Sometimes more than we’d care to, we have to tell our kids “no”.  They want a new dress, a new toy, to go out to eat, and to buy whatever they decide that can’t live without.  Raising kids can be very expensive and it’s important to realize that you can’t give in to their every request.  Not only will you put yourself into a financial mess, but you’ll also be depriving your child of important life lessons.
Telling our kids “no” is inevitable.  Here are some tips to make it a little easier.

1)  Use emphathetic and understanding statements. “I understand that …read more

Last year, after being totally frustrated over numerous fundraisers, I wrote a little rant with 10 reasons why I can’t stand school fundraisers.  I understand though that schools need to raise money for things that our kids can enjoy such as playgrounds, picnic tables, and media items.  After speaking with some parents and personally critiquing some fundraisers, I’ve come up with a list of parent-approved fundraisers.  I know that you won’t agree with every suggestion on the list, but hopefully you’ll find an idea that you like.

1)  Grocery store customer cards – Some stores, such as Food Lion have a program for …read more

So I can get an entire hour of work done with my kids if I give Turkey Butt the computer to play with and let Little Man watch the Wiggles. My BIL would croak!  Am I a bad parent or a smart parent getting things done?
Bad parenting or smart use of time?  Let us know what you think.

Tracee over at blogfabulous is really frustrated with her 2 year old for taking her cellphone and putting it in water twice.  This is a great waste of money, I agree, Tracee.  Now you have to buy a new phone.  Kim Komando has great ideas for drying out your cell phone so that you don’t have to waste money with a new phone.  But remember that we are the adults and from personal experience, it is our responsibility to keep our things out of the reach of of our kids.  We keep chemicals away.  We should keep the expensive things …read more

Now that DH is back in town, I can honestly say that I was not made to be a single parent. I had a ball with my kids but I didn’t get as much done as I would have liked to have gotten done.  So to all you single parents out there fighting to save your dollars for your precious children, my hat is off to you!  I don’t know that I could do it as well as I attempt to raise my kids with all the help DH gives (and it’s a lot).

When I give my kids candy, it usually is either Welch’s Fruit snacks or something like that.  Her cookies are fig newtons or animal crackers.  I thought I was doing pretty good.  I say all this because my sister gave me the ultimate complement on Saturday.  You have to understand …  I have always grown up thinking my sister was

Some of you may wonder how I learned to be so frugal.  To me, most of the tips that I write about seem like second nature or common sense. 
My knack for thriftiness was given to me by my mother.  We were not wealthy growing up and my mom did the best that she could to make her dollars stretch.  She would constantly scrutinize the cost of items.  I learned as I watched her read sales papers, clip coupons, check price per unit, scope out clearance sales, and go back to the customer service desk for a refund on overcharged items. 
There have been …read more

Are you working with your child on potty training, sleeping through the night, or cleaning their room?  If so, you can download free reward calendars from Chuck E. Cheese.  At the bottom of the calendar there is also a coupon for 10 free tokens (with food purchase). 

Homework Helper
Potty Training
Stop Thumb Sucking
Clean Your Room
Teeth Brushing
Sleep All Night
Magical Manners
Doctor/Dentist Good Patient Award

Char at Weary Parent posted a list of 13 things we need to teach our children.  Here are a few that I like:

We all make mistakes and can learn from them. [I'd like to add we can learn from other's mistakes too!!!]
Not all gratification is instant.  Some things are worth the wait.
How to deal with bullies, mean people, and rude people

I think Char has a pretty good list.  To the list I’d like to add, “The world does not revolve around you.”  That may sound harsh, but in my years of teaching I have met quite a few along the …read more

I often wonder what I did before I became a parent. After you read my list, don’t think I am a horrible mommy. I am just an honest one that you can identify with if you let yourself. The first few things that come to mind are

I had more money
I had more sleep
I could drop what I was doing and go to a movie any time
I could leave the kitchen a mess without having to worry my kids would be slobs by example
I could go out to eat guilt free (because I had money)
I worked full time
I …read more