No-Spend January Results

Nope, I haven't forgotten about you and YES, we did finish our No-Spend January plan.  While I am currently hidden behind slowly filling moving boxes this morning, let me catch you up with how it went!

By not eating out but four times (our Sunday tradition) and using gift cards two of those times and aiming for under $10 the other two times (yes it can be done!) we saved $375.

• Lesson learned- Find less expensive places to eat!  We had just as much fun with Little Caesars pizzas and Sam's Club hot dogs.  It should be about the people, not the food!  
• Challenge- Lower the entertainment budget! Because we seldom eat out, and because there will be just four of us soon, we need to reconsider our entertainment budget and put that money to better use somewhere else!

By not buying clothes and by cutting the boys hair ourselves, we saved $65.00.

• Lesson Learned- While this is not a significant dent in our budget, every little bit helps.
• Challenge- I am trying to be purposeful this year about the buying of new clothes.  Currently we ALL have ALL we need.  But I am going to try to buy second hand (LOVE Thread Up and Poshmark!) for the rest of the year and see what happens!  I am also currently considering starting the Project 333 plan in a few weeks, so I will keep you posted on that.  Simplifying is calling my name, ya'll!  I love the challenge and I love making life easy.  I just want to love God and love people and stop being consumed by things that don't matter.

Household items were a bit trickier due to the move, BUT anything we bought was move related, not just random.  (Target, anyone!??)  We saved about $45 here.

• Lesson Learned- DO NOT try to move in the same month you embark on no-spend January.
• Challenge- Use up things before you buy more.  I know that stocking up is the rage, and sometimes it is a great way to save when you buy bulk, but let's face it- candles do not count!  I am on a mission to USE UP one thing before I grab another- no duplicates allowed.  Also, no buying of THINGS!  We have enough things.  My house does not need more.  As a matter of fact, some of those things are on their way out! I want to surround my family with just the things we love!

We came in at $100 under in our grocery budget as well.  While this was not in my original plan for saving, I did try to be very intentional with meal planning and buying on sale.  I assume our budget will go down after our move as well with two less people eating with us daily.

• Lesson Learned- Meal planning is key!  Not only will it save your sanity, but it will save you money.
• Challenge- Take advantage of freezer meals.  Three times now I have taken a freezer prep meal class called Citrus Pear to prepare 20 freezer meals.  It has been amazing and they do most of the prep work and ALL of the clean up for you.  But I know I can do it cheaper on my own and may even be able to talk my husband into helping.  We will see.  MyFreezEasy is a great place to start- the system Erin has is so simple and the software is super user friendly (no affiliate, just love her stuff!).

I can only speak for myself but I saved $150 in personal spending by not buying random things.  I did break the rules once by buying a few things for my girls' new apartment, but hey, that's what moms do, right?  Clarke and I both have an "allowance" that is for when random things come up.  Quick stop here, a little fee here, etc.  This money usually flies out the door faster than anything else, honestly.  It's a catch all.

• Lesson Learned- Watch out for the catch all! After not using this money, I can't honestly tell you what I normally use it on!  Sad, but true.
• Challenge- Use cash only for this category.  When you see the cash slowly disappear, you are more mindful on what you use it for!  Nickel-and-diming yourself to death is a real thing!

$735 total savings!  Wow.  I was taken back honestly.  That's a lot of money to save in one month.  For those of you who are paying off debt, that could be a significant payment to a credit card.  For those who long for a much needed vacation, that would be a great start!  For those who just need to live on less, I hope that is proof that you can cut your current budget with a little forethought and lots of determination.

Determination.  That is really all it takes.  It might be saying no to some things.  It might staying off Amazon and out of stores.  It might be shopping sales flyers and planning meals.  It might be reevaluating your budget.

Whatever it takes, you can do it.

Ask me how I know!

Blessings!

4 Ways to Save Money While Eating on the Road

Yes, we are finally back from our unexpected "vacation" with dad and are settling back in.  On Wednesday I will share a few fun photos for those of you that are remotely interested. ;)  I finally made it to the grocery store tonight so this family can eat more than just things I scavenged out of the freezer.  Time to get back to real life folks!

But what fun memories we have tucked away.  And yes, we ate our way through more than several states.  Out of the three weeks gone, 7 of those days were actually spent on the road.  For very long periods of time.  Add that up, and that is 21 meals on the road or potentially in a hotel.

