With the onslaught (negative connotation intended) of harvest upon us here in Kansas, my role as a rancher’s wife has seemed to trump all other roles right now. Balancing the investments of ranching can sometimes be tricky with emergency expenses popping up daily.

Between storms that blew our greenhouse 300 feet from its original resting place and lug nuts actually pulling through tire rims, everyday seems like a loss with no gain in sight. So, what keeps us farming?

Seven years ago, had you taken me to coffee and asked me what I thought about investing, I probably would have snorted my coffee right out my nose. My life was wrapped up in studies of literature and law. I was just looking for a way to make money, not really concerned about what I would do with it once I actually had some.

In some regards, this was a great way to be, because all of the money I made just sort of stock-piled in my checking account. I didn’t make much, but I didn’t spend much either. Then marriage happened.

More than Just Stocks

I love living in this age of the internet where, at the click of a button, there is a vast array of info on just about any topic. Everything is at your fingertips 24/7/365, and super-couponing is no exception. In my quest to combine coupons with sales for savings on household products, I've come across several websites that are virtual bevies of awesome couponing information. In short, utilizing these websites has greatly helped my efforts, so I'm giving a shout out to them today…and passing them on to you!

Couponing to Disney

A few months ago, I saw Suze Orman on The Dr. Oz Show, where she mentioned that a financial diet can help people lose weight. Citing a statistic that claimed overweight people are paid $3.41 per hour less than their normal-weight counterparts, Orman went on to say that acknowledging your debt can lead you to skinny jeans. A little far-fetched? Well let’s take a look at the financial diet and Orman’s claims.

The Financial Diet

For many people, the terms charity and deduction are practically synonymous. But if you’re giving to a charity to save money, you’re giving for the wrong reason. You haven’t saved money, you’ve just basically un-earned it from a tax perspective.

Usually Mondays here at MomVesting are reserved for financial definitions, but I have been meaning to share my first foray into the stock market with readers for a while. So I hope you don’t mind if I steal the limelight from our definitions series to take you on a journey through investments.

Ah, yes, summer is fast approaching. For my part of Western New York, this means two things: tons of roadwork and a festival/carnival/fair pretty much every weekend. You'd be hard-pressed to find a pair of kids who love fairs and their accompanying midway rides any more than my two. And a few years ago, when their ride-obsession started, you'd be just as hard-pressed to find a family wallet flatter than ours.

As my girls' school year winds down for the summer, I began to think of ways to challenge them during the summer months, and I developed a program I call “The Summer Challenge.” You see, I’ve noticed in the past that it's too easy to go from a year of school and scheduled activities into full-blown lazy summer mode. While I do believe there is definitely room for some well-earned relaxed, do-nothing days (it is summer, after all!), I also think summer can be an opportunity for moms to invest in their children and families.

I love my husband’s family. Honestly! They are all kind, fun, caring people who I am very happy to now call “My Family.” I know, I know; I am one of the lucky ones, and I count my blessings every day. That being said, however, in-law vacations can still be taxing, especially when it comes to money issues. Let’s look at some ways to handle your cash during in-law family vacations.

Pick Up the Tab

When you truly decide to work from home, you’ll find that many opportunities abound online. However, working online can be scary at first, because you don’t really know who’s on the other side of that monitor. Are they a legit customer or someone trying to get just enough information from you to steal your identity — or worse? Well that mystery goes two ways.