Frugal Friday with Marsha --Lean Body Fat Wallet Chapter 10 Part 2

Excerpt from:

Lean Body Fat Wallet

Discover the Powerful Connection to Help You

Lose Weight, Dump Debt, and Save Money

By Danna Demetre and Ellie Kay

(Thomas Nelson – Dec. 10, 2013)

Part 1: Frugal Friday With Marsha--Lean Body Fat Wallet Chapter 10 Raising Fit and Frugal Kids Part 1

Pages 177-180

WEALTH

My (Ellie’s) kids are my calling cards—proof that it is possible to pass on healthy fiscal habits to our children. I am leery of financial experts who hand out parenting advice when they don’t have kids or are not married. Wouldn’t you rather get your advice from someone who has “been there, done that”? I would. That’s why I look at the bottom line of those who are giving advice—how are their kids doing? Granted, not all kids take their parents’ training to heart. As adults, they are free to make their own decisions, and we love them whether those decisions are good or bad. When it comes to money matters, we have always told our kids, “Our love for you is unconditional, but our money is conditional.”

This means that if we said, “You shouldn’t go to that college because it’s twenty thousand dollars per semester and you’ll owe too much in student loan debt” and then they did it anyway, we refused to cosign on the student loan. We continued to love that child as much as any of the others, but our money (or signature) was based on the premise that they make a good choice. We are not required to fund our kids’ bad financial choices.

I have seven children, and two of them are by marriage. I call them my “children in love” because when I married my gorgeous guy, he already had two gorgeous girls. Consequently, I wasn’t able to be the sole influence in their lives when it came to money matters. However, when it comes to the five kids who called me “Mom” 24/7, I have to accept responsibility for training them to become financially fit. Those kids are my calling cards because they are all set to graduate from college with no student loan debt, consumer debt, or car debt. They weren’t perfect in their choices, and I wasn’t a perfect parent. But overall, things fell in our favor because even if we failed in one area, we got back up and tried to do it right the next time. We learned that if we sowed enough good information into them, then there could be a healthy harvest out. Thankfully, it’s worked out that way in our young adult children.

Five Skills for Fiscal Success

I believe that children can grow up to be financially literate if parents model good habits as well as take time to teach and train them in the skills needed to realize fiscal success. The following five skills can be added at age-appropriate times in a child’s life and modified with higher expectations and more complete training as they master the basics.

SKILL #1: THE ALLOWANCE LESSON

Some parents believe it’s easier to give their kids money than it is to hassle with an allowance. I can see their point—administrating an allowance is hard work at times. But if we use an allowance as a teaching tool, then our kids can learn basic money management skills such as:

Budgets. Money has limits, and everyone needs to budget.

Discernment. There’s nothing like having a child spend his own money to learn how to spend wisely.

Saving. Kids will want to spend less and save for items they desire.

Giving. Kids quickly learn how wonderful it feels to share with someone else.

Values. Kids tend to take better care of items they buy themselves.

Delayed Gratification. It takes a long time to save money and a little time to spend it.

The administration of an allowance is determined by the parent’s guidance and the family budget. Here are some quick-start suggestions as you make allowance decisions:

Amount. This depends on the child’s age and the family budget. For example, when our kids were young, we had a lot of kids but not a lot of money. Consequently, we paid fifty cents per age year per pay period to be paid every other week (you could make it every week if you desired). For example, a six-year-old would get three dollars every other week or three dollars every week, depending on the family’s ability to pay. Our five children received allowance every other week because of our family size.

 

Consistency. Pay the same amount on the same day of the week or month. Just as you count on your paycheck, your children are counting on their allowances.

(pg. 180) Responsibility. Establish each child’s responsibilities. If they don’t fulfill them, pay someone else to do the work. For example, I once paid our daughter Bethany fifty cents from our son Daniel’s allowance to make his bed when he kept leaving the house without making it. He faced the penalty of losing part of his allowance and had the double whammy of watching his sister get his money. He never “forgot” again! This ties responsibility and allowance together.

