Photo by pursuethepassion
For many part time work is not an option, their wage does not cover the child care costs so many are turning to franchise opportunities to allow them to earn enough to live on but also the flexibility to spend time with their children and fit work in with their child’s needs. While franchise opportunities have a number of advantages they also have a few disadvantages which you need to consider. More information about franchise opportunity can be viewed at www.workingmums.co.uk and this of course will be even more relevant if you happen to live in the UK.
The main advantage is of course that you fit your work around you, your children and your lifestyle. Others include the fact that the ‘parent company’ or franchiser will give you support throughout the term you choose to work, they provide a proven business strategy, training and help you advance if you wish.
They will also give you a brand name and as such you will benefit from their advertising campaigns and they will allow you access to existing suppliers making it easier for you to build up your business to a level you feel comfortable with. On top of all this you are your own boss, you work the hours you want and the way you want. You can also keep your business small or build it up depending upon what you want from it.
While this sounds great it is important to remember the disadvantages of franchise opportunities before you commit to one. The main one people come across is the fact that the cost of buying a franchise maybe higher than they first thought. After buying the initial franchise you pay management service fees and any profits you make are shared with the franchiser.
Many franchisers also place certain restrictions on how you can run the business meaning it might not be possible to adapt your strategy to the local market. While you maybe safe working for a big business it is not uncommon for them to go out of business leaving you with no job at a moment’s notice, although the same could be said for any job.
Finding affordable childcare can be a challenge. Because of this, many people are looking for a job that they can do with their kids. While many of these jobs are done from home, there are a few jobs that allow you to bring the kids with you.
The following employment ideas include jobs where you work for another person and business opportunities that the whole family can work on together. In the case of the businesses, it’s recommended that a family try out the idea before the parent or parents make the decision to quit their job.
For people who have little money for start-up costs, there are a lot of financing options. Business loans are the most common financing route, but they typically require a person to have a good credit history. A bad credit business loan can be taken out by people who are in this situation.
The majority of day care centers, as well as many private schools allow their workers to bring their kids to work with them. In the case of many day care centers, the employees are offered free care for their children as part of the benefits package. Depending on the center’s rules, the children are allowed to stay in the same room where their parent works.
Many schools allow the children of their teachers and other staff (such as cafeteria workers) to attend classes there. In the case of private schools, this is considered to be one of the main benefits of the job by many of the people who work there. While children are often not allowed to be in the same classroom in which their parent teaches, they are often just a few feet away.
Parents who choose to work from home and/or who own their own business have a lot of flexibility with their schedules and they can often plan to bring their kids to work with them.
For example, there are a lot of home-based craft and baking businesses that are operated out of homes. Start-up costs for most craft businesses typically just consist of the craft materials or ingredients themselves as well as some basic advertising. Depending on their age and ability, young kids can sort materials, attach price tags, and even assemble simple parts.
Older children can help out by photographing the items made and creating listings for them on internet sites such as etsy and craigslist. Kids of all ages can accompany their parent to the flea markets, swap meets, and farmer’s markets where the parents sell their goods. In fact, many parents site these places as a good way to teach their kids about the basics of a retail business. Kids learn good math skills, as well as how to interact with other people and a variety of sales skills.
Photo by karkovski.typepad.com
This guest post was provided by Lynette Argent of Million Dollar Woman, a life insurance company which provide insurance products catered specifically towards the needs of women and their families.
Insurance policies cover those unexpected moments in life. It is the assurance of being taken care of when ill, having the necessary health checks and treatment covered. It could also mean assured financial security in the event of a serious illness or death.
While most adults are keen on finding the best insurance for themselves, they may not be aware they can insure their children as well. Obviously we don’t want to think of the morbid thoughts of a child being ill or passing away but insurance is important for our children and should be considered by every parent. Since our children are so highly treasured, wouldn’t it make sense to get them covered as well?
