when they were born. My hubby and I had been married for 5 years before I got pregnant with our first baby. During those years we were a two income family. My Hubby in all his wisdom put my whole paycheck toward our mortgage. We were able to pay off our house before our baby was born.

We were also lucky enough to graduate from college without school loans. So during the first year after graduation, before the wedding, we were both working and putting money away. So when we found the perfect house, we had a substantial down payment. (Plus it was a pretty good deal)

We are also naturally fairly cheap, so our expenses are generally pretty low. However, we did manage to spend lots of money before our kids were born: new furniture, remodeling our kitchen, cars, and eating out all the time. We never carried a balance on our credit cards. We must have had good training from our parents or something.

Now that we have three kids, having zero debt is absolutely crucial. We only have one salary coming in. My Hubby has chosen to work for a place that he loves and believes in rather than going for the big money job that he doesn't like. Still, we have managed to make sure that our income is greater than our expenses.

I know many people think that it may work for us, but it won't work for them, for whatever reason. What they don't understand, is that we have made this a choice in our lives. We decided that we would say no to things that we might want, so that we can get what we need. We stopped eating out all the time. We stopped buying whatever we wanted, because we wanted something better.

Food Revolution part VII - The China Study

2009-09-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

Now, before I go any further I need to throw out some pretty serious disclaimers.

I am not a dietitian, or a nutritionist. In fact, let me go a bit further and confess that I cheated my way through nutrition in College (please don't tell my MIL who actually is a registered dietitian)! I am in no way an expert.

I also didn't completely read the China Study, I only got through the first to chapters before it was due back at the library. So it might be possible that at the end of the book the author says, "Just kidding, we just wanted to see if you were paying attention" and then publishes different results. But some how, I don't think that is likely.

Now, with that out of the way I want to share how the China study helped us with our food revolution. See, I mentioned that my MIL is a registered dietitian, which means she know stuff about health. And, well, I don't really. I'm a pretty decent cook. I have a good instinct for substituting different flavors, and pairing food combinations that can make your mouth water. But as soon as someone starts talking free radicals and bonding, I can only picture tribal fighting in Africa.

Which makes me feel dependent on people who do know what they are talking about. The trouble is, THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE SAYING DIFFERENT THINGS! I hope you got that I was yelling, because that is how frustrating it can be. I don't know who to listen to, and its my kids health that we are talking about, not just my money.

Believe it or not, reading the China Study helped me relax. Which is unusual, since it makes many people uptight and they drastically change their diet from the extreme worry over cancer that they have submitted their children to previously.

We are big on dairy around here. As babies my kids would have some form of milk (breast, formula or cow depending on their age), yogurt mixed in with something (fruit, cereal, etc.), and generally some form of cheese. My MIL encouraged this because "growing kids and breastfeeding mommies need calcium." But...

Dairy is Scary
You have heard the reports and whether or not you believe them, it still makes you wary. Hormones fed to cows? Diseases?Poor treatment of animals? Puberty arriving sooner and sooner? Food Quality Testing Scandals? Doubling and tripling Prices? May cause Cancer?

What is a mother to do? Well, after reading the China Study I decided that we don't have to drink milk every meal, and that we can get calcium from sources.
Those other sources are usually vegetables, and they are not cheap, and my kids don't like them (yet), but I can make them, and I can offer them, and I don't have to worry.

So what does this have to do with teaching kids about money?

Ignorance is not a good excuse for bad health
I can do a little bit at a time
I can increase the good stuff, even before I decrease the bad stuff
Saving money is not a good enough reason to make poor eating choices
It's never to late to make a good decision

Feeling Rich #3 Coming From Generous Families

2009-09-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

This is part of a series about Feeling Rich. There are past posts #10, #9, #8, #7, #6, #5, and #4 that you can read before I finish off my top ten.

We have been blessed on both sides with parents who have done well. Both sets are working and putting money toward retirement.
My parents are small business owners that have just recently added 2 employees for the first time in 30 years. Yes, even in this slow economy their business is able to grow. My Hubby's folks were recently transferred to the main office, where their job descriptions and salaries grew.
Hubby's folks are concerned about education, so they have been setting money aside each year for our kids' college fund. For Xmas we usually put something creative on our list for them to get us. One year it was gymnastic lessons, another year we did a family membership at the YMCA, and other times we have had swimming lessons. I am thinking that in future years we may ask for music lessons, or memberships to museums.
I know some people are put off by being so blunt about gifts, but this is a win-win for both of us. I know that they don't really like to go shopping, but they want to get something for our family that we will actually use.
We can take pictures of the kids doing their special activities and Grandma and Grandpa can brag to all their friends about what great grand kids they have.
It keeps them in touch with what my kids are into. When they call on the phone, they have something to talk about.
The interest in the gift lasts for more than a day. Because lessons or passes last for months, they feel like they are getting their moneys worth.
We don't have to put it in a yard sale a few months later. The interests of kids can shift so quickly. And when you have too many toys, it is hard to keep up with whatever is the favorite of the day. But if you get a gift that you do, then you won't have to figure out what to do with it when it gets old or broken.
My folks on the other hand do like to shop. So it is a bit more tricky to balance the flow of stuff. I know they buy stuff because they love us, but we really don't need so much stuff. I don't want them to feel rejected if we say no to stuff, so here again I tend to share more specific needs.
My folks like to travel, so we will often go with them, and then they can be as extravagant as they want, because they are spending their money making memories with our kids, instead of making clutter.
They also like to take us out to eat. They know that this is an area that we try to keep tabs on in our own budget, so they feel it is special to be able to treat us everyone in a while.
I try to keep them updated on interests and sizes, so that when my mom finds a great sale, she can get whatever she wants, and knows that my kids will probably like it. I have learned to mostly get just winter stuff for my kids because we live where there is a lot of snow and my folks don't, so we have a different definition of dressing for the cold.
But it wasn't until after reading Gary Smalley's Book about Love Languages that I became more open to accepting all this generosity. Both sets of parents weren't giving us stuff because they thought we really needed it. They gave it because they loved us. Our family has chosen to live more simply than others, but that doesn't mean that we have to reject the gifts of love from our families.
It is also nice to see that our kids have not become spoiled by all this gift giving either. When grandma and grandpa come, they are ready with arms open for hugs, not presents.
This has also made us very thankful. Both families give us things that we wouldn't normally have gotten for ourselves. So when we use the gifts, we feel special and loved, which is the whole point of gifts to begin with.

Food Revolution Part IV - The Juice Wars

2009-09-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

Luckily, for my family, I am cheap. I refuse to pay full price for juice. So, many moons ago, juice was not on sale. So I didn't buy it. That was okay, because I like to stock up when it is on sale, so we had plenty.
But it wasn't on sale the next time either.
Or the next.
And then we ran out of juice.
So you know what we did?
We drank water.
I can hardly believe it myself. I love Juice. My kids LLLLOOOOOVVVVVEEEE juice. What kind of mother does not buy enough juice for her family? What kind of mother makes them drink water?
I'll admit we went through a bit of withdrawal. We kind of quit cold turkey and took a few weeks before my kids stopped asking, "juice, please" with every meal.
There have been several sales on juice since then. I even had a coupon for juice once, and you know what I did with it? I threw it away.
We drink water now.
And we like it.
I had no idea how many benefits there would be by cutting out the juice.

1. Money, money, money ... We have saved at least $5 a week just from juice. I know, its only the cost of one cup of coffee, but still that's more than $20 a month. That $20 equals more than $240 in a year! Just for juice. I could get 3 weeks of real food for that same amount of money.

2. Better health... Now, when cold season comes along I don't have to beg my kids to drink more water. I don't have to add sugar, buy pedialight, or mix in some juice just to keep them hydrated. They drink it all by themselves. Amazing.

3. Less wasted food... Now that juice was not the main entree for lunch, snack, and dinner, my kids actually started eating real food. They were not filling up on the empty calories from juice, so they would still be hungry enough to eat whatever it was we were having for dinner. We started getting requests for seconds on food, and not juice any more.

4. More adventurous... Now that my kids were actually hungry at lunch time, I could introduce them to a wider variety of food. They actually voluntarily tried foods that I could only beg them to look at before.

5. Treats are treats... We still have the occasional juice for special occasions, or when company comes over. My kids get excited, and take their time drinking it, because they know how rare it is.

6. Adding Nutrition... We have started doing more smoothies, which everyone loves. They are even better than juice. They are cold like ice cream, but they are made from actual fruit. And I can add spinach and other goodies that my kids have not quite acquired the taste for. Yet.

7. Cleaner everything... It is so nice to not have to worry about spilled juice on the table, clothes, whatever. If water spills, it is okay, even if we don't clean it up for a while, no problem. And I am not scared to open sippy cups that I find under the backseat of the car, I know it's just water.

I never imagined that cutting out juice would have such a positive effect on our family. I thought I was just being cheap, but it turns out I was making a good decision for my whole family. Who knew? This is how teaching money and improving my kids health works for me.

Graduating Debt Free can be Life Changing

2009-09-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

This is a highlight of a post original published at Good Financial Cents. Click the link to get the full article that I guest authored for Jeff.

Recently I ran into a former student who was at the market with her mom. We were trying to do the two minute catch-up, when her mom mentioned that she had recently gotten her SAT scores back and she was likely going to be a National Merit Scholar. The girl got a bit embarrassed by mom bragging and tried to brush it off. That is when I stopped her to say, “Graduating debt free can be life changing.”

You see, I married a National Merit Scholar, and between generous parents, multiple scholarships and working, we both graduated from college debt free. Our lives have been different from day one.

Choose a job for the fun of it

Choose a job based on location

Choose a job based on your belief in the mission

Save money for down payments

Choose where to live based on Family priorities

Be out of debt faster

Live on less

It’s amazing the choices you are able to make when the decisions are not ruled by interest rates or payment schedules.

I would really love for you to read the complete story over at Good Financial Cents. Maybe someday I will have a chance to share it here.

Feeling Rich #4 Even in a Small House in a Small Town

2009-09-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

This is just a bit of house cleaning. I went back through my archives and realized I never finished this series about Feeling Rich. There are past posts #10, #9, #8, #7, #6, and #5 that you can read before I finish off my top ten count down.