SKILL #2: THE SAVING LESSON

Some kids are born savers (yours truly) and some are born spenders (my husband). No matter whether you are inclined to spend or save, parents can teach kids the secret of saving, which is a financial discipline that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.

Long-Term Savings Account Goals. Establish an account where money will not be removed to cover short-term goals. This may be an account for a car, mission trip, college, or other big item.

Family 401(k). Offer to match a quarter on the dollar for long-term savings.

Looney Tunes Accounts. Many banks have fun kid accounts for younger children that can be opened with as little as five dollars and offer freebies as incentives to save.

Short-Term Goals. Saving for a bike, doll, or video game also teaches delayed gratification.

Matching Funds. Consider matching funds for the short-term goals if it will take more than a year for your child to save for the desired item.

 

 

Stay tuned for part 3 including skills 3-5 next Friday!

 

Disclosure:  These book excerpts were sent to me to share with my audience by Nelson books.  I was not compensated for sharing these other that receiving a copy of the book for review.  Posts do contain my affiliate links.

Squidoo Hopping 1/16/14

How was your payday this month?
I believe I was paid the most I have ever made.  Nothing to brag about as it was just $15.07 including what went to charity, but more than I expected.

I'm confused as I should have all of my lenses set to pay out 10% to specific charities.  My payday page states that $4.27 of my payment was from "I want cash" lenses. 
Looks like I need to go through all 140+ of my lenses and find out which one, or ones, aren't giving to a charity.

It could be one or two of my newest lenses.  Or, could it be that maybe one of the many charities I have chosen to give to is no longer on the squidoo list?
I'm making that my mission between now and next Thursday, so I will let you know then.

I didn't build or update any lenses over this past week.
I pretty pick at random what 2 lenses I decide to share in the weekly linky's but  usually pick from lenses towards the bottom of my ranking list.

I want to remind my reader's that Winona over at Nonersays is also doing a weekly squidoo linky on Sunday's.  Here is the link to her latest post.  I hope you will hop along with her as well.  There are still 2 days left to add to her linky this week.

Squidoo Sunday - 1/12

 

 

 

WIP Wednesday 1/15/14

I have several projects going all at once, which is nothing unusual. What is unusual is that I have actually been working on all of them.

I joined the Goodnight Irene sew along with Terry's Treasures.  You can find the button on the right side bar and click to find out more.
I love that she is going slow with it.  Just 5 blocks each month for 5 month.  The 6th month is the border blocks and the 7th month is putting it together.
I only have 2 blocks done, but since I have all month, I'm not behind!

Yesterday was the monthly sewing club at church.  I am still working on this quilt that I am doing in quilt as you go.
I brought it home again, and again do hope to at least get the 3rd row put on of 7 before next month's meeting.

I am working on a total of 96 log cabin blocks.  I have found a pattern for a quilt with these scrappy log cabins.  I then have enough left over for 2 wall hangings.
Since taking this picture Monday night I have squared up the other 92 half square triangles for my middles and have one strip sewn onto some of those.

Last Wednesday in my needlers group I worked on my applique bunnies.  Today is Needlers group at the quilt shop.  I will be doing more work on the bunnies.  I have 3 more to embroider, but I think that today I will cut out my centers and backs.   I'm also going to put it together in the quilt as you go way.   I didn't take a picture last week since it's about the same as previous pictures.  I will probably take a picture after I work on them today.

I keep finding myself moving my sewing machine, cutting mat and ironing board into the kitchen or living room.  What I really need to do is get my craft room cleaned up so that I can work in there again.
I didn't get anymore organizing done as far as putting projects in bags, but I have had that on my mind.

This week I am linking up with:
 

 

Silly on Sunday 1/12/14

Again I will be linking up with Susan for her Silly on Sundays.  Click the picture above to be taken to this weeks blog post and linky.

