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5 Tips for Saving Money When Going to University

March 24th, 2022 Posted in Parent Advice, student finances
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Attending college or university can be a very costly experience. Tuition, room and board, textbooks – the list goes on and on. However, there are ways to reduce the amount of money you spend while still getting your education. This blog post will discuss five tips for saving money when going to school!

5 Tips for Saving Money When Going to University - aerial photo of university style building
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1) One way to save money while in university is to live at home. 

This may not be possible for everyone, but it can be a great way to save money on things like rent and utilities if you have the option. If living at home isn’t an option for you, there are still ways to save on your housing costs. One way is to live in a smaller apartment or in university accomodation with roommates. This can help split the cost of rent and other bills. Another way to save on housing costs is to look for apartments or houses that are further away from campus. While this may mean a longer commute, it can also mean lower rental rates.

2) Another way to save money while in university is to cook your own meals. 

Eating out can be expensive, and it’s not always the healthiest option. By cooking your own meals, you can save money and eat healthier. If cooking meals from scratch is not your thing, there are still ways to save money on food. One way is to look for deals at the grocery store or take advantage of sales. Another way to save on food costs is to plan your meals. This can help you avoid wasting food and spending too much money on eating out.

3) Another way to save money is to avoid buying new textbooks. 

Textbooks can be costly, and you may not need all of the material in them. One way to avoid buying new textbooks is to see if your school has a textbook rental program. Another way to save on textbook costs is to buy used books or find digital versions of the textbook online. You can also try to sell your textbooks back at the end of the semester for some of the cost.

4) You can also save money by using your student ID. 

Many colleges and universities offer discounts to students with valid IDs. This can include discounts on things like food, clothing, and entertainment. You can also get discounts on travel costs if you plan to take a trip during your break from school. Be sure to check with your school’s student services office for more information on available discounts.

5) Finally, you can save money by working part-time. 

Many students work while attending college or university. While this can be a great way to earn some extra money, it can also help you offset the cost of your education. You can use the money you earn from working to help pay for things like tuition, books, and housing. You can also use your earnings to help cover the cost of living expenses while in school.

In conclusion,  there are many ways to save money while attending university. By following the tips in this blog post, you can help reduce the cost of your education and still get the most out of your experience! 

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Loss and Grief: How Can You Care for Your Mental Health When Grieving a Loved One?

October 21st, 2021 Posted in family finance, Parent Advice
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Funerals are some of the unfortunate things that happen in people’s lives. Losing a loved one is a challenging situation to handle, and you may forget to take care of yourself during this period.

Loss and Grief: How Can You Care for Your Mental Health When Grieving a Loved One? - comforting another image
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It can be heartbreaking not to have someone around you anymore. Accepting this condition could take some time, but eventually, you learn that some situations are uncontrollable. Here are some tips to help you take care of your mental health when dealing with a loved one’s funeral:

Outsourcing a Funeral Service

It can be difficult for you to focus and get things done when you lose a loved one. You don’t have to handle all the funeral services by yourself. Get people specializing in cremations or planning funerals to do that for you as you go through the grief.

It will be easier for you to process your loss and grief when you get time every day to stay by yourself. Handling every funeral plan would work against that since you will be running around finding the perfect flowers or organizing how every day will happen during the burial.

This process can take a toll on your mental health if you carry the burden alone. You can also use other family members or friends to handle different tasks as you rest.

Accept the Deceased’s Wishes

The Will is usually one of the causes of confrontation among family members. Whether you get fewer assets than what the deceased allocated you in the Will, accepting the person’s wishes will help you handle the grief better.

No one should have to go through the whole process of hiring lawyers and sitting through the lengthy court processes immediately after burying a loved one. Once you choose to contest the Will, you will be going against the deceased’s wishes. It can significantly affect your inner peace and conscience.

The wishes may also include what to do with the body. The first thing you need to consider is whether the person wished for burial or not. If yes, where should the ashes get spread?

It would be easier for you to handle the grief if you respected what the person wanted.

Find Alternative Ways to Raise Money

Funding a funeral is one of the most expensive things people handle. Coming up with the perfect fundraising ideas can help you get all the costs covered.

Social media platforms like Facebook offer an excellent opportunity for you to raise any amount of money you need to cater for a loved one’s funeral. Paying hospital bills and burial expenses can be too costly for the family.

Express Your Emotions

Most people think that crying brings out the weakness in you. However, it is good for you to express your emotions during a loved one’s funeral to avoid holding in anger or sadness.

Plugin your earphones and listen to sad songs as you cry out your anger. This way, you get to relieve yourself of the emotional burden and cope with the situation effectively.

You can also let your family and friends support you during this process. Talk to whoever you can about how you feel.

