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It's oftentimes very easy to let personal celebrations slide when life gets busy or you're on a budget. Especially when children enter the mix. Buying that jumbo pack of diapers just might seem higher on the priority list than, say, going out for an anniversary dinner with your husband. But it doesn't have to be one or the other, if you and the hubby are a little creative about your anniversary plans. Let's look at a few ways to cut costs while snuggling up to your spouse for a romantic evening.

Coupon It!

For those of you still with me after reading that title: naw, it isn't a real group, and PETA probably wouldn't heartily or readily approve. All fun aside, however, there is such a thing as using coupons ethically or, in other words, ethical couponing.

A while back, we started to give banking and bankruptcy the MomVesting "simple does it" treatment. That is, we started to look at banking and its terms in a pared down, basic light. Today, we continue what we started, this time focusing on secured and unsecured debts. Without further adieu, here is what you'll want to know about these important banking terms.

Secured Debts

This week has been much calmer. Now that all of the holiday excitement is over, it’s nice to sit back and allow my days to return to an amazing sense of normalcy, complete with goals to accomplish every day, exercise to stick to, and planning to complete. I welcome the set schedule once again. At least for a little while.

In six months, my schedule will be thrown for the biggest loop of my life. As my husband and I welcome our first baby into the house, our formerly scheduled lives will be sure to become one huge mesh of baby’s needs. It’ll be a mess. But it will be a much-welcome mess!

Recently, one of my friends on Facebook posted that her New Year's resolution was going to be to quit whining about how difficult things were and to just do it. I really, really liked this. Sure, life is hard at times, challenging at best during others. Facing whatever it has to throw at us with an attitude to "just do it" is a nice way to start out 2012. Here, I've taken a look at a few more of life's areas that could use some resolutions as we move into another year.

Re: Finances

As everyone knows, the offer of a raise is usually very welcome. In fact, I don’t know any people who will turn down a cost of living raise. However, when that raise comes with some give on your part (let’s say in the form of moving across the country), the decision may be a little more difficult to make, for both you and your spouse. Let’s take a look at this idea in more detail, including how to weigh your options together.

The Offer

Congratulations, MomVesting reader. You've made it through yet another Christmas season. Who's for looking ahead to next year's holiday season? Now, don't click away just yet; hear me out. Yes, many of our seasonal lights are still blinking away after the sun goes down, and many of us have just finished carting out the large garbage bag stuffed full of wrapping and tissue paper. And some of us – the lucky ones – still have a few Christmas cookies or goodies hanging around the house.

Resolutions may seem intimidating, especially when they are financial resolutions. Trying to resolve in one day to overhaul any or all aspects of your finances can be a nightmare. However, when you break down your resolutions into goals that are accomplishable, financial resolutions aren't quite as scary. Let's look at some of the best ways to make financial resolutions in the new year.

Think Big

New Year’s always holds a sense of wonder and excitement for me. What can I do with this new year? How can I improve my life? What goals can I set that will both be attainable and challenging at the same time?

This year, my resolutions are rather simple. Since I plan to gain twenty pounds rather than take it off, I think I can easily check the weight goal off the list. Of course, I want to gain the poundage in the healthiest way possible, so while I eat for two, I vow to focus on eating more…but more fruits, vegetables, lean meats and dairy.

What New Year's party is complete without at least one decadent dessert? If you're throwing a party or have been asked to bring a side dish, you might want to consider lemon bars. These sugary yet tart pieces of heaven can serve a few purposes: one, they're a sweet completion to almost any meal; and two, they can be used as a palate cleanser, with the lemon helping diners ease their way from the flavorful meal to the piles of desserts.