Here are a few tips to have you soaking up the sun under budget.

1. Get off the beaten path. Skip the obvious hot spots and pick somewhere you’ve always wanted to go besides Cancun, Hawaii, or Disneyland. Most major cities have great attractions for families and national parks are still a great deal for families. (Check out next week’s post for ideas on must-see places for families.)

2. Buy a Citypass. If you’re hitting a big city, then this can save you long lines and lots of cash, and you’ll still see all the main attractions.

3. Subscribe to save. A lot of websites will deliver “the deal of the week” to your email to notify you of good deals on airfare and hotels. Be sure to subscribe to email feeds for airline frequent flier programs, TravelZoo.com, and About.com/budgettravel.

4. Hold out for a good deal. Track airfare rates on sites like Yapta that will alert you to good deals to your favorite destinations.

5. Skip the hotel. Instead of a hotel, consider doing a home exchange, using hotel points (similar to airline miles), or renting a condo or timeshare. This is especially helpful if you’re traveling with a large family and you need more room to spread out and want access to a kitchen to save on food costs.

6. Snack on this. I always pack a small suitcase, full of water bottles and snacks, so we can grab and go at Costco prices instead of becoming a slave to convenience stores. Once the bag is empty at the end of our getaway it’s a great place to stash souvenirs from our trip.

After coming down with the flu far too early this year, I was reminded how much it stinks to drive yourself to the store to pick up items to cure what ails you when you should really be in bed resting instead of spreading germs. Here’s a list of must-have items you should consider having in preparing for and warding off the flu in your home.

1. Stock up on tissues and over-the-counter medicines. Buy the good soft tissues with lotion and your own tried-and-true cold remedies when you spot them on sale. Keep a good supply for that inevitable day when the sniffing and sneezing begin.

2. Grab the Gatorade. In some cases of stomach upset, Gatorade can be a good way to replace electrolytes that have been lost from vomiting and diarrhea. It’s easier to have a few bottles on hand than to have to make a run to the store for this when someone is in need.

3. Consider getting a flu shot. Some people swear by these while others aren’t fond of the toxins that are introduced to your body. You have to do what makes sense for your particular situation, but if you’re on the fence about it, decide now before the vaccines are in short supply.

4. Confine and contain. Once one person comes home feeling achy or has a sore throat, create a “quarantine” area of your home to prevent others from becoming infected. Be sure to clean up high-traffic areas with bacteria killing products such as telephones, light switches, door knobs, and refrigerator doors. These frequently touched shared spots are especially great breeding grounds for germs. Many people are contagious before they even show symptoms so you should try to keep these surfaces clean and practice good hygiene as a preventative measure, too.

5. Teach good hygiene. Everyone should wash their hands with soap and warm water for a long enough period to sing, “Happy Birthday.” Sneezing and coughing into your shoulder and away from others is an easy way to keep germs from spreading.

6. Create a support list. Your home can go from happy and healthy to an infirmary in a heartbeat. Make sure you’ve got easy to access to contact numbers for friends, family, and neighbors who can help you keep the healthy inhabitants of your home up and running even when the only thing running in the rest of your house is a fever.

But for me, my shopping juices begin to salivate when I can begin to see the first signs of Christmas. I like to get a head start on the holiday craziness. It’s not the shopping I love, it’s the act of getting the shopping done that I enjoy. I actually detest the commercialism of Christmas and continually strive to find ways to work around the hoopla surrounding the day.

Several years ago I found myself close to a nervous breakdown because my husband wanted to relax on Christmas Eve. I thought to myself, Relax? Are you kidding? We have so much to do – presents to wrap, stockings to fill, stuff to assemble, food to prepare, and on and on … and on went my list of things that were overwhelming me.

It was after that point that I have truly made a concerted effort to have all of my holiday shopping done before Halloween. Don’t get me wrong. I have found some fantastic deals at the after Thanksgiving sales, but for the most part that really only pays off if you’re shopping for big-ticket items. If that’s the case, you can still purchase other items in advance and wait for one or two pricier gadgets to hit the big sales.

