GUEST BLOGGER: ELIZABETH DAVIS

Back to school shopping can be wonderful quality time and an opportunity to make happy memories with our children. However, back to school shopping may also be a time of financial stress, feelings of insufficiency and occasionally whining (my kids and probably me too). I have both witnessed and experienced children whose desire to obtain an object is the impetus behind poor behavior.

​A few years ago, we made a change... 

GUEST BLOGGER: ELIZABETH DAVIS

Paying for college can be an overwhelming task. According to the Federal Reserve (2019) the average student loan debt per students finishing an undergraduate degree is $32,731. 
I was in graduate school when my daughter was born. Ironically the semester that she was born I was in a social policy class that discussed the expense of having children. I was overwhelmed and disheartened to learn that on average it costs $233,610 to raise a child to the age of 18 and that was NOT including college expenses! I was pregnant, sick, and overwhelmed by what seemed like the impossible task of planning for my child’s future while I was still in the throes of finishing my own education. 

GUEST BLOGGER: KATHY RIGGS

​A common question for parents may be, “At what age should I begin teaching my children the value of money- earned or gifted?” University of Illinois Extension specialists have compiled a list of the top things children should know about money by the time they reach middle school. We’ve added money concepts for ages 16 and up from the Teaching Children Money Management publication and broke them out, by age, below. 

According to financial experts, an allowance is “a fixed amount of money children receive on a regular schedule, with the understanding that they will pay for certain agreed-upon expenses.” When best practices are followed, allowances can be one of the best ways to teach your children financial responsibility. Below are some hacks for turning an allowance into an educational tool.

GUEST BLOGGER: LIZ VANCE

Hey there! My name is Elizabeth but you can call me Liz! This is my first blog post for Utah Money Moms and I’m excited to be here! I have a background in Family Finance and have recently joined the Utah Money Moms team. I love ice cream, Harry Potter, and the time of day when the sun is low and everything is golden! Hopefully some of the stuff I share on Utah Money Moms is interesting and helpful to you!
My husband and I just moved to Holladay and are excited for all the things our new area has to offer! I started doing some research for free or inexpensive things to do around here, so I thought I’d share some of my findings! I’m always tempted to spend money on fun stuff all summer long, but there are lots of things that don’t require much or any money! I found most of these things after a few minutes on Google. So, if you don’t live near Salt Lake, jump on Google and find some fun things to do near you. Let me know what you find!