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Cutting Grocery Costs without Cutting Nutrition

Simple, healthy, and affordable ways to weather the rising price of food

by Karen Collins, R.D., American Institute of Cancer Research

Grocery prices are projected to increase again in 2008 – that’s following 2007’s highest annual increase in 17 years. But surviving these tough economic times doesn’t have to mean sacrificing good nutrition. Some simple strategies can help you cut food costs and eat more healthfully, too.

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Madlynn is Kid of the Month

91 Ways to Save on Almost Anything

Here's how to stretch your dollars -- and pinch your pennies 'til they scream -- while you feel little or no pain.

by Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine

Want to save a buck? How about a few hundred or a couple thousand?

We took a look at eight spending categories in your budget and identified dozens of ways you can keep more money. Whether you need to plug leaks in your spending, learn where to find the best deals or even trick yourself into shaving expenses, we've got something for everyone.

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Basic Legal Recommendations for Women

by Michele Howe

According to Toledo attorney, Stephen Pennington, there are some fundamental legal concerns that every woman should understand, plan, and prepare for in order to best protect her financial assets in lieu of a possible divorce, death of a spouse, or for simple common sense financial survival.

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10 Tips for Improving Your Family's Eating Habits

With today’s busy lifestyles, families don’t always eat as healthfully as we would like. But by practicing healthy eating habits at home, you can make it easier for your family to eat right. Try these 10 tips designed to encourage healthy eating habits:

1. Be a good food role model. Telling children to eat nutritious foods is one thing — showing them is better. If you offer nutritious foods regularly — and if they see you eating them — your children likely will learn to like them.
2. Serve a variety of fruits and vegetables daily. In addition to bananas and apples, try something new like kiwi or papaya. Add vegetables to stir fries or casseroles.
3. Schedule a snack time and stick to it. Space snacks at least two to three hours before a meal.

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Lunchables

Reading nightly with your kids is crucial and fun. But did you know that more than a third of U.S. fourth graders are reading at or below a basic reading level?
Lunchables, along with non-profit literacy organization First Book, have created the Million Page Mission to help bring 4,000 books to children in needy communities. All parents have to do is log onto www.lunchablesmom.com to take a pledge to read 100 pages with their kids. For every pledge received, Lunchables will donate $1 up to $10,000 to First Book.
You can also download our free children’s book “The Adventures of Alpha Team” on our website www.lunchablesmom.com. It’s a really cute story about three kids who attend space cadet training and must complete various missions together to earn their merit badges.

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Single Moms - find here resources on financial aid, scholarships, help with basic needs, food, prescription drugs, health care, housing, legal info, and much more...


Amy Allen Clark

Author - Creator of MomAdvice.com


She is a stay-at-home mother of a three year old son and is expecting their second child in December. She is founder and creator of www.MomAdvice.com. Her website is geared towards mothers who are seeking advice on staying organized, living on a budget, and for those seeking work-at-home employment.

MomAdvice.com creator, Amy Allen Clark, was searching for information on the internet on topics such as these, but could not find a site out there that catered to everything that she was looking for. Amy decided to pool her talents with her web designer husband and create a site that offered this information for mothers and also create a safe web community where mothers could chat. With this vision and her husband?s knack for design, MomAdvice was born.

The author resides in Granger, Indiana and her hobbies include reading, writing, cooking and cake decorating. Please visit her web site for more information on these various topics for mothers and be sure to join the forum where your opinions and ideas count. Please visit her web site for more information on these various topics for mothers.


Featured Article


Finding a Mom’s Support Group

by Amy Allen Clark

Becoming a mom was both an exciting and scary time for me. I returned back to work full-time and, despite these great changes in my life, found that my work & friendships resumed back to what they were before I had my child. I still had people to talk to and was not really seeking anyone or anything else in my life. My life was busy and my days were full with working, caring for my child, and maintaining our home.

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Mom Advice Column - Tips for Single Moms


Happy Homemaking the Homemade Way

by Amy Allen Clark

I am not going to launch into a preachy prose about how bad commercial cleaning products are today when it comes to cleaning your home. It is common knowledge that a healthy home is not doused in heavy-duty bleach and preserving our environment should be tops on our priority list. The truth is, if you peeked inside of my caddy of cleaners, you would see some of these harmful products in there. The fact is that I am trying to rely less on these cleaners and rely more on homemade cleaners. I am in the process of making the transition over to using only healthy homemade cleaners, and feel a lot of pride when I take the time to do this. I know how much better it is for our environment...and for my wallet!

