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This looks like a typical blazer in cut and color but has a cool design element that makes it unique. The design makes it look like you’re wearing the patternmaker’s version of a blazer, with the unfinished hems and the contrasting seams. The one review on the site says it’s not clear from the photos that it has unfinished hems, but to me that’s pretty apparent and part of the overall look. The review is helpful though in saying that it is a “knitted” blazer, which I take to mean it is a soft material and comfortable. The cotton/spandex blend also lends itself to comfort. This Nic + Zoe blazer is $158, available in sizes XS–XL. Contrast Seam Blazer This Ming Wang blazer is reduced from $355 to $213 at Dillard’s and comes in sizes 0X–3X. It’s not machine washable, but it can be hand washed (and the hand-wash cycle on your machine might be close enough). Looking for other washable workwear? See all of our recent recommendations for washable clothes for work, or check out our roundup of the best brands for washable workwear. This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Spring Mid-Season Sale: Up to 50% off 100s of styles
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time (eligible items)
- Talbots – Spring Sale: 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns; 30% off new T by Talbots
- Zappos – 29,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Up to 70% off baby items; 50% off toddler & kid deals & 40% off everything else
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off spring faves; 25% off new arrivals; up to 30% off spring
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off kids’ spring-to-summer styles
- Old Navy – 30% off your purchase; up to 75% off clearance
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event (ends 4/27); BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture; up to 20% off laptops & printers
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
Leatty says
I recently discovered Princess Awesome, and I’d love to buy my daughter similar clothes from other brands. Any recommendations?
rakma says
We are big fans of Princess Awesome, as well as Svaha https://svahausa.com/collections/kids-apparel
DLC says
+1 to Svaha. I love that most all their dressed have pockets. They also make adult sized clothing and accessories which delight my geeky side. The sizing does tend to run small,though.
Anon says
Smarty Girl. And also Carter’s has gotten more into this lately. Especially with dinos.
Anonymous says
Free to Be Kids is less cool design, but awesome messaging!
Mama Llama says
Mitz clothing and Girls will Be
Anonymous says
For t-shirts, Peek.
Facetime says
I’m curious – What time does everyone get into the office in the morning, and what time do you leave at night? How does this compare to your coworkers?
TheElms says
Arrive 9-9:30 most days; depart 7-8pm. Coworkers are similiar, but perhaps tend to leave between 6:30 and 7:30pm.
AnotherAnon says
Arrive between 7:30 and 8AM (trying to get this closer to 7AM but daylight saving really messed me up), depart at 4PM to pick up my toddler. Coworkers all arrive between 7:30 and 8, leave at 4:30. We do some after-hours work and answer user emails/phone calls so it adds up to 40 hours or more. Some people work through lunch but most of us try to get in a quick workout.
Redux says
I arrive at 9:30 and leave at 5:30/6:00 most days. Official office hours are 8:30 to 4:30 and most of my colleagues adhere to that schedule. I have a bear of a commute, though, so my schedule is a little off the norm so that it doesn’t take me more than an hour to get here.
Anonymous says
this
Canadian says
Arrive at 8/8:30 and leave at 5, unless I have a late meeting or something comes up. I am usually one of the first lawyers in the office and also usually the first to leave.
Pogo says
Arrive 8:00-8:30 and leave 4:30-5:00. Similar to most, though I leave on the earlier side.
Anon says
Usually 9:15-4:40 (we have a 9-5 nanny and I generally do hand-off on both ends). Most of my coworkers work more like 8:30-4:30 or 9-5, so I’m in the office a bit less than everyone else. But I eat at my desk (most people go out for about an hour) and I do work in the evenings and on weekends when I need to finish something. My boss has no complaints.
FVNC says
Logon around 8:30, logoff around 5 (I work from home), answering emails after kids’ bedtime if needed. This is similar to most colleagues who have younger kids. The majority of other colleagues work more 9-6 or 6:30, which is what I did before kids.
Anon says
Our official office hours are 9:30-5:30, but most lawyers work more like 10-6 plus evening hours at home. I’ve shifted my schedule to 8:30-4:30 to accommodate pickup, and no one seems to mind. I like the block from 8:30–10 to get work done, but it is very hard to leave just as meetings are wrapping up and people are wanting to stop by my office.
