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Buy a Suitable Phone for Your Teen

January 25, 2012 By

Communication dominates high school corridors, with a constant exchange of ringtones and text reminders—the white noise of instant messaging. The generation today documents every experience with just the press of tiny buttons, and phones are now are considered a necessity in a teenager’s experience.

Parents often find themselves struggling with that experience, however. Teens demand social media and convenience, wanting to entertain themselves between classes. Mothers and fathers, instead, opt for affordability and functional features. Creating a compromise between these ideas is not an easy task. It is, though, a possible one if appropriate phones are chosen.

Consider the following four options:

LG Optimus V 

Boasting a sleek design and practical interface, the LG Optimus V is an ideal choice for teens. This Google Android platform offers quick speeds (3G as of 2012) and high resolutions, which makes it perfect for texting, gaming and more. Parents will certainly approve of the low purchase price, however, and the flexibility of Virgin Mobile family planning. The LG Optimus V is a streamlined item that meets teen’s tech needs.

BlackBerry Curve

Youth are social animals, and the BlackBerry Curve is a social phone. This gadget offers a full QWERTY keyboard, perfect for emails and texting; features Microsoft programs for sharing documents or homework suggestions; and even provides access to Rhapsody Unlimited, which allows users to exchange playlists, post songs to Facebook and more.

As of 2012, this service has been increasingly popular, with even Cricket’s Muve Music Phone challenged by Rhapsody. The BlackBerry Curve proves ideal for networking and is an excellent choice for active teens.

The Kajeet

Offering a pre-paid philosophy and stellar parental controls, the Kajeet serves as a parent’s perfect dream. Utilizing functions like monthly text limitations, restricted access to designated web pages, and even the ability to manage when the phone can (or can’t) be used, the Kajeet simplifies the communication process.

This is an easy introduction for young teens, teaching them responsibility and how to avoid the pitfalls of exceeding their minutes.

Apple iPhone

Cellphones are much more than collections of buttons and dial tones. Instead, the Apple iPhone proves that they are an efficient—and an innovative—form of communication. Providing over eight gigabytes of storage capabilities and 3G speeds, this is the phone that redefined technology. Its endless features (such as 1080p HD video, dual core A5 chip, advanced optics camera, and even access to Rhapsody Unlimited) brand it the desire of every teen. And its affordable cost makes it the friend of every budget-conscious parent.

The necessity of a cell phone is undeniable. Choosing a suitable option for teens is just as vital, however. Consider then the LG Optimus V, the BlackBerry Curve, the Kajeet or the Apple iPhone for ease and lessened costs.

Are you ready to impress your teen with your choice of technology?

Filed Under: Budgeting

The World’s Best Budgeting Tip

February 3, 2011 By

Creating and maintaining a budget is one of the great challenges of married life. No matter how hard you try, and how careful you are, there always seems to be some extra expense to throw everything out of kilter. Many couples have said they don’t know how they’d live without their credit cards to bail them out.

Wait a minute! Living by credit cards? That’s a sure-fired recipe for financial disaster. Do you know that most families live on 110% of their income? They make up the shortfall with their credit cards. I’m not saying that they actually sit down and write up a budget that’s more than their income, what I’m saying is that they make up a budget for 100% of their income, with the assumption that they can take care of any problems with their credit cards. All that means is that they’ll be in debt forever.

The best single thing you can do to make sure you can live within your budget is cut your credit cards up and throw them away. That way, you’re not accumulating more and more debt every month. Then, because you don’t have the credit card to count on, use your hp laptop to create and write up a budget that gives you a little bit of slack every month. That slack is to take care of those unexpected expenses.

You’ll find that not having credit cards to depend upon will cause you to modify your thinking. Suddenly, you’ll find new ways to cut bills, save money, and do without things that you previously thought you had to have. You’ll be seeking ways to stretch your dollar, not ways to increase your spending limit. You’ll look at sales and say, “If that wasn’t on sale, would I still want to buy it?” instead of buying it because you can pay for it later.

The truly great thing is that once you pay off your existing credit card debt, you’ll actually have more money each and every month. That money you’ve been paying in credit card interest will become money you can pay yourself, for something you’ve been wanting.

Filed Under: Budgeting Tagged With: ,

Tips for Handling Emergency Situations

January 11, 2011 By
A mobile home being prepared for transport.

Image via Wikipedia

Being a parent changes you. It changes your priorities in life. No longer are you living just for yourself. You begin living for your children. They become your biggest concern and you find yourself wanting to protect them from the world. One way to put your mind at ease as a parent is to have an emergency plan. Emergencies come in every form, from natural disasters to financial woes. Being prepared will help you relax and enjoy life.

Natural Disasters

Natural disasters, such as tornadoes, happen all of the time. Depending on where you live, you may find yourself at the mercy of Mother Nature. If you and your loved ones ever have to face a tornado, keep the following in mind:

• Pay attention to the weather stations on the radio for updates on the storm
• Listen for sirens and take cover immediately
• Basements and windowless, interior rooms provide the best protection
• Never stay in a mobile home during a tornado
• If you do not have a safe place at home, go to a community shelter

Fires also affects millions of people every year. Some fires have natural causes, such as lightning, and other fires are caused by people. During a fire, remember these tips:

• Stay low to avoid inhaling too much smoke
• Check the temperature of doors before opening them
• Have a fire escape plan and teach it to your children
• Stop, drop and roll if your clothes catch on fire and show your children how to do the same

Financial Disasters

If you ever find yourself needing money fast, utilize all of your resources. Borrow from family and friends. Apply for an emergency loan from GreatPlainsLending and have your funds deposited quickly and efficiently. This is a valuable resource for emergencies. Loans are easy to qualify for and repayment is virtually hassle-free. Save yourself the worry and have your resources prepared in advance.

Filed Under: Activities, Budgeting Tagged With: , ,

Tax Tips for New Parents

December 17, 2010 By

If you are a new parent, then you should be aware of the fact that the tax rules are going to be different this time around. Deductions, tax credits, claim amounts and other numbers are suddenly going to be different because of the new addition to your household, and so there are specific things that you are going to want to keep in mind when it comes to filing your taxes as a brand new parent. If you learn how to use being a new parent to your advantage, then you will be able to better maximize your tax return.

The biggest thing to keep in mind when it comes to tax tips for new parents is that you should be aware of the deductions and credits that are available to you now, not only as a new parent, but as a parent in general. Childbirth preparation classes, child tax credits, childcare tax credits and babysitting tax credits are all available to you if you qualify, and what this is going to translate to is the ability to recuperate some of the costs that you paid throughout the first year of your young one’s life.

The first time that you file your taxes as a new parent, it would be wise for you to work with a trained tax representative so that you can find out about all of the various deductions and credits that are available to you. When you work with a professional tax preparer, he or she will be able to walk you through each and every line item, child related deduction and child related tax credit to make sure that you get the best possible tax return as a result, and this is the best way to maximize the tax benefits that come with being a parent.

Filed Under: Activities, Budgeting, Working Moms Tagged With: , , , , , , ,