Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

The Best Smiles in Life are Free

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the best things in life are freeIt’s been a while since I was actually in a McDonald’s restaurant, but I vividly remember the old menus growing up that, at the very end said, ‘’Smiles are always free’’. My experience in being a mom is that the best smiles are, in fact, free but that doesn’t stop me as a parent from chasing the need to see my child smiling through my unnecessary purchases.

I don’t even realize I’m doing it most of the time. Last weekend I had to go to a local big box store for an item. I was there to return something, that was it. I had no intentions of even walking around the store but when I realized I had some freedom (I was alone, no kid, no husband), I decided to capitalize on my few free moments and wander through the aisles. Given that I actually hate shopping, and am very much someone who likes to accomplish as much as possible in any given day, it was out of character for me to even want to do this, but I did.

I was scoping out the newest stuff and staring in disbelief at all the Christmas stuff that was already out, as Halloween hasn’t even passed, when I found myself walking through the book aisle. Again, innocently browsing at what was there, I instantly picked up a book with my daughters favorite character’s on it. The thought process was something like this:

‘’I need to buy this for her! She will love it and put a big smile on her face when she sees it!!’’.

At $3.50 I wasn’t breaking the bank but, though I didn’t realize it at the time, I was doing it selfishly. Though the book was for her, the book was more for me. For me, as her mom, to see her eyes light up and smile when I hand it to her.

It wasn’t until after I gave her the book when I realized what I had done. Though she was appreciative of the gesture, and thanked me for it, what she really wanted and what really got her excited was me. I had been away from her for a few hours and she wouldn’t care if I had a 10 pound chocolate bunny in my arm, she was just excited to see me and go back to mommy-daughter play time.

When I really think about it, the biggest smiles and reactions are never from when we give her something, be it a special after dinner treat or new book, it’s from when we’re sharing time together, building forts on the floor and hiding from invisible monsters, when we’re in a tickle fight or coloring a picture together. Though I will still buy things for her, I won’t buy something with the selfish intention of seeking out a smile because I know in my heart I have it in me to make her smile bigger than any object.

How to Make Your Morning Run Smoothly

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make your mornings run smoothlyI wear many hats. Not only am a Mother, the most demanding job of all, but also a wife, a full-time employee, a freelance writer and blogger. I make time for friends and family and occasionally, myself. I like to go to the gym and love to have my nose in a good book. The problem? I need about 39 hours in a day to accomplish everything I set out to do.

With a lot on my plate every day, I need to do everything in my power to make sure my day starts out on the right foot. If my morning is chaotic, the rest of my day will follow suit. There are a few things that you can do to make sure your day starts out right and maximize the hours in your day.

Sleep

Trust me, I’m the guiltiest of this but lack of sleep will kill your day. Everyone has a number, for me it’s seven. Seven hours of sleep is exactly what I need to accomplish everything with energy. This doesn’t mean starting to get ready for bed at 11pm if you want to wake up at 6am. It means starting to wind down earlier and get ready to be asleep by 11pm.

Use Your Evenings Wisely

After my daughter goes to bed I make sure the mess from the evening is cleaned up (nothing worse than tripping over toys from the night before at 630am) and lunches are made. I don’t mean deep clean with floor scrubbed but at the very least make sure basic messes are cleaned and surfaced are cleared. If I attempted to leave making lunches for my family until the morning it simply wouldn’t get done and we’d all end up spending more money than we want because lunch wasn’t packed.

I also make sure everything we need to run out the door is right there, by the door. I don’t want to waste 10 minutes in the morning looking for the car keys or my purse. If you have kids make sure their bags are also packed and waiting by the door.

Stay on top of Laundry

Have you ever attempted to get dressed in the morning only to find the shirt you need to downstairs still in the dryer? If you stay on top of the laundry, meaning when you start a load finish it, including putting it away your life will be so much easier. Staying on top of laundry also allows you to lay your clothes out at night if you’re so inclined.

I understand that some things will have to wait. If you can’t get the dishes done, at least pile them neatly and get them rinsed until you do manage to find a few minutes to get them done. You know your morning the best and you need to sit down and figure out what will make it work for you. Maybe setting your coffee on a timer is necessary? Whatever it takes to get your day going as smoothly as possible will make the rest of your life that much easier.

How do you manage the chaos of the morning?

Frugal Summer Fun For Your Toddler

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frugal summer activities for kidsIt’s hard to believe that June is here!

