If you have kids, you probably know what it’s like to have picky eaters in the house. One loves pickles, another one hates them. Someone doesn’t like mushrooms, another hates the taste of celery and one has aspirations of a completely carnivorous diet.

Fortunately, there are ways to hide nutritional ingredients in your meals. One of my staple recipes for our children is squash casserole. It’s ooey, gooey and packed with healthy nutrients like Vitamin C. It’s also affordable, considering summer is squash season. Best of all, it’s easy-to-make, filling and just as good when eaten for leftovers.

Hungry yet? Here’s a version of my squash casserole recipe if you’d like to try it out this summer:

Ingredients:

-       3 pounds of yellow squash (or zucchini, depending on what’s on sale)

-       1 large onion

-       2 cups of your favorite shredded cheese

-       30 crushed round buttery crackers (Ritz or something similar)

-       ½ cup of cream, milk, cream cheese or unflavored Greek yogurt

-       4 tablespoons of butter/margarine

-       salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Dice onion and sauté with butter in a large skillet on medium.
3. Chop squash and immediately place in skillet with the onions.
4. Sauté for 10 minutes, or until squash is tender (easily breaks apart with a fork).
5. Add cream/milk, 1 cup cheese and half the crushed crackers and cook until cheese is melted (about two minutes).
6. Pour mixture into a greased casserole pan and top with rest of crackers and cheese.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
8. Let it set for a minute or two (it’s hot!) and enjoy.

Another great thing about this recipe is that it’s super-versatile. Like a little spice? Dice up a jalapeno or add some cayenne pepper. You can also make it cheesier or healthier by adjusting the amount of cheese.

Play around with it and create your own family squash casserole recipe!

What is YOUR favorite summer recipe?

Ellie Kay

America’s Family Financial Expert (R) 

Ball game or other experience
If you’re lucky enough to live by your dad, one of the most memorable gifts you can give him is simply spending some time with him. You could toss baseballs at the park, cook his favorite meal (barbecue, anyone?) or go to an event. Now is especially an affordable time to catch a baseball game by using sites such as Stubhub or Groupon, as teams are in the middle of their season and looking to fill seats for games against less-popular teams. There are also often free or cheap summer concerts, as well as deals on movies.
Basically, when it comes to a Father’s Day gift, a more expensive gift isn’t necessarily a better gift. Put some thought into it and he’ll be happy (just don’t call him one of the names he doesn’t like).

Ellie Kay
America’s Family Financial Expert (R)

Then there was Bethany, screaming about Joshua pulling her hair or the fact she wanted a particular treat in Aisle 2. And, of course, there was the checkout line, where I would whip out my wad of coupons and absorb the scathing looks of people in line behind us as I cut my grocery bill in half.

Today, I can only imagine how much time and effort I would have saved if I had the convenience of grocery delivery, which is rising in popularity and convenience.

Go on, try it out!

More and more stores are testing the grocery delivery market – Walmart and Amazon are a couple of the bigger ones. Then there are online companies who specialize in grocery delivery, like Peapod (national) and Artizone (currently limited to Chicago and Dallas). Because of this increase in options (and since it’s a relatively new concept), companies will give you a deal for trying their delivery service.

For example, Walmart is offering $20 off and free delivery for your first order, while daily deal sites like GrouponArtizone give huge discounts on the first order for smaller companies. My son, Daniel, used for his first delivery and got $120 worth of local produce and groceries for just $60! Even if you just try out a number of different companies, you’ll be spending less than you would during a traditional grocery trip.

Saving more than you think

Think grocery delivery is all about convenience? Think again. In addition to saving you gas and time, it helps you in other ways:

• Save money: Grocery delivery used to only be an option for those who didn’t worry as much about money, but now it’s more affordable than ever. Many companies have no delivery fee, or if they do, it’s very small. And the prices are comparable with traditional grocery stores, especially if you take advantage of online coupons.
• Save time: This one almost goes without saying, as you’ll be saving a trip to the grocery store (which takes longer if you have kids). You also save the hassle of writing out a list, as you can keep track of your order online before you place it.
• Save the planet: Many grocery delivery services combine a large number of orders onto one truck, resulting in a smaller carbon footprint. It also reduces wear and tear on your car. And if you order organic produce, you’ll be supporting local farmers.

As I said, just trying grocery delivery service will save you money in the short run. And if you take advantage of deals and coupons (many sites even have double coupon offers), you can save in the long run as well. Grocery delivery is only going to become more and more commonplace, so now is a great time to give it a try.

