How to Make Kids $$$$ Savvy

Lesson 1: It doesn't grow on trees

(NEWSER) - Give your kids a head start in the real world with these tips from Zen Habits:

1. Let them control a small portion of your budget, like $50 a month for eating out.
2. Show them how to save for large purchases.
3. Teach them to reduce expenses to reach goals faster.

A 12-month guide to taking control of your finances

(NEWSER) - If your New Year’s resolution is to take control of your finances, you’re in luck: Brett Arends provides a handy month-by-month guide in the Wall Street Journal :

• January: Max out your 401(k) contributions if your budget can handle it, or at least hit the company match level. Ideally, you should be saving 15% or more of your income.
• February: Analyze your 2010 statements to see where all your money went—then set a budget for 2011 and try to cut back.
• March: Use cash instead of credit or ATM/debit cards. Plastic can make it too easy to spend too much.

Best spots to raise kids boast good schools, low crime

(NEWSER) - BusinessWeek has combed the US for the best places to raise a family and has come up with a Chicago suburb to top the rankings again. The rest of the list, based on factors that include education, crime rate, cultural vitality, and air quality, is broken down by state. A sampling:

• Tinley Park, Ill.: Takes the top spot for its "top-rated schools, low crime, beautiful parks, relatively affordable houses, and easy access to jobs."
• Arcadia, Calif.: The Los Angeles suburb is a back-to-back winner for its "low crime and excellent schools" as well as "a number of peacocks that hang out in the neighborhood near the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanical Garden."

(NEWSER) - If you’ve had a few kids, you know that you don’t need half of the baby products littering the shelves of Babies “R” Us, but new parents are easy prey for marketers. Brad Tuttle offers a list of the silliest, most useless crap in Time:

• Crib bedding sets: The bumper pad and comforter pose suffocation hazards, meaning you pay big bucks to use half a set.
• The Wipe Warmer: “Are wipes really THAT cold?”

(NEWSER) - Backpacker combed through info on outdoor programs and proximity to national forests and parks to find the best cities in the US to raise active, crunchy kids. The results:

• Boulder, Colo.: "Yes, we live here, but Boulder wins on its merits." Close to woods, glaciers, and mountains, the population of 94,673 has been named "Smartest" and "Most Livable" by Forbes.