Now don't get me wrong, our family enjoys eating out occasionally but it can get old, well, except for the 7 year old who has a thing for restaurants and would eat out every meal if you let him.  But between the expense factor and the fact that one of us has eaten foreign food for 4 months, let's just say that 21 meals out was not going to cut it.


No worries, this momma had a plan!  Not just for our sanity, but to save money!

Yes, you can save money eating on the road.

Here's how-

Pack a cooler!
We actually use two.  One holds all of our things that really do need to stay cool!
Our standard items-
Mayo and mustard
Tortillas
Lunch meat
Apples
Bananas
Rolls
Baby carrots
Fruit
Individual containers of diced peaches, pears, and applesauce
And a few Mountain Dews to keep dad awake!  Despite the HUGE time change and jet lag, my hero drove every minute of the trip except the day we picked him up from the airport.

The other cooler bag fits perfectly between the two second row seats and holds snacks and such.  Many of the snacks for this trip were given to us by a sweet friend (thanks Andrea!!!) and the "such" includes napkins, plastic utensils, and the plastic cups which we use to hold said snacks.

This is our standard lunch on the road, just like it would be at home on any given day.  Much cheaper than a $6.00 meal x 6 people= $36.00 for a bad-for-you lunch!  Plus, I figure that the fewer public restuarants we are in, the less likely we are to pick up random germs!

Take advantage of hotel breakfasts and possibly mid week meals.
Here's the deal.  If you are going to pay for a place to stay (have you seen the cost of rooms these days) you might as well make sure they have a free continental breakfast.  Yes, some hotels' ideas of breakfast are better than others, but most have at least yogurt, juice, fruit, cereal, oatmeal, and bread of some sort.  Most these days even offer waffles or pancakes, and, much to Colby's delight, some even have doughnuts.  We make sure we eat well and often grab a piece of fruit for the road to have for an afternoon snack.

A newer trend at many hotels these days is some sort of buffet for dinner during the week.  I remember when that used to be light snacks, but these days the offerings are quite substantial and by adding a piece of fruit, you could easily have a decent meal.


Share meals at restaurants
Usually by dinner we are ready to be out of the car, are tired of picnic lunches, and want to actually sit down for a meal, so we do usually eat at restaurants in the evenings. One way to save on meals is to share!  Our girls are famous for this when they can find a place with fajitas.  Most restaurants do not mind sharing and often their portions are too big for one person anyway.  Even an order of fries at Five Guys can be split between three in our family! (Anyone else love that restaurant?)

Another way to save costs is to eat lunch, a cheaper meal, in a restaurant, and have your picnic from home for dinner in your hotel room.  Many rooms have microwaves you can use to heat up food you bring and we have even been known to heat water in a coffee maker and make mac and cheese. (yes, when you are on the road as much as we are, you learn to be resourceful)


Pack a crock pot!
Yes I did!  My husband rolled his eyes at me but I am pretty sure he appreciated the home cooked meals. We actually do this quite often, especially if you are going to be in one place for more than a night and if you are out all day sight seeing.  Just pop a roast, chicken, or pork loin in before you head out and when you come back to the room exhausted after a day of fun, your meal will be waiting for you.  I often wonder what the maid service people think, but so far no one has ever said anything to us.  We shared a meal with friends once and they brought their electric griddle along.  It was great and a much easier way to visit old friends than in a restaurant.

No, we are not cheap.  Well, maybe a little, but the reality is that I not only want to eat fairly healthy on the road, but to save money. After all, the money we save on something as trivial as food can then be spent on much better things - like family fun! ;)

Are there more money saving ideas?  I am sure there are and we would love for you to share how you too save money while eating on the road!

Linking up with friends-

Blessings,

No Spend February Results, Thoughts and Confessions

It is March?  How did it get to be March?  I think each month goes by quicker and quicker.  My husband thinks the last two months have gone by slowly, and he blames my no spend madness.  I had even entertained the idea of a no spend March entitled Mad March, but my 15 year old threatened to change the name at the last second before the posting and call it Mad at Mom March, so I let it go.  She is, remember, my IT girl and would do it!  But, I digress...

When we started on this journey in January it was multiple reasons.  To save money, to rethink our budget, to get a grip on our spending and to not add to the life we were in the process of decluttering.  Let's face it, it is pointless to get rid of stuff, if you're only going to replace it with new stuff.  That, as someone said to me recently, is the challenge.  January was fairly easy.  February was a little harder.

