LilSugar

Later Piggy! 5 Animal Banks Your Lil One Will Love

Kate Stahl — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:32:23 PST

Who said only piggies can hold your kids' coins? Let these adorable animal banks - giraffes, bunnies, elephants, hippos, and more - inspire your lil one to save their pennies. Cute, modern, and fun, they'll make a sweet addition to any kid's bedroom decor, while also teaching them an early lesson about financial responsibility.

Five Tips For Introducing Tots to Saving

LilSugar — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:00:00 PDT

Your tot may not be the one paying taxes, but he might have spent time with you in a long post office line or your accountant's office today. In honor of this dreaded tax day, take the opportunity to teach your youngster some fun ways to save money before he has to hand it over to Uncle Sam. The earlier we provide our children with a financial education, the more ingrained it will be in them. Check out my five tips for introducing the concept of savings to your offspring.

Source

Teach Savings With an Elegant Baby Bank

LilSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:00:00 PDT

There's no better time to teach your children that a penny saved is a penny earned than a recession. We might as well use the opportunity to foster a love of down-to-earth entertainment, innovative DIY projects and saving for an even rainier day. This Elegant Baby Piggy Bank ($32) offers a mod approach to coin savings that will look pretty on the dresser without costing you a fortune.

Ecomomics: Empty Those Piggy Banks

LilSugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:00:19 PST

The coins tossed in your kiddo's ceramic bank certainly add up! My tots have been filling up their piggy banks with spare change for quite some time so it was no surprise when my five-year-old could no longer lift hers off the bookshelf.

On a recent rainy afternoon, we decided to break it open and count coins. My two-year-old son practiced his sorting skills picking out all of the copper pennies. My daughter worked on her math by counting stacks of quarters to make a roll of $10. We were amazed to realize my children had squirreled away over $150 a piece. We deposited the money in their savings account after handing them $10 each to spend at the toy store which was clearly the highlight of the activity. The kids learned the value of a dollar and mom got a mundane task crossed off her list.

Crystal Piggy Banks: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding?

babysugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:00:33 PDT

It was always my understanding that piggy banks were a tool to help parents teach their tots a lesson about money. I'm not sure if giving them a $595 Tutu Piggy Bank would drive home the point that "a penny earned is a penny saved."

The Swarovski crystal encrusted pigs, perfected with black lashes, are awfully charming and would certainly be a talking point in any nursery. But, would you spend that much money on a sparkly piglet?

Pimp Your Crib: My Little Nest Egg

babysugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:00:24 PDT

You'll probably warn your wee one not to put all of his eggs in one basket at some point in time. But, there's no harm in stashing all of his pennies in an eggshell. A twist on the traditional piggy bank, your tot will delight in having his own My Little Nest Egg ($25) for future savings.

The shell stands eight inches tall and reads, "Whether my dreams be grand or small, my nest egg will help me save for them all." A darling gift for a boy or girl, the ceramic treasure can be personalized with the child's name and birthday.

Good, Better, Best: Adult Piggy Banks

CasaSugar — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 09:15:07 PDT

I was listening to NPR yesterday, and there was a story about how one in four Brits fail to save money for the future. This problem certainly isn't limited to the U.K., and when it comes to putting cash away for a rainy day, every little bit helps.

So here's an idea: Pick up a special adult piggy bank to encourage your own penny pinching. I've found three little pigs that will suit anyone's financial planning.

Good: For a minor investment, you can get an Urban Outfitters Mini Piggy Bank for just $8. The metallic finish lends a hip update to your childhood version.

Two even better piggy banks, so

Better: The kids' store My Bambino also makes a Grown Up's Piggy Bank ($24.99) that can be personalized with a cheeky message of your choice, i.e. "Prada Bag Fund" or "Home Renovation Budget."

Best: The Jonathan Adler Piggy Bank ($130) is both adorable and luxurious; this little piggy comes glazed in pure gold or platinum.

Would You Pay $1,900 For a Piggy Bank?

Julia Millay Walsh — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:50:00 PDT

Industrial designer Harry Allen, whose Pig Bank ($125) has been one of the hottest home accessories for the last few years, has designed another piggy bank for crystal company Steuben. The Piggy Bank, which uses a piggy's snout instead of the traditional coin slot, will cost you more than a pretty penny at $1,900. “He’s just hungry for your money,” the designer explains.

It's funny to me that a piggy bank could cost so much. The amount of coins this lil home accessory can hold wouldn't even come close to adding up to two grand. And the irony is anyone who could spend so much on a piggy bank certainly doesn't need to be counting their pennies.

If you could afford it, would you spend $1,900 on a piggy bank? Or do you think it's silly?

A First-Class Post Office Party!

Kate Stahl — Mon, 21 May 2012 03:15:05 PDT

When Jenny Dixon of Crossing the Bugger-Dixon Line was looking for a theme for her son Noah's fourth birthday party, inspiration came from the most practical of places: her mailbox. "It hit me one day that a mail party would make such a fun theme!" Jenny says. "What child doesn't love delivering and receiving mail? I contacted my favorite duo at Piggy Bank Parties to create a brand spanking new mail party collection. They delivered the most fun, all-inclusive party collection I have ever worked with!" Keep clicking to see all the creative details, from awesome party favor boxes to a real-life mail truck!

Source: Allison Kaharick for Crossing the Bugger-Dixon Line

8 Things You Think Are Good for Your Money . . . That Aren't

LearnVest — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:03:23 PDT

You may be wasting money when you think you're saving. LearnVest shares eight of the biggest money misconceptions.

Frugalista. Recessionista. In the past few years, people have coined a lot of silly words describing women and their approach to money, but the thought behind each of them is the same: You care about your hard-earned dollars and want to make them stretch.

That's true of most of us: We scrimp, we pinch, we try to feed our proverbial piggy bank as much as possible. Yet sometimes, in our excitement to be financial overachievers, we overreach.

It turns out there are a number of things that sound like they'd be doing good things for your money, and make you feel like you're saving more . . . when, actually, they're having the opposite effect.

Paying Every Debt Equally

When you have multiple debts to pay off (a credit card here, a student loan there) you might feel like a rock star simply for keeping up with them all and dividing your attention in a lot of different directions. Which, in a sense, you are! After all, you should always pay at least the minimums on all your loans.

But, if you have extra money to pay down your debts, you’re doing yourself a disservice by dividing it equally. The debts with the highest interest rates grow the fastest, so you should focus your muscle on the most toxic debts first.

Read on for more.