Every parent wishes to see their children develop into healthy and happy adults but we could not always be there with our children, protecting them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Unforeseen things do come about and as a parent it is good to be prepared for these kinds of events even though they may never take place.
Children’s injury and illness: We all wish to keep our children out of harm’s way but at times a misfortune may occur which may result in child’s injury or illness. Getting hold of insurance for your child would ensure that if something were to happen you could be better prepared financially.
Getting your hands on an insurance policy for your children could seem like a complicated task. It is often much similar to acquiring your personal insurance, but with a little more detail involved. When looking for an insurance plan for your children, it is imperative to get more than a few quotes with the intention of price comparison and having the idea of what each company offers.
The importance of insurance for a young child may seem incomprehensible at this moment and the need for it unimaginable, but having some sort of insurance for your precious one may well be the wisest investment you make.
Photo by ruycesar on Flickr
I love buying clothes. Doesn’t it make you feel fantastic to be wearing something you truly love and feel amazing in? For me the answer is yes! Since becoming a work-at-home-mom, I haven’t really invested in clothes that make me feel awesome. Instead, I usually choose items that are more practical, this way when I get paint, glitter or glue all over them I don’t freak out. It’s not that I wear sweats or yoga pants all the time — I’m actually more of a jeans girl. Now that the boys are getting older and we are way past the spit up stage, I think it’s semi-safe for me to wear things that are comfortable but perhaps a bit more fashionable than what I have been wearing over the past 4 years. This means that I want to invest a little more money into my wardrobe but of course I don’t want to spend a fortune doing it either.
In the past (before kids of course) I would have headed to the mall and shopped my little heart out without considering what I was buying, how much I was spending or considering that I might be able to find the same item – or something similar - for less. But alas, those days are over. Actually, even if I wanted to be that frivolous, we can’t afford it — plus, I have learned so much about saving money since having the boys that even if money wasn’t an issue, I couldn’t do it without thinking about how silly I was being just throwing money away. So I have come up with some simple and painless ways to expand my wardrobe without busting our budget or adding credit card debt.
Shop Secondhand
I have learned a few things about shopping secondhand over the past few years. It’s easy and it can save you so much money!!! My secondhand stores of choice are consignment shops. I have taken the boys’ gently used clothing and toys to one of my favorite children’s consignment store in our area and have gotten some amazing deals! Depending on how much money I have earned from the sale of the boys’ previously worn items, I can get a bag full of “new” clothes for next to nothing. Even if I don’t have any credits I can still get great name brand clothing that looks new for an amazing price. There are women’s and men’s consignment shops too. At these stores you can purchase designer clothes for exceptional prices. Many times the items in these shops are not consigned because they aren’t stylish, often it’s because someone has either lost or gained weight — or they just like to clear their closets so they can buy more clothes. Go ahead, give secondhand shopping a try.
Visit Discount Stores
There are many stores such as Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, and others who benefit from overstocks or store clearance. I have purchased some beautiful items for amazing deals. These stores are also great for purchasing fashion accessories, shoes, handbags and even home decor at super low prices.
Surf the Web
You can get some great deals by shopping online. Amazon, Ebay, Esty, etc. are ideal for finding good deals on clothing and accessories. Even shopping from some of your favorite department stores online can save you money. Many stores offer better deals online than they do in store because they don’t have the overhead of a brick and mortar store. Many stores offer free shipping if you pick the item up at a store near you. Be sure to check for coupon codes before you checkout; this will also help to save you money. Make sure you know the return/exchange policies before you buy. Most stores make returns and exchanges easy as long as you have the receipt. Shopping online also gives to the ability to quickly price check to find the best deals.
Shop Clearance
End of season clearance is the BEST time to buy new clothing. You can save 50%, 60% or even 80% when stores are clearing out thir inventory to make room for the new season’s fashion. I just picked up a Simply Vera (Vera Wang) purse for $25 it was regularly $125. I almost bought it when it was 1/2 off but decided not to since Christmas was just around the corner. Boy am I glad I waited. It certainly paid off! Often times you will still get a lot of wear out of an item before the season actually ends. It’s January and I’ve already seen bikinis and other summer fashions proudly displayed (at regular price) in stores. I bought a swimming suit last year for 75% off because it was September. I don’t have to worry about getting one now, I just have to worry about getting in shape so I’ll look good in it.
