Whenever we go shopping with our kids we try to give them the opportunity to buy something. It is never a big dollar figure thing, but allowing them to make their own decisions serves multiple purposes:

• The kids stay engaged during the day because they know they will get something
• The kids learn how to work with a budget

This past weekend, we went with two of our kids to the 75th Annual Craftsmen’s Fair in New Hampshire. The fair is a sprawling array of artisans demonstrating their crafts and offering them for sale. There are glassblowers, blacksmiths, painters, and sculptors working in every medium you can imagine.

Now a craft fair may not sound like a great day for kids, so we employed our strategy and told them they could each spend $20 on a craft of his or her choice. After looking at the hundreds of exhibits, the kids decided on pieces of hand-sculptured pewter from Walker Boyle. Our daughter chose two horse figurines and our son chose an eagle talon talisman. Mr. Boyle was friendly and accommodating to the kids, which made the entire transaction fun.

Each child hit the $20 mark exactly and left the fair happy as larks making it a great day for the whole family.

When I went to college, I set off with a Mickey Mouse comforter, three garbage bags full of clothes and bedding, a boxful of school supplies and a shoebox filled with my favorite CDs and cassettes. Computers were still optional, and cell phones still looked like giant bricks. Now people going off to college have to decide what kind of computer to take and how to furnish or decorate their dorm rooms. Here are a few hints to help you shop for your dorm room décor:

1. Choose a bedspread that is washable! This, above all else will save you tons of money. Your bed is going to be the central piece of furniture in your dorm room. You will sleep in it, sit on it, lounge on it and your friends will crowd onto it. It is incredibly easy to trash a bedspread when four friends are trying to find a comfortable way to sit on a twin bed at the same time. Take a bedspread that is easily washable and hides dirt well. You can always dress it up with fun pillows and throw blankets later.

2. You can never have enough space savers—those drawers that fit under the bed and are made by Rubbermaid—get a couple of them. It might seem superfluous now, but as the semester wears on, you’ll be glad you have a way to store your things that involves more than simply tossing them under the bed and pulling them back out at the end of the year.

3. Don’t worry so much about intricate decorations. A couple of posters and some photos will work fine. As the year goes on, you’ll be taking more photos and finding more wall art that you’ll want to put up. Buying your art throughout the year is easier on your budget and saves valuable packing space.

Earlier this week I walked into my local Fred Meyer and was, well, assaulted is a harsh word but it’s the best way to describe the experience, with the start of the “Back to School” season. Is it me, or does “back to school” start earlier every year?

There were notebooks, binders, writing utensils, backpacks—just about everything a person could need if he were heading back to the classroom in the fall—and a few extra things as well. Since when does a student need an mp3 player for school (or am I just old)?

One of the best parts about back to school season is that there is no rule that says you need to be a student to partake of the school supply sale prices. Is your office running low on pens? Stock up! Do you need more printer paper for your personal printer? Get a few reams of it now to save money! Go a little crazy and buy enough Post-it notes to last you a few months (somehow Post-it notes always disappear more quickly than you think they will).

Back to school sales are also a great time to stock up on art supplies. Markers, crayons, construction paper—it goes on sale as well. Sketch pads, pastels, paint—it’s all available at bargain basement prices.

When I was a kid I loved the back to school season because, well, I loved going to school…and I was the kid who spent her allowance on loose leaf paper and fancy pens. As an adult I love the back to school season because I can stock my home office for the next twelve months for a fraction of the price that it would cost me at any other time of the year. I save money, my office is stocked and the stores still turn a profit. Everybody wins!

The weather is still sweltering, and the last thing you probably want to think about is shoving your feet back into regular shoes, but in just eight short weeks, it will be autumn and you know what that means: boot season will be back. Fall is the best time for shorter skirts and higher boots, but if you haven’t gone boot shopping here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Not everything that looks fabulous in pictures will look fabulous on you. Boots are like any other piece of clothing, and in this case, your calves are the body part that will decide whether or not a certain style of boot looks good on you.

