parenting – Page 4 – Luv Saving Money

GoodRx Gold 30 Day Free Trial

You may have seen the commercials. GoodRx Gold is a monthly membership plan that offers even more discounts on prescription drugs and healthcare services for individuals and families.

So what is GoodRx Gold? Think of it as an Amazon Prime or Sam’s Club members. It might not be for everyone but if you or your family purchase multiple generic prescriptions, you’ll probably find that it saves you a lot more money with the savings far exceeding your membership fee.

So how much is membership? It’s only $5.99/mo for individuals or $9.99/mo for families. You can include up to 6 people on your membership including pets. So if you have pets that take generic prescriptions, you can save on that too!

Still not sure if GoodRX Gold is for you? That’s ok, they’re offering a free 30 day trial for new members only. GoodRX gold is accepted at thousands of pharmacies including CVS, Costco, Krogers, Albertsons, and many more.

You can use GoodRX Gold whether you have insurance or not. If you’re looking for something to help with the cost of your generic prescription costs, why not try it for the 30 day?

This post does contain affiliate links. I will earn a commission for anyone that stays on after the 30 day free trial.

Teach My Toddler Giveaway

This information is brought to you by Teach My Learning Kits. All opinions are my own. #homeschool #remotelearning #distancedlearning

If you are looking for a fun way to teach your toddler – you need to check out the Teach My Toddler Kit! I really love that it has everything you need to have fun and teach your toddler!

68 pieces to teach your toddler the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and colors
Kit includes 4 board books, 4 posters, 7 puzzles, and 55 flashcards
It promotes literacy, numeracy, spatial reasoning, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills
Step by Step Teaching Guide To Ensure Successful Learning and Development Bond.
Teach. Play. 20 Minutes A Day!

You will look forward to spending this time with your toddler while you play and learn together! Another thing you will really LOVE about these kits are they 100% screen-free!! Our kids are too connected and you will love having non-tech products available to help them learn and have fun!

Teach My Toddler would be a fun Valentine’s Day gift. It’s a gift that will help them learn and lets you spend more time with them!

This fun kit helps your toddler feel like they are part of the new remote learning time. And you will enjoy having a way to connect with your toddler during this crazy time!

About Teach My Toddler:

Teach My Toddler is the multi-award-winning all-in-one learning kit for toddlers 18 months+. Requiring no screens, the kit has everything to give your toddler a head start and teach the basics. Teach My Toddler is divided into four sections; The Alphabet, Numbers, Shapes, and Colors. The teaching tools are fully coordinated to encourage repetition and interaction. Teach My Toddler is designed around the concept of matching, which is a key pre-reading skill!

Check out all the Teach My Kits they have available.

Easy to use educational materials have become popular during the pandemic with parents and grandparents. With parents’ worries of their kids falling behind or missed educational opportunities, parents want easy to understand and engaging educational products.

Giveaway Details:

Open to US Residents
Ends February 14, 2021, 11:59 pm EST
Prize: Teach My Toddler Kit

Entry -Form

Blogger is not responsible for fulfilling the prize. This is organized by SavingYouDinero.com and sponsored by TeachMy Products.

Why I Get My Middle Schoolers Mobile Phones

I want to start this off by saying I’m not judging anyone for giving or not giving a cell phone at any particular age. This post is strictly the reasons I decided to and my tips, as a mom of 4, who has given their children cell phones with another one coming up here in a few months.

Initially, I had it in my head that my kids weren’t getting cell phones until they were in high school. I figured they’d be more responsible, they’d need it when they started driving, for work, etc, etc. Little did I know how fast my mind would change with 1 incident in middle school.

My oldest son was in 6th grade so, he was about 11 years old. We found out when we moved to our new house that he would have to walk to the middle school which was 1.8 miles away. I worried about that, especially with these Pennsylvania winters. BUT, it was a straight shot on a main road in town. Other kids would be walking too. He would find friends to walk with, I was sure of it. I even walked it with him over the summer before classes started to see how long it would take. On a nice summer day with no heavy backpack it took us 20 minutes! 20 minutes! I worried about what it would be like when he had to trudge through unshoveled snow covered side walks with ice on the ground.

I worried about him a lot. I took him to school sometimes but I was working full-time at the time so it wasn’t always possible. Then my son found a walking buddy and I felt a little better about it.