Of course, this is only possible to accomplish with careful planning, organization, and, dare I say it, downsizing of gift buying. I’ve gotten a lot of slack over the years on this particular concept. I have found that Christmas is far more enjoyable for everyone this way. I have to be deliberate in my purchases because I can only pick those things my children really want so I spend a lot more time selecting each gift.

I know my plan works because I enjoy Christmas more than ever and I’ve never heard my children complain about not having a great Christmas. Instead I hear words of joy like, “That’s the exactly what I wanted! How did you know?”

Does finishing your shopping sound like mission impossible? It’s really not. Here are three steps to get you singing “Jingle Bells” before the last leaves fall off the trees.

1. Make a list of all of the people you need to purchase gifts for. Try to consider downsizing or coming up with other ways to give this season, such as homemade gifts, service, etc.

2. Keep a notebook handy to jot down possible gift ideas for special people in your life. If you keep it all written down you’ll be able to make a budget and keep track of what you’ve purchased and what still needs to be done.

3. Find a spot to stash your stuff. I have a few great hiding spots my kids haven’t discovered yet. I even use the garages and closets of friends to keep my kids from snooping around. Don’t forget to write down your secret spot on Santa List so you’ll know where to retrieve come December.

While Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end to summer, it’s actually the start of shoulder season in the travel industry and may be a great time to take a vacation if your schedule is flexible and your budget is not.

The tourism industry has been hit hard by the global recession and deals this fall may be even more stellar than they typically are this time of year. Some experts report fares and bookings going for 40 to 50 percent off in order to lure vacationers.

If you didn’t take the getaway that you had wanted to in 2009, now is the perfect time to shop around and land a great deal. Whether you pull the kids out of school and hit the road or you take off for a romantic getaway now, it’s worth considering. However, there are a few things to think about if you decide to rendezvous in the off-season.

1. Pack for all kinds of weather. The temperature and precipitation can be very unpredictable this time of year depending on where you travel. Hurricane season is still in full swing in some areas, but early snowfall isn’t out the question in other parts either. You may have blistering heat one day and a torrential downpour the next, so you should pack for the worst and hope for best.
2. Check the times and availability of major attractions. Most large tourist attractions are open longer hours during peak tourist times, such as summer, but convert to off-season hours after Labor Day. Be sure to check online when planning your itinerary to be sure your destination for the day is open and running.
3. Don’t forget the sun and the stars. Remember that the days leading up to winter get shorter and shorter. Keep that in mind when you are making plans for a hike through the fall foliage or else it may end up being a night under the stars instead.
4. Be flexible. Off-season is a time when museums change out exhibits, theme parks close rides for maintenance, and other attractions shut down operations on weekdays. Expect these bumps in the road and remember that you’re saving cash and ditching the crowds by traveling during shoulder season.
5. Put indoor activities on your agenda. Even though the weather may be great when you plan your trip, it may be stormy when you arrive. Make sure you seek out activities that allow for fun indoors so you don’t get “rained out” on your trip.

Planning a trip to the 1000 islands?

Even though the retail world has turned the spotlight to Back to School shopping, now is the perfect time to cash in on those clearance racks filled to capacity with bathing suits and Capri pants. Here are my tips for making the most of the clearance sales so you’ll be set for next summer.

