Kids Ain't Cheap

Can You Homeschool and Work from Home?

March 24, 2022 | Leave a Comment

While homeschooling had been steadily growing in popularity, that growth exploded during the pandemic. Two years into the pandemic, some of those families who started homeschooling in 2020 have sent their kids back to school. Yet, many of them found that they enjoyed homeschooling and continue to do so. However, can you homeschool and work from home?

How to Homeschool and Work from Home

With the rising prices of food, gas, and other necessary items, for many families, having one parent stay home to homeschool isn’t an option unless that parent can also work part-time from home. I’m happy to say that you can homeschool and work from home. I’ve been doing so for the last eight years.

Homeschooling and working from home require excellent time management skills and flexibility on your and your family’s part. I can’t say what will work best for every parent who homeschools and works from home, but these are the steps that make it possible for me to do so:

How to Find Time to Work from Home

The first step to successfully juggling homeschooling and working from home is determining when you can work.

Co-ordinate with Your Spouse

My husband’s cooperation is essential. He’s the primary breadwinner, but every weekend for the last eight years, he’s spent his time with the kids so I can complete my work uninterrupted. I work about 10 hours total on the weekend, so I still have time to spend with the family. However, I do the bulk of my work on Saturday and Sunday. If my husband wasn’t willing to spend weekend time with the kids, I wouldn’t be able to work and homeschool.

Get Up Early or Work Late

Another way I find pockets of time to work is to get up early. I typically wake up by 5 a.m., do an hour or so of my work, and then exercise for 45 minutes, all before the kids wake up. Keeping this routine allows me to get another five to seven hours of work done each week.

If you’re not an early riser, you can stay up late. One homeschooling, work-at-home mom I know starts her workday after the kids go to bed. She typically works from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. every day.

Take Jobs with Flexible Deadlines

I find the best jobs for me to complete while working at home are ones that have flexible deadlines. I am a freelance writer, and I have assignments due on certain days of the week. However, I know the topics well in advance, and I can work on them anytime during the month as long as I get them done by the deadline. Having that flexibility is essential.

I know some work-at-home jobs require that you’re available during certain hours and have a quiet location to answer the phone. While that may work for some families, for my family, I wouldn’t be able to do that because my kids are rarely quiet!

Recognize Some Home Tasks Won’t Get Done

As a homeschooling, work-at-home parent, recognize that you can’t do it all. It’s just not possible. For instance, I think I do a fair job of homeschooling, working, and cooking meals at home for my family. The neatness of my home is a different story. Our house has a lived-in look and is not as tidy as I would like. Although it bothers me sometimes, I know that I can’t do it all. For this season of my life, my house will be messier. I can have a tidier home when the kids are grown, and I’m no longer homeschooling.

You’ll Have Less Time to Relax

If you both homeschool and work from home, your days will likely be tightly scheduled, especially if you have several kids. Understand that you might not have as much time to relax as you would like. I love to read, but I don’t get to as often as I want because of my homeschooling and work responsibilities.

How to Find Time to Homeschool

Once you figure out how to find time to work, you next need to find time to homeschool. Keep in mind, you don’t have to teach your kids from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Since your kids are the only students, you may find that you get more done in less time than a teacher at a brick-and-mortar school who has 30 students she has to manage.

Be Flexible with the Schedule

In addition, be flexible with the homeschool schedule. For instance, if you need to read aloud a book to your child as part of your lesson, you can do that at night when you read to the kids before bed. No one says you have to read it during the school day. Or you could get the book on audio and listen to it in the car while you drive to an appointment.

Have Teacher-Led Activities at Scheduled Times

If you thrive on a schedule, determine when you will work one-on-one with each child. For instance, I work with my middle child from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and my youngest child from 9:30 to 11 a.m. After that, I prep lunch, and the kids do independent work. If we have anything to finish up together, we do that in the early afternoon, and then we are done with school for the day.

Choose a Less Teacher-Intensive Curriculum

If you’re working more than 10 to 15 hours a week, you may want to choose a less teacher-intensive curriculum such as an online program. That will free you from some homeschool time and give you more time to work while your children complete their schoolwork for the day.

