How to Save Money on Your Next Family Ski Vacation

Tips for Savings on Family Ski Trips

Mountainside Savings: Tips for Frugal Family Ski Vacations

by Maisie Knowles

My husband and I are avid snowboarders. We met on the hills and never wanted to stop snowboarding. Then came the kids. Since daycare on the slopes can cost upwards of $95, it was almost impossible to get to the mountains without dipping into our rainy day fund.

Though our kids are old enough now to join us on the slopes, it still makes for a costly adventure. My love for the sport drives me to save as much as I can when we hit the mountain. Hopefully the following tips for saving on lift tickets, equipment and extras will help you enjoy some good powder without freezing your bank account when you plan for your next family ski vacation!

How to Teach Children About Money Management

Kids and Money Management

Crafty Ways to Teach Your Children to Save, Spend and Give

 

Teaching children about money management is an amazing gift a parent can give.  Make it fun and creative for a win-win!  Starting around age three, a child can start to grasp the concept of allowance.  This is NOT money we just give them.  They must actually do something to earn it.  The seeds you’re planting are work ethic, responsibility and persistency.  Who wouldn’t want their children to learn those big three lessons?  This is where it all begins.  Let your child know that you’d really love some help around the house and that they can earn some money by helping out.  That money can be set aside in one container for fun things like toys and games.  A portion of it will be put in a container and saved for something they want in the future.  Help them think of ideas as what that may be.  Maybe it’s a more expensive toy or a trip to the Zoo.  The last part will be put into a container to be given to other people who need it.  Just like sharing toys, it’s important to share money with others who need it.  Help them picture the place the money would go.  Maybe it’s a food bank, a religious organization or an animal rescue organization.  By helping your child visualize what the money in each container will be used for, it gives them a clearer motivation for earning the money and saving it.

Organize with Labels

Organizing with Labels

How to use a label maker as an organization tool

by Lorraine Brock

Label Maker… if you don’t have one now, it’s time to get one! Label makers have so many functions in an organized home or office. They clearly identify items, define the home for items in your spaces, and they also clarify the owner of items so others do not take or eat them.

When I was growing up in the late 70’s, on grocery days my mom would bring home a six pack of 1 liter glass soda bottles. There were five members in our family and my mom would write the initials of each member of our family with a black marker on our own supply of soda. I still don’t know who got the sixth bottle, but that’s another story.

Since there were no fancy labels on the soda bottles back in the 70’s, the idea of labeling even our beverages made the ownership obvious. Other items around our home were labeled in a variety of ways; sometimes with masking tape and a black marker, often with a piece of paper covered with clear packing tape. Although not pretty, they were good solutions.