If you, like me and many other mothers and fathers, have decided to stay at home with your children for a few years, it may seem as though you’re sending your career on a fast track to nowhere by taking time off. That is certainly one of the concerns that would-be stay-at-home parents often cite as part of their decision-making process. And while putting your career on hiatus will certainly cause some changes in your career trajectory, that does not mean that those changes have to be negative. Here are some ways to make sure you can balance your time at home with the kids with a long and satisfying career:
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Many of us weren’t born frugal. We had to convert to frugality so we could survive financially. And it’s hard, I know. I’m one of those people.
I used to come and go as I pleased. Bought what I wanted. Ate out as often as I cared to. As a result, I ended up with a mountain of debt — that my parents bailed me out of more than once. As thankful as I was, it took me a lot longer to learn lessons that others seemed to grasp without much effort.
Learning to be frugal was brutal.
I had to shift several behaviors before I could be financially intelligent. Once I did, the monkey on my back lightened a little, and then finally, a lot. I don’t know that I’ll ever fully adapt, but there are three things that have made my transition much easier.
Here are my tips to help you lose the frugal blues:
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Every year we make the same resolutions only to lose motivation and momentum, and yet we seem to think that each new year will be ‘the year’ we are magically able to follow through. Whether it’s losing weight, exercising more, starting a new hobby, getting rid of clutter, or saving money, most resolutions to change one’s habits end in defeat within a matter of weeks or, if you’re particularly determined, a few months.
Some have wearied of this trend and in frustration decided to stop making resolutions altogether. Although this disillusioned attitude is more realistic, it doesn’t help you accomplish your goals, many of which are very achievable with the right approach and tools.
Are you looking to make some changes in your finances in the New Year but know exactly the set and abandon cycle of New Year resolutions? Making changes in your life is hard and if you don’t make a conscious effort to set yourself up for success, failure is almost certain.
Here are some tips on how to make your New Year’s Resolutions last all year long and become beneficial changes in your life. While we’re focused on personal finance here at MoneyNing.com, these tips can be applied to any of your resolutions.
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Teaching kids about money is one of the most difficult tasks we’re faced with when parenting. It’s a challenge to raise kids who are financially aware, and who will hopefully make better decisions than we do.
Often that’s because we spend our time telling our children how they should do things, rather than letting them follow in our footsteps. It’s difficult for us to change. We’ve settled into not-so-wise routines and are creatures of habit.
We live our lives hoping they’ll hear our words instead of watching our actions — so they’ll live their lives out better than we lived ours.
And even if we’re taking the right steps, we often don’t explain why we’re doing so. By using small tasks like grocery shopping as a teaching tool, we can help our children understand our thought processes and learn to make solid financial choices.
Here’s how to teach your kids to grocery shop frugally:
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You have probably heard the age-old cliché, “time is money,” a few times in your life. That saying could not be any truer for money-saving habits. There are so many great money-saving tips out there, but not all of them are worth your time. Here are a few serious time-suckers you should avoid.
Clipping Physical Coupons
I used to play the “grocery game” and used to get a lot of food and utilities for free through coupons. The problem was that I was also compulsively looking at deal matching sites, as well as driving to many different stores each week. While I scored a lot of great deals, I also ended up not using the majority of my free shampoo and toothpaste stash.
I have found that digital coupons are much faster, though I will only look up deal matching sites a few times a month, rather than daily. I prefer to save money by shopping Von’s clearance items (today I scored 50% off frozen organic vegetables and petite sirloin steaks just because the store is clearing them out). I also will look at the front page of Slickdeals daily and order any Amazon deal that is at an amazing point and that I know I will use.
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Minimalism as a counter-cultural movement has been increasing in recent years. Perhaps you’ve jumped on the minimalist bandwagon and are happily downsizing, reducing your consumerism, and creating less waste – all of which gift you with more time and energy to enjoy the most meaningful things in life.
But now it’s time for Christmas.
If you’ve recently begun converting to a more minimalist lifestyle, the holidays present a formidable challenge in the form of traditions, ‘obligatory’ shopping, and avoiding hurt feelings.
The core values of the holiday season – giving, expressing love, cherishing faith, and spending time with family and friends – can still be enjoyed as a minimalist, but the more visible elements of consumerism, debt, waste, excessive marketing, and the accumulation of useless possessions are in direct opposition to its key principles.
How do you enjoy the core values of Christmas without succumbing to all the rest? Here’s how to have yourself a minimalist little Christmas.
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