Anon says
Arrive around 10:30 typically, leave anywhere between 7 and 9, depending on my day and whether I reliably think I will actually do work after bedtime. My coworkers generally come in around 9:30-10 and leave typically between 6 and 7. I shifted because I hate mornings and my toddler goes to bed late and sleeps late. Once she’s in preschool, I will probably switch earlier so I can continue to make it home for bedtime (which right now is 10PM).
Anon says
This is interesting – I also haaaaate mornings and have a late-to-bed, late-to-rise kid. I wonder how much they inherit this stuff from us. Probably it’s genetic at least to some degree.
2 Cents says
I am so glad to read that other people have late-to-bed, late-to-rise kids. I’m one myself and my 1YO is the exact same way. Just need him to start sleeping through the night, and I think it’ll be better.
GCA says
This is interesting as I’m a lark who will gladly start my workday at 4am and end at noon if I could. As it is, daycare doesn’t open till 8 so we are kid-wrangling till then. My most productive hours are 8am to 2pm and it’s all downhill afterwards. Then I have a small alertness spike 9pm to (if need be) 1am.
Anonymous says
Not sure if this is an option for you, but I often WFH 5:30-7:00ish before I get kiddo out the door. I too prefer mornings. I leave earlier and/or get in a workout with the extra time.
SC says
It really depends on how busy I am at work. During a typically busy time, I arrive between 9 and 9:30 and leave between 5:30 and 6:00. If I’m not busy at work, I’ll come in by 9:30 but see no reason to stay past 5:00. If I am busy at work, I’ll work closer to 8:30-6:30. DH is a SAHD, so I don’t have any drop-off/pick-up duties.
Anonymous says
Current job (labor relations): arrive between 7:45-8:30, usually 8:15, depart 4:45-5:10. Everyone in my department is the same. Many in the organization in other roles arrive earlier and think nothing of putting a 7:00 am meeting on my calendar ?. Previous legal job— arrived between 9 and 9:30, departed at 7 on a light day pre-kids, 5:45 post kids with logging on again at home. 9ish to 7 was our standard.
Canadian says
I think I have seen these shared here. Does anyone have a link for a Rothys discount?
anne-on says
I’d try on the main page. There were also some posted on the weekend open thread (which I used one of!).
Anon says
I have one of those $20 off referral codes I can share – would you like it?
octagon says
https://share.rothys.com/x/U4d218
Canadian says
Thanks!
anon says
My nanny brought home an invitation for a birthday party for a kid/parents we’ve never met. It is a first bday party and my twins will be 11 months at the time of the party. Would you go even though you’ve never met the parents?
rosie says
I would go if it was a convenient time/location. You don’t have to stay long, but couldn’t hurt to meet more families with similar age kids in your neighborhood, no?
IHeartBacon says
Yes. It’s a great opportunity to meet the parents. Your nanny probably spends time with the other kid while s/he is watched by the other parent(s) and/or the nanny, which is why you and your kids were invited.
It’s also easier to meet the parents this way because of you all don’t click, you’re not stuck talking to them the whole time since I’m sure they’ll be busy hosting the party. But if you do click, it opens the door to future play dates.
Anonymous says
Probably. I’m in a new town and need to meet people, particularly the type of friends we can hang out with on the weekends with all the kids. I’d also take it as maybe the parents reaching out because they feel that way. Assume the kids/nanny know the birthday kid from groups she takes the twins to? Does she interact with the mom or a nanny?
HSAL says
Yep (assuming it’s not inconvenient, of course). Our first “friend party” was the third birthday of a daycare classmate our kid had barely mentioned. They didn’t invite the whole class, just asked the teacher who their kid played with the most. I met my new daycare best friend there so I’m glad we went.
anon says
Absolutely if we were available. This is how you meet people!
ElisaR says
definitely! But I’m an extrovert and unbothered by not knowing anyone. I also picture 15 years from now when the kids are friends because they grew up as neighbors and you can say “aww remember when you went to their first birthday!”
SC says
Yes, if the time and location were convenient. We make an effort to attend the birthday parties we’re invited to. We’ve made a couple of good friends, have expanded our circle of acquaintances, and stay in the loop on what’s going on at the daycare in general. Also, we live in a relatively small city, and DH grew up here, so it’s pretty common for us to run into old acquaintances who now have kids and happen to be friends with the birthday boy or girl’s parents.
Anonymous says
Any recs for storybooks to teach emotional regulation to kids or a handbook for me to help coach it? Thanks.
