LilSugar

Baby Planners Take Care of All the Baby Business

LilSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:00:19 PDT

Once baby is on its way, mamas-to-be get a crash course in child gearing - the rearing comes later. The thin pink line on the pregnancy stick indicates that it's time to prepare. From nursery themes to stretch mark balm and choosing bottles to taking strollers for test rides, the nine months are jam packed with all kinds of activities.

Some women could care less which carrier and diaper cream they end up with while others don't have time to do the research - so two moms made a business out of lessening the pregnant woman's load. Melissa Gould and Ellie Miller founded The Baby Planners, a service that takes care of all those time consuming tasks for a fee. To see what services they offer,

Offering The Baby Planners Picks, a list of products they endorse and consulting plans like Post Delivery Plan that can include a personal chef, the Adoption Plan and the Grandparent Plan, the women's packages start at $500. The ladies also provide Concierge Services, which take care of everything from having someone video the baby's birth to searching for a nanny.

Would you invest in their services?

Source

How to Establish Financial Independence

Kiplinger — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:15:54 PDT

Becoming completely financially independent can be scary, but it's also very liberating. Kiplinger gives advice on how to establish your financial independence.

Not only is it difficult for us twentysomethings to wholeheartedly embrace adulthood, it's often also a challenge for our parents to let us go. Baby-boomer parents are generally known for mollycoddling their children, even after we move out of the house and into our own adult lives. Some parents have shown up for their kids' job interviews, and others have called up human resource departments at their adult kids' workplaces to complain about bad performance reviews or to negotiate salaries on behalf of their children.

They may mean well, but such extreme helicopter parents are actually hindering their children from growing into independent adults. "If a child is receiving too much help, then they have no incentive to succeed or become independent," says Erin Baehr, of the financial planning firm Baehr Family Financial, in Stroudsburg, Pa. "They may also be setting themselves up for some possible financial trouble down the road."

We certainly don't want that. At the same time, as young adults, we shouldn't be so dead set on finding our independence that we end up punishing ourselves by turning down valuable financial guidance and support from Mom and Dad.

So how about meeting in the middle? You can stay open to your parents' assistance but also set limits on how involved in your life you want them to be. For example, when it comes to parental career advice, Marty Martin, a financial psychologist at Aequus Wealth Management Resources, in Chicago, suggests you say, "Mom and Dad, I would really appreciate any advice you may have before I go to my job interview, and I will contact you after it happens. But I really need to do this on my own."

Read on for more.

7 Money Mistakes Women Often Make

LearnVest — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:15:55 PDT

We all make mistakes - we're all human after all. LearnVest shares some of the common money mistakes that women often make so readers will learn not to make them, too.

Some of us handle our money flawlessly, perfectly, brilliantly, all of the time.

But most of us don't.

Most of us make mistakes here and there. We make some mistakes more than others, because of our personalities, or our upbringing . . . or sometimes even our gender.

It's ridiculous, but true.

We've heard it firsthand - from our readers. In fact, we went through hundreds of reader submissions and found examples of the most common stories that cross our desks every day.

Let's be clear: Not all women make these mistakes. Not all men avoid them. But in our experience, these are a few female financial problem areas that can lead to major debt and lots of stress.

RELATED: Are You a Social Shopper?

Ever bailed out an ex? Indulged in a little more retail therapy than you meant to? Or woken up one day and realized you didn't know as much as you thought you did about managing your money? You just might recognize yourself.

Of course, if you don't, good for you. We're just saying, bad money snafus happen to good people. But read on: We'll show you the top seven mistakes women make - and what to do instead.

Feeling Guilty

"When we were together, I let my ex stay with me rent-free until he found an apartment, lent him my furniture and paid for every date because I had a job and he didn't. When I lost my job, he paid for my rent for a few months and bills, etc. Now that we're broken up, he wants me to pay him back for the rent he insisted on covering. I am still on unemployment and barely getting by. I feel so guilty because we didn't end up as the forever couple and while I can't (nor would I . . . ) calculate all of my assistance getting him settled in NYC, he can quite easily."

A 2011 study from Eversave.com found that 67% of women have felt guilt about a purchase. But that's not the only opportunity for guilt: There's also staying in a job you feel guilty about abandoning, giving someone money because you feel guilty about their situation and, oh, doing the opposite of what you want when it comes to working after having children because you feel guilty about being a good mom (more on that here).