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Inexpensive Gifts for the Graduate

by Amy Allen Clark

The end of the school year means, for many of us, lots of high school graduations and open houses to attend. To go along with these events, comes the obligatory gift for the graduate and spending money to show appreciation of their hard work. Just what is a frugal mom to do when the gift-giving season is upon her? What do you purchase for these graduates without breaking the bank? This is the time to really let your creativity shine through and create gifts that are both memorable and affordable. These gifts do not have to be expensive; in fact, I find that the truly practical graduation gifts require very little money.Here are a few of my favorite gifts to give that are affordable and thoughtful….

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Frugal Ways to Winterize Your Home

by Amy Allen Clark

If you live in regions where it becomes extremely cool in the winter, I am sure that you can feel the changes in the air and sense what is about to come. Winter weather is just around the corner and it is time to prepare your home for the cold weather. For a frugal person, the important thing is figuring out how to prepare your home for the cool season and keep the most money in your pocket.

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Surviving Winter Break

by Amy Allen Clark

Winter break is much shorter than the summer break, but for many parents it feels like the longer of the two breaks. Being cooped up in the house can make parents and children crazy after a few days let alone weeks on end. Here are ten ideas for you and your children to help you survive the long winter days without blowing your budget or losing your sanity.

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Cloth Diapering 101

by Amy Allen Clark

If you think of diaper pins and plastic pants, when you think of cloth diapering, you have not seen the cloth diapers for today’s mom. Cloth diapers are a far cry from this image, and cloth diapering is definitely something to explore when you are a frugal mother. The days of origami, accidentally sticking your child with pins, and sloshing diapers in the toilet to rinse them are the diapering days of our mothers. I am here to tell you that cloth diapering is easy, affordable, and is worth every moment of your time and dollar investment. You will not believe how easy it is or how rewarding the process of cloth diapering is- both financially and environmentally.

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The Prescription Lowdown

by Amy Allen Clark - founder and creator of www.MomAdvice.com

Prescription medication is an expense that many families cannot afford. If you do not have an insurance plan that will cover your prescriptions and are a low-income family, then you are not alone. Fortunately there are programs available to assist you with your medications, but finding them can be a struggle.

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Aldi’s Supermarket- The Real Deal?

by Amy Allen Clark

I remember as a child going to Aldi’s Supermarket with my mother to get our groceries. My mom worked very hard for many years, and deciding to stay home proved to be very difficult on our family finances.

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Gearing Up For Summer

by Amy Allen Clark

Summer is just around the corner and with the warmer weather comes many preparations in both the interior and the exterior of the home.

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Decorating on a Shoestring Budget

by Amy Allen Clark

Right now one of the most popular shows on television is, “Trading Spaces.” Do not despair just because your money is limited - you can still create a warm and inviting home frugally.

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Eating Out on A Budget

by Amy Allen Clark

Eating a meal out can be a really expensive event, but it really does not have to be.

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Making Your Own Cleaners

by Amy Allen Clark

A great place to save money is to make your own household cleaners.

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Picky Eater Survival Guide

by Amy Allen Clark

It is hard enough to menu plan for your family with family members who will eat just about anything, but try to plan a menu around a picky eater. Trust me, it isn’t fun!

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Saving on Utility Bills

by Amy Allen Clark

Some of our bills can be eliminated as being “extras”, but utilities is just not one of these. Here are some helpful tips for ways to decrease your utility bills.

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Spring Cleaning for Today’s Mom

by Amy Allen Clark

with spring comes all of the beauty of the changing season. We finally began to see our grass; we enjoy seeing the new buds on our trees, and the sweet smell of a good April shower.

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Tips for New Moms


Diaper Bag Essentials

by Amy Allen Clark

There was a time in my life when I could hop in the car, carrying only a purse, and head out the door with absolutely no planning. Ah, those were the days! Upon having our son though, I realized that any trip out the door had to be a well-executed one and it often took hours just to get ready for our destination. As he has gotten older, I can now stash the essential items he needs conveniently in my gigantic mommy purse, but those days of enormous diaper bags are definitely not far from my memory. Here is a list of my own essential diaper bag items…

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Utility Prices are Significant Expenses

by Randi Lynn Millward

I don't know about you, but my electric bill is sky-high. I've been running around the house unplugging everything in sight so as not to incur charges from my appliances using "phantom energy".