We fell in love with our house the moment we saw it. We had only been married for 3 week. We had just returned from a moving honeymoon from California to small town Michigan. We were ready to buy our first home.

(To read more about our story, I did a guest post about the benefits of graduating debt free over at Good Financial Cents which helps explain some of our decisions on where we chose to live)

The older man who was living alone in this house was moving to an assisted living center. We were young and ambitious and saw the potential in this cute house. We didn't mind that it was 100 years old and had not been updated since 1956. It was close to Hubby's work, and it was the right price. It has the most unique fireplace on the front porch, and some great wood work in the entry.
We didn't, however, notice that there actually wasn't a shower, or a dishwasher, or that the refrigerator was in a different room. We chose to overlook the red and yellow carpet in each bedroom. We were young and ambitious when we imagined how we could transform the olive and gold kitchen
Even though we have easily put $25k+ into this house, we still feel as if we have gotten a great deal. This house has helped us choose a lifestyle that we love.
My Hubby is close to work which has many benefits. He walks/bikes to work which saves gas and commute time. He comes home for lunch, which saves huge money from eating out and time spent waiting. This also gives him time during a lunch break to run errands like the post office, or bank.
Our House is close to the town center. We can easily walk to the library, grocery store, or any of the downtown shops. There are 9 playgrounds within an easy walk or bike ride from our house.

Being centrally located is good for our social life, too. Because our house is close to the downtown, whenever we have friends in town, they often stop by just to say hi. I know this may not be a benefit to everyone, but we love spending time with friends, and not having to leave our house to have fun is just another bonus.
Back in my working days, I used to carpool. One major advantage to where we lived was that my carpool picked me up right from my front door. We didn't have to go to a more convenient meeting place.
We don't have room for more stuff. This really helps keep our expenses low. We can't buy more stuff, cause where on earth would we put it?
Despite its age, our house is easy to heat (hard to cool). We have an open floor plan, with two stories, so when we have our wood stove burning, our house gets nice and toasty. And thanks to our new, more efficient windows, it stays warmer, too.
But here is the major downside. Our house is getting too small. Our house has a kitchen, living room, office (potentially awkward bedroom), 1 1/2 bathrooms, and two bedrooms. Because of our Chalet style roof, we have major storing in our attic and basement.
Right now we have 3 kids sharing one room. Which, I know, for centuries, all around the world, people have been squeezing even more kids into even smaller places. But aren't we living in the 21st century?
So we should get a bigger house, but it isn't just the money that has kept us where we are.

Food Revolution Part V - Dinner Dilemmas

2009-09-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

I finally came to a point where I had to admit that we may not have been eating the best foods. I also had been reading about different vitamins and how your body needs them. And that our bodies may not be getting the vitamins that they need just from the children's chewables. But I hated the fight at the table.

"Please eat more food..."
"If you eat this, then you can have a treat..."
"Just one more bite"
"But you haven't even touched your vegetables"
"I don't think you have eaten enough to be full"

I knew there were some things I needed to accept if my kids were ever going to eat good:

Kids will not starve themselves. If there is food, they will eat it...eventually.
Acquiring a taste may take months and months and months of trying.
Eating at the table is a privilege.
Just licking a food is sometimes the first step.
Encourage quality eating, not quantity eating.
If I don't buy it, we won't see it, and then we don't eat it
Its okay to throw away food
Treats are for Bravery
Kids don't have to eat everything on their plate
They will never eat it if I don't serve it.

So this was a process, one that we took on gradually. It turns out, that I may have been the one holding my family back this whole time. Once I started giving my kids decent food, and then showed them that I expected them to eat it, they did. Truly, it seemed like a miracle.

I was so worried about wasting food, that I was only serving my family food that I knew they would eat. I hated to throw away food, so I would just serve junk. Junk that I had because it was cheap, and not serving good stuff, because I didn't think they would eat it.

Well, now I can see that my motives were all wrong. I was feeding my family to save some money, not grow them up healthfully. I hope nobody was noticing, but I was teaching my kids that money is more important than health.

This post has been linked up with Tune up Tuesdays

Do Your Kids Need Money - 2. Buying Gifts for Others

2009-09-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

"My mom picked it out."

Have you heard that before? From your child, or at a birthday party? It is not usually said with pride and excitement. How kids spend their money on other people is a great indicator for 1. how they feel about that person, or 2. how they feel about money.

Gary Chapman wrote an excellent book about love languages, entitled appropriately The Five Love Languages. Not to give away the ending, but one of the love languages mentioned is Gift Giving. Some people have a gift for this sort of thing.

You may find yourself with a child who loves to give gifts, is willing to spend whatever money he has to buy the best gift possible. Or you may have a child who could care less.

But unless you want your kids to join the countless others who go into debt ever Christmas only to waken to a plastic hangover in January, you will have to teach them...

How to buy gifts for Others

It is okay to set a budget At the beginning of the year, or just a general dollar amount per friend, setting a budget gives a sense of control on how much you can spend.

Do not be controlled by guilt Just because they gave you an expensive gift, does not mean you have to return the favor (or mistake). Stay within your budget.

Be Choosy You don't have to give everyone a gift. Make a list of close friends and family members that will receive gifts. Everyone else gets a card, or a freebie.

Stock up on Freebies or Cheapies Create a stock pile of gifts that would be great for anyone or any occasion. Art supplies from back to school clearance sales, new or like new items from yard sales, gifts that just weren't quite right for you, but might be perfect for someone else.

Encourage Hobbies Homemade cards or gifts are a great way to teach kids that their skills have value. Some kids may feel self conscience giving a gift they made themselves, such as a knitted scarf, but many of those feelings are learned.

Giving an Experience Some of the best gifts can't be opened. Going for a pony ride, having a girls night, or a chance to ride in a big rig may beat a $10 Barbie. Look at what resources you have, and find a way to give of your time, and not just your money.

Mass Production When you find a good deal on something, buy several, and do not be ashamed to give two people the same thing. Whether it is a great recipe for granola, or a copy of a great book you will be glad to get it all done at once.

Plan Ahead Good deals are not found at the eleventh hour, only junk. Keep in mind who you are buying for early in the year, so that when you see something on sale, you can buy it. Just don't hide it in your closet and forget about it until after its too late.

It is good for kids to learn how to do these things for themselves. As your kids earn money, one of the things that they should be saving for is gifts for others.

I know that my kids get way too many presents for Birthdays, Christmas, and its been more than a month since I have seen you so here's a present. Many of the things that my kids want, I tell them they should put it on their Christmas list. So a lot of the money that they earn, could go towards buying things for others.

Even if you don't think your kids are old enough to be earning and spending their own money on gifts, they can practice the act of unselfish giving. When it is time for a little brother or sister to have a birthday, your older child can "shop" from their out grown toys, until they find something that would be just right for their sibling.

My daughter got this bike for Christmas right before she turned 3. My little Prince wanted that bike so bad, despite not being able to reach the pedals.

Fast forward 18 months, and now it is his turn to be 3, and Miss Love knew exactly what she wanted to give him for his birthday. She secretly cleaned the tricycle up, and with mommies help put blue streamers on the sides, and a Lightning McQueen sticker on the back.

TaDa! It had been transformed into his very own race car bike. He was so excited, and Big sister was so proud to be able to give him a gift that she knew he would love, and it was 100% from her.

She didn't have to ask me for any money. She gave from what she already had. She learned that it's not the amount of money spent that counts, it's the amount of love.

And not having to do last minute birthday shopping? That works for me.

Do Your Kids Need Money - 1. Giving Tithe and Offering

2009-09-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

This is part of a series Do Your Kids Need Money? No and Yes

I wrote about the reasons for giving tithe and offering in a previous post: Maybe you should read this first so if you have questions about giving tithe, you can read my rationale, even if you don't go to church.

This post is about why your kids need money for tithe. I am assuming that you believe in giving, if not, check the link above.

The act of giving does not quite have the same impact if it is not your own money. If it is earned, it is not quite as easy to give it away. The lesson comes with the sacrifice.

Kids need to earn their own money, so that they can practice being generous with it. Some kids will naturally be tightfisted with money (or any small object for that matter), while others may easily give it all away. So it is a skill that is taught.

I teach kids to give tithe when they can count objects to ten. Not just say their numbers to ten, but actually do one to one matching while they count. For some kids, they can have it mastered by 3, while others still struggle until they are 6.

The easiest way is to start with 10 pennies. Count each one. And then go back to #1. Say, "#1 belongs to God." Pick it up and put it in a different pile, jar, or envelope. The you can count out #s 2-10 and sort them however you want.

If you have more than 10, you start over at #1. Every time you say 1, you put it in the pile for God. Even if you only have 11 pennies. There would be 2 pennies for God, and 9 pennies for everything else. If you want to start counting at #2 when you count the next time, you can, but I have never found it possible to give God too much.

But something happens in that little heart when he takes out the money that he has earned with his own two hands, and gives it away without getting anything in return.

It would be easier to just grab some change, or a loose dollar bill from your wallet to give to your kid for when that offering plate comes by, but we didn't sign on to this job because it was the easy job, now did we?

We are teaching our kids about more than just money, we are teaching an attitude of gratitude.

Find more stories of gratitude @ gratituesday with heavenlyhomemakers.

Do Your Kids Need Money - The Hard Answer

2009-08-31T11:28:00.000-07:00

Yes.
Your kids need their own money. Even fairly young children need their own money. They need it mostly for practice, since legally, parents are financially responsible for their children until a certain age. Money is for more than just buying candy, though.

Here is my top ten list for what kids need money for:

Giving Tithe and Offering
Buying gifts for others
Buying stuff that they want
Doing things that they want to do
Paying fines
Hiring out help
Replacing things that get broken.
Buying clothes
Buying food or paying to have it made
Paying rent or utilities
Paying Taxes
Paying for transportation

Okay so this was more than 10!

As your kids get older, you will decide when to add responsibilities to their list. Some parents choose to pay for all of these things until their kids move out, while others may have their kids take on a portion of this list each year until they are doing all of it. I will go into more detail on each of these later

Do Your Kids Need Money - The Easy Answer

2009-08-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

No.
Your kids need food, shelter, and love. They can't eat money, it won't protect them from the elements, and it can't kiss them good night.