Then my son starts telling me about these high school kids that would harass him and his friend on the way home. They would call them names, and even threw rocks at them. One day my son and his friend burst through our front door, eyes wide as saucers and out of breath. I knew something was wrong. It turns out, the high school kids that had been harassing them on the way home most of the year surrounded them and pulled a knife on them. They were able to get away but had to run nearly a mile home to get help. There are no pay phones anymore and people just aren’t as open to opening their doors to high school kids. I called the school immediately and we went through a process there.

Well that’s the day I decided my son needed a cell phone. Through trial and error I’ve learned these tips with giving kids cell phones. I also realized how much they’d be staying after school in middle school for sports practices, clubs, or just to hang out with friends.

Do NOT start them off with an expensive phone. Pick a free or low cost phone to start with until they learn how to take care of it.
Consider getting the insurance. Most insurance is only a couple dollars a month per phone. Though not all insurance plans are worth the investment so be sure to read the fine print.
When you get your child’s phone, whether you buy it in store or order online, get a phone case immediately! Don’t even give your child the phone until there is a case on it. There are tons out there that range from a few dollars to over $100. Shockproof, waterproof, glitter, name brand, and designers like Karl Lagerfeld phone case You can usually find something that fits your budget and your child’s personality.
Get screen protectors if the case you choose doesn’t have screen protection. I usually buy a budget friendly screen protector on Amazon.
Put restrictions on your child’s phone and lay ground rules. If passwords/passcodes are used, make sure you know what they are. Check your child’s phone often. Until the learn how to properly use texts, phone calls, social media etc.

Another thing I’ll add is to shop around for cell phone providers. Not all of them are created equal when you have family plans. We suffered with AT&T for too long. I had the mentality that I was with them for 16 years and never had an issue so why change (other than the exorbitant amount of money we were paying). We finally switched to Consumer Cellular and our bill was literally cut in half. I wish we wouldn’t have waited so long.

I know buying those things for your kids phone seem “extra” but trust me when I say a $15 phone case and $8 screen protector can save you a lot of money in the long run!

I’ve also found more benefits to them having a cell phone over the years. It makes it easier for them to check in with me and for me to check on them. They can get updates from the school’s automated announcements for school closings, delays, etc. When they started driving I’d have them call me when they got to their destination. There’s also tracking apps so I can see where they ACTUALLY are.

This post is sponsored by Diamond Bloggers. Any opinions expressed are my own. This post does contain affiliate links. I will earn a small commission from sales made through my links.

Spin Master Game Night: Headbanz, Upwords, and Grouch Couch

We had the chance to have a Spin Master Game Night through Tryazon. We received 3 different games: Headbanz, Grouch Couch, and Upwords. The are all family oriented board games but as you read my reviews you’ll see which ones might be better suited for your family

We are a family of 6. My kids are 7 yrs, 11 yrs, 16 yrs, and 18 years. So sometimes we have trouble finding family games that everyone truly enjoys.

Headbanz

Headbanz was probably our favorite game out of the 3. This one was so much fun. It’s easy to play right out of the box. The rules are simple. Everyone gets to participate. The kids loved picking out which headband they were going to wear too.

It comes with 6 headbanz making it perfect for our family. The headbanz aren’t made cheap either. They’re flexible, durable, and adjustable with cute designs like a unicorn, pirate bandana, crown, and more.

Pick a card, put it in your head band, then ask questions to see if you can figure out what’s on your headbanz. Oh and it’s times which gives that extra element of urgency. Everyone from my 7 yr old to my husband loved playing this game. We highly recommend Headbanz game. It’s a fun family board game for the whole family.

Upwords

Upwords is recommended for ages 8+. Though I think teens, husband, and I had more fun with this one. My 7 yr old wanted to play but we would have had to help her a lot. My 11 year old could play but would get frustrated at times. So I think this would be a great board game for teens as it’s challenging enough well letting them still have fun. It’s also a fun board game for adults.

I love word games. Upwords game adds another dimension (literally) by being able to stack letter to make new words. There is a play sheet with instructions and letter value. My only complaint is that the letter values aren’t marked on the tiles so I’m hoping we never lose the instruction sheet.

Grouch Couch

My littlest ones loved this game we played it several times since we got it. I think it’s ok. It’s a quick play game. Something you could play in 15 minutes if you’re short on time.

Grouch Couch is recommended for ages 5+. I can see why with the tiny pieces with bright colors that look like candy. The pieces though just add more dynamics and action to the game but aren’t actually a vital piece of play if that makes sense. There’s little coin shaped discs that shoot out every so often which is how you actually win the game. You have to end with the most of those coins.