Final Thoughts

Trying to homeschool and work from home is not easy, but it is possible. If you need the money from a job or enjoy working, know that you can both homeschool and work from home if you are flexible and well-organized.

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Why I Decided to Teach My Teen to Drive

March 10, 2022 | Leave a Comment

When I was a teen, my high school offered driver’s ed as a four-week class during the summer. We sat in an air-conditioned classroom during the morning and watched driver’s training videos. Then, in the afternoon, we went out to the parking lot to practice driving a car. Later, we made our way onto the roads. The instructor had a car equipped with pedals on his side to override any mistakes we made when braking or accelerating. However, now, thanks to budget cuts, many schools no longer offer driver’s training. Instead, parents must choose between teaching their kids to drive or paying for a driving school. For our family, there were several reasons why I decided to teach my teen to drive.

Why I Decided to Teach My Teen to Drive

Our family picked this option for a few reasons.

Driving School Is Expensive!

In our area, driving school is expensive! The cheapest package includes two hours of driver’s ed and two one-hour driving sessions for $189. Their mid-level package includes 10 one-hour driving sessions for $699. Their elite package includes 30 one-hour driving sessions for $1799.

If I picked the cheapest session, I would still have to go out with my teen for many hours of driving, so why not just do it myself?

We ended up buying a home-based driver’s ed program. We watch that for a few lessons. Then we hit the road. So far, our teen has about 10 hours of driving under his belt.

I Can Keep My Cool

Another reason why I decided to teach my teen to drive is that I can keep my cool. If he does something erratic like accidentally pushing the gas instead of the brake (it’s happened!) I can quickly and calmly tell him to hit the other pedal.

If you don’t think you can keep your cool with your teen, I don’t recommend teaching them to drive. My mom went out driving with me just twice before I got my license. Once, I was learning to drive stick shift, and I stalled the car in an intersection when I tried to go from a stop. My mom panicked and started saying, “Go, go! We’re going to get hit!” Let me tell you, that did not help me get the car moving.

We Have a Vehicle to Use

We have two vehicles, one we bought 17 years ago when our teen was just an infant. Of course, I don’t want my son to have an accident, but if he does have a fender bender, this vehicle can take it. If I had a brand-new car, I might not decide to teach my teen to drive.

Final Thoughts

Should you teach your teen to drive? As you can see, that depends on many factors. For our family, I decided to teach my teen to drive because we could save money, I stay calm, and we have a vehicle he can use. However, other families may have to consider other factors and make the decision that is right for their families.

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What Should Teen Drivers Contribute to the Expense of a Vehicle?

February 17, 2022 | Leave a Comment

Do you remember the day you received your driver’s license? I remember going down to the Secretary of State’s office on my 16^th birthday to get my license. It was the best birthday present ever. Now, my husband and I have a teen who is almost ready to be an independent driver. As a result, we are currently determining what should teen drivers contribute to the expense of a vehicle? If you ask this question to other parents, you’ll find answers just as varied as the parents themselves.

Avoid Burdening Them Too Much

Teenagers should learn that financial responsibility is the flip side of increasing independence. Most of us don’t want spoiled, entitled teens, and asking them to be at least partly responsible for some of a vehicle’s expense that they use is fair. However, I’m of the mindset that we shouldn’t burden teens in high school too much.

When I was 16, I inherited my dad’s fixer-upper El Camino. I was responsible for gas and insurance. That meant I had to have a job to have the vehicle, and I needed the car to have a job. When I had been driving for six months, my mom bought me a used Ford Escort in better shape than the El Camino. I made payments to her for the car and was also responsible for all of the maintenance and upkeep as well as gas, insurance, and registration. With this purchase, I was locked into having a job throughout the rest of high school to afford the car. That affected my grades.

I’ve decided to handle things differently with my kids.

What Should Teen Drivers Contribute to the Expense of a Vehicle?

Ultimately, what you choose is based on your beliefs and values. However, here are some popular options.

