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Feeding Picky Eaters on Tight purse strings...

Does this happen to you? You come home from food shopping and the kids tear into all the new bags of food yelling, “Whadya get?” before you have time to unpack. New snacks are ripped open, meanwhile you have 4 half-full bags of cookies, pretzels, and crackers in the cabinet, but somehow those just don’t seem so appealing. I hate to waste food, so I’ve had to come up with some simple tricks to finish one thing before we start another.

1. Healthy After School Snacks - When they get home from school they are famished – so put out what you want them to eat on the table. If it’s easy, they’ll grab it. I often do cheese & crackers, chips and salsa, homemade cookies (baked ahead of time and kept in the freezer) and milk or a big bowl of grapes.

2. Party Trays -The day before you go food shopping, check the cabinets for half full bags of snacks and use them up. To make these more appealing, put them in a decorative serving tray. I have one with three compartments so I might do: nuts, pretzels and chips or cheese, crackers and cut up peppers. If your kids like dip, put that out in a little bowl.

3. Mix It Up -Produce doesn’t last long so I find myself with black bananas quite often. For this reason, I always have a big container of vanilla yogurt on hand for smoothies. Toss one cup of yogurt, one cup of fruit juice and whatever fruit you have: bananas, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries into the blender and let it whip. I like to add some crushed ice at the end. You can even add a boost to your smoothies by adding a tsp of ground flax seeds, wheat germ or pureed greens-yum!  These make a great after-school snack or breakfast. And who can resist a bendy straw!

4. Buffet Style - Left over meals are an economical way to save food and money, but if you have picky eaters, they won’t like the sounds of this. Again, on the day before I plan to food shop I have a “Pick Your Own” dinner or lunch. I will categorize the food by protein, grain and fruits & vegetables and put it all out on the counter. Everyone in the family gets to choose one of each and that’s the meal! If you don’t have enough leftovers to round out the meal, make one new thing that the kids love like oven oven roasted fries or whole wheat pasta, this will make the meal seem fresh.

5. A better lunch – I can’t bring myself to buy pre-packed, over salted or over-sugared so-called ‘foods’. I take a day here and there throughout the month and make 8-10 batches of homemade cookies, granola bars or muffins. It’s easy to keep them stored in the freezer and stick them in lunches to go along with fruit and veggie snacks. To be more environmentally conscious, consider investing in some key lunch box items ; Small stainless steel drink bottles, and reusable containers for cut up fruit, snacks and sandwiches; surprisingly enough, my 6 year old actually brings the stuff home!

Credit Scores - Do you know yours?

Twice a month I write articles for all of you savvy readers about ways to save money by doing things like virtually free crafts with your kids, making homemade laundry detergent or ways to make thrift shopping work for you. But, to be truly budget wise, like I know all of you level headed folk are, there’s some things you need to be solid on in your understanding.

You probably know at least what your mortgage payment is bi-weekly or monthly or your fairly sure how much is left on your student loan, but do you know your credit score? It’s a daunting number for many people and we find it difficult to understand at times but if you’ve ever wondered how it all works.. read on!

According to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, “your credit score is a judgment about your financial health, at a specific point in time. It indicates the risk you represent for lenders, compared with other consumers”
If you have ever taken out a loan, used a credit card or taken advantage of a "buy now, pay later" offer, you will have a credit history.
Having a good credit history is very important. If your credit history is poor, a lender can refuse to give you a loan (and your record stays with you for a long time, in New Brunswick, sometimes up to 7 years!) You may not be able to get a mortgage to buy a new house, or take out a personal loan. If the lender does decide to give you the loan, a poor credit history may mean you will have to pay a higher interest rate. A poor credit history can affect you in other ways, too. For example, a landlord may refuse to rent you an apartment because of a poor credit history.
There are many different ways to work out credit scores. The credit-reporting agencies Equifax and TransUnion use a scale from 300 to 900. High scores on this scale are good. The higher your score, the lower the risk for the lender.
Lenders may also have their own ways of arriving at credit scores. In addition, lenders must decide on the lowest score you can have and still borrow money from them. They can also use your score to set the interest rate you will pay.

Ok, so what factors determine your score?

Credit-reporting agencies and lenders use a mathematical formula to figure out your credit score.
This formula takes into account various factors described in your credit report, such as:

• your payment history (Do you carry over a balance on your credit card from month to month? Have you ever missed a payment on any of your debts?);
• any collection or bankruptcy recorded against you (Has a collection agency had to collect an unpaid bill from you? Have you ever been bankrupt?);
• your outstanding debts (What is the limit on your credit card? Is your spending close to your credit limit?);
• your account history (How long have you had credit?);
• the number of recent inquiries made about your credit report (How many times has someone asked about your credit report?); and
• the type of credit you are using (Do you only have credit cards, or do you have a mix of credit cards and loans?).

These elements do not all have the same weight in determining your credit score. The most important things are your payment history, whether you have ever declared bankruptcy, and the amount of your outstanding credit balances.
Although other factors like your mortgage information and any personal inquiries you have made may also be included in your credit report, they usually do not influence your credit score.

The best way to find out your credit score now before your surprised when the bank won’t approve your boat loan?

By mail - free

If you make your request in writing and send it by mail, the credit-reporting agencies will provide you, by mail, with a free copy of your report. It is important, however, that in your request you include a copy of two pieces of I.D. Contact the credit-reporting agencies to find out which pieces of I.D. are acceptable. You will find the coordinates for each agency below.

Online - some fees

You can also order your credit report through the reporting agencies' websites. This method is faster since you will receive your credit report online only a few minutes after you made the request. However, credit-reporting agencies charge a fee for providing you with an online copy of your credit report.

• Equifax Canada: Consumers may obtain a copy of their credit report, plus credit score and a score analysis on-line in Canada, for a fee. They provide consumers on-line, real-time access to their credit information. Consumers provide personal information during the order process for their credit information so that their identity can be verified
• TransUnion: Consumers are asked to provide information that confirms their identity, plus valid credit card payment information, when applicable. Following a confirmation of their information, consumers may view their TransUnion Personal Credit Report & Score online. Ordering online is available to current or former residents of Canada…and you’ve heard this before, but fees will vary by province.

Much thanks to Industry Canada as well as the  Financial Consumer Agency of Canada for so much detailed information regarding credit scores.