The weather is finally starting to warm up (the cold weather was dragging on forever here) and we’re venturing outside. This is the first summer that my daughter could really ”do anything”. She was born in June so last year, being only one, was just learning how to walk and explore.

This year, a full-fledged active two year old, requires strategic planning to keep her entertained. The good thing is that she’s only two so doesn’t really know how or what is out there unless we expose her to it. The bad thing is that she is very busy and requires me to be as creative as I can be to keep her entertained all summer.

After pursing the internet and talking to my mom and teacher friends, I have come up with a list of fun fugal outdoor activities for your toddler:

  • Painting with water. We did this the other day and it’s as easy as it seems. Bucket of plain water and a paintbrush! We painted the driveway and fence. This literally entertained her for over an hour and 100% mess-free!
  • Chalk/bubbles. Another favorite and cost less than $1.
  • Explore your neighbourhood. I like taking walks with kiddo before it gets too hot in the summer mornings. It’s usually not too busy traffic-wise and I can let her out of the stroller to just run ahead of me a little to burn off some energy herself.
  • Parks and playgrounds. When we’re on our walks we will often stop at a local playground to run around. Bonus if there are other kids present for her to play with otherwise mom is getting an added workout playing too 🙂
  • DIY Sandbox or dirtbox. Little fact: Kids love to dig and play in dirt. We plan on buying a cheap kiddy pool (less than $10) and filling it with either sand or dirt. We can hide a few toys within the sand/dirt and let them dig it out. I went to the local dollar store and purchased some little shovels and a toy dump truck for her to play with in said box.
  • Beach days. Great idea of you’re close to one!
  • Picnics. There’s something so fun about eating outside. You don’t even have to go anywhere, you’re own backyard will do. It’s the change in routine that will have them entertained.
  • Treasure hunt. Take objects (ideally kids toys) and hide them outside having them find them based on description such as ”eye spy something that is red”.
  • Garden. Kids love helping. Something like a garden is something they can help with (maybe something as simple as buying them a tiny watering can sort of thing). Have them help pick out flowers and I’m sure the first thing out of their mouths every morning will be ”flowers!”. They will love the added responsibility to help keeping it alive.

Keeping little ones entertained can be exhausting for parents. It’s so easy to run out of ideas especially with very active toddlers. I hope there are a few new ideas for you and your little one. Bring on warm weather!

What other frugal summer fun ideas can you think of?

Cherishing Moments

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Cherishing Special MomentsThe world we live in is moving at mach one. We’re constantly looking to do things faster, more efficient, better. While most of these things are, in my opinion, a good thing, I forget all too often to just live in the moment. I’m always looking forward at point B, not fully experiencing point A.

These past few weeks in particular, my little girl has been super needy. When I’m around she wants mommy. Wants to be held. Wants her blankie. Wants her ”babies” (stuffed animals). Wants attention.

While she has been a bit overly needy because she hasn’t been feeling 100% and is cutting some nasty teeth, I still need to be there for her and I admit, it’s been hard. My phone is constantly going off with both professional and personal notifications. The laundry needs to get done. I need to get groceries. The list of distractions goes on…

This past week in particular, I’ve felt more run down than I have in a long time. My husband injured his leg a week ago and is pretty much totally out of commission. I’ve been working super hard at work because we’re down two employees for different medical related reasons and finally this weekend my immune system took over. I haven’t felt this terrible since before my pregnancy. I officially have no voice, my entire body aches and I’m more than tired.

Why am I telling you all this?

Because I was kicked in the butt this weekend and forced to slow down. The laundry would have to wait. My eyes are too blurry to look at my phone. I can’t get groceries while kid is napping because I needed to nap myself. I didn’t get anything done and we’re still all alive. Everything can wait. For once in a long time I paused. I sat on the couch with my daughter, a cup of tea and 3725 stuffed animals, snuggled under a blankie while my daughter, not even two, reached over and grabbed my hand.

We sat there for a while watching Saturday afternoon cartoons and held hands. She needed me. I needed her and we both needed to just relax together. It was only a brief moment but she grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight, looking at me as if almost to say ”thanks mom, I need you more than laundry/phone/groceries”.

I full heartily believe we as parents can raise better children if we are more engaged in their world.  I admit that I’m constantly trying to make her needs work among my own needs and my busy world. There may be 23 other things I need to get done on my day off but none are more important than me showing my daughter she is the most important thing to me and if she wants to sit with me and watch a cartoon or color with her I’ll do it, distraction free.

Life can wait, cherishing moments cannot.

When’s the last time you slowed down?

