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Most families are spending more and more money each year (and not just because the cost of living rose) while also saving less and less. One reason is that few household managers spend much time reviewing expenses and expenditures to find ways they can save money. However almost every family has places where costs can be cut and pennies can be pinched — and if those freed up funds are then wont to pay down debt and save for the future it could have a dramatic impact on their quality of life.

Food is one big area where many families could be more thrifty. Families spend an average of $2,434 on food away from home, according to the Consumer Expenditure Survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you (and your spouse and your children) eat lunch out every day of the week then try brown-bagging at the least among those days. If just one of you does it you may save up to $400 a year and if you can double or triple that savings you could finance a family vacation with it.

Another major expense is your home. When was the last time you looked at refinancing? Can you find a lower rate of interest? Can you renegotiate to a shorter time frame? Even if you can’t change your mortgage payment you mayhap able to pay a bit extra every month which extra time will help pay down your mortgage faster. Also, don’t overlook your utilities. There are ways to save in that area as well including updating your insulation and weather stripping, keeping up-to-date with maintenance and cleaning of your furnace and air conditioning or using a programmable thermostat to take advantage of those times when your house is empty or the family is asleep. (more…)

The benefits of preparing and enjoying food as a family are clear. You save money and eat healthier meals. You create opportunities to connect and communicate with your children and spouse. And most importantly, you show love for your family when you spend time cooking and eating with them. Children of all ages need your attention and your time. By working together to create a meal or bake a batch of cookies, you spend valuable time together. (more…)

Most people understand how difficult it can be to balance their work and home lives once they get married and have children. Somehow it seems that work life or home life is always encroaching on the other and causing problems at work, at home, and many times both. However the following five tips are great options to help with balancing work and home.

Make a Schedule

The best thing to do when trying to balance work and home is to make a schedule. Know how much time you’ve and schedule your work time and your home time. And then, you’ll know when you need to schedule work and home events. These will make your life significantly easier and you’ll know which activities fit into which time frame. Just be sure you stick to your schedule.

Share Responsibilities

Many times work and home responsibilities can become overwhelming because one spouse is handling more of the responsibilities than the other. So, learn to share responsibilities at home and each spouse can be responsible for their work. Also, older children should have some home responsibilities as well to help parents balance work and home. (more…)

Taking the entire family out for an evening of fun can be exciting and something all parents want to do on a regular basis. However, going out costs money and frequently it can cost more the average family can afford. So, whenever you prefer to enjoy an evening with your family consider these 5 cheap nights out where you can really enjoy some family bonding while saving money at the same time.

Cheap Family Night #1 The Movies

I know you’re thinking the movies are really expensive and there has no way you can afford to go. All the same, frequently during the week movie theater* offer specials, even 2 for 1 deals, to get more people in to see movies during the middle of the week. As a result, by taking your family to the movies on a Tuesday or Wednesday as opposed to Friday or Saturday you can save a lot of money. Also, consider popping popcorn at house and carrying it with you in a purse. That way you can enjoy popcorn without spending $5 for a small bag.

Cheap Family Night #2 Bowling

Bowling is a great family activity and like the movies many bowling alleys offer specials during the week, especially for kids. So, have a great dinner at home and head to the bowling alley. Course, call ahead and find out when your local bowling alley offers specials for families and kids. (more…)

Grandparents Day started with the idea of honoring the elderly and championing the cause of the lonely in nursing and retirement homes.  Marian McQuade, a housewife from Mountain State, brainstormed the idea, which was later to become a nationally recognized holiday, thank you to President Carter in 1978.  Now the holiday is celebrated on the first Sunday after Labour Day, in September among the first vacations of the academic year that greatly affects most students.

McQuade, the master founder of Grandparents Day, is the mother of fifteen children, grandmother of forty, and great-grandmother of three.  With so many descendants, she was cognisant of the special bond that children should have with their grandparents.  While mothers and fathers are the main source of discipline and example in a child’s life, his or her grandparents have a profound affect on viewpoints.  Without the wisdom of the grandparents, many children today wouldn’t understand what it was like to grow up without the technology and amenities of today’s world and wouldn’t appreciate what they’ve nearly as much. (more…)