Ellie Kay

America’s Family Financial Expert (R) 

With graduations upon us, it’s a natural time to start preparing for job interviews.  At 7.5%, the unemployment rate is at its lowest level since 2008, so opportunities are out there. In the Kay household, our kids were naturally prepared for grilling questions thanks to our habit of asking them about their day every evening at dinner.

“What was something good about your day?”

“What did you do at school?”

“What was the best part of your day?”

They were obviously more forthcoming some days than others, but the habit made it more natural for them to talk about their experiences. This easily translates to job interviews, where prospective employers ask both conventional and unconventional questions.

You have probably already heard about the most common questions, such as ones pertaining to your history, why you’re interested and your strengths and weaknesses. But every now and then, you’ll get a common question disguised as an uncommon one. Here are five of them:

1. “What was your best MacGyver moment?”

When an interviewer asks a question similar to this, they’re really looking for examples of your adaptability and resourcefulness. Have you ever had any unconventional homework assignments or projects where you didn’t have common resources? This is a good time to talk about them.

2. “How many employees does it take to screw in a light bulb?”

This is a unique way to see where you stand on being a team player and if you have problem-solving skills. Most careers have a fair amount of group projects, so interviewers want to see if you’re a lone wolf (“Just one. Me.”) or if you can work with others (“As many as it takes to do it efficiently.”)

3. “What is our receptionist’s name?”

This could also be a question about something or someone else in the building. The interviewer is looking to see if you’re observant, paying attention and have a good memory. Just be aware of your surroundings and you’ll be prepared for this question.

4. “If you were in the NBA, what position would you play?”

Believe it or not, you don’t have to follow sports to answer this question correctly. The interviewer simply wants to know if you’re a leader or team player and ready to contribute immediately. Focus on answers that show off your willingness to do anything for the team/company.

5. “If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be?”

This is a good opportunity to talk about a variety of things, from your hobbies to who you value. It can be a current or past figure, but should be someone you truly admire. This is a great way for you to relate to the interviewer and ease any tension or awkwardness.

Again, these specific questions are rare, but if you’re prepared to talk about things like your resourcefulness, leadership abilities and interests, you’ll be ready to answer them. A good starting point would be to look at lists of the most common questions and rephrasing them in a unique way. It can be fun and a great way to prepare for your first job interview.

What are some of YOUR favorite interview questions? Be sure to send this blog to your favorite college grad who might be looking for that dream job (or any job).

Ellie Kay

America’s Family Financial Expert (R)

Blockbuster savings

One of the biggest traditions in the Kay family is watching movies. Well, more specifically, watching movies AND quoting movie lines at every opportune moment. For example, if I were to mention that tradition in front of one my boys, they’d likely pipe in with something like, “Really boot? Why don’t you give me 100 right now?” (Bonus points if you know the reference–scroll to the end of the blog for the answer.)

Like many families, our movie watching time increases in the summer. Kids are out of school, air-conditioned indoors suddenly become more appealing and Hollywood starts cranking out its big-time money-makers. But one of the most important reasons is the fact movie theaters start offering some of their best deals and reward programs of the year.

Here are some of the blockbuster deals from some of the biggest companies in the United States:

1. Cinemark – These guys are probably the best when it comes to the sheer number of discounts and savings they offer. The Values page on their website is full of printable discounts and coupons such as free popcorn and discounted tickets. These coupons can be used in conjunction with their refillable soda and popcorn cups and tubs. They also offer discounts for seniors, groups, the military and students! If you go on the right day (like a Tuesday), you’d like be able to pull off a movie for two with concessions for less than $20, depending on what part of the country you live in. Best of all, Cinemark has a large number of dollar or discounted theaters, where you can get tickets for less than two bucks.
2. AMC Theatres – If you go to the movies frequently, AMC has one of the best reward programs out there. Their AMC Stubs program not only gives you discounts and rewards, the online portal lets you track every cent you spend on concessions and tickets. Another perk is that the program waives all fees for purchasing tickets online. At $12 per year, the card pays for itself after only a few visits.
3. Regal Entertainment Group – The best part about the Regal Crown Club? It’s absolutely free. In addition to offering rewards and discounts, members also have the opportunity to enter sweepstakes for vacations and movie-related prizes.
4. Carmike Cinemas – TBG? TAG? Those are some of the promotion names at Carmike, which offers exclusive discounts on its social network pages. Of course, you’ll only know about them when you like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. Their Family Pack, for example, offers amazing savings for families.
5. Daily deals – Sites like Groupon may not be as popular as they were before, but that’s good for deal hunters, as they need to offer better deals to attract new customers. One popular deal is a movie ticket and drink for half price, meaning you only have to pay for popcorn (or simply enjoy a soda and a movie).

