Teach your child…to budget for adulthood

If you have been following this series, I hope that you now feel equipped to give your child a solid foundation for handling finances.  But as good and important as that foundation is, a house is not built with foundation alone.  At some point walls need to be put up.  At some point your child will leave […]

Teaching your teen…to budget

The days are long but the years are short.  That is how many of us feel when we look at your growing kids and remember when they were itty bitty.  It can be a stark reminder that there is much information we need to instill into them before the leave the nest.  Today we tackle […]

A Few Dale Carnegie Quotes

If you want to gather honey, don’t destroy the beehive. The load of tomorrow, added to that of yesterday, carried today, makes the strongest falter. A smile costs nothing but gives much. The expression one wears on one’s face is far more important than the clothes one wears on one’s back. Imagine the worst-case scenario your behavior can cause, accept it in advance and act! The […]

Parenting Pressure

There is so much pressure put on parents these days, especially moms.  It often feels like a lose-lose proposition.  No matter what choice is made, there will inevitably be a critic.  Take breastfeeding, a highly polar issue.  If you choose to exclusively breastfeed, you get accused of not including dad and others on the bonding […]

Teach your Tween to Budget (Ages 11-13)

Yesterday we addressed how to help your young child learn to handle money.  Today we will look at how to teach your tween to budget.  As a reminder, there are no set rules about these ages. These ages are only guidelines, a starting place as you plan. You know your child best and when to […]

Teaching Young Children to Budget (Ages 3-9)

Aunt Jessica sends $10 to her nephew on his birthday.  Grandma sneaks him a $20 when she comes to visit.  He collects cans in the neighborhood and recycles them for a whopping $1.20. In our culture, our children often acquire money through various means.  What should they do with it?  What should we do with […]

Teach your child…to budget

Thinking back to the life skills I was not taught as a child and desperately needed as an adult, this is tops on the list. When I tabulate how much money I made in my first few years in the workforce and where all that money went, my stomach churns with the sickness of regret. […]

Japanese Proverbs

A few Japanese Proverbs, courtesy of the BrightSide If a problem can be solved, then it’s not worth worrying about it. If it can’t be solved, then it’s useless to worry about it. Fast means going slowly without interruption.   A long journey always begins with a short one.   Grief, like a torn dress, should always be left at home.   He who endures for just half an hour longer […]