Mom's Financial Advice

Forever Finances

2009-08-04T02:55:00.000-07:00

How many children are never really taught anything about finances? I was taught a little, but there I was sitting with all this debt and not knowing how to get out from under it. I am reading a book called "How to Raise a Millionaire". I wish my mom had read it.
I really believe kids are not getting the really important lessons. Finances are definitely one of those things they Really need. I know lots of grown ups that didn't learn how to manage a checking account till they were out of school, let alone how to actually manage the money in the account.
So where do we start. First and foremost, get reading. I know I have a hard time finding time around my son right now to read, but this one is homework for him. Then, we all need to start voicing our opinions at the school boards. Let them know what we want our children to learn. I know I don't care if my son can pass a test at the end of the year, but if he can read, write, and manage money... I would be impressed by his schooling.
Stop expecting the schools to do what is right. They need their finances taken care of just like we do only they depend on government to do it. You know what that means, if you don't step up to the plate and take care of your child's financial training...no one will.

Jennifer FitzGerald
BestInfantCrib.com

Financial Advice

2009-07-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

Just met a great guy who is a financial advisor. His email is frankaiello1@gmail.com and he just got the URL of frankaiello1.com, but it will be a couple weeks till his site is up. But, don't let that stop you from sending him a message if you need any help to figure out ANYTHING that has to do with financial information.

Jennifer FitzGerald
BestInfantCrib.com

Abundant living conference

2009-07-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

I'm hoping everyone will join me at the mastermind web conference starting tomorrow. They will be sharing their processes on abundant living. There are so many great thinkers speaking at this. I have heard some of them before and they are all life changers.
One of my favorite speakers is Jack Canfield, who wrote "Chicken Soup for the Soul". He went from about to declare bankrupt to being one of the biggest earners in the authoring industry by living with an abundant mindset.
You WILL come away with a whole new attitude on life. It's only $1 to get in and for what you will get out of it...priceless. Change your life this week and live with an abundant attitude. Click on the link below and I'll see you there!

Jenn FitzGerald
KLJ Marketing

Internet Marketing Training to increase Financial stability

2009-07-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

Doesn't everyone who has a web site need Internet Marketing Training to get it to the masses? If you don't know how to use the Internet, your site could be worthless. And how will you ever achieve financial stability if you are paying for a site that no one ever sees?
You have probably heard that 95% of web sites aren't being seen on the internet. So, how come people like me, a web designer, are still making so much money? Clients are never ending for people who want web sites built or worked on. Most of my clients feel that their old site just wasn't the right business.
I've got news for you. If its ever been on the internet, there is someone out there interested in it. So how do you make sure that your site is being seen? Marketing secrets seem to be one of the many things people are selling...on the internet. Don't feel you can afford to buy the secrets? What if I tell you you can get it all for only $1?
I just published a site today that gives you just that. A step by step training site for Internet Marketing Training. With emails and videos that walk you through everything you need to know. Now all you have to do is be willing to spend just $1 to get it. Then you will finally be on your way to financial stability.

Jenn FitzGerald
klkmarketing.info

Surfing the internet for money

2009-07-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

Trying to find new or quick ways to make money on the Internet? Just wanted to ask how many people actually know that when you are searching for a string of words there are two ways to do it. Are you tired of getting sites that have nothing to do with what you were searching, they just coincidentally have all the same words somewhere in the site that you were looking for? Put quotes around your string. It's really that simple! It makes me feel dumb to have never known it before yesterday.
I've been around the web a while and to not know this...I could have saved so much time filtering through all those get rich quick schemes. There are a few out there that I find reputable. They are starting to show their colors now that things have to be given away in order to get the sale. If they aren't willing to show it to you first...odds are...it isn't worth it.
My next big web redesign project will be my "learn it" site. I want it to be THE place people can go to learn about all that internet money stuff, but that's for another day.

