Topics for Families
Updated - June 29, 2009

In the Dollar Stretcher Family section you'll find articles and tips to help you save money in all areas of family finances, including the family budget, health, grocery and other family expenses, college financing, saving money and much more. So whether you're a single parent, a one-income family, or a two-income family, the Dollar Stretcher can help you stay within your household budget and save.



Single Parents: A Survival Guide
It can be tough to make ends meet while playing the role of both parents.

The Day Trip Vacation
Kid friendly vacations on a tank of gas.

Computer Gaming on a Budget
Finding a bargain is part of the game.

My Story: Going to Restaurants with the Kids
An economical way to eat out.

Wear, Don't Tear
Getting the most out of children's clothes.

6 Things You Don't Need to Take to College
Minimize expense and maximize space.

The Maternity Wardrobe
How to get by with less and still look great.

My Story: A Lesson in Love
Create a lasting family bond.

Teaching Kids Their Financial ABC's
Teaching your children about money is one of a parent's most important tasks.

Surviving Tough Times

Cheaper Summer Cooling
Cooling options for apartment dwellers and others who don't want to spend a lot.

Are You Wasting Half Your Grocery Budget?
The easy secret to reducing your grocery bill.

Air Drying Clothes without a Clothesline
Save electricity and lengthen the life of your clothes.

Subscribe to our "Surviving Tough Times" Email Alerts!
Each week receive tips and articles directly in your inbox on ways to help you survive financially as the cost of everyday items rise and economic times become tougher. Each issue features six or seven articles and tips to help you stretch your dollar!



Overspending at the Grocery Store
Do you have money budgeted for food each time you go to the grocery store? If not, Amanda gives you a wake-up call! Read her short stupid tax story now!

Student Loans are Always a Stupid Tax
"Everybody told us that they just took out college loans, so that's what we did," Zoe said.

Teaching about Tithing
Should Jill be teaching her child about the tithe, and does the Bible say anything about that regarding children?

Trying to Help Dad
Jeremy can't be an enabler and continuously bail his father out of financial problems. Dave says there's a lesson for dad to learn.


Adult daughter with thin credit needs to learn independence
A concerned mother asks for advice on helping her 28-year-old daughter jump-start her credit, but our expert says mom should think twice before getting too involved.

How Dad affects your debt, financial decisions
New research finds that a father's advice, or lack of it, influences their children's money behavior later.

When family members ruin your credit
Authorized users on your credit card have two freedoms: to rack up debt on your account and to bail when it comes to paying it off.

Are you responsible for your late parent's debts?
One nervous reader asks whether a credit card company can come after her to pay for her father's debts after he passes away.

6 tools to help parents teach kids about money
In these economically challenged times, more parents are looking for ways to help teach their kids how to handle money. Fortunately, there's a wealth of tools -- online and off -- to help them get the job done, regardless of the age of their offspring. We take a look at several of them.

Law alters cozy relationship between card issuers, colleges
New credit card legislation will change the cozy relationships between banks and colleges -- and mean less free pizza for students.

Family Finances
Family Finances

To get a handle on your finances, it is going to take a team effort. The whole family has to be working in the same direction.

Family Finances without a Fight
Finances can be a major source of contention in a marriage. There is a simple solution to this problem that can help both sides be happy.

Money Is a Family Affair
Getting the family to work toward common financial goals.

Family Budget Counseling
If you think you can do better with your finances but don't know how, seek some help because it will pay off.

To Tell the Truth?
How much do kids need to know about the family budget?

Living With a Spend-Thrift Spouse
How do they handle family finances when he is a spender and she is a saver?




Parent, not the child, controls 529 plan
A savings plan may be for your college education, but the parent decides what goes in and comes out.

Peer-to-peer sites offer college loans
Four peer-to-peer lending sites offer loans for students and parents seeking college funding.

Want a vacation? Deals are everywhere
The recession has produced phenomenal travel opportunities. Here's how to find them.

Family relationships make life rich
Multigenerational households won't offer perfection, but rather opportunities for emotional richness.

Family finance tool kit
Use these abundant resources to help plan and manage your family's financial needs.

6 tips for living with boomerang kids
Living with boomerang children can be emotionally and financially challenging, but also rewarding.

A college investment plan for all ages
Earlier is better when it comes to saving for college, but even the best-laid plans can go awry.


Readers' Tips
The smartest readers on the web share their frugal living ideas!

Bankrate's College Financing Basics

A guide to understanding the fundamentals of college financing.

Sizing Up the Challenge
Get the most out of financial aid and get your student into the right school, as painlessly as possible.

Building a College Fund
Create, grow and harvest your very own college money tree – in a handy investment plan!

Last Minute Financing
Facing four long years of ramen noodles? There are other ways to cut expenses and college costs.

Where to Find Financial Aid
Stop looking under rocks for financial aid, Bankrate will just tell you where to find it.

Paying Off Student Loans
Learn everything you'll ever need to know about student loans after you already have one.


Single Parenting
Single Parenting

Being a single parent is full of challenges, but you can succeed with the right attitude and a plan.

Single Parents: A Survival Guide
If you are recently divorced or widowed, it can be tough to make ends meet while playing the role of both parents.

Success as a Single Mom
One mom's story of survival as a single parent.

My Story: Single Mom's Tips for a Frugal Life
It takes a bit of sacrifice but these tips can help a single parent successfully provide for the needs of his or her children.

Single Parenting
Is single parenting hard? Yes, sometimes it's very hard. But as a single parent you can raise healthy, well-adjusted kids.

A Single Parent's Guide to Financial Security
If you're winging parenthood on your own, you know it's difficult to carve out time to pay the bills let alone do financial planning. Here are some suggestions for streamlining your financial life and building up your net worth.

Single Parent Finances
Saving money as a single parent is no different than saving money in a two-income family. You must simply spend less than you bring in each month.


One Income Families
One-Income Families

More and more families are making a go of it on one income. Many more would like to try. Here are some ideas to help you achieve your one income goal.

Going from Two Incomes to One
A decision to transition from two incomes to one begins with a detailed examination of household finances.

A Decision to Stay Home
If you're a working mother that yearns to be home raising your children, here are some valuable lessons.

Confessions of a One Income Family
14 tools to make one income living possible.

One Income Beats Two
If one income isn't enough to pay the bills, many women will go to work when they would rather be home. However, a better solution is to help your husband make more money.

Maintaining the One-Income Lifestyle
It is not easy, but it is possible for a family to live on one income even in today's "everybody works" two-income world.