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When people warn you that having kids is expensive, it’s no joke. From diapers to food, braces to sports activities the costs add up quick. For a middle-income family in the U.S. raising a child up until age 18, costs an estimated average of $245,340 (or $304,480, adjusted for projected inflation), according to the 2013 “Cost of Raising a Child” report from the U.S.

For some people, getting an auto insurance quote is a lot like spinning a roulette wheel; you don’t know what will come up, and each time you spin it (getting quotes from different companies) it’s always different. Worse, there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason for the quote.

Ask anyone and even if they don’t know a thing about investing they’ll say, “oh, real estate is a great investment!” Well, it can be if you approach it in a smart way that works for you and your financial situation.

Ask anyone and even if they don’t know a thing about investing they’ll say, “oh, real estate is a great investment!” Well, it can be if you approach it in a smart way that works for you and your financial situation.

Roses are red, violets are blue, Valentine’s Day can be cheap, hooray for you!

Right after New Year’s the red, pink, and white move in to the shopping aisles to serve as a perpetual reminder that Valentine’s Day is coming.

Think back to those early days in life when it seemed like everything in the candy aisle was free if you begged your parents hard enough. Not a fleeting thought was given to the expenses of a vacation or the copay costs at the doctor. There’s something beautifully unburdened in the way which children experience the world: recklessly present and innocently ambivalent.

Donations to charities are a win-win when it comes to filing taxes. You can feel good about helping a cause you care about as well as write off the donations to “qualified organizations” on your taxes at totals up to “50 percent of your adjusted gross income,” according to the Internal Revenue Service.

Life happens, and, when it does, it sometimes has a tendency to get in the way of the things we are trying do for ourselves and our families.

After the shock and joy immediately following the baby’s birth then all the other emotions set in as you mentally fast forward through the sudden expenses to be expected in the future...one of the biggest being the cost of education. Now, more than ever, a bachelor’s or a trade degree is essential for a future.

The stockings have been hung, candles lit, lights strung, and carols sung when the financial stress begins to peek behind the corners of brown paper packages tied up with string. Everything’s shiny and cozy but you can’t extinguish that tiny feeling that you went way over budget this holiday. You’re not alone; holidays are a particularly financially stressful time for many.