Conclusion

Loss and grief can take control of your emotions. Everyone grieving a loved one should understand that it always gets better, and you might not have the person back, but you can always learn to cope with the situation.

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Parenting 101: Top 7 Ways to Start Saving for Your Child’s Future

January 23rd, 2021 Posted in family finance, Parent Advice
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Starting saving for your son or daughter’s future may seem overwhelming. However, it doesn’t have to be daunting, especially when you know how to do it. For starters, decide what you want for your children and the goals that you have for their future. You need to know the purpose of saving the money to determine the tips or ways of saving. You can use these saving tips for the college tuition, future medical expenses, general savings, or educational expenses of your child and secure their future.

Parenting 101: Top 7 Ways to Start Saving for Your Child’s Future - coin in piggybank image
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  1. 529 Plans

Also known as a qualified tuition plan, 529 plans enable you to save for your child’s education while taking advantage of tax benefits. You can choose from prepaid tuition plans or educational savings plans, all under the 529 plans. The government sponsors the education savings plan. It allows you to open investment accounts for your kids who can use the funds for fees, board, tuition, or other higher education expenses. The prepaid tuition 529 plans allow parents to prepay costs and tuition at the current prices.

  1. Roth IRA

Opening a Roth IRA in your child’s name is an effective way of saving for his or her future. However, your child must have an income for this saving option. Therefore, it is an ideal way of saving for the future of your teenager. Your child gets tax-free money after retirement. However, Roth IRA is different from other retirement accounts because you can use the funds for qualified college expenses. Your child will not face an early withdrawal penalty, though they have to pay taxes on the earnings.

  1. Trust Funds

Trust funds are not as common, but they are a great way to save money for your child. You can set up a trust fund with any amount, though it doesn’t make much sense if you don’t have a large amount of cash. You should consult a lawyer to draw up the trust documents and appoint a manager. Trust funds are perfect for wealthy families because they provide more control over disbursements and protect children’s assets during a divorce. Factors like how long does a divorce take or whether you have to split assets after the separation don’t affect your child’s trust funds. Trust funds for your child’s future are protected from creditors.

  1. UTMA and UGMA Accounts

Another way of saving for your child’s future is opening a Uniforms Transfer to Minors Act Account. When the child attains the age of 21 or 18, the assets in the account are transferred. Your child then decides on how to use the funds. Therefore, children are not limited to qualified education expenses since they can use funds for discretionary purchases or other living expenses. The best part about UTMA or UGMA is that you can contribute any amount you want towards your child’s future. However, you cannot control how your child uses the funds, and tax benefits are not guaranteed.

  1. A Custodial Account

Opening a custodial account for your son or daughter is ideal for a broader savings purpose. The account doesn’t limit you to college expenses.  You can choose a custodial account to save for your child’s house or business once they become an adult. You fund and manage the account, but your child is the account holder. The pros of starting a custodial account for a child is that it doesn’t have restrictions as long as your child is the beneficiary. A portion of the account’s profits is tax-free, while the rest is taxed at the child’s income tax rate.

  1. Savings Account

Parents can opt for traditional savings accounts to secure their children’s future. However, the interest rates for savings accounts are low, and the interest is also taxed as income. The upside of opening a savings account for a child is that it provides a haven for the funds and secures a child’s future.

  1. Invest Account

You can secure your child’s college education through an investment account. You contribute any amount of money every year, and your child can use the funds for any expenses. That means that children can use the funds for college education of other uses. The money you save is invested in a diversified portfolio of ETFs. The level of risk is also minimal.

Conclusion

You can choose any of the above saving plans for your child’s future at different stages of your working life. The best way to set money aside for saving is to avoid impulse buying since every coin counts. Ensure that you educate your children about the importance of savings to secure their future.

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How Schools Can Enhance The Learning Experience

February 26th, 2020 Posted in Parent Advice, teaching kids about money
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One of the most essential elements of ensuring your students are engaged and interested in the subjects they are being taught is to provide a sense of enthusiasm to the subject. If they feel as though the teacher or presenter of said information is interested, they too will adopt that sense of interest through osmosis. Most children will be happy for this additional support, and to that end, you’ll likely help them improve their grades.

How Schools Can Enhance The Learning Experience - two girls in school image
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However, any worthwhile faculty will continually consider just how they can enhance and improve the learning experience for their pupils, because this will not only help them retain information, but it will improve how various measures of the subject are processed. For instance, homework will likely be completed earlier and to a higher standard, test results will be more promising, and students will report higher levels of satisfaction in their classes. 

