For the last two years, my husband and I have decorated our house for Halloween at the last minute. We feel a bit of detachment on the house that we rent, and haven’t ever really gotten to know our neighbors well. However,  Halloween is that once a year event in our neighborhood when we actually get to see and greet our neighbors, even if they are disguised in costumes. Usually, the day before or the night of Halloween, we’ll change out our front porch light with a black light, wrap our orange twinkle lights around the porch banister, play spooky music from our bedroom window, and light the path to our front door with luminaries that are die cut with jack-o-lantern faces.

Here is a list of our decorations that are easy to set up in less than 30 minutes and inexpensive as well:

• Luminary bags purchased from the 99-cent store for 99 cents for a pack of 25. Or,  you can cut out the jack-o-lantern faces yourself using brown paper bags. Here is a link to some patterns you can use on either tin cans or paper bags.
• Black light for the front porch, purchased on sale from our local grocery store: $1.99
• Orange twinkle lights, also purchased on sale from the local grocery store: $4.99
• Haunted music on a CD purchased at a local pharmacy (Rite Aid): $5.99
• Tea lights purchased in a 24-count bag from Ikea: $5.99 OR you can purchase the battery operated reusable kind that come in a 10-count container from Bed Bath and Beyond for $10.99 (these are  not as bright, so you may need to put 2 in each bag instead of one real tea light)

Last, but not least, is my husband who dresses up in his leafy-camo suit, purchased from Bass Pro, for $60, mask purchased on sale at Rite Aid for about $18. He lays in the yard and blends in with the leaves on the ground. After the little trick-0r-treater’s have received their candy or pencil and eraser topper (144 count purchased from Oriental Trading Co. for $25.00), my husband jumps up and scares the daylights out of the children and their parents!

My husband, the scary leafy man!

I’m currently working on a research paper for school, so my mind is a little cluttered at the moment. The class is teaching diversity in the classroom, and my topic I’ve chosen to research is environmental racism. So far, I have read a couple of books by Jonathan Kozol, a prominent author  in detailing segregation in our schools, that describe instances of environmental racism. I chose this topic because 1) I am an advocate of cleaning up our environment, 2) our cities are very segregated for the most part due to poor city planning (this poor planning also affects my bike riding!), and 3) I grew up in a desegregated school district that had enforced busing, but has since discontinued this practice leading to more segregated schools.

Kozol’s books specifically focus on apartheid education and how there is great resistance to move towards integration. In part, this is due to people’s ignorance and the government’s unwillingness to do anything about it. A couple of things that have struck me, and why I chose my topic of environmental racism, is how poor communities are surrounded by manufacturing and industrial plants. It’s not that these people have chosen to live near the paper plant that occasionally has a toxic chemical spill, instead the paper plant chooses a community that they know won’t fight them. The poor community doesn’t fight the plant moving into their neighborhood because they don’t know how to or who to contact, and they usually don’t have the financial means to do it or, unfortunately, the education to even know that they can fight something like this.

How can we expect children to learn in such a decrepid environment such as East St. Louis?

Another interesting topic that Kozol’s research shows is that some communities have literally segregated their racial populations by physically altering a neighborhood or cutting off one section of town to another by removing a bridge or building a freeway. For instance, East St. Louis (a prime example of environmental racism) built a bridge, that the neighboring suburban community had fought, connecting a poorer neighborhood to a more wealthy neighborhood. During an Independence Day celebration, the wealthier suburban neighborhood blocked access across the bridge so that the people from the other side couldn’t partake in the festivities. They claimed that the reason this was done was because they were worried about violence and crime. However, they completely segregated themselves from what they perceived as a racially inferior group of people. How truly unpatriotic for a July 4th celebration.

The biggest contention I have is that so many of our cities are poorly designed with no central meeting area or community center that makes a community feel connected. If we could redesign some of our suburban areas, our cities would most likely become more desegregated on their own, which would lead to desegregated schools. Desegregated schools allow children to become familiar with many cultures, which is a more accurate picture of what their adult lives will be like. Children learning in a desegregated environment are more comfortable in social situations, and social skills are just as important as academic ones. As I continue researching how chemical toxins affect children’s learning capacity and how communities purposely segregate themselves because of their own ignorance, I will update my posts to include my findings.

The other day I wrote a post about urban education guiding children towards specific careers, mainly blue-collar jobs that are meant to keep them off the streets. My problem with this method of teaching is that 1) it is based on a consumerist economy and 2) it limits these kids’ interest with the idea that they can’t perform more complicated or intricate tasks that would lead them down a higher achieving career path. Yet, what really enforced my belief behind allowing all children to explore more options is an article I read at Grist.org a couple of days ago. It was entitled “Ponziconomy: Our Global Pyramid Scheme.”

The imagery in this movie poster encourages people to continue with their obession. (I didn't see this movie, but I know in the end she turns her life around).

The main topic of this article was how our mega-consumer based economy was exploiting our resources to the point of a potential no-return option. Basically, we aren’t paying enough money for the items we consume. The reason we aren’t paying enough for these items, is that our economy is based on a never-ending consumption model. This really caught my attention, again thinking about how children of today will have to pay dearly in the future for the mistakes we are currently making. If we don’t arm our children with higher-level, critical thinking, and problem solving skills, they will be completely at a loss in the future. And our problems will just continue in a never-ending cycle towards oblivion.

