14 Cheap, Easy & Quick Snacks for Kids—Homemade & Store Bought

12 inexpensive and healthy snacks for kids.

Are you looking for some more affordable or cheap snacks for kids? This list of 14 different easy-to-serve snack foods should do the trick. Some are homemade and others are store-bought, but all are inexpensive.

These snack options have been time-tested with our five kids and should do well for your family.

Do you ever feel like you’re feeding a bottomless pit?We’re talking about those kids or teens with “hollow legs.”

Remember when they were babies and we fed them every two hours?  Well, the two-hour feedings start all over again in the pre-teen and teen years.

You want to provide nutritious and healthy snacking … Read more »

Need a Key Copy Made Nearby? 21 Places to Get Duplicate Keys Made

Places to get Keys Copied near you - inexpensive and quick.

Have you ever found yourself frantically searching for a ‘key copy near me’ or wondering where you can ‘get a key made near you’ after a stressful loss of keys? 

You’re not alone. We’ve been there—specifically, when we lost not one, but two auto key fobs for our Toyotas. 

The experience wasn’t just nerve-wracking; it was also unexpectedly expensive. 

In this guide, we’re diving deep into the world of key duplication, sharing over 30 places where you can quickly and affordably get duplicate keys made. 

From home and car keys to those elusive mailbox and locker keys, we’ve researched home stores, grocers, drug stores, … Read more »

Free Stickers! 190 Tested & Easy Ways to Get Stickers Mailed To You

A mac laptop with free stickers on it.

Are you looking for free stickers? Do you want name-brand stickers from companies you, or your kids love? We do!

At MoneySmartFamily we love free stuff. Especially free things that our kids love or that can be given as gifts.

We’ve researched hundreds of companies and created this easy-to-use list. We update it every few weeks to keep it current and to make sure all of the sites still offer free stickers. 

108 Companies with sticker request forms on site. (page 1)

28 places to send a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE) (page 2)

19 places with a … Read more »

34 of the Best Free Educational Websites for Kids

29 Free Educational Websites for Kids including science, history, reading, math, news, coding and more!

If you’re looking for great websites to enhance your child’s learning you’re going to love this list of the best free educational websites for kids.

It can sometimes be hard to find the ideal balance of fun and learning. The challenge might seem daunting, but have no fear the perfect learning website is out there.

Just check out this list of fun and information-filled sites to find the right website for you and your kids!

We’ve put this list into 7 different categories to make your search easier. See the table of contents for details.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 A Directory of Free … Read more »

How Long Should I Keep My Car? When Should I Buy a New One?

How long Should I Keep My Car? - Should I Keep My Car or Sell It? 3 women pushing their black car next to a grassy field.

“How long should I keep my car?” is a question we are often asked. When things start breaking on a car many people think the only solution is to replace it with a new car. 

But is there a point in time when keeping your current vehicle becomes more expensive than selling it?

Making the decision to keep a car and repair it or sell it and buy another one is always tough. But if you follow our 3 step evaluation system, you’ll know the answer to whether it’s time to sell or keep your wheels.

A reader asked us, “How Long Should … Read more »

8 Easy Pets for Kids: Choose the Best Pet for your Family

Pets for Kids: 8 Different choices for Your Family!

How do you choose the best pet for kids or your family? In this article, we’ll share our experiences and a list of 8 easy pets for kids and families.

An easy pet is one that doesn’t require constant attention or nurture. And doesn’t cost a lot of money to keep happy and healthy.

We’ll give you a realistic view of the cost to purchase and keep a pet. We’ll also talk about the time commitment required for each one.

Pet ownership in America is huge! There are approximately 70 million dogs and 80 million cats kept as pets.

Of this number, about 7.6 … Read more »

Amazing Ways to Save Money & Eat Healthier this Year (13 Tips)

Save money - Healthy living healthy eating

We’re always looking for easy ways to save money & eat healthier. And to be more aware of the nutritional value of the foods we buy and eat.

Here are 12 ways can we save money & eat healthier without going to extremes.

It’s a well-known fact that some of the most common New Year’s Resolutions are to lose weight and to get finances in order.

We’re hoping that this blog will inspire you on both fronts if you’ve made either of these resolutions this year. You can lose weight by eating healthier and you can eat healthier without spending a fortune! So let’s … Read more »

19 Affordable and Fun Spring Activities for Families

A list of inexpensive Spring recreation and fun ideas

Spring Activities – if you’re looking for fun spring activities for families this is the place. Spring is a time full of awesome and affordable recreational events. It’s the time for plants and trees to come back to life. And in many parts of the country families can be outside to enjoy the more temperate weather and outdoor activities.

If we just look ahead at the upcoming calendar & holidays there are plenty of opportunities for fun on the affordable side.