Pay All Expenses & Tie Car Usage to Behavior

One option, especially if you don’t want to give your vehicle to, or buy a vehicle for, your teen is to not have the teen pay anything. (This is also a good option if your teen doesn’t have time to work a part-time job.)

Using this approach, the vehicle is yours, and you’re simply allowing the teen to borrow it. However, you clearly state that the teen can lose the right to use the vehicle if he doesn’t maintain his good grades or if he has an attitude or does not keep up on his chores.

Pay for Gas

Some parents have their teens pay for gas only. If your child only works during the summer or does not have a job and does chores at home for money, paying for gas is a good option since she doesn’t earn a lot of money. If she’s financially savvy, she’ll soon learn to drive only when necessary and to combine errands so she doesn’t spend too much on gas.

Pay a Percentage of Their Income

Another option is to have your teen pay a percentage of their income to help pay for the car’s expense. If your child makes $100 a week at his job, maybe he pays 15% of his income, $15 in this case, per week, for the privilege of using the vehicle.

The Child Pays for Unusual Expenses

Regardless if you have the teen pay for gas or a percentage of their income or nothing at all, many parents have their children pay for unusual expenses.

For instance, if your child gets a speeding ticket, he is responsible for both the ticket and the amount that the insurance increases because of the ticket.

Or, if he has a car accident that is clearly his fault, he pays for the car repairs or at least a portion of the repairs. You may also require him to pay the deductible for the car repairs.

Why They Shouldn’t Be Responsible for Maintenance

Some parents want their children to be responsible for the car’s maintenance and upkeep, but I would argue against that. Car repairs nowadays can be expensive. Some teens will avoid routine maintenance like oil changes and regular tune-ups because they’re too costly. That’s unfortunate because routine maintenance lowers the cost of the car’s upkeep. Plus, many repairs are cheaper if they’re made as soon as the driver recognizes a problem.

That second car my mom bought for me? The Ford Escort? We bought it from a college student who we didn’t realize had not maintained it because he couldn’t afford to. Even though my mom bought the car with only 40,000 miles on it, it lasted me less than a year because the former owner never added oil to the vehicle or maintained it.

When your teen is driving, you want them to be safe, and you also want to maintain the quality of the vehicle. That’s why my husband and I plan to pay for the maintenance and repairs while our kids are in high school.

Save the Money for Them

If you can afford the vehicle and you’re having your child contribute only to learn financial responsibility, you have another option to consider. Some parents in this situation take the money that they require the teen to contribute for use of the car and save that money. They may put it in a Roth IRA for the child, which is only possible if your teen has a job. Or, they secretly put the money in an account that the child can use to buy a car when they move out or to use to fund the expenses they have when they move out.

Saving the money for the child (without telling her) is a good option because you’re teaching financial responsibility, but you’re also helping her in the future with her own money.

Final Thoughts

Having a car or access to a car as a teen is a privilege, not a right. Determining what should teen drivers contribute to the expense of a vehicle is a personal choice. We will most likely have our teen contribute the price of gas, and we’ll cover the rest until he’s older and has a part-time job.

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5 States That Offer Empowerment Scholarships for Special Needs Children

February 3, 2022 | Leave a Comment

When you have a special needs child, you face many expenses. Your child may need intensive speech, physical, occupational, and behavioral therapy. While some families find they can receive some of the services they need for their child at school, others find that public schools cannot handle, or provide, the intervention a special needs child requires. If you’re frustrated with the public school system’s response to, and services for, your child, you may want to investigate whether you’re in one of the 5 states that offer empowerment scholarships for special needs children.

General Assistance

Nearly half of the states offer some type of school choice for their residents. (Ed Choice explains the different programs each state offers.) Programs vary from a tax credit, to a stipend to help children attend private schools instead of public, to empowerment scholarships.

States That Offer Empowerment Scholarships for Special Needs Children

Currently, five states offer empowerment scholarships (ESA):

Arizona,
Florida,
North Carolina,
Mississippi,
Tennessee

Who Qualifies for an ESA?

Students who meet certain requirements such as having a documented disability or residing in a school district with an underperforming school can receive empowerment scholarships. Requirements vary per state.

