Don't let bank fees drain your account

When I was in graduate school, one of our profs told us "The banks have no incentive to be efficient. As long as they can pass their expenses on to the customer in terms of fees, there is no need for them to change their practices."

Graduate school was more than a few years ago for me but this adage still seems true. Yesterday I received a pamphlet in the mail outlining the new fees associated with different accounts at my bank. My chequing account will be effected and as of April 1, there will be a $2 fee for keeping a bank book and a minimum balance of $1500 must be in the account to waive the transaction fees ($0.65 each).

You gotta love the banks. It's amazing I managed to read these tiny changes listed in their little pamphlet, written in a font of 2 with black ink on a grey background. A magnifying glass should have been included in the envelope.

I've ALWAYS avoided paying bank fees. They make enough off my money through their investments, I begrudge giving them more if I can help it. Other than purchasing my cheques, I always maintain the minimum balance required in my chequing account to avoid transaction fees. The minimum balance used to be $1000 so I'd always treat this as my $0. I'd maintain a float of whatever I needed above the $1000 to cover my monthly expenses. Transaction fees can add up! At $0.65 each and an average of 8 transactions per month, that's over $60 a year you can save just by keeping a float above their minimum balance. And don't fall below that minimum balance. If you go below by 1 penny for 30 seconds any time during the month, you'll be charged a fee for every transaction executed that month. 

I also go paperless. Doing good for the environment is incentive enough so sign onto your bank account and look under account settings to switch to paperless if you haven't already. It will stop the flood of monthly statements that you put directly into recycling anyway. And it will avoid any charges the bank may inflict for having a bank book. What's $2 you say? Well, if you saw $2 on the sidewalk, would you pick it up? So I guess it's worth saving then.

If you haven't done so already, have a look at your bank statements and see if you've been dinged any fees lately. How much have you paid in bank fees over the past 6 months? Add them up. Is there something else you'd have rather done with that money or does paying it to your bank give you a warm and fuzzy feeling?

With a little planning on your part you can keep a bit more of your money in your bank account where it belongs. I'm sure the banks will increase their fees to compensate. 

March Break and travelling with a 4 - 5 year old. Is it worth buying a harness for 'one' trip?

So you're headed out of town for March Break. You're all excited about getting away and you're making your lists and organizing your stuff for yourself and your kids and you've laid it all out on the livingroom rug.

Uh oh. How much of this can be crammed into regular checked baggage and how much is going to be additional baggage at a cost of $20 or more per bag each way? Do the airlines really need more of your money on top of your airfare and airport tax and whatever other taxes and expenses that balloon their "seat sale" from $299 to $600?

To take the stroller or To not take the stroller. That is the question. 

Your 4 to 5 year old has been walking all over the place with you for some time now and it seems like those days of hauling the stroller in and out of the car are over. But at the airport or just because you're leaving the country or just because you're going someplace you've never been before, maybe dusting off the stroller and taking it with you would be a good idea. You can strap in your independent one and keep a close eye on them. But the stroller is awfully bulky and maybe the times it will be used the most is at each end of your trip.

Now I must confess that I loved my stroller. It carried everything we needed for our outings and sometimes it even carried a child. It was an essential piece of equipment for us and I never stepped outside the house unless I had the stroller, drinks, snacks and their harnesses. If this sounds like you, then it's a No Brainer. The stroller is the first thing that's packed for your trip.

But if that's not you and you haven't used your stroller for a while, maybe you can get by without it. Hm. Ok, if leaving it behind is an appealing idea, how will I keep track of my kid?

Well funny you should ask. How about one of my Child-to-Adult Harnesses? It's not such a bad idea if you think about it. My harness bundles into a small pouch that is very easy to toss into a purse or day pack. The lead is detachable so your child can wear the body part of the harness all the time. When crowds come along, attach the lead to keep everyone together. And unlike paying more at the airport for additional baggage and having nothing to show for it at the end of your trip, you still have the harness. And chances are very good you'll use it more than once.

But there is another factor in the argument to consider using one of my harnesses that is far more important than any sales pitch I can throw. The feelings of your child. It can be a little overwhelming for them dealing with crowds at the airport or shopping in an open market in another country. Wearing a harness in those strange places will give them a sense of safety and security having that physical connection to Mommy or Daddy.

My own boys continued to ask to wear their harnesses long after they were needed. For them it was their comfort level, their sense of security and safety knowing that I was holding their leads.

For them, it was like holding my hand.