2. Pay attention to the size and shape of your calves as they will play as much of a role in your boot selection as the size of your feet. Just because your feet fit into the shoe part of the boot doesn’t mean that your calves are the right fit for the boot’s leg. Some boots will be too tight, and others will be too loose.

3. Make sure the boot gives you some ankle support but does not cut off your circulation. For some reason many boot manufacturers tend to make the ankles of their boots extra narrow. While this can help keep the boot in place, it also can do a great deal of damage if the boot is too tight.

4. Take your environment into consideration when you choose which knee high boots are right for you. If you spend a lot of time traveling from one place to another, choose knee high boots that are comfortable in which to walk. If you spend a great deal of time outside, buy boots that will stand up to all types of weather, like leather or rubber.

Once again, it is time for that family vacation! Every summer families pack up and hit the road for what is supposed to be a fun and carefree family vacation. Usually these vacations end up being stressful and expensive. This year the traditional family vacation stands to be even more expensive! Gas prices, the price of food and lodging - prices have exploded!

This year, why not do everything you can to save money? Here are a few hints to help:

1. Cars get better gas mileage if they don’t do a lot of stopping and starting and, while lonely roads and scenic routes are certainly fun to explore, if you are headed somewhere specific, you should take the highway—cars get better gas mileage on the highway.

2. Pack a cooler full of food and drinks, and keep it somewhere reachable. Count your blessings if you own a car that gives you trunk access through the car’s back seat! Packing your own food and drinks will cut down on the money you would spend at a restaurant or convenience store and will keep you from making lots of stops.

3. If you are traveling with younger kids, invest in a portable DVD player. When younger kids get bored, they tend to get loud and whiny—this could mean a lot of extra stops at rest stops for some running around or last minute entertainment. If you keep your kids occupied, you’ll make much better time!

4. An inexpensive digital camera can save you a lot of money on film and development costs. If you’ve brought your computer with you, you can download the photos as you take them!

It’s amazing how the little money savers, when used in conjunction with each other, can save you quite a bit of money!

With the weather heating up many of us start paying visits to the local community swimming pool. Swimming pools are a great way to cool off and have fun during the hot summer months, and they can be a great source of exercise! Of course, not everybody has the time to spend the day at the community pool and some people don’t like the noise and crowds that are associated with public swimming pools, but if you can’t afford an in-ground swimming pool, what other option is there?

An above ground swimming pool!

Above ground swimming pools are cheaper than in-ground swimming pools, and they are available in a number of sizes and styles. Here are a few tips to help you get a great deal on your above ground swimming pool this summer:

1. Plan for the space you have available to you. Your yard might not accommodate a large swimming pool for “real” swimming, but a smaller, “keep cool” sized pool might be a perfect fit! Decide what you want to use the pool for and then pick the one that fits the best in your yard.

2. Look for pools that come with accessories included. You will want a pool cover to keep debris out of the water at night. You also should have a pump system for the pool to keep algae from forming and making the water in the pool unsafe.

3. If you can afford them, you might want to invest in some solar panels or other sort of heating device. Water that feels a little cold on your hands will probably feel shockingly cold to the rest of your body, and the more time your pool spends in the shade, the colder the water will be. Water that is too cold can be dangerous. Small solar panels and inexpensive heaters can keep the water cool and manageable at the same time.

Summertime is rampant with weddings, and you know what that means: it’s time to figure out what kind of wedding gift giver you want to be.

While registering for gifts has exploded in popularity in recent years, there are still some couples who find the idea of registering for presents to be tacky—almost like begging. For the gift giver, this can present something of a headache. How can you make sure that you won’t be giving the happy couple the same photo album that everyone else gives them?

The type of gift you give at a wedding typically depends on how close you are to the people who are getting married. Obviously if you are very close to them, you have an easier time choosing something that will be personal and unique. But what if you aren’t that close? What then? Here are a few tips to help you make sure that your gift is well received and not one gravy boat of many.

1. Donate to charity in the couple’s name. Do a little research and find out what causes the couple is passionate about, and then, instead of giving them a physical present, tell them that you donated that money to their pet cause. You’re giving to charity, and the couple will be touched that you took the time to help a cause about which they care.

