Should I Give My Kids an Allowance?

As children, we are like little sponges. We soak up everything about our environment and every lesson we are taught. Things from sharing to being nice, the lessons taught in our formative years carry with us for life. Is finance any different?

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Buying in Bulk to Save Money, How Much is Too Much?

I was pondering the above question as I cleaned out a hall closet this weekend and found not one, not two, but 10 sticks of antiperspirant, or at my current pace of use, roughly an 8 year supply. I realized we had so much because a) we often buy in bulk, at Costco b) when there is a really good sale on something, we tend to stock up.

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Little Things To Avoid

Sometimes it seems like we’re being pretty responsible with our money (not buying fancy cars or TVs), yet the budget doesn’t always balance. Usually when that happens, it’s the little things that are making a difference (death by a thousand cuts). Here’s a few tips to avoid the common minor expenses that add up over time.

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Getting Your Baby Budget Ready

Guest Post by Jonathan Bernstein, founder of Wizbe.com

Having a baby is an exciting, magical time. It s also the beginning of a lot of changes to your budget diapers, doctors, buying clothes that last 5 weeks. Housing and child care costs are two budget items that usually change a lot when a baby arrives. Reviewing these in advance will give you time to figure out how to fit necessary changes into your budget.

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Thinking About the Per-Use Cost of Everything

You go to the grocery store and think “Ok, if I buy lunch meat and bread I’ll save on lunch this week, instead of going out”. But to really understand if that’s true, or to quantify exactly how much you’re saving, it’s best to break the purchase down into a per-use cost.

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