EVENTS AND SPRING ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILIES

Are there special Spring events in your area that tourists usually attend? Well, maybe you would … Read more »

How to Find the Best Thrift Stores Near Your Location and Online

Thrift Store Deals - How to Find them Near You! #ShopThriftStores #ThriftStoreDeals

Have you ever Googled, Thrift Stores Near Me? If you have, you know that there are treasures galore at prices that will make your friends roll their eyes.

If you haven’t asked this question, get ready, because we’re going to help you find the most awesome deals ever. There are thrift stores near you, no matter where you live.

What is your favorite way to answer the question, “I love that jacket, where did you get it?”

Some people would be forced to name a regular store with a high sticker price, but if you are anything like me then the answer is … Read more »

Family Teamwork: How to Accomplish More, Faster, Working Together

Family Teamwork - working together - sisters baking

Does your family work together as a team? We raised five kids and found that family teamwork helped us accomplish things faster. It also helped build our kids’ work-ethic and confidence.

Teaching kids the value of Family Teamwork has far-reaching effects. It translates into club activities, sports, jobs, church and eventually into their own families. 

In this article, we’ll share some tools and strategies that we used for more than 25 years as we raised and released our kids.

By the way, we didn’t do it perfectly. We had some stumbles, we had some failures, but overall, our kids learned that when we work … Read more »

11 Airbnb Hosting Tips & Secrets From a $30k Super Host

Airbnb hosting tips from a super host.

Are you thinking of becoming an Airbnb host? Are you looking for expert Airbnb Hosting tips? Do you want to earn an extra $10,000 this year?

We’ve been Airbnb Hosts for 9 years. We are on track to earn $30,000 this year by renting out three extra bedrooms in our house.

Even though the travel industry struggled through Covid in 2020, we’ve had some of our best years ever as a host family. So if you’ve ever considered home-sharing, this is a great time to get started.

In this article, we’re sharing our top Airbnb hosting tips. We hope that you can turn … Read more »

Paycheck Mistake? Don’t Wait Get it Fixed Right Now!

Paycheck Problems? A red brick will with large white letters spelling out "Tax."

Did your employer make a mistake on your paycheck? Have you been shorted some money or do you have one of these other problems:

Not enough tax withheld?
Vacation time not correct?
Overtime not correct?
Hours missing?

It’s not fun finding a mistake on your paycheck. But with a little work, most of these types of problems can be overcome quickly.

We received this question from a Free Email Newsletter subscriber and thought you’d find it helpful.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Question about IRS Paycheck Withholding Shortfall2 MoneySmart Answer:3 8 Things to Do About A Withholding Mistake4 Other Employer … Read more »

Top 25 Sites Like Craigslist: Alternatives for Buying or Selling FAST!

Sites Like Craigslist. #SellUsedItems #SellSafelyCraigslist #FlipUsedItems #SellStuffMakeMoney

If you like buying and selling things online, you need to know about other sites like CraigsList. There are a growing number of websites that are Craigslist alternatives for listing items for sale, classified ads, freebies, and advertising services.

Craigslist offers great opportunities to buy and sell your stuff. Back in 1995 the platform started as a classified advertisements website and has remained one of the best ways to buy and sell things.

Although Craigslist may have been the first site to connect buyers and sellers in a community-centered way, it is no longer the only way that you can buy and … Read more »

6 Reasons Why Eggs Are So Expensive? Where to Find Cheap Eggs

Why Eggs Cost So Much and How to Buy them Cheaper

Are you wondering how to save money on eggs? In the past 12 months, egg prices have shot through the roof! And we’re getting asked regularly by friends and media people, “Why are eggs so expensive and how can I get eggs for less?”

In Arizona, we’ve seen prices as high as $10 per dozen.

Are you wondering how you can still eat eggs without going broke? Or are you wanting to find ways to still have eggs in your weekly menu, but stretch them further? Or do you want to reduce the number of eggs in a variety of … Read more »

8 Secrets to Survive an Economic Downturn or Personal Financial Crisis

How to Survive a Financial Crisis and Economic Downturn.

Are you going through a financial crisis or cut in pay? Has the Covid Pandemic created financial hardship for you?

If your income were to dramatically drop tomorrow, would you survive?

Would you spiral into a financial crisis or would you be able to keep your head above water?

Types of Economic Downturns

Over the past 40 years, we’ve seen a huge number of economic downturns. How many of these do you remember?

9 Economic Downturn examples:

Energy Crisis (Gas prices soared 50 percent) July 1981 – November 1982
The Savings and Loan Crisis in the 1980s – … Read more »

18 Grocery Stores that Offer Senior Discounts

Grocery Stores with Senior Discounts - Woman selecting fruits and veggies

Are you wondering which grocery stores offer senior discounts in your area? Do you know which days and what ages qualify for the senior discount?

Grocery shopping can be one expense that is difficult to trim down. Luckily, there are many ways to cut back on your grocery costs.