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Because you are somebody special!

by Annette Bridges

Since my trip to Italy, my husband and I have enjoyed a delicious breakfast routine that often includes French toast, fresh fruit and a yummy cup of cappuccino.

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Our Friendships

by Laurie Cesario-Overton

We all have those days when we get overwhelmed and it seems like every time we turn around there is another problem.

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3 Money Rules for Stay-at-Home Moms

As we all know, life is unpredictable. We lose jobs, get divorced and even become widowed...
Here are three steps stay-at-home parents should take to better manage their own and the family’s finances.

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You May Have Too Much Debt But You Also Have Options

How Life Works

If you feel like you're in over your head with personal debt, you're not alone. Millions of Americans have become overextended, many as a result of easy credit and the recessions. Credit cards, medical bills, personal loans and raising interest rates do not make a good financial mix.

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Could fat babies mean fat toddlers?

A new study from Harvard Medical School found that babies who gained weight quickly had a sharply higher risk of obesity. The study followed close to 600 babies and found those in the top quarter of weight for their length at 6 months had a 40 percent higher risk of obesity by age 3 than smaller babies.

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Offer to barter

Dr. Marie - Advice for Pet Owners

A vetʼs office is a business that requires a lot of services. In many cases your vet may be willing to barter in exchange for veterinary services.

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How to Find the Best Car Loans for Single Moms

Financial Advice for Single Moms

The best car loans for single mothers might be just around the corner at your local car lot.

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Crystal Bowersox - A Single Mom And A Real American Idol

Read how the amazing Crystal Bowersox. the runner-up of American Idol Season 9, handles fame and life as a single mom, raising her 17 month old son.

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5 Ways for Single Moms to Save Money

Single moms are always looking for ways to save money, and for good reason... It’s important to find ways to cut corners on the little things that perhaps you don’t think about too often, because those are usually where your biggest money drains are.

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Suze Orman's Recession Rescue Plan - helps you survive in times of financial crisis

OPRAH.com

Do you know what your family would do if you lost your job - or worse, your home? Financial expert Suze Orman is ready to help you devise a recession rescue plan to survive - and possibly thrive - during this deepening financial crisis...

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Your Just-in-Case Emergency Plan

by RealSimple

Who do you call if you can't make it home in time to meet the kids' bus? Who do you trust to take in your mail when you're on vacation? Who do you trust with the extra set of keys to your house?

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How to save $10,000

By Liz Pulliam Weston

If you were hoping for a list of small tweaks you could make in your spending to save $10,000 a year, sorry. The reality is that $10,000 is a lot of money. And saving big money usually means making big changes in the areas where we spend the most, such as: Housing, Transportation, Food.

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The Super, Sexy, Single Mom on a Budget

by Renee Rayles

A quick reference guide designed for the busy, single mom who has

little time to read while running the mom taxi, cooking dinner, helping with homework, and trying to fit in a date night every now and then.

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Single Mothers &
Male Role-Models / Mentors

Single mothers carry an enormous load of responsibility, especially those having sole and/or primary custody of minor children. They nourish, they nurture, they teach, they discipline, they shelter, they protect, and they provide… all without the assistance of another equally-invested adult.

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Mom's Obesity Raises Newborn's Heart Risk

from the National Institute of Health

The more obese a woman is when she becomes pregnant, the greater the likelihood that her newborn baby will have a congenital heart defect, a new study suggests. The finding raises concerns because 1 in 5 women are obese at the start of pregnancy in the United States.

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The 10-Ingredient Shopping Trip

By Tara Parker-Pope and Mark Bittman

... In his latest “How to Cook Everything” segment on the Today Show, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman makes it surprisingly easy to cook a week’s worth of dinners with just a 10-ingredient shopping trip.

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Your 5-minute guide to protecting your identity

20 steps to protect yourself from identity theft, and seven ways to clean up things if you become a victim.

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Single Moms in the News

6 Best Celebrity Single Moms
Read about Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Michelle Williams, Reese Witherspoon, Kimora Lee Simmons, Mary-Louise Parker... read more

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw

by Jeff Kinney

For those wondering why tween boys don’t read very much, the answer is that more books aren’t like this...

read more...

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