2. Pool your money with other guests to get them a larger gift, like a piece of furniture that you know they need or a weekend getaway that they can use later.

3. When in doubt, gift cards or cash are always good ways to go. It might seem tacky, but it will be far more appreciated by the bride and groom than something they don’t need but feel obligated to keep.

Powell’s Books is one of the world’s best independent bookstores. It was started in the 1970s with this simple question: why shouldn’t new and used books be displayed side by side on the shelves of a bookstore? That simple question turned one small, independently owned bookstore into a phenomenon.

The flagship store is located in downtown Portland, Oregon. The original store is still there and has since been expanded to take over the building in which it was housed (which also used to be home to a car dealership). The flagship store is four stories tall and takes up an entire city block. It has its own parking garage (discounts on parking available if you buy a book and show your receipt to the parking attendant), café, art gallery and rare book collection. If it is or has been in print, you should be able to find it at Powell’s.

There are only a few other brick and mortar stores, all located in the Portland metro area. While none compare to the wonder that is the flagship store downtown, each store has its own personality.

If you don’t live in the Portland metro area, you can still buy from Powell’s by utilizing their website. They ship to just about anywhere and the website is as independent as the brick and mortar stores.

As early as a decade ago, the larger chain stores like Borders and Barnes and Noble still felt like independent booksellers. Slowly but surely these stores have become more and more “corporate feeling,” and have lost a great deal of their original personality (and this is coming from a life long Borders fan!). You can bet that won’t be happening with Powell’s. Powell’s prides itself on its independence and defiance in the face of corporate America.

At Powell’s it’s all about the books.

One of the good things about the heat of summer is that food becomes cheaper to prepare. Instead of the thick stews and roasts that keep us full and warm during the colder months, the summer is a time for salads, sandwiches and grilling. However, it can be easy to get carried away at the grocery store, stocking up on veggies and breads that—if not used quickly enough—go bad before you can eat them. Here are some tips to help you save money on meals this summer:

1. The obvious rule stays the same no matter what time of year it is: make your own meals. Eating out is costly, especially when meals are light and can quickly and easily be prepared at home for a fraction of the cost of a restaurant’s food.

2. Stock up on things that you will be able to use throughout the summer. If the grocery store is having a sale on spice mixes, get a few to save. Grill Mates, McCormick’s and other brand name spice packets often hit 10 for $10 (if not cheaper) in the summer. Take advantage of the summer sales on foods that don’t spoil.

3. Instead of hunting through the produce section of your supermarket, take a weekly trip to your local farmers’ markets. At farmers’ markets, you often can find the same vegetables that you find in the grocery store. The difference between the store and the farmers’ market is that you know exactly from where the vegetables and fruit come. You usually can talk directly to the person who grew them! What’s more, in addition to usually being able to save money, you can gain some satisfaction from knowing that you are contributing directly to local businesses!

There are plenty of bargains to be found for summertime meals!

Summer is sale season for retailers. Memorial Day kicks off the season with huge savings in just about every national retailer, and the sales continue all the way through until Labor Day. With so many great excuses to go shopping, how do you make sure that you don’t end up spending too much money?

1. Remember that retailers are crafty. Think of how most sales work: buy something at regular price, get something at half off. Buy three of something, get one free. These are all incentives to get you to buy more than you usually would. Do you need four boxes of a cereal you only eat once a year? Would you normally be purchasing a hardcover book, or would you be waiting for the paperback? Ask yourself if you really need the full priced item before buying it just to get the second item at a sale price.

2. Understand that the urge to buy is often counterintuitive to the urge to save. People often buy far more than they need (or would normally want) because something is on sale. If the pair of jeans you love has finally been marked down, by all means snatch them up! Just be careful that you don’t use the money you’ve saved to validate purchases of other items that you wouldn’t normally buy—just because you suddenly feel like you have “extra money” burning a hole in your pocket.

3. Plan your sale excursion ahead of time. Look for information about the sales before you leave the house. The store websites will usually give a rundown of what kind of sale prices are being offered and which items are “marked to go.” Decide which sales you most want to attend, and once you’ve attended them, come home!