Helping Your College Student Adjust to Life Away from Home

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College StudentsJust because your children don’t wear diapers anymore doesn’t mean you won’t stop thinking of them as “your babies.” This is why, for many parents, the experience of having their teenage kids move out of the house and into the dorms can be a source of anxiety. After all, you won’t be there to make sure they have access to nutritious foods, get plenty of rest and stay away from those “bad influences” every parent fears.

For easy transition, we’ve put together a shortlist of ways parents can use to assist the students adjust to college life away from the nest.

Send a Little Love & Care

Being a short drive away from your student’s campus is a luxury not all parents have. Luckily, sending a little slice of home is an easy way to remind your child that you’re thinking of them. Homemade baked-goods, clothes, knick-knacks or homely keepsakes are all great options to include in your student’s care package. If you’re not a master baker or maybe bogged down with work, have no fear! Companies that sell dorm stuff, like OCM, can send your student care package—and you can even include a handwritten note.

Set a Skype Date

Keeping an open line of communication is pivotal with college students. Text messages are good for short messages, but an even better option would be video chatting through Skype. This way, you not only get the chance to have in-depth conversations better than texts, emails, or regular phone calls.

Fund School Activities

Campus-based school activities is a great way for students to blow off steam, get their mind off of classes for a few hours, and meet new friends. Encouraging your student to find an activity and financially support their choice is an ideal way to make sure they are taking steps to settling into their new life. This will provide them with a sense of closeness and community right off the bat, something that is especially valuable when attending a school that has thousands upon thousands of students.

Plan Visits

Physically checking up on your children and spending time with them is an even better way to help them adapt to their life as a college student. While everyone likes surprises, surprise visits won’t always be met with the enthusiasm you may have been expecting. It’s in everyone’s best interest to make sure the visits are planned at least a week in advance. This way, your budding adults will have time to prioritize their school work and weekend activities (maybe even clean up their dorm room if you’re lucky).

Students may feel homesick, especially if it is the first time they have been away from home. Giving the students their freedom and letting them feel that they are trusted in making the right decisions is the best approach to take.

Photo Credit: Stuart Miles

How did you help your college aged kids adjust to life away from home?

Paying For Your Kids Education

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paying for your kids educationI had zero financial help when it came to post secondary and I don’t blame my mom at all. Our children didn’t ask to be born so it is our responsibility as parents to provide for them and make sure their needs are taken care of, as far as I am concerned, it is not the responsibility of the parent to pay for post secondary education. However, if you’re in a financial situation that allows it, you may want to help.

We are currently setting aside a little bit of money each month for our daughter because we’re able to. My mom, though she had a good job, was a single parent and many other financial responsibilities. Though we are setting aside a bit of money for her (including any financial gifts she may get) I will not jeopardize my retirement or other financial goals so she can get a degree debt free.

I know of many people who have remortgaged their house, taken out of their own retirement funds just to ensure their kids have no debt when they graduate. This is crazy to me. Kids who go into post secondary ideally will get a job that allows them to repay any debt they borrowed. Though it will take another three and half years for us to be debt free we are 100% doing it on our own and I have zero resentment to my mom for not helping me. I chose to further my education and opted to do two degrees, not her. At 18 I was making my own decisions.

If you do want to contribute to your kids education, start early. We opened an account for her before she was three months old and continue to contribute monthly.  We made it quite clear that, especially when she is young, we didn’t need many gifts for her. We would rather have the money for her savings than another teddy bear. This helps beef up her savings and limiting the clutter in our home! Double win.

It is my hope that like both me and her father, come 16 our daughter will be able to balance a part-time job, school and extracurricular activities (though if she can’t job is first thing to go). It is important that we teach her the importance of saving and plan to match any savings she comes up with on her own (to a max we will decide when the time comes). I think this will encourage good saving behaviour, which hopefully will last a lifetime and allow us to reward her for a good behaviour. Saving money isn’t easy and I’m hopeful this will encourage her.

Though I have no intentions of giving up anything I want in my life her post secondary savings (I would gladly give up anything for something she needed) you’d be surprised how easy it is to find even $25 per month. Over 18 years, while it won’t pay for a degree, it will certainly help offset some post secondary costs and your child will appreciate it!

Do you save for your kids post secondary? Will you pay for all of it no matter what?

10 Eco-Friendly Actions Your Kids Can Take

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eco friendly kidsTeaching your kids to be eco-friendly is important for many parents, but talking about the benefits of recycled roofing material or laundry detergent doesn’t exactly sink in for most children. However, there are some things you can do to teach your children to be eco-friendly in a way that allows them to really get involved.