I only kept 2 grandkids overnight last night.  Willo is 6 years old and Jacob is 4 years old.
I got out my camera this morning and asked them to make funny faces just for this post!

Here is what they came up with---

I also don't want to forget to mention our dog, Malakai and Willo is holding one of the smaller kittens that we still need to find a home for.


Happy Silly Sunday!

Gumdrop Cases and Hard Candy Cases---Review and Giveaway!

 Gumdrop Mission Statement

Gumdrop was established with one main goal: To bring device protection to the masses in a stylish way. As soon as the latest and greatest tech device hits the streets, Gumdrop is always on top of the game, and is the first to deliver the hippest, most rugged and protective device accessories around. We strive to bring device protection to the masses, one case at a time.

Gumdrop gets an A+ in the classroom

Shock absorption, drop protection, extreme ruggedness and hard-core readiness for all adventures. The Drop Tech Series case specifically conforms to the shape of the iPad and other Tablets to offer multi-layer protection, making it one of toughest and most durable  cases on the market. We're the only case to feature a replaceable screen shield.

GAME   CHANGER

Introducing The Gumdrop Hideaway

Finally, a Ruggedized Case with a built in stand. There are no compromises here. It’s the same ruggedized case you’ve come to know but instead of fumbling to attach a stand or the fear of losing it, we’ve built the stand right into the case!  Two quick moves and you are ready to go!

A Leader in K-12 Classrooms Earning extra credit protecting more than 50,000 iPads in school districts across the country.

David Adam Meet our design guru, and co-founder of Hardcandy Cases, David Adam. With over 10 years of designing for some of Silicon Valley's top companies, David's work has graced the shelves of major retailers like Apple, and his designs have reached over 40+ countries. When it comes to Hardcandy Cases, David's design philosophy is simple: Design a product that not only looks good, but incorporates cutting edge technology to ensure that each product provides your device with maximum protection.

Tim Hickman Meet Tim Hickman, founder of Hardcandy Cases. Tim's background consists of over 10 years in leading Silicon Valley's top investment groups and taking brands global. When it comes to Hardcandy Cases, Tim believes a case needs to be functional and attractive, but most importantly, the case needs to protect your mobile device. It's paramount for Tim to be the first brand to market, staying on top of the game, and predicting the next big tech products release.

Here is one of many cases offered at Hardcandy.com    I am picking this one to feature in my post because it's yellow--MY favorite color  :)

 Hardcandy collections include:

• Hardshell
• ShockDrop
• Harvest Craft
• Neon Bubble
• Squish

*****Both Gumdrop and Hard Candy offer the latest iPad, iPhone and MacBook cases. They also have cases for Samsung, general tablets, and the Kindle Fire*****


Three lucky Marsha's Spot readers will win their choice a case from either Gumdrop Cases or Hard candy cases.  Just enter using the rafflecopter form below!!

Disclosure:  I was asked to do a review of gumdrop cases and hard candy cases websites.  Information I am sharing is from their websites and shared as part of my review.  Prizes are provided by the sponsor.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Frugal Friday With Marsha--Lean Body Fat Wallet Chapter 10 Raising Fit and Frugal Kids Part 1

Excerpt from: Lean Body Fat Wallet
Discover the Powerful Connection to Help You
Lose Weight, Dump Debt, and Save Money
By Danna Demetre and Ellie Kay
(Thomas Nelson – Dec. 10, 2013)

Pg. 175 – 177

Chapter 10 - Raising Fit and Frugal Kids
Help your children become physically and financially mature adults by practicing key habits you model and teach them to follow.