SC says
How old is your kid?
Raising Your Spirited Child really helps with coaching emotional regulation.
Anonymous says
My tantrumy daughter really enjoyed Little Monkey Calms Down, from ages 2-4.
Blueridge29 says
I love the book Calm Down Time by Elizabeth Verdick. I found it very helpful from 2 1/2 to 4 because it helps teach kids ways to calm down. For a while we read it after every meltdown and the kids even started to request it when they were getting upset.
Anon. says
Check out Clark the Shark
Annie says
Many Daniel Tiger episodes are great for this.
BLW says
Any recommendations for baby led weaning foods to send to daycare for my 8 month old? We give him one “meal” per day, but thinking I need to send some things in to daycare. Thanks!
AwayEmily says
Do you mean shelf-stable things they can keep at daycare, or additional food ideas more generally?
BLW says
Hi AwayEmily! Off-topic, but you helped me choose to an induction with this baby 8 months ago (he was a flipper), so thank you! I guess I’m looking for additional food ideas more generally. He eats puffs and those weird teether crackers but I would love for him to eat more “real food” throughout the day, but not sure what to send that would be relatively easy for him to eat.
AwayEmily says
Aww, that’s great to hear, thanks!
Some things that worked for our little chomper: egg muffins (google toddler egg muffins, there are lots of variations and they freeze super well), very soft pieces of vegetables (broccoli and carrots work great), salmon burgers, squished beans, bananas, soft pears, almond flour pancakes (also freeze very well).
We did semi-BLW…I’m overly paranoid about choking so didn’t do any of the “give them a giant chicken leg to chew on!” stuff, but my second was always meh on purees so we had to rely on a lot of finger food.
anon says
What do you eat? What does baby like? I’d start with those two. Random list of ideas: lunch meat (cut or shredded into smaller pieces), small cubes or shredded chicken, fruit (cut into small pieces), cheerios, cheese, cooked carrots, peas.
BLW says
Thanks, it’s helpful to have some random ideas! Baby seems to like fruit and meatballs so far. Haven’t tried lunch meat or pees/cooked carrots but think that’s another good place to start.
anon says
Ha! I almost suggested cut-up meatballs but I figured my niece was the only one-year old who LOVES them so much. Those and blueberries. She cannot get enough of either!
HSAL says
Are you strict BLW, or do you just mean finger foods? If the latter, I’ve been sending my 9 month olds with peas, grapes, blueberries, green beans (all chopped to roughly pea-size). I think I’m going to start with some shredded meat or cut up meatballs next.
BLW says
Thank you! My take on BLW is just that I want him to feed himself as opposed to be spoon-fed by someone else. I’m open to finger foods (small things or things cut up small, which might be good to send to daycare) or even “purees” (like applesauce or yogurt, either with a pre-loaded spoon or pouch), but at home we give him larger things (a big waffle/pancake or other carb, meatball, a big piece of fruit, etc).
HSAL says
If you’re interested in letting him feed himself with a spoon, my mom got us these neat ones that are textured/with holes to make it easier for them to get food into their mouths. I can’t find our exact ones, but these are pretty similar: https://www.buybuybaby.com/store/product/choomee-2-piece-dipping-starter-spoon-set/3346082.
anon says
Those are cool! You can also try the Olababy silicone spoons. Not as cool of a concept but they seem to hold onto yogurt much better than the cheapo (but good-to-have) Munchkin spoons.
BLW says
We actually have the Olababy ones that look like little plants, but I just placed an order for some of these ones with the holes in them – thanks for the rec! and thanks everyone for your comments!
Anonymous says
Do deconstructed elements of meals that you eat. Like when you make fajitas for supper, send leftovers the next day – shredded cheese, fajitas cut into strips, diced tomato, beef slices (finger sized to hold and gnaw on).
This helps get the baby used to eating the food that you eat. Just take out his portion when cooking before you add salt.
anne-on says
I’d roast sweet potatoes (chunked and cut into small pieces) and chicken breasts together in coconut oil at that age, and sprinkle a teeny bit of cinnamon on the sweet potatoes, that was a huge hit. Roasted carrots, peas, mushed avocado (or chunks) and cut up bits of soft fruit were all easy and popular options. Meatballs as well as roasted pork loin (any soft, shreddable meat was a hit). Cottage cheese (though messy) was a good one, and we did homemade fruit purees to drizzle into unsweetened yogurt and oatmeal too. Muffins/crackers/cereal bars/cereal were all easy but I tried to keep carbs to a minimum since I found daycare pushed them pretty heavily.
