So I’ve been plotting and thinking and planning and prepping for 2012.

I got laid off at the end of 2010, so 2011 was a year of “yes” to anything and everything to make sure I could pay my bills and provide for my kids.

I learned a lot of lessons, business and otherwise, and I’m looking forward to putting them into practice this year.

My biggest lesson is that no one has all the answers and everyone (yes, everyone) is making it up as they go along. Folks I’ve long admired for being self-employed openly admitted to me that it gets rough. The confidence I see is really stubbornness, they said.

I’m stubborn too and I’m putting it to good use in 2012.

This is the year that we all rise together.

My goal this year is to teach you how to use your voice to support your family.

Here’s a few of the things I’ve got planned:

• MORE group ebooks for you to participate in. Here’s the deal: We pick a topic, a bunch of moms write an essay, it goes on sale and we split the profits. Pretty simple.
• Blogging workshops and associated ebook. I can’t tell you the number of emails I’ve gotten since I started this blog that begin something like this: “I’ve always wanted to write, but I don’t know how to start. Can you give me some advice?” Actually, yes, I can give you some advice, but I’d like for this to reach the masses. I’ll be hosting blogging workshops (beginning online and then eventually in-person) to help you figure out the best way to get a piece of the blogging pie.
• Young mother meet-ups. Obviously, I don’t have the resources to be attending meet-ups in every city but I want to have at least ONE hosted by the time 2013 rolls around.
• Money-making ventures. I want each of us to have more money this year. No tip-toeing around it. The recession is no joke and it’s not letting up. But instead of being scared by it, I want to take what I started with Make It Happen and expand upon it. We’ve got to be proactive in our careers, because no one is going to put money in our bank account while we’re sleeping. (I wish, though!) Let’s get it together and make sure that we’re got enough money for the bills, our savings, our tithes, our “splurge on me” account and our emergency fund.

So that’s where I am. I’m really excited for this year and I hope you are too!

I just finished my first semester of grad school and I’m tired. Beat down mentally. But I’m pushing forward because I know getting that degree will so worth it in the end. (Plus, I get to learn about all the research that policy makers depend on, so we can all get more family-friend policies and programs.)

I think we all agree that education is important. Not just our education but our kids’ education as well. We all want our kids to grow up and be smart and have opportunities. We all know how many opportunities are easier to reach if you have that piece of paper that says, “YOU DID IT!”

But how do you even begin to think about your kids going to college? It just seems….so far away for most of us. My daughter is 4 and my son is 2. I’m really trying to think about next semester, not 14 years from now.

But we all know that college is expensive NOW and is only going to be more expensive as time goes on. The time to start saving is now, when you have more time to accumulate the funds necessary to make that tuition bill go away.

So you know I have the hook-up, right? The good folks at CollegeAdvantage contacted me and gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse. (Insert *Godfather* voice here…wait, it was the Godfather, right?)

They are offered YML readers a chance at one of THREE $100 college scholarships to place in your 529 college savings plan. {Don’t have one? It takes five minutes to set up – takes more time to buy a DVD on Amazon.}

This is an amazing opportunity to jumpstart your kids’ college savings plan. Also, if you don’t already have an existing account, you can use the promo code GETSTARTED upon account signup and $25 will automatically be deposited in your new account. Also, if you opt to sign up for the auto pay feature, you will receive an additional $25 after the third $25 deposit you make. That’s $50 right there!

So it’s simple. You don’t need to be rich to set aside money for your kids. Can you swing $10 a month? Then you can begin saving for college.

Want to win one of three scholarships? Here’s how to enter – I’ll keep it easy with two three options!

1) “Like” the Young Mommy Life fan page if you haven’t already.

2) “Tag” the Young Mommy Life in a status update:  ”The Young Mommy Life is helping young moms save for college!” {Simply type the “@” symbol and the Young Mommy Life fan page should come up in your list – it should be a link to the YML fan page so I know you did it! If you get confused, just leave a comment here. }

3) Send out the following tweet: “@TheYoungMommy is helping young moms save for college! http://bit.ly/gWnHx8″

Do all three for the best chance to win! I’ll pick the first winner on Friday at 5 p.m. Good luck!

Every single day I get web hits from someone searching for “cute maternity clothes for young moms.” EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. Now, I’ve done a couple posts on it in the past, but nothing to make me the expert in maternity clothes options for the 20something (or younger) mama.

So I figured it’s time to revisit that topic (sexy maternity clothes) with an updated look around the ‘net to see what I can find. Journey with me, will you?