Now with that said, we can get down to the basics. Unless you plan on your kids living with you the rest of their lives (nothing against those grown kids who do), there will come a time that your kids will discover that having money makes getting those necessities much easier. Well, except for the love, of course. Money can sometimes make that one harder to get...

It is however humanly possible to go your whole life without earning a cent. There are many tribes in Papua New Guinea who have never seen a paycheck, let alone a dollar, but I am going to assume that you live in a society that does actually trade money for goods and services.

That does, however, make things more complicated. So next time we are going to look at the not so easy answer.

I'll give you a hint ...It starts with a Y and ends with an S.

Book of the Week - Corduroy

2009-08-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

Corduroy

by Don Freeman

Quick Synopsis
Corduroy is a bear for sale at a department store. He has lost a button, so he goes on an adventure to find his lost button after the store has closed. The night watchman returns Corduroy to the toy department in time for him to be bought by Lisa. This classic book can still be found at most major book stores and libraries.

Using this book to teach kids about money

First, I like to imagine that Lisa got a discount on Corduroy, since he was missing a button. The book doesn't actually say so, but this would be a great time to teach that little lesson.
I like what Lisa's mom teaches about delayed gratification. She wanted Lisa to wait until they got home to see if she had enough money.
What a great example to show how Lisa was willing to wait before she bought Corduroy. There are no tantrums or whining.
I also like to emphasize how Lisa had to go home and count her money to see if she had enough of her own to buy Corduroy.
Lisa paid cash for Corduroy. I know this book was written before credit cards were so prevalent, but that doesn't mean that you can't teach the lesson that it is always better to buy something with money that you actually have, rather than buying it on credit.

Isn't it great that such a classic book can still have lessons to teach to the next generation?

This post has been linked up with http://www.wearethatfamily.com/

Food Revolution part IV - Confession Time

2009-08-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

This is part of a series about how money and its effcts on our food or choices. You can start here, or from the Beginning, Part II, or Part III.

So I realize that I sound like someone who has always enjoyed eating good food, and its is just a matter of teaching my kids healthy, yet frugal eating habits. This is so not the case. I have been on a journey of my own, mostly begun by my desire to have kids that make good food choices.
This is where I have come from:

I am not eating that. I don't care if you bought it with your own money, fixed and prepared it on your own time. I am not going to eat it.
Okay, I will try a bite as long as it doesn't have: zucchini, or any other squash, tofu, onions, cooked greens, bell peppers, or, of course, meat.
Sure I'll try it, just don't tell me what is in it.
Really? It's good for you? Are you sure? (Minimum 3 different sources)
If you make it, I will eat it, but I will not pay good money for it.
I will buy it, but I won't make it from scratch, it is too much work.
I don't think we can afford to buy that kind of food anymore.
Okay, okay, I will experiment with some cooking from scratch, after all it is way cheaper.
Here try this, it is so good for you and easy to make.

The funny thing is that this is the process that I require for each food. Though with every food it does get a bit easier.

My current hang up is home made bread. My mother in law has been making us bread occasionally for years. It was very good for you. The first couple years we gave it away to other people, because neither my husband nor I would eat it. Then we started using it when making meatloaf or other such recipes. Then we started giving it to our kids. Recently we discovered that it was pretty good toasted with lots of butter. It wasn't until this last month that I was honestly thankful when she gave us a loaf. I just need to practice slicing it.

That saying "best thing since sliced bread" is too true. I will not consider homemade bread conquered until I can buy the ingredients, knead the dough, bake the bread and slice it ALL BY MYSELF.

I'm giving myself at least a year on this one, maybe more.

I'm also hoping that eventually I will teach my kids that paying for sliced bread is silly, when you can do it yourself. Some day...

This is linked in with Tune up Tuesday with Beautiful Calling

Food Revolution Part III - Changing bad Habits

2009-08-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

When we were first married, my hubby and I could easily spend $150 on groceries every week for just the two of us. I have no idea what we used to buy, but we shopped every week. When we found out we were expanding our family, we knew there were some serious budget issues we needed to work out.
#1 we needed one
#2 making a grocery list really helped us follow said budget
Its funny to think how simple those two steps were in helping us save money. Just telling ourselves that we needed to limit how much we bought, actually helped us limit how much we bought. Amazing!
I think most of our original grocery bill was spent on money that we just threw away. Sour cream that expired before we used it, leftovers that never made it back to the table. I used to think I was a frugal shopper, too. When there was a sale on stuff, we would stock up. but then it would turn out that we didn't really prefer that brand, and then we would have to find somebody to give it to.
Now we have 3 kids and since we have started using cloth diapers (we used to include diapers as a grocery item, since we bought them at the same time) , we can easily spend about $80 a week on groceries. We more than doubled our family size and yet halved our grocery expenses.
But it didn't happen over night.
Now, I think it is fun to watch my daughter make her own "grocery list" before we leave for the market. I am so glad that I have taught her this food and money habit before she got married and had kids of her own and had to learn it the hard way.

Feeling Rich #5 We Have the Best Neighbors Ever

2009-08-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

One of the things most overlooked when people are looking at houses, neighbors are even more important than property taxes.

I know many people like their neighbors, but I don't think anyone has better neighbors than us. Being friends with our neighbors has allowed us to live even more frugally and yet still feel rich.

We trust our neighbors, so that if we need to have someone watch our kids in a pinch, we don't have to pay outrageous drop-in prices at the day care.

We watch their kids sometimes, too, so that we don't feel like we are always taking, taking, taking.

Our Neighbors have every tool imaginable. When we need to use something, they offer it to us, or we ask.

It also makes us more generous, because when we have a tool that for some reason they don't have, we offer it.

We try to trade work. Our neighbor is downright obsessive about keeping the snow off his drive way. The snow can still be falling, and he is out there with his snow blower clearing his driveway. And this winter we have had a lot of snow. When he finishes their driveway, he comes over and does ours. His wife says that he just likes the excuse to use his toys. Either way, we are extremely thankful to not have to be out there in the cold. Though it does make us feel guilty. So in the summer, when the days are long and so is the grass, my husband can get on the riding mower that we have and do both of our lawns in half the time it takes our neighbor to do just his with a walking mower.

We can borrow the proverbial cup of sugar. This saves us a trip to the store. Which saves us on gas (though we are close enough to walk), time, and temptation (to buy more than what you need).

We spend time together. See 6. We are easy to Entertain. Because they live next door, we can have "an outing" without actually having to go anywhere. Sometimes we grill, or just watch the kids on the swing set.

We take advice from our neighbors. Our neighbors can recommend the best deals for remodeling, lawn care or tree service.

We watch each others' houses. We live in a fairly safe neighborhood, but still it is nice to know that there is someone keeping an eye on things while we are gone.

It's nice to be able to live next to people that are friendly. It would be much more tempting to move, if we didn't like who lived next door to us.

It also inspires us to try to be nicer neighbors in return.

These are also great lessons for our kids, both about being good neighbors, and about money.

Food Revolution Part II

2009-08-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

It didn't take us long to figure out that a diet of Juice, yogurt and fishy crackers was not healthy for a growing little girl. She was growing out of baby food, but was not exactly gobbling up vegetables from the table.
Baby food has such a limited selection of vegetables anyway, and here comes another confession, we didn't really eat many vegetables ourselves. As Mommy and Daddy we were setting a terrible example, unless, of course, you count peas as a vegetable, and don't forget tomato sauce on pasta and pizza.
I didn't even bother making vegetables, or other healthy options, because I was sure nobody would eat it. So why waste the food, the time, the energy, and of course, the money? Instead, I found the most delicious juice ever invented: V8 fusion. This amazing juice tastes so good, and it is good for you because it has a full serving of fruits and vegetables in every glass. Do I sound like commercial? I probably was, because after I discovered this new juice, I told everyone I knew how great it was, "We don't worry about Miss Love eating vegetables, she drinks V8 fusion, so she gets all the vegetables she needs." I can't believe I actually said that out loud to other people.

There was one major catch, okay several: V8 Fusion is expensive. It is also so filling that she started eating even less actual food. It is also, so sweet that it doesn't resemble many of the fruits and vegetables that are inside.

What were we teaching our daughter about nutrition and money:
1. The quickest way is best.
2. Solutions can be bought.
3. Don't waste money on teaching good habits

Hide This Verse in your Heart - Proverbs 16:8

2009-08-07T17:02:00.000-07:00

Better is a little with righteousness than great income with injustice.
Proverbs 16:8

It is totally against our culture to be happy with just a little. So often society pressures us to believe that more is better, no matter the cost.

This is what I like to call a Daniel moment, where your life, or lifestyle is the witness. You will be communicating your values to not just neighbors, but to your own kids as well.

Now this verse speaks about honesty and integrity with money. Unfortunately this is a lesson that is more easily caught than taught. Having integrity is a condition of the heart, and it involves more than just money. Here are some examples of every day choices that you can make that will build integrity into your kids.

1. Read the directions Just taking the time to read posted signs will show your kids that you care about doing the right thing.

2. Follow the directions I listed this separately because just reading the directions is not enough. You have to show your kids that you are actually making decisions based on what you have read.

3. Watch your exaggerating I know how easy it is to stretch a story. My family's motto has always been "based on a true story." But being careful to stick to the facts when retelling a story will go a long way to communicate how important honesty is.

I am sure that there are many other ways that you can be a good example, but when it comes to examining your own actions and heart, you have to just take it a few steps at a time.

Just Ask

2009-08-05T15:51:00.000-07:00

Hooray, we have arrived in California after a 5 day road trip. And let me say how nice it is to sleep in a good bed with a good pillow, and no more fast food! Well, we are still on vacation, staying at my folks until after "The Wedding", so eating out will be on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

Being Vegetarians, I feel like our fast food options are limited anyway. I packed PB & J, and even some cup of noodle soups, so that we could picnic at the various parks along the way. MickyD's has the most playlands, but they have zero veggie options. So we were all excited to find a Panda Express when we hit Sparks, Nevada last night.

