Breastfeeding your baby is one of the most important things that you can do to give her a good start in life. It not only provides your baby with the best possible nutrition (no formula can quite match it, breastmilk is perfectly designed for human babies) but it also provides essential protection aginst infection and illness. A breastfed baby enjoys the comfort of that very special closeness with her mother, and the skin on skin contact that she loves.

Breastfeeding is good for moms too. There is scientific evidence that moms who have breastfed their babies are less likely to suffer from breast cancer later in life. And, quite simply, the closeness and fulfillment that you get from breastfeeding are thoroughly enjoyable.

You can overcome breastfeeding problems

Breastfeeding is one of the most natural parts of motherhood, but many moms find that problems in the early days after birth can confound their desire to feed their babies themselves and so they end up resorting to the bottle. Some of these moms then become depressed and feel that they have failed. This doesn’t need to happen! While there can be circumstances where breastfeeding is not possible or advisable, these are far more rare than you might think. Most moms are able to overcome the problems with help and the right advice.

Sorting the truth from the myths

A lot of problems in the first weeks of breastfeeding are down to a lack of confidence.

There are so many myths surrounding the subject, it can be hard for a new mom to know what is true and what is not. So, let’s dispel a few of the more common myths.

• You don’t need to have large breasts to breastfeed your baby successfully! Mothers with small breasts are just as capable of feeding their babies and producing enough milk.
• Many mothers can’t produce enough milk. This is simply not true. Most mothers are more than capable of producing enough milk to feed their babies. Occasionally, a rare physical condition can make breast feeding difficult or impossible, but this is vary rare. If you think you may have a problem, ask your doctor or midwife, but also get help from a breastfeeding organisation such as La Leche League (http://www.llli.org/ ). Don’t listen to well meaning friends or family who may not know the facts.
• You can run out of milk if your baby feeds a lot. This one stems from a total misunderstanding of how breastfeeding works. In fact, the more a baby feeds, the more milk will be produced. Milk comes on a supply and demand basis, which is actually very convenient!  So, feeding on demand is a great way to establish a good milk supply.
• Using a breast pump shows you how much milk you are producing. This is not the case. A baby who is feeding correctly can get much more milk than a breast pump can extract. Some moms find they can hardly pump any milk at all (the process can induce stress which inhibits milk let down) yet their babies are feeding contentedly and gaining weight well. A pump also doen’t have the powerful  emotional triggers that aid a good let down of milk. Some moms find that just looking at their baby or hearing her cry brings the milk coming! So, all a breast pump milk collection can tell you is how much you managed to pump at that moment, not how much your baby is getting.
• Formula is as good as breast milk so there is no need to overcome difficulties. Wrong!  No formula can match breastmilk. These days, formulas are very good, so if you can’t or really don’t want to breastfeed they do offer an alternative, but there is no doubt that breast is best. A formula simply cannot mimic the qualities of breastmilk. For one thing, breastmilk varies from the start to the end of each feed. It also changes from being full of colostrum just after birth to mature milk to suit the changing needs of your baby. Every mother’s breastmilk is different, uniquely feeding your unique baby.
• Thin looking milk isn’t good enough. Rubbish! Breastmilk can look thin and even a little blueish in colour, but this is not indicative of its nutritional qualities. It’s normal! Breastmilk is not the same as cow’s milk, goat’s milk or formula, so don’t expect it to look the same.
• Breastfed babies need other milk supplements after six months of age. No, they don’t! Breastmilk is sufficient to nourish your baby until he is ready to start on solids. This happens at aound six months, but he does not need to also take forumula milk just because he is eating solids. In fact, if you are able to express a little milk to mix with his solid feeds when required it’s better than using formula to do this.
• You should stop breastfeeding if you have sore or bleeding nipples. This is not necessary…nor is it wise. If you stop feeding it may be difficult to restart when the problem has gone. Sore nipples can occur during the early days but usually eases as your breasts become used to feeding. A little ingested blood will not harm your baby, although you may notice it in his stools or sick. If you have a breast abcess it can actually be helped to heal through feeding your baby and will not pass any infection to him.
• You can’t breastfeed if you have had breast surgery. Although there is a tiny grain of truth in this (see ** below), it is rarely true. Many moms who have had breast implants can feed their babies. So can moms who have had sugery for other reasons. *If the surgical incision has been made along the line of the areola there may be problems. If this is the case, seek medical and expert breastfeeding advice before giving up. * Breast reduction surgery might inhibit milk production, but again, this is not necessarily the case.
• Even if you can feed from only one breast you can feed your baby successfully.
• Women with inverted nipples cannot breastfeed. A lot of people think this one is true, but as it is the breast tissue that the baby latches onto and not the nipple, it really doesn’t make any difference. In fact the action of the baby’s sucking can solve the problem of an inverted nipple.
•  Women who have twins can’t produce enough milk for them both. No! Go back to read the earlier point about understanding how breast feeding works. Supply and demand means that the more milk is required by the baby or babies, the more will be produced. So, twins can be successfully breastfed just as one baby can.