I also roasted and then froze veggies (in freezer bags) on the weekends – they defrosted just fine in the fridge and made my life SO much easier.
Pogo says
Take advantage of the early days when baby is adventurous and send whatever you eat (dinner from the night before). My LO really would try anything from about 6-15 months and then he got increasingly pickier.
Jeffiner says
My daughter loved baby corn when she was teething. Also pickle chips, and any food that happened to get pickle juice on it.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Fun question(ish). Taking suggestions on how to structure 2 weeks where DH will be on business travel, and my MIL will be with me, DS (17 months at time of her visit), and dog to help for 3 weeks (buffer time before/after DH’s trip, will also let us squeeze in a few date nights). Feeling quite fortunate – with MIL retiring this weekend, we now have my parents and MIL who are more flexible and willing to help.
MIL can help with pick up/drop off to daycare (it’s a 15 minute walk from our place), with walking the dog, and with most of DS stuff (meals, bath, play, etc.) which is great.I also know she’ll appreciate if she gets some days full-on with DS where he doesn’t go to daycare. When she’s been here for a week, we’d just give her the week to be with DS, but for 3 weeks, since we’re not away on travel, I’d like him to go to daycare (especially the days I work from home) AND have some days where he’s with Grandma.
DH has also kindly reminded me MIL is here to give me freedom – to go workout, meet friends, etc. At the same time, I also want to make sure I’m giving MIL company, so planning on scheduling my “night outs” ahead of time. We get along well and have spent a lot of time together pre-and-post DS.
Any suggestions on how to optimize and organize MIL’s visit/help? I know it’s just a matter of sitting down and looking at my own work and fun schedule, but always appreciate the experiences of this group. TIA!
Anon says
With the caveat that I obviously don’t know your MIL or your family dynamic, it seems like a lot to ask a (presumably somewhat elderly?) person to watch your toddler all day and then watch him some more in the evenings so you can go out. 17 month is a very physically exhausting age – they’re running everywhere, but lack the independence and ability to follow instructions that comes with slightly older kids. So I would probably keep any pre-existing obligations like a regular workout class, but otherwise plan to be home to relieve her from childcare duties, especially in the beginning, until you’re sure this isn’t overwhelming for her.
HSAL says
It sounds like he’ll still be going to daycare, just not every day. I would agree that you shouldn’t leave him with your MIL all day and then all night, but it doesn’t sound like that’s the case.
No additional advice but I’m jealous!
OP says
Right on – she (and my Mom) actually want to watch him/spend time with him the times they visit, so it’s per their request, really. Agreed that since I’ll be in town, should plan to relieve her in the evening the days she’s with him. Yes, super lucky – just wish we all lived in the same city!
That being said, my Mom also stayed with DS alone when he was 10 months and crawling/trying to walk for about 5 days when DS and I snuck out of the country for a quick vacay (and got a bunch of great advice here on that), so I do think it depends on the grandparent and family culture as Anon at 12:52 pointed out. We hope to do the same later this year, where DS stays with a grandparent for 10 days-2 weeks while we take a trip just us.
FVNC says
I don’t have any particular suggestions, but I wanted to say how lovely it is to read this description of your MIL and your relationship. Enjoy the extra help and company!
OP says
TY! I will say it’s been a journey for both she and I, and DS certainly made us closer as a family unit.
Anonymous says
My MIL visits for 2-3 weeks at a stretch. She’ll often have the twins home with her in the morning, then bring them in either before or after lunch and rest is a bit in the afternoon then pick them up at like 4pm. So they have daycare roughly 12-4pm approx. DH explained to her that they do better when they have a consistent schedule so this works better than keeping them home or sending them for alternating full days.
Pogo says
I would probably suggest she do early pickups on days she wants more time with kiddo although if he still takes a hefty nap it might not be too much for her to do a whole day maybe 1x a week?
I would go out to dinner with MIL and kiddo a few times – it is nice to take a break from cooking/clean-up and to have another adult help out in a restaurant. My mom and I will also sometimes order takeout for after LO is asleep or open a bottle of wine and just chat.
I would utilize her help on the weekends to go to yoga, shopping or just grab coffee by myself. I’d also see if you have any work dinners or happy hours that you want to attend – those are other places my mom helps out watching kiddo in the evening when DH is away.