My kids LOVE Asian food. And Panda Express has some decent vegetarian options. Fired Rice, Chow Mein and steamed veggies. Although I admit that my kids decided that the steamed broccoli was a "brave" food, and that they were only eating it because they were brave. Then I saw the string beans. They were really part of a string bean chicken dish, but I knew that Big G would go crazy over them. So I asked.

That's right I just asked the lady behind the counter if we could have some of the string beans with our steamed vegetables. She said, "Without the Chicken?"

I said, "Yes."

And she says, "How's that?" and places a nice scoop of steamed string beans on my plate, no charge.

So I said, "Thank you, that's perfect." Which made her smile, like I had given her the best compliment of the day.

I know that businesses are reasonable, and they want to make customers happy. What I requested was totally a favor, they could have said no, or they could have charged me. I hope that my kids learn that satisfying customers is a good business model. It only cost them an extra sale of $1.25, but I will definitely go back, and even recommend it.

More importantly, I want my kids to learn to just ask. It is worth the money to find a compromise. Don't be shy, or demanding.

This is advise that can be applied in so many situations. And it's a good habit to get into, if you want to save the big money.

This post is linked to Works for me Wednesday @http://www.wearethatfamily.com/

Feeling Rich #6 We are easy to entertain

2009-07-30T19:10:00.000-07:00

Remember those days when you could give a kid a card board box and they could entertain themselves for hours? I hope that when it comes to teaching my kids about money, they will have already developed these habits just from watching us.

The Joys of cheap entertainment:

We like to play games. See 7. Cheap friends

We like to go to museums. See 8. Go Ahead and Buy the Pass

We like to go to parks, the library, and our local YMCA (the first two are generally free. The YMCA was not necessarily free, but it was our Xmas present from Grandma and Grandpa, so we are determined to at least get their money's worth)

Yes, we have our favorite shows. We even invite friends over to watch favorites together.

We have a regular babysitter. She is a friend from our church, who not only loves our kids, but wants to watch them for us, for free.) Sometimes we kid swap with other people, so that they can have cheap nights out, too.

We take advantage of FREE POPCORN night at our local movie theater. It is almost as good as the 2 for $5 night on Mondays. (Which we would do, but our sitter is not available on Mondays) Cheap theaters are only one benefit of living in a small town. See 4. We live in a small house in a small town.

We also look for matinee or reduced price seating for shows and ballets that we are interested.

Our local college and High Schools also put on quality shows, and we like to support them whenever possible.

Our local sports team also has discount nights to encourage attendance. We keep these marked on our calendar, so we know what is going on.

We read the local small town newspaper. This usually has good information on local events, fairs, festivals and fundraisers.

We subscribe to e-newsletters to our favorite places, so that we can get updates on special events happening in our area.

We include eating out as part of our entertainment budget. Many people put this in the food category, but since we are perfectly capable of cooking our own food, going to a restaurant is for entertainment, and not nutrition.

We plan outings in advance to take advantage of cheap options when going to the city, i.e. train v. parking; packing a lunch v. buying; using coupons, passes or free days; bringing plenty of snacks so you can choose what you want to splurge on.

Our kids are at the age that they enjoy play groups or story times, like the free ones at the library, book stores, local schools or churches.

We have a Hobby night in our weekly schedule for everyone to work on their own personal hobby. I enjoy scrapbooking, my husband likes to draw and build high end audio equipment, my daughter likes to draw, and my two sons like to play with model trains. (okay, really, its Thomas the Tank Engine) This way we can all be doing what we love, sort of together, and see what each other is working on.

What are some cheap ways that you like to entertain your family?

Our Food Revolution

2009-07-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

Now I know that this blog is technically about money, and not food, but so many of our choices are motivated by money, that I wanted to share our food journey with you.

I am embarrassed to admit how far we have come on this journey. I cringe when I think about being awake at 2AM with my two year old daughter trying to get her to eat fishy crackers.

I want to blame this one on the doctors. The ones that looked at a perfectly healthy little girl that had been on the 5th percentile since the moment she entered this world, and they decided that she needed to gain weight. I say they, because due to circumstances beyond our control, we had to switch doctors a couple times. I am also ashamed to admit that I switched doctors for totally selfish reasons, driving distance and our doctor moving away, rather than good reasons, like maybe I should get a second opinion. Anyway, THEY kept saying she needs to gain weight, you will need to bring her back here for a weight check, maybe you should increase her fat intake. And on and on. It's enough to make any new mom worry. And I did.

Money was not our motivation, getting our daughter's weight up was. Looking back now, I can see that her health, or teaching her good habits must not have been very high on our list. We just gave her whatever she would eat, whenever she would eat. If she refused to eat, we would search the cupboard to find something, anything, to get her to eat.

Let me just say, that we created a monster. Luckily, she is a good girl, and we didn't have the screaming tantrums that we were asking for. But we were able to manage teaching her how to be a picky eater. All she wanted was juice, fishy crackers, or yogurt.

It is exciting to see how far we have come. Now my kids aren't quite to the point of independently choosing the healthiest option, but at least we are headed in the right direction. I am also more aware of how our food and eating choices teaches my kids about money, and health, and finding a balance between them.

I will share more of our journey in a future post. In the mean time, I would love to hear your stories of things you cannot believe you have let your kids eat.

Teaching Kids About Money - Blog Hop '09

2009-07-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

I love reading blogs about new ideas. I have learned so many new things, and it encourages me to be a better mom, wife, christian, friend, and earthling. I love kids, money, and teaching; so I have turned all those passions into my blog about teaching money to kids. I believe that we are ALWAYS teaching kids about money. But I want to help you to be aware of what it is they are learning, and maybe give you some ideas that can help you be proactive. Parenting on purpose. So check out my posts and stick around for a comment or two.

What will you find here? I will share with you what has worked for us, or other true stories, a cheesy money joke, a verse to hide inyour heart, sometimes a recipe or activity, a story book, or even a review of my favorite things - all with the sole purpose of teaching kids about money.

I am so glad you have come.

Cheesy Money Joke

2009-07-26T11:36:00.000-07:00

Knock, Knock
Who's there?
Ken
Ken, who?
Ken who lend me a dollar till next week?

I warned you that it was cheesy, didn't I?

This could be a good conversation starter to warn kids about the many people who may ask them for money. Friends, family or even complete strangers may target kids, especially if they are shown to be good with money. Practicing with your kids ahead of time, so that they know what to say will help them not be taken advantage of, or get into a tough pattern with friends.

Feeling Rich #7 Cheap friends - Worth More than Gold

2009-07-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

Honestly, nothing saves us more money than having equally cheap friends. I also love what it teaches my kids about money. We spend time with people who have similar values and standards. Here are my ABC's of great friends:

At home. Staying with kids would be nearly impossible without the network of other friends who are also trying to stay at home. We can still have the social interactions without having the huge commute.

Borrowing. It would seem silly to buy a tool when I know that a friend has a perfectly good one. This is reasonable, because I know that our friends would also borrow from us.

Competition. Or lack of it. It is so nice to have Friends that are not trying to brag about jobs or buys that you can't compete with. When they ask, it is because they are interested, not just looking for ways to compare.

Deals. You know you have a good friend when they call and tell you about a deal that they just saw on something you want or need. Nothing says I love you more than "I saved this coupon for your favorite chips for you."

Entertaining. We love to play games. And even more, we love to play games with friends. The double bonus is that we can spend time together and it costs nearly nothing.

Food. Why is so much social time spent around food? Luckily having cheap friends means that they don't mind eating at home, cooking together, or pitching in for pizza.

Gifts. The joys of cheap friends means no pressure to buy gifts that you can't afford. Practical is so much more...practical.

Help. My husband and other Dads formed a co op group that would trade work once a month on Sundays. Let me tell you that us wives encouraged it as much as possible. A bunch of guys coming over to work on a honey-do list. Sign me up! I will make breakfast, do laundry, you name it.

Ideas. We have gotten so many money saving ideas from our friends. We ask them about cheap people to do windows, or fun places to go with kids. We take their opinions seriously, because we know they share similar values that we do.

Okay, that's all I've got for now. If you have more ideas, I would be happy to add them to my list.

I Hope It's in the Genes

2009-07-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a successful trip at the blueberry patch with Auntie and Grandma. My husbands family has a long history of picking from this field, and Grandma was giving telling us stories in the car on the return trip.

Her Grandpa, my Kids Great-great-grandpa was well known for being quite good with money. She was telling about a trip his family had taken to visit some friends in Kansas.

Apparently this family was quite well to-do, selling grain elevators to the nearby farms. Because of the tough times in those days, this family wanted to treat all the kids at the local store. So they gave each kid a nickel and told them to get whatever they wanted. The other kids ran to the candy counter and had little baggies filled with candy. Great-great grandpa instead went over to the shelf and picked out a beautiful vase. He wanted something that he could keep and reuse.

This same great-great-grandpa spent a whole summer when he was twelve years old picking strawberries for a nearby farm. At the end of the summer he spent all of his earnings on a bedroom set. Not your usual choice for a boy of 12! He had taken seriously the admonition that a young man must plan ahead for the future.

Now, Grandma, who saves EVERYTHING, not only still has the vase and the bedroom set, she also has these great stories to pass on to my kids.

I like what this teaches my kids about money, and I like how this teaches my kids about money. Every family has a money story or two, why don't you find one to keep on hand for when your kids need a distraction. They will love to hear about when mommy or grandma was a little girl.

And here's the world's easiest Blueberry syrup recipe:

3 c. Blueberries

2/3 c. light corn syrup

dash of salt

Put all ingredients in a blender, cover and run on "liquid" setting until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let boil 5 minutes, constantly stirring.

Serve warm over waffles, pancakes, or even ice cream!

Makes 3 1/2 cups. You can also chill this and reheat it for later

Hide This Verse in Your Heart - Jeremiah 29:11

2009-07-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to hurt you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

Okay I admit it. This is my favorite verse in the Bible. The promise mentioned hear just speak to me in so many ways. I would like to share how I have been blessed by this verse, especially with money, and teaching that to my kids.