Jennifer FitzGerald
www.learneverythingfree.com

Ins & Outs of Cribs

2009-07-20T05:47:00.000-07:00

So, do you really know what there is to offer in cribs? You might say, "they all look the same, why should I pay more". Here's the scoop.
There are four basic things to consider in cribs.
First, is what it is made of. There are wooden or metal cribs. The type of wood makes a big difference due to strength of the actual wood and how it was cut...so it also relates to the design.
Second, is the color or varnish. Color is just a preference for decor. All cribs sold in the U.S. are regulated to ensure that whatever varnish is used, it is safe for babies. And when I say safe, that means for them to chew on, 'cause they do.
Third is design, which we hit on a little already. Design helps durability, ease of use and longevity of use. This one is the most important. Children are rough on things so durability is vital. Ease of use, in my opinion, is important because if for instance, I had a c-section and had a hard time moving about for a while, and putting a sleeping baby down in a crib can be difficult if the rail doesn't come down. And longevity is about making your finances work. Children are already an added cost to our budget, but if you can utilize their furniture for many years, it makes it easier.
And Fourth, is cost. Cost varies quite a lot, but it actually all has to do with the above three considerations. Yes, you can get a crib that has longevity in mind for under $200, but I have found that the durability factor isn't quite up to par. And on the flip side, you can purchase a crib for over $1000, which might not make sense within your budget, but it almost always ensures durability, great product and lovely design.
So where do you pick your crib? That is ultimately up to you. I'm just here to help you along your process.

Jennifer FitzGerald
BestInfantCrib.com

Thrift Stores for Infants

2009-07-20T03:21:00.000-07:00

Children don't have to be expensive. Don't buy new clothes! Why in the world people feel the need to buy new clothes for young children I'll never know. They grow at such a fast rate that you literally buy a whole new wardrobe for them every 3 to 6 months.
Yes, I know it's nice to have something new for them occasionally, but on the whole you should take advantage of thrift stores for children. You can even get designer stuff sometimes and usually each item doesn't cost more than $3. I have one particular favorite here that most items aren't over $1.50 and they have half off sales on a regular basis. New wardrobe = $20.
Then if you are lucky enough to have a childrens' consignment store and the clothes are in good enough condition when you are through, you can get some of your money back. Keep in mind they do have to be in pretty good condition to do this though and that is difficult with small children.
We don't have clothes or used products, but check out my web site for your perfect nursery furniture. BestInfantCrib.com

Kids and Business

2009-07-16T05:46:00.000-07:00

The American Dream. Where is it? I recently read a blog that asked that question. Not many have experienced it, especially recently. We are struggling, working our proverbial butts off to try and achieve it, but it doesn't seem to be working. Or are we all just working in the wrong way.
We strive to find some way to be like the really rich, sitting back all day sippin' on daquieris with not a care in the world. But, we forget to remember that most of those same people had to do some serious amounts of work to get where they are. ...or their parents did.
Don't expect it to happen over night, or even in just one year. A really great biz takes LOTS of time and even more work. And I just heard another tid bit last night...don't try to do it with small children in your life.
They say if you are expecting or until your child is over 8, don't try to get a biz started. It is difficult to get enough time to devote to the biz or the child, and one of them will suffer for it. And there is your answer for why people would be better to wait to have children. Get your biz going good and then you CAN sit back, have children, raise them proper, and relax yourself.

part 2

2009-07-15T08:44:00.000-07:00

...Ok, so you should have a spread sheet that looks something like this
Name of debt total balance monthly payment division

School Loan 4000 215 19
loan 5300 275 19
Resort 2683 100 27
credit card 400 15 27
plc 1671 50 33
credit card 750 18 42
credit card 1000 15 67
saturn 12000 353 34
Mortgage 120000 1053 114
mom 12850 25 514

Embarq 100
electric 150
water 45
cell 70
ins 98
food 200
babysitting 240
gas 175
misc 200

Total 3397

his 2120
her 1000
extra 550

Debt reducer

Total Income 3670 273

Now here is the pay off part. Take the "Debt Reducer" amount, $273 and add it to your normal payment on the first bill on your list, so your payment on the school loan this month will be $488. Make all the absolute minimum payments on all your other bills. The second month you will notice after you take off the $488 you only owe $3512, reducing the number of payments down to 16. Repeating this for your second month, now you only owe 3024, reducing your payments down to 14. In just two months you went from having 19 payments down to 14. After 8 months total of this pattern you will only owe $96. You nocked 11 payments off your total and we aren't even discussing the actual interest you saved.

