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Having children does not need to be a financial death sentence. As reported in Time , the costs for raising one child through the age of 17 is $233,610! We have three! That does not even include the cost of college, medical expenses, or other unforeseen costs. While I love my children and want to provide the best for them, I believe part of that is also raising fiscally responsible children. Here are some of the ways that help keep the costs of raising children more reasonable and teach them the life skills necessary for a bright financial future. Buy Used We buy a lot of used merchandise. Although a product may have been loved by another family before does not mean that it does not still have a useful life left. This really keeps down on the high cost of buying new. It seems like the kiddos are always outgrowing clothes, venturing into new sports, or requesting new toys. I'm a huge fan of the bi-annual consignment sales that are often provided by local churches and school...

Money in, money out. Every month you play the number game. Your paycheck gets auto deposited in your bank account and goes out to the rent, utilities, credit card or student loans. If there is anything left over after everyone else has been paid, you might throw some extra into your savings account. Bills first, Fun next, Savings last. You might even have a savings goal: 6 months of expenses as a safety net or saving for long term goals like a down payment on a house or even early retirement. But what if I told you that you shouldn't pay your bills first every month? What if I told you that the order should be Me first, Bills next, Fun last? When asked, most people will agree that saving money is critically important. Emergency funds give peace of mind and if we ever want to retire someday we have a retirement goal. But very few save money. Saving money is hard when we want things NOW. Getting into the habit of saving is easy if you make a few simple changes. The fi...