For I know...says the Lord. Isn't it great that we get this promise from an all powerful God?
For I know - He doesn't just think it, or guess it, He KNOWS it!
For I know the plans - I am so glad that our God has my crazy life figured out, because I know I sure don't.
the plans I have for you - what amazes me, is that he has a different plan for each of us.
Plans to prosper you - what? God wants me to prosper? I could live with that.
and not hurt you - So I should stop blaming him when things don't go the way I want?
plans to give you hope - But if God has plans to give me hope, what possibly could I worry about? What would I do with all that extra time, if it is not spent worrying?
and a future - If God has plans for my future, then why am I spending so much time trying follow my own plans for the future.
give you hope and a future - He's going to just give it to me? I don't have to be extra good and earn it?

That last point is what I want to focus on for teaching money to our kids. NO matter how much we save (or don't save), whether it be money, energy, time, or the environment, God still has plans for us, to give us hope and a future.
It gives me peace to know that God has a plan, but it also is relieving to know that there is not enough money in the world to earn His love. It is a free gift.
So when my kids watch their Daddy going to work, and their Mommy looking for coupons, I want to teach them that God has a plan. And that's what we do here.

Book of the Week - Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

2009-07-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

Kids of all ages will love this book, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett. You can find this book at any major bookstore, or check it out from your local library. This book was also featured in the Cheerios Spoonful of Stories campaign to give every child a book of their own, and came free in the cereal box.

Quick Synopsis

The small town of Chewandswallow doesn't have grocery stores or gardens. They get all of their food from the weather. They don't know what will be for breakfast, lunch, or dinner until the weather man gives his forecast.

Wild things start to happen in the town when the weather starts bringing wacky food, and the townspeople have to escape for their lives!

How to Teach Money to Kids With this Book

Usually teachers turn to this book when they are teaching a lesson on weather, but I think they are overlooking a great resource when it comes to teaching kids about money and food sources. Now, of course, this is a silly book about where we our food comes from. But it is the perfect book for starting the discussion.

Just as silly as it is to think of our food falling from the sky in a hurricane, so is assuming that our milk only comes from a carton, or even that pineapples grow nearby. This may lead to some fun exploring with your kids to find out where some of their favorite foods come from.

Knowing where your food comes from is an early step in the journey of making good choices about food and money. Discovering that the ingredients for favorite meals, like macaroni and cheese for example, have traveled many miles, from several different places may help kids see how it could be cheaper to make your own.

Cutting grocery costs is one of the most popular ways of trying to save money when families are trying to get (or stay) out of debt. It is also the area most visible to kids. They see the choices that you are making, and having them be part of the discussion, teaches them about money.

Which is what we are all about here.

Sony pictures has made a movie about this book, liberally interpreted it looks like from the trailer, but still a lot of fun. You can check it out here:

http://www.cloudywithachanceofmeatballs.com/

For more Things I Love Thursday fun, hop over to http://www.thediaperdiaries.net

Feeling Rich #8 Go Ahead and Buy the Pass

2009-07-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

Buying Membership passes are a win-win for everybody. Despite their great value, I know that membership passes are a luxury that many cannot afford.

This is exactly why a museum/garden/center pass is at the top of our Christmas (or birthday) list!

This is such a great idea for grandma and grandpa, because:

they know that we will use it,

we won't just put it in a yard sale (or the trash) later,

when they come to visit they have something to do together, and

they have ideas of what to talk about on the phone to keep everyone feeling connected.

Now some may not have the same generous family that we do, and there have been some years that we made the decision that it was worth it to say no to some extras, so that we could save up for the pass. Here are some reasons why:

There is nothing more fun than cheap entertainment Most memberships can be paid for within three visits. So, the more you go, the more you have saved.

Getting your moneys worth By owning a pass, you may be more likely to go often. Since you have already paid to go, you can drop in for little trips, rather than trying to make a whole exhausting day of it.

Support Your Community Your membership does more than just get you in the door. It also supports the museum /garden/center that is a valuable part of your community.

Many centers do more than just entertain its patrons. They are often resources for schools, scouts, retirees, and more.

Your membership dollars at work When you purchase a membership, you help the center budget for the year. It can count on a certain number of dollars for the year or season, and can invest in new programs based on its guaranteed memberships.

Also, many museums or centers can apply for certain grant monies if they reach a regular level of community memberships.

It will make you smarter Regardless of the size of the museum or center that you go to, the more often you go, the more you will learn. You will find something new each time you go. Besides, what else are you going to do, watch TV?

Make new friends When you go to a museum often, you will discover the joys of making museums friends. Those people that you see almost every time you go.

Save Money Besides the discount on the visit itself, many memberships also include a percentage off gift shop or concession purchases.

Membership has its privileges By joining one museum, you may be joining a reciprocating list of museum/gardens across the country. Your paid pass will get you in for free or at a reduced price to other places when you travel.

Put your money where your heart is By purchasing a pass to an aquarium, zoo, garden, etc. you are telling them that you support their mission. You are becoming a part of the process that may save endangered species, the rain forest, or the arts.

We are also teaching our kids that there is value in knowledge. Money isn't just for getting more and more stuff. Money can also be used to learn, do or see new things.

This post is linked to http://lifeasmon.com/

A Verse to Hide in your Heart

2009-07-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people.

Colossians 3:23 NCV

This verse has so many lessons in it for us, and for our kids:

IN all the work -So yes, that means while you are actually doing the work

In ALL the work - not just the work you like

In all the work YOU are doing - Okay Moms and Dads this verse is for us too, not just the kids

work the BEST you can - we are being called to do better than the every one else

work the best YOU CAN - don't beat your self up, if you can't do it perfect.

work as if you were doing it FOR THE LORD- make you work be an act of worship, remembering that we have been called to be servants of all.

NOT FOR PEOPLE - while our work can be done as an example and a ministry to others, we do our work, because we love the Lord, not because we are being watched by our neighbors.

So teaching our kids to be happy helpers involves many things, but what does it teach them about money?
I would like to exchange just one word in this verse to help focus this on our lesson.

In all the work that you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you are doing it for the Lord, not for MONEY.

Having integrity in your work comes from your motivation, and it all starts here.

TILT- Investments that pay Dividends, a.k.a. Perenials

2009-07-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

I love Perennials.

1. I love that I never have to plant them again.

2. I love that they come back every year.

3. I love that they multiply on their own.

4. I love that somebody else planted the peonies years before we even bought the house, and yet we still have beautiful flowers every year.

5. I love that we have so many flowers that I can have fresh ones for the whole season.

6. I love that I can cut them and give them away.

7. I love that I can dig them up and split them to share with someone else.

8. I love that I can also sell them.

9. I love that I got them free from a friend.

10. I love that investments can be beautiful.

11. I love that perennials are a tangible investment, that I won't lose if CEOs get greedy.

12. I love that my raspberry and strawberry investments are also good for me, and not just my pocketbook.

13. I love that I can teach my kids about investments with something that they can see, touch, and taste.

These are the thirteen things that I love about perennial fruits and flowers. They are an excellent source for teaching kids about money, and that's what we do here.

For more Thursday Fun head over to http://%20thediaperdiaries.net./

Feeling Rich #9 We Only Need One Car

2009-07-06T12:28:00.001-07:00

The key to only needing one car is to actually decide that you don't need two cars. This is more than semantics. I want to share with you some of the benefits that we have found by being a single car family:

Lower Our Expenses When you figure the purchase price, insurance cost, gas, and up-keep, having a second car would significantly affect our bottom line.

Go Ahead and Buy the Bike When we had two cars, getting a motorcycle seemed like a mid-life crisis move for my husband. But when we got rid of the second car, the motorcycle was suddenly a practical purchase, and one that Hubby thought was a just a dream.

Make Driving More Deliberate We have to schedule our lives more to make sure we don't have conflicting appointments. And one person does all the errands all at once, instead of splitting them up.

Learn to Share We have become more generous with offering rides to other people, because we know how nice it is to get a ride with someone else. We try not to be the ones always asking for rides, so we pay it forward by giving rides whenever we can.

Stop Trying to Keep up with the Joneses It is okay to say no to things, and not having a car is and excellent excuse to get started. We have had to be more selective with our time. Say no to some extra curricular activities, say no to a second car, say no to spending all your time in your car.

Get to Know more People You can carpool with complete strangers or you can catch a ride with friends. Either way, you are going to get to know them better. Even if you are not much of a talker, you will still learn new things, like, what do they listen to, do they eat in their car, are they clean freaks or short-tempered.

Walk We have gotten to know our community better by walking around it. We shop and entertain ourselves locally, and have discovered some new parks andplaygrounds that are within biking distance.

Save the Environment We actually drive less (not to mention the exercise you might actually get)

Have less Stuff Because we only have one car (actually it's a mini-van), we don't need that one more thing. You know what I am talking about. That extra umbrella, for the extra car, two sets of car seats, just in case. Or the air fresheners, or the maps, and sun glasses that get collected, because you want to have a pair in each car.

Now we happen to live in a great small town near my husbands work. I get to keep the car with me while he walks or bikes to work. We used to have a second car (really it was a jeep, but my two year old will not be reading this, so we don't have to be picky) , and once we sold it, we have never looked back.

We have gotten questions about how we do it, the most common being: What do you do if you have an emergency, and your car is gone? Well really the answer is simple. If we have an emergency, we call 911 just like everybody else. We also have friends and neighbors that live close by that we can depend on if something major, but not life threatening happens.

But now the question is What are we teaching our kids about money?

1. We don't need everything

2. Sometimes, going with out is okay

3. The best way to be prepared for the worst is to invest in people, not things.

Find more ways to make do at http://annkroeker.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/make-do-mondays-make-do-mousepad/

Book of the Week - One Grain of Rice

2009-07-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

The Book

One Grain of Rice By Demi
Can be found at your local library or any major book store. (We got our copy through the scholastic school book ordering program, which is a great way to get paperback books at an extremely good price. Even if you don't have kids in school, this is a good resource worth checking into your local school to see if you can join their order. Teachers get points to use the points to get books for their classroom.)

Quick Synopsis

A little girl saves her hungry people from a greedy rajah by being smart. She takes a moment of serendipity and turns it into an even greater opportunity and teaches everyone a lesson at the same time. The Rajah in all his greed willingly grants the girl a simple reward. Even though the girl ends up with all of the rice, she is not greedy in return and the Rajah learns his lesson.