I’m not necessarily saying that we must depend on the future generation to clean up our mess. I think that as a country, as an economy, and as individuals, we need to begin changing our lifestyles and our consumer ways now. It’s much easier to teach by example than to tell children, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Some ideas I’ve outlined below are a good start for teaching a more sustainable economy and lifestyle to children. If adults can follow these steps themselves, then children will more likely imitate them:

• Purchase items that are necessities and limit frivolous expenses.
• Reduce the quantity of ’stuff’ and in doing so, you limit the amount of trash created.
• Purchase and use reusable bags for shopping (keep some in the car, near the door, in your purse).
• Recycle cans and bottles, turn them in for cash value. Place that cash in a ’savings’ jar or piggy bank for one special item.
• Purchase and use a reusable, bpa-free, water bottle. This can easily fit inside a reusable lunchbox.
• Recycle clothing and breathe new life into it by sewing patches and embellishments on stains or holes. This extends the life of clothing, especially if the item gets handed down to another child in the family.
• Walk, ride a bike, or take public transportation whenever and where ever you can. Today’s kids are at a loss for navigating their own neighborhoods, this will build up navigation skills and get them outside and keep them active.
• Limit the amount of television for the whole family. So many commercials are full of crap (excuse my language) and encourage our consumer-based economy. Things don’t make you happy, experiences do. Play a board game instead, or go outside and play with a Frisbee, or read a book to one another.

These are just some ideas that will help reduce the amount of items we consume. The last bullet point I mention helps kids build those problem-solving skills and encourages them to think outside the box, instead of vegging-out in front of one.

Are their some points I’ve left out that readers would like to add? Does anyone agree or disagree with the exploitation of our natural resources through our consumer-based economy? Please feel free to add your comments, I truly appreciate them.

Money, the all mighty dollar...or Benjamin!

So, here I am pressed for time, but really want to make sure I keep up with my posting. I tried doing this yesterday, but then got on a topic that I couldn’t stop writing about; kids and financial education. However, today I am behind on a paper for school, so I will keep it simple and to the point. I like being frugal, my husband is learning to like it, though I don’t think it will ever be as fun for him. There are way too many things he ‘wants’, the list is endless. He frequently reminds me of a small child who wants everything he sees or hears about. But this is a whole other subject! Moving on, here are some frugal, and painless, tips I’ve learned through reading other posts and through my own experience:

• Make your own household cleaner: Vinegar and Baking Soda are excellent cleaners. If you add vinegar and baking soda to a spray bottle full of water, you can clean counter tops quickly and inexpensively. Another great inexpensive cleaner is Borax. Borax does a pretty good job on porcelain, it makes it sparkle with a little elbow grease.
• If you really don’t have the time or patience to make your own household cleaner, try buying a large jug of Simple Green. If you buy it in concentrate, it will last years. Ten years ago I bought a large jug, every weekend I fill up my spray bottle with 1/2 Simple Green and 1/2 water. I just ran out of that jug of Simple Green last weekend! It only took 10 years.
• Mend the frayed bottoms of pants and jeans with trim. I’ve never been much of a clothes shopper to begin with, so it isn’t difficult for me to say, “I don’t have the time or money to go shopping right now!” Instead, this past year I have mended the bottoms of frayed pants with scrap fabric by sewing on another hem. Measure out the fabric around the bottom of the pant leg, and fold it in half (one half inside the leg, the other outside). Then, iron the scrap fabric to make a crease. Using a sewing machine, stitch around the pant bottom. I don’t own a sewing machine, so I borrowed my mother’s. This worked wonderfully, since she was able to assist me in my mending escapade. When you are finished, if you measured evenly, you should have decorative pant bottoms.
• Take your own lunch to work. This is much healthier anyway. Who needs all that grease from fast food restaurants?
• Ride your bike or walk. For short distances, you can save money and gas by walking or riding your bike if you are traveling within a 2-3 mile radius. Also, this tip is for parents; recently Treehugger posted an article about how kids can’t navigate their neighborhoods anymore. They spend so much time in the car, they have no clue how to get to school or to the grocery store. Get outside and walk your kids around the neighborhood! It’s great exercise for the both of you.
• Purchase a Netflix subscription. Netflix has really affordable membership rates, starting as low as $8.99 a month. You can’t beat this price, it’s less than the cost of one movie ticket. This will reduce the money spent on going to the theaters.
• Ditch your lawn. I recently wrote a post about Losing the Lawn. Lawns are water-thirsty plants! They need a lot of water and water is becoming an expensive commodity. There are so many great alternatives today, if you live in a region where rainfall is scarse or not as frequent as it use to be, this may be a great money saving option.
• Search for coupons before shopping. There are so many coupons available on the web now, it’s silly not to first look to see if there is a coupon on an item you are thinking of purchasing. Look for coupons first, like Coupon Cabin, before spending that hard-earned dough!