The kids thought the couch animation was funny. I did find it entertaining. My only complaint with this game is that when the discs shoot out, it’s kinda forceful. Not like, inflict pain forceful but like flying off the table forceful. We were chasing them around the kitchen until we finally wised up and started blocking it with our hands.

All together I think this is a board game for families with young kids. While everyone can play, I think it’s more appealing to youngers children.

Family Fun

All three games were entertaining. I feel like Headbanz is truly fun for the whole family. Grouch Couch can be fun for the whole family but my teens weren’t that into it. Upwords is fun for adults and teens but not meant for younger children or kids that are easily frustrated.

All 3 of these games are under $20 making them a budget friendly game.

I received these games from Tryazon and Spin Master Games at no cost. Any opinions expressed are my own. This post does contain affiliate links. I will earn a small commission from sales made through my links.

Closet Organizing Tips From a Mom of 4

Growing up I was the oldest of 4. We lived in a small house. My sister and I shared a room. My brothers shared a room. Our rooms were far from spacious but it was enough. My mom seemed to be always cleaning, decluttering, sorting. I didn’t understand it at the time. Now that I’m a mom of 4 myself, I get it.

I could talk about organizing for a while. I feel like there’s still a lot of tips out there that I just haven’t learned yet. That’s why I’m sharing mine with you. If I can help one mom keep their sanity then I feel like I did something. While there’s lots of areas of the house to organize, I’m going to stick to closet organization for this post.

When we bought out current house we went from having hardly any closets to having tons of storage space. I thought, “Oh we have tons of storage space. I’m gonna be so organized” Now I wonder how we ever did it with the limited space we had before.

Just yesterday, I cleaned out and reorganized the master bedroom closet. It was a daunting task but I really felt like I did something when I was finished. So here are my favorite closet organizing tips

My Favorite Closet Organizing Tips

I go through mine and the kids clothes twice a year. Usually in the spring and again in the fall. We donate clothes that don’t fit and no one else in the family can use. This also gives me a good idea of what the kids might need coming up for the next season. Clothes that are stain, torn, etc are either repurposed as cleaning cloths or are thrown out.
Clear shoe boxes. This is my favorite. I get muti-packs when I find them at TJ Maxx or Ross Dress for Less. I can get a 10 pack for 12 dollars sometimes and it’s easy on the wallet. I store my shoes in those. It’s more uniform and visually appealing. I can see into the boxes to see what shoes are in there without having to open the boxes, and it keeps the dust off the shoes I don’t wear as often. They’re not just for shoes though. They’re great for organizing small toys, crayons, hair clips, whatever you can think of really.

If it’s not been worn in 2 years, get rid of it. I give myself 2 years. Sometimes there’s just a one size difference. Sometimes I think I’d wear the shirt or skirt in certain circumstances. But, after two years, if I haven’t worn it, it needs to go.
Belt/accessory/handbag organizing racks. There are so many depending on space. You can get some that hang on the wall, there’s organizers that hook over the door, there are even some that can simply hang on a clothes rack, like this purse organizer. I just ordered this accordian wall rack for my purses and scarves.

When going through your closet have 2 garbage bags with you. One for garbage and one for donations. I fille up a big garbage bag with things like really old pants that the elastic had dry rotted, broken hangers, packaging, expired products, shoes that have seen their better days, etc.
If you have a small closet or no closet at all, one thing my mother did was to pack up the clothes at the end of the season, put them in a garbage bag or tote marked with the gender and size and put the in the attic so they could be passed down to my sister, a cousin, or donated to someone in need. This cuts down on the amount of clothes you need to find a space for in the closet or bedroom and it’s not so overwhelming to look at.
As I said, in our old house we hardly had any closets or storage space. We ended up finding creative solutions that fit our budget. You can get tons of ideas from browsing storage and organization categories at your favorite stores. From moveable racks, to temporary and shelving solutions that can be cut to fit to fancy closet systems.

Everyone helps with their own closet/dresser. This allows your child to have a say. They may want to get rid of something you didn’t think they would. They might have sentimental value in a specific shirt or hoodie. Their room is their space. They should have say in how things are organized, what is donated, etc. After kids learn how and what to do they have sense of pride in taking care of their space which carries on later in life. Plus, things get done faster when the workload is split.
Organize like things together. Long sleeve shirts in one space, pants in another space, t-shirts in a different space. Even if it’s just making sections in a drawer.

If you’d like to see more posts like this, let me know in the comments section. Please consider sharing my blog posts with the social share icons at the top or left side of the post.

This post does contain some affiliate links. I will earn a small commission when purchases are made through my links.