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Whether you’re a regular news junkie or you rely on your better half to keep you updated on the latest, you’ll get the same conflicting messages about the state of today’s economy. One day you’ll hear about rising wages, and the next day you’ll read about the lagging growth in the GDP, or Gross Domestic Product.

Many of us grew up getting an allowance. You know, the few bucks we “earned” each week as a reward for keeping our bedrooms tidy and taking out the garbage. But as parents, many of us ask ourselves “Where’s my allowance for cooking, cleaning, taking care of the dogs, mowing the lawn …?”

This light meal can be dressed up or down, depending on your budget and what you have on hand. Leftover chicken (or pork) provides the protein, as do the optional spinach and almonds. Play around with the ingredients and you’ll never eat the same salad twice! If you take the time to do the extra prep work rather than buying pre-cut veggies, you cut the costs considerably.

Student loan debt is terrifying. You left for school with the best of intentions. You worked your tail off for four years and got a degree. You throw your cap into the air in celebration, and by the time it lands, you have a bill for $29,400.

No matter how many times you press the snooze button, the sun winking through your drapes and that blaring alarm tell you there’s no use fighting the fact that morning has arrived.

If there’s a question that’s a basic standard in virtually all kindergarten classrooms, it’s “What do you want to be when you grow up?” While adults may smile about the ridiculous answers that kids give, it’s a serious question for children, not to mention an opportunity to talk about personal finance. Talking to children about potential careers can be a great way to help them try on interests while also getting a feel for the lifestyles attached to various careers.

An alarming Glassdoor survey found that more than half of Americans don’t negotiate their salaries. That means most people will continue working for the same pay, even as their value to the workplace and their experience increases. How can you teach your kids not to be afraid of asking for a raise?

In today’s society of reality television, cell phones and relative luxury being quite the norm on many school campuses, parents often suspect and fear that their children have a distorted sense of the value of money. Children see “stuff” as things that they just “have” rather than work to have.

Bills are a lot like bad weather. They’re going to come anyway, so you might as well not try to fix them, right? For some bills, that’s the case. For others, though, you can make a big difference in your monthly budget with a little legwork.

With identity theft on everyone’s minds these days, it’s not hard to see why e-statements are something you might hesitate to sign up for. After all, cyberspace is kind of big and scary and full of shady characters, right? Who knows how many people could get their hands on your credit union statements if you opt for e-statements?