Fast Twitch or Slow Twitch? Let your body dictate your workout

When I was in undergrad, my boyfriend suggested we play tennis. I stood with my racket at the end of the court and waited for him to hit the ball to me. He hit the ball to the side. No no no. You must hit the ball RIGHT to me. No, you're supposed to run for it. Well forget that. Tennis for me lasted about 4 minutes and it was 4 minutes too long. 

Many years later I read an article about fast twitch and slow twitch muscle and how everyone has some of both but some people have more of one type than the other. If you have a greater proportion of fast twitch muscle compared to slow, you're naturally good at moving quickly so sports that require speed and agility are your game. But if it's the reverse, more slow twitch rather than fast twitch muscle, endurance activities are your thing. Training can influence the proportion but not substantially and never to the extent of inverting what you have naturally. So basically, Mostly fast twitch = Always Mostly fast twitch and Mostly slow twitch = Always Mostly slow twitch. Thank your parents for how you're made.

If you detest your workouts, maybe you should have a close look at your heritage and see what they were good at in their time. Chances are you'll take after one of them and a similar activity today will be a good match for you. If you take a little time to narrow your workout options, you may save yourself some agony and find an enjoyable activity that you look forward to rather than dread. 

What were you good at as a child? That younger, smaller body of yours had the same proportion of fast twitch and slow twitch muscle that your body has today. What was your favourite game in the school yard? Were you good at tag or were you always the first one caught? Was standing around and skipping your thing or running the bases? Spending some time thinking about it critically will give you a good idea if the adult you would rather go to the gym and lift weights or jog a few times around the block.

What's your personality? Are you a social type? Then maybe going to the gym with a friend and chatting while you do your circuit is more your speed. Or suffering with a group through a spinning class. Not so social? Then going to the pool and swimming laps probably sounds very appealing. People are around but you're basically working out alone.

As for yours truly, that unfortunate brush with tennis told me all I needed to know and a quick look at Dad reinforced it. Slow twitch from top to bottom. 

Going cheap with your kids is a good idea. But not all the time

Providing for children is expensive. From before they arrive until long after they've left, it seems an endless flow of money is directed their way.

This is why figuring out ways to save money when raising kids has become an industry of it's own. There is a plethora of websites and blogs and online stores with deals and coupons and tips on what you should do and where you should shop and cost-cutting measures you should take. All with the attractive goal of saving you money.

I've been a big money-saver myself. I have a lovely friend with older boys who passes on clothes her own kids have outgrown. Some of the things she gives me are brand new (really) and some are destined for the rag bag. Like my own kids, her's have their favourites so some items are worn until they don't fit any more while others remain in the drawer until they don't fit any more. What my own kids don't like or outgrow goes off to the local Value Village.

Going cheap on clothes makes sense on a whole bunch of levels. They outgrow things so quickly it's usually just one season of wear on those shorts and t-shirts, winter coats and snow pants. A few years ago I found a high-end winter coat at Value Village that lasted my oldest son one winter and my younger son 2 winters. When I donated it back to Value Village it was still in wonderful shape. But that's quality for you.

One's enthusiasm to go cheap with the kids can fall off the rails though, when we try to apply it to other areas like food or safety. Feeding those growing bodies with cheap food of little nutritional value has an extremely high health cost in the end. 

But what about going cheap with a safety harness when so many are available at such great prices? 

Believe it or not, I'm in the middle on this one. Part of me wants to call you crazy if you even consider buying any harness other than mine but the reality is those cheap harnesses do have their place. If you're going to use it only a few times, I mean literally a few times, then cheap is good. Cheap should be fine. After all, it's only for that one trip or that one outing or that one visit to the grandparents. It's new from the box so you certainly shouldn't have any issues with it for the few times it'll be used.

But if you think there is even a remote possibility that you'll be using that safety harness more than a few times as your child grows from 18 months to 3 1/2 years of age, in my opinion it's better to go with quality. And when it comes to quality you get what you pay for. Don't go cheap. Get something that will pay for itself in peace of mind alone. Get something you can trust not to come apart during the years you'll be using it. Get something that's say made by me.

Is your child kept indoors at school because they are a flight risk?

One area of my business that has grown nicely over the past year is my sales to schools and Independent School Districts (ISDs). 

They are looking for my Child-to-Adult Harness to use with one of their students so that student can go on a field trip or play outdoors on the school grounds. 

Some school properties are not entirely fenced so students who are a flight risk have to be kept indoors during recess and lunch breaks. Playing outdoors or participating in field trips off the school property was never an option for these kids.

