Photo by jamma.blogware.com

Most of us have children because we enjoy raising children and we think they will make our lives more complete.  We look forward to watching them grow up and to one day having grandchildren.  The decision to have children is a personal one as well as when to have them and when to have another one.  We don’t like to think that finances have a role in that decision, but they do, especially when deciding how far to space apart our children.

My first two children are 4.5 years apart, and my last two are 1.5 years apart, so I have seen both sides of the spacing spectrum.  If you are considering how far to space apart your children, consider these points:

Spacing Them Several Years Apart

Financially

Spacing them apart is undoubtedly easier on the finances because you aren’t saddled with double expenses.  For instance, daycare in our area is expensive, running $1,000 a month or more.  My son was almost completely done with daycare before my daughter needed it, so we didn’t experience much financial strain.  Similarly, when they go to college, my son should be finished or almost finished when my daughter begins college.

Emotionally

Have kids four or more years apart can be tricky because they are always in completely different stages of growth.  My son is almost eight, and he likes to be alone sometimes to play and build complex Lego structures, for instance, but my three year old just wants to be with her big brother, and if getting his attention means destroying his Lego masterpiece, that is what she will do.

Also, if you are not careful, the older child can often not get enough attention because he is independent while the smaller child is heavily dependent on you still.

Having Kids Close Together

Financially

Having two kids close together can be a financial strain because your expenses are essentially doubled.  When I was faced with $2k daycare bills after my youngest was born 17 months after my middle child, I decided to quit my job because I would be mostly working to pay for daycare.  Our two youngest kids are going to be one year apart in school, which means we will be paying for college for two kids almost the entire time they are in college.  (I try not to think about that!)

Emotionally

Having two kids close together means that they are mostly at the same developmental stage, which makes it easier to care for them and to find activities that interest them.  They also (usually) play well together.  We are lucky in that our girls are very close to one another; in some ways it is almost like having twins.

There are benefits to both having your children spaced apart four or more years and having them closely spaced together.  Ultimately, you must decide based on your own financial situation.  Overall, we are happy with the spacing of our own children.  While having three children closely spaced together would have been nice, we wouldn’t have been able to afford it.

While many of us know this, we may be reluctant to follow these rules because, let’s face it, some of the fruit choices that are available in the fall and winter such as apples, oranges and tangerines, can get boring after awhile.  You can save money by preserving local, in season fruits and vegetables now, while they are available.

Strawberries

If you don’t yet have strawberries available, they will soon be available.  You can freeze strawberries quite easily.  If you want to freeze them whole, simply use a straw to push out the stems, rinse, and then pat dry.  Freeze on a cookie tray in the freezer.  Once they are frozen, place them in a freezer bag and remove the air either by squeezing it out of the bag or by sucking it out with a straw.

True, when the strawberries thaw, they probably won’t have the same consistency as fresh, but they will taste great in smoothies, strawberry muffins or other strawberry baked goods.  Better yet, because you bought them in season, you will save yourself money all year long when you pull them from your freezer instead of buying them at the grocery store in the winter when they are more expensive.

Blueberries

Blueberries are even easier to preserve.  Simply rinse them and pat them dry and then freeze on a cookie sheet on a single layer.  Once they are frozen, place them in a freezer bag.  These two are delicious straight from the freezer for smoothies, blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, and in oatmeal.

You could buy strawberries and blueberries at the store and freeze them, but to save even more money, pick them up from your local farmer or pick them yourself at the local farm.

Asparagus

Asparagus is a vegetable that many people enjoy, but it can be very hard to find in the fall and winter, unless you freeze your own.  To prepare asparagus to freeze, cut off the ends as normal, and then place in boiling water for 2 to 4 minutes to blanch.  Remove the asparagus and place in a bowl filled with ice water to stop the asparagus from cooking.  Pat dry and freeze in a single layer on a cooking sheet.  Once frozen, place in a freezer bag.

Frozen asparagus can be cooked in the microwave or roasted in the oven once thawed.

Eating fresh, local food that is in season is best for your health and your wallet.  This spring and summer, buy some extra produce and preserve it in the freezer so you can enjoy it in the middle of winter; you’ll save a great deal of money doing so, and you will also add more variety to your diet during the winter when you bore of the in season fruits and vegetables.

Photo credit

Photo by plenty.r.

If you’re a small business, it can be difficult to figure out the best option for phone service.  It is a decision of balancing customer needs with costs, and also emerging forms of communication.  As more and more individuals stop having home phone service, businesses are having to adapt as well.  Here are some good telephone options for your small business.