Whether you’re a student, senior or simply love movies, you can save big on movies this summer. Save what, you may ask? “Presidential flashcards.” Ok, that’s another movie line from the movie quoted at the top of this blog. Did you guess it? “That Thing You Do!”

Ellie Kay

America’s Family Financial Expert (R)

National Tourism Day isn’t a well-known holiday, but today happens to be the day we celebrate it. In honor of that – and since summer is almost upon us – now is a good time to start planning your summer vacation. (You don’t want to start planning it when you’re supposed to be taking it, after all!)

This year is particularly good for people who like to save a penny or two on their vacations, as airfare prices are dropping, the economy is rising and deals on cruises are better than ever. Bob and I were even able to afford a stay at the Wrigley mansion on Catalina Island for our 25^th anniversary!

Here are a few great ways to save on getaways this summer.

• TravelZoo – One my personal favorites because of the sheer percentage of savings they offer, TravelZoo rounds up some of the best deals on the web and sends them to you in a weekly e-mail that is customized for your location. You can also browse through their site, which features vacation packages, airfare, hotels, cruises, car rentals and even local deals to restaurants and other places. Today, for example, you can get a 12-night Mediterranean cruise for $799. Another perk for TravelZoo is that the price they list is the price you pay (all fees included). If you’re flexible about when you want to take your vacation, this is one of the best options.
• Daily deal sites – Sites like Groupon have been particularly good lately thanks to the company’s partnership with Expedia. Simply browse through their “Getaways” section and you’ll vacation packages to places like China, Peru and the Bahamas. The selection has dramatically increased this year and there are even plenty of deals for people who would rather drive somewhere local or don’t have much time off.
• Cruises – Cruises have gotten a bad rap recently thanks to ships malfunctioning and even leaving vacationers stranded for days on one occasion. That’s good news for those looking to save, however, as companies like Carnival are dropping prices to keep people coming back. You can currently find 3-5 day Caribbean cruises for as low as $229, less than the nightly cost of many higher-end hotels! Those malfunctioning ship incidences were likely anomalies, so it’s a great time to go on that first cruise.
• Airfare – Southwest (subscribe to their Ding! fares) JetBlue, Virgin and other companies are slashing prices due to a variety of reasons, from lower fuel costs to increased seating capacity. Fares are constantly changing, however, so be sure to sign up for price alerts at sites like Kayak or Fly.com. (By phone is the most ideal if you’re looking for a really great deal.) Also be sure to search on Tuesdays, the day most airlines announce their sales. You can also usually get refunds or money back if the airline drops the price within a certain time period. Check Bing Price Predictor to see if prices are going up or down.
• Travel deal sites – When it comes to sites like Kayak, Hotwire.com, BookingBuddy and others, the best advice is to compare, compare, compare. You can usually find the exact same trip for less if you search enough, which is why you should never just use one site. Hotwire is particularly great if you’re not too picky about where you stay or how you travel, as they occasionally hide the companies for better deals. They’re also currently offering up to 70% off weekend hotel stays.

In the end, the more you search for a good deal online, the more you’ll likely save. Be sure to visit all the deal sites you can, and once you find a deal for you, go to the hotel/car/airfare company site or call them to see if they’ll match or beat the deal.

Bon voyage!

Ellie Kay

America’s Family Financial Expert (R)

When I married my husband we had five babies in seven years and moved eleven times in thirteen years. I also had two stepdaughters for a total of 7 children to support. I left a nice job as a broker to have a more rewarding career as a SAHM (stay at home mom). One of the questions that I frequently heard was: Do you work?“What do you mean do I work?” I would think even though I politely answered, “Yes, I work very hard as a stay at home mom.” Sometimes, an unsuspecting troglodyte would go on to say something totally thoughtless such as “Well, I meant do you really work. Do you have a job?”

I would bite my tongue until it bled….

What I wanted to say was, “What do you mean do I really work? I work a heck of a lot harder that you do, mister! I’m an accountant, a contract administrator, a chauffeur, a nurse, a soccer mom, a stylist, a wife, and a chef! Plus ten other job specialties! I do all these things as a mom—I’M A CEO MOM, MISTER!”

They usually didn’t ask the same question twice.

These days, as a financial writer and speaker—and a mom, I’ve talked with scores of spouses who work outside the home because of the status of our economy and by necessity–not choice.

