Search Results for: blog are you prepared to say no

Can Sweepstakes Get You Out of Debt?

As you look at your pile of bills, at the roof that needs to be fixed, at the fact that at least one of your children may need braces, do you dream of winning a big dollar sweepstakes that would take care of your problem? For “sweepers,” those who make a hobby, or even a living, out of entering sweepstakes, the dream may not be so far from a reality. Entering sweepstakes can pay off and may even be able to get you out of debt, if you don’t spend more than you win, if you apply the bulk of … Continue reading →

When Being Sick Is Not An Option

What do you dread more?  Dealing with a sick kid or running a household while running a fever and to the toilet every few minutes? When my daughter was an infant she got violently ill.  In a moment of utter fatigue and desperation, I tried bargaining with her doctor.  I offered him all of my appendages in exchange for a cure for my child.  I wanted to alleviate her pain at any cost, even if it meant dismembering my own body. It’s a scenario most parents can relate to; we’d rather be the ones suffering than see our children in … Continue reading →

How to Prepare Your Child for a Real Job

If you don’t want to be the family with the 20-something adult child laying on your couch, then you have to get started early with helping to prepare your kid for his or her first real job, one that can support a basic lifestyle and have an expectation of self sufficiency. Ideally, you have been giving your child or children important money lessons since they were preschoolers, but the most critical time comes when they reach the age of 13 or 14. That is when they need to know that when they become adults, they will be expected to hold … Continue reading →

Your Guide to Insurance Savings

Everyone has to carry some form of insurance, whether it is homeowners insurance, renters insurance, auto insurance or private medical insurance. Being able to find ways to reduce the amount that you have to pay on your premiums is important. With less money leaving your family budget for insurance, you’ll have more money for savings and other needed expenses. 1. Raise your deductible If your insurance deductible is less than $500, consider raising it to at least that amount. The higher your deductible, the lower your insurance rate. The deductible is the amount that you will pay first before the … Continue reading →

Love Your Kids More Than You Hate Your Ex

My baby brother is leaving on an LDS mission to Paris, France tomorrow afternoon. This is a bittersweet time for everyone, as we won’t see him for the next two years, but no one will experience these feelings quite as deeply as his parents, well at least one of them. When Bryan opened his mission call five months ago his father refused to be there. Not because of Bryan, but because the event would take place at Bryan’s mother’s home where he has spent the majority of his childhood years growing up. Though I’m not sure Bryan would admit this, … Continue reading →

Pack Your Bag It’s Time To Go

If you are getting close to your delivery date, it is time to pack your bag for the trip of a lifetime. Before you drag out your suitcase and start tossing in your sunscreen and beach blanket, I should tell you that it’s a different kind of trip. That all important trip to the hospital (if you are planning to give birth at a hospital) where you will give birth to your baby. In the interest of full disclosure, I must say that with both pregnancies I did not pack my bag for the hospital until right before I left. … Continue reading →

What’s On Your Life Insurance Annual Policy Statement?

A life insurance policy can provide your family with some financial protection that will help them to continue paying the bills after you have passed away. You can learn some very important things about your life insurance policy by reading over your annual notice of policy status. You might think of it as the “Cliff’s Notes” version of your life insurance policy. Most people don’t like to think about life insurance because you cannot do it without acknowledging that you, and your spouse, are going to someday pass away. While it can be uncomfortable to consider this serious topic, it … Continue reading →

Not So Great Expectations

Sometimes, parents get upset with their children for acting in a way that they think is inappropriate. I know I do. Today I had an experience that made me think that perhaps at least some of the time, the problem is not my child’s behavior but my own unrealistic expectations. It started out innocently enough. I was running errands and it was almost lunch time, so I mentioned a few places where we could go to eat and asked Dylan to choose one. He chose a little place called “The Chef’s Market”. At the time, it seemed like a great … Continue reading →

Another One Bites the Dust

Kids seem to be getting kicked off planes left and right these days. What is it with commercial carriers and fussy tots, anyway? The latest victim: A cranky 3-year-old and his parents. According to news reports, last Sunday, a screaming toddler was booted off an Alaska Airlines flight departing from Seattle. The incident enraged the boy’s father, who claims the airline overreacted. “Kids crying, people snoring, large, smelly people, we deal with it, it’s normal,” said Mark Yanchak. Yanchak told reporters that his son was being a little fussy while the family prepared for their flight to depart. “He was … Continue reading →