How to Teach Kids About Money

For even little kids, they will understand how the greedy rajah loses all of his rice. This also teaches a great lesson on how the girl could have been greedy and taught the rajah a lesson, but instead she shared with everyone. The girl was able to recognize when she had enough, which is more than the rajah was able to do.
As kids get older they will be able to grasp the wonders of compounding interest. This story does an excellent job of giving a visual example of what can happen when you save. Now you will have to be clear that interest in a bank does not compound daily like the rice in a story. And you will be lucky if you can find a bank that will give you the same percentage of return, but it is a great example of a concept that may be hard for some to grasp.
The One Grain of Rice could easily be used to share how important saving even the smallest amount of money can be.

Here is a recipe for a rice salad that is perfect for a summer time treat and companion for this book:

Summer Time Rice Salad

1. Combine in a large bowl:
6 Cups Fresh Torn Spinach
2 Cups Cooled Cooked Wild Rice
1 Cup Green Grapes Cut In Half
1/4 Cup Sunflower Seeds

2. mix and then pour over:
1/4 Cup White Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Pure Honey
2 Teaspoons Fresh Basil
Pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper

3. Sprinkle on top:
1 Cup Raspberries
2 Oranges Peeled And Sectioned

4. Serve as a side dish or a main course salad

(your favorite oil and vinegar dressing can be substituted for step #2)

Check out more ideas at WFMW at We are That Family.

Please share comments. I always love to hear what people think.

Give it Away, Give it Away, Give it Away Now

2009-06-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

Making Room In Your Life, So That You Can Have One

Tithing isn't the only way to give stuff away. When you have come to that point where you can say enough, then there are many ways to get rid of stuff. If you need tips on how to declutter your house, check out Flylady.net.
Here are some great outlets for your unloved, or unused goodies:

1. Return It! If it is still new, take it back to the store. Some stores are even relaxing their return policy so that you can return things without a receipt. And store credit to buy something you really want is better than hanging onto something you don't.

2. Regift it. It's really not that ugly of a word. If you know someone who really would like it, then it is not tacky. It seems silly to spend $20 at a store, when the perfect gift is in your declutter pile.

3. Sell it on EBay. This takes more time, and you have to decide if it is worth it. Items have to be in good working condition, and valued at more than a couple dollars. You could end up spending more time and money on fees and maintenance than the item is actually worth. But they have just relaxed their selling costs, so it may be worth a try.

4. Check out Etsy.com This is for antique or handmade items only. Supplies to hand make items also qualify. But listings last longer so the value for your time may be increased.

5. List it on Craigslist This is especially good for large, hard to ship items. It is similar to an online want ad.

6. Consignment Stores A great outlet for kids toys and clothes. Many times they will give you cash on the spot for items that you bring in.

7. Freecycle.org If you just want to get rid of the stuff, people will come to your house and pick it up. The catch is it has to be free, and it is strange people coming to your house, and you have to choose one person out of the many emails to deem worthy of your junk.

8. Goodwill, Salvation Army, NuWay, Etc. Feel good about helping others out with your donated items. You can also claim fair market value on your taxes.

9. Trade your items on Zwaggle or Swaptree Get points for things you give away and then use the points to acquire other items form the site. The big catch is that you have to wait for someone to want your stuff before you can get rid of it.

10. Give it to your extended family There's a good chance that's where most of it came from in the first place

11. Contact your local shelters Women's shelters are often looking for household items or women's clothes. Animal shelters use blankets and towels.

12. Have a yard sale This is usually only worth it if you have a lot of stuff, or you really need the money. trying getting together with friends or neighbors to share the work.

13. Curb it We have had success just putting things out on the curb with a free sign. We have also sold things (cars, table saws, dressers, tomatoes) by placing them in our driveway with a for sale sign. Just be prepared for someone to take it without paying, if you aren't there.

14. Throw it away If it is truly trash, don't try to pawn it off on someone else. recycle what you can, and send the rest on its way!

Spend time each day getting a little bit more room in your house. You will be surprised how much stuff you won't miss. The catch with many of these places: thrift stores, consignment shops, eBay, etc. YOU CAN"T BUY MORE STUFF! Cause other wise, you just have more stuff.

I am hoping my kids see that we don't need to just collect and collect things. I want them to learn that with money, and with things, we are a generous family that can give out of the richness of our hearts.

Do you have other outlets for passing stuff on, leave me a comment. Thank you to Jen for compiling this list.

Feeling Rich #10 Giving Tithe

2009-06-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

Technically speaking, tithing is giving 10 percent of earnings.

Whether you believe you were created, or think that you out smarted your past monkey relatives, it is impossible to believe that you could have done it on your own.

Tithing demonstrates an acceptance of life. By only using 90% of what you earn, your are signaling that you are happy with what you have, and therefore do not need to scrounge for every last penny.

Tithing Creates a feeling of thankfulness Giving away a regular percent of your income, makes you appreciate the things that you already have.

Tithing Makes You Generous If you can give away money that you have earned, how much more freely could you give away things that are extra in your life.

Tithing opens Awareness When you are purposefully giving 10% of your income, you are more likely to be mindful of the other 90% of your paycheck.

Tithing makes you Rich If you are willing to voluntarily give up 10% of your income, you have moved from living hand to mouth, to living wealthy. Regardless of what you earn.

Tithing Makes you Feel Better People who give have a more positive outlook in life. A positive outlook will encourage smiling, which is good for your health.

These are all things that I want my kids to learn about money, what about you?

Things I love Thursday - Feeling Rich

2009-06-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

Notice I said feeling rich, which is a lot different than being rich. Better. Much better.

We just returned from a picnic in the park. This has become our Thursday routine - meeting Daddy for lunch at a park. Even though we have lunch with him at home nearly every day, eating lunch out just makes it more special some how. Plus, Daddy loves an excuse to ride his motorcycle.

Besides loving my family, I also reflected on how rich I feel. So for this things I love Thursday, I want to share with you my top ten.

Top Ten Ways I can feel Rich without Actually Being Rich

1. We actually have a budget that we can live within
2. We live debt free
3. We have extremely generous families
4. We live in a small house in a small town that is paid for
5. We have the best neighbors ever
6. We are easy to entertain. Is it no wonder that many classic American games were invented during the Great Depression?
7. We have cheap friends.
8. We buy museum passes. And we go all the time (did I mention we were easy to entertain?)
9. We only need one car. The only out of home wage earner walks to work ( I mentioned small town already didn't I?)
10. We give Tithe. Something about giving away stuff that makes you feel like you have more than you need.

What does this teach my kids about money?
Being rich is a state of mind. They are so busy doing fun things, that they do not have the time to stop and wish for more. These kids would feel poor, if they thought that they were missing out, but since we feel rich, they feel rich. So I want my kids to learn that you don't need money to feel rich.

What makes you feel rich?

For more Things I Love Thursday fun, hop over to thediaperdiaries.net.

Book of the Week - If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

2009-06-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

This book is a follow up to yesterday's port Rich People will Always have cooler Stuff.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff

Quick Synopsis

A little boy offers a cookie to a mouse which starts a cause and effect adventure all through the house. The mouse asks for one thing after another until finally coming full circle back to the cookie

How to Teach Money to Kids with this Book

Some people like this little mouse will never be satisfied. If you get them one thing, they are going to want something else to go with it. I thought this was a great book to start the discussion about why sometimes I say no to different purchases. I used the example of Mega Blocks. My son received a Mega block dump truck for his birthday, but I took it back to the store. He didn't really notice, but my daughter did, and she wanted to know why, especially since it was free, why didn't we just keep it.

Well, if we keep the dump truck, you are going to want to have the blocks that go with it, and if we get the blocks, then you are going to want the castle set that goes with the blocks. So it makes since to just not get the dump truck in the first place.

If we take the dump truck back, they will give us money back, and we can use the money to buy something that is already on our list. Plus, if we start getting mega blocks, then we would run out of room for the toys that we have, and we would have to get rid of some of those toys.

I think seeing the cause and effect that this book emphasized was a great lesson in the what ifs of accumulating more that you need

While looking for more information, I stumbled on this site that has a whole evening of activities planned around this book. Your family could have a great time playing games together

http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/if_you_give_a_mouse_a_cookie.html

Do you have other ideas for how this book could be used to teach money to kids?

Check out more ideas at WFMW at We are That Family.

Rich People Will Always Have Cooler Stuff

2009-06-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

Its the whole point of Being Rich!

This is why socialism or communism will never work. There will always be someone out there who is willing to work harder, longer or smarter, so that they can have the cool stuff. I don't care if you are trading in Dollars, Yen, or sea shells. Someone is going to be luckier and find more food, or be more desperate and cut a better deal.

Imagine the good ol' days. You know, when everyone lived in caves. That is where it all started. We were all equal then. No trust funds, no stock options passed down from daddy. It was Hunt and Gather, each man for himself.But you know how it goes: one cave man gets bigger than the others, another develops a taste for moose instead of rabbit, and another can run faster than anyone.

This develops into needs, and skills that may determine the future of our earth.The bigger caveman requires more food, so he looks to the man who is faster and they make a trade. The man who likes moose, may be able to catch rabbit, but he needs help to catch a moose. The faster caveman can get whatever he wants, because he can trade for it. But one of these cavemen is going to start having cooler stuff. He might start trading for pretty rocks instead of food. He is going to have a bigger collection of animal skins to wear.

And that is how capitalism works.We work for what we get because we get what we work for. But this is also why national health care, public schools, social security and every other government program is not going to work. Because even though the other guy may be richer, everyone else still wants the cool stuff.

And there will always be cooler stuff. You have seen the gold leaf bathrooms, the pimped out jets, and the personal islands. Are these "needs"? It is a statement. I can have it and you can't.

But then someone invented government. And together they came up with a Mission Statement: That's Not Fair! If you ever hear anyone making this statement run, run far far away.

Of course its not fair. It will never be fair.Was it fair that one caveman could run faster, or another was bigger? No, or Yes.Public Schools are great, but they don't score as high as private schools, so we need to make our schools better. We have social security, but when it is time to retire, are we going to be able to buy the condo in Florida on the golf course? We have health care, and we even have access to amazing advances in technology. But there are new and even more expensive treatments, and we want those, too.

