Results tagged “money” from Momtourage: Blogger Knows Best
BlogHer
1. You are getting too much sleep. You've really gotten into a bad habit of sleeping 7 to 8 hours consistently each night. You like a challenge and feel that life would be much more challenging on about 6 hours of sleep that's been interrupted 2 to 3 times each night.
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BlogHer
Yep, that's me.
Jim and I came to the conclusion within the last couple months that I need to return to work full-time. I have been fortunate enough these last two years to only have to work two nights a week, and I am so grateful for the time I had home with my babies. BUT, if we ever want to be able to buy a house in this market it is something that needs to happen.
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momtourage.net
Last month my husband and I paid off our remaining credit card debt. When he was sick with cancer, we racked up quite a bit in order to pay for the chemo co-pays and car services to and from all appointments (he was too sick to take the subway). That was four years ago and we have finally, finally paid it all off.
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BlogHer
by TamaraB
When the opportunity to participate in our daughter's college orientation came up we thought, "Oh, wouldn't it be fun to go back and relive our wild youth. Stay in the dorm overnight sharing a twin bed. Sneak out and drink beer. Break curfew. Play our stereos too loud (make that iPods). Hang out in dorm rooms with people we don't know. Skip breakfast. Share the communal bathrooms. Arrive late to class (make that programs). Do something vaguely illegal.
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BlogHer
I've heard a lot of arguments against paying kids an allowance in exchange for chores. Some say the children have to do chores just because they're part of the family. (Yes.) Others say it teaches children to help out just for a reward and not for the joy of helping. (Yes.) I think those things are all true. And I'll still be paying my kid an allowance to do her chores (as long as my husband agrees--it may be interesting to see his reaction this post).
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BlogHer
In the past few months, we've had one credit card raise our interest rate by five percent and another lower our limit by $13,000. We've never missed a payment and never paid less than the minimum amount due on either of these accounts. We're the good guys -- but that doesn't seem to matter right now. What can a family do to protect its credit in times of uncertainty?
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Sherry Davey
At least three days a week after school at the playground, we buy Lily (and at least 2 of her friends) popsicles from the ice cream truck. They're pretty cheap - only $3.00 a day for 4 small popsicles. However, since my husband was laid off....again....I've been taking a hard look at our finances. Fortunately, I've been busier than ever however, we need to be more careful with money. We still have $3 for popsicles but should we be spending $9 a week on popsicles from the truck when they're cheaper to buy from the supermarket? I don't think so.
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BlogHer
You thought you'd heard it all about the ramifications of the current state of the economy, but maybe you hadn't heard this: In addition to everything else we're going to blame on the economy, it's also causing more vasectomies.
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BlogHer
I am very diligent every November. In preparation for the impending holidays, every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas I and my children clean out our closets, bedrooms and every other nook and cranny of the house. The idea is that between hauling out all of our holiday decorations and being completely spoiled by loved ones who shower us with lovely (and, yes, some hideous as well) gifts there just isn't any room in the house for unnecessary crap. And, boy, do we ever have tons of unnecessary crap!
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BlogHer
Lately you can't turn the channel or scan a newspaper without mention of Nadya Suleman, the now infamous octuplet mom. This past Sunday's New York Times style section featured an article about the backlash of raising large families. The issue most talked about in my mom circle is not the quantity if children, but rather the quality of their mother. This is a woman whose own mother has admitted she has emotional issues that compelled her to give birth to 14 children--all through IVF. Unlike the women who struggle to conceive at all or the children, Suleman is sort of a Frankenmom.
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BlogHer
We've heard for years the Baby Boomers are going to kill Social Security when they start drawing off it. X, Y and Millennium just aren't putting it back in fast enough. There just aren't enough of us to take care of all of them.
Is it getting worse?