So let's look at how we did.  Be nice please.  And forgiving! ;)

~We had 5 ice cream cones at McDonald's.  Can't remember exactly how much it was, but let's say just under $5.00.  Here's my excuse- our rental house was put on the market, and one Sunday we had about a hour and a half heads up it was being shown.  Yes, we loaded kids and dogs in car and since it was too cold to go to the park we treated the kids to ice cream.  I figured it was a cheaper than wandering aimlessly around in WalMart!  Especially with the mood I was currently in.  'nuff said!

~We also ate yogurt at Sweet Frog for Valentine's Day, but in my defense we used the money the kids had gotten in cards from their Grandmother.  It was perfect timing since dad was out of town!  Thanks Mom!

~We went to Sweet Frog again! (do you have one of these places???  oh my goodness- yummy!)  Our excuse this time (do you notice a lot of excuses this month?) Our 15 year old got her braces off after two years and daddy wanted to celebrate with her.  He's the hero!

~While last month we only spent money paying bills, buying gas and buying groceries, this month we did extend our spending to a few other categories such as haircuts, clothes (hey, one of the boys needed underwear- trust me on this one!), and home maintenance.  As I stated before, these are a few of the categories we put money towards each month, not just random spending. 

~We did not use any entertainment money, save the ice cream, and did not get our monthly "free" spending money, save some money that my hubby took out to treat our college daughter to dinner when he visited her.  As a matter of fact, his entire flight and hotel were "free" thanks to built up mileage and old credit card points.  Oh, except for that darn $20.00 baggage fee.

All in all, still a lot less money going out and for sure a lot more thought went into the spending that did take place. 

What did we learn? 
People who vow not to buy anything for a year are amazing.  Or liars ;)  Things run out, wear down or are just plain needed sometimes.  What about stamps?  Batteries?  New underwear?  Just saying...

We take the ability to buy things we want for granted.  And that is sad.  Just because we have the money does not mean we have to spend it.  I tell my kids that all of the time.  Now why do I not listen to my own advice?

We are an instant gratification society.  I do not want to be an instant gratification family!

Sometimes learning to wait is a great life lesson, even for grown ups.

We will not die from not eating out!  As a matter of fact, we will probably be a lot healthier by not eating out!

A side note on eating out...
     Wanna know who missed eating out the most?  The 5 year old.  Day after day he asked, "Can we eat out today?"  Folks, it is not like we eat out a lot.  Maybe 1 time a month for dinner and 2-3 times a month for lunch.  Seriously!  But that became THE question of the day.  Drove. Me. Crazy!
It seems that eating out no longer had become a treat, but an expectation.

What do you mean we are not eating out.  I deserve this.

 

Friends, we deserve nothing!  We are owed nothing.

 

The reality is that all we deserve we are free from because Christ died on the cross for our sins.

 

Going out is great.  And a fun treat. But I desperately want my family to see it as that- a special treat.  One that lights their eyes up and makes them think, wow, there must be something special about today.  Not just, this is what we do.  Let's face it, there are millions of people that do not have the luxury of eating out...let's not allow ourselves to take that privilege for granted.

 

OK, stepping off soapbox now! ;)

 

Continuing on- I am thankful for these past two months.  I am grateful for a family that allows me to shake up their lives occasionally with my grand ideas and then patient enough to flesh out those ideas.  I am thankful that God uses those crazy ideas of mine to teach us a few lessons- some of which I pray we never forget!

 

Blessings to you all,
 



Linked up today with Caroline, at the Modest Mom!

CREW Review- College Common Sense

Have you sent a child away to college yet?  This year was a first for us, the first of four kids leaving the nest to fly on their own.  Letting them go is almost as hard as planning the details of how they are going to get there and who is going to pay for it.  Almost!  It is a difficult road, let me just tell you, especially the how are they, make that WE, going to pay for it part.  I now have a resource to help answer that question and am already putting it into practice with our next child up who is in her freshman year of high school.

 

Introducing....

 

 

 College Common Sense, and the program Going to College and Paying for it Online Video and Workbook  is the brain child of mom and college financial aid consultant Denise Ames.  Her goal with this program is to simply make sense of the financial aid process, help you navigate it efficiently and show you how to get as much "free" money as you can to send your child to college. 