This guilt effect might not be limited to finances, either. Some studies suggest that women are more inclined than men to feel any kind of guilt. And we'd argue, more likely to bail out their exes, too.

Read on for more.

A "Tortilly Adorable" Turtle Party to Raise Awareness For a Serious Issue

Rebecca M Gruber — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 05:32:22 PDT

In this race, it's the tortoise that always wins! When party planner extraordinaire Kate Landers got over the shock of her newborn son's plagiocephaly (a flattened spot on the back or side of the head) and torticollis (shortened or damaged neck muscles) diagnoses, she knew she had to use her talents to raise more awareness of the issues. Known for her detail-oriented birthday parties (this was the Wizard of Oz soiree and an ice cream party she shared with us), she got to work on a party that celebrated baby Noah's new helmet. She explained:

I decided to throw a party! This party was not only to debut his helmet to our immediate family, but also to educate them on his condition, share the physical therapy exercises they can do when taking care of Noah, and provide creative answers to give people should they ask about Noah and his helmet. Planning this party was great therapy for me, and I hope planning a helmet party might be therapeutic for others as well (especially as there are other medical conditions that offer helmet therapy)!

Check out the details of the party (and links for free printable party supplies) in the photos that follow!

Hello, Kiddo! A Sunny Breakfast Baby Shower

Kate Stahl — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:01:27 PST

While a heavy-on-the-dessert lunch might be your typical baby shower meal, we're loving the creative shower Costa Mesa, CA-based wedding planner Jesi Haack recently threw for a friend, who's expecting a little boy. Inspired by phrase "Hello, Kiddo," the morning affair featured a heavy dose of sunny yellow fabrics, golden flowers, and of course, orange juice, along with an omelet bar, kid-inspired foods, sweet signage, and a cute activity that would please even the most shower-game averse friend. Keep clicking to check it out!

7 Money Tips For Couples Starting a Family

Business Insider — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:15:00 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Business Insider story here on Savvy!

Middle-income parents will spend nearly $227,000 in 17 years for children born in 2010, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

But don't let that scare you - saving for a family can actually be fun if you know what you're doing.

"The most important thing to understand is that your priorities are going to change and your spending habits need to change to reflect those changes," says Stuart Ritter, a financial planner at T. Rowe Price.

With Ritter and other financial experts' help, we'll help you prepare.

Invest in a 529 savings plan

Saving for your child's education is crucial to his or her success, and 529 plans are tax-advantaged college savings accounts that are available in all 50 states.

Most are free to set up, while some states require a minimum of $25 to open an account, says Adam Koos, a certified financial planner with Libertas Wealth Management. Anyone can contribute and take advantage of the tax benefits.

Open the plan before your child is born, says Ritter, and name yourself the beneficiary. You can change the name on the account once your child is born.

Read on for more.

Get Ready For Baby: 5 Helpful Baby Planning Guides

LilSugar — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:02:10 PDT

It's time to get ready for baby! During those nine months of pregnancy, mamas-to-be have a laundry list a mile long of things that need to get done before baby arrives - like prenatal checkups, labor and delivery classes, finding a pediatrician, and learning how to properly install a car seat, to name a few. It's easy to get overwhelmed, but mamas-to-be can get some guidance - and get organized! - with the help of these five baby planning guides covering everything from going green with baby to baby gear demystified!

9 Steps to Get Your Finances Back on Track

Business Insider — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:15:01 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Business Insider story here on Savvy!

As the youngest daughter of two borderline baby boomers, like many other Generation Yers, I grew up watching my parents spend cash faster than they made it and had no concept of financial planning whatsoever.

When I scored my first full-time job after college, I'll never forget the rush I felt seeing all those numbers fill up my bank account. I bought new furniture for my apartment, stocked my closet with fancy new work clothes, and spent paydays filling my shopping cart on Amazon.com.

Ten weeks later, my entire department was laid off.

At that point, I had no savings, my credit score was bad, and I had absolutely no backup plan. I scraped by for two months with a few freelance jobs until I took a $10,000 pay cut just to get by.

Things finally turned around, and a couple years later, I found myself in the same place as many of my friends in their mid-twenties. We're paying rent comfortably for the first time and are able to start building our nest eggs. The problem is many of us have no idea how to start doing it.

Rather than turn into some sort of cautionary tale for future generations, I decided after my last birthday that I was going to take a good hard look at my finances.

I asked for tips from a trio of financial whizzes who broke down a few actions us 20-somethings can take today to start to getting our money on the right track. Here's how I did it and you can too.