In Arizona, where I live, a student must attend public school for at least 45 days and have a documented disability, have a parent who is in the military, or live in an underperforming school district to be eligible for an ESA. Once a special needs student begins to receive an ESA, her siblings, even those without disabilities, can also receive one if they’ve met the requirement of attending a public school for 45 days.

How Do ESA Programs Work?

In Arizona, a child who has an ESA receives 90% of the state money that would have been used to educate the child at a public school. (The other 10% goes to the child’s local public school even if the child is not attending.)

The size of a child’s ESA funding depends on his documented disability. Children with autism and Downs Syndrome receive the largest scholarships because they typically require more interventions than a child with ADHD, for example.

Every quarter, the child receives a financial distribution in his ESA account. That money can then be used for:

private school tuition,
homeschooling expenses,
therapies,
Educational testing,
Extracurricular activities, and
Other approved expenses

Our Experience with Arizona’s ESA Program

I have three children; each has two special needs. Two have autism, two have dyslexia, and two have ADHD. We became members of the ESA program in 2019.

ESA has been a lifesaver for my children. They have benefited from private Barton Reading & Spelling tutoring to help them with their dyslexia. They have received educational testing, speech therapy, and private math tutoring. I’m also able to homeschool the younger two children and pick curriculum that suits them and their learning styles.

Before receiving ESA for my kids, they received speech therapy through the public school. They had 30 minutes of group therapy with three other kids once a week. After ESA, they received 30 to 60 minutes of private speech therapy weekly. That made an enormous difference in how quickly they progressed and ultimately finished speech therapy.

Final Thoughts

If you have a child with special needs, you know how expensive providing for their academic and therapeutic needs can be. If you live in one of the states that offer Empowerment Scholarships for special needs children, consider looking into the program for your child. I’ve even heard from several parents of special needs children who specifically moved to Arizona for the Empowerment Scholarship and the opportunities it afforded their children.

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Why You Shouldn’t Pay for Braces in Full to Save

January 20, 2022 | Leave a Comment

From about the time my oldest was six, I knew that he would need braces. His teeth were cramped and crooked. We were on a tight budget, and I was concerned about the cost. When our oldest was 11, our dentist suggested he get a consult with the orthodontist. The orthodontist told us what we already knew—he would need braces, and it was going to be expensive. When the orthodontist gave us the various payment options, I saw that there was a discount if you paid for the treatment upfront. After much investigation, we learned there are several reasons why you shouldn’t pay for braces in full to save.

How Much Do You Save by Paying in Full?

In our case, we would have saved $150 off the total $5,000 cost of braces by paying in full.

Why You Shouldn’t Pay for Braces in Full to Save

We decided not to pay in full for several reasons.

Impacts Your Finances

Because we were on a tight budget, paying $5,000 out of pocket at once would hinder our finances. We couldn’t justify upsetting our finances and struggling for a few months financially to save $150.

Payment Plan Is Available

Many orthodontists have payment plans available. These payment plans often are offered at zero percent interest. We paid our orthodontist a $500 down payment and then paid $125 monthly for 36 months. The monthly payment was small enough that it didn’t affect our budget.

We also had a flexible spending account, and each month, we submitted the $125 payment for reimbursement.

Had we paid for the braces in full, we wouldn’t have been able to get all of the money reimbursed from our flexible spending account because those have a yearly limit (currently $2,850).

The Orthodontist May Close His Practice

When we researched whether we should pay for his braces in full, someone warned me that the orthodontist might close his practice while our son was getting treatment. If that happened, all the money we paid upfront would be gone.

I listened to the advice but didn’t think this was a serious concern. How many orthodontists suddenly close their practice? My son completed his orthodontic treatment successfully.

Then our oldest daughter got her braces with the same orthodontist. One year into the pandemic, he pulled me aside to tell me that his business had taken a hit and he was closing down his practice. Thankfully, we hadn’t paid upfront with our daughter, either. I can’t imagine being out all that money, but now I know that unforeseen circumstances can arise, and orthodontists can and do close their practices.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a bargain shopper, you may like the idea of saving some money by paying in full for braces. However, we learned you shouldn’t pay in full for braces to save because you can’t fully utilize your flexible spending account. More importantly, your orthodontist may go out of business as ours did during the pandemic. Then you would have lost all of the money you paid upfront, which is no savings at all.