These are just a few of so many! Please excuse my poor grammar, I didn’t have a lot of time to double check myself. Hopefully, you can use some of these in your everday frugal life.

Lately, there has been a lot of discussion in blogs and magazines, like Westways, about how young adults aren’t ready to face real world finances. The Simple Dollar recently reviewed a book, Raising Financially Fit Kids, that will help parents teach their children about money at an age-appropriate level. Based on  his review, it looks like a comprehensive guide. However, if you don’t have to time to read a book, I’ve put together a list of things you can do with your child based on his/her age level. I’m not a financial guru, but I am an elementary teacher and I feel I have some insight into when kids are ready to learn about money and at what level. Here are my tips based on age and my experience with children:

1. Kindergarten – (age 5/6) -Kids begin to recognize coins and their denominations.They should be able to count up to a dollar using pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. They also recognize dollar bills. This is pretty easy to teach, let your child count coins out of your coin purse or coin jar. Show them the difference between pennies, nickles and dimes. They frequently confuse dimes and nickels, so help them sort by size. They will soon begin to catch on. By the end of Kindergarten, they should be able to count sequentially. Meaning, they can count up from the nickel (5) and add the pennies (6,7,8, etc.).
2. 1st grade – (age 6/7) – You should begin to see quite a bit of math homework focusing on counting coins. Kids will begin to know that 2 quarters is 50 cents; a quarter, dime, and nickel is 40 cents, and so  on. Again, helping them count real coins will make this task much easier for them. This is a great age to encourage them to save money as well.
3. 2nd grade- (age 7/8) – Continuation of counting coins up to one dollar. They should also begin to recognize a five dollar bill and combine the dollars and cents. So, they should be able to count a five dollar bill, plus a one dollar bill, plus 40 cents in coins: $6.40. If your child is struggling with counting coins, or counting sequentially, I would talk to their teacher about this for additional guidance. Again, allowing your child to play with real money or ‘fake’ manipulative money is very helpful.
4. 3rd grade – (age 8/9) -Children now can recognize, name, and count the denominations of coins, count up to one dollar using different variations of coins, recognize a five dollar bill. This is a good age to begin counting back change. Their math skills are usually strong enough to handle this task. If your child buys lunch, you might want to give your child a little bit more than required and ask him to bring home the change. They should be able to figure out that if lunch is $1.50, and you give them $2, they will owe you 50 cents. This might take the whole year to teach, but it will be a life-long skill. (Think: How many times have you gone to a fast food place and the cashier can’t count back the change for you? This has happened to me a few times and I always feel bad that the cashier never grasped this skill).
5. 4th grade- (age 9/10) – Continue with counting back change, this will give them additional support and strengthen their math skills. At this age, you can begin to introduce the idea of budgeting. They should already be saving their money (look at the 1st grade level tip). If they want to buy a new video game, you can tell them it has to come out of their allowance or savings. They need to budget how much they think the game will cost. How much will they have left over? Include them in making shopping lists, helping you figure out a simple bill, or budget for a gift. They are mentally and academically ready to begin understanding the importance of saving and being patient.
6. 5th grade – (age 10/11) - Continue with counting back change, repetition, repetition, repetition! Also, continue with basic budgeting skills and introduce the idea of ‘borrowing’ or credit. By 5th grade kids are ready to understand that if you borrow money, you have to pay it back with interest. This is a great gate-way to understanding credit cards, which you can introduce by middle school. If your child really wants something, but doesn’t have the money, you can lend them the amount, but at an interest rate. Before lending them the money, sit down with them and show them how much they will have to pay you back. For instance, you lend them $5.00. You give them a low interest rate of 2% APR, they owe you at the end of the month $5.09. They should be able to divide the 2% by 12 months. Then, multiply the .00166 (which rounds to .0017) by the $5.00 they borrowed. By the end of 5th grade they can multiply and divide decimals, so this may be a bit challenging for them if they struggle in math, but they can do it. Let them figure this out with paper and pencil (please don’t use the calculator, yet!) They can check their work with the calculator when they are done.
7. Middle school (6th – 8th grade)- Continue counting back change, budgeting, saving, and borrowing on credit. By 7th or 8th grade, they should begin to learn about balancing a checkbook. One night, you might want to explain debits and credits and how you add or subtract that amount from what’s already in your bank account. If your child has a savings account, help them balance their books as well. Set a savings goal, talk about how they will meet that goal.
8. High school (9th – 12th grade)- This is where you need to prepare them for young-adulthood, college, and living on their own. Discuss what bills you pay, what are necessities, what are things you can do without. Talk about where your income comes from, how much you save, and even retirement planning. It’s also okay to be honest with them about your debt, if you have any. Discuss how you’ve made plan to pay it off. If you don’t have debt, talk about why that is. Maybe you’ve always been frugal, always saved money, and how you don’t worry much about your bills.

These tips are obviously very general, every kid is different and you may have to adjust accordingly. The bottom line is that we’ve got to prepare them for adulthood, and unfortunately, from elementary to high school, the math that is taught in the classroom doesn’t cover personal finances. Until it does, parents are going to have to prepare their children themselves.