Traditional Phone Service

Many small businesses will still need some type of traditional phone service.  However, it is important to think about why, and what your customers need.  If you do a lot of your business online, having a local area code probably doesn’t sit well with your customers all over the United States.  As such, you should look into getting an 800 number through a site like 0800 numbershop.  That way, your customers can call you toll free from anywhere.

VoIP

VoIP is now the main competitor to traditional phone service.  Unlike a phone line, you have a regular phone that plugs in and works over the internet.  Companies are choosing this option because they can have more control over the phone system easily (like recording and monitoring calls), while keeping a close eye on price.

Skype

Skype is a popular way for individuals to communicate, and small businesses are getting in on it as well.  If you have freelancers or other workers at remote sites, Skype can be a great way to communicate on projects, because you can see a video picture of the individual, and you can transmit files as well.    This is a great way to coordinate work with remote workers.

Google Voice

Finally, there is Google Voice, which is Google’s answer to integrating various phone options.  With Google Voice, you get a phone number, but you can also add it to your existing numbers with some work.  Whenever someone calls the number, you can have the call forwarded to various numbers, or sent to a voice mailbox.  If you get a voicemail, it will transcribe the call into email and send it to you.  This is a handy option for integrating all of your different lines.

Photo: SXC/Nils Thingvall

If you are like most busy moms, you are trying to juggle work, kids, and kids’ extracurricular activities.  You may find yourself stopping by the drive thru more frequently than you would like or going to the grocery store several times a week to pick up a “few things,” but instead, you walk out with $30 or more in groceries each time you stop.  You may think, “There has to be a better way!”.  And there is.

One of the best ways I have found to reduce my family’s grocery budget is to simply limit the number of times per month that I grocery shop.  Typically, I try to shop once a month for staples and once a week for fresh produce only.

If you are interested in reducing the amount of time you spend in the grocery store (which could be up to 1.5 to 2 hours a week if you spend 20 minutes in the grocery store 4 to 5 days a week) and reducing the amount you spend through lack of planning and impulse buys, here is the strategy to employ:

1. Make a list of your family’s 15 to 20 favorite meals.  Include all the ingredients for each recipe.
2. Mark how many times you plan to serve each meal throughout the month.  You will probably have about 5 meals you serve twice during the month and the rest just one time.  Don’t forget to also include days for leftovers or days you may plan to go out to eat.
3. Make a grocery list of all of the non-perishables you will need.
4. Make a grocery list of all of the perishables you will need, and mark each item with a number that corresponds to the meal you will need the item for.
5. At the beginning of the month, go to the grocery store and buy all of the non-perishables you will need for your meals for the month.  Also, don’t forget to include toiletries such as toothpaste and toilet paper that you will need for the month.
6. Buy the perishables you will need for the week for the meals you are planning.
7. Every week thereafter, only go to the store to buy the perishables that correspond to the meals you will make for the week.

I know this sounds like a lot of work, and I’ll be honest, it is.  Determining your 15 to 20 favorite meals, writing out the ingredients and making your perishable and non-perishable grocery lists may take you about 3 hours.  However, once this task is done, you will be able to refer to it month after month with no further time investment.

When you do your large shopping trip at the beginning of the month, you will probably spend 1 to 1.5 hours.  However, the rest of the weekly trips for the month when you buy perishables only should just take 30 minutes or so.

You will spend 3 hours setting up the system and 2.5 to 3 hours shopping during the month.  You are only at 6 hours maximum, which is less time than you used to spend dropping into the grocery store several times a week.  The next month you use this plan, you will be able to forego the initial 3 hours to choose your meals and write your list.  You will only need to spend 3 hours in the grocery store total.  Over the course of one year, you will save yourself at least 33 hours in the grocery store, and you will also find that you will save a lot of money.

I think that is well worth the initial time investment, don’t you?

In addition, there are plenty of freebies and deals you can score from retailers.

Here is a list of some that you may want to take advantage of:

Freebies that Will Appeal to Kids

• Receive a free reusable bag from the Disney Store when you bring in 5 plastic bags for recycling on April 22nd.
• Fill out a form, include the UPC codes and pay $1.75 shipping and handling to get  a free Kellogg’s reusable bag with the purchase of any two Kellogg’s cereals or Pop-Tarts.  There are 4 different bags available.
• Get a free packets of sunflower seeds on Earth Day while supplies last from Pottery Barn Kids, in partnership with National Geographic.
• Get 20% off select eco-friendly toys and free shipping on orders over $25 from Barnes and Noble.
• Get 15% off Kid Konserve products when you use the code BLOG15.  (Kid Konserve sells reusable stainless steel water bottles and lunch containers as well as reusable lunch sacks for eco-friendly lunches.)
• The National Park Service is offering free admission to all 397 parks between April 21^st and April 29^th.

