Author Archives: Mary Ann Romans

About Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, online content manager, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania in the middle of the woods but close enough to Target and Home Depot. The author of many magazine, newspaper and online articles, Mary Ann enjoys writing about almost any subject. "Writing gives me the opportunity to both learn interesting information, and to interact with wonderful people." Mary Ann has written more than 5,000 blogs for Families.com since she started back in December 2006. Contact her at maromans AT verizon.net or visit her personal blog http://homeinawoods.wordpress.com

Does It Cost More for a Homemade Lunch?

I started out making homemade lunches for my first-born child for financial reasons. It just seemed cheaper that way than to buy lunch from the cafeteria. Years later, all of my kids still pack their lunch bags every day. They actually prefer it because they don’t have to spend time waiting in a cafeteria line or trying to decide on food they might not like. A friend of mine agrees with the preference but not with the cost. She says she winds up spending more money when her kids pack a lunch compared to when they buy it at school. … Continue reading →

Get Your Family Organized for Fall

Fall is a great time to get organized! The weather is energizing, the routines are back to normal, and the holidays are not too far away. Establish easy routines and tackle problem areas to make your family life a little easier this season. Eliminate School Lunch Chaos This is an especially good tip if you have three or more school-age children at home. Pick up a clear plastic bin meant for your refrigerator and place it on a low shelf where the kids can reach. The night before, fill the bin with portioned out snacks, such as carrots, grapes, cheese … Continue reading →

5 Ways to Spend Less on Halloween

The cute costumes, the Martha Stewart decorations, the bags and bags of candy…the cost of it adds up. Just like the dark monster in the corner, you are afraid to take a good look at how much your are actually spending. Halloween has certainly become a big holiday. In fact, according to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent more than $8 billion last year celebrating. Eight billion! Seriously. It doesn’t have to be that way. Instead, brandish your own bag of tricks to spend less this Halloween. You’ll be able to make it a magical holiday and leave the bills … Continue reading →

Debt and Marriage: How It is Tough to Love When You Owe

Many couples enter into a marriage with debt already in hand. Others accumulate debt together. Either way, nurturing a loving relationship can be hard when debt is hanging over your head. In fact, according to a study by Jeffrey Dew at Utah State University, couples who reported disagreeing about finance once a week were over 30 percent more likely to get divorced than couples who reported disagreeing about finances only a few times a month. Another inference can be made from this study: there is a whole lot of disagreement about money out there. Debt is a source of contention. … Continue reading →

Creating First Day of School Memories

In less than two weeks, my three children head back to school. This year is the first year that my youngest will be in school all day away from home. The moment he gets on the bus will be bittersweet, of course, but I’ll be sure to document it well with photographs of his beaming face as he embraces what it means to be a big boy. One tradition that I started when my first-born went off on the bus for the first time was to take a short video of him, standing by a certain rock in the yard … Continue reading →

How to Make Jeans Last Longer

You finally found that perfect pair of jeans, the ones that flatter you in all of the right places, the ones that you just love to wear. Maybe the jeans that are loved are not yours, but belong to one of your children who would probably wear them for two weeks straight if you let her. Either way, great jeans can be an investment, and keeping them in great condition can not only keep you happy but also save you money. Here are some strategies to use. How to Keep Jeans in Good Condition In the Wash To keep those … Continue reading →

The Free Money Box

In our home, we have a free money box. Thanks to this box, we have been able to afford things, both necessities and treats, that we might not otherwise have, or at least been able to justify. To start our free money box, I purchased an inexpensive but sturdy cardboard box with a lid and label. I titled the label, and set to work. I started by going through the house and gathering up all of the unused gift cards that we had from the many places that they were hiding: drawers, purses, bags, cards, closets, pockets, etc. All of … Continue reading →

How to Save Money on School Supplies

Tis the season for back to school supplies. Parents everywhere are facing this time with a mixture of joy and dread. The summer will soon be over, and how on earth will they pay for all of the stuff that there kids need? If they are smart, budget-conscious consumers, they may try using the following strategies to bring the cost of needed school supplies down to just pennies on the dollar. Shop Multiple Stores Retail stores are fighting hard to get your back to school dollar, but not all sales are created equal. That is why if you want to … Continue reading →

7 Tips for Saving Money on Diapers

Many parents of young children struggle with the cost of diapers. While babies don’t really need as many things as new parents might think, they do need diapers, and they need lots of them. Diapers can carve out a significant amount of the grocery budget. That is why it is so important to use the following ten tips to save money on diapersMany parents of young children struggle with the cost of diapers. . Don’t have young children? You can still benefit when you purchase diapers for pennies and donate them to a shelter or other organization that helps women … Continue reading →

Touring the City on Less: Hotel Accommodations

For a great summer travel experience, consider touring a city, whether near or far. Stay for a weekend or a week (or more) and explore all that your city has to offer. Of course, you will want to do it for less. So far in this series, we have offered ways to save on transportation within the city, and on great food experiences. If you missed those articles, you can find the links below. Touring the City on Less: Touring Busses Touring the City on Less:  Food Extravaganza Today, I am going to talk about hotel accommodations. My frugal self … Continue reading →