1. Buy for now and later. You may find that your kids are short on shorts or have hit a growth spurt and have already grown out of their bathing suit. These summertime items, which normally run $10-20 each, are now reduced by 90 percent and are sometimes as low as $1.99. If your kids are well stocked for this year, consider stocking up for next year. Most of the time you can guesstimate what size your kiddos will be by the next time summer rolls around. It’s also a great time to make purchases on adult apparel, too.
2. Beware of bargains that aren’t such a great deal. Not all clearance racks are created equally. Thirty percent isn’t much of a discount. Dig a little deeper or don’t be afraid to walk away if it’s not in your price range. The whole idea of a clearance rack is that it’s supposed to save you lots of money or it’s just not worth it. Don’t be lured just by the idea of a sale. You have to know what the original price in order to determine if it’s a good enough buy to make the cut. Look for special one-day sales and coupons you can use to get an additional 10 to 50 percent off the clearance price. Those tend be the deals that pay off the most.
3. Stock up on non-clothing essentials, too. Plastic plates and cups, bug spray, beach towels, and sand toys are also filling up clearance sections as stores make space for pencils and papers. Again, those same deep discounts can apply to these seasonal items so keep your eyes peeled for items that you’d like to have on hand next Memorial Day and beyond. Some items, like sunscreen, can expire, so make sure you know an items storage limitations before you purchase them.
4. Tuck it away for safe keeping. Since it will be another nine months before you’re looking for some of these items, you want to store these items somewhere you can find them when you need them again. I store our items in a plastic Rubbermaid tub that I label and then put on a shelf in the garage.

By Ann Springer

School has already commenced in some parts of the country, while others are still preparing for the big day. Returning to the school routine is both a great and dreadful day in many households. It marks the end of the fun summer but also the beginning of a fresh school year full of possibilities.

The back-to-school ritual is also a time that requires a lot of purchasing and preparing, but with the right

preparation you can save both time and money. The smell of freshly picked apples and the sight of school supplies can excite us for the commencement of a new school year, but if we’re not ready for it, it will overwhelm us and squelch us of our energy.

Here are some of the things you can do to prepare for that day that is an American tradition: The First Day of School. Even if you’ve already starting hitting the books again you can still take these steps to make sure the rest of the year goes smoothly.

1. Assess and take inventory. I take stock of every single item of clothing my daughters own, from their socks to their hats. We sort through every drawer and each closet, evaluating each item while we ask ourselves, 1) Does it still fit? 2) Do you wear it? If not, will you wear it ever? and 3) Is it stained, does it have a hole, or is it missing a button? This year I was shocked that we filled two full bags of clothing to be donated or passed down to younger nieces and one full bag of trash! That is one bag of unwanted items per child taking up space in our life.
2. Make a list. Once I’ve whittled each of their wardrobes down to what is actually useable for the coming school year, I make a list of items that we need to purchase.
3. Wash and wear. It’s amazing how an old, crusty pair of tennis shoes or a sticky backpack can look as good as new after a spin through the washing machine. The dryer may damage plastic snaps on backpacks, or add to the wear and tear of other items, so it may be best to let some items air dry.
4. Talk it over. Each year we seem to be adjusting alarm clocks to fit the needs of our schedule for that particular stretch of time. Instead of blurting out the awful early morning hour to my kids I let them count backwards and come to their own conclusion about what time they need to get up in the morning. It’s also a good time to set goals for helping them to become self-reliant in the morning (setting their own clock, showering, making lunch, etc.)
5. Review the rules. My husband and I always set aside the week before school begins to review all of our “Stranger Danger” warnings with the kids. The older they’ve gotten the more detailed we’ve been able to get in these topics. Our children aren’t out of our sight too often, but school is a place where our children are exposed to all kinds of people and things often without our knowledge. It’s a great time to remind them that they can always discuss things with us if they have questions or are confused by things they’ve heard or seen at school.
6. Go out with a bang. Set a date on the calendar amidst all of the busy preparations to have one last day of fun.

By Ann Springer

Everyone knows that living with children means you are familiar with sacrificing. I love having a clean house, so I struggle to keep my sanity when I’ve stepped on another Lego with my bare foot or find yogurt art smeared all over my kitchen table. While I openly admit to having a passion for organization, I am the first one to complain about cleaning. The satisfaction of a clean home is short lived that I struggle to put a lot of time into it when I could be doing something else that has a longer return on investment. However, the years I’ve learned a few shortcuts to spend less time cleaning up and more time having fun.

1) Let kids be kids. Hovering over and picking up after kids all day long is the definition of insanity. No one will be happy at the end of the day if this is the system you adopt – the kids or the parents. Instead, let the kids spread out during the day or after school (within reason) and then spend the last 10 minutes of the day before dinner transforming your home back into an adult space. It’s amazing what a mess than can make in an hour or two, but order can be restored in less time than it takes to watch an episode of Sponge Bob.