Her program falls into two parts really.  The first is her website and her free monthly newsletters and lessons plans.  By signing up on her website you will receive a monthly newsletter with helpful ideas and goals to work on.  The weekly lesson plans that are sent to you get more specific on certain things you should try to accomplish that week or month.  For example- attend a college fair or fill out the FAFSA.  She also often references free videos to watch that are easily located on her site. 

Here is what is unique to these lesson plans as well as Denise's program- she breaks the assignments into four age groups- Seniors, other highschoolers, Middle school students  and Elementary school students.  Yes, even the younger kids can participate in this program.  So if the assignment is go visit a college campus, the assignment for the younger kids may be to come back and draw what they saw in their notebooks, while the older students will be focused on the details such as what majors the school offered.

The second part of the program is the DVD and workbook that can be purchased through College Common Sense.  The DVD consists of 6 video lessons, each lasting about 20-30 minutes:

The Big Picture

How Financial Aid Works

All About Free Money

The System That Works

You in the Process

Pull it all Together

There are several pages of notes in the workbook that correspond with each video lesson as well as additional worksheets for some.  Denise recommends that just the parent watch the videos in the case of younger students, but having teens watch independently or with you.  Though most of what you read in the workbook she repeats in the videos, I think the auditory learner in all of us will benefit from seeing it presented in two different mediums.

So how did we work through this-
My 9th grader and I watched the videos, sometimes together and sometimes separately to get the idea for the week.  We then picked one or two of the activities that Denise recommended to work on for a few days.  I found that one of the things we learned about that was an AHA! moment for us was the scholarship binder.  While we did apply to scholarships with my oldest, I felt we were rather willy nilly with the process and definitely could have stood to be more organized.  By creating a binder with 12 tabs, Denise gives you the organizational tool and many tips on how to aim for completing one "good" scholarship a month.  Just think, if you start as a freshman or sophomore, that is a lot of scholarships you can apply for with minimal stress to your child and no last minute scrambling.  Denise even says that there are scholarships out there for kids to earn as early as elementary school.  Who would have thought!

What did we think-
We had a slow start with this program at first, but I will have to say that by the time we got to the third video  I was sold.  Yes, some of this information you might know, but I would be willing to bet that a lot of it you would have to deliberately set out to find.  Why reinvent the wheel?  Why drive yourself crazy, and believe me you can, when someone else with years of experience can guide you through the often confusing system?   Instead of searching for random scholarships that may or may not be a good fit for your child, Denise gives you several websites to start with, but more importantly helpful hints on not only where to look but how to look for what is the best fit for your child.  Another area that I was especially impressed with was Denise's breakdown of how to write an essay for scholarships.  She gives a simple outline to use that makes the set up a breeze for highschoolers.  Trust me on this, any little hints and techniques you learn can and will make a difference in how cooperative your child will be when it comes time to put in the effort.

Scholarship Binder

What did my child think-
Quite honestly, it overwhelmed her a bit, but it did get her thinking outside the box a little with her likes and dislikes and where she would like to head.  There is a lot of information out there to take in and with a military family there are still a lot of moving parts to consider. I think that by starting this program at an early age and approaching it as an adventure, you could take some of that scariness away.

If college is something you are considering for your child, I would recommend taking some of the work out of the process and allow a veteran in the field of Financial Aid guide you through the process!

Details-
Denise's website, College Common Sense, has free access to lots of information!  Start there!
The Going to College and Paying For It online DVD and workbook that we reviewed can be downloaded for $25.00 for a year's access.  The physical products cost $50.00.



  Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

No Spend January Thoughts and Results!

I can hardly believe that in three days the month of January will be over.  2013 is moving forward whether we are ready or not.   It all started with a simple idea to save money by spending less.  Spending less and saving more!  Great idea.  In theory.  But let's just be honest up front, it was challenging.  But not in the ways I imagined.

Here's how it shook out.  We budget each month in certain set categories.  For the month of January we decided not to spend in any of those categories except groceries, bills, tithing and gas.  In what I will call "savings" categories, our money went into those dedicated accounts as normal, but was not used.  Examples being, home maintenance, vacation, school supplies, etc. " Fun money" categories that usually get taken out as cash remained in our account- for example entertainment, clothing, and the allowances my husband and I give ourselves for pocket money.

I would like to say that we did not spend an extra penny outside the allowed categories.  That would not be quite honest so here goes:

We did spend about $45.00 to send two boxes of things to our college daughter.  She did not have enough room in her suitcase to fly everything back and so we had to bend here.  She did, after all, need her clothes!