These three metrics can be important for any school to achieve, as it can not only provide a fantastic learning experience but also improve their standing in the eyes of the education board. With that in mind, some of the following advice may be necessary:

Regular Trips

School cultural trips can help not only beat the stuffy boredom of the classroom, which unfortunately can arise even if used well by a caring teacher, and brings life to a subject. No matter if you’re studying the best of geography, a historical environment, or a cultural consideration and connection, there’s almost nothing better than continually proving to your students that the theory learned in the classroom has real, actionable and practical influence as part of the real world. That in itself can help children pay attention.

Kinesthetic Learning

Kinesthetic learning can be very important for students to take part in. While we are all different learners, having something in your hands and examples to take part in can be important. This is why children are often given careful access to perform their own scientific experiments in a caring environment. Flashcards, props and toys can also be used to demonstrate a point, such as when playing games as part of the class in a language lesson, or through applying concepts to reality through the woodworking class. Kinetic learning, for most children, is easy to internalize due to how ‘real’ it is.

Balanced Homework

Balanced homework is important to get right. Too little and students can forget exactly what lessons and tidbits of wisdom they get from each session, while too much and it buries children and prevents them from engaging with your current topics. To the extent that you can, balancing your need to teach the curriculum with reasonable homework allotments can help kids feel more engaged in their lesson without having to worry about an overblown extra consideration that takes away from their resting time. All schools could benefit from prioritizing this balance.

With this advice, we hope your schools can correctly and prominently enhance the learning experience.

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4 Tips for Motivating Your Kids to Pick up Good Habits

February 19th, 2020 Posted in child development, Parent Advice
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Every good parent wants their child to have the best possible future, and to succeed in life to the best of their abilities. But what should you do, in the here and now, to make that happen?

While, of course, there aren’t any clear-cut answers to a question like that, it’s probably a good idea to assume that your child’s habits will have a dramatic impact on their future, and on their ability to be successful in whatever it is they attempt in life.

By the same token, instilling good habits in your child isn’t the kind of thing that you can just do in a completely authoritative, top-down way. Rather, as with so much else in life, it’s very important to hone your own motivational skills, so that you can motivate your kids to pick up and maintain good habits of their own accord.

Here are a few tips for motivating your kids to pick up good habits

4 Tips for Motivating Your Kids to Pick up Good Habits - teaching kids good habits - piggy bank image
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Present positive behavioural examples to them in the form of uplifting stories

Kids are always looking for examples to model their behaviour. That’s why role models are so important, both in terms of parental role models, and in terms of broader cultural role models.

One of the best ways of motivating your child to do positive things, and to acquire positive habits of their own accord, is by presenting positive behavioural examples to them in the form of uplifting stories.

If you give your child a story that explains sound financial principles, or that underscores the importance of keeping a tidy bedroom, for example, it is much more likely that the child will engage and identify with the story they’re being told, take the message to heart, and at the very least will be receptive to following the advice contained within.

Sometimes, you may even find your child spontaneously acting on the moral of the story, without you having to do or say anything else.

Be sure to praise and reinforce positive actions, instead of just treating them as expected

Children are always looking for praise and approval from their parents, and so when your child does something that you like and consider positive, it’s important that you praise and reinforce those actions in a clear way.

If you simply treat those good behaviours as run-of-the-mill and “expected,” you will be depriving your child of the emotional stimulus that can make all the difference in helping them to create positive associations with those behaviours, and to actually feel motivated to engage in them on a regular basis.

In some cases, and for some particular actions, it may be appropriate to give your child some kind of small gift or treat as a reward. Often, though, it will be enough just to smile and tell them they’ve done a very good job, and that you’re proud of them.

Use visual tracking systems such as star charts in order to make the process more tangible

Even as adults, we all tend to take a lot of satisfaction in seeing visible markers of progress and success. That’s why various leading fitness apps will show charts, and will give us comparative stats, to keep us motivated. And it’s also why crossing items off a checklist can feel so deeply satisfying.

For children, of course, the same principles apply, and they apply even more so.

If you want to motivate your child to pick up and stick with positive habits, consider using visual tracking system such as star charts, in order to make the process more tangible. As your child accumulates more and more stars or other positive signifiers, they will naturally feel more inclined to keep going, and their momentum will increase.

Lead by example

There’s no point at all in telling your child to do something, if you yourself then proceed to do the opposite, right in front of them.

Children, when all is said and done, are far more interested in following the examples of their parents than they are in following the advice of their parents.

In other words, one of the best things you can do to help motivate a child to establish good habits, is to lead by example. If you tell them it’s important to keep a tidy room, then make sure your is tidy. And if you expect them to get dressed in daytime clothes every morning, then don’t let them catch you lounging in front of the TV in the afternoon in your pyjamas.

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