OP says
Love these ideas – esp the dinner out, as the break from cleaning is welcome for all. My MIL doesn’t really cook full-on meals, so I typically still do all the cooking/meal prep when she visits and have a “menu” for DS the days she’s on her own with him/we’re out for the evening, or she’ll take him to lunch which I’m fine with.
Funny you mentioned it – have one week she’s here that are kind of heavy on the work socializing front, so will be so nice to have her!
Anon says
so we sort of just did this. DH was out of town for two weeks, my parents came for a week and then MIL came for a week, but the end of her visit coincided with DH returning, so she was still here so we could spend some time together upon his return. we have a nanny. we also have twins who are under 1, which is a lot for one person to handle, so i didn’t often leave MIL alone with both. Rather than it freeing up time for me to be by myself, it was more like this way I did not have to do everything myself. Generally we had the nanny work her regular schedule, but had the nanny leave early each day and then MIL and I had time with the kids. MIL would usually come by during one of their wake periods (usually lunchtime), and then leave to go and do other things and then come back around when I would get home from work.
In your case, I might plan for your nights out to be the days when DH does go to daycare, so that MIL is not alone with DH for such a long period of time. I do not know where you live, but is there anything touristy your MIL might like to do on the days when LO is at daycare? My MIL would generally go workout each day and she likes to cook, so she would go to the supermarket daily and then cook dinner. She also did some bulk cooking to help us stock our freezer, which was wonderful. I went out two nights I think, but otherwise hung out with MIL. MIL and I did not always have the best relationship, but has definitely improved now that we have kids bc it gives us something to talk about. Maybe send LO to daycare 2-3 days a week and then the other days let grandma take him? Or send LO to daycare every day for half of a day and then let grandma be with LO in the afternoon?
DLC says
My parents often come for a couple weeks at a time, usually when my spouse or I have to travel, or when our day care provider takes her vacation. I am so so grateful, but I do sometimes feel guilty because I know they have very full lives back home. I try to plan at least one activity while they are here that is centered around what my mom or dad will like – ie they love going hiking, so I try to make sure we do at least one (family friendly) hike while they are here, and my mom loves art (but my dad doesn’t) so I try to plan a trip to the art museum. I will also take my mom or dad to lunch just the two of us to catch up and not have the kids around. I feel like being around kids can be so draining that I want my parents to feel like they are valued and appreciated and not just here to help.
Boston Legal Eagle says
On a heavier topic, and maybe this is more of a question for moms of older kids, how do you raise your kids to be good, honest, hard working people when you see lots of examples of such people not being given traditional markers of success? (E.g. on a micro level, promotions at work, on a macro level, hello Mr. President) I would much much rather my kids be kind to others, have good relationships and work hard, regardless of whether they end up with promotions or lots of money, than play games and back-stab others to rise up, but at the same time, I also want them to be able to support themselves in a world that doesn’t always reward these characteristics.
Clearly, I’ve had a tough week at work.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
I think about this a lot and DS is barely a toddler. Clearly something that’s out there and topical — Following.
Anon says
My kids are too young for this, but my parents always communicated to me from a pretty young age that life can be profoundly unfair and sometimes bad things happen to good people. I definitely plan to teach my kids that lying/cheating/being mean is not acceptable, even if they sometimes see someone get away with it. I would’t worry about your kids being able to support themselves just because they’re good people. Sometimes bad people get rewarded (ahem, the president) but it doesn’t mean that all the good people are struggling, or even that being a good person holds you back.
Redux says
This is only a small part of what you are talking about, but one of the things I have consciously started to instill in my 5-year old is that lots of things result from pure luck and are not always based on behavior or hard work. We talk about the importance of washing hands, etc., but that sometimes you get sick just because of bad luck, not because you didn’t wash your hands enough.
I’m extrapolating way out from one part of our cultural narrative that I find particularly noxious, which is the bootstraps false narrative. My dad was a big proponent of the “work harder and you’ll get farther” narrative and I really believed that for a looong time. I assumed that my family, who had come from poverty and risen to the upper middle class, had done so because my dad worked really hard. WHICH HE DID, but it took me a long time to break the corrollary narrative that my extended family, who remained poor, remained so because they didn’t work as hard. I want my kid to know that the homeless person is not homeless because she is lazy, or that a sick person isn’t sick or unemployed or poor because they didn’t work hard enough to stay healthy. What we talk about at 5-years old as “bad luck,” will be (I hope) scaffolding to talk about structural inequalities when she is older. Lofty, as usual.