I allowed my two middle kids to go to the movies one afternoon.  The deal was that they pay for it themselves.  My kids only go to the movies about twice a year.  Seriously!  We are just that strict on movies.  But this was one the older one really wanted to see and it was not going to still be in the theaters in February.  She spent her money and while I may have lost a few points with you all, I gained lots of points with her.  :-) Some things are worth it!

Other than that we have been faithful.  No lunches or dinners out.  No little treats at the gas station or food at co op.  No candy bars at the drug store.  Funny thing, the 5 year old seemed to miss it all the most.  He would ask if he could have a treat, I would look at him and he would say, "Oh that's right, it is no spend January."  Yep, I think he thinks that is really the name of the month.

As for me...well, I do not NEED anything, so I did not  feel like I really deprived myself of anything.  But, yes, I saw those 75% off Christmas sales or buy one get one free ads and felt a twinge of oh no, can't do that.  But really, guys, I did not NEED that stuff anyway.  It would have been just buying to buy...pointless and wasteful.  Shame on me!

 I did not do without things I NEEDED, I did without things I DID NOT NEED IN THE FIRST PLACE!

So where does that leave us?  About $500.00 richer!  And more content.  And empowered to make better decisions.  And challenged to change up our budget a little.  And crazy enough to declare a...

NO SPEND FEBRUARY!  Who's in?

Oh, and one little disclaimer on that...we are going on a date night for Valentine's Day, thanks to a gift card given to us at Christmas.  Just want you to know in case you see me out!  ;)

And for those who joined in with us this month, thank you!  I hope you were blessed and challenged a little as well.

 

No Spend January!

So how's your money situation looking?  Did you overspend in the month of December?  How about January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, and November?  Do you look around your house at the stuff and wonder just where your money went?

Budget.  The dreaded "B" word in many people lives.  But years ago, a wise friend encouraged us to introduce a budget into our lives and since then we have looked at our money in a whole different light.  It is no longer the scary demon in our lives but a tool to do what we want and help the people we want to help.  It is a good thing!  That doesn't mean, friends, that we never make mistakes or spend frivolously.  We are human, after all and I do like fabric.  and quilts. and candles. and books.  But when we get derailed, we try to quickly get back on track and move forward, learning from our mistakes.

Thus is born - No Spend January!

 

 To help tightened up our belts and get us back on track this family has committed to spend NO EXTRA MONEY, outside of titheing, gas, bills and groceries for the month of January!  NONE!  As an extra incentive, I kindly told everyone that they would hate to be the one I wrote about as the failure at the end of the month.  I am nice that way!

So...
 Entertainment Budget - saved.  No eating out, no treats at Walgreens, no movies, nothing. 

  LOTS MORE TIME TOGETHER AS WELL AS MONEY SAVED.

Clothing budget - saved.  We just had Christmas, ya'll.  And quite honestly, most people in this house have enough clothes to dress the neighborhood.

Haircuts - saved.  We cut the boys' hair in this family already, so if you see the girl's hair getting a little long, be kind and look the other way.

Fun Money - saved.  My husband and I each get pocket money for the extras that come up on a daily basis.  You know - the "where did that money go?" category!

Time for honesty - that will be almost $500.00 in savings with those categories alone!  And those things are just wants, not needs.  And there is a difference.  And sometimes we just need a gentle reminder.  Wow, do you know where your money goes?  As for the other budget categories for long term things that we put a set amount of money away for each month for car maintenance, house repair, homeschooling, vacation, etc, all those catagories will be still added to like normal - BUT NONE SPENT.

Thus - tithe sent, bills paid, groceries bought and cars gassed up, but other than that - NO SPENDING!! 

Wanna join us?  Better yet, NEED to join us?

A little prayer from me to you!
Lord, Help us to be better stewards of our money.  Help us to make wise choices and to use YOUR money to bless others.  May we all know the difference between wants and needs and to trust you to supply us with what we need.  For those that are struggling, Lord, grant them patience and wisdom as they reevaluate their money and spending habits. Thank you for all you have blessed us with and for all you are doing in our lives.  To YOU goes the glory!  Amen!



Linking up with Melinda at Weiser Academy!

CREW Review- WealthQuest for Teens

WealthQuest for Teens is an online program to teach kids ages 14-19 about money and all that goes with it.  Developer and teacher, Jill Suskind, uses her years of research and knowledge to teach kids to be financially fit- 

 

"A financially fit person...actually has great habits that produce a clear and predictable set of results- money in the bank for later, money going toward helping others and the planet, and money being spent on what matters to you."   

