Strollerderby

Browse by Tags

• How Much Would It Cost You to Take a Career Break?

  The New York Times (h/t Creative Class blog) has an interesting report on the financial penalties sustained in different fields by people who take some time out of the workforce. Apparently, although medicine has the most grueling training, once you get there, it's a lot easier on work/life balance than, say, finance, business consulting, or law. Or even academia. Read More... Posted May 29 2009, 11:00 AM by Miriam Axel-Lute with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: gender, work-life balance, money, SAHMs, finances, sahds, salaries, making ends meet, Axel-Lute, time off, staying home, advanced degrees, work-family balance, going back to work, part-time work, mommy track

• Your Kid's Identity Is at Risk

  Identity theft may be the hot topic at many a dinner party, but it might be time to start talking social security numbers on the playground.  Because hackers have turned their eyes toward our kids, making them the number one target of identity theft. Read More... Posted May 19 2009, 12:01 PM by JeanneSager with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: money, college, finances, identity theft, economy, Jeanne Sager, family finance, economic crisis, ID, savings accounts

• Stay At Home Moms Worth $122,000

  I was recently accused of inciting a mommy war between the "stay at homes" and the "working mothers." I honestly out-right guffawed. Because as a working mom who spends part of her time working from home, I've always felt sort of betwixt and between. And respected the heck out of both sides! Not to mention the list of stay at home dads and working dads I know (including some of my fellow 'Derby writers).  And now to show all you stay-at-home full-timers how much I think you're worth, a little math from Salary.com. In the "real" world, you'd be raking in six figures. Read More... Posted May 07 2009, 11:29 AM by JeanneSager with | with 9 comment(s) Filed under: working parents, stay at home moms, finances, stay at home dads, salaries, economy, SAHM, Jeanne Sager, family finance, working mother, family structure

• Parents are People Too - They Date

  There are two words that even today I can't stand to be used in the same sentence. OK, maybe three. "My parents" and "sex."  No, I'm not a prude. Yes, that's just . . . ewww. So the new dating site for single parents might have a goofy name, but it's kind of, well, true. Parents "R" People.  Well, duh.  But has anyone told their kids yet? Read More... Posted Mar 18 2009, 03:52 PM by JeanneSager with | with no comments Filed under: finances, single parenting, single parents, free, online dating, dating, economy, Jeanne Sager, economic crisis, recession-proof, parents dating

• Does a Baby Fit Your Budget?

  When making the decision to have kids, how much of it was financial? And how much of it was based on the state of your relationship, your housing situation, your career, and that loudly ticking biological clock? Or simply on emotion -- something in you just knew that now was the time?   I can't imagine that too many people make it solely a financial decision -- it's not like buying a house or opening a mutual fund. But I will acknowledge that you should probably give a little more thought to a baby's impact on your finances than, say, we did. Of course, if we'd toted up the numbers beforehand my first child, possibly, and my second child, certainly, would not be here, and that's a worse thought than the idea I may be living on cat food in retirement.   This quiz from US News and World Report scores your readiness financially  based on your anwer to a few simple questions . I have a quibble Read More... Posted Feb 05 2009, 06:31 PM by Amy Kuras with | with 8 comment(s) Filed under: baby, babies, budget, finances, planning, US News and World Report

• Georgia Family Has Everything They Own Up on eBay

  I could make all sorts of jokes about throwing in the kitchen sink. But I won't. Because there's nothing funny about the circumstances that forced Gregg and Brittiny Peters to put every single item in their household up on eBay. That means the washing machine, the beds, even the family car.  Gregg, a tennis instructor, and Brittiny, a stay-at-home mom, have three kids. Seven-year-old Ayla has a rare and debilitating form of arthritis while two-year-old Noah is autistic. The medical bills have crippled the family, and the economic downturn hasn't helped. Read More... Posted Jan 29 2009, 08:59 AM by JeanneSager with | with 40 comment(s) Filed under: donations, autism, ebay, money, charity, finances, health insurance, arthritis, economy, Jeanne Sager, savings, economic downturn, medical bills, everything we own, fiscal responsibility

• Suze Orman's Advice for Babble Readers!

