Preparing our kids for independence is a full time job. We help them study, eat right, make smart choices, guide them in relationships and help them hone their talents. They also get some of this same input from school curriculum. What they won't get from their educators is a lesson in financial responsibility which is crucial to their future as an independent, money savvy adult. 

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1.    Gym memberships

Big ambitions and New Years resolutions right? Sure you thought you'd get up and go work out at 5am before starting your day, but then reality hit, sleeping in wins. Why spend money on a gym membership when you can exercise for free? Take a brisk morning walk around the block, or buy a workout DVD and get your cardio in your living room. 


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Eating out is convenient and inexpensive.... Or is it? Most of us don't realize just how much we eat out in a month and those forgotten meals out quickly add up affecting your savings potential.

Just take the average family size of 4 people, assuming two adults and two children are eating daily meals from the same budget. If you feed 4 people three times a day for 30 days a month that's 90.00 per person per month, totaling $360.00 per month. This budget does not include drinks or snacks. Three hundred and sixty dollars a month to feed a family of four equals just $1.00 per person per meal, or $12.00 a day in groceries.

Do you think you could spend just $12.00 a day and feed 4 people three meals? You might be sceptic now, but wait... keep reading and you'll see how it is possible.

Saving money for something specific like a new car or Birthday presents for your kids is pretty easy to do because it's a specific goal. Saving money for emergency's can be a bit more difficult because most of us don't anticipate an emergency. Life is going great, you have a stable job, a reliable car, all of your necessities have been met. One guarantee in life is there are no such things as guarantees. What is great today could come unglued tomorrow. Being laid off, evicted, major car repairs, & medical expenses could leave you in a desperate situation.

What happened to the days when banks were handing out gifts for new accounts? Freebies are nice but high interest earning savings accounts would be even better. Those days are long behind us. Banks have changed their methods of giving customers perks. Some banks offer free checks with your checking account, some offer free fax or notary services. What you may not know is that most banks offer online bill pay.

We all want our kids to inherit strong character and good habits from us. Teaching kids about saving money is one character building habit we can pass on to our kids. Lead them and teach them how to start saving and spending wisely in a creative and exciting way.

Your child is exactly the right age to start saving, because starting at any age is better than never getting started at all. Children as young as three can learn the value of saving. Adjusting your methods for children of school age and older might be necessary but teaching by example will work for all ages. As a mom to young children I have found that giving kids examples and rewarding them for their success leads to motivation. Continuing conversations about the need for savings will instill the value.

Oxford tells us that time management means:
"The ability to use ones time effectively and productively, especially at work." But how do we manage our time? How can we become more productive and be our best selves? 

Remembering that time is one of the most valuable assets we have & that it is an asset we can never recapture should motivate us to use our time wisely, shouldn't it? Yet for most of us it can be difficult just getting started on tasks. It's hard to find motivation or inspiration, it's difficult to get started on tasks that feel impossible or we procrastinate. Creating an organized plan and executing your plan is a great way to improve time management.