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Financial Benefits of Optimally Spacing Childbirth

January 6, 2022 | Leave a Comment

The average American family has children spaced 2.5 years apart. But is that ideal? What are the financial benefits of optimally spacing childbirth?

Financial Benefits of Optimally Spacing Childbirth

People argue about what is the optimal time between children. Here are some of their arguments for having kids close together and having them four or more years apart.

The Financial Benefits of Having Kids Close Together

Proponents on this side have some good arguments as to why having your children spaced close together is good.

Initial Costs for the Second Child Are Minimal

Because your kids are so close together, you have everything you need for the second child. You don’t need to buy more baby clothes or baby gear because you already have everything you need from the first child.

Parental Careers Are Less Interrupted

If one parent chooses to stay home to care for the children, she doesn’t have to stay home as long if the children are spaced closely together. If your children are only 18 months apart and you want to stay home until they’re both in preschool at age 3, you are only out of the workforce for 4.5 years. However, if you have kids four years apart, in the same scenario, you’re out of the workforce for seven years.

You Get Discounts with Multiple Children

Proponents of having kids close together acknowledge that you may face large expenses at once, such as daycare and college. However, these parents note that you’ll get a discount. When you have two children at the same daycare, you likely get a percentage off the second child. If you have two kids in college at the same time, you’ll receive more financial aid to offset the added expense.

The Financial Benefits of Spacing Kids Four Years Apart

Others argue to reap the financial benefits of optimally spaced childbirth, children should be four years apart. These are some of the benefits you reap with larger spacing.

Only Pay One Large Expense at Once

The best benefit of having kids four years apart is that you pay big expenses one at a time. Some of the largest childhood expenses are daycare, braces, and college. Because your kids are four years apart, by the time your first child finishes daycare, your second begins. The same is true with braces and college. While these expenses remain constant for eight years since you’re paying them back-to-back, you never face the expense of having two in braces at once or two in college at once.

While those who have kids only two years apart argue that there are discounts for daycare and college when you have two children enrolled, you’re still paying more than if you only had one child enrolled. If you space your children four or more years apart, you avoid a few intense years of high expenses that those with kids close together experience.

My Experience

I have three kids. The first two are 4.4 years apart, and the second and third are just 17 months apart. If I look from a strictly financial standpoint, the first two are optimally spaced. The oldest was able to attend preschool while I worked full-time and my husband went to graduate school full-time. However, after we had the last two 17 months apart, we could no longer afford for me to work. The cost of two kids under two in daycare in one of the largest cities in the United States cost almost as much as my salary. I would have been working to pay for my younger two kids to be in daycare.

Likewise, my oldest was out of braces when my middle child started them, so we only had to pay for one child at a time. (Thankfully, my youngest doesn’t need braces!)

Other Factors to Consider When Spacing Children

However, our choices in life are rarely entirely about finances. When determining how to space your children, you also need to consider other factors besides money.

Non-Financial Benefits of Having Kids Two or Fewer Years Apart

Despite the added expense, there are good reasons to have kids two or fewer years apart.

Children Tend to Be Closer

While this isn’t always true, children who are closer in age tend to have a closer relationship. If you want your siblings to rely on one another and be friends, you have a better chance of that happening if your children are closer in age.

They Have Similar Interests

If your children are close in age, they are developmentally at the same stage. If you want to take them to see a movie, your pick is easy because they’re at the same developmental age. This isn’t true if their sibling is four or five years older. In that case, picking an activity that is age-appropriate for the younger child often means the older child is bored because he’s no longer at that developmental stage.

Non-Financial Benefits of Having Kids Four or More Years Apart

In my experience, having children closer together is better from a non-financial standpoint. My younger two have a close relationship. However, my oldest and middle child, who are 4.4 years apart, only recently started developing a closer relationship as the middle one reached her teen years and started to share interests with her brother. My youngest still does not have a close relationship with the oldest.