Incorporate these 10 eco-friendly actions into your child’s routine to help them understand the importance of taking care of the planet from an early age.

1. Teach your child about composting. Composting is relatively easy to understand it also teaches your children about not wasting things that can be reused, even if they seem like they’re just trash.

2. Get involved in a community cleanup project with your child. No matter where you live, there’s bound to be an area that needs to cleaned up. Community cleanup projects can also be a great way for your kids to make new friends and broaden their horizons.

3. Let your kids know about eco-friendly products. Examples of eco-friendly products include everything from bathroom tissue to toothpaste to over-the-counter alternative remedies like those found at Amoils.com. Getting your kids started looking for natural products early on will be a beneficial habit for them later in life.

4. Have your children buy recycled materials for school. Everything from recycled binders to notebook paper is widely available. Doing this will teach your children the importance of using items in their everyday life that are good for the environment – something they’ll continue to do in their adult years.

5. Get your kids in the habit of keeping items like newspapers for other projects. Examples include craft projects or even household chores like cleaning windows, which newsprint actually excels at. Children need to understand that wasting items only to buy other ones for the same job isn’t good for the environment.

6. Work with your child to have an Earth Day party at their school or at home. Doing this can help you teach your child about the environment and help them make friends at the same time. Many schools already have eco-friendly programs, so consider working with them to make them more prevalent.

7. Show your kids how to avoid products that are made to be used once and discarded. Items like paper plates aren’t good for the environment. Teach your kids that a little work on their part — things like washing a few extra dishes – can be beneficial and worthwhile.

8. Gather clothing in your neighborhood for a recycling project. Not only will less clothing have to be made, you’ll be helping less fortunate people in your area and around the world. Make sure your child understands the benefits of doing good things for people along with the planet.

9. Get your kids in the habit of using natural products around the home. Examples include baking soda for cleaning the sink instead of abrasive cleaners that pollute the earth. You’ll also have less waste when it comes to packaging.

10. Show your kids the value of nature. You can do this through all sorts of activities – including day hikes, camping or even going to the beach. A healthy respect for nature and its value is important for distilling eco-friendly beliefs in your child.

When it comes to teaching your children to be eco-friendly, the best you can do is to be a good example. As a parent, getting your child to live an eco-friendly life doesn’t have to be hard. Leading by example is essential, and by telling your child why you do what you do, they’ll see the benefits.

Raising Money Smart Kids

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money smart kidsIn today’s tumultuous economy, it is more important than ever for parents to teach their children how to be financially responsible. Money has to be earned and budgeted before it’s spent, and let’s not forget the importance of continuously saving money for the future. Communicating this to your children is essential to helping shape the financial decisions they will make later in life.

That said here are some helpful tips for raising money-smart kids, at an early age.

 

Open Up a Savings Account

Has your child been asking for a special toy, a bicycle, a video game? Open them a savings account at your local bank. Discuss how much they will need to set aside to reach their target, on a weekly or monthly basis. You can also explain how a savings account works and how he or she can earn interest on money that is deposited. This is often a nice motivation for your child to use the savings account. You may find that your child uses the account to set and reach a financial goal, which is a great thing to watch.

 

Let them Earn Allowances

Once your child reaches an age where they can start contributing around the house, you can pay them a small amount of money for helping out. Whether it’s taking out the garbage, watering the plants, or helping with dishes, you need to show them that they have to work for their money. It doesn’t just grow on trees. This is a small amount of money that you give the child for spending on just about whatever he or she so desires. By giving your child an allowance, your child will come to realize the value of a dollar when it comes time to make decisions about what to buy.

 

Get Your Child Involved

If your child is old enough, you can teach him or her a financial lesson by sending your child on an errand to pick up some groceries. Give your child $20 or so along with a list of items that you know will cost very close to $20. Your child will then have to carefully consider how to make that money stretch to get all the groceries you need. If your child is successful, consider giving him or her some kind of reward.

In order for children to grow up to be financially responsible adults, it is important that parents begin teaching them about how to manage money as early as possible. If you have been putting this off with your own child, then it may very well be time to reconsider.