If you’re a parent, you want the best for your children. You want them to be healthy, safe, and secure. You also want to instill values and habits that will help them develop lifestyles as they become young adults that enhance the quality of their lives and grow into responsible citizens. Between us (Ellie and Danna), we have raised eleven children. There were times when we wondered if they would ever embrace some of the health and wealth principles that we live by.
There was a time in my (Ellie’s) early family life when we had three toddlers at the same time. If you ever want to observe the entitlement mentality in action, just watch children this age play together—if you can call it that. It’s more like watching them fight together. Tiny tots have a skewed sense of reasoning. This mind-set was perfectly captured in this poem:
The Toddler’s Creed
If I want it, it’s mine.
If I give it to you and change my mind later, it’s mine.
If I can take it away from you, it’s mine.
If it’s mine, it will never belong to anyone else, no matter what.
If we are building something together, all the pieces are mine.
If it looks like mine, it is mine.1

What’s cute in a toddler is tedious in a teenager and downright debilitating in an adult. It’s a sense of entitlement. Whether it’s the food they want to eat or the things they want to buy, from spitting out their peas to begging for a sports car on their sixteenth birthday, children are wired to believe they are entitled to fulfill their immediate desires. It seems like one day they are toddlers demanding control of all the building blocks, and the next day they are young adults who feel entitled to all their parents’ assets. They may think they deserve whatever they want, but it is our job to make sure they learn the principle of reaping what they sow by teaching them how to manage their own money and health in small ways from an early age.
Sadly, some children in the current millennial generation (fifteen- to thirty-three-year-olds) haven’t grown up beyond their “terrible twos.” As adults, their sense of entitlement is robbing them of their future. They are struggling to apply basic financial principles, especially when it comes to boundaries between their assets and their parents’. Sometimes they act as if “what’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is mine.”
This applies to money matters, and it also applies to health. Children need to learn about money matters for themselves, but they also need to learn healthy habits and that there are limits to what the body is capable of doing without proper rest, exercise, and nutrition.
There are three primary areas where people have fiscal and physical problems. If we can get a handle on these issues in our own lives and then teach our children to do the same, we can equip them for a brighter future. The three areas are

1. living an “immediate gratification” consumptive lifestyle,
2. accumulating debt or excess weight, and
3. failing to adhere to a budget or an eating plan.

On the other hand, if your kids grow into adults who can manage their health and wealth responsibly, they may

1. reach personal goals such as finishing college or staying physically fit,
2. live with less stress and have greater security, and
3. become responsible members of society.

To be continued next Friday........






This will be a series over the next several weeks. I hope you enjoy it!
Can't wait to see what other share.

Disclosure: These book excerpts were sent to me to share with my audience by Nelson books. I was not compensated for sharing these other that receiving a copy of the book for review. Posts do contain my affiliate links.

Squidoo Hopping 1/9/14

Hey hey hey!  I actually did build a new lens this past week.  It's a book review lens and is on the first book that I am done reading for my own challenge of reading 52 books in 52 weeks.
You can check out my post about my challenge over on bubblews if you would like.
52 Books in 52 Weeks 2014 Challenge

Waiting to hear back on Monday if I am chosen for one of those niche groups to build a lens in.  That could be fun....and motivating to get them done too. 
I do wish they would have had one just for any book reviews though.  I will be doing a lot of those throughout the year.

I have to admit that I love the ease of building with the new formats.

What have you been up to with squidoo this past week?

WIP Wednesday 1/8/13

I got started this past week on making the log cabin blocks with the 1 inch strips.  I spent one day cutting the squares for the half square triangle middles and the 1 inch strips.
I spent the next day sewing together the half square triangles.  I still need to square each of those up.
I ended up with enough of those to make 6 wall hangings.  I know that I am making at least one wall hanging and then I am thinking a table runner for sure.  
Since I'm not certain, I plan to make ALL of the log cabin blocks and then make my decision.   I hope to show you nice progress each week.

I've worked on my yo-yo's here and there since the last time I posted about those.
I have about 15 or so more to make with the fabric I had put into my box.  I have 114 made, plus the ones that I already started sewing together for my table runner.
I'm thinking of continuing to make them once I am done with the table runner and put them up for sale by the bag full like I see others do on etsy, or make a table runner for sale too if there seems to be an interest there.