The next month you will be able to pay off your school loan with less than the normal payment. You will add that extra 119 to your Debt Reducer amount and use the new Debt Reducer amount of $392 to add to your second bill on the list. Keep in mind, while you were paying off the first bill the second was still getting money too, just the minimum amount of $275, but that now leaves the bill at only $3100. Add the DR amount to the normal payment and pay $667 for just 4 full payments. After that you will owe only $432

Take your $432 out of the DR amount of $667 and that leaves you with $235 remaining to use on the next bill, which again has continued to decrease as well. You owe $1583 on this and pay on your 12th month in this system $335, bringing the total owed to $1248.

This would be the 13th month in the system now. You will add the $275 minimum payment from bill 2 to your DR amount giving you $856 to add to your bill. One full payment and the next month you will have $564 to put towards the next bill.

Notice the next bill is only $205, so pay the normal $15 and $190 from your DR amount to completely pay off that bill and move on to the next, which you still have $374 left in your DR amount for this month.

Hopefully, you see the pattern now. I have shown in just 14 months, you paid off $12,383, and we didn't talk about the interest you saved on all these bills. Continue with this system until ALL your unwanted bills are gone, including the Mortgage. By the time you get to your mortgage you will have a DR amount of $1314 to add to your principle. If you have looked at the actual amount that goes to your principle lately...it isn't much. But, if you could put more than an entire payment to your principle each month, you would knock off 10-20 years of your mortgage, which is all interest...TENS OF THOUSANDS of dollars.

Some of you might be thinking...I don't want to scrimp for that long without a vacation. That is the beauty of this system...you don't have to. Just budget in your vacation to your plan. ...i.e. use your DR amount for a couple months to save up for it, use it, then continue on with the system where you left off.

When we first started this system we were going to be to the car payment by May of this year, but...things happened, we did some other stuff and we will not reach the car payment till August now. But, we are still on the system and still plan on having the house paid off in less than 10 years, no matter what we decide to do for fun in the mean time.

Hope this helps you. If you want any more advice like this feel free to visit my site http://www.learneverythingfree.com and sign up for my newsletter and you will receive all my new articles when they are posted.

Debt Reduction

2009-07-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

How to get rid of your debt so you can truly be financially free to do what you want, when you want.

Let me first begin by saying how I hate all those sites that promise to Give and then ask to Get first. I am going to Give right now, and not expect anything from you. They say that is truly the way to wealth, so here it is.

I paid for this information. I won't tell you the company, as they will probably be quite upset with me, but there are quite a few of them out there, so does it really matter anyway. There are people who know how to do this and they are determined to make money on your hope of happiness. But, Anyone can figure it out if they set their mind to it. So, technically, it's free info.

You might have heard that to pay off your bills you need to start with the one with the highest dollar amount owed, and this sounds like good advice, but it's wrong.

First, separate your bills into two lists. One that is absolutely never going to go away, like electric, water, phone. Two bills that will go away, like car payment, credit cards, and even the house payment. We are just going to focus on the second list, we'll put this in column 1.

Put the total amount owed in column 2.

Now, put the actual minimum payment required for each in column 3.

Divide the total amount owed (#2) by the minimum payment (#3) and put that in column 4.

Hopefully, you have figured out by now that you should do this in a spread sheet. If you have, this next step will be a lot easier. Sort the records by column 4, showing the least amount of payments at the top and the bill with the most amount of payments at the bottom.

Back to the first list. Add up your "forever" bills and add the minimum payments from column 3, then add these both together. Make sure you put gas, food, and a little something for miscellaneous in your "forever" bills. This grand total is your actual monthly bills.

Add up all your income and subtract your grand total of bills. This small number is your "bill reducer money".