What is money? Children quickly learn mom and dad use money to buy stuff, but they usually lack the understanding of where that money comes from.

• It can be helpful to give them an example of bartering. Explain that long ago, a person might have traded a horse for a cow. But having money allows someone to buy a cow, even if that person doesn’t want a horse in exchange.
• Discuss with your children about how people have jobs and work so they can earn money to pay for a house, car, clothing, entertainment, and other expenses.
• Make the point that money is a medium of exchange. You have likely exchanged a certain number of hours of your time to earn $100. You then spend that $100 on goods or services worth $100.
• Show them all the different types of money, including coins, and explain the values.

Let them earn … Read the rest

• Don’t make a record of your expenditures. If you don’t record how you spend your money for a couple of months, you’ll never get the picture. Journal your spending. Even the drinks you buy when you visit with friends at your favorite club. Be sure to include the impulse buying and the emotional buying and the candy bars, exotic coffees and other overspending items.
• Keep up with the Garcia’s. If you want to keep up the appearances of prosperity, you will end up looking as poor as you are! Your neighbor buys a big new pickup truck, and you have to buy a bigger one. You want to live at the same level as your parents, even though it took them years to be able to have the nice house and furniture and car. But, you want to take shortcuts. The only place where Success comes before Work is in

Compare Exchange Rates

The first thing to look for is the exchange rate. Even a small difference in the exchange rate can mean large savings for you when you receive the money at your end, so it really does pay to look around.

However, some transfer services make it easier to find the exchange rates than others. A quick way to find out what they are offering is to head to a comparison site that will list numerous money transfer services in one place.

Another thing to consider is that some services may provide better exchange rates for larger amounts of money, so if you are planning a larger transfer this is worth looking out for.

Fees

One transfer service may have an excellent rate of exchange, only to go and spoil it all by adding on a hefty fee. Nearly all services come with fees. These typically include a … Read the rest

It is no wonder that American’s cannot save. There is nothing in our culture that promotes keeping your income. You need to keep up with the Jones’s. If you don’t have the bigger house or the new car, you’re not successful in life. We are taught from a young age that image is everything, so buy it.

While there is nothing wrong with having things, it is important to know how to save money to be able to get them. Saving and living within your means gives you the best chance of affording the things you want without overextending to get it. It is possible. You can start getting onto the road of saving.

First, you need to have a reason to save. Why do you need to keep your money? What are your goals? Having clearly defined goals will help establish a discipline to help meet that objective. Maybe … Read the rest