Family Archives - Personal Finance (MB)

10 Great Father’s Day Gift Ideas

May 29, 2019June 3, 2019 by Money Beagle

Father’s Day is just around the corner. I don’t know about you, but it seems like dads are the hardest to buy for. I’ve found that about my dad, and I’ve been told it applies to me. I guess either we have simple needs or we just buy things ourselves. It’s probably a combination of the two! Regardless, here are some Father’s Day gift ideas that I think could help. They’ll definitely help my wife if she happens to be looking for ideas. But, I’m pretty sure these would apply for many dads out there.

Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Grill Accessories

Every dad has a barbecue grill, right? Mine is sitting on the deck as we speak. I don’t care how fancy a grill it is. It doesn’t matter how much it might look fully stocked. There is always something that a dad could use. I’ve received multiple Father’s Day gifts tied to my grill. One year, I got a grill cover (which is now falling apart). Another year I got a flipper with an indentation of my favorite football team. Go Lions! There’s always something that a dad could use for his grill.

Proud Parent: My Kids Are Doing Cool Things

May 3, 2019April 8, 2019 by Money Beagle

Every now and then it just feels good to brag about your kids. What mom or dad doesn’t love being a proud parent? Today seems like one of those days! Here are a few things that my kids have been up to. I love seeing them grow and find their own interests.

Basketball

My son recently finished a basketball league. He participated in a league last year, but this year was so much better. We went through a different provider. The league was run so much more efficiently and effectively. The coaching was heads and shoulders above last year. All in all he had a great experience. He really enjoys playing basketball. He doesn’t have the confidence yet to drive to the basket and to dive for balls, but he improved in just about every aspect of his game. His defense was solid and he grew as a player.

Review of Great Wolf Lodge Mason, Ohio – February 2019

March 20, 2019February 25, 2019 by Money Beagle

Great Wolf Lodge is one of our favorite family places. It’s become a tradition that we go during the kid’s mid-winter break. We’ve even snuck in a couple of extra trips. This year’s trip was to be our 7th experience at a Great Wolf Lodge. So, we decided to try something new and stay at Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, Ohio. Here is our review.

Great Wolf Lodge Is Our Jam

For some reason, Great Wolf Lodge has always worked for us. Our kids love to swim. The parks are fun and family friendly. We make the experience affordable. We usually stay at the Sandusky location, which is great for proximity, but it’s one of the older resorts and the number of attractions is on the smaller end.

11 Days Of Fun Over Holiday Break

March 20, 2019January 4, 2019 by Money Beagle

I went back to work on Wednesday after eleven days off. It was a fantastic time off. Our family did many wonderful things over the holidays. Honestly, when I walked back in, it felt like I had just left, simply because of the whirlwind of activity. Here was just some of the fun over holiday break that our family had.

Fun Over Holiday Break

December 22nd – Just Our Family

Downtown Rochester, which is a few miles away, puts lights on all the buildings through the few block stretch. It’s called the Big Bright Light Show. It’s really awesome, and we go every year. We walked around, and had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.

About Clark Griswolds Swimming Pool From Christmas Vacation

July 24, 2019December 6, 2018 by Money Beagle

One of my favorite Christmas movies is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. I laugh pretty much from start to finish at that movie. It’s hard to believe that it’s almost thirty years old (which is why this post is full of spoilers). But then again, it is most definitely a holiday classic! A major plot point is that Clark wants to surprise his family with a swimming pool. He has already paid the deposit, but needs his end-of-year bonus to cover the outlay. A nagging question I’ve always had, as a personal finance blogger, is whether the Griswolds swimming Pool ever got installed.

Let’s run some numbers.

The movie came out around 30 years ago, so all the numbers would be completely different. So, let’s run some numbers based on today’s numbers.

As this is lighthearted and in good fun, these are just wild estimates. It’s just a little playing around!

3 Money Tips to Keep Married Couples Happy vs. Hostile

April 22, 2019October 26, 2018 by Money Beagle

Recently, we looked at 8 tips for newlyweds in debt. Indeed, while it’s admittedly not as romantic as talking long walks at dusk, making wise and practical money-related decisions is not just important for a happy marriage. In fact, it’s essential!

Why essential? Because the number one cause of marital breakdowns isn’t what you think. The Lack of shared interests, constant arguing, pesky in-laws, lack of intimacy, or even infidelity are bad, but not the worst. According to a study by the American Psychological Association, the most common reason why couples head to marriage counseling — and then in many cases, to divorce court — is money woes.

The bad news is that there is no magic wand (or app) to keep all money problems at bay. It’s something that all couples — including the 1-percenters out there who certainly aren’t immune from marriage-induced financial pain — need to deal with throughout their relationship.

Some Cub Scout Camping Tips To Know

March 1, 2019October 22, 2018 by Money Beagle

My son is in Cub Scouts. We just went on our fourth camping trip in the time he’s been a scout. We always have a great time. The Cub Scout ranches that our pack visit offer many similar activities. There are cabins for sleeping. They have areas where you can pitch a tent. There are scheduled activities such as archery and BB guns. Some have lakes for swimming when the weather is warmer. While you’ll find tips on all of these, I thought I’d provide some Cub Scout camping tips that are more practical. These are tips I’ve learned only from experience.

Plan Your Meals

Your pack should get together and plan meals. They should be simple yet filling. You’ll want to keep them simple because many kids have simple tastes. It’s best to find things that most kids will eat. We do things like hot dogs for lunch and pasta for dinner. They’re pretty easy to make and we generally don’t have complaints.

8 Tips For Newlyweds In Debt

March 19, 2019October 8, 2018 by Money Beagle

If you’re a recent or upcoming newlywed, congratulations! This is an exciting time, of course, and there’s so much ahead! You’ve got many things to look forward to. However, if you’re like many newlyweds, debt is a part of your life. Nobody likes debt, but most of us have it. Here are some tips for newlyweds in debt.

Be Honest

Hopefully, by now, you know everything there is to know about each others finances. But, if you don’t, it’s never too late. Make sure you both come clean about all of your debt. You have to know where you’re starting from.

Kids And Money: Things My Children Have Learned

July 24, 2019August 14, 2018 by Money Beagle

It is so fun watching kids learn, isn’t it? Our kids are nine and seven, and they learn new things each day. Even during the summer, they learn lots of new things. As a personal finance blogging website, seeing kids and money connect is satisfying to watch. My wife talk about money with them and explain many of the basics, but many things they figure out on their own.

We went on a recent camping trip, and it stood out how much they’ve learned. Of course, many of these things they wouldn’t be able to verbalize, but as a parent, it hit me that they are building an understanding. Here are a few money lesson I have seen our kids figure out.

10 Ways To Improve Your Outlook On Life

March 4, 2019July 30, 2018 by Money Beagle

It’s hard to slow down these days. There’s always something to do, and ten more after that. If you feel like your day ends before it begins, you’re not alone. But this isn’t healthy. Stress increases your chances of heart attacks and creates other health risks. But what do you do? The first step is to slow down. Once you do that, you can improve your outlook on life. After that, you might find some of the things that are keeping you so busy aren’t as important as you think.

Here are some tips to get started. These ten ideas can help slow you down. Once you do that, you may find that you will improve your outlook on life.