With the use of store sales and coupons, you can dramatically reduce this line item in your budget. However, these money-saving grocery tips can be even more powerful if you are able to combine them with a senior discount. 

Watch the video at … Read more »

How Frugal Living Can Help You Hurdle Toward Early Retirement

Frugal Living Helps You Hurdle Towards Early Retirement!

Can Frugal Living make a difference in how soon you retire or is it just a waste of time? We’re going to give you one example of the power of frugal living as it specifically pertains to how soon you can retire.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 How Much Money Do You Need to Retire?2 A Retirement Rule of Thumb3 Building Savings is a Huge Hurdle4 How to Clear the Savings Hurdle5 How Fast Can the Savings Add Up?6 Frugal Living Reduces Your Retirement Savings Goal!7 Cut Your Insurance Costs8 Here’s A More Reasonable … Read more »

Surviving Grocery Inflation! How to Shop Smarter and Save When Prices Skyrocket

Grocery Store produce in wooden crates.

The price of groceries is constantly changing. But how do you survive when grocery inflation drives the price of groceries in your area through the roof? Or how do you adjust when you have changes in your family size?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 A Reader Asks about Grocery Inflation and Our Grocery Budget2 How Inflated Grocery Prices have Changed our Grocery Budget3 Grocery Inflation Chart 20224 What Hasn’t Changed with Our Grocery Expenses5 What is ShrinkFlation and How to Spot It?6 What You Can Do About Grocery Price Inflation7 Our Grocery Goal
A Reader Asks … Read more »

5 Required Emergency Fund Examples to Protect Your Future

Emergency fund Examples for building emergency fund savings.

If you’re building an emergency fund, you’ll want to set some savings goals based on the five-category examples in this article. We’ll give you emergency fund examples, amounts and categories.

If you’re managing a budget and have extra money available each month, you’ll want to take note of our emergency fund examples.

We took several years to accumulate our 5 category Emergency Fund Savings account. We’ll tell you what the categories are, how much we saved and where we keep it (it’s in a special high-yield bank account).

We’d love your input on our Medical Coverage Poll below – if you have … Read more »

Molecular Hydrogen: Health Miracle or Brown’s Gas Hoax?

Aquacure - Molecular Hydrogen HHO Brown's Gas - bubbling in a beaker

Have you ever heard of the potential health benefits of drinking hydrogen water, or breathing molecular hydrogen gas (aka HHO or HydrOxy or Brown’s gas)?

Are the claims of health improvement and performance enhancement hype or a hoax?

Molecular Hydrogen has been studied and used more and more since 2016. Researchers are looking at how it can help with various diseases, brain disorders, and skin problems. Although the FDA hasn’t approved these uses yet, some alternative medicine clinics are testing and using it. Also, several companies are now selling molecular hydrogen generators.

We will share the research studies we’ve found, list the companies … Read more »

Romantic Movies: Best PG-13 Family Friendly Valentine’s Day Flicks

If you're looking for movies that have romance or romantic comedy in them, here's a great list! Movie reels with a sheer valentine heart and the title Valentine movie mania

We have watched almost all of the PG-13 Romantic Movies listed below. All of them are family-friendly and are perfect for Valentine’s Day Movie Mania night. Or any other night when you just want to snuggle up together.

If you’re looking for a movie that will warm your heart, try these. We’ve picked movies with romance in them and romantic comedies from war flicks and heartwarming stories to total suspense! We’ve combined some of our favorites with a huge list provided by our Facebook Fans!

Romantic Movies suitable for Family Viewing

You may want to preview some of the movies produced after 1970 … Read more »

Family Date Night Ideas That Are Creative, Fun and Cheap

Free & Frugal Recreation Ideas - Lovers Lane -

Are you looking for family date night ideas that are fun, but don’t cost an arm and a leg? Sometimes inexpensive Fun Recreation Ideas are hard to find.

These days it’s easy to spend a significant amount of money on date night or date day. Families often overspend their recreation budget, thinking they can’t cut these expenses and still have a good time.

But we challenge that notion. There are hundreds of ways to enjoy family time or a date night without dropping $100 to do it.

Consider what you’d pay for the following: a professional sporting event, a concert, a museum visit, … Read more »

A Written Budget: The Best Way to Build Financial Confidence

Budget with Confidence. Green countryside with a bright rainbow reaching to the sky.

If you’re looking for the best way to build financial confidence, try setting up a written budget.

We’ve spent the last few weeks describing different spending plans or budget systems.

We’ve described several options for budgeting success and the amazing key to our budgeting success.

Today we’re sharing five benefits to having a written budget like we use. And yes, we do understand that a written budget may sound less tech-savvy than using phone apps or online budget systems.

But honestly, most budgeting apps aren’t as usable as our system and the online (web-based) systems are very difficult to set up.

Our written … Read more »