Handling Allowance With My Daughter

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daughter allowanceI didn’t grow up receiving a regular weekly allowance. I can honestly say as an adult that this has played a huge role in the financial choices I made growing up. Since no one taught me, I had no idea how about money management. Sure, I played with monopoly (play) money in grade school for pretend math class assignments, and gladly handed over my pocket change when the credit union came each week to collect our money putting it into a savings account for us, but I really had no understanding of money. Even as I grew up and got my first part-time paid job in high school, I didn’t know what I was supposed to be doing with my paycheques. All I knew was that I was making my own money now and no longer needed mommy every time I wanted something.

 

The Importance of Allowance

For these reasons I personally believe allotting an allowance for kids is important. I plan on implementing a weekly allowance for our daughter when she’s old enough to understand what money is, probably around the age of six to seven. I want her to understand why she cannot  have something other than me just saying ‘no’. I want her involved in purchases that affect her and help make the decision. I need her to understand the importance of savings. All of these things cannot be fully understood with ‘play’ money.

Have you ever tried to play a poker game with fake money? The betting can get ridiculous because you have no real ‘skin in the game’ so-to-speak.

How Much?

Honestly, right now (her being seven months old) I don’t have an exact amount in mind that we’ll give her but it will be a percentage of money we plan on spending on her anyways. What I mean, is that we don’t necessarily plan on creating a whole new section of our budget for kids allowance, rather allocate money to her from money we would have spent anyway (clothing or shoes for her, school supplies etc). This way she can be involved in how her money is spent. As parents we are responsible for spending money on her for the next 18 or so years, why shouldn’t she have some involvement?

One option is giving a weekly amount (say, $3.00 a week to start) and teaching how to save a percentage and budget for things desired. When she gets older maybe we will make her  responsible for handling and helping budget for larger purchases like back-to-school shopping. Whatever option ends up working for us, the key is to have her directly involved in buying items so she can learn to respect money and understand that it is not an infinite resource.

I also don’t want to pay her only when she does household chores which is a common criteria for parents to award allowance. As a member of our family, when she gets old enough, she will have an unpaid responsibility to contribute to our household. Should she go over and above her required chores and do extra, she may be able to make some extra money, but I refuse to pay her for normal expectations.

 

Learn From My Mistakes

When we go shopping I want her to understand the importance of shopping with a list and sticking to it. This will teach her the importance of budgeting and planning. She will learn that if something is not on the list we won’t be buying it today, and if we (she) sees something while we’re out that she may want, we have to make a plan on how to buy it.

These are all tools I wish I had in my back pocket. Not that I grew up thinking money was an infinite resource, but I never appreciated the value of a dollar until I was much older and in a boat-load of debt. Everything I know about money is 100% self-taught. I still have a way to go but my hope is that through allocating a proper allowance and starting early enough my daughter can avoid the same paths I’ve already been down.

If you have kids, do you give them an allowance? How much?

8 Simple Rainy Day Activities For Kids

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rainy day kid activitiesAs a resident of the beautiful – but often soggy – Pacific NW; I am quite familiar with trying to come up with fun and creative ways to keep my kids busy on rainy days. I am incredibly happy to say that I have found some really wonderful – low cost or no cost – activities that you can do with your kids, when wet weather strikes. Here are eight rainy day activities for kids that are sure to cure the dreary-day doldrums.

1. Channel your inner chef

There is nothing better than comfort food on a blustery day, so why not whip up something delicious with your kids? Cooking is not only fun but very educational as well (shhhh…don’t worry, I won’t tell). Kids love to help out and no matter what age they are, there is always something they can do. For example, little kids can dump pre-measured ingredients into the bowl, stir things around, frost cupcakes, & lick beaters. Just watch your child’s face light up as you pull out their finished masterpiece. I promise that the look you will see makes all the spilled flour and broken eggs so worth it! Check out www.kids-cooking-activities.com to find recipes, cooking videos, and food facts, as well as fun craft and science recipes.

2. Can you build it? Yes you can!

Fort building is a family favorite in our house. We strip off the couch cushions, gather all the pillows and blankets we can carry, and then we start creating. If you use your imagination; you can make a fort out of just about any space in your home. Our boys have bunk beds; so I just put blankets up to enclose the bottom bunk and poof instant fort in no time flat! Forts are a great place for your kids to embark on all kinds of amazing adventures.

3. Lights, Camera, Action

Reading is a fantastic rainy day activity for kids but you can kick it up a notch by reading then acting out your children’s favorite stories. You can make it as simple or elaborate as you would like. It’s fun getting dressed up and using props but even just acting out the story can be quite entertaining as well. This is a great activity and you can really make some fantastic (and many times silly) memories in the process.

