Saving

My three year-old was recently given a piggy bank by his grandmother and has taken great interest in putting money into it, taking it out and looking at it. He's interested in organizing the money and when we recently went to the store and bought two freezies with his saved-up change, he was proud of making the exchange with the store owner. Until now, my son has accumulated money by finding change my husband and I leave lying around on the kitchen counter and on our dressers. (No more coffee change for me). But seeing his early interest in money made me wonder when is a good age to introduce your child to the value of a dollar and how. I approached Canadian parenting expert and author Kathy Lynn and asked her to share some tips on introducing your little ones to the big world of money.

The First Step
You can show a toddler dollars and coins but wait until the preschool age before giving him his own money, Lynn advises. The first step? Lynn says simply let him pay for something and then talk about the transaction.

You don't have to go broke to be beautiful.

True, caring for your hair and skin in the winter can be a challenge, and you'll probably spend more money on beauty essentials during the colder months.

Very often hair of all types becomes frizzy, dull, and unruly. Exposure to extreme temperatures is the culprit. Moreover, heat from blow dryers, flat irons and curlers don't help either. So what can you do about it?

First, don't go on a spending spree winter-proofing your beauty routine.

The truth is expensive hair care products are not always better for the health of your hair. In fact, there's no reason to spend more than eight dollars on hair care products. Nevertheless, your stylist may tell you that the drugstore brands are inferior. The next time you're in the beauty aisle, pick up a high-end brand and a cheaper brand, and compare the ingredient list.

Notice that the list is similar? The price won't tell you the value of the product on your hair. The truth is both expensive and inexpensive hair care products have more in common than you think. What's the difference? Price. Do you want to know more money-saving tips for beating the winter hair and skin care blues? Here are some great tips!

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Although there are package deals to be had geared towards
getting away for a romantic night, not all of us are in the
position to jet off to Chicago with our mate on February 14th
for a night of good eating, theatre and a posh hotel.

Who really has the cash right now to pay for the airfare for two, a sitter for the kids and tipping a doorman several times all in recognition of one night?

But that's not to say Valentine's Day shouldn't be recognized -- I've always been a big believer in doing something special for your significant other on the 14th. Even if it is an appreciation that is somewhat forced, it does remind us not to take our partners for granted (at least for one day).

Here are a few ideas on how to treat your sweetheart without getting walloped with a big bill at the end of the night.

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CBC reported the benchmark index of the TSX recorded gains or losses of at least 200 points on 20 trading days in the three months ending Nov. 30. In one September week, the index lost 925 points, or almost 7.5 per cent. On one day (Sept. 22), the range between the high and low readings for the index was a stunning 535 points – or almost five per cent of the index.

The peaks and valleys were often even more pronounced in New York, where the Dow Jones industrial average moved more than 400 points on four consecutive trading days in September.

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Budgeting doesn't have to be a horrible experience.

So says Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach®, a personal finance expert, television and radio personality, and the author of numerous books, including the New York Times bestseller Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom.

"Unfortunately, most people have a total misconception of what a budget is," says Khalfani-Cox, who once had $100,000 in credit card debt, before paying it all off in three years and turning her financial life around. "Millionaires know that a budget is really a spending plan of action. It's a way to help you manage cash flow and achieve your financial goals."


In addition to being a regular contributor to WalletPop, Khalfani-Cox has appeared on such national TV programs as The Oprah Winfrey Show and Dr. Phil.


"The reason most people can't stick to their budgets is because they blow their money month after month on LIFE," explains Khalfani-Cox, an acronym that she breaks down in the video below.

Happy New Year!

Do you have resolutions? Do they involve hauling yourself to the gym? Have you been yet this month? If not, save the money you might otherwise spend on a membership you won't use, start small, pick fun activities (don't spend a cent) and get started right here, right now.

Note: If you have other ambitions, say you want to learn how to knit, take up some other crafty-type hobby, learn to play an instrument or even just how to whistle (actually gave myself a headache with that one), this post can help you too.

When you open an account with ING Direct and deposit $100, you'll receive a $25 bonus. The catch is that it has to be an investment savings account.

If you made a resolution to save this year, then this might be a good way to start.

All us deal hunters and freebie hounds have heard the stories: There are people out there who can walk into a grocery store and walk out with hundreds of dollars worth of food using nothing but coupons and their own penchant for organization. The rest of us are left to wallow in resentment, since we know deep down we don't have the discipline for those rewards. Then that resentment is followed by a certain brand of consummerist backlash. "These people are going too far. Do they really need two hundred deoderants?"

Shows like TLC's Extreme Couponing seem to do nothing but fan those flames among us average shoppers. Yet, when you see stay at home mom Joanie Demer of McKinleyville, CA buy $638.64 worth of groceries for $2.64, there's a skeptiscm that doesn't really believe that this 98% savings is possible. Still, we all want a piece of that don't we? We all would be extreme couponers if it didn't take such dedication.

Still, is it really possible to pull it off? The show only answers that question in the affirmative for the American audience, but you hardly ever hear of extreme couponers hauling wheelbarrels full of product out of a Safeway or a Loblaws. Walletpop wanted to find out why that was and what we discovered is that there are still tricks to saving with coupons in this country, but not to a degree that's going to allow the neighbours to shop out of your garage.

We're always racking our brains, trying to come up with novel ways we can save a few more dollars each day. We hope that by employing just one or two of the 20 ideas in our list, you'll be able to shave a little off your living expenses, pay off your debts quicker and start to save instead.

Click on the image below to learn how you can start saving.



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