We know that these days it’s hard for busy parents even to take time out to make three square meals a day for their kids, let alone find the time to teach them basic cooking skills and techniques.

Have you ever dreamt of owning a really fast car – or taking a month-long vacation – or buying season tickets to the ballet? As adults, we have savings goals that often require some pretty big sums of money to fulfill our wishes.

Picture this: You are standing in the cereal aisle in your local grocery store, faced with the usual 100+ choices. Your kids swirl around you, excitedly telling you they want this one or that one. Do you get the Kellogg’s cornflakes or the generic? The General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios or the generic O’s version?  Full Article

What exactly is a tip? Who decided on the rules that go with how much and for what? Why are the rules different for each kind of service? And why do the rules for tipping vary by region, culture, and country?  Full Article

This week we got a great question from a reader: “What should we do if one of our kids breaks something?” We all know that with kids, things will get broken. It’s just a matter of time! So what is a parent to do? How should broken items be replaced, and who should pay for them? Full Article

Every day we are surrounded by advertisements on TV, in magazines and newspapers, on signs and billboards, and on the Internet.  Full Article

With iPods, Transformers, and Webkinz occupying most kids’ minds these days, it’s a challenge for parents to pique their kids’ interest in banking and saving.  Full Article

How do kids learn the cost of the foods they eat every day? Often much of the grocery store list making, purchase decision making, and sometimes even the shopping remains invisible to kids. Food can seem to just appear in the house, in the fridge, and on the table for meals.  Full Article

You don’t have to be rich, famous, or even a grown-up to give memorable and much-appreciated gifts to those you care about. This holiday season you and your kids can talk about how gift giving is about more than how much a person spends.  Full Article

We look at the labels on packages and products for different reasons. Sure, we compare prices for the best value. But some of us want to make sure all the ingredients are organic. Others are checking for ingredients we know we’re allergic to, or seeing whether that sweater needs to be dry-cleaned. Full Article