Before You File for Bankruptcy

If you’re having a lot of credit and debt issues, you may have considered filing for bankruptcy. This is often a last resort when it comes to personal finances and is not a decision that should be made overnight. Before you file for bankruptcy, be sure that you’ve explored and exhausted all possible options. Take a look at some of the tips and advice in this post for other things to think about before filing for bankruptcy. Personal bankruptcy is a big step for many people, and it is a legitimate tool that helps people get out from under a mountain of debt. Many borrowers successfully build their credit after filing bankruptcy, and continue on with success in their financial lives. Find out the real…

Teaching Kids About Money and Values

So, last week when I posted part nine of raising money savvy kids, I realized that it was out of order after I posted. My mistake! It’s still a valuable post so I left it as is. This week, part eight, is going to cover teaching kids about money and values. Next week will be the final part of the series and then we’ll move on to teaching kids how to save money. I think I have that all straight so let’s get to this next installment of how to raise a money savvy kid. You have your own beliefs about money and they might just differ from my beliefs about money. These beliefs come from your parents, they come from your experience, and they…

A Breastfeeding Mom’s Guide Choosing and Using a Breast Pump

A Breastfeeding Mom’s Guide Choosing and Using a Breast Pump

As a breastfeeding mom, there may be times that you find it necessary to use a breast pump. For example, if you’ve had a premature baby that needs to stay in the NICU for an extended period of time. Or maybe you’re going back to work and want to continue breastfeeding. Or, perhaps your husband or partner would like to be involved with feeding the baby. Whatever the case may be, if you happen to find yourself in the market for a breast pump, be sure to continue reading. I’m sharing my tips on motherhood for choosing and using a breast pump. With both Sweet B and V, a breast pump was necessary for me. V was in the NICU for three months and only…

The Most Commonly Believed Lies About Pregnancy

The Most Commonly Believed Lies About Pregnancy

I wouldn’t consider myself to be a pregnancy expert since I’m not a medical doctor or anything like that. I’m only a mom of 3, you know… but I still want to think that I’m pretty experienced in this area. Having had two premature children and one full term (with absolutely no plans of having anymore… so we think), there’s just a little bit of advice that I’d like to share with you. As moms-to-be, we are constantly bombarded with advice- from just about anyone.. Sometimes it’s useful and sometimes it’s not. That being said, here are 10 commonly believed lies about pregnancy along with one incredible truth. Lie #1- It’s only morning sickness.  This is beyond ridiculous because we all know, full well, that…

Financial Tips for Teens

Welcome to another addition to Raising Money Savvy Kids! By the time a child is a teenager they will have many ideas about money. Some of these ideas, hopefully, will be empowered and smart. Others, not so much. Teenagers seem naturally inclined to take risks in many areas of their life, including financially. Let’s take a look at some financial tips for teens and ideas to help your teenager manage their money more effectively, and responsibly. 1. Save money regularly, even if only a little. Saving a little money from every paycheck (or weekly allowance if you’re still doing that) at this age may not seem to add up quickly, but if you can learn to do this right from the beginning you will create…

Parent’s Guide to PLUS Loans

If you’re a parent of a college bound teenager, chances are likely that you’ve explored all possible options for paying for college. Whether it was looking for free money for college, looking for financial tips for your college student, or looking for advice on how to manage student loans– as parents, we tend to do quite a bit of research. My oldest, V, will not be college bound until next year, but he already has a pretty good plan in place. He wants to attend U.C. Berkeley (Cal) and is working on keeping his grades up so he can be eligible for scholarships. Which is great. Because as a parent, I really don’t want to apply for a PLUS loan. And before you consider applying…