However, there are some non-financial benefits to spacing kids further apart.

You Have More Time to Recover

When kids are spaced four or more years apart, you have more time to recover from pregnancy and the sleepless newborn days. Honestly, when I had two kids 17 months apart, the first two years are a blur because I was so exhausted. That didn’t happen when my second joined the family.

Easier to Give Each Child Attention

With this age gap, giving each child individual attention is easier. You can read and play with the older child while the younger one naps. You can play with the younger child while the older one plays independently.

Final Thoughts

If you space your kids four years apart, there are financial benefits of optimally spacing childbirth. However, your decision when to add to your family is rarely only a financial one. You should consider all factors to make the best decision for your family.

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6 Frugal Activities for Kids During Winter Break

December 23, 2021 | Leave a Comment

Kids around the country are enjoying winter break. While the early days of winter break are likely busy with holiday activities and preparations, the last week can be quiet and a bit boring. If you want to find frugal activities for kids during winter break, look no further than our list. These activities can help your kids relax, have fun, and spend time building memories with family.

Frugal Activities for Kids During Winter Break

Have a Movie Marathon

If your kids don’t get a lot of screen time during the school year, take one day this break and have a movie marathon. Pick two or three movies the family wants to watch, and then camp out on the couch with yummy snacks and the blinds closed. Have a great time watching and then discussing the movies.

Have a Chopped Challenge

Have your kids watched the cooking show, Chopped? If so, why not have a kids’ Chopped challenge at your house. Give the kids three or four items with which to create a meal. Then, you decide which of the kids wins the competition. (As a bonus with this activity, you have one less meal you have to cook this week!) If your kitchen is small, you may want to have one child cook one night with the ingredients and another child cook the next night.

Decorate Cookies

Who says Christmas cookies have to stop when Christmas is over? Have a fun afternoon making and decorating cookies. Make it extra fun by turning traditional cookie cutters into other objects. For instance, instead of making a gingerbread man with that cookie cutter shape, turn it into something else like a unicorn.

Go Sledding

Some of the best fun I’ve had with my kids is sledding with them. Bundle the family up, head out to the nearest large hill in the neighborhood, and go sledding. Stay out for an hour or two, and then come home and enjoy a nice mug of hot chocolate while you warm up.

Build a Snow Fort

Likewise, don’t send the kids out alone to play in the snow. Instead, go out with them and build a snow fort. You can even take a break for a snowball fight. The kids will love you spending time with them and being a kid again with them.

Play a Board Game

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

During the busy school week, you may not have time to play games with your kids. During winter break, set aside some time to play board games with your kids. Some of our favorites include 10 Days in the USA, Battleship, Yahtzee, and The 5-Second Rule.

Final Thoughts

While taking a family vacation during break is nice, don’t feel bad if you don’t have the money to do so. Your kids will appreciate you spending time with them and enjoying any of these frugal activities for kids during winter break.

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Free Games to Teach Kids About Coding

December 9, 2021 | Leave a Comment

My 11-year-old wanted to take a coding class this year. We signed up for one with a virtual school in our state. I have a long dislike of computer science, so I was happy to outsource this subject from our homeschool. To my surprise, she LOVED coding and is taking the second installment of the class next semester. However, she wants to do even more, so I searched for free games to teach kids about coding. Because coding is popular, there is no shortage of games available.

Scratch

My daughter’s teacher had the students spend some time on Scratch, a free coding community. Since then, she has spent several hours a week immersed in the Scratch world. Students can create games and animations and share them with others in the community.

This site is for kids ages 8 to 16 and is free.

Blocky Games

Blocky Games offers several games that teach programming. If your child has trouble with internet access, you can download the material, so he can work offline. Like Scratch, this site is for ages 8 to 16 and is perfect for beginners. It is also free.

Tynker

Tynker offers 20 games for free, which will give you and your kids a chance to try out this site. This site has a broad appeal for ages 5 to 18.

If you decide you like this site enough to pay, you can access all levels and 65 courses for around $10 a month. This popular site is used by more than 50,000 schools and 32 million students!