These are just a few of the more common myths and misconceptions you may hear about breastfeeding. Always ask for professional help if you are experiencing problems or have concerns, but be aware that not all health professionals are experts in breastfeeding. Talk to your doctor or health visitor, but also ask for advice from a specialist organisation like La Leche League (international) or the National Childbirth Trust (UK). In most cases, problems and worries are easily sorted. Successful breastfeeding can take a little dedication at first, but it is worth it in the end. However, if you are one of the rare women who are not able to breastfeed, don’t beat yourself up about it. There are many other ways to be a great mom!

From January 2012 to June 2012 there was a Special Direct Consolidation Loan. This Loan was meant for students having at least one government held Direct of Federal Family Education Loan and at least one privately held Federal Family Education Loan. Otherwise, The Direct Loan Consolidation Loan program is solely for loans that are held by the government. This means no privately owed loans are eligible for consolidation.

Should I Consolidate my Loans

Why should any student consolidate their loans? There are many reasons to consolidate your loans, the biggest being that loan consolidation helps to simplify your repayments. Instead of making many payments a month you only have to make one and instead of paying many different companies you are only paying one. However, loan consolidation s not for everyone and you should consider carefully whether to consolidate all of your loans, some of them, or none of them.

The first thing you should consider is whether or not you are currently able to make your loan payments. If you are currently have no problem making your payments there are few reasons to consolidate your loans. On the other hand, if you are having issues making your loan payments and you have gone through every payment plan, deferment option and loan cancellation plan that there is available, loan consolidation is a viable option. Loan consolidation can help you avoid defaulting on you loans or open up new avenues for deferment. For reference, a deferment is a period in which your loan payments are temporarily suspended.

The advantage of a consolidated loan over many student loans is you will be paying one monthly payment which may be lower than all your current payments combined. The reason a consolidated loan payment may be less is the repayment period is spread out over 30 years. On the other side, the longer the repayment period the more you will end up paying in interest. A Consolidated loan can also open up new repayment plan options you did not have access to before. At the same time you could loose any borrower benefits that were attached to your original loan, including interest rate discounts, principal rebates, and loan cancellation. The only exception is you cannot loose your subsidized status.

It is completely free to consolidate your loans and there are no associated fees. The one change is you will go from a variable interest rate to a fixed interest rate. Be careful when choosing to consolidate your loans because once you have consolidated your loans you cannot unconsolidate them.

Eligible loans

The following is a list of loans that are eligible to be consolidated under the Direct Consolidation Loan program.

• Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
• Federal Stafford Loans
• Direct Plus Loans and Plus Loans from Federal Family Education Loan
• Supplemental Loans for Students
• Federal Perkins Loans
• Federal Nursing Loans
• Health Education Assistance Loans
• Guaranteed Student Loans
• Federal Insured Student Loans
• Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Consolidation Loans
• Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Consolidation Loans
• Federal Plus Loans
• Direct Plus Consolidation Loans
• National Direct Student Loans
• National Defense Student Loans
• Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students
• Auxiliary Loans to Assist Students
• Health Professions Student Loans
• Health Education Assistance Loans
• Loans for Disadvantaged Students

Private loans, PLATO Loans, Medical Assist Loans, Law Access Loans, and Primary Care Loans are all ineligible to be consolidated under the Direct Consolidation Loan program. Students cannot consolidate loans their parents have taken out on their behalf but parents are eligible to consolidate those loans.

Requirements

In order to consolidate your loans under the Direct Loan Consolidation program you will need to meet a few requirements. Firstly, you will need to have at least one Direct or  Federal Family Education Loan that you are consolidating. As well, all the loans you plan on consolidating must be in a grace period or already in repayment. Between July 1, 2010 and July 1 2011 there was a temporary provision you were able to consolidate loans that were in “in school” status. However, students who took advantage of this lost their grace period for all Stafford and Direct Loans.

