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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

Everybody knows that having a child puts a dent in your family finances, but not everybody plans for it. What's worse, even those who do plan have lots of misperceptions about just how big an impact a little baby can have.

Be aware of money mistakes new parents make the most - and what you can do to avoid them.

Mistake #1: Where'd All the Money Go?

Expectations: 76% of expectant parents say they feel financially prepared for having a baby - but 41% of new parents admit that, in hindsight, they were not as financially prepared as they thought.

Reality: Why the huge discrepancy? It turns out there's a major financial roadblock that expectant parents often fail to account for: hospital bills. One in four new parents ended up spending more than $2,000 on out-of-pocket costs for services associated with a normal delivery - costs that they thought would be covered by insurance. On average, expectant parents are allotting just $776 to cover out-of-pocket delivery costs. Also See: How Many

Funds may be low this year, but that doesn't mean you have to stay at home all summer long. Says Emily Kaufman, author of The Travel Mom's Ultimate Book of Family Travel: "If you're prepared, realistic, and flexible when it comes to vacations, you'll have a lot more control when it comes to lowering the price." Here are her favorite ways to cut travel costs.

PLAN WAY AHEAD. Book your trip early so you can use airline miles or hotel points. Also, cruises are often discounted if you pay six or more months in advance. Thinking of group travel? Here are some tips to enjoy it.

OR WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE. If you have some wiggle room on your departure date or destination, book your trip just a few weeks before you want to go. Often you'll find lower rates for hotels and airfare. Log on to lastminute.com for deals. Try one of these fun last-minute getaways.

GO DIRECTLY TO THE SOURCE. Low-fare airlines (such as Southwest Airlines or AirTran) may have rates that don't appear on major travel

It's a cliché because it's true: Men think about sex a lot - every seven seconds, according to one oft-repeated estimate. But just because we women have a few other things on our minds - the soccer-practice schedule, what to make for dinner, and where did I leave that brown sweater? - doesn't mean we don't have our own rich internal sexual lives. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't take a candlelit dinner or a bodice-ripping romance novel to get the average female thinking lusty thoughts. In fact, some of us are contemplating X-rated interludes while on the elliptical at the gym, while stuck in traffic, or even while on the couch during our favorite TV shows. And that's a very good thing. Go ahead, indulge in a quick fantasy about the bag boy while you're waiting on line at the grocery store - exploring your own imaginative hot zone keeps you connected to your sexual self, even when your real sex life is in a cool phase.

REDBOOK asked three women to keep a journal for one week and

This personal decision has been drawing a great deal of attention recently, so we decided to make a good old pro-and-con list. Here are the factors that are dividing us on breastfeeding - where do you stand?

PRO: It's convenient. You don't have to buy breast milk or make up bottles, which saves time - and money. (Formula can cost from $1,200 a year up to $2,400 or even more.)

CON: It's not easy - especially at first. "There's a two-week learning curve," says Loretta McCallister, a spokesperson for La Leche League International. She encourages moms-to-be to take a breastfeeding class and line up a place to go for support. Some women have a harder time than others for a variety of reasons, such as little breast tissue, nipple shape, narrow ducts, or low production.

PRO: It promotes bonding. "Women get a sense of well-being when they nurse," McCallister says. That's thanks to the feel-good brain chemicals called prolactin and oxytocin. But, adds Rebecca Booth, M.D., an ob/gyn in

Let's be honest: Even if you apply your daily sunscreen religiously and spend your summers under wide-brimmed hats, exposure happens. And it can lead to a dull, mottled complexion. We're not talking cute freckles here - although those are UV by-products too. We're talking splotches that are nobody's idea of cute, plus an allover, lackluster eh.

But, there are brightening options. Here are some from the experts.

Add sparkle to your shower. You likely already use a body wash but make your next one exfoliating to slough off skin, and add in glow: many now leave behind a trail of shimmer. PLUS: Do this to elevate your shower experience.

Rethink your bronzer. "Mix your summer bronzer with a fresh pink blush," says film makeup artist Tricia Sawyer. "You'll look healthy, not tan." Use bronzer in the hollows of your cheeks, "then sweep a pink shade on the apples," she says. PLUS: We've got seven secrets to faking a summer tan.

Go green. It might look a little gross, but algae can make you

If you're not getting as much sleep as your body needs - say, you're constantly yawning, irritable, unfocused, and physically exhausted - then it's time to tweak your habits. Women's wellness experts Susan Love, M.D., and Alice Domar, Ph.D., reveal a few healthy solutions.

Start with these tried-and-true tips, which we've ordered from easiest to more challenging:

• Keep your bedroom cooler.
• Watch television, work, and read somewhere other than your bed.
• Don't eat a big meal just before bedtime.

• Expose yourself to 30 minutes of sunlight every day, whether you're outside or just near a window.
• Don't drink caffeine after 4 p.m.
• Limit yourself to one glass of alcohol in the evening. (Alcohol can help you fall asleep faster, but it disrupts your sleep later on.)
• Exercise during the day - not before bed, because your body

The prospect of a group tour makes a lot of us uneasy. Given that you are touring a place on someone else's watch, many find the planned schedules restrictive. Plus, there's the group of strangers one may or may not like, and the large group that screams "tourist." But group tours are not always a bad thing; in fact, they may just surprise you and offer some truly memorable, and unique, experiences. Here are useful tips to help you and your family make the most of your experience traveling with a large group.

1. Think about your comfort first. When you are booking your group tour, think about the things that make you happy when you're traveling. Do you typically like to split the family up into two different hotel rooms? Do you prefer for the rooms to be next door to each other so that everyone can walk in and out of each other's spaces easily? Is it absolutely necessary for your son or daughter to have a window seat on all flights? These are all things the tour operator should know at