Bella Band

I’ve been hearing about the Bella Band for years now and even though I never had the chance to use it, I’d be willing to bet it works wonders. Has anyone used it? Let me know if I’m wrong. But basically, the Bella Band allows you to wear your pre-pregnancy clothes when they refuse to button any longer. Heck of a lot smarter than the ol’ rubber band-around-the-button-on-your-jeans-to-keep-’em-closed, right? (Yeah, I did that for a couple of weeks.) PLUS you can wear your maternity pants even if you don’t fit them yet. It runs around $30, and is even available in organic cotton for all you eco-friendly mamas.

Target

How much do I love this store? I love it, love it, love it! I’ve noticed their maternity section was on point in 2009. Figures that I’m not pregnant now and couldn’t enjoy it. (Would y’all judge me if I wore maternity clothes while, um, not expecting? Please say no.) I’m a big fan of tight maternity shirts. Not so tight that you look uncomfortable but tight enough to hug your big ol’ belly. It’s cold now in most of the country – try this cowl neck sweater on for size.

Gap/Old Navy

In my totally unscientific polling of my friends and Young Mommy Life readers (and really, they’re one in the same), almost everyone mentioned buying clothes from Old Navy. I threw Gap in there, because they’re almost the same store. Affordable, basic maternity clothes. And they almost always have a sale. The only downside is that the selection in stores is nonexistent, unless you live in a big city. Otherwise, you’re stuck shopping online, which is difficult to do when your gut is growing too rapidly for you to guess at your new size. So what will you find? Cute dresses like this ($15, people!!!):

CLEARANCE

No, there’s no store called Clearance, but you better get real familiar. Love the clothes at the big name maternity stores but hate the prices? Hold that chin up and walk right to the back to the clearance items. Not “sale” items, which only may be marked down 20% or so, but the “clearance” racks, where you can score savings of 50-60%. No need to feel bad for trying to save a buck – you’ve got a baby to think about. I went to Motherhood Maternity and got a pair of jeans for $20, when they can normally go for $60 and up.

So what do you think? What advice would you give those searching for good, affordable maternity clothes? Give your tips in the comments.

So my husband has been on this quest to buy a pool table.

He’s got his man cave set up in the basement and the only thing he wants to make it complete is a pool table. You know, for when his friends come over. Never mind the fact that his friends never come over.

So I humored him. Took him to the store so we could scout pool tables and check out prices.

Now, maybe we went to the wrong store, but as we came upon the display area for pool tables, I started flipping price tags hanging from the corner pockets.

$8,700. $7,900. $6,500.

I raise an eyebrow and turn to my husband, who is obviously getting high off the smell of expensive-as-hell tables in the air.

“Look at all these tables!” he exclaims, getting giddy. I haven’t seen him this excited ever.  

“Honey, a pool table is so far down on the list that it’s laughable.”

You know what “the list” is, don’t you? It’s that running tally you keep in your head of things you’ll need soon and how much they cost and which paycheck you might be able to use to pay for it.

You know what’s on the list right now? Getting our furnance/air conditioning unit serviced, new glasses for me, a new camera, two new CARS, new cell phones, a new laptop.

But a pool table? Please. Guess that man cave will be minus one pool table until at least 2011.

Ladies, what’s on your “list,” the things you really WANT to buy but bills and regular life keeps getting in the way?

We’re moving soon and our monthly payments are about to go up significantly. I’m looking at ways to cut corners and I think cable TV is about to get the ax.  Apparently I’m not alone. We spend about $100 a month for internet/cable/phone service (which isn’t bad, I guess) but the more I think about it, the more I wonder if I really need cable in my life.

I have a Netflix subscription and that pretty much takes care of all my movie needs. My husband primarily watches football, SportsCenter and LOST. The kids watch the Disney channel.

Plus, wouldn’t be better if our kids grew up in a house where all they saw was people reading lesiurely, for fun? Wouldn’t they learn to appreciate how easy and accessible books are? Point blank: Would they be smarter?

But as a young mom, reading books for fun, doesn’t quite fit into our lifestyle. TV is passive entertainment, something that plays in the background while I’m chasing kids, wiping noses, pouring juice. Changing a diaper while reading Their Eyes Were Watching God just doesn’t seem likely.

I don’t want my kids to become TV junkies, but if their parents can’t kick the habit, how can I expect them to become anything but?

Do you all have cable? Did you get rid of it? Does it work for you?

One thing I’m regretting now that I have two kids is my desire to make Baby A be so darn girly and frilly all the time. I went through her clothes and there is absolutely nothing to hand down to Thomas. She has one orange shirt he can wear, but that’s it.

I went so far as to buy her pink socks too, so I can’t even use those with him. So beware, if you have a girl first, don’t be like me. Let her wear some neutral (or neutral-ish) clothes. Otherwise, you’ll be SOL when it comes time to buy clothes for #2.

Susan over at One Year Apart has some fab tips on how to make your kids’ clothes make the transition from Kid #1 to Kid #2.