I now have 29 schools and ISDs as customers. One school ordered 2 different sized harnesses to use with different children when the need arises. Another school ordered a harness with a 10 foot lead so the child could play on the outdoor equipment without running off the property. A number of schools have ordered harnesses with very short leads so the child could safely be walked from one classroom to another.

Many parents who use my harness with their child send the harness to school so their child can fully participate in the routine activities of the classroom. If your child is being kept indoors all day at school or being left out of field trips because they are a flight risk, you may want to consider getting them a harness so they can do what their friends do and go where their friends go.

Thinking of buying a Special Needs stroller to contain your child? My Child-to-Adult Harness may fit the bill instead

This stroller costs $1,500+ USD

More than a few of my customers have told me that when their older child has become too much for them to manage, their doctor has recommended they purchase a special needs stroller, or push chair, to strap their child into so they can once again safely leave the house. 

These strollers don't come cheap. All of them cost more than my first car. If your child can't walk and a push chair is a better option than a wheelchair, then such an investment makes sense. You'll get years of use from it and your child will love it. 

But if your child can walk, I can't help but think that a special needs stroller is quite the luxury ride. 

A couple of other things come to mind besides the expense of a special needs push chair: 

• Your child is accustomed to walking. How will they adapt to being tied to their new chair? Is this type of restraint new to them? Will it be accepted?
• Will it take more than one person to get your child seated in the stroller and secured to the harness? Will you be able to cope on your own or will it take 2 people to get your child secured?
• The seatbelts and harness that are stitched to the stroller will fasten at the front of your child well within their reach. Will your child undo the buckles so they can get out of the stroller to walk?
• How will the use of the stroller impact the amount of exercise your child is getting? Safety first of course but will this mean your child no longer has the option to walk? Or only limited opportunity to walk? If they are accustomed to walking (or running!) most of the time, and now have to ride, will they have other opportunities to get exercise?

If you are considering a special needs stroller or push chair for your ambulatory child, I beg you to have a look at my Child-to-Adult Harnesses before you make your purchase. Maybe a walking harness is all you need to keep your loved one close at hand. My harnesses are:

• made to fit your child but adjustable to last for years
• buckle at your child's back. Replace the buckles with locks to increase security
• the harness + any accessories + shipping and taxes (if any) would be less than $200

Two years ago I had a customer who had spent a huge amount of money on a second hand special needs stroller for her teenage daughter. Obviously her daughter could get out of it in seconds because all the buckles were at the front. Because of this problem she went looking for a way to keep her daughter seated. She found me and ordered one of my harnesses plus a chair strap. But once she had my harness, her daughter was able to safely walk again and the stroller wasn't used!

No one gets it right the first time all the time but if you do your research and mull things over, it usually pays off. Maybe even to the tune of $1300 in savings.

Do you write your cell phone number on your child?

Is he wearing a cell phone #?

I'll confess that I don't belong to any parenting forums but a few years ago when I first started my business, I wandered into one to see what the word was about harnesses. I quickly learned that the safety strategy of the day was to write your cell phone number on your child's neck before leaving the house. The idea was, if you lost your child they would surely be found by a Good Samaritan who would call your number and wait for you to come and collect your little one. This strategy was overwhelmingly preferable to using a harness with your child.

I got out of that forum and went into a few others and the word was the same. Writing your cell phone number on your child was hugely better than even CONSIDERING using a harness. Never use a harness. No no. Geepers, what would people say about you? What would they think?

 Sure I'm biased toward harnesses and obviously I'd be delighted if every little kid had one, especially one of my Child Harnesses LOL, but I must admit I was completely thrown by this whole "write your cell number on your kid" idea. It's a wonderful strategy if you could be assured that your child would be found by someone like me or you. Well, maybe not me because I don't have a cell phone so I'd have to track down someone who did so you could be called and told we have your child. But you wouldn't mind waiting a bit longer while I did that would you? 

Or would you? 

And this is where I know I differ from the women in these forums. I would be a complete and utter wreck if I lost sight of my boys in a crowd. Incoherent, hysterical, likely vomiting with worry. I can only imagine - actually, I don't want to imagine - my reaction if something like that ever happened. But the Moms in these forums were so cool about everything! Don't stress! Write your cell number on your toddler, it will all be fine! No big deal. If you get separated, you'll get called! Just don't ever use a harness!

Ok, but why not use a harness so you don't have to worry about losing your child in the first place? 

Call me crazy but I like to repair the fence while the horse is still in the barn.