Search Results for: blog the psychology of spending up

The Psychology of Spending Up II

This is a continuation of yesterday’s blog post. If you missed it, click here to catch up! As I walked to the car where my family was waiting, I started laughing. In fact, I was laughing so hard that my husband started laughing, too, even not knowing why. At first he was admittedly shocked. We had been having a pretty bad week, and laugher was the last thing he expected from me. I finally understood that why someone would by a $9 bottle of shampoo over a $2 one, even if the formula is exactly the same. In fact, research … Continue reading →

Potty Training Using Pull Ups

Yesterday I wrote an article about how pull ups have played a role in our potty training. I actually hate pull ups. I still do and I would really encourage anyone not to buy them but rather let the babe run free and naked. It does mean more messes to clean up but it also means faster (and cheaper) potty training. However, as you all should know by now, I have twins and the nakedness thing sometimes doesn’t work when you’re wiping up two puddles (or other things. . .) all the time. I also have become acutely aware that … Continue reading →

New Blogger Introduction

Greetings fellow food-lovers! I am Elizabeth Kane, the newest addition to the Food blogger team here at Families.com. I am a working mother of two, and am currently completing my Masters degree in Psychology. I have always loved to cook, and am thrilled to be writing for the Food blog. It’s so much fun to share recipes with others and to help people learn more about cooking and baking. Through my blogs I hope to give you some fun ideas to help make your own family meals more interesting. If your family is like mine, we tend to get in … Continue reading →

Why Smart Shopping Strategies Can Ruin Your Holiday Budget

It is usually the early bird that gets the worm, but when it comes to holiday shopping, the early bird may also get the bigger bills. People who shop the sales may also spend more than those who plan on buying items at full price. It sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But according to the American Research Group studying holiday spending, the average family who shopped early spent 14 percent more on gifts on average, and those who shopped the sales spent a whopping 53 percent more on average. what about online Yikes. Want another strange statistic? Those of us who … Continue reading →

The Home Office and the Introvert

I recently read an article called Introverts and the Home Office: The home office is great for introverts, until it’s not, by Sophia Dembling on the Psychology Today website under the blog The Introvert’s Corner. The article explored the effects of the home office environment on introverts. I felt the article was right on target. On the scale of introvert and extrovert I lean toward the introverted side. I am quite comfortable with my introverted tendencies. I have no trouble working at home from a social standpoint. That is until I do. Such is the life of those on the … Continue reading →

Putting Things Off Could Be Costing You Money

You know the saying that time is money? Well, here is another way to apply that old bit of advice. Putting things off and not doing them in time can cost you money. Here are just a few examples. Not paying bills on time can lead to all sorts of late fees. Pay credits cards late, and it could lead to an increase in your interest rate! Ouch. Putting off winter preparation in your home can mean higher energy bills. Not caulking and insulating will raise the amount of heating that you will need to provide, and that costs money. … Continue reading →

Frugal Consumers Hurt Recovery

At least that is the latest headline in the news. The Associated Press reported a story that consumers are being cautious about what they spend and that is hurting the economy. “For the economic recovery to gain strength – and the unemployment rate to come down in any meaningful way – consumers will need to become less frugal.” While I understand the basics of economics and how less spending can influence employers to be wary about hiring new employees. This can then affect the unemployment rate, I have to take offense at blaming the economy on frugal shoppers. Are we … Continue reading →

Is It Possible to Affair-Proof a Marriage?

On Oprah’s “Why Men Cheat Part 2” show, M. Gary Neuman offered three ways to affair-proof a marriage: 1. Appreciate your spouse more. In fact, make sure to appreciate your spouse as much as you possibly can. 2. Have sex. Make time for sex. Enjoy sex. (He suggested women are bad about receiving pleasure. Men are better at that. By nature they’re takers and we’re givers. We’re not comfortable receiving. Be it sexual pleasure or tokens of affection. Mr. Neuman said instead of saying “You shouldn’t have” when your husband gives you something, you should say, “Yes you should have … Continue reading →

How Is It Politicians Have So Much Time to Cheat?

I was very disappointed to hear yesterday that John Edwards admitted to having an affair on his wife, Elizabeth. Worse, he did it when she was in the midst of battling cancer. It was just a few months ago when another such scandal forced the then governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer, out of office. Edwards isn’t going to face anything like that, but I think he can pretty much forget Obama naming him as his choice for vice-presidential running mate. I happen to like John Edwards, so I’m really disappointed to hear he’s joined the ranks of cheating politician … Continue reading →

The Case for Cash

Hardly any of us ever use cash anymore. But if you are frugal, the way you pay just might make a difference in how much you spend. I realized, the other day, how I never seem to pay with cash when I pulled out the credit card to pay for an item that cost less than $2. It seemed sort of silly to me, the fact that I didn’t have a single dollar bill in my…well, billfold. There is a strong case for using cash instead of credit or debit cards when you want to be frugal. Here are some … Continue reading →