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Sherry Davey
"Obama said he hopes the terrorists don't follow us home, but if they do, and they want to bring down a building, the CitiCorp Center is at Lexington and 53rd." --Bill Maher
I have always tried to shield my child and other children from bad news or tragedy....which both apply to this economy. However, there are some invaluable lessons to be learned from the current global financial crisis. My in-laws, frugal as they are (admittedly sometimes embarrassingly so), grew up in the post-depression era Midwest. Consequently, they really know how to squeeze a penny and have never lived beyond their means. They, like my Hungarian refugee father, live by the mantra, "If I don't have the cash I can't afford it." Very wise words indeed.
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BlogHer
"We better hope that the tooth fairy comes to Matthew and Seth's house tonight and puts some new teeth back into Seth's mouth, right Mommy?" Owen mumbled, glancing up at me, his mouth full of Cheerios. Milk was dripping towards his chin.
The buzz of my every morning halted-I froze mid-way through buttering waffles, pouring orange juice, and packing lunch. I focused on the spot of milk that was caught in the dimple in Owen's chin, as I said in slow motion, "Yes, I guess so, Honey."
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momtourage.net
by Kris
Last year, way before I knew what truly horrible shape the economy was in, I started bypassing the type of exchange that centers on cold hard cash and began bartering for a couple of things. What skills do I have to trade, you may wonder (and I did too). Well, they're pretty darn basic - knitting and cooking - but they are standing me in good stead thus far. In fact, I am proud to say that I am now bartering for the following things:
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Blogger Knows Best Guest
The first thing I thought was, "Why are they so happy?"
Watching the ecstatic doctors at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Bellflower, CA, last week after their successful delivery of octuplets--only the second documented case in history--you sort of had to wonder.
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momtourage.net
Oh dear, the annual teachers' gift collection is not going well for my younger son's class. As a parent who spearheaded not one but two of said collections last year, I completely sympathize with the mom (Yes, it always seems to be a mom, doesn't it?) who is in charge of it this year. That said, I have a few pointers (some learned the hard way) for anyone who ever finds themselves in this somewhat stressful and largely thankless position. Believe me, heeding them will make your job a lot easier.
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Blogger Knows Best Guest
With the stock market slip-sliding every day, it can be tough to figure out how it relates to your personal financial situation. For example, are you considering leaving the workforce to become a stay-at-home mom? One of our site users posed this very question to financial expert Carmen Wong Ulrich:
"I am 12-weeks pregnant with my first child and thinking about becoming a stay-at-home mom. Right now I make more than my husband, have two car payments, rent, along with many other expenses. How do you turn your finances around to live off of one low income? Or how do you make money from home?"
Here's what Carmen said:
-- Laura Motta
Diane Randall
We're scrimping here and cutting back there, but are we missing opportunities to save? When one mom sought out money-saving tips, we called on CNBC's Carmen Wong Ulrich for advice. Question: We've cut down a lot! We've had basic phone and basic cable for several months now and I wash dishes by hand instead of using the dishwasher. We eat at home most days, which saves a lot of money, and we run errands the same day. What else can we do to save money? Any other suggestions? --redrose46 See Carmen's response below -- and share your own. What are you doing to save money?
Plus: Watch Carmen Wong Ulrich's 'On The Money' Weeknights 9PM EST on CNBC!
Diane Randall
In this economy, we're all asking questions about family finances. But what about pre-family finances -- the money moves you make before baby is born? We asked personal finance guru Carmen Wong Ulrich to weigh in when one mom-to-be had a question about her upcoming maternity leave. Question: It's never a good time to go through an economic depression, but it's even worse if you're not going to be working for three months. I really want to go to part-time after the baby is born, but with the way things are looking how are we going to manage on one reduced income? Our neatly packaged plans are seeming less and less likely as the economic news gets worse. -- carreonme See Carmen's response below -- and share your own. Are you worried about the economy and taking maternity leave?
Plus: Watch Carmen Wong Ulrich's 'On The Money' Weeknights 9PM EST on CNBC!
Sherry Davey
How about this?? Instead of bailing out Wall Street why not just give the money directly to the American people?! That's the kind of financial Viagra we could all use right now. Go ahead Mr. Bush, with your bad self, and stimulate my economic package already. That sounds like a much better idea to me than giving more money to the Wall Streeters who lost it in the first place.
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