Free Printable Easter Cards for Children to Color

Easter comes very late in 2014. It's been a long, cold winter for many of us. Parents are your children getting restless? Do you need some new, fresh activities to get them through till Easter? Here are color-your-own Easter cards to make and share. I've listed websites to print free secular (non religious) Easter cards for kids in any public setting. Save money and print cards.Free Printable Easter Cards

Cheap, Educational Stocking Stuffers for Kids

I have to laugh when I see what stores tout as "cheap" stocking stuffers. I don't consider anything over $5 "cheap" especially not for stocking presents which are typically filler gifts. If my child is getting three or four bigger, pricier gifts under the tree, I can't afford to spend big on the stocking, too. Having four kids to shop for, Christmas is crazy-expensive enough without the stockings. So I look for stocking stuffers that cost a buck or two (preferably less!) But being a teacher--I don't want to fill that sock with useless junk. I demand some educational bang for my holiday shopping buck. Here's a plan to fill a kid's stocking with brain-building gifts, for about $5. read more

Emergency Thanksgiving Holiday Shopping List, Menu and Recipes

Congratulations, you're hosting the Thanksgiving fest this year. Nervous? Well don't be; here's a surefire planner for shopping, preparation and cooking with grocery list recipes and timetable. If you're looking to keep costs low, as most of us are, here are strategies. Compare online ads at local stores. Go to stores like Meijer or Albertson's (with in-stores sales) first. Get sale items. Remember coupons. Don't forget online shopping options with free shipping. Then go to big box discount stores like Walmart, where prices remain more constant. Their prices may not be as cheap as sale prices, but their regular prices usually are.  Walmart has better regular prices on French fried onions, celery, bread, canned beans, soup, some produce and seasonal. Turkey prices will vary. Read the fine print (do you have to buy a certain amount to get that special price?). Read on Thanksgiving Holiday Shopping List, Menu and Recipes 

Easy, cheap kids' birthday party tips--No fuss, save money, have fun

As a mom to four kids, ages 24 to 14, I've planned a plethora of kids' parties. I'm also a teacher and I've hosted numerous classroom events. I've had some great successes and colossal fails. From those experiences, I've compiled a list of tips for parents on planning kids' parties. Being a frugalista, I focus on cheap, homemade party ideas.  Use these tips for classroom and school parties and holiday parties, too. Read on read more

Ways parents can develop awareness of poverty, teach generosity

If I had a buck for every time I heard someone say "kids today are so insensitive and selfish," I'd be rich. If kids lack sensitivity, it's because we parents have failed to teach empathy. And kids need to learn empathy, especially for those in need. Here are ways to develop awareness of world poverty and teach generosity.  Ways parents can develop awareness of poverty, teach generosity

Free School Supplies, Free Bags, Super Savings from OfficeMax

I've got a penchant for free stuff, dollar stretching and get the most for my shopping buck. OfficeMax is offering two great deals on back to school shopping. First, spend $150 and you get a free $58 value 3-piece bag set. Enter promo code "FREEBAG" at checkout. Also, if you buy certain ful backpacks and laptop backpacks--Tremor, Sweet Melissa, Heartbreaker-- on sale for $18.74-$29.99, they come stuffed with free school supplies. Links below say $24.98, but backpacks have been price-reduced even farther, saving you 53%! Oh, and orders over $50 get free shipping. Already bought your kid's backpack? Buy another for next year. Or buy one to donate. Operation Christmas Child is gearing up for their annual shoebox giveaway event. You could donate to Toys for Tots or church giving trees. For more back to school cost cutter tips, read How a Mom of Four Saves 80 Percent on Back to School Shopping 

How to Save 80 Percent on Back to School Shopping

 Labor Day means children return to school. It also means back to school shopping. If you haven't finished shopping, don't worry. That's a good thing. It's best to wait until kids are in class to find out what is and isn't needed on that back to school shopping list. I've raised four children; here are do's and don'ts to save 80 percent on school supplies and clothing.

* Don't fall for all the back to school marketing ploys. Take advantage of sales, but wait to find out what your child's teacher actually requires. Take it from a teacher, many store school supply lists trick you into buying things you don't need. Read more read more

How We Got Cheap Wedding Rings (Romantically) Under $200

When we got married, my husband and I paid for our wedding and reception. To cut costs, we looked for cheap wedding rings. For less than $200 we bought an engagement ring, woman's wedding ring and man's wedding ring.

We're both history buffs and antique collectors. We're also ridiculously sentimental. Old things mean more to us than new stuff. My husband didn't propose to me with a ring because he wanted us to shop around and find one (a special one) together. We liked the 1920s basket engagement ring style. We also wanted our rings to have been worn by other lovers for a long time (hopefully, we thought, that would bless our marriage). Here's how we got vintage rings cheap. Read on.read more

Where to Find Cheap Wedding Dresses Under $100

Planning a budget wedding? Good girl--you're smart. Weddings don't have to cost an arm and a leg. In fact, they shouldn't. Save the money for newlywed household expenses or a down payment on a house. If you're going lite on the wedding, you're doubtless looking for cheap wedding dresses. I'm the bargain-minded bride's go-to gal for bridal gowns under $100. Some online vendors offer free shipping, too. Check these sources for a cheap wedding dress. read more

How We Paid Off Our Wedding Without Incurring Debt

My husband and I are celebrating 25 years of wedded bliss this year. We come from good Hollander-German stock and have always pinched pennies. When we got married, we paid for the wedding, honeymoon and most of the reception ourselves. We came back from our honeymoon debt-free and I'm glad we did. Money woes are major relationship-killers. We have friends who were in divorce court before their wedding was paid off. And they spent big (or rather mummy and daddy did). Here are ways to avoid wedding debt and divorce court. read more

How I Cost Us a Bundle with One Tax Preparation Mistake

 As a single person and through 25 years of marriage with four children, I've always prepared our taxes. Last year, I made one tiny mistake on our tax documents that cost us several thousand dollars. Here's how.

