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Cutting Grocery Costs without Cutting Nutrition

Simple, healthy, and affordable ways to weather the rising price of food

 

by Karen Collins, R.D., American Institute of Cancer Research

 

Grocery prices are projected to increase again in 2008 – that’s following 2007’s highest annual increase in 17 years. But surviving these tough economic times doesn’t have to mean sacrificing good nutrition. Some simple strategies can help you cut food costs and eat more healthfully, too.

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Nicholas is Kid of the Month

 

91 Ways to Save on Almost Anything

Here's how to stretch your dollars -- and pinch your pennies 'til they scream -- while you feel little or no pain.

 

by Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine

Want to save a buck? How about a few hundred or a couple thousand?

 

We took a look at eight spending categories in your budget and identified dozens of ways you can keep more money. Whether you need to plug leaks in your spending, learn where to find the best deals or even trick yourself into shaving expenses, we've got something for everyone.

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Amy Allen Clark

Author - Creator of MomAdvice.com

 

She is a stay-at-home mother of a three year old son and is expecting their second child in December. She is founder and creator of www.MomAdvice.com. Her website is geared towards mothers who are seeking advice on staying organized, living on a budget, and for those seeking work-at-home employment.

 

MomAdvice.com creator, Amy Allen Clark, was searching for information on the internet on topics such as these, but could not find a site out there that catered to everything that she was looking for. Amy decided to pool her talents with her web designer husband and create a site that offered this information for mothers and also create a safe web community where mothers could chat. With this vision and her husband’s knack for design, MomAdvice was born.

 

The author resides in Granger, Indiana and her hobbies include reading, writing, cooking and cake decorating. Please visit her web site for more information on these various topics for mothers and be sure to join the forum where your opinions and ideas count. Please visit her web site for more information on these various topics for mothers.

 

Featured Article

 

Finding a Mom’s Support Group

by Amy Allen Clark

Becoming a mom was both an exciting and scary time for me. I returned back to work full-time and, despite these great changes in my life, found that my work & friendships resumed back to what they were before I had my child. I still had people to talk to and was not really seeking anyone or anything else in my life. My life was busy and my days were full with working, caring for my child, and maintaining our home.

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Mom Advice Column - Tips for Single Moms

 

Happy Homemaking the Homemade Way

by Amy Allen Clark

I am not going to launch into a preachy prose about how bad commercial cleaning products are today when it comes to cleaning your home. It is common knowledge that a healthy home is not doused in heavy-duty bleach and preserving our environment should be tops on our priority list. The truth is, if you peeked inside of my caddy of cleaners, you would see some of these harmful products in there. The fact is that I am trying to rely less on these cleaners and rely more on homemade cleaners. I am in the process of making the transition over to using only healthy homemade cleaners, and feel a lot of pride when I take the time to do this. I know how much better it is for our environment...and for my wallet!

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Inexpensive Gifts for the Graduate

by Amy Allen Clark

The end of the school year means, for many of us, lots of high school graduations and open houses to attend. To go along with these events, comes the obligatory gift for the graduate and spending money to show appreciation of their hard work. Just what is a frugal mom to do when the gift-giving season is upon her? What do you purchase for these graduates without breaking the bank? This is the time to really let your creativity shine through and create gifts that are both memorable and affordable. These gifts do not have to be expensive; in fact, I find that the truly practical graduation gifts require very little money.Here are a few of my favorite gifts to give that are affordable and thoughtful….

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Frugal Ways to Winterize Your Home

by Amy Allen Clark

If you live in regions where it becomes extremely cool in the winter, I am sure that you can feel the changes in the air and sense what is about to come. Winter weather is just around the corner and it is time to prepare your home for the cold weather. For a frugal person, the important thing is figuring out how to prepare your home for the cool season and keep the most money in your pocket.