If you already have a Direct Consolidated Loan, under certain circumstances, you can consolidate that loan into another Direct Consolidated Loan. These circumstances include having at least one other Direct or Federal Family Education Loan  you are consolidating. Your existing Direct Consolidated Loan must be going into or already is in default or you intend to apply for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

How to Apply

You can apply for a Direct Loan Consolidation either online, through the phone, or by paper form. To apply you need to fill in an application and sign a promissory note. When filling out the application you will need your social security number, your driver’s license, the information of two people to act as references, your loan information including type of loan, loan holder, account number, and the estimated amount you have paid to date (for loans you are and are not consolidating). The Promissory note states you have read and agreed to the terms of the loan and agree to pay the loan back. Consolidating, in essence, means you are taking out a new loan and therefore a new promissory note is needed to show the loan holder you are agreeing to the terms and conditions and will be paying the loan back.

To apply online visit: https://loanconsolidation.ed.gov/AppEntry/apply-online/appindex.jsp

To apply by Phone call: 1-800-557-7392

To apply via paper you can download the application forms here: http://loanconsolidation.ed.gov/forms/forms.html or request the forms by phone (1-800-557-7392 or outside the US 334-206-7400). You can also request the application forms by email (loan_consolidation@mail.eds.com).

You can correct information on your application by phone, email or mail. However, if you are correcting your name or social security number it must be done in writing.

Phone Number:1-800-557-7392 or outside the US 334-206-7400

Email: loan_consolidation@mail.eds.com

Address: U.S. Department of Education

Consolidation Department

Loan Origination Center

P.O. Box 242800

Louisville, KY 40224-2800

Repayment

Repayment of your Direct Loan Consolidation begins 60 days after receiving your new loan. You can start making payments sooner if you wish. There are several repayment plans to available to choose from. Depending on the repayment plan chosen, repayments can be made over a period of 10 to 30 years.

Sleeping

A common complaint among new parents is the lack of sleep. This wonderful bundle of joy you have waited for for nine months is home and he refuses to sleep through the night. It can drive parents up the wall always waking up in the middle of the night to take care of your new baby. Babies, for the most part, do not sleep through the night. Every once and a while there will be the odd baby who does but do not expect this because it is not the norm.

Babies need to sleep at least 16 hours a day. Unfortunately those 16 hours do not happen all at once to the detriment of the parents. Babies sleep in 2 to 4 hour bursts. After which babies wake up, eat and play before falling right back to sleep. This is great for baby but can drive a parent to exhaustion where you become stressed to the point of breaking. But have no fear, between 4 and 6 months babies gain the ability to sleep for 8 to 12 hours at a times. You can help your child achieve this mile stone, and save your sanity, sooner if you teach your child good sleeping habits right from the start.

There are four ways you can help you child learn good sleeping habits. The first habit you can teach your baby starts with you. Learn to tell when your baby is tired. Trying to put a baby to sleep when he is overtired is difficult. Instead of going down relatively easy, an overtired baby can have difficulties going to sleep and fuss for hours. Putting a baby down when he is just tired means less fuss. Additionally, learning to put your baby down when he is tired will teach him to go to sleep when he is tired and not push to stay awake. Pulling an ear, rubbing the eyes, being really fussy, and yawning are all signs that a baby is tired. As time goes by you will learn to read the unique signs of when your child is tired.

The second way you can help your baby establish good sleep habits is by teaching him the difference between night and day. A baby is not born able to tell the difference between night and day. He spends nine months in utero where the surroundings are always the same. There is no day or night and the baby can do whatever he wants whenever he wants. Starting at two weeks a baby can begin to learn the difference between night and day. You can do this by teaching your baby the difference. During the day play with your baby. Do not stress about keeping the house silent. Let the phone ring, run the dishwasher or vacuum, or play music. Keeping the rooms bright will help your baby know it is daytime. And try not to let him sleep through feedings. During the night keep your baby’s room dark and quiet even when he wakes up. When your baby wakes up during the night do not play with him, just take care of business (whether it is to change his diaper or to feed him) and put him back to sleep. By doing as suggested, it will teach your child the purpose of night and day. That night is for sleeping and day is for playing and being awake.

Having a regular bedtime routine is another way to teach your child good sleeping habits. A bedtime routine does not have to be elaborate. The purpose is to prepare your child mentally for bed. When you have a regular routine your child will tell himself, every time you start it, now is the time to sleep. Therefore, simple is good. A routine can simply be: putting your baby into pajamas, feeding him, and reading a bedtime story or singing a lullaby. Something as small as that can tell a baby: Okay, now it is time to sleep.

