“Without frugality none can be rich, and with it very few would be poor.” – Samuel Johnson

You probably already know you need to save for a rainy day. Problem is, there doesn’t seem to be enough money to put aside for that rainy day. All of your money seems to be going for today’s needs – and you’ll just have to worry about the future when you get there.

I really don’t like to wear the same thing every week. I love to change things up a bit not only with different tops and bottoms but also different accessories. But I am on a strict budget. I very rarely can afford to buy something from the mall. Recently I stopped into my local Goodwill store and boy was I surprised!

Tax time is the perfect time to talk about saving money.  Everyone has big dreams for their refund checks--including children.  How do you begin to teach the little ones in your family the value of saving?  Stories are a perfect way to introduce concepts and start talking.  In Tía Isa Wants a Car by Meg Medina, a little girl and her aunt dream of buying a car big enough for their whole family and perfect for driving to the beach.  It's hard because they are also saving "helping money" to send to their family back home.  One of the great parts of this story is that the little girl and her aunt work together to save for the car.  It's important for little ones to know that even they can help make a difference.  If a car seems too big, then try one of the other titles below to find the right one for you and your child.

I want to recommend two books for you to read.

When I was a kid, I won a history contest and was knighted at the state capitol as a “Lady of the Golden Horseshoe” (seriously, it happened). For me, the more exciting benefit of this award was that it came with $100… then I found out that it was a $100 savings bond. I wasn’t going to have access to that money for YEARS? It had to GROW first?

What if you’re having trouble finding money to put aside for a rainy day? Here are some ideas to help you think of new ways to bring in some cash for an emergency fund:

One of the best ways to save money on necessities is to buy secondhand. Clothes, housewares, tools, furniture, cars…the possibilities are endless. Here’s a quick guide to making it worth your time and effort.