- quote from Jill.

 

When you download WealthQuest you will get access to the online program, the printable Basic Seminar QuickStart Guide (eBook) and the Parent's Guide.

 

 

Jill broke this 6 week program down for us into these parts-

 

Week 1- Online video and Workbook Basic Seminar- Here your child will complete the 7 video modules and the online workbook.  These modules cover topics from your money habits and attitudes to money management and require typing in some personal answers.

 

 

 

Weeks 2 & 3- eBook (Basic Seminar Quick Start Guide)- This printable workbook reinforces what your child has learned and in small assignments challenges them to think about how they feel, make goals and think about how they want to use their money to achieve their goals. 

 

Week 4- MoneyTrail Lesson- Using the recommended, and free, MoneyTrail.net kids learn how to manage their money in accounts they set up.  Jill recommends 6 categories, or silos, in which to divide your money.

 

Week 5- Choose a book to read about money- Here Jill encourages the student to pick a book of interest about money and read it.  She later challenges you to keep this habit up at least once a year.

 

Week 6- Master what you have learned!  This week is dedicated to finishing the reading of your chosen book and any assignments you may not have completed, as well as making a charitable donation that you identified as an interest in earlier in the program.

 

How we used this program- My 14 year old went through this program, though we intend for our 18 year old to go through it as well on a college break.  While we are open about money in our home,  we have not had any formal training in that area for the children so I was excited to give this program a try.  My daughter easily downloaded the needed materials on her laptop and was on her own from there.  Every few days we discussed what she had learned and discussed her thoughts and feelings as well as added our own ideas.  The QuickStart guide mentioned weeks 2 and 3 have 30 days of assignments so it did run a little longer than suggested.  Because this is such a comprehensive course, we plan on using it as part of our Home Economics credit for high school.  While we followed Jill's recommended 6 weeks for our review, you could easily do this program in much less time, especially if you doubled up the eBook assignments.  The videos are fairly short though it can take a little more time if your child is spending time thinking about and answering the questions.

 

What We Thought- I very much agree with Jill that we as parents need to do more than just assume our children will learn about money with no guidance from us.  I also think she provides a great starting point for learning that also opens the path for communication between parents and children.  Like anything, I do think you need to follow closely to interject any personal family beliefs that she may not mention.  For example, one of the "silos" (categories of places to keep your money), is titled Heal the World.  While we think charitable giving is a wonderful goal, we did emphasize that for now and for our family, that was to be considered tithing.  One of the things I loved about this program was that Jill encourages you to make it fit for your family and that it will look different in every situation.  One thing that nagged on me was the word WEALTH in her title.  BUT, let me quote Jill on something-

 

"Wealth...means 'the amount of money you need to have the life you want and to make a difference in the ways that matter to you.'  For each person 'rich' is a different amount....It's up to you to decide what 'rich' means to you."

 

I appreciate her making this more clear and it was something we spent a lot of time talking about.  As Jill states "the intention of this program is to empower teenagers with habits and attitudes about money that lead to wealth"  However that may look to your family!  This is NOT intended in any way to be a get rich program.

 

Straight from the 14 year old- "My favorite part about this program is that it's so teen focused. The subjects in the videos were talked about by teens. The workbook was to the point so it didn't take too terribly long. I really enjoyed the program and teaching style. Like Mom already said, the only thing that bothered me was the use of the word wealth. Probably because when you hear the word "wealth" you think a greedy old miser (; But I'm changing my view on this because of WealthQuest."

 

The Parent Guide- This may very well be one of the best parts of this program in my opinion!  This 58 page guide discusses the need for the course, has an overview of the program so you can know at a glance what your child is learning, discusses allowances and jobs and encourages you to really think about money and how you want to teach your child.  It is well written and very informative.  It remind me that OUR thoughts and feelings about money can easily shape those of our children and must therefore be well thought out and then clearly communicated. 

 

I encourage you to check out the short video about Jill and her program.  I do think it is a good resource and worth the money to use!  Jill is currently working on an Advanced Seminar, one which we would be thrilled to try as well!

 

 

WealthQuest for Teens is normally $50.00 but is now on sale for $39.95.   

 

  Disclaimer- We received WealthQuest in exchange for our honest review of the product.  The opinions expressed are our own and were not influenced by the company in any way.