The last suggestion for how you can teach your baby good sleeping habits is: let your baby fall asleep on his own. This seems like such an easy suggestion but it can be so hard to do. For, at least, the first 5 weeks a child is incapable of falling asleep by himself. However, after 8 weeks your baby should be able to fall asleep by himself. You can help your baby do this by not spending all night rocking him in the hopes of getting him to fall asleep. And this is why it is hard. At a certain point you are going to have to lay your baby down in his crib and let him cry himself to sleep. It drives parents bonkers to do this because it goes against the very fabric of their being, to let their kid lay there and cry. But, your baby will fall asleep and if done consistently will start falling asleep on his own without the fuss. In order to not put your baby in his crib before he falls asleep, start doing your bedtime routine a little earlier.

Suggestions for teaching your baby good sleeping habits are all well and good but what about the time before your baby learns to sleep through the night. How do you cope and stop from going insane when your baby is waking you up every couple of hours? First, as impossible as it may seem, rest as much as possible. You do this by sleeping when your baby sleeps. When your baby is catching a nap in the middle of the afternoon then you catch a nap as well. Doing this will help you catch up on some of the sleep you miss at night. As well, to save your sanity, accept help from others. If there is another adult in the house, who is willing, you can share middle of the night feedings and the responsibility of watching the baby during the day. This way you have the chance at some uninterrupted rest time. If friends or family offer to watch your baby for a while take the opportunity so you can have a nap or some time to do something you love.

Colic

It can be a parents worst nightmare to have your baby scream and scream and scream at the top of his lungs and nothing is working to settle him down. You can try everything and still your baby will not stop crying. It is possible your child is colicky. Colic is a condition some babies have which results in intense bouts of crying that can last up to 4 hours. There is no rhyme nor reason for why some babies end up colicky and others do not or even why a colic episode starts.

Some symptoms of a colic episode include: intense and continuous crying, swollen or bloated stomach, flushed head, cold feet, clenched hands, legs pulled up, arched back, and passing gas. Not every baby having a colic episode will display every symptom listed above. Colic episode happen frequently and last for around 4 hours. There is nothing you can do during a colic episode to stop it. Changing a diaper, feeding, bathing, putting on more or less clothes, none of it will work. There is good news though, colic ends around the 4th month.

In the mean time, while your pulling your hair out because of a crying baby, there are some things you can try to help with the colic. First off do not feed your baby juice. Juice is not good for young babies and the sugars involved can intensify colic. If you are bound and determined to give you baby juice, watering it down can help. Along the lines of diet, there are a few other things you can try. If you are nursing try eliminating the following foods from you diet one at the time: dairy, spicy foods, and gassy foods. These three types of foods can all bring on or intensify colic. On the other hand, if you are formula feeding you can either change the brand you use or your baby may have a milk allergy. In which case, you can go to your doctor to get a prescription for hypo-allergenic formula. In both these cases, the food your baby is eating is irritating their developing digestive system and bring on a colic episode.

Moving from diet to feedings, there are a few thing to keep in mind. Do not continue to feed your child if he is not crying due to hunger. Overfeeding a baby can make his colic worse. As well, no matter how you choose to feed your child (formula or breast feeding) insure he is not swallowing air as he eats. This may cause a colic episode.

Besides diet and feedings there other things that can help you with your colicky baby. One of those thing is environment. Once your baby has started to have a colic fit keep rooms quiet and dark so as to not overstimulate him. Another approach is to play soft sounds and try gentle repetitive motions. Soft sounds include natural or white noise, things that are soothing in nature. Repetitive motions include rocking chairs, car rides, strollers, or carrying him around. Repetitive noises can also help such as vacuums, car rides, and washing machines. There is even one story of a baby finding he sound of a hair dryer soothing. These suggestion may not stop a colic episode but will help your child feel soothed.

The last two tips I have are: do not smoke around your baby. Smoking can cause a colic episode. The other tip is to swaddle your baby and hold him close. This will cause your child to be comforted.

A baby crying can bring on intense emotions (frustration, anxiousness, anger). Have a safe place to put your baby. Somewhere you can put your baby down and he won’t hurt himself and you can walk away.  When you get to the end of your rope place your baby in the safe place and walk away to regroup. This in no way makes a bad mom. It is a way to keep you sane and your baby safe. Another option is to leave the house completely. Call a friend or family member to come watch the baby and leave.