Each year, Salary.com issues a report on what a mom’s time is really worth. According to this site, “Based on a survey of more than 40,000 mothers, Salary.com determined that the time mothers spend performing 10 typical job functions would equate to an annual salary of $138,095 for a stay-at-home mom. Working moms ‘at-home’ salary is $85,939 in 2010; this is in addition to the salary they earn in the workplace.” That’s a lot of worth associated with this great job of motherhood!

What is your time worth? You can log into a calculator that tells you what you would be paid on the economy for all the work you do as a SAHM or as a mom who also works outside the home and inside the home!

How effective is the mom’s work outside the home? Does it pay to work in today’s economy with rising prices and a modest hourly wage? Many spouses who move frequently do not often have the luxury of annual pay raises at the same company. For example, let’s look at Jennifer.

Jennifer was an administrative assistant who needed to work outside the home to make ends meet. She made an average wage of $8.50 per hour and felt she contributed greatly to the family’s finances. She only had one child in day care, traveled a short distance to work, and paid no state income taxes. Then Jennifer attended one of my Living Rich for Less seminars and was challenged with the idea of “crunching the numbers.” She completed our “Working Mom’s Compensation Chart” and was shocked. The online version of this is a one income calculator .

The amazing fact Jennifer discovered was, by working full time–she was making $3 per week! She didn’t realize how those extra pizza nights (because she was too tired to cook), and the trips to the beauty salon (to maintain a professional hairstyle), and all those lunches (away from home) added up! She realized she needed to make some dramatic adjustments. She decided there was a better use of her energy and quit her job outside the home.

But Jennifer didn’t stop there. She implemented some money savings strategies found on this blog and is making ends meet at home. She has less stress in her life and the freedom to contribute to her family’s financial needs through saving money and by launching her own homebased writing business. In her case, a penny saved was more than a penny earned.

For a working mom’s work chart, just email assistant@elliekay.com and tell us you read about this resource in the blog, we’ll email it to your for free. 

• Phishing Scams – Never give your social security number, account numbers, date of birth or other personal information via email or on the phone unless you initiated the contact. Most major internet sites and financial institutions have been targeted including Citibank, PayPal, eBay, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and America Online (AOL). These scams usually show up in your email inbox with a message from the “System Administrator” telling you to perform some urgent maintenance on your account.

• Checks – When you pay your credit card by check, never put your credit card’s full account number on the check, just write the last four digits. This will prevent someone in transit from harvesting your account number.

• Auction Fraud – This was the second most reported consumer fraud complaint to the FTC, totaling 51,000 auction complaints. The fraud is simple – put up a fake ad on eBay, let someone “win” the bid and send in their money, but never send out the merchandise. Make sure the seller has an established history before you click “buy.”

• Identity Theft or Credit Repair Scams — The Federal Trade Commission has warned that some companies that claim to be identity theft prevention companies are scam artists trying to get your driver’s license number, mother’s maiden name, Social Security number and credit and bank account numbers. If you are unsure about a firm, check it out with the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org .

• Prize Scams – If someone calls you on the telephone and offers you the chance to receive a major prize but insists on gathering personal data first, ask them to send a written application in the mail. If they refuse, then hang up.

Credit Card Applications – Consider getting a secure mailbox (key access) as many identity thieves like to take your mail directly from the box (or from the trash), fill out your credit card applications and put their address in the information box. Always shred all credit card applications and contact your credit card companies to never release this information to other companies.

Ellie Kay
America’s Family Financial Expert (R)

Priorities
In any discussion of college costs, it’s important to keep priorities straight:
Parents need to leave yourself some fun money for retirement. How else can you afford that mechanical bull riding lesson and those parasailing flights (been there, done that, LOVE it)?
I really believe that you, as a parent, should try to avoid borrowing on your future in order to pay for your child’s future. After all that information we had earlier in this chapter about investments for retirement, why would you want to take one of your greatest investments and leverage it for college expenses? Yet millions of parents make that devastating financial choice every year. I’m talking about avoiding any college funding plan that includes a home equity loan, a HELOC (home equity line of credit) or refinancing of an existing home mortgage. These options reduce the amount of equity in your home, increasing the risk of possible foreclosure and you incur costs in interest charges that may cost you more if the term on the new mortgage is greater than the remaining term on the existing mortgage. For example, if there is ten years left on the mortgage and parents get a new 30 year loan. Furthermore, if parents choose to pull out enough money in equity for the first year of for four years of college all at once, then parents paying interest on money that won’t be needed until the upcoming sophomore, junior and senior years. Instead, look at the following options to pay for college.