2) Get a little help from Mr. Clean. If you’ve got the right cleaning tools on your belt you can really make your house sparkle in no time at all. Some of the best products on the market cost less than $5 –but are worth every penny spent for the hours of hard work they help one avoid. Between baby wipes and Magic Erasers, you can clear off what I affectionately call “kid funk” from nearly any surface. I also adore Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Bowl Gel because it keeps toilets fresh smelling and clean looking for days longer without turning your water blue.

3) Call in the troops. All of my children know how to clean from a very young age. My theory is everyone makes the mess, so I figure everyone can pitch in and help to clean up. Toddlers can clean up their own toys, older kids can help with laundry, and nothing makes me love my husband more than when he comes home and says, “How can I help?” Besides, when everyone helps we spend less time cleaning and more time together having fun.

By Ann Springer

Most parents would likely agree that getting their kids to pick up their bedrooms can be more work than just doing it themselves. We all know that method is a losing battle. The kids will never learn to be responsible if everything is done for them. Besides, what parent wants to pick up after their kids all the time?

Not sure where to start? With the right system in place, the possibility for a tidy room is definitely a possibility. Below are a couple steps to getting kids rooms or toy rooms under control.

1) Start in the master bedroom. In case you didn’t already know this, kids pick up on everything. If your bedroom isn’t clean you can’t really expect to hold your offspring to the same standard. I’ve noticed that the tidier my room is, the cleaner my children’s rooms tend to be. Resist the urge to come up with adult-sized excuses and instead tackle your own mess first. Credibility goes a long way in holding kids accountable.

2) Every year – twice a year. I adopt a model in which our kids donate one item from their room for every new item that they receive. This philosophy keeps inventory from exploding in our children’s room. So, when you’re child is begging for that Happy Meal toy ask them, “If I buy this for you, what toy in your room will you donate?” If carried out, this method can be an effective way to keep kids from always wanting new items. It also helps them part with items they don’t really use anymore. Additionally, I recommend sorting through every item in their room about twice a year (preferable around the holidays and birthdays). We use this time to repair items, replace batteries, toss items we can’t donate, and pass on others that are in good order still. At the end of the process we usually have at least one bag full of donations and another full of trash yet their room still looks full and their faces show pride and joy.

3) Preventing a pack rat. We’re all naturally inclined to want things and to cherish the items we have, but it’s not the things that bring us happiness, it’s our connection to what they represent that makes us happy. Teaching children to let go of possessions helps prevent materialism and donating them to others helps them to be unselfish. Achieving an orderly space for your kids to call their own may require letting go of items in which you have excess. How many t-shirts can one third-grader really wear? How many stuffed animals does your toddler really play with? We’ve found it’s easiest for our children to “donate” loved items to others when they can see where they’re going. We regularly drop off bags to families with younger children and watch them play with the hand-me-downs with excitement. You may also want to take a trip to your local thrift store, or shelter, to show kids where the donation bags ultimately end up.

4) Organization is a skill. Once you’ve cleared out and whittled down their toys and clothes to a manageable level it’s time to give it all a home. If you can establish a logical home for all of the items then you’re children should be able to easily follow through and maintain the system. After doing a quick inventory you may realize you need to purchase additional storage solutions. Check out organizational items everywhere, from hardware stores to big box super stores. You never know where you’ll find the bookshelf, toy box, or other system you need to get your room in check. Sort toys by the type of toy they are and then label each bin. For young children you may have to use pictures of the contents if they aren’t old enough to read. Introducing children as young as 2 and 3 to sorting toys is a natural time to begin because toddlers love to sort and organize as they work on their brain development.