Freebies that Will Appeal to Moms

• Bring in a reusable coffee container and get a free cup of coffee from Caribou Coffee.
• Go to Guest Services at Target on April 22^nd and get a free reusable tote bag.
• NOVICA, a company in partnership with National Geographic that offers jewelry, pottery and other home goods made from artisans from around the world, is offering free shipping on all of their products in celebration of Earth Day.
• Origins is offering a free wish bracelet featuring a tree and planting a tree in your honor when you purchase any skincare product and use the code WISH.

Other Activities

If you prefer to have a quieter Earth Day celebration at home, the Internet offers several activities you may enjoy:

• Apples 4 the Teacher offers several Earth Day coloring pages for your little ones.
• For older children, you can find fun Earth Day crafts to do.
• There are also Earth Day word jumbles and word search print outs available.
• Finally, you may want to consider taking your child to the library to check out some of the books that are about Earth Day such as Let’s Celebrate Earth Day and 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth.

Earth Day was first held on April 22, 1970, and since then, our awareness of the environment has increased.  However, as parents, we should teach our children what they can do to protect the Earth for future generations.  Spending time attending community activities, taking advantage of deals and freebies that will help us live a more “green” life and spending time working on Earth Day activities with our kids at home are all good ways to celebrate and educate our children.

Photo courtesy of Trinity via Flickr.

One of those items is a fireplace. Whether it’s electric, made of metal, wood or any other material, a fireplace can help to make a home look more inviting. Perhaps the best room to have a fireplace in is the living room, as it’s where you spend a lot of time. However, you may be concerned that fireplaces are both expensive to buy and run, but for those of you who are unsure about cost, High Efficiency Fireplaces help to conserve fuel without compromising on the heat it gives to a room on a cold night.

For those of you want a more traditional look, choosing from a range of wood burning stoves may be the answer. They tend to work best if your home has a red, brown or orange colour scheme going on, but it can also work placed on a light wall, but it all depends on the colour and darkness or lightness of the wood. Any colour clash could ruin your hard work in installing the fireplace.

Fireplaces that use gas, wood and electricity also come made of metal, and to give them a finishing touch, using a back panel might help bring out the best in it. A back panel made of marble or eve black granite could work perfectly in your living room.

Fashion rugs might seem a bit excessive, but for those of you who want your home to have a contemporary look, getting the latest rug from an online retailer like modern rugs could fill that void. You might think of rugs as an unnecessary soft furnishing, but they can add a lot to your home. The best modern rugs can be stylish, bright, comfortable and welcoming. In addition to that, they can help to complement other items of furniture in the lounge such as a sofa, coffee table or even the cushions.

When looking for cheap rugs, it’s understandable that you’ll be a little curious about what material is used in their construction, as some materials are more fashionable and comfortable than others. Some are made with polyester, others with wool and a few are made with cotton. At the moment, the most fashionable rugs are thick and tufty, which is ideal if you’ve a few guests coming round and you want to watch a film. Rather than finding chairs, your friends could sit on the rug.

Bright colours are seen as being in style right now. Whether it’s light blue, lime green or a deep red, they can really stand out if you want them to, but it’s also worth having furniture that’s either the same colour as the rug or similar to help complement it.

If you’re looking to have a snappy spruce up in the garden just as the sun is peaking around the clouds, you might want to go for something more budget. It’s unlikely for the majority of us that we would have a special fund tucked away, ear marked for new garden furniture. To get the most out of your money, make sure you shop around and don’t just go for an impulse buy at your local DIY chain store. The best deals around can be found online. Searching through sites specialising in outdoor furniture such as Bridgman will give you a lot more choice and are usually better priced than the big chains.

Durability is another big issue to consider when on a budget. Go for metals such as iron or aluminium, both of which can be found in price brackets that are pocket friendly and as long as there is a good layer of paint on there, neither requires much maintenance. If you would prefer to go for a more natural substance like wood, make sure you go for one of the hard woods like oak. There might be more of a maintenance issue with real wood but if you take the time to treat your patio furniture at least once or twice a year, you shouldn’t have any problems!

Think about when the sun goes in, you might not want to retire to the living room but still have a feel of the outdoors so don’t forget to give some attention to the conservatory. There are many choices out there for conservatory furniture and as the durability factor isn’t as prominent in this sphere you can go for something a little cheaper. Many of the wicker or rattan garden furniture options found online would be perfect. Bridgman furniture for example is light weight as well as budget so if your prayers are answered and you’re able to go back outside, you might be able to use your conservatory furniture as spares for when more people come to visit.