4. Let’s play dress-up

Playing dress up is a genuine two thumbs up, kid approved rainy day activity — guaranteed! Not only will your kids have hours of fun becoming princesses, superheroes, pirates, doctors, nurses, ballerinas, and moms, and dads; you’ll be happy that you didn’t have to spend a fortune for them to do it. All you have to do is raid your closets and after that — check out the second hand stores, where you can buy costumes and some really fancy duds at super low prices. Parents should get in on the act too, in fact I encourage it.

5. Take a walk down memory lane

Rainy days are the perfect time to pop some popcorn, snuggle up on the couch and look at old photos and watch old home movies. Kids love seeing old photos of themselves and hearing stories about when they were younger. This can even stir up some memories that you may have forgotten about. This is not only a great rainy day activity; it is also fantastic bonding time for you and your kids.

6. Get Crafty

That’s right parents, get out the glue, markers, paints, pens, and glitter; then let your kids make something craftastic! There are so many wonderful things that your kids can create. Just put some things out for them and let ‘em go. Fall is also a great time to get started on homemade gifts for Christmas. Some of my favorite web sites to glean ideas from are www.amazingmoms.com, www.familyfun.com, and www.freekidcrafts.com. Once you have enough art pieces assembled; you can invite grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends over for dinner and have an art exhibit. Your kids will love it!

7. Get the heck out of dodge

Before you all go stir crazy; pack everyone up and head over to your local library. There is almost always something fun (and free) going on there and if not, you can still find lots of great books to read. Many libraries have story times, craft times, and other fun activities for kids. Trust me when I say, this is a sanity saver on rainy days. If you are looking for something else to do, call some of your friends with kids and take turns hosting play dates. This will get you some nice adult conversation and the kids will enjoy playing with their friends.

8. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em

Go puddle jumping! Slap on your galoshes and rain coat, grab an umbrella and get outside. This is probably – by far – my kids’ favorite rainy day activity! They have a fabulous time getting wet and muddy and when all the fun has been had; you all can head inside, get everyone in warm dry clothes and have some hot chocolate.

Looking for more things to do with your kids? Check out these great articles.

The Importance of Reading to Your Child
The Learning Tower, a Review
7 Screen-Free Activities for Preschoolers

Whatever you decide to do when bad weather strikes — have fun and enjoy your kids.

How do you keep your kids occupied on rainy days?

Today was launch day…

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…sort of.  We still have to add a lot of content, fix a bunch of bugs and finish our coupons and shopping comparison sections but we did take the design and format live today for whatever that is worth.

The site may not look like much right now but we are going to work hard turn it into one of the best parenting resources online.  Since the site isn’t actually ready for anyone to view it and consume our content, it was a very quiet launch that only me, my wife and web designer actually participated in.  But that’s alright, you have to start somewhere!

Kids Ain't Cheap

So what do you think of the site?

Kids Ain’t Cheap But They Sure Are Worth It!

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Kids Ain't CheapWelcome to KidsAintCheap.com. This site was put together by parents, for parents. My goal is to build a web site that will allow all of us to become smarter consumers and maybe even slightly better parents.

Who runs Kids Ain’t Cheap?

My name is Robert but for the most part, I got by GiantRobo online. Why? Well for starters I am a geek. I like comic books, sci-fi, fantasy and anime so the whole giant robot thing always appealed to me. I have other hobbies but they have nothing to do with my online persona. Secondly, I am 6’6” so to most people, the giant title suits me. This is not my only site but it is the one I am most passionate about.

In addition to that, I am married to a wonderful woman named Stephanie and I have two of the most amazing boys anyone could have ever asked for. Our oldest, Harrison, is 4 ½. His brother is Sean and he is 2 ½. They are opposites in many ways but they get along well (for the most part). Nothing makes me happier than seeing those two boys play together.

I am a business man by nature and desire but not all of my ventures have been successful. One of my businesses ran for several years but ended in complete failure and left me and my family with a lot of debt. More debt than most people could ever imagine possible so it’s not really worth talking numbers. I am proud to say that despite the gargantuan amount of money I owe to unfriendly people, I have never filed bankruptcy and am working my way back to a debt free state.

It’s a long road and I didn’t want my decisions to impact my family any more than it had to. Despite our poor financial health, we have managed to provide our boys with love, a good home, healthy meals and if I do say so myself, a damn good life so far. We have had to cut a lot of corners and work the system in order to provide for our children. Our goal for this site is to help you do the same no matter what your financial predicament may be.

We all know that kids ain’t cheap but I am here to once again say they are more than worth the effort.

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