SavvySource has a cool deal on the Moonjar Moneybox.  Pay only $15.00 for the Classic Moonjar Moneybox that teaches children to spend, save, and share.  It is an Award-winning, durable tin moneybox that makes a great allowance tool and includes family guide and passbook.  This is a great way to start teaching your children about smart money principles at an early age which I think is super important to their overall financial success in life!  Check it out an SavvySource!

Today’s deal for Everywhere on Plum District is $14.00 for a One-Year Membership on Kids’ Money-Management Website ThreeJars.com.  This is over 53% off the normal price.  I just LOVE the idea of this!  I am all about teaching kids as early as possible, the value of money.  I think if we would all do that, the next generation would be much more financially responsible.  Why not set our children up for success by teaching them these values at an early age. 

With this site your kids can log on to earn, track, and manage their allowance, and set goals and budgets for themselves — with your help, of course.  Check it out at Plum District and get your kids started on this great program while they are home this summer!

*I already bought this one myself!  I can’t wait to get Marley set up.  I think it will help us remember her allowance each week and allow her to earn for some extra chores over the summer!

There is a new GPS-enabled Upromise app for iPhones and Droids that has just come out.  It makes it easy to find all the places to save with Upromise in your area. The app is free, has 50,000 places to save, and will even give you directions from your current location.  Now if you are heading out for dinner and want to select a restaurant that gives you money back for college, you can instantly find a participating restaurant nearby where you’ll get Upromise rewards (typically 8 % of the bill!).  Check out this awesome new app and start saving for your child’s college or work towards paying off your own school loans at Upromise!

If you still have not yet filed your taxes, you better hurry!  Here are some great FREE options that won’t be around much longer:)

One of the reasons that I love what I do is that so many these days are affected by loss of jobs, financial crisis or just the tightening of wallets.  I love knowing that what I do can be a help to people in those situations.

What can be of even more help than I could ever hope to provide is the greatness of our God!  Listen to the song above, or HERE, for some encouragement if you find yourself in a trial right now.  Whether it be financial or some other difficulty you are facing, let your prayer be, “Give me grace to see beyond this moment here.  To believe that there is nothing left to fear!”

If you have a story of hope, share it in the comments below to encourage others who may need to see beyond this moment!

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April is National Financial Literacy month!  I think it is so important that we teach our children at an early age how to handle money.  I have seen so many marriages start out rocky simply because one or both of the people were not taught how to give, save and spend!  

Tom Henske, founder of the Money Smart Kids Program ™ at Lenox Advisors, says it’s important to focus on four pillars: (1) Saving (2) Spending (3) Donating (4) Investing, and provides the following age-friendly tips to teach children financial responsibility:

• Ages 1-4: Let children handle money, bills and coins, to become familiar with their look and feel. Give them a piggy bank to start saving.
• Ages 5-8: Get a library card for your child. It’s their first “credit card.” Start an allowance.
• Ages 9-12: Give child responsibility (and resources) to pay for some household expenses.
• Ages 13-15: Let children invest toward a vacation goal. Nature of the vacation (i.e. hotel vs. camping) could be tied to their success.
• Ages 16-18: Research various professions and determine those lifestyle budgets.

Check out my post HERE about how we are doing that in our own family.

We are yet another month down and closer to summer!  I have to say, I am very ready for the warmer weather and change of pace.  Before the new month begins, here are a few reminders of end of the month tasks in the coupon world:

1.  Now is a good time to go through all your coupons and pull out all the ones that are expired or will expire soon.  Many expire at the end of the month and especially the end of the year!

2.  The next few days are great for printing coupons. The ones from March might be gone soon, so print all you want today. The first of the month is when many sites release new coupons, so you will want to check them all at the beginning of April to see what new ones they roll out or refresh from last month. 

3.  Make sure all your Single Check Rebate receipts for Rite Aid are entered so you can request your check.

4.  Get all your receipts in order so that you can add up all your spending and saving for month and tweak your budget for next month if need be. 

5.  Make sure you have ordered all the Swagbucks prizes you wanted.  They have limits on how many of each one that you can order in a day or month so if you are stocking up, make sure you ordered all you could for December and then order your limits for January. 

Where can I find printable coupons you ask? Here are some of the best places to look:

Coupons.com

RedPlum

SmartSource.com
Coolsavings.com or

Check out the Save At Home Mommy Coupon Database

You might want to double check and make sure that you have loaded all of the cellfire.com and shortcuts.com coupons that you might want to your shopping card as well.

For more coupon resources, check out the Get Coupons tab in the menu bar.  You will find many manufacturer’s sites that carry printable coupons that are often refreshed at the beginning of the month.

If you still have not filed your federal taxes, you may want to get on it!!  Check out the completely FREE federal tax preparation software from Tax ACT to get you on your way!