Volunteer

Summer time is a great time for a teen to embark on volunteer opportunities. Choosing a volunteer job in a field of interest will help them prepare for a career. Volunteering is also a great addition to a teen’s college application or resume. Volunteering teaches teens to give of themselves and can be a rewarding experience.

Travel

Summer time is a great opportunity for teenagers to travel. While traveling abroad or on Virgin Cruises, the summer allows for learning from real-life experiences. Ultimately, travel is a way to teach responsibility and cultural studies; both things that prepare someone for life in the real world.

Prepare for the Future

A teen can spend the summer researching internships for a job in a field of their choice. Also, have your teenagers research colleges that interest them. Teenagers can take time to decide what their schools of interest require and plan their course load and extracurricular activities for the coming years.

Ultimately, there are countless fun summer activities for teenagers. While some may enjoy working in a field of interest, others will enjoy embarking on Disney Cruises. Whatever the activity, staying busy and growing as a person is important to becoming a positive, productive adult.

So Here’s a Bit of Advice – Be Careful What You Buy

It’s hard to break away from the luxury that is the “brand” name. We love our brands. But sometimes we have to go with “generic” items.

Many grocery stores offer “generic” items. Typically, they’re cheaper. But here’s the amazing thing: their items are exactly like the brand names! Who would’ve figured, right?

The Coupon Is Your Best Friend

It might be cumbersome and seemingly ‘wasteful’ to cut coupons, but the fact is you can actually save a lot of money — you’ll be surprised how all the coupons add up. Not to mention you will end up shocking your fellow shoppers, and maybe even the cashier, with your batch of paper and bar codes to scan!

Fine-Tuning Your Budget

This is where your eyes get trained. Take a good look at your expenses. You’ll be surprised where you can cut down to help you save money–cell phone plan, cable service, gasoline costs.

Do you really need a certain amount of cell phone minutes? What about HBO or Cinemax? Maybe not. And when you need it, pay day one can help you catch up on the bills.

Above All, Work Hard

As G.I. Joe would say, knowing is half the battle. And everyone knows that parenting is a major battle!

Competition for customers and sales is fierce. Most stores, even those on the Internet, are regularly issuing coupons to encourage customer loyalty and attract new visitors. Many stores now offer printable coupons on their websites and offer coupon clubs and a coupon mailing list. Everyone who shops anywhere is now getting coupon booklets in the mail offering special deals and great savings.

If you’ve never used coupons before now is a good time to get started. Here are a couple of ways to dive into the world of coupons and start saving money:

• Do some research online and pick a couple of websites like Coupon Queens that focus on finding and using coupons and alerting you to good deals as they are offered.
• Bookmark one or two sites like http://www.offers.com/ that give coupon codes for you to use for discounts on all types of merchandise.
• Stay organized from the beginning by coming up with a method to date and store your coupons so they don’t expire before you can use them.
• Know when your favorite stores are offering double or triple coupon days and do most of your shopping on those days.
• Try to find a coupon for all the products you buy on a regular basis, but don’t buy something just because you have a coupon.
• Think about starting a coupon swapping club with your neighbors to combine your coupon collecting efforts.

Learning to use coupons is a good way to save money on anything you buy at regular price. Try it for one month and keep track of your coupon savings. You’ll be convinced.

Image by English106 via Flickr

You’ve finally graduated high school and you’re ready to start preparing for that much anticipated next chapter of your life: the College Years.

As you daydream of what life will be like without the supervision of your parents or a looming curfew, there are certain aspects of college life that will require some discipline and planning in order to succeed.

One thing that many college freshmen underestimate is the amount of studying that goes into the college curriculum. Of course, the amount and difficulty of the work is relative to the major and subjective to the student. However, the effort required to succeed in the college arena can surprise even the most studious and bright scholar.

Don’t let the freedom of college life sideline your aspirations for future success. Use these helpful tips and you’ll be on your way to making the grades:

1. Devote a block of your time everyday to studying. Your professors will recommend two hours of study for every hour of class. Apply that advice at first and adjust it based on the type of material and your ability to understand and retain the information. It’s also helpful to rank your classes by difficulty and prorate your study time, spending the most time on your hardest course.
2. Find a quiet place to study.
3. If possible, study in the daylight hours, as you will likely retain more information then at night when you are tired.

When thinking about getting a credit card, here are a few key terms you should know, as the cost of carrying a credit card goes well beyond what you charge:

1. Balance versus limit
2. APR or annual percentage rate
3. Annual fee
4. Finance charge

The balance of a credit card is the amount you have charged, thus the amount owed, and the limit of the card is the amount of approved credit you have at your disposal. Exceeding this limit can result in other charges and higher interest payments.

Annual percentage rate, or APR is it’s known in the credit world, is the interest rate the consumer will pay on the amount borrowed. Each credit card offers a different APR, which makes it easier to compare cards to see which has the lower APR.

Some credit card companies charge customers an annual fee, also called membership fee, for using the credit card. This charge is assessed whether the consumer uses the card or not.

Finance charges are generally a percentage-based fee that credit card companies charge customers for extending credit to them. In this fee, creditors also include cost of maintaining the account.

Image by erin m via Flickr

Whether your style is glam, bohemian chic, preppy or just your own, having personal style as a teen is important as it allows you to truly express your creativity and identity through fashion.

But no matter how stylish you are, do you have key pieces in your wardrobe that are fit for any and every occasion? Find out.

The following are must-haves for every wardrobe:

1. It’s been said a million times, but it can’t be emphasized enough that a great pair of jeans are the cornerstone to every girl’s wardrobe. That piece of advice goes for guys, too. Invest in a nice pair of dark-washed well-fitting jeans that can be worn at school or for a night out on the town. No matter your style, go for a basic pair of jeans and steer clear of trendy effects such as whiskering or the distressed look. Also, buy quality denim that can stand up to multiple washes.
2. The little black dress, commonly known as the LBD is really the most versatile and figure-flattering dress for all occasions, whether you’re attending a party or your sister’s dance recital. Make sure to choose a basic dress that can be dressed up or down with accessories or jackets.
3. A nice pair of black pants that can be paired with a button-down shirt for a college interview or a cute blouse for a night out.
4. A great mix of tank tops and leggings.