5) Pile on the praise. If they clean up their Connect Four game when they’re done without being asked, or they do a great job putting the Barbie collection away, I am always quick to give them kudos. It’s always best to catch to take a positive approach when possible. So catch them doing something good so they’ll be more likely to repeat a good behavior instead of a bad one. It’s often easier said than done unfortunately because it’s easier to recognize a messy room than to notice a neat one. Using TV or computer time, or whatever currency your children bartar with, as a reward is a great incentive, but piling on the praise and love from Mom or Dad also goes a long way in motivating children.

By Ann Springer

Parents everywhere rejoiced when washable art supplies hit the market. No longer do you have to line your kitchen table with newspaper before you can let your kids create a masterpiece.

Children love to create their own masterpieces and there are endless products on store shelves to help these budding artists. If you’re not organized, you may find that no matter how many boxes of Crayolas you purchase you still find yourself searching under couch cushions looking for half a dozen crayons when your child wants to color.

Not only does this waste time and money, it also means you’ve got art supplies loose in your house that could potentially damage furniture or walls. Here’s my plan to keep unauthorized art projects to a minimum.

1) Isolate all of the art supplies to a limited area. For older children, I recommend keeping all art supplies on a desk with shelving. The desk can double as a place to do homework as well as craft projects. For younger children I recommend a small table for them to call their own. Keep art supplies out of arms reach but make them available upon request and with supervision. This should keep glitter glue and Play-Do out of your carpet and onto the places their intended.

2) Organize the instruments. A lazy susan with sorting bins – like a repurposed kitchen tool from Pampered Chef – makes a great art caddy. It spins and has small slots for items to be sorted like crayons, markers, pencils and scissors. When you remove the items from their original boxes and pool them together the kids have everything they need at their fingertips. Another bonus to creating a caddy is it’s also portable if we’re working on a larger product and we need to relocate to the kitchen table.

3) Toss it in the trash. Placing a trash can near the desk or table is a great way to keep pencil shavings and wads of used paper off the floor. If you give them easy access to the trash they’re more inclined to use it.

By Ann Springer

It’s easy to get to the end of an exhausting day and wonder, “What did I actually accomplish?” With the right methods and tools in place, anyone can be efficient and effective in his or her day.

First, you should inventory your time over a week-long period. Everyone gets the same 24 hours in a day, but some people seem to get much more done in that same period than others. How much TV do you really watch each week? How much time do you waste on Facebook or texting friends? Could you delegate some tasks to your spouse or children?

You should streamline your daily routines. Look at how you can shave off five to 10 minutes from your morning routine and five to 10 minutes off your bedtime routine. Maybe you have a hard time finding something to wear in the morning. Instead of having a fashion emergency every day, check the weather before you hit the sack and lay out your outfit before you are under the gun. When you add those wasted minutes up, you will have an extra 10 to 20 minutes to allocate elsewhere.

Look at where your biggest time suckers lie and then figure out how you can accomplish the same goal in less time. For example, if meal preparation and clean-up absorbs your evening, then consider preparing your meals once for the whole week to save time cleaning and preparing.  Or you may opt to cook once a month and freeze the meals you won’t use that week. This cuts down on time in the kitchen and you’ll waste less food and save money.

The old adage says that “time is money,” so keep this in mind as you determine how you’ll allocate all of the extra time you’ve tried so hard to accrue. Start with a pocket sized/purse sized notebook that keeps you on your goals. Make a master list of things you’d like to do if you had more time. Take each goal and break it down into smaller tasks if you need to. Then put each tasks into categories: 1) errands to run, 2) phone calls to make, and 3) things to sit down and do.

Each night before you go to bed take items off of your master list and write them on a sticky note that will be your to-do list for tomorrow. Slap the sticky note atop your master list and add reminder notes on your to-do list that might not be on your master list (like pick up dry cleaning). This system comes in handy when a client cancels and you’re close to an errand you needed to run from your master list, or you have 10 minutes to make phone calls from your master list while you wait for your son at soccer practice.

You can find yourself running too fast for your own good if you are always running to keep up with your master list. Schedule time for meditation, quiet thought, personal study, and exercise and time with family and friends. The list is meant to help you manage your life, not to manage you.