Are you trying to teach your children about the almight dollar? Here are a few books that can help:
The Go-Around-Dollar by Barbara Johnston Adams: A story on how Eric finds a dollar on the ground and how it gets circulated and spent amont different people. (K-3)
Pigs will be Pigs: Fun with Math and Money by Amy Axelrod. (Grades k - 4)
Smart Money: How to Manage your Cash by Danielle Denega. How to go about getting a first job and budget advice. (Middle to High School)
1. Retail Discounters like Wal-Mart or Target are now selling 30-day generics for as low as $4 a bottle. A 90-day supply could be as low as $10. But before you make the drive to the store, be sure to visit their website and check if they have the generic version of the drug you need.
2. Use Mail Order- If you are on a daily regimen of prescription drugs, check too see how much will the mail order program cost you. In some cases you save a whole month’s cost by having it mailed to you. It will have save your gas on your monthly trip to the drugstore.
3. Avoid brand-name drugs whenever possible. Inflation has really lifted the costs of drugs and Brand-name or “non preferred” brands (depending on your health plan) can cost you more than double the generic amount.
Shopping around and choosing a college may get expensive, especially if many on your list are out-of-state.
Below are some great tips from Sharon Epperson’s aticle on USAweekend.com for saving money on your trips:
Visit only the top one or two colleges on your child’s list.
Invite friends to travel with you and split expenses.
Make the college search part of family vacations. Stay with friends or relatives while visiting schools in their area.
Check campustours.com or the college’s website for virtual tours, interviews with students and student blogs.
Buy a “tour”: Collegiatechoice.com has $15 one-hour DVDs with “reality footage” of your chosen school taken by college advisers. Choose among 350-plus colleges.
Depending on the size of your family, you may have multiple loads of laundry to do in a week. The problem is that the cost of energy, detergent, dryer sheets, bleach etc. can really add up. Here are some ways I save on laundry:
- Wash only full load of clothes
- Use Cold water - If you must, use warm water instead of hot. It can still cut energy use up to 50%
- Rip dry sheets in half - You dont’ have to use the whole dryer sheet for it to be effective. Cut them in half and use the other half for the next load.
- Invest in a Clothing dry rack. On nice days, air dry white linens and towels in the sun and colors in the shade.
- Instead of purchasing pre-treating solution, just get an empy spray bottle and mix it with 3 parts water and 1 part liquid detergent. Spray the spot and gently rub the material together to really penetrate the stain.
- If happen to be shopping for a new washer and dryer, think about investing in an energy-efficent labeled front loader. If your budget won’t allow for this purchase, look for gently used washer and dryer sets on your local classifieds sites like Craigslist.org
If you are trying to cut back on spending you can start with your primary bills to lower your cost of living. Are you paying too much on your mortgage, insurance or cable or phone bill? Visit Lowermybills.com to research and compare among 500+ providers of the following services:
Credit cards
Cellular phones and plans
Internet access
Satellite TV
Phone services - local and long distance
VoIP broadband phone
Toll-free conference calling
Debt solutions
Insurance coverage
- ‒Automobile
- ‒Life
- ‒Home owner’s
- ‒Renter’s
- ‒Health
The service is free, so it is worth it to at least look around. It may save you hundreds of dollars over the year.
Microsoft offers cash rebates when people make purchases after using its search engine [Live Search]. This is actually an effort to compete against internet giant Google.
That’s right! “When the total reaches [a minimum of] $5, shoppers can redeem their ‘cold, hard cash.’” The commerce search engine also makes it easier to comparison shop by showing you the lowest price after your cash rebate.
Here’s how you can earn cash while shopping on Microsoft’s “Live Search Cashback”:
1. Search for cash back deals using live search or visit search.live.com/cashback/
2. Shop for popular items under electronics, Jewelry, Clothing, Beauty, Home and Garden. When searching in Live Search, look for the coin symbol for great cash back deals.
3. Comparison shop by “bottom-line” price - which is the price after the cash rebate. Different stores offer different percentages of cash rebates ranging from 2% - 10%.
4. On your first time, they will ask you for your email address to set up your “Cash Back Account”
5. Every time you make a qualifying purchase, the cash rebates will collect in your account where you can redeem your money.
Although I am personally addicted to Google (especially in searching for information), it’s definitely worth using Live Search at least for shopping online. This can really help a girl save big depending on the item you are shopping for. For example, you could earn about $3 - $5 on shopping for a fragrance or as much as $80 - $100 shopping for bigger items like golf clubs or a HD TV.
Happy Shopping!
Do you need to reorganize your closet this month? You don’t have to go on a shopping spree to the Container Store to use proper tools for organizing your 
wardrobe.
An inexpensive way to organize your closet is to re-use plastic six-pack holders (which are normally used as to hold a six-pack of canned soda.) Place the plastic rings over a hanger in your closet and use it as a holder for your scarves and belts. You can de-clutter your closet AND save the environment!
Need storage for buttons, threads, pins, lint roller and what-nots? Save your shoe boxes and label them appropriately. You can also use them to store out-of-season shoes. Just take a picture of each shoe (I like to use a polaroid picture) and tape it to the front of the shoe box. That way, you can quickly pull out the shoes you are looking for.
You can still enjoy all the summer blockbusters while sticking to your budget. Here are some ways to save at the movie theater:
- Take advantadge of matinee prices by going in the afternoon.
- Don’t forget any student or military IDs or any other discount cards that can get you a discount.
- Many older movie theaters still show first-run movies. They may not have stadium seating but you can save $1 - $3 per ticket that way.
- Always eat before you hit the movie theater. If you are already full, the temptation to spend at the concession stand dies down.
- Refer to any Entertainment Coupon books you may have. Some offer discounts at movie theaters.
- Call the movie theater and ask if they host any specials during the week. Most specials occur on Tuesdays - when they may offer free popcorn and other incentives.
- Consider second-run movie theaters. If you can wait about 4-6 weeks after a release, some charge as low as 50 cents per ticket!
- Carry your boho bag and bring your own boxes of candy.
- If you are a member, purchase tickets ahead of time at AAA, Sam’s or Costo. You may be able to save up to 30% OFF.
- If you are a frequent movie-goer, take advantadge of any theater chain reward cards.
- Look up reviews online before seeing a movie. If a movie is getting bad reviews, you may decide just to wait for it to come on DVD.
- Consider Drive-In movie theaters. Some only charge $7 per car for a double feature.
It is vital for parents to teach their children the importance of budgeting and money management early in life. Piggy banks are great items for children to own while in the learning process.
Money Savvy Generation offers a piggy bank that is divided into four chambers: 
1. Save
2. Spend
3. Donate
4. Invest
Explain to your children what each of the categories mean and what percentage of thier money should go into each chamber.
According to their website at www.msgen.com:
“It gives a child a sense of control which leads to a sense of security.
When you give children the Money Savvy Pig, you give them control over the money in their lives. In a respectful way, the Money Savvy Pig asks children what they think is the best choice and allows them to make it. A sense of control leads to a sense of security. “
This tool will be fun and interactive while you pass on your money intellect down to younger generations. More more information on how you can teach your kids about money, visit Money Savvy Generation at www.msgen.com