Colic is tough to deal with. If you believe you need to see a doctor or believe something more than colic  is going on, do not afraid to go see your doctor.

Other Tips

Besides dealing with sleeping problems and colic, there are other things you can do to help cope with your new baby.  These things include eating smart, getting health care, spending time outside, make new friends, giving yourself a break, taking care of yourself and your family, and enjoying time with your baby.

Eating Smart

When you have a new baby eating smart can go out the window.  Days tend to blend together when taking care of a baby. You are sleep deprived and the babies needs outweigh your own. The end result is meals get forgotten. However, part of maintaining your energy levels is eating right. You are not restoring your energy levels trough sleep so you need regular meals to compensate. Besides taking the time to make your own meals, accept any offers from friend or family to bring meals or pick up groceries.

Get Health Care

Both you and your baby need regular check ups after birth. For your baby there will be check ups at 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 1 year. All of these check ups are recommended for a reason and should not be missed. There will be scheduled visits for mom as well that should not be missed. It is important that mom keeps an eye on both her physical and mental health. 1 in 10 new moms are affected by postpartum depression. If treated, postpartum depression causes few issues. However, if left untreated, it can cause serious issues. Never be afraid to call your doctor is you have question; whether it is about your baby’s health, your health, or concerns over postpartum depression do not.

Spending Time Outside

Trapped inside all day taking care of a baby can cause feelings of isolation. This can be really tough on a new mom, especially one who is used to living an active life. Take time out of your schedule to go outside each day. Whether this time is in the backyard during your baby’s nap or if you take your baby to a park to play, getting outside will help if you feel isolated.

Make New Friends

Speaking of feelings of isolation, making friends with other new parents helps fight these feelings. Having a baby can be lonely. You need to spend a lot of time taking care of your baby and some of your friends may not understand. Especially those who do not have kids of their own. Making friends with other new parents gives you people who can relate to your experiences and what you are going through. Having people around who understand helps fight feelings of isolation and loneliness. You can meet new parents at the local park or at a parenting group.

Give Yourself a Break

Babies create chaos in life. Not only are there the regular chores to be done but there are also new chores on top of things. It takes a while to learn how to balance the old chores with the new chores and still get everything done. So, give yourself a break. Do not beat yourself up over the things that do not get done during the day. Eventually you will develop new routines and the chores will get done.

Take Care of Yourself and Your Family

Even with the chaos that a new baby brings it is important to take care of yourself and your family. Take care of yourself by doing the things that you like and enjoy to do. Listen to your favorite music, make arrangements to go out and see a movie, go to an exercise class, have a massage, go to a spa, etc. You can take care of your family by spending time with older children. Any older children you have can feel jealousy over new babies. New babies get all the attention and older children can feel they are no longer loved because of this. By spending time with older children you are letting them know they are still loved and important to you. You can also include older children in taking care of their siblings.

Enjoy

Enjoy spending time with your new baby. A baby is wonderful to have around. Do not get so caught up in taking care of your new baby that you forget to spend time with him, playing with him, reading to him, and bonding with him. There are many rewards and joys that come with a baby.

Conclusion

Babies are chaos and despite spending nine months preparing for your bundle of joy you are never fully prepared for that chaos. Lots of people have different methods of coping with the chaos and insanity a baby brings. However, the two most common complaints parents tend to have is the lack of sleep and dealing with a colicky baby. Besides these two complaints there are also a list of other things (getting health care, going outside, and taking care of yourself and your family just to name a few) that can help you to cope. But despite all that your baby is unique and you are going to have to find out what works for you and for him.

Saving money

There are numerous ways that you can save money when preparing for your first baby.

• Breastfeed your baby: You can save yourself not only lots of work but also lots of money by choosing to breastfeed rather than bottle feeding. Not only do you save on the bottles and the formula, you also won’t need a sterilising kit, carry bags for bottles, bottle warmers and special bottle cleaning brushes. So if you can breastfeed (and most moms can, with a little of the right help and advice) it’s a really sensible choice. To get great advice on breastfeeding, and support after your baby’s born, take a look at La Leche League. http://www.llli.org/
• Check what’s good to buy secondhand: You need to be aware of what items you can buy second hand. It’s fine to get quite a lot of your baby equipment second hand, but there are some things that for safety’s sake you really need to buy new. Knowing what’s what can save you dollars and also keeps your baby safe.
• Shop online: If you live a fair distance from the shops, shopping for baby items online can save you valuable cash too. Bus fares might not be overly expensive in themselves, but they add up and you don’t need to be making trips that aren’t really necessary. Look for online companies that offer free home delivery.
• Get together with other moms: Join single moms’ networks in your neighborhood. You can often find details of these in your local church or community centre. These sorts of groups frequently have baby goods swap sessions or donate their old baby items for other moms to use.

