OUR HIGH SCHOOL HOMESCHOOL BLOG: finances

Showing posts with label finances. Show all posts

Friday, November 21, 2008

FINDING THE BEST SCHOOL AND DEGREE FOR OUR CHILDREN

Here is a great way to find the right school for an online degree. When our kids are ready to take that step toward a more financially secure future DegreeHound.com is the direct way to easily find schools listed that will best fit our child's needs. They assemble the top online and campus career degree schools and give a free and easy way to find the right school for their specific situation.

When the economy hits a rough spot it's no secret that companies begin to watch their wallets. In the workplace, that means the powers that be take a long hard look at who they want to keep and who is expendable. I think about that when I plan my child's future. With the economy the way it is, right now is the perfect time to explore college options and get a career-related degree. A degree can lead them to more secure career opportunities, fulfilling their lifelong dreams and a better chance for a great salary.

The site is super easy to use. They have many program areas to explore and degree types. There are quite a few articles to peruse if we choose to read about how best to explore our options. The site is a wealth of information and well worth a look.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

FEED A FAMILY OF 4 - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Snack FOR $45 for ONE WHOLE WEEK!

I took a nutrition class in college last year. In that class we were challenged to make a menu for an entire week that is nutritionally sound. I had to post it to my online class and then follow the menu for the entire next week. We were allowed to use the internet to help us in our menu making endeavor.

I found, in my search on the subject, a menu that will feed a family of 4 to 6, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner AND A SNACK for only $45.

I DO actually mean that a person can take 2 twenties and a five into a store, buy some groceries and feed the whole family for an entire week AND It is nutritionally sound!

I scrolled down to the bottom of the web-site and found that I did actually have to cook. I mean...you know...with flour and yeast and stuff. I had to buy powdered milk for the first time. I was a little worried that I couldn't actually do it but guess what! We, our family, did use the $45 menu plan. We decided that we didn't like the lentil soup and we LOVED the pancakes.

Now I make pancakes every week and keep them in the frigerator. I make beans all the time and have cornbread at the ready for when the random person gets hungry here or there throughout the day.

We now have something to eat all the time and our grocery bill is MUCH less than it used to be. Instead of spending $150 per week for our family of Seven, we now spend around $75 per week.

Here is the story from last year and what I actually had to buy. I spent $66 because we have over 4 people in our family, but that is cheap enough. We are all eating healthy food and our wallet is healthier too. I hope it helps someone. It is actually fun to get the kids involved Good Luck!

HOMESCHOOL TOPIC: THE AMERICAN DREAM AND THE MONEY SPENT TO HAVE IT

In these turbulent economic times we have an unprecedented opportunity to talk with our teens about how to responsibly move toward the American dream of home ownership. There are many free sites online that can be used to give practical, real time examples of the house market around our nation.

Whether we are looking at Austin Real Estate or homes in Seattle, the different values of homes in various areas, is something we need to explain to our children. The value as it relates to each person's financial situation is a topic that is better learned on paper than after bad financial decisions have been made in the real world. We can even look at different areas within a large city to compare home markets within blocks of one another such as in the round rock Texas real estate market.

No matter how the topic is shared with our children, the point is to bring up the truth that buying a home can be a joyous occasion, but if we buy it without a full understanding of our personal finances, it can quickly become a desaster of a decision.