The College Mantra
When I began a young adult, got married and began having kids (in that order) I was first exposed to the whole idea of “the college my child gets accepted to.” As a mom of many who has already launched a few college bound kiddos, I’m still hearing, “What college did they get accepted into?” The part of that question that amazes me is that the answer that is most impressive are also the most expensive (Columbia, Harvard, Stanford, Yale, etc). These schools have averages four year costs of $188,000 (Columbia); $240,000 (Harvard); $186,000 (Stanford) $193,000 (Yale). While an average of 40% of the students who attend either get financial aid, grants or scholarships, they only average out to assistance of $9600 per year. This leaves a boatload that the student and mom/dad owe for college. Most of this is usually in loans of some kind. So then the average student graduating from some of the most prestigious colleges have student loans upwards to $80,000 or more.
So why is the question: What college did they get accepted into?
The question should be: What college did they get accepted into that they can afford?
Why do you want to leverage your future (through HELOCS or loans) or leverage their future (through massive consumer debt) when it will take many years of earning power, for them to pay back those loans? One of the most common problems I hear of have to do with the burden of dual student loans in a marriage.

I’m doing what I can to help families minimize student loan debt so that both the parents and the graduates can have a better quality of life with more flexibility once they start those new careers. For more practical aspects of very specific ways you can pay for college. Please email assistant@elliekay.com and put “College Crunches” in the subject line. Our offices will send you a wonderful resource file that I wrote to help you fund a quality education for a fraction of the debt.

Ellie Kay

“America’s Family Financial Expert” (R)

www.elliekay.com

My Spanish mother and my Abuela would put on their work clothes, tie their hair in a scarf and attack the house with a vengeance that would make the mighty 300 run in sheer panic all the way back to Sparta. Never get between a Latina woman and her spring cleaning. I was conscripted into forced servitude while all my freckleless girlfriends got to go play kick the can in our street circle.

Now that I’m an adult, every spring, I engage in a different type of practice that gets our finances in tip top shape. Instead of a broom, I use a smart phone. Instead of a vacuum cleaner, I have a computer. I like to engage in spring savings. The bonus for this formerly freckled girl is that I usually save more than enough money to hire someone else to do my spring cleaning.  Here are some ways that you can get out of spring cleaning and into spring savings:

Property Tax Challenge – As many as 30% of homeowners may be overtaxed, according to the National Taxpayers Union. First, study your property card for errors in your home’s specs. Next, compare your home’s value and taxes with other nearby homes (go to Valueappeal.com). Third, go to ntu.org/tax-basics to learn how to build your case before the tax assessor. Fourth, challenge the amount and win and save hundreds or even thousands of dollars!

Prepare for Warm Weather – Invest in a thermal leak detector to find and fix drafts around windows, outlets and walls to save as much as 20% on cooling bills. Also invest in a programmable thermostat to adjust your home about 10 degrees while you’re at work and at night to save another 15%.

Pull the Plug on Entertainment – There’s no need to pay for pricey cable or satellite when you have less expensive options. Before we had Apple TV, we invested in a streaming player called Roku that cost about $100 and connected the internet to our TV. We currently use Netflix ($8/month) for movies and TV shows and then Hulu Plus ($8/month) for new TV episodes that we can watch right after they’ve aired. Plus, I’m a Prime member on Amazon, so I get to watch scores of shows for free on Amazon Instant Video. I’ve discovered all kinds of Downton-like British TV shows that are delightful (I’m currently hooked on Lark Rise to Candleford).  These options save $750 a year over cable.

Put off the Oil Change – My girlfriend Audrey has a fairly new Lincoln and the dealership told her to only go 3000 miles between oil changes. But her car light comes on at 7800 miles, so she listens to the car instead. Actually, the newest studies indicate that my girlfriend is right! The quality of oil has improved dramatically over the last 25 years. Follow the owners manual and the car’s oil-life-monitoring system instead of the dealer who wants that extra service fee. I change the oil in my car once a year!

Put it on Ice – To save on food and spoilage, freeze hard cheeses, most fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, bread and other baked goods. You can use ice trays to freeze baby food, sauce or stock, and chopped fresh herbs in water. Not only will you never have to dig a moldy hunk of something you don’t recognize out of the back of the fridge, you’ll also find dinner prep is quicker and easier by using these kinds of frozen items.

Once you’ve finished your spring savings, then sit back, pour a cool glass of tea (with mint infused ice cubes) and watch Lark Rise to Candleford—you deserve the rest!

Ellie Kay

America’s Family Financial Expert (R)