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How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies
in Your Kitchen the Frugal Way
children
Gardening with Children
Gardening is an activity that isn’t limited by age. This means you can try gardening with children and possibly develop within them a live-long love of nature. What could be better than gardening for a gift that can last a lifetime?
One of the benefits of encouraging your child to join you when you’re in the garden is that you can talk about anything without feeling pressured. It could be something as simple as valuing the earth and protecting the environment, to more serious subjects such as life and love. Whatever you talk about, because you’re in a non-threatening atmosphere, you may find you’re talking about things that your children are concerned about most.
You’ll definitely want to encourage your children to give gardening a try if they show any interest in it at all. Don’t expect them to actually ask you if they can help; you may have to invite them to come join you while you’re in the midst of planting.
Let children use their imagination when planting or helping in the garden. They may imagine a tiny village behind the plants or in the rocks; maybe they’ll even try to create the village they imagine out of natural materials found in the garden. Since children often have vivid imaginations, let them run wild while you share time among the dirt and plants.
Children have short attention spans, so don’t become upset if they work a little while and then run away to do something else. You may want to find them work they can do in short periods of time. You may also want to buy them some child-sized gardening tools so they can accomplish more while they spend time with you in your work.
Teach them how to dig in the dirt so they can place plants into it. You may want to explain to them how the dirt provides the nutrients the plants need to grow and show them how to make the dirt healthier for the plants by using peat moss, sand, and compost. Explain the reason for adding these components and help them understand why they shouldn’t handle commercial fertilizers.
Perhaps after you’ve spent some time in the garden and are comfortable with your child’s knowledge, you might think about creating a small garden that is entirely the child’s. Remember that you want their experience to be a positive one and passing off too much responsibility too soon could squash their interest in the activity.
Your goal in inviting your child to join you in the garden is multi-faceted. You want to teach them about loving nature and natural things, to make light of the work needed in the garden, and to spend quality time with your child. Be sure to give your little helper a hug and hearty thank you for their help and let them know you enjoyed your time together.
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In this time of uncertainty, many people are concerned about their children’s college fund. In researching the various alternatives available, here are some suggestions if this applies to you:
One online source advises your best course of action would be to contact the financial officer at the college to discuss what options are available for your son or daughter. If you have suffered a severe financial loss during this economic downturn, they may be able to offer you financial assistance by extending the loan payments up to one year.
Conversely, you may be able to apply for a loan through Sallie Mae. These loans require a co-signature and the interest rate is quite low. Since most banks are not lending at the moment, this may be appropriate for you to check on further. In fact, there are some universities which offer a loan repayable up to ten years. So it doesn’t hurt to call and or visit them personally.
Kiplinger.com offers information on obtaining a so-called 529 college-savings plan. There are current 49 states that offer the plan where you can find an adequate selection in a direct-sold plan. Its lower expenses mean that more of your money will go toward building your college fund.
In addition, Kiplinger offers advice on specific plans for your child’s college education. They are quoted as:
* If low investment costs are your primary concern, take a look at the Utah Educational Savings Plan Trust. The plan serves up a menu of nine Vanguard index-fund portfolios and charges only 0.38% per year for its most expensive option.
* The pre-fab portfolios offered by 529 plans are only as good as their underlying mutual funds. That’s why we like Maryland College Investment Plan, which uses a great mix of funds from T. Rowe Price. Maryland cut its annual fees this year, and the plan’s most expensive option costs just 0.99% annually.
* The Michigan Educational Savings Program, run by TIAA-CREF, is ideal for investors who shy away from putting their college savings into the stock market. The plan has a savings option that guarantees principal and a minimum annual interest rate based on a Treasury note index. That option doesn’t charge an annual fee. The plan also offers portfolios of TIAA-CREF mutual funds that are tilted more toward bond funds than most other 529 plans. Those options cost a very low flat fee of 0.45% annually.
* If you feel more comfortable using an adviser, ask about the Virginia CollegeAmerica plan. You’ll pay more in fees than if you bought a plan directly, but your adviser can craft a solid portfolio with 22 top-notch funds from American Funds.
Finally, you can check out this website for a state-by-state listing of the types of savings and loan programs, including 529s. You may wish to bookmark this site for later reading as it does offer many alternatives if your son or daughter chooses to select an out-of-state college.
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Children grow at unbelievable rates, and sometimes it seems like their clothes no longer fit just overnight. Clothing isn’t cheap so having to budget for a new wardrobe isn’t easy. If you have several children then you know all too well the burden of coming up with money to buy all of the clothes they need before school starts and again in the summer time. Sure, you can save some money by passing clothing from one child to another but there are plenty of other ways to save money on children’s clothing.
Many stores offer buy one get one free offers throughout the year on jeans, shirts, and even shoes. While you may not think your child needs so many right then consider buying them the next size up. This way when you need bigger clothes for them you already have some stored away at home without having to rush out and spend whatever the going price is at that time for such items.
Pay attention to the sales that take place throughout the year on children’s clothing. You will be amazed at the savings. In fact, the first place I look when I enter a retail store is the discount and sale racks that are generally placed at the back of the store. I have purchased swimsuits and swim trunks for my children as school time approaches for just a dollar or two instead of $10 or $20 a piece.
Winter jackets can cost from $50 to $200 dollars depending on where you purchase them from. I always buy extras for my children at the end of winter and never pay more than $20 for them. The same with summer clothing such as sandals and shorts. They go on sale as school approaches and I buy larger sizes to store until next summer. I use tight sealing storage containers for the clothing so it won’t get damaged.
Sweaters for both boys and girls are a common item in the colder months, but it can be expensive for good quality ones. Buy them on sale and pack them away for next year. Try to avoid ones that offer seasonal colors or themes so that they can be used whenever the child needs one. Even paying $5 for a sweater that is regularly $30 is a very good deal in my book.
My children and I make it a day of fun and games when it is time to change from one season to the next. We go through the containers of clothing and try on things to see what is a good fit. We also clean out clothes that don’t fit from their closets. This way we know exactly what items each child still needs to be ready for the season.
To get good deals like these on clothing for children you need to be well organized and plan ahead. You may think it isn’t worth while to pay for items now that won’t get used for a year, but think about the overall savings. I have three children to buy winter jackets for so $20 each in about the cost of one when the next winter rolls around. This is the best way I know to keep my children dressed nicely but also to make it fit well into the budget I have to work with.
Don’t forget to look at the sale pages for children’s clothing that are often found in the major newspapers on Wednesdays and Sundays. You may be able to pick up some great deals at these one day sales, but make sure it really is a sale and not just a promotion of their regularly advertised prices. To get the most out of the clothing you purchase, try to avoid trendy themes that may not be in style when your child is able to wear them next year. Stick to basic styles and colors.
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