cheap ways to help your child learn

One of the best investments that we can make for our children’s future is to nurture their natural love of learning. Every baby that I’ve ever met has been curious and eager to learn more about the world. As parents, it’s our responsibility and privilege to guide our children and encourage their natural thirst for knowledge. Luckily, this doesn’t require a lot of money, it’s a gift that even the poorest parent can give to their children.

The following are a few of the best ways to encourage and help your child learn and grow. This list isn’t just for parents, as grandparents, aunts and uncles and family friends can also make a huge difference in encouraging the children in their life!

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college frugal tips

College isn’t just about academics; for many students going off to university is the first time they’ll be on their own and fully in charge of buying their own food, toiletries and other necessities of life. Even if they are getting financial assistance from their parents, most college students will find themselves having to make do on a tight budget.

While many college students turn to credit such as balance transfer credit cards or private student loans to fund their lifestyle, many of today’s young people have learned a lot by watching the current financial crisis unfold. Instead of running up debt, they are looking for ways to make do with what they have.

If you are one of these students, here are a few tips to get you started on living a frugal life.

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Speaking with high earners about the paycheck not being enough always turns into an satisfying chat. Even though the reasons are usually common (you just don’t know my situation being the most popular), we always end up with a good resolution.

Why?

Because no excuse passes the “the average income per household in 2007 was $50,233” test (source: US Census Bureau).

Why can so many families live below $50,000 a year while others earning 4 times in the same country still feel poor?

If you are wondering the answer to this question yourself, or if you feel like the paycheck is never enough, here are 5 suggestions for you:
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become frugal

Do you want to be more frugal, but have a tough time developing new habits?

The concept of frugality is simple: look for ways to cut costs, go for quality items you’ll use a lot, and be smart with your resources. The hard part of adopting a more frugal life? Sticking with the process.

It seems like some people are naturally gifted when it comes to frugality. Me? I am, and always have been, a borderline spendthrift. I’ve put a lot of effort into changing my ways, and I feel like I’m finally making some progress.

If you find yourself having a tough time adopting frugal habits, here are some tips to motivate yourself to stick with it. [ continue reading… ]

frugal habits

One of the most direct ways to change your life? You need to change your attitude.

No one else is responsible for what happens to you but you, so you can either complain about the things you don’t like in your life or you can set about changing them. Not surprisingly, this directly relates to the state of your finances.

If you’re tired of living paycheck to paycheck, having your phone regularly cut off, or making excuses to skip dinners with your friends, then you can use these seven habits to take control of your money situation and live a happier and more frugal lifestyle.
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I dragged myself out of bed at 5:18 a.m. this morning (after I’d hit the snooze button twice), threw on my workout clothes, and went to the gym before the sun was up.

Despite the fact that I once viewed early mornings (not to mention a.m. workouts) to be a unique form of torture, I am trying my best to create a pre-dawn gym habit in order to set each and every day up for success. That’s because your morning habits set up your day for better or worse. Hitting the snooze button until 20 minutes before you have to leave for work is a good way to feel behind all day long, while getting up early and fitting in some exercise will help you feel empowered to handled any problem that crops up.

Did you ever want to improve how you start off each and every day? Here are four morning habits that successful people adopt to stay on top of their days, their careers, and their lives:
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