Blog Posts by Jodi Grundig

If your family finances are in need of some TLC, you're probably at a loss of where to begin. Here are the top five things I suggest you do NOW for your family finances.

1. Start retirement funds. If you don't already have 401ks, 403bs, or IRAs, start today! Retirement savings is the most important thing you can do for your future, and the earlier you start, the better.

2. Set up a balance sheet. A balance sheet serves as a thermometer so you can learn exactly what your financial situation is. It's the best starting point, even though it can be uncomfortable to put together. You can't improve a situation that you can't understand.

3. Order your credit reports It's important that you review your credit reports annually, to detect fraudulent activity and to detect honest errors. The reports are free to receive once per year, and you should review a report from each of the three credit monitoring agencies.

4. Create a family budget Every family, regardless of their financial situation,

Read More »from Top 5 Things You Should Do NOW for Your Family Finances

Like most moms, I have my ups and downs as a parent. Through those times, I've learned some ways to be a better, happier, and healthier parent. Here are the top five ways:

1. Make time for yourself. Whether you enjoy a special hobby, girl's night out, exercise, or spa days, it's essential that you take time to remember who you are as a person. You'll be a happier parent, and that will make you a better parent.
2. Play! Get on the ground and play with your kids. Dance around with them like no one is watching. Put away the iPhone, turn off the computer, and remember what it was like to be a kid.
3. Stay healthy. This ties in to #1. Make sure you get enough exercise, eat properly, and get your check-ups. A sick parent does no one any good.
4. Let go of perfect. It's not going to happen. Embrace your imperfection, and be the best parent you can be.
5. Enjoy the small moments. Those toddler belly laughs. The soft skin of your little one. The amazement when

Read More »from Five Ways to be a Happier Parent

…and no, this is not a random act of kindness post.

This, fellow moms, is a reminder, to pay attention to your finances. Diligently check your credit card statements, and keep a watchful eye on your bank account.

I have a relatively new second mortgage, which I pay through my online bill pay service. The bill pay service then mails a check to the mortgage company.

One month, I got a late notice, but I knew that I paid the account. So, I checked the bill pay, and yes, I had paid, and the check had been cashed. I called the mortgage company, and they assured me that they hadn't received the check and I must be wrong. So, I got a copy of the cashed check, and faxed it over. Turns out, they had applied my check to someone else's second mortgage. It finally got settled but took a total of six weeks!

Last week, I was checking my brokerage account (with check writing) and noticed a rather large check (over $600) had been cashed. I wasn't aware of a check in that amount, so

Read More »from I Paid One Stranger’s Annual CSA Payment and Another Stranger’s Second Mortgage Payment…

It's the new year, time to create family finance resolutions, revisit your financial habits, make new goals, and start anew! It's a great opportunity to create a brand new budget, reorganize, and gain control!

Step 1:

Review your budget. It's best if you compare your actual expenses to your original budget for 2010, and see if it's still realistic. If not, redo your budget, see if there is anything that can be reduced, and work with your new budget in 2011.

Step 2:

Organize your finances. Depending on your current situation, this could be a simple process or a longer one. First, put together a folder for your 2010 taxes, as you should be receiving important paperwork throughout January. Next, put together folders for bank statements, credit card bills, and other necessary files.

Step 3:

Plan your debt payoffs for 2011. Do you have debt that you are planning on paying down in 2011? If so, plan out exactly what you hope to pay each month, and set a goal for the

Read More »from Family Finance Resolutions for the New Year

Me before the Variety Power of Women Event
This month's Yahoo Mother Board topic is all about top tens, inspired by Yahoo!'s list of top ten searches.

Top Searches on Yahoo! in 2010
1. BP oil spill
2. World Cup
3. Miley Cyrus
4. Kim Kardashian
5. Lady Gaga
6. iPhone
7. Megan Fox
8. Justin Bieber
9. American Idol
10. Britney Spears

Ugh, what does THAT say about us as a society? I've decided to post my top 10 posts of the year, as determined by my traffic to the posts. I've skipped the about pages and main page, which get a lot of traffic. Here goes!

1. Tribute to Mr. Conrad Beaulieu - sadly, this was my most viewed post. Rest in peace Mr. Beaulieu.
2. The Mom Cliques - this post resonated with so many moms. And, I couldn't believe the searches that led people to this site - "neighborhood cliques", "stay at home mom cliques", "kindergarten cliques", "PTA clique", etc. Obviously this is a hot topic.
3. Red Carpet

Read More »from Top Ten Posts of the Year on Multitasking Mommy

I originally wrote this essay for a project that was canceled, and I didn't want to just file it away - so here you go!

"One, two…"

This is supposed to be a more guilt-free way of parenting… counting to three before giving a time out. No yelling. No arguing. He knows what happens at three, and he has until three to calm down. The rules are simple.

And, today, all of this is over something as simple as getting dressed in the morning. That's our latest problem. In fact, recently I brought my son to daycare wearing only a ski hat, tee shirt, and underwear on school picture day, because he refused to put on clothes. It was the most guilt-free way to go, except of course, until I arrived at school and he STILL refused to wear clothes. The other moms looked at me kind of funny and the pictures were never taken. So, now I have school pictures of one kid, but not the other…

"…two and a half… Two and three-quarters…."

"Come on honey, if mommy says three, you are getting a time out. You don't want a time out, do you? You understand, right?

Okay, I'll start again…. One, two."

He wins.

No one told me about the type of guilt I'd experience when I became a mom, or how long it would take me to realize how there's almost nothing I can do to avoid the guilt. Do you know how many kinds of mom guilt exist in the world? It starts from the day you get pregnant, and goes away … hmmm, maybe it never goes away.

While I've experienced just about every kind of mom guilt imaginable, these are my personal favorites. Some of these guilt trips are self-inflicted, but others involve in-laws, random strangers, co-workers, and spouses.

"Did you realize you are pregnant?" guilt

Everyone else in the world is a bigger expert at your pregnancy than you are. Didn't you know that? You are bigger than a whale, can't tie your own shoes, and decide to maybe, just maybe treat yourself to some polished nails. Then your male co-worker says to you "You paint your nails while pregnant? I never let my wife wear nail polish when pregnant".

Great, I've hurt my unborn fetus with nail polish…

"Stop stressing, you're stressing out your baby" guilt

You are trying to breastfeed, because of course we all know that's best for baby. Your baby, because she's premature, is having a hard time with the sucking reflex. So you stress out. To which the "helpful" maternity nurse says, "Stop stressing out, you are stressing out your baby". Which, by the way, causes more stress…

"The baby products you bought are now dangerous" guilt

Read More »from Living With the Daily Guilt

Moms… take a deep breath, light a candle, take a nice bath - because the holiday madness is about to hit, and you'll need to be ready!

I don't even know where I'll be eating Thanksgiving Dinner, and I haven't started holiday shopping, so when it's time to start, I'll be hitting the ground running. I also want to run the same 5 miler I ran last Thanksgiving, and of course, I haven't run since the spring.

Here are my tips to optimizing this time before the seasons get crazy:

• Improve your grocery shopping strategy! The holidays mean lots of food shopping, and any tips that save time and money will definitely make things go smooth. Check out my post and giveaway, and leave a question for Phil Lempert, the Supermarket Guru. I'll be posting Phil's video responses later this month.
• Make holiday shopping lists now. Start thinking about what you want to buy as gifts, and as you see deals and specials, start buying.

Read the rest of this on Mom's Favorite Stuff...

Disclosure:Read More »from Holiday Madness – Before the Crazy Hits