  Last week, Babble had the opportunity to participate in an Oprah-sponsored blogger q&a with financial guru Suze Orman, on whom our editors have an unrepentant crush, leopard-print blazers and all. Below, highlights from our conversation about college savings, credit card debt and how to change your financial situation in an hour or less. -- Gwynne Watkins Babble: One thing that comes up in discussions on our message boards is that cash-strapped parents are torn between saving money to their retirement funds and saving money for their children’s college funds.  Which would you say should be a priority? Suze Orman: Now, without a shadow of a doubt, the parents’ retirement account.  Forever I have been saying you cannot get a loan for retirement, that’s number one.  Number two:  There are today, because of the economic situation in the United States, you’re going to see over time staffer loans, which are loans for kids going to school, whether they’re subsidized, which you need financial aid for essentially, or unsubsidized.  You’re going to see interest rates be relatively low on those loans. Read More... Posted Dec 31 2008, 09:01 AM by editors with | with no comments Filed under: Oprah, money, finances, college savings, financial advice, suze orman

• Childcare Relationships and Bickering Parents Affect Kids' Stress Hormones

  It seems self-evident that kids with poor childcare relationships or parents who frequently fight are more stressed than other kids. But now two new studies have established this common sense theory from a biological standpoint, by monitoring the levels of cortisol (the human stress hormone) in preschoolers and 6-year-olds. As parents across the country struggle to afford high quality childcare and to maintain a stable home environment, these studies are unfortunately quite applicable to these trying economic times. Read More... Posted Nov 19 2008, 05:30 PM by Hannah Tennant-Moore with | with no comments Filed under: children, kids, preschool, divorce, fighting, stress, teachers, childcare, babysitters, finances, study, expensive, relationships, caregivers, class size, economy, health problems, day care, poor, cost, good, financial crisis, economic crisis, fighting parents, paying the bills, affordable, child care relationships, high qualiy child care, cortisol, psychological problems, paying for childare, parentings, bickering, stressful home life

• Another Reason Why Women May Not Always Have as Much Money as Men

  We've heard 100 times that men typically earn higher salaries than women. But here's another reason why the guys -- generally speaking -- may have more cash than the ladies: It's all about their investing habits. According to this Washington Post story, a recent study by Iowa State University found that in most relationships, the men take control of the couple's investments because women prefer not to. Other research also indicates that when they do manage their funds, women tend to invest more conservatively and not put their money into risky ventures that, if they pan out, could pay handsomely. Read More... Posted Aug 18 2008, 12:33 PM by Jen Chaney with | with no comments Filed under: finances, gender differences, investing, Iowa State University, men vs. women, money management, stock market

• Budget Baby: 10 Ways to Embrace Family Budgeting

  Learning how much I spent on coffee-to-go earlier this year was a spiritual experience of sorts --- I saw God and knew I was going straight to Hell. Many of us avoid knowing the truth about our finances out of a well-placed fear that knowing amounts spent will require lifestyle changes or at least some "discussions" within the homestead. Alas, unless you're lucky enough to not have to worry about money, finances must be faced sooner or later.  Budgeting, if used properly, can be employed gently and simply enough that hardly any remonstrances or shaking in boots is required. Here are 10 Ways to Embrace Family Budgeting:   Read More... Posted Aug 12 2008, 12:01 PM by Rachael Brownell (Redsy) with | with no comments Filed under: finances, family finances, budget baby, family budgeting, 10 ways to embrace family budgeting

• 5 Reasons We're Falling Behind Our Parents

  Nan Mooney's book "Not Keeping Up with Our Parents" describes the decline of the  professional middle class in America and points to a few key reasons our generation is faltering when it comes to money-matters.  Apparently, it has little to do with cutting out lattes:   Read More... Posted May 15 2008, 01:01 PM by Rachael Brownell (Redsy) with | with 17 comment(s) Filed under: Seattle, Salon, finances, decline of the middle class, trouble with money, money-troubles, nan mooney

• Strollerderby Playdate: The Inexpensive, Cheap Parent Edition

  You know what? I'm cheap. I don't even use the term "frugal" because that's just a needlessly expensive word that sounds defensive. Not that cheap is my badge of honor, but I'm not trying to hide anything either. Don't worry, I'm not so cheap that it's embarassing. I am not tempted to call supermarket sampling "lunch." But I am just cheap enough that my family will manage this coming recession without much drama. We won't have to adjust and cut back too much since we ride it pretty close to the line anyway. Still, miserly-ness loves company ... Read More... Posted Jan 23 2008, 07:36 AM by Madeline Holler with | with no comments Filed under: money, finances, bloggers, strollerderby playdate, financial planning, Money Camp, financial management, recession

• Hef Says No to Brit: When Mama's a Centerfold Wannabe

  I'm beginning to think maybe Britney's having some trouble with the follow-through. Her ideas -- a comeback, winning her kids...I mean, winning over the courts to get custody of her kids, fishnet stockings and flowing golden locks, rehab, speaking in the direction of any recording device -- aren't half bad. It's just that it never quite comes off right. Even, apparently those sequin bikini bottoms and a bid to say cheese for Playboy. Cue the lights and half-assed shimmies and call in Brit and the Hef. Read More... Posted Sep 18 2007, 09:27 AM by Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Britney Spears, finances, body image, stripper moms, mama's got her own money, vma awards 2007