We all want the Cool Stuff.Unfortunately, if everyone had it, it wouldn't be cool anymore. Owning a car used to be only for the rich, but now anyone can have one and expects to have one.It almost makes you dream of the glory days, when we were all living in caves. but then you might want my cave because it is closer to the creek. Or I might want your cave because it has more space. So we could trade. I will give you my cave if you give me yours, but I also want those extra furs to go with it...

Party Like It's 1999

2009-06-21T13:29:00.001-07:00

This weekend is our 10th Wedding Anniversary.

We took a special trip earlier this spring to celebrate (when my folks could watch the kids), but at the last minute we decided to have a party.

We sent out some evites to our friends, and gave invites to our neighbors and started planing.

We were able to do a simple dessert buffet for less than $50. and we have quite a bit of left overs. The hardest part was getting our house ready, or I guess I should say, keeping our house ready. We just called it an open house, and literally opened our house up, to let the cooler evening air in, and let people wander through our house.

This summer also marks 10 years that we have lived in this house, so it was fun to give ours and tell about all of the changes that we have done over the years.

We felt blessed the whole evening. It was fun what a great mix of people came. We had three people who were actually in our wedding come by, plus some that my husband had known in grade school. There were friends that we see all the time, because our kids play together, and friend that we rarely see, and even some neighbors that we met for the first time.

There is a book out there Your Money or Your Life. The first couple chapters encourages you to take inventory of all you have. Their intention was for you to see how much you have worked, and what you have gained in the process. This celebration helped us do that, and take it even further:

We have a great house that is paid for, with a awesome front porch

We live in a great neighborhood with neighbors that we actually like and trust

We have 3 kids and one dog

We have 1 mini van, a motorcycle, and a lawn mower

4 bikes, a bike trailer, and two tricycles

A nice yard, a fence, a sand box, play house, swing, garden and flowers, a paved driveway

A refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, toaster, mixer, washing machine and dryer

We even have two computers, a keyboard and a projector, plus a stereo and all the goodies that go with it.

We have couches and beds and dressers and a great table and chairs.

And that is just the big stuff. We have so much other little stuff that I could go on and on.

Some of the stuff was gifts, and some of it we bought. But all of it is so much more than so many other people have. Compared to families living in the '70's we would be considered upper class to be able to afford so many luxuries. But our society has changed its thinking and now we are near the bottom.

So this is what we want to be teaching our kids about money: We have so many things for which to be thankful, we likely have way more than we need. And I haven't even mentioned the most important part. We have a collection of great friends. These are friends that we couldn't replace, that have been with us during the different parts of our lives: new jobs, newlyweds, church, neighbors, they are all special. And it doesn't matter how much money we make.

Cheesy Money Joke

2009-06-21T13:23:00.001-07:00

Okay, here's a classic

Where did the penguin put her money?

In the snow BANK...

This could be a great way to kick off a silly conversation about money:
1. How would a penguin make money?
2. What do you think a penguin would buy?
3. Do you think Penguins ever retire?

Hide this verse in Your Heart- Psalms 23:1

2009-06-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

What a great verse to teach kids! If they keep the Lord as their shepherd, they shall not want. This is true in many ways:
1. They will desire God, first and foremost, and God will comply.
2. God will take care of their needs.
3. We will stop looking for greener pastures, and wanting more, and more and more...
4. When God blesses, He blesses until our cup runneth over.

Practice this verse, so that you can share it with your kids, and help them memorize it, too.

Things I Love Thursday - Sandwich Boxes

2009-06-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

My Tupperware Sandwich Boxes

We brought our lunches this morning to our local kids museum. After a full morning of playing, we took our group to the lunch room. I love that my husband works so close that he can join us for trips like this. He eats lunch with us everyday, but it seems somehow more special when he can meet us for lunch. Plus, I know he loves any excuse to ride his motorcycle.

While the other mommies were passing out sandwiches, and baggies of fruit and other goodies, I was able to just hand my kids their sandwich boxes and sit down to enjoy my own lunch.

There are so many reasons why I love these sandwich boxes, that I am going to incorporate the Thursday 13.

1. They were free. I usually have a Tupperware party each fall, just in time for holiday shopping. As a host, I often earn many free products, like these great boxes.

2. They are reusable. I love that I can just stick them in the dishwasher, and they are ready for the next trip out.

3. They double as plates. When we eat at a park or in the car, we don't have to worry about dirty tables, or messy laps.

4. Our food is not squished. When we are out, our lunches are often stuffed in a backpack. With our boxes, we can even get through airport security with sandwiches in tact.

5. They hold so much. I can fit a whole sandwich (cut in half and stacked), string cheese, and fruit, such as strawberries, grapes, or apple slices. I can even put an apple sauce pack or baby food in with the sandwich.

6. I don't have to keep buying them. I don't have to clip coupons or look for sales on zip lock baggies, because I rarely need them. I feel that they have actually saved me money.

7. They are compact. I can still fit this box in a regular lunch bag, or tuck it into a diaper bag without taking up too much space.

8. I don't throw it away. I like that I am reducing our waste by using something that is convenient.

9. It has a Lifetime Warranty. I don't want to sound like a Tupperware commercial, but a great benefit to all their products is their easy replacement policy. This adds value to an already great purchase.

10. They are already personalized. I don't have to keep track of which sandwich is which. Everybody has their own box.

11. They are good for all ages. I like that my one year old can use it as well as my husband. I dislike, having to get rid of perfectly good baby stuff, because it no longer serves our purposes. These are versatile for all ages.

12. These work for more than just sandwiches. I have taken all sorts of food packed in these boxes, salads, pastas, chips, etc.

13. I don't have to hunt for a lid. The lid is attached, and allows you to spread out while eating.

But, more than anything, I like what I can teach my kids about money. They learn that buying quality products is like an investment. It is better financially, and environmentally, to not just buy things and then throw them away. The more we reduce and reuse, the more we save, both our planet and our money.

What do you like to use over and over?

For more Things I Love Thursday fun, hop over to thediaperdiaries.net.

Book of the Week - Pigs Will Be Pigs

2009-06-17T07:14:00.001-07:00

This weeks book selection Pigs Will Be Pigs is written by Amy Axelrod. This book can be found at any major book store or library.

Quick Synopsis

The Pig family want to go out to eat, but they have no money. So they go running around the house looking for loose change or bills. When they find enough, they take it to their favorite restaurant. The book even includes a menu, so you can help the pigs decide what to eat.

Using this book with Kids

This book seems to have been written with teaching money to kids in mind. Each pig calls out which coins or bills that they find, so that you can do the calculations on your own. The included menu gives you so many choices, that you could role play many options for the pigs. At the end of the story their are even application questions to help you figure out how much money the pigs would have left over.

I found it useful to have real, or play money with you while reading the story, so that you could have a visual way of keeping track of each pigs money, and the final tally.

This is an excellent story for practicing money counting.

You could also talk other issues of money, like having a menu and grocery list so that they wouldn't have to run out to a restaurant in the first place, but that may just be a side note.

Do you have other ideas on how you may have talked money to your kids using this book?

Please share your experience

Check out more ideas at WFMW at We are That Family.

Cheesy Money Joke

2009-06-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

Thank You to the Cracker Barrel Kids Cup for this Money Joke:

How did the Baker get so wealthy?

He made lots of dough...

Actually jokes are a great way to teach kids vocabulary and double meaning, so if you have any great money jokes, I would love to share them. Every Sunday, I hope to post a new one.

Things I Love Thursday - Flylady or our morning routine

2009-06-11T08:23:00.001-07:00

Now if we are going to talk about teaching money to kids, I have to give credit to Flyladyhttp://www.flylady.net/. I have found so many daily, weekly, and monthly tips from this site.

Each month has a different habit to work on, and each week has a different zone to clean in. I am sure that I will share more tips from Fly lady in the future, but today I want to share how creating our routine helps me teach my kids about money.

This chart is our before bed routine, on the flip side is our morning routine. These are not chores. Our kids do not get an allowance based on whether or not they are completed. This is just their checklist of what they need to do in order to be ready for the day or the night.

Having this checklist has streamlined our mornings and evenings. Babysitters can easily see what to expect, and with the little pictures, even my non-readers know what to do.

So this is what they are learning:

1. Independence. They can see for themselves what needs to be done next

2. Responsibility. Everybody has a job to do.

3. Work before play. Play is so much more fun this way

4. Being prepared. Being ready for the day opens up so many possibilities for spontaneous fun

5. Being organized. Having a plan for your time, means not wasting it.

6. Following directions. Success in school and in the work place is often directly related to whether or not a person can follow directions

I know it would be fun to stay in our jammies all day, but I also know how many opportunities we would miss out on. We wouldn't be able to just cart off to a last minute notice dog show at the library if we had 3 kids to dress, brush hair, or teeth, and nobodies had breakfast.

So thank you Flylady for giving us more fun in our day.

Book of the Week: The Best Nest

2009-06-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

The Best Nest by P.D. Eastman, part of the I can read it all by myself series with many other Dr. Seuss books. This book can be found at your local library, or any major bookstore. Many of you may have read this story when you were little.

Quick Synopsis

Mrs. Bird decided that she does not like her old nest and wants to upgrade. They look everywhere for a better nest. They finally find what they think is perfect and then they have to fill it with new stuff. The nest is not perfect and they end up back at the old nest, but with a new attitude.

Using this book with kids

This is a great book to jump start a discussion about being happy with what you have. Lead the discussion with questions like: Why didn't Mrs. Bird like her first house? What was Mrs. Birds attitude about her house? Why did she like the house at the church?

When they had to make a new nest, why didn't they just bring the old nest? What happened to that new nest? Where did they end up? How is this like people buying stuff?

Summary

Some of the points that you may want to bring out:

1. Sometimes new things mean you have to buy more and more things, which makes them extra expensive

2. Fixing up something that you already have may be better than finding something new

3. your attitude changes the way you look at things

4. Check everything very thoroughly before you buy it. You may have an unexpected surprise

Check out other summer reading ideas at the Happy Housewife.