Make the Old New Again
Take inventory of what is already in your closet and find new and exciting ways to wear them. Mix different pieces, patterns and colors together. Just take some time out to play around with the clothes you already have. Put things together you may not have thought of before; you might be very surprised how how good certain things look together. You can also buy new (or new to you) clothing pieces like sweaters, jackets, scarves, hats, etc. to jazz up these well-loved ensembles and make them feel fresh and updated.
Host a Clothing Swap
Get some of your favorite girls together and even some of their friends and host a clothing swap. These ladies can bring in things that they are tired of, don’t fit in or wonder “Now why did I buy this? This is so not my color.” Make a fun girl’s night event out of it. If you want to bring along kids clothes to swap to, that can be double the fun. Get creative and enjoy!!!
I hope I have been able to give you some great ideas. Do you have any other tips on how to save money on your clothing budget? I’d love to hear them!
Thanks for Reading and Happy Shopping!!!
Christie
Ok, so I know I have been blogging about embarking on the wonderful journey of explaining money and budgeting to my kids. Well, turns out, it isn’t as easy as I thought it would be. It Is so hard to teach kids about budgeting when they have a very, very simplistic view of money.
Before you roll your eyes and say ‘I told you so!’, let me just say that I haven’t given up on this project. In fact, I enlisted the help of my mommy friends (who also happen to be Psychology majors) to give me some tips and ideas about how to do this without breaking my brain. Here is what I have come up with: THE PIGGY BANK SAGA.
Ok, I know. You are probably saying ‘but the piggy bank is old news’. Well, there is a lot of value in things that have lasted decades, and this little object is one such thing.
Some background to the idea behind the pig:
Turns out, the piggy bank has been in existence for apparently 4000 years and way before money saving websites like LoveMoney.com! Way back when, when every object was made of clay, jars were created to store money. These were called “pygg jars”, ‘pygg’ here referring to the kind of clay used to make the jar. By the 18th century, this object began to take the shape of its animal namesake and was made from plastic, plaster, or glass. Another explanation states that, based on German folklore, a pig is a symbol of good fortune, therefore a vessel for money in the shape of a pig means more wealth or coming wealth. Whichever history you believe, today the piggy bank is defined by Wikipedia as:
Piggy bank (sometimes penny bank or money box) is the traditional name of a coin accumulation and storage receptacle; it is most often, but not exclusively, used by children.
Here is a picture of a piggy bank (c’mon, humor me here).
Ok, so here is the idea. Take the generic piggy bank and have one for saving, spending, and donating. First of course, you need to define the terms. I use the most simplistic explanations so I would say something like saving is when we keep the money so that we will have enough to buy ‘x’ item. Thankfully my son and daughter know the word ‘buy’ so I don’t need to explain that term anymore. Donating would be giving and spending is using the money to buy ‘x,y,z’ items. Or someting along those lines, you get my drift.
I am thinking, and my mommy-psych major friends agree with me, that this will teach the kids the following things without the trauma of deprivation.
- One, it will give them the idea that there are different actions connected to money.
- The general idea behind saving, spending, and donating.
- The value of patience.
- The value of waiting for something.
- The value of effort for something desired.
Doesn’t it sound like a marvelous idea? It is so great when you can teach so many lessons with one simple thing. It is really easy to start on this project. The materials you will be needing are very inexpensive. All you need are three piggy banks, or one that has segregations. If you want to use separate piggy banks, getting the ones with see-through body is best as it give a visual picture of the theory/lesson/activity. See the pictures below:
Since the concept here is teaching about money and budgeting, you don’t really HAVE TO stick to the traditional piggy bank (although there are a lot of really cute ones for boys and girls these days). You can opt for other money carrying objects:
It does not really matter what you use, as long as you get the point of the exercise across.