Redux says
Oh, I’ll also add that one complication I’ve found is that I do want to tell her that if she works hard she can learn/ do basically anything. I.e., countering the narrative that math, for example, is hard and some people are capable of learning it (i.e., boys!) and some people just aren’t wired for it (i.e., girls, aarrrgh). New things are hard! When you see someone who is better than you at something it’s usually because they’ve practiced and gotten good at it, not because they are good at a thing without working at it. This is a tough counter-narrative to the one I described above and I am still trying to figure out the nuance.
TheElms says
Isn’t the simple version that you should always work hard and do your best, but sometimes hard work and doing your best still won’t be enough to get the result you want because bad luck, people are naturally better/worse at things (but hard work still helps you improve).
Redux says
That’s definitely the age-appropriate part of it. I’m thinking more long-term, though, structural inequality part of it having to do with poor families who work multiple jobs, earn limited salary, access limited health care, attend worse schools with fewer enrichment activities, and generally occupying a more tenuous position where one illness can literally plummet you into poverty, etc. etc. Whereas people with access to generational wealth have infinitely more opportunities, some of which they earn with money (e.g., better schools, paying for enrichment activities, paying for test prep, paying for college (or bribing their way into it, hai Lori Lochlan!), access to connections for internships, jobs, etc. None of that has anything to do with either working hard or good luck, unless you paint structural wealth inequalities as “luck” of birth.
Mama Llama says
This is tough! I want my kids to have resilience, work ethic, perseverance, etc but also not buy into a culture of feeling like everything is a competition or we have to be the best at everything all the time. Like, I would like them to be ok doing a sport for the enjoyment of it without feeling like they need to take it as far as they can possibly go and shoot for scholarships. Upper middle class American kids get thrown into this grind that I would really like to try to avoid without them ending up lazy or unmotivated. It’s a tough balance to strike!
Anon says
Where do you all keep large-ish chunks of money you are saving for a specific purpose (down payment, emergency fund)? I used to use ING (now Capital One), but interest rates on savings are low and I’m wondering if it’s worth doing a CD.
Anon says
I don’t think an emergency fund should be in a CD – the point is you might need to access all or most of it in an emergency (ie., very suddenly). It might be worth putting a down payment fund in a CD, assuming you know you won’t be buying for X years and you can find an appropriate CD.
Spirograph says
This. Our emergency fund (which we regularly plunder for vacations, home maintenance, etc and just replenish so that it hovers around 6 months expenses) is in a savings account, because the whole point of it for me is immediate accessibility. I’ve heard of people doing CD ladders so that you have one maturing every month, but that requires more effort than I can muster right now. If we were saving for a down payment or some other short term (<5 years) goal, I would look at a CD. Otherwise my "savings" go into index funds. If your specific purpose is more than 5 years out, it is probably worth considering investing in stocks/bonds.
ElisaR says
you could put it in a money market fund. They are paying around 2.5% these days. That way you can access it in 24 hours or so if you need it. Might need to move it from a bank to a brokerage firm to do this though. If you have investments somewhere I’d ask that firm/advisor.
Anonymous says
Down payment and additional savings are in a fund that earns 3-6% a year. Yes it’s in the market but low-risk. Emergency savings is in a regular savings account. Earns hardly any interest but I wanted access to 6 months of cash.
Anonymous says
The banana stand
Pogo says
Thank you Anonymous at 3:53, you made my day.
IHeartBacon says
LOL! And, pray tell, what’s your address? ;)
Anonymous says
Random question, and I might re-post tomorrow morning on the main site for more traffic…but does anyone have an idea of how much I should be able to negotiate price with a flooring store? Like is a 10% reduction a win? More? Less? Trying to decide what % less to start my negotiation at. Thanks!
ElisaR says
i am such a sucker. it almost never occurs to me to negotiate anything. i usually just pay whatever is given to me.
Lawyermom says
It depends are you getting the installation through the flooring store? What I did was for seperate bids for installation and negotiated the prices charged for installation. I also went line item for various charges and spoke with the sales person about this seems really high. Or why should I pay for shipping if I am ordering it from your store. I wound up knocking the price of my new wood floors from $18k to $15k and was pretty happy with that savings.