We have two sons in college, so tax time means preparing a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) for each of them, too. On my 2010 1040, I mis-typed one digit on our younger son's social security number. Because I e-file using an online tax preparation service, the error was caught immediately and the return was not accepted. When it was sent back, I saw the error, fixed it, resubmitted and the form was accepted a day later. I then filled out the FAFSA and it was accepted too. Read more at How I Cost Us a Bundle with One Tax Preparation Mistake

No Bankruptcy for 'Octomom' is Much-Needed Reality Check

Bad financial decisions don't go away. They come back to bite. That's what "Octomom" Nadya Suleman found out when she was denied bankruptcy. It's about time the single, unemployed mother of 14 kids got a reality check. Sadly it comes at a high cost. If it was just Suleman who felt the consequences, that would be great, but it'll be the kids who continue to suffer. Read more at  No Bankruptcy for 'Octomom' is Much-Needed Reality Check 

How to set up allowances for kids

Most of us would probably agree that allowances teach kids good money-management skills. The tricky part is setting up the allowance so that kids learn about earning and budgeting money. How much is fair pay for an allowance? Should all chores be reimbursed? Which chores should be paid for? What items should kids spend their allowances on and what should parents buy? Here's a Q-and-A guide to answer those questions. Read more at How to set up allowances for kids 

How I'm Keeping My Financial New Year's Resolutions

If you're like me, making New Year's resolutions is the easy part. I think up a few goals on New Year's Eve, throw salt over my shoulder and toast my success. I'm great for the first few weeks of January, but by MLK Jr. Day, I've pretty much forgotten them. Here are ways I'm not only making but keeping my 2012 New Year's resolutions. Since most of my resolutions involve money, I'll focus on those. read on

How to Beat those Bank of America Debit Card Fees

Bank of America Charges for Debit Cards Bank of America announced that it's charging debit card users $5 per month to pay for purchases using the card. The Federal Reserve capped the per-transaction swipe fee. Banks have been pushing consumers away from cash purchases. When buyers use cash, banks can't collect fees. Banks were charging merchants up to $.44 per debit card transaction. Now they can now only charge $.21 each. They're scrambling to keep fees coming in. Banks already penalize accounts that don't maintain minimum balances: around $1,500. This hits youth, teen and college students especially hard. My sons both pay fees because they were unable to maintain a minimum balance. Read more...

Jonah Hill Weight Loss; Can You Lose Weight Without Expensive Personal Trainers?

Jonah Hill Weight Loss; Can You Lose Weight Without Expensive Personal Trainers?Jonah Hill, star of teen snark flicks 'Superbad' and 'Get Him to the Greek,' has reshaped his formerly chubby self for a new film '21 Jump Street.' Hill's personal nutritionist and trainer helped him lose weight; are expensive resources needed for weight loss? The keys to successful weight loss are information and willpower. Read more...

Must-Have Freelance and Tax Preparation Ebooks

NEW Ebooks for Freelance Writers

Hello all! I want to share with you something that I have been working on for the past several months. Based on a lot of the questions I get from other freelance writers, there is a lot of confusion out there about managing a freelance writing business and most definitely about taxes. I have put together two ebooks to help writers handle the business side of freelancing: Managing a Freelance Writing Business and Tax Preparation & Planning for Freelance Writers. Here are the details (this blog post comes from CA, CMA, finance expert and friend, Angie Mohr; freelancers, penny pinchers and taxpayers, do yourself a favor and check her cutting-edge tax books.)

How to Feed a Family of Four for a Week on $75 at Walmart

Food prices, like everything, are rising. It is possible, however, to feed family for four on $75 a week. Shopping at Walmart, practicing once-a-week cooking and buying fresh options- here's a meal plan, recipes and shopping guide. Read on...

Financial Planning Advice from a Teacher

Teachers are uniquely qualified to give financial advice for several reasons. Teachers must budget carefully to plan for summer months of unemployment. Teachers are dependent on public mileage opinion for a paycheck. 

 Here are personal finance tips from a teacher. I've been a Michigan certified K-8, CI and CE teacher for 20+ years. I've worked in public and private school settings. I've also homeschooled my children. This advice is culled from years of frugal living and financial prudence. Read on...

A Story About Honesty

All Souls Day Stories: An Honest Little Boy
It's All Souls Day, and I'm feeling reminiscent. After homeschooling for years, it seems a little odd not to be wrapped up in holy day and holiday preparations. Here's a little story to warm you for the holy day. It's true.
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