Now, you also don’t have to go out and buy any kind of money saving vessel. You can use any old jar, tin, or container. A lot of my friends save the pretty seasonal tins for tea and use those for odds and ends. That would be perfect for this project. Similarly, you can use any mayo jar or cheese spread jar, create a slot for the coins and bills, and you have your pot! A suggestion to get the kids excited is to have them decorate their piggy banks. I know the idea of arts and crafts really gets my kinds excited and quite dedicated.
So, I hope you see some merit in this simple money-saving lesson plan.
Have fun!
Vicki
I don’t want to brag or anything but I’ve got to tell you that our electric bill has been very low for the past four months or so. It had nothing to do with me though. Here in the Pacific NW we had a fairly cool summer, which for some people was a huge bummer — but not for me. I don’t like being too warm anyway and even if I did, I sure couldn’t balk at the fact that we only had to use our air conditioning for one or two weeks total!
We have also had a nice fall. Not too cool and not too terribly rainy, so I actually didn’t even turn our heater on for the first time until a few weeks ago! Again, our electric bills have been outstanding and instead of dreading the bill, I’m actually excited to see how low it is (I know that sounds a little weird but it’s true).
Ah, but those glorious days are quickly coming to an end as we enter the colder months. I am so sad to say goodbye to low electricity bills but do I really have to? Maybe not. I have been thinking about ways to cut our heating costs so if nothing else, they don’t get as high as they did last year!
I don’t know about you but on our bill, the power company provides a side by side comparison of the current month and how much energy we used in the same month the year before. My goal this year is to try to improve on last year’s electrical costs. It always seems like we do worse and worse each winter but no more! Having a goal (and making a game out of it) is very motivating for me. So yes — once again, I accept my own challenge!
Now – in no particular order - here are some simple ideas to cut your heating costs:
(photo credit lowes.com)
1. Set your thermostat to a reasonable temperature. Listen, I am pretty much always cold but we keep our thermostat at a cool 68 degrees. If I’m too chilly I put on a sweater or something. It’s amazing just how much money you can save by knocking the temp down a few notches.
2. Have a thermostat with a timer. Before we had the boys we programmed our thermostat to drop the temp while we were sleeping. I’ve always been worried about the boys kicking off their blankets and being too cold so we just keep our thermostat the same temp all the time. Now there are two schools of thought on this issue: 1.) If you constantly have your temperature drop and go back up, your heater is working harder to and using more energy to get the temperature up to what it is during “normal” times. So keeping the temp the same at all times is best. 2.) Reducing the temp during times when you are sleeping or away from home saves a good amount of money because there is no reason for the house to be a perfect temperature when you aren’t awake or even at home. I don’t know which is right and if you do please off your opinions or information in the comment box below 
(Photo Credit www.lowes.com )
3. Make sure you have enough insulation. This can be in your attic, crawl spaces, walls and around hot water heater and pipes. If your hot water heater is inside your house it isn’t an issue but if your water heater is in the garage it is. Wrap insulation around your water heater and around the pipes so the water heater doesn’t have to work harder to keep the hot water hot. Another thing we learned when we had to replace our water heater is that you can get a foam disk that sits between the cold cement garage floor and your water heater which helps quite a bit as well.
(photo credit www.amazon.com)
4. For many people windows and doors are the main culprits of energy wasters. If you don’t have the money to replace windows and doors with energy efficent ones don’t worry, there are still some things you can to to help keep your heat in. Using thermal insulated curtains or liners on your windows can help cut heating costs. I also found a helpful how-to video from Home Depot about how to seal your windows and doors to prevent the cold air from leaking in. Purchasing a door and window draft blocker can be helpful in keeping your home warm and your heating costs low.
What are some ways you winterize your home to keep heating costs down? I would love to hear them!!!
Thanks for Reading!