Money and Dogs Part II: The Language of Love

2009-06-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

One concern that we had about getting a dog was our kids. Well, they actually created many concerns.

1. Would our kids be afraid of Shadow?

Our kids were so excited to have a dog. they really felt like they had saved him, especially after we told them the story of where he was living, and the BIG dog we heard behind the door.

Right away Shadow started following our kids all through the house. This is how he came to be named Shadow (we thought marshmallow was a silly name for a boy dog).

2. Would our kids take care of our dog?

There is something about giving responsibility to kids, that just makes them flourish. Miss Love gets to let him in and out of his kennel in the morning and whenever we have to go somewhere. She knows that she earned this job because she is the only one that can open the latch, which is a skill that she practiced so that the job could be hers. (Shadow gets a little paranoid if he is left alone, so we have to put him in the kennel, even if we just run down to the basement for minute)

The Frog Prince got the job of giving Shadow his food. He earned this job by being the one that was the most careful to not spill the food when putting it into the bowl.

3. Would our kids treat him nice?

This one I was the most worried about. Our neighbors have a big, hyper dog (one of the reasons I was worried our kids might be afraid of having a dog). This dog has knocked them over numerous times. Our thoughtful neighbor knows that my kids are wary about Molly (the golden retriever) and tries to calm her down right away.

Well really I think it makes the whole thing worse, because they both yell at the dog like it might kill something, which only adds to the fear factor. They also talk so mean to the dog, that I worried our kids would copy.

I am grateful to say that the power of our influence as parents has overridden the power of the bad example. Our kids talk nicely to Shadow (and Molly for that matter). They use a firm but friendly tone of voice and even say encouraging things when our dog listens.

As a parent this gives me great hope. I know that there are so many bad examples out there: people wanting it all, spending more than they make, stealing or cheating. It would be easy to think that our kids are going to want to be like that, too. But I know that our influence as parents has a huge impact on the choices that they make. Kids can filter out bad choices and make good ones.

Money and Dogs Part I: Finding Shadow

2009-06-07T12:11:00.000-07:00

Meet our dog Shadow. We didn't have a dog, and we had a whole list of reasons why we couldn't get one.

1. We needed a fence

2. We needed a small dog

3. He couldn't be yappy

4. We had to make sure our kids were not allergic

5. He had to be good with kids

6. He couldn't shed

7. He would have to be pretty cheap

8. Our kids couldn't be afraid of him

I think my husband felt pretty comfortable with this list, because even though he had just finished the fence, what are the chances that a perfect dog like this would exist. And then we met Shadow.

He was a rescue dog. Someone from our church was losing their house. They found a new place, but they couldn't take their dog, could we think of anyone? They had just rescued this dog from someone who wasn't taking care of it, and he had been at the pound before that only a number of months ago.

So we tried to think of "someone" who could take their dog. We quizzed them down, and he was a Bichon Frise, hypo allergenic, not a barker, or a shedder. He was good with kids, small, and he was free.

So I took her number and we said we would ask around. We told our kids about the dog. How he needed a home. How the place that he was being held for now had a big dog that was trying to fight him. Our kids melted. Hubby wanted to just see the dog.

We tracked down the house, and a very gruff man opened the door. Before we could say anything Shadow came through the door and sat on my feet. I didn't even have to look at my husband. I knew we were keeping this dog.

There are of course new expenses that come with having a dog: vet check ups, grooming, food, and accessories. But sometimes your heart makes better choices than your wallet. We were already a family of five living on one income that made for a tight budget, but there was no way were going to send that dog back to fend for himself against a loud bully dog in a dirty duplex.

So we made room in hearts, our home and our budget for a great little dog.

Enough?

2009-06-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

This post was the first of the month call to offering for the Niles Westside church.

I love strawberries. No, I mean, I LOVE strawberries. We have this great patch in our backyard that we can pick from. This time of year is my favorite, because we can pick bowls and bowls of strawberries. Did I mention that I love strawberries?
I love to eat them fresh, just bite them right off the stem. Or sliced up on a bowl of vanilla ice cream. And they are so good dipped in chocolate, or cool whip or with vanilla pudding. They are great in green salads or fruit salads. I love to put them on top of waffles or pancakes or French toast, or even just cheerios. I cannot get enough strawberries.
Even though we get so many from our little patch, I still go and pick more. That way I can make strawberry jam or we can freeze them to put in smoothies for the rest of the year.
And still it is not enough strawberries. When I see strawberries on sale at the market, I cannot resist them. Because wouldn’t it be great to have strawberry shortcake or strawberry pie? So I buy even more strawberries. Because I cannot get enough.

Which is why I have set aside these strawberries. If I waited until I had enough strawberries, I would never be willing to let go of them. So I have brought my first fruits, as a thank you for the way that God has provided for our family. I am able to give these away, not because they are extra and I have enough already. I am giving these because it was God that gave them to me in the first place.
So as you prepare to give your offerings, don’t worry about whether or not you will have enough, God has promised to provide. And all He asks is that you bring your first fruits or offerings.

Things I love Thursday -Swivel Sweeper

2009-06-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

First, I have to give some love to my neighbors who gave us the swivel sweeper in the first place. I would never have bought this on my own. Why would you need a battery powered thing, when a regular broom does the same thing. Well thanks to wonderfully generous neighbors, and a buy one get one free sale on QVC, we got a free swivel sweeper. And I love it!
It has an easy on/off switch, it picks up all sorts of crumbs (especially cheerios or dog food), and it reaches under our table. It comes with a rechargeable battery pack, and an easy to empty collection bin underneath.
But really, I am saving the best feature for last. My two year old can use it by himself! I am so proud of him. Especially since most of the under the table messes come from his end of the table. He eagerly turns the sweeper on and will clean the whole kitchen floor.
Aaahhhhh....This is why we had kids, wasn't it? To teach them how to do all the work around here.
Well maybe not ALL the work.
But when it comes to money, this is what I want them to learn:
1. Everyone contributes big or small, financially or physically
2. Basic skills so that they can eventually work for a living or
2b. Not have to hire someone to do these basic skills
3. Being aware that eventually someone has to clean up that mess
4. Sometimes a cool tool turns a chore into a game (this makes me want to sing like Mary Poppins)

What are some of your favorite cool tools?

The Cost of a Penny

2009-05-31T11:49:00.000-07:00

There are many rumors out there about congress trying to do away with the penny. Many stories also include the conspiracy that it is the legislature from Illinois that is the biggest hold up, Illinois is after all the land of Lincoln. Depending on the current cost of materials a penny can cost any where from $.013 to $.018 to make. These numbers fluctuate with the commodities markets. Since pennies are made of part zinc and part copper, figuring a standard cost for production is not easy. You have to also figure in the energy and labor costs plus distribution.

Here's the catch: Pennies are priceless. They have no expiration date, and they can be used over and over and over again.

Now take your average credit card. It takes more money to make a credit card than a penny. A credit card can be rejected, and it comes with an expiration date. Credit cards have to be protected from identity theft. And you can't use them in a power outage, or a road side stand. And worst of all, you can't watch them swirl around the vortex in a science museum.

A penny is a powerful coin. There is no limit to what they can buy, especially if they band together.

Teaching kids to use and make change is a powerful step in helping them learn to respect the value of money.

Book of the Week - SMART

2009-05-31T11:32:00.000-07:00

Shel Silverstein has a great poem about money on page 35 of his book Where the Sidewalk Ends. The poem is called Smart. You can find it on Amazon, most book stores, or your local library.

Quick Synopsis

A kid gets some money and makes trades with various people each time he thinks he is getting the better deal. But he doesn't understand the value of the coins, he just knows that he has more actual coins than he started out with.

Using this Poem with Kids

This poem is intended for kids who actually understand the value of money. Some kids have this mastered in Kindergarten, while others may not truly understand the humor until third or fourth grade. But even junior high kids will smirk at the silliness of "little Kids."

Use real money as a demonstration while reading the poem through to give kids a visual of what is happening in the poem.

For early and middle school, you could figure out what they should have traded, and how he could have ended up with even more money.

Try to figure out who got the "best deal" out of all the trades.

Use this as a jump start for talking about why we have multiple coins in the first place. Hat would happen if we only had pennies, or dollar bills, how would that change the way we did business, or carried our money around.

The Basics - Pick up that Penny!

2009-05-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

I know germaphobes around the country are cringing right now, but really you should be washing your hands more often any way.

PICK UP THAT PENNY!

If you don't usually, I am curious why not. Is it too much work? Do you not really need it? Are you afraid of the germs?

Because if you see a penny, and don't pick it up, you are teaching your kids something about money. And you may not like what they are learning.

Its okay to "throw" it away

Kids will take you literally when you talk about "disposable" income. Leaving money on the ground is essentially throwing it away. So the next time your kid wants some crazy gizmo, and you tell them "we aren't just going to throw our money away like that." The message is: we don't throw our money away by buying silly things, we throw our money away by literally seeing it on the ground and walking away.

Now you See it, Now you Don't

Once kids get a basic understanding of money, and what it can do, they understand that you might want more of it. What they won't understand is that sometimes you want more and sometimes you don't. You are willing to buy on sale, use coupons, and count the change the cashier gives you, but you won't take free money?

What's the Point?

Sure a penny is just a penny, and you can't buy much all by itself, but did you forget that it all adds up. One of the great bank fraud stories involves people stealing fractions of pennies from many accounts. They became millionaires just from pennies. You may not become rich by picking up a penny, but it all starts somewhere.

Finding Green

When you get in the habit of picking up money, you will soon spot it every where. And not just pennies. Nickles, dimes, quarters and even dollar bills. Once I found a twenty pound note in the airport. People don't usually drop just pennies, so if you keep looking you are bound to find all sorts of change that has been mistakenly dropped.

Don't really need it...

But I bet you could use it. Don't you hate breaking a bill, just for a couple cents. If you had loose change, you wouldn't need to. If you really don't need it, the least you could do is pick it up and donate it. Wishing Well coin drops are all over, or save it for the Santa Bell ringers at Christmas. You may not need the money, but someone out there really does.

Find a penny its yours to keep, give it away, and blessings you will reap.