I’m a little obsessed with saving money. I monitor my account balances almost hourly, and I’m always scheming of ways to either save more money or make more money so I can save more money. (It’s okay if you had to re-read that last sentence. I did too

My latest thing? Signing up for all kinds of newsletters and e-mail alerts.

Go to any of your favorite stores, whether it’s Target, Old Navy, Carter’s, JCPenney, etc, I’m guessing they have some way of e-mailing coupons to you. (P.S. Sign up for a baby registry at Target – they’ll send you coupons for the first year of the kid’s life, saving you money on formula, diapers, and baby stuff.)

Go the the manufacturer’s sites – Pampers, Huggies, Gerber – and sign up for their coupons. Free baby stuff awaits!

I get tons of parenting newletters a day and I visit a few other websites that are mommy-related. I stumbled upon this product recommendation today and nearly tore my hair out!

the Puj Baby Tub

The authors pushing this collapsible baby tub try to sell you on the fact that giving a baby a bath is SUCH a big freakin’ deal. Sure, babies squirm and have no control over their movements and you’ve got wet, slippery hands. Could be a recipe for diaster, I’ll give you that.

This is a flexible piece of foam that you place in the sink to help you avoid that whole “Please don’t let the kid drown” fear. In theory it’s good. Kid doesn’t wiggle as much, baths are quicker – hooray!

But it’s $99 freaking dollars. As in, almost $100. As in, I’d have to use a whole day’s pay to purchase it. Ugh.

Who would buy this? Can you not find a cheaper alternative to recommend? I don’t understand.

This is part of the reason I began blogging here. Because I would see things that were supposedly the answers to all my problems, only to find an outrageous price tag and other parents who wouldn’t bat an eye at dropping $100 on something as insignificant as a bath tub for their kid.

I’m willing to spend money on my kids, but on things that are important : a spacious house, or reliable car, or a great education. But a bathtub? Let’s get real.

Just read this quick tip over in the comments section of ZenHabits. Want to save money on your grocery bill? Write your grocery list on last week’s receipt so you can see how much something usually costs, and if you’re getting a deal. Brillant!

Now more than ever, having a decent credit score is vitally imporant. I recently bit my lip and purchased my credit report and score to see how I stacked up. I was pleasantly surprised that I have what some (like banks and credit agencies) might call, “Good credit.” Actually, great credit.

It cost me about $15 (ouch!) but I feel better knowing where I stand.

If you don’t want to fork over that much just yet, check out MSN’s Credit Survey which is pretty accurate in estimating where you stand.

As soon as the Halloween costumes get marked down 75%, the stores begin to put out their Christmas displays. (Those who love Thanksgiving are just SOL, I guess.) Check out every parenting magazine and they are packed with gift ideas. I just read a few and was slightly impressed. They seem to understand that money is a little tighter this year. Good for them. But that 13 of its “58 Best Toys” were more than $50. I don’t understand spending more than $20 on a toy for a child. They usually don’t get how to play it right away, so they lose interest and therefore spend more time playing with the box it came in. Heck, you might as well hand them a $50 dollar bill and let them play with it. They might have more fun.

So in helping out my young mommies, I will be searching for perfect gifts that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Here’s my criteria:

1) Under $20. Anything over that is ridiculous. At least for small kids.

2) Some educational component to it. This way, when you hand the kid a toy to play with while you do something else, you won’t feel so guilty. At least they’re learning something, right?

3) Sturdy enough to still be in working condition by Valentine’s Day. I know this one might be a stretch, but let’s just see how it works.

My first recommended toy is this Learn & Groove Drum from (who else?) LeapFrog. Surely, you’ve seen the commercials with the huge frog man and know that LeapFrog is like FisherPrice. (Seriously, FP, step your game up!)

I saw this in the store and thought this was really cool. All the negative reviews seem to be from parents who have younger kids (under 6 months), so keep this off your list unless your little one is on the other side of 365 days, m’kay?

I don’t know about you, but reading all this talk about Wall Street fiascos and government bailouts and bank failures has got me nervous. I’ve been keeping a close eye on my finances and trying to make myself feel as secure as possible. Here are a few habits I’ve picked up over the last couple weeks. See if any help you out:

1) I brought my calculator to the grocery store. Instead of keeping a running “estimate” in my head, and inevitably going over budget, I decided to keep a tight reign on my spending. I made a list before I went, noting specific quanities that I needed. (As in, three oranges, two bell peppers, etc.) Then, as I picked up those items, I marked down the price on the list and kept a running tally on the calculator. When I got too close to my budget (I budgeted $50 for the week), I could look at my list and see what I didn’t really need and what would put me over. Yes, it seems a bit much, but if you regularly go over what you intended to spend by about $10-15, you can save a ton over the year.