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Surviving Winter Break

by Amy Allen Clark

Winter break is much shorter than the summer break, but for many parents it feels like the longer of the two breaks. Being cooped up in the house can make parents and children crazy after a few days let alone weeks on end. Here are ten ideas for you and your children to help you survive the long winter days without blowing your budget or losing your sanity.

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Cloth Diapering 101

by Amy Allen Clark

If you think of diaper pins and plastic pants, when you think of cloth diapering, you have not seen the cloth diapers for today’s mom. Cloth diapers are a far cry from this image, and cloth diapering is definitely something to explore when you are a frugal mother. The days of origami, accidentally sticking your child with pins, and sloshing diapers in the toilet to rinse them are the diapering days of our mothers. I am here to tell you that cloth diapering is easy, affordable, and is worth every moment of your time and dollar investment. You will not believe how easy it is or how rewarding the process of cloth diapering is- both financially and environmentally.

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The Prescription Lowdown

by Amy Allen Clark - founder and creator of www.MomAdvice.com

Prescription medication is an expense that many families cannot afford. If you do not have an insurance plan that will cover your prescriptions and are a low-income family, then you are not alone. Fortunately there are programs available to assist you with your medications, but finding them can be a struggle.

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Aldi’s Supermarket- The Real Deal?

by Amy Allen Clark

I remember as a child going to Aldi’s Supermarket with my mother to get our groceries. My mom worked very hard for many years, and deciding to stay home proved to be very difficult on our family finances.

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Gearing Up For Summer

by Amy Allen Clark

Summer is just around the corner and with the warmer weather comes many preparations in both the interior and the exterior of the home.

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Decorating on a Shoestring Budget

by Amy Allen Clark

Right now one of the most popular shows on television is, “Trading Spaces.” Do not despair just because your money is limited - you can still create a warm and inviting home frugally.

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Eating Out on A Budget

by Amy Allen Clark

Eating a meal out can be a really expensive event, but it really does not have to be.

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Making Your Own Cleaners

by Amy Allen Clark

A great place to save money is to make your own household cleaners.

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Picky Eater Survival Guide

by Amy Allen Clark

It is hard enough to menu plan for your family with family members who will eat just about anything, but try to plan a menu around a picky eater. Trust me, it isn’t fun!

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Saving on Utility Bills

by Amy Allen Clark

Some of our bills can be eliminated as being “extras”, but utilities is just not one of these. Here are some helpful tips for ways to decrease your utility bills.

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Spring Cleaning for Today’s Mom

by Amy Allen Clark

with spring comes all of the beauty of the changing season. We finally began to see our grass; we enjoy seeing the new buds on our trees, and the sweet smell of a good April shower.

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Tips for New Moms

 

Diaper Bag Essentials

by Amy Allen Clark

There was a time in my life when I could hop in the car, carrying only a purse, and head out the door with absolutely no planning. Ah, those were the days! Upon having our son though, I realized that any trip out the door had to be a well-executed one and it often took hours just to get ready for our destination. As he has gotten older, I can now stash the essential items he needs conveniently in my gigantic mommy purse, but those days of enormous diaper bags are definitely not far from my memory. Here is a list of my own essential diaper bag items…

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9 Cash-Saving Tips That Pay Big Bucks

complaintsboard.com

The expression "a penny saved is a penny earned" doesn't cut it these days. But saving a few dollars here and there can add up...

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Try out these Thanksgiving recipes from tasteofhome

You May Have Too Much Debt But You Also Have Options

How Life Works

If you feel like you're in over your head with personal debt, you're not alone. Millions of Americans have become overextended, many as a result of easy credit and the recessions. Credit cards, medical bills, personal loans and raising interest rates do not make a good financial mix.

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Suze Orman's Recession Rescue Plan - helps you survive in times of financial crisis

OPRAH.com

Do you know what your family would do if you lost your job - or worse, your home? Financial expert Suze Orman is ready to help you devise a recession rescue plan to survive - and possibly thrive - during this deepening financial crisis...

