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5 money habits that will smack you in the wallet
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Parents teach their kids about many things. Are making healthy money choices one of them? Here are some money habits that can be taught early on, thus securing a healthy future in more ways than one. - photo by Healthy Living
In this day and age monetary awareness is more important than ever. The economy is unpredictable, jobs are much harder to come by and less stable, and we have more things than ever before begging for our money. Being mindful of your money does not mean hoarding it, but it is important to be conscientious of why and how, as well as how often, you are spending your money.

Many people think they are short on cash or simply not making enough money when, really, they arent managing their money well. I have a few friends who claim they dont have enough money and yet they spend $6 on a single cup of coffee every morning when a pot costs less than a dollar. According to Nerdwallet.com, the average credit card holds $15,863 in debt, which wouldnt seem all that bad until you stop to consider that many people hold multiple credit cards. The truth is, just by eliminating bad habits you will see your wallet begin to get bigger.

1. Not being conscious of your transactions - People buy things every day. When people buy small things they dont view them as a bank breaker. But when those small purchases become multiple purchases, the bank takes a bigger hit than many realize. By paying close attention to your spending you can see exactly where your money is going and how much you are spending. Mint.com is a fantastic free app that categorizes all your transactions, allowing you to securely manage your money and know exactly where its going.

2. Not establishing budgets - I say budgets because having individual budgets for things can allow you to spend your money more wisely. One big budget enables you to purchase whatever you want as long as it doesnt reach a certain limit. Smaller individual budgets enable you to break down that big goal, focusing on establishing necessities like rent, groceries, car payments, etc., and leaving a designated amount of money for non-necessity spending. Once again, Mint.com is a great way to manage this.

3. Dont use credit cards you cant afford - The need for short-term cash can be a great one. Having quick money is a privilege that many people take advantage of, but it comes back to bite them. Many people think of credit cards as quick money they have, when it is really someone elses money (a credit card companys) they will soon need to pay back. The debt can rack up more quickly than many realize and it could cause them severe financial issues later.

4. Not Saving - Spending money right as you get it has obvious repercussions, but this applies to two types of saving: long- and short-term. Saving for the long-term means putting away a specific amount of your income in order to save up a large amount. This means saving for a house, a car, your future childrens college funds, or when life happens. Short-term saving means managing your budgets and adding to that long-term piggy bank. It also means taking the excess money from your paycheck that doesnt go into those funds and, instead of using it on immediate wants, saving it for a time when you may want something a little more pricey.

5. Impulse Spending - We have all done it. Buying a new wardrobe because you were having a bad week and wanted to feel better, splurging on a new computer when the one you have works just as well, or a massive purchase, like buying a new car because your friend got a new one. People have moments of impulse spending and not all are bad, but if you need to be money conscious, multiple instances of impulse spending can accumulate and leave you relying on pennies. Make money decisions the way you would make other decisions: logically and without emotion.

With our current economy and job markets, being able to effectively manage your budget is a much needed skill. Millennials need these skills even more because they have the largest amounts of debt starting out, due to school loans and tuition payments. A recent Wells Fargo survey found that 4 out of 10 millennials are overwhelmed with student loan debt. When you have loans that need to be paid back each month, ensuring that you are capable of doing so is essential. Keeping an eye on your transactions, watching budgets and other small actions can end up saving you big. Being able to manage your money can help you to be financially prepared for family, relationships, and children.

Written by Drew Schreoder for healthyliving.care
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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