2) Take longer than 10 minutes to make your list! This is soo crucial. If you hurriedly write down the things you think you need, you will inevitably miss some items, go over your budget, and it will be that much harder to put down the ice cream you hadn’t intended to buy because, “Hey, I’m already over. What’s an extra $4 gonna hurt?” Spend the extra time going through the refrigerator to see what you’re actually out of and almost out of.

3) Clean out our refrigerator and cabinets often. I have a lot of food up there is either a) ready to be tossed, b) no one eats it, or c) both. As a result, I think we have more food than we actually do. So when I go shopping, I don’t buy the right things and have to go back to the store later in the week. The more trips to the store means the more money you spend. Period. Try heading into the store for just one item. I double-dog dare you. Bet you come out with at least two bags, looking dazed like, “What just happened?”

Saving money is really just about being conscious of the money you spend. Pay attention to your grocery bill and you’ll learn how to save by cutting out things that waste money.  

Stay tuned for more tips….

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Check out this Essence.com article outlining 10 ways to save up to $5,000. Some are more obvious than others, but in today’s economy, it never hurts to do a double-take with your finances.

Do you have any tips on saving money? Let’s hear them in the comments section!

Money may not be able to buy you happiness, but having a clear direction of where you’re headed financially is pure bliss.

My kids are my reason I get up every morning to go to work, why I budget, why I save, why I’m trying to invest. I realize I’m starting out with less by having my children earlier in my career, and I guess in some way I’m trying to make up for that.

I’ve been pretty successful so far. Since starting my current position in January, I’ve been able to save almost $10,000. That’s not bad for a 22-year-old, right? A lot of the lessons I’ve learned have been through trial and error. Let me share what I’ve discovered so far.

1.) Get a piece of paper and write down everything you spend. Or pay for everything using your debit or credit card and track your purchases online. You can’t save money if you don’t know how much you’re spending and how much is available for you to save. Do this for about three months and you’ll get a pretty good idea of your expenses.

2.) Once you know what you’re spending money on, calculate your income. Maybe you have one or two jobs, or maybe you have a side hustle (see my latest post on side hustles from last week) that brings in additional income. Tally up how much you bring in and subtract your expenses from that. Get a good idea on how much you have left over each month.

3.) Once you know your income, your expenses, and your surplus (here’s hoping you have a surplus!), put things on autopilot. If your cell phone bill is the same every month, have it automatically deducted. Have your check direct deposited and a certain amount (perhaps all of your surplus) deposited into savings.

4.) Most importantly: PAY YOURSELF FIRST. If you wait until all your other bills are paid off, and then you decide to save some money, you’ll probably end up saving less than if you made paying yourself a priority. Decide on a certain amount that HAS TO go into savngs each paycheck and then pay it first.

5.) Evaluate ways to save more. Once you’ve determined how much you can save, try to save 10% more, just to challenge yourself. Say you save $100 each month – after a few months of successfully meeting that goal, bump it up to $110 a month. Look at your expenses – do you need to go out to dinner every Friday? How about if you get your hair done every three weeks instead of every two? Start slow and see how much you can save.

6.) Research different savings accounts. You don’t have to settle for a dismal 0.5% interest rate anymore. Open an account with an online bank, such as ING Direct or HSBC, and get rates up to 3.5%. It isn’t much, but it’s enough to motivate you to keep saving.

So what do you all think? How are you trying to save money?

Babies, despite being so small, need an amazing amount of stuff. Well, perhaps they don’t really need it, but having certain items will make your life so much easier.

But where to begin? How do you determine what you need, what you’ll buy and what you’ll put on your registry for other people to get for you?

The answer is easier than you think.

There are several “Baby Registry” templates online, including this comprehensive one from Babies R Us. Look it over and determine what you think is necessary. Considering you may not have that much experience with babies, how are you to determine if a diaper wipes warmer is too much, or if you need 10-12 blankets?

Simple. Start with basics and work your way up. For the first couple months, the baby’s day consists of eating, sleeping and pooping. Focus on items to make those chores easier. Those are items that you MUST have before the baby comes home.

So what do you put on your registry?

Typically, the parents (or grandparents or other family members) purchase the big items: strollers, cribs, car seats, and such.  Friends and other baby shower guests will typically buy smaller, less expensive items in larger quantity. Think socks, diapers, bottles, etc. These are the items you want to focus on in your registry.

Also, remember that the child’s first year is a blur of development milestones. You may think you won’t need a high chair for a while, or a forward-facing car seat, but babies grow up extremely fast! Blink and they’ll be walking. Close your eyes for a minute and then they’re talking. It’s amazing how fast these changes are. Put a few long-range items, like baby spoons and sippy cups, on your registry. Once that time comes for them to use it, you’ll be glad you did.

So let’s hear it: what items were must-haves on your baby registry? What did you think you wanted but it ended up gathering dust?