Things you really do need

• Diapers/Nappies: Whether you choose cloth diapers or disposable ones, you will need a plentiful supply for your baby’s early weeks, months and first couple of years of life. The initial cost of buying fabric diapers can be off putting, but once you’ve bought them the expense is more or less over. However, before you decide, bear in mind that cloth nappies have to be washed…at a rate of several a day. So you need to factor in the cost of using  washing machine, gentle baby safe detergent and maybe even a dryer. Still, research shows that it is less expensive than buying disposables, although there is more work involved.
• A cot or crib: Even if you are co sleeping with your baby, there will be times that you need to put your baby down to sleep when you can’t lie down with him to look after him: So, you need a cot, crib or baby bed.
• Basic baby soap: A good, basic baby soap will double as a shampoo and bath gel for the early weeks of your baby’s life.
• Basic barrier cream:  A simple zinc and castor oil type barrier cream is all you need to keep your baby’s skin protected under his nappies. Exotic cosmetics are surplus to requirements!
• Bottles, formula, bottle brushes and a sterilising kit if you are bottle feeding.
• Nursing bras and breast pads if you are breastfeeding.
• A pram or stroller. In the first days, while baby is tiny, a baby carrier or sling will do, but as your baby grows you will find a pram or stroller more convenient.

Things you can buy second hand

• Blankets and bedclothes: There’s no reason at all not to buy blankets and bedclothes from the second hand store or charity store. You can also find them online on sites like Ebay or GumTree.  Second hand blankets and bedclothes will be fine if they look in good condition and can always be rewashed and disinfected when you get them home if it gives you more peace of mind. You can save a lot of money buying these thngs second hand. Garage sales are often good sources of these items too.
• Babyclothes: The same goes for baby clothes. Most baby items are sold in an amost new condition, as babies grow so fast that many things are hardly worn. In fact, chances are you’ll find baby clothes that have never been worn or even taken out of the pack. This is because a lot of moms are given far more than they need at ‘Baby Showers’ and often have duplicate or too small clothes which they subsequently sell off. It doesn’t make economic sense to spend a lot of your hard come by cash on things that your baby will only wear for a week or two!
• Most equipment that has a recent safety certificate. It should have a certification mark that proves it meets required standards. If in doubt, get it checked by a specialist supplier, or don’t buy it.
• Highchairs. These are usually made of wood or solid plastic and can be throughly cleaned and disinfected so should be fine secondhand. Check before buying that the joints and folding mechanisms are safe and working smoothly.

Things you shouldn’t buy second hand (or things you should take care with)

• Baby car seat:  Unless you really know the history of the seat, don’t make the mistake of trying to save a few dollars by buying  a second hand baby car seat or back facing baby carrier for the car. There’s no way of knowing if the seat has been previously damaged in an accident, as this isn’t always evident from the outside of the seat. However, by all means take one from a family member or trusted friend who can assure you it’s undamaged.
• Crib: Actually, you can buy or use a second hand crib, but you do need to be careful. Safety regulations have become much more stringent in the last 20 or so years, as a result of research into baby and childhood accidents. If the crib is really old, make sure it meets requirements and safety standards. If in doubt, don’t buy it secondhand.
• Strollers: Yes, they can be bought secondhand, but should come with a safety check certificate. Ideally, stick to new.
• Comforters and rubber nipples for bottles. Sure, they can be sterilised, but they aren’t expensive to buy and, well, would you want to suck a second hand item?
• Electrical equipment. Once more, it isn’t a hard and fast rule, but generally it s safer to buy electrical equipment new rather than second hand.

Things you really don’t need!

• A Moses basket: Sure, these are real pretty and are great for the first few weeks, but the baby will soon outgrow them. You might as well start right away with a normal sized crib, cot or baby bed.
• Baby wipe warmers: Of all the unnecessary things, these take the biscuit! They cost money to buy and they cost money to run (elecricity) and really, you just don’t need them. A wash cloth soaked in warm water will do the same job.
• A baby bath: Honest, your baby won’t mind being bathed in the kitchen sink, if your budget doesn’t run to a bath. Like so many other things, baby baths are only