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Could fat babies mean fat toddlers?

A new study from Harvard Medical School found that babies who gained weight quickly had a sharply higher risk of obesity. The study followed close to 600 babies and found those in the top quarter of weight for their length at 6 months had a 40 percent higher risk of obesity by age 3 than smaller babies.

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The 10-Ingredient Shopping Trip

By Tara Parker-Pope and Mark Bittman

... In his latest “How to Cook Everything” segment on the Today Show, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman makes it surprisingly easy to cook a week’s worth of dinners with just a 10-ingredient shopping trip.

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Finding last-minute tuition money

There's still time to find funds for this semester's college tuition. But you'll have to move quickly.

By Gerri Willis

It's only a couple of weeks or even days until school begins. And if you don't think you'll be able to get a handle on your college tuition bill, here with your guide to last minute money.

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Short-term Payday Loans

econ4u.org

...Which are more expensive, late fees or short-term loans?...
A short-term payday loan can be a better option than overdraft fees, reconnect fees, late payment fees or a damaged credit rating when the loan is repaid promptly. However, these loans are not suited for longer repayment periods... Being realistic about budgeting can help avoid the need for short-term borrowing.

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Your Just-in-Case Emergency Plan

by RealSimple

Who do you call if you can't make it home in time to meet the kids' bus? Who do you trust to take in your mail when you're on vacation? Who do you trust with the extra set of keys to your house?

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How to save $10,000 in 2009

By Liz Pulliam Weston

If you were hoping for a list of small tweaks you could make in your spending to save $10,000 a year, sorry. The reality is that $10,000 is a lot of money. And saving big money usually means making big changes in the areas where we spend the most, such as: Housing, Transportation, Food.

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The Super, Sexy, Single Mom on a Budget

by Renee Rayles

A quick reference guide designed for the busy, single mom who has

little time to read while running the mom taxi, cooking dinner, helping with homework, and trying to fit in a date night every now and then.



32 and Counting? Finding Your Happily Ever After Today

by Gi Gi

The author talks about the struggles a single mom goes through and the discovery that you can have HEAT (Happily Ever After Today) just as you are, being single, taking care of your kids...

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Single Mothers &
Male Role-Models / Mentors

Single mothers carry an enormous load of responsibility, especially those having sole and/or primary custody of minor children. They nourish, they nurture, they teach, they discipline, they shelter, they protect, and they provide… all without the assistance of another equally-invested adult.

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Your 5-minute guide to protecting your identity

 

20 steps to protect yourself from identity theft, and seven ways to clean up things if you become a victim.

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TheOnlineMom.com offers parents and consumers a guide to the top-rated, age-appropriate, kid-tested and parent-approved tech toys and gifts.

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
by Jeff Kinney

For those wondering why tween boys don’t read very much, the answer is that more books aren’t like this...

read more...

 

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Find 7 More Hours in a Day

 

From O, The Oprah Magazine

Handle things once

Don't listen to the news first thing in the morning

Make good use of waiting time

Think "half-time"

Be decisive and move on

Lighten up on your cleaning standards

Write it down

Turn off technology during your high-energy time

Monitor time-sapping addictions

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  Your health is valuable, but protecting it doesn't have to be expensive! Request a free quote and find out just how affordable quality health insurance can be.

 

Miss Manners

 

Minimalism is the cutting edge now. My decorator calls it Dorm Chic. Wait, you'll see, everyone will have this look in a year or two. And then maybe I'll go out and get myself some overstuffed chairs." ...

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10 Bad Habits That Lead to Debt Disaster

Little things add up fast. Learn from these mistakes and try these tips to start paying off your debt.

 

Sometimes the only way to stop a snowballing problem is to go back to the top of the hill and find out what started it. If you're up to your eyeballs in credit card debt, take a step back and recount your money missteps. Knowing your weaknesses could help prevent you from falling back into the bad-credit pit and show you a way out.

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