What Makes Multi-Level Marketing Good for Moms?

If you choose to sell through a multi-level marketing company there are several benefits.

-You will make a commission for your direct sales.

-You will make residual income if someone signs up through you to also become a sales representative.  The more people who sign up underneath you to become sales representatives, the more passive income you will earn.  When sales reps who signed up through you make their own sales, you earn a commission for those sales in addition to your own sales.

-You are probably already familiar with the products.  My friend began to sell Mary Kay because she already used Mary Kay cosmetics.  Becoming a sales consultant allowed her to essentially get her make up for free.  In addition, she was already familiar with the products and what she liked about them, so she was ready to begin selling right away.

-You may already have customers in your friends and family.  My friend who sold Mary Kay found she had a number of friends and family members who also used Mary Kay, so she could sell to them.  Then, they told their friends that she sold Mary Kay, and her customer base grew.

-You will have a flexible schedule.  Many moms are busy attending school events, taking care of little ones, and driving older ones to extracurricular activities.  By working in direct sales, you will be able to set your own hours.  Perhaps you only have sales parties or shows in the evenings when your spouse can watch the kids.  Maybe you handle your administrative work when the kids are napping.  You have the flexibility to set your own hours.

-You can determine how much money you make.  You can determine, in part, how much money you will make.  Maybe during the school year you are able to work more hours because the kids are in school, but you cut down on your hours in the summer because you want to spend time with the kids when they are out of school.  How much you work may directly correlate with how much money you make.

Potential Drawbacks of Multi-Level Marketing Companies

-You may need to buy products before you begin selling.  Many direct sales companies require that you buy a starter package.  These packages can range from as little as $50 to as much as $300 or more.  If you are trying to work part-time because money is tight, affording the starter package can be difficult.

-You will do best if you are an extrovert.  There is no way around this.  Those who are extroverted tend to do best with these types of jobs.  You need to be approachable, friendly, knowledgeable and outgoing to truly shine as a sales person.  Those with quieter personalities may not do as well with these types of jobs.

If you are a stay at home mom looking for a flexible schedule, consider getting a job in multi-level marketing.  You may already be familiar with the product, you can set your own schedule, and there are multiple ways to earn money including residual income from other sales representatives and your own income from direct sales.

Photo from Victor1558 on Flickr.

Photo by victoriabernal

Restaurants

• Chick-Fil-A—Get an 8 pack of nuggets for As or Bs
• Chuck E. Cheese—Kids can earn up to 15 free tokens for good grades—each A earns 3 tokens, each B 2 tokens and each C one token.
  (For the younger kids who aren’t yet in school, you can download one Chuck E. Cheese’s Rewards Calendars, which reward kids for keeping a clean room, getting dressed on their own, or sleeping through the night, to name a few. For each chore that they complete 10 times, they qualify for 10 free tokens.)
• Krispy Kreme—Earn one free donut for each A your child earns.  This offer is valid for students through sixth grade
• McDonald’s—Students who earn straight As get a free happy meal.
• Pizza Hut—Earn 3 or more As and get a free pan pizza and a soft drink or milk
• Sbarro’s Pizza—Earn As and Bs and become a PizzAchiever.  Get a free slice of pizza and a drink for qualifying child and one accompanying adult.

Entertainment

• Family Video—For each A your child earns, they will receive a free video rental.  This offer applies to children from kindergarten to college.
• Blockbuster—If your child earns a B average or better on their report card, they can receive a free video rental from Blockbuster.  This offer applies for kids from kindergarten through 12^th grade.

Retailers

• Limited Too—Girls who earn passing grades and bring in their report cards within 30 days of issuance will receive a coupon for $5.00 off their purchase.
• Justice—Just like Limited Too, Justice, a retailer for tween girls, offers a $5.00 off coupon when a report card is brought in within 30 days of issuance and shows good grades.

Programs may vary by location, so make sure to call your local retailer or restaurant first.  In most cases, a parent must accompany the child and bring the report card within 30 days of issuance.

While some parents don’t prefer to treat their children for getting good grades because they think their children should strive to excel academically regardless, others appreciate retailers’ offers to reward their children.  Certainly, children can reap plenty of free food and goods if they obtain good grades, not to mention the future rewards they will receive by being academically achieving students throughout their primary and secondary educations.  If a bit of incentive helps keep their kids on track academically, most parents have no problem with it, especially if the child is not usually given junk food and receives the freebies as a special treat for their hard work.

Do you reward your children for hard work or take advantage of freebie programs?  If so, which programs do you utilize?