 
 I didn't take another picture of the toothbrush rug that I am working on, but I am closing in on being done with it.  I do plan on finishing it today and getting it up for sale in my etsy shop.  I just put a rug out for the mailman to pick up that I sold.

I am working at building my etsy back up and have more items to also add to my zibbet store as well as my shophandmade store as well.

I am linking up with the following blogs:
 

Baby Bella Maya--Gifts & Accessories for Infants & Toddlers

Baby Bella Maya is a line of cutting edge baby/toddler gear and accessories that make fashion fun!  The company was started by Marta Sala-Rothwell, who, after noticing the wear on her Baby Bjorn infant carrier, created a fashionable slip cover to prolong its life.  Everywhere she went people stopped her to ask where she got it.  As an airline pilot and mother of four, she hardly had the time to start a company, but that’s exactly what she did.  Her goal became simple.  She wanted to design cute accessories for stylish infants and toddlers.  Her innovative vision of marrying feminine frill and fashionable edge styles, coupled with the country backdrop, has become the perfect recipe for the exciting celebration of a new baby.

Baby Bella Maya offers lots of great choices!
*Hooded Towels
*5-in-1 Tote and Cover 
*go go Pad 3-in-1
*go go Pouch
*Infant Car Seat Covers
*Toddler Seat Covers
*Infant Carrier Slip Covers
*Blankets
*Infant Gift Sets
*Lacy Leggings
*Baby Booties
*Headbands
*Cheer & Small Hair Bows

Any mom and baby (or toddler) will love these stylish products!

The 5-in-1 Tote and cover starts as a fashionable tote in 5 choices of fabrics.  It then can transform into a shopping cart cover, a high chair cover, a swing cover, or a playmat.


I was sent 3 different headbands for the purpose of this review.  I couldn't wait to see how my 2 yr old granddaughter, Zelda would like them.  She didn't like them.....she loved them!!
She is a pretty good little model as you will see in the photos below.
Each name of the headband is clickable to go directly to the page where it's sold.

Staying up late on New Year's Eve, here she is styling the Pixie Stix headband.   Note:  the matching baby booties for this headband are currently on sale for just $3.98!

Now who can resist that smile while Zelda shows off the Mid Summer's Dream headband?  The matching booties for this one are also on sale for $3.98

Saying cheese in her Sugar & Spice headband.  Again, you will find the matching booties for just $3.98 on sale right now.

The hadbands are made of 90% nylon and 10% spandex.  I find them to be of a very high quality.  One size fits both infants and toddlers.

I hope you will check out Baby Bella Maya!


Disclosure:   I was sent information about the company and 3 headbands for the purpose of this review.  I was not compensated in any other way and as always, all opinions are my own.

Frugal Friday With Marsha 1/3/13 AND TGIFF!

I hope this post finds you on a good start in to the new year.
So far so good on my goals and challenges, and I feel good about them.
The only one that is really frugal is the way I am saving money for my sewing hobby that I mentioned in last week's post.

On the subject of my sewing and crafts, I've been working to put projects into their own bags.  One gal that is in some of the sewing groups that I go to calls these PIGS (projects in grocery sacks).
What I hope to do is to put everything that I need into each bag that I need to finish the project.

I seriously have enough supplies to keep me busy for at least 5 years, and probably longer, in my craft room already.  I really am being serious about that!
I am going to try really hard to work with materials that I already have and not buy anything else.....period!  

I am making this a combination post this week.  I actually have a finish!   I don't think that I finished one quilt in 2013.  I did a few smaller projects----a few wall hangings, and a couple of table runners as far as sewing goes, but that was it.

This is my Penny Patch quilt that I did as part of a QAL (quilt a long).   You can click the button if you would like to click over and see what others made.    I made mine the lap quilt size.

 

I am also linking this post up to TGIFF (Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday)
 
Since this is a combination post this week, please feel free to share links in the linky this week that are also craft/sewing related if you would like!   Share posts that have to do with your New Year's goals.  And, of course share any posts you have done that are related to simple living and being frugal!