• Better Yet: A Bullet in my Head

  Let me start by saying: I love my in-laws. Let me follow that by saying: I love them so much I wouldn’t even consider living next door to them. Which means I won’t be part of this new trend, or “trendlet,” as the experts in this article are calling an emerging pattern of extended families living within spitting distance of each other. On purpose. How does this work? And how is it working? One clan made up of the parents their grown children and their young grandchildren lives on a compound in rural New Jersey, where each family has a private house. They use golf carts to go from one home to the other for visits. (They call first, right?) Two new parents in Philadelphia sold their small townhouse and rented an apartment across the courtyard from baby’s grandma. Now they enjoy  -- the one silver lining on this dark, intrusive cloud -- free babysitting. Of course, living across the continent from the in-laws, as I do, is just as extreme as playing house in their converted garage. So how close is too close? The next room? A day’s drive? Corsica?   Posted Sep 11 2007, 07:04 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: families, finances, Gen X parents, families who play together stay together, family living

• Family Home-Buying Needs a Remodel: Mortgage Messes, Foreclosures and Second Jobs

  We live in an apartment, a small vintage apartment tucked into a lovely, expensive neighborhood in Chicago. Our rent hasn't gone up in the seven years we've lived here and we have a compassionate landlord and wonderful neighbors. Despite this just-fine set-up, we want to expand our family, we need more space and we really want to buy a home. Sometimes, I curse the days when we were not yet married or parents and made nearly double the income we now earn. Instead of investing in a home back then, we invested in eating out, happy hours, vacations and dry-cleaning. Read More... Posted Aug 23 2007, 11:01 AM by Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: working parents, finances, homes, mortgages

• Does Your Kid Have Bad Credit?

  Identity theft: if you've ever experienced this you know how devastating it is and what a huge pain it is to repair. But it's news to me that identity theft isn't limited to adults (because I live in a Happy Bubble); the identities of minors can be stolen as well. Imagine your kid turning 18 and finding out he's already thousands of dollars in debt! Except it wasn't your kid, it was someone else posing as your kid and using his social security number and name to rack up debts and bad credit. Experts say the best way to avoid this is to (duh) avoid giving out your kid's social security number like it was candy. Except everybody and their brother asks for it nowadays: doctors, schools, etc. Do they really need that information? Be sure there's a valid reason before you give it out. Like you don't already know that. Also, receiving credit card bills in your kid's name is a sure tipoff that something's amiss. Except by then it's obviously too late and then you've got a fight and a lot of paperwork on your hands to fix it. The Identity Theft Resource Center is working on legislation that would help protect the social security numbers of minors. It would provide credit bureaus with a list of social security numbers belonging to children under 18, which theoretically would be cross-checked against applications for credit. But I won't hold my breath. Posted Jul 21 2007, 03:55 PM by Karen Murphy with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: kids, money, finances, identity theft, credit, social security number, bad credit

• Worst. Summer. Camp. Ever: Banking Camp!

  I'm supposed to be packing for a weekend getaway, but the very idea of a summer camp designed to teach fiscal responsibility is just too good to pass up. What sort of moron sends their kid to summer banking camp? I would so hate to be one of these kids. The Scene: A schoolyard. Summer is over. Boys huddle in a circle. Read More... Posted Jun 17 2007, 02:16 PM by Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: finances, camp, financial planning, camping

• From the "Who Knew?" Department: Getting Life Insurance Before You Get Pregnant is Better

  Before I had children, obtaining life insurance was one of the last things I thought of.  After all, I wasn't yet a parent, right?  So who did I have to support?  Apparently, though, I went at the thing all back asswards, because according to this article, it's better to obtain coverage even before you get pregnant.  Huh?  No, really.  And here's why: 1.  Rates are lower when you're younger. 2.  Potential medical problems during pregnancy, even relatively routine ones like gestational diabetes and high blood pressure can make rates zoom or even get you denied entirely from having coverage. 3.  Having more undefinable issues like post-partum depression can really muck up your chances of being insured.  If you have PPD, your insurance company considers you a suicide risk and jacks up your premiums accordingly. Yeah, yeah, what a racket, huh?  Just go get your insurance now.  You can thank me later.  Posted Mar 18 2007, 12:53 PM by Karen Murphy with | with no comments Filed under: health, pregnancy, insurance, finances

• Family Finances: If You Have No Clue, You Aren't Alone

  If you can't tell your 529 from your 420, you might need a little help making financial decisions for your family. Don't feel bad, not everyone has started college funds for their kids.  Some of us haven't put anything in them for at least...for about...um, for a while now. Hey! Stop freaking. I know you read the title of this post and you clenched up a bit. Relax. Maria Niles over at BlogHer is here to help. Maybe you're taking care of your parents as well as your kids.  If you'd like to get a grip on your family's financial future Maria's post is a great place to start. Click her links, get educated, and, most importantly, stop stressing. Posted Feb 06 2007, 04:02 PM by Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: money, finances, college savings fund, 529, family finances