Code Combat

Your child can play in Code Combat for free with a class code from his teacher, or he can play as an individual. This game has several levels; you have to be proficient in one level before moving on to the next one. The first level, Kithgard Dungeon, teaches syntax, methods, parameters, strings, loops, and variables.

Code Combat is for ages 9 to 16. Kids can play alone or with others. Like Tynker, this is a popular site. It is used in 190 countries with 20 million kids!

Code Monster

This intuitive program helps teach your child Javascript. Perfect for ages 8 to 12, simply click on the monster to get instructions. The monster teaches your child coding through a variety of actions such as increasing the numbers in a code to see what happens next.

A nice feature of Code Monster is that you only need internet connection to load the website. After that, you can use it completely offline.

Final Thoughts

If your child wants to learn more about coding, encourage her! Then, help her get started with some of these free games to teach kids about coding. She may find a fun hobby, or she may have a passion that develops into a career like web design, computer programmer, or computer systems engineer. The demand for these jobs is expected to increase in the future, which makes coding an excellent skill to learn.

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Save Money on Entertainment with Reciprocal Museum Passes

November 25, 2021 | Leave a Comment

Recently, I took my children to our local art museum. It was the first time we went, and we enjoyed it. Buying a yearly pass was twice the cost of one-day admission, so we decided to upgrade. We knew we would be back, so the passes will pay for themselves after our next visit. But then, I found out the passes offer us reciprocal admission to many museums around the country! Those passes will save us a lot of money and give us an affordable entertainment option throughout the year.

What Museum Associations Offer Reciprocal Passes?

The museum we bought the yearly passes for is part of the North American Reciprocal Museum Association (NARM). There are over 1,175 museums in this network, all of which we have free access to with our museum pass. These museums are in the United States, Canada, Bermuda, El Salvador, and Mexico. In our state alone, there are 12 museums to which we will have access.

NARM is just one of many museum networks. You can also choose from the following organizations:

Art Museum Reciprocal Network (AMRN),

Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) Travel Passport

Time Travelers (This pass offers free entry to some participating museums, but others only offer discounted entry with the pass.)

Smithsonian Affiliates, (Note that not all museums on this list choose to participate in the reciprocal agreement. While there are seven museums on this list in my state, only one participates in the reciprocal agreement.)

American Horticultural Society (AHS),

Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), (Membership gives you 50% off at most zoos and aquariums on their reciprocal agreement.)

Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums (ROAM),

Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), (Membership gives you 50% off the 200 children’s museums in the reciprocal agreement.)

Museum Alliance Reciprocal Program (MARP)

How to Save Money with Reciprocal Museum Passes

If you want to get the most for your money, choose the reciprocal program your family will use most frequently.

As mentioned above, read the fine details. Some reciprocal programs get you free admission to any of the participating programs. Others only offer discounted admission. Some have many participating museums in your state, others only have a few.

If you’re planning on taking a vacation during the year, check which programs have museums you’d be interested in visiting during your trip. Using a reciprocal pass can be an excellent way to reduce your vacation costs.

If You Can’t Afford a Museum Pass

Save Money with Reciprocal Museum Passes

Photo by Caroline Hernandez on Unsplash

Buying a season pass to just one museum in one of these reciprocal associations can make visiting museums throughout the year extremely affordable. However, some people cannot afford a season pass to even one museum. For those individuals, consider the Museum for All program.

Museums for All offers SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients free or discounted admission to 700 museums throughout the United States. Where I live, if I go to a local science museum with my three kids, I will pay $30 for admission. However, a SNAP recipient will just pay $12 for her and her three kids to enter, so the savings can be significant.

Final Thoughts

I hope these strategies help you save money on entertainment with reciprocal museum passes. We’re excited we’ll be able to visit our local museum several times this year AND visit other museums in our state that are part of the same group.

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Where to Find Financial Support for Single Dads?

November 11, 2021 | Leave a Comment

When you think of single parents, you likely think of single moms struggling to raise their children and working full-time to support their families. While it’s true there are more single mothers than single fathers in the United States, the number of single fathers is growing. According to Statista, “In 2020, there were about 15.31 million children living with a single mother in the United States and about 3.27 million children living with a single father.” Yet, many of the support programs such as WIC are dedicated solely to women and their children. What financial support for single dads is available?

