American Express

Join us for the #HHonorsAmEx Twitter Party!

Date: Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Time: 3-4 PM EST
Moderator: @MomCentral
Assistant Moderators: @StacyDeBroff, @DadCentral & @MomCentralChat
Guests: @HiltonHHonors
Topic/Focus: How to travel easy with your family during summer vacations.
Hashtag: #HHonorsAmEx
Tweetgrid: http://bit.ly/NJa8I0

Somewhere along the line, just existing got pretty expensive.

Even for families who focus on keeping spending limits moderate, living within their means, and focusing on the family budget, typical household expenses really add up, straining even the most meticulous money managers. Family budgets become even more challenging when “extras” come into play – summer camp deposits and fees, soccer registration and travel expenses, senior trip costs, not to mention annual expenditures, like holiday expenses and family vacations.

With the holidays in full swing, we Moms find ourselves knee-deep in one of the year’s biggest budget busters – holiday gift-giving and related expenses. No matter how hard we try to trim our holiday list, buy gifts throughout the year, or otherwise keep costs down, each year it seems our December obligations grow. From impromptu invitations that require hostess gifts to unplanned travel expenses now that grandma and grandpa can’t travel, holiday costs continue to mount.

With the countdown to the December holidays in full swing, we Moms know that despite the swirl of activities taking place around us – school winter concerts, cookie exchanges, travel plan coordination, and holiday get-togethers – gift-giving tasks still remain at the top of our burgeoning to-do lists.

At times we can feel uncomfortable about thinking of holiday gift-giving in terms of “tasks” or checking off items on our “to-do” lists. In a perfect world, holiday shopping would involve a pleasant afternoon excursion with light snow falling, festive window displays, holiday background music, and an end-of-the-day treat of steaming hot chocolate.

But in reality, we find ourselves battling crowds, vying for parking spaces, frantically pawing through clothing racks for the right jacket in the right size, scrolling through countless websites, and making endless loops through toy stores in search of games and art projects that will hold our kids’ interest into the New Year. Factor in a sluggish economy and a scary job market, and the holiday shopping experience becomes positively distressing.

Join us for a Twitter Party with American Express to learn how to shop small this Saturday by shopping at local small businesses!

As any Mom can attest, the back-to-school season typically means chaos – shopping for everything from notebooks to new shoes, scheduling appointments for teeth cleaning, school check-ups, and haircuts, and purchasing new sports equipment to replace what can’t be salvaged from last year. In addition to the time crunch and overall stress involved, Moms – particularly in today’s economy – find themselves struggling with the financial aspect of getting kids ready to head back to the classroom.

And while economic woes linger, Moms – now more than ever – understand the importance of teaching kids financial responsibility, beginning when they enter kindergarten and extending through the college years. From allowance to credit cards, how do Moms manage to raise financially responsible kids? Read on for tips that work.

Elementary School

Talk about teaching your kids safe spending habits, financial tips and get answers to your tricky money questions.