Know your numbers

I have something akin to post-traumatic stress disorder from my days when I was in constant fear of overdrafting my account or bouncing my rent check.

But Chris Hobart, president and CEO of Hobart Financial Group, said knowing how much debt you have is the first step to chipping away at it.

I laid out how much I owe in student loans and on my two credit cards, set up auto-payments for each, and worked out a plan to start paying off more than my minimum payments each month to get rid of the debt faster and cut back on interest.

Read on for more ways to get your finances back on track.

What Would You Do Differently the Second Time Around?

BabyCenter — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:33:30 PST

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Jennifer Borget about what she'll do differently with future pregnancies.

I sometimes wonder, knowing what I know now, what would I do differently with my next child - whether it be with my pregnancy, the birth, or shortly after? I love the way things went down with my daughter, but that doesn’t mean I’m not up to try things differently.

I mean, what if I had given my daughter a pacifier when she was small? Would my boobs have gotten an occasional break? Next time I’ll try that.

Us first-time moms haven’t a clue what we’re getting into. Now that I’ve walked this path and learned a lot along the way, I have a short list of things I’ll do differently with my next child.

Not find out the gender: This is something I never thought I’d be able to do. I’m a huge planner. But since I really wanted a girl, and got that the first time, I’ve gotten all of the pink out of my system. The next nursery will be majestic blue regardless of gender, so I don’t really need to know beforehand. It will be a fun challenge for me and a great surprise for us all.
Get a 3D/4D ultrasound: I didn’t do this last time, but I envied all of my friends who did. Seeing their cute little faces on the screen before they are born is adorable. And if I’m not finding out the gender, this could be my alternative fun.
Buy maternity clothes: I refused to buy them the first time because I thought it was a waste of money. I should have bought them the first time then saved them for next time, but whatever, I’ll do the opposite. But I won’t be stretching all of my cute nonmaternity tops.
Not freak out about the birth: The first time around I read too many horror stories and worried about every little thing - whether or not I’d birth naturally, or if I’d need a C-section. I spent so much time stressing over a teeny, tiny portion of my daughter’s life.
Automatically add two weeks to my due date: I was so sure my daughter would come before her EDA. Then, I agonized every day after that date passed for a week and a half. Next time, once I calculate my due date, I’m adding on two weeks so I don’t have that crazed feeling when someone asks me when my due date is and I have to say "last week."
Have a water birth or get the epidural ASAP: Unfortunately it’s one or the other. I hear water helps with pain, so if I go that route and it helps, cool. If not, I’m not going to wait like I did last time. Hook a sista up!
Move the baby to his/her room sooner: Last time my daughter slept in our room for about five months. The moment she was in her own room she started sleeping better. I’m keeping that realization in my back pocket for next time.

More great stories from BabyCenter.com:
Did you space your kids the smart way?
Your daughter is not pretty.
7 must-take holiday photos.
Thankful for my miscarriage.
How many gifts per kid?

What things do you plan to do differently next time around? Or did everything just work out perfectly for you?

Source: Flickr User rahego

Thanks, but No Thanks: How to Turn Down Used Items From Friends

Guest Writer — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:15:55 PDT

The following is a guest post by Kimberly Palmer, the author of Generation Earn and creator of The Baby Planner: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Ready For Baby, Without Going Broke!, available on Etsy. She is also the personal finance columnist at US News & World Report. Take it away, Kimberly!

As a relatively frugal person, I’m usually happy to accept hand-me-downs from friends. Got a bread-maker you no longer use or shirt that doesn’t fit? I will take it off your hands! But some items just shouldn’t be shared - and that’s where things can get awkward.

Recently, a friend offered me her used Diaper Genie. For anyone who is unaware, this is a receptacle used for dirty diapers. You can imagine how disgusting it can get. But instead of politely declining her offer, I thanked her for it and brought it home. I didn’t want to be rude. The next day, I put her Diaper Genie outside in the trash, where it belonged.

I’ve also been offered five bags of old clothes at once, car seats that no longer meet safety requirements, and a crib that had been recalled after being deemed dangerous. (It was a beautiful, $600 crib, but still, I’m not putting my baby in anything that the federal government has declared unfit for use.)

The problem is that it can be uncomfortable to turn down a friend who has made a kind and generous offer. Just how do you tell someone that you would prefer not to wear her party dress from 2008, even if it carries a designer label? And especially if it has a stain on it?

Read on to find out more about this awkward etiquette situation.