Where to Find Financial Support for Single Dads

Unfortunately, single dads don’t have specific financial programs for them as women do. Yet, 25% of single dads live in poverty and need financial assistance (Fatherhood). Thankfully, resources are available for any parent living at or below the poverty line.

Food Assistance

One of the most important needs for single parents is providing their kids with enough nourishing food. These programs can help.

National School Lunch Program

You can sign up for the National School Lunch Program at your child’s school. If your household income is below 130% of the poverty level or you receive SNAP or TANF (more on those later in this post), your child qualifies for a free lunch every day. If your household income is 130% to 185% of the federal poverty line, your child qualifies for a reduced-priced lunch.

Summer Food Service Program

This program is run during the summer when school is out and children no longer have access to free lunches. ANY child 18 and under can receive a free meal. No registration is required. Food distribution sites are typically at your local school district. You can go here to find a location near you.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

SNAP provides money for low-income families to purchase approved foods. To qualify, you must apply at your local state office. Generally, SNAP qualification is based on your income (gross income must be below 130% of the poverty level), your assets, and the number of people in the family.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

TEFAP is another safety net that provides food at no cost to eligible recipients. If you qualify for and receive SNAP, you automatically qualify for TEFAP. If your gross income does not exceed 185% of the federal poverty level, you also qualify.

To apply, you must go to your local TEFAP distribution site, bring your driver’s license, and answer a few basic questions.

Food Pantries

Photo by Aaron Doucett on Unsplash

Another place to go when you’re having trouble providing food for your family is a local food pantry. Most food pantries are allowed to give one family food once a month or sometimes twice a month. Many families take advantage of this when they have a week or so left before they get their next month’s SNAP benefits and they are running low on food at home.

Soup Kitchens

Don’t forget that you can also get a hot meal at your local soup kitchen.

Medical Assistance

Medical care is expensive but should not be neglected. These agencies can help provide financial support for single dads when it comes to medical costs.

Medicare

Medicare is typically for individuals 65 and older, but if you have a disability or your child has a disability, you or your child may qualify for Medicare. (You can learn more about qualifying here.) If you are under 65 and receive Social Security Disability, you are qualified for Medicare.

Medicaid

Eligibility for Medicaid varies based on which state you live in. Medicaid provides coverage for low-income families, qualified pregnant women and children, and people who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). To learn more, go to your state’s Medicaid website.

Other Assistance

Besides food and insurance expenses, a single father may have other financial needs depending on his income and family size. These programs are also available to eligible recipients.

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

Depending on your location, winter heating bills or summer air conditioning bills can cause financial hardship. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program tries to fill that need. However, the earlier you can apply, the better. When the program runs out of money for the year, even qualified applicants do not receive funds. On average, 20% of the people who qualify receive the funds.

The applications are accepted and reviewed through your local LIHEAP office. Some offices automatically qualify people who receive SNAP, TANF, or SSI. Others do not, so you’ll need to contact your local office to determine what you need to qualify and how much relief funds you may receive. Some offices also set aside funds to help you with weatherization, so you’ll pay less in the future.

Child Care Subsidies

Child care can be a family’s most expensive bill, often even more expensive than monthly rent or mortgage payments. To assist with this need, the federal government gives each state money to subsidize child care. Go here to see what your state offers.

This program mainly helps low-income families where the parent works full-time but earns less than 165% of the federal poverty level, teen parents enrolled in high school or GED programs, people currently living in a homeless shelter, and those who are unable to work due to a disability.

Final Thoughts

Being a single parent isn’t easy! Thankfully, there is financial support for single dads, but you will have to apply to many different agencies to get the variety of aid available. Educate yourself about what is available and apply as early as possible, so you have the best chance of getting aid. Also, don’t be afraid or embarrassed to take advantage of the available services. Remember, your financial situation may be temporary. In another few years, you may have a much better-paying job and be able to pay for more of your needs on your own.

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