And You Will Have Kids

Dear MS,

This year has been a rough one financially for our family.  We are not going to be able to spend the amount of money that we did last year on gifts for our children.  I know they won’t be happy, but I’m unsure how to handle it.  Do I mention the situation before Christmas or wait to see what happens? My children are ages 2, 4, and 7 years old.

Wondering

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This Friday, I’m going to do another “two for” post just like I did last week.  With the worldwide economic downturn, many families will be shopping frugally when they are preparing for the holidays. For that reason, I’m combining Frugal Friday’s post with the series that I’ve begun on Christmas.

There are a number of stocking stuffers you can purchase for your children that are actually under $5!  Read on to see my favorite 5 stocking stuffers. More →

Life changes when you have kids.  Gone are the days when you and your college room mates would just hop in the car on the spur of the moment and take off on a grand road trip with just a few essentials like a change of clothes, and some cool sunglasses. 

Having kids means that you actually need to plan things like road trips.  It also means that you need to pack a little bit more than just the essentials when you do decide to take to the open road.  However, it is possible to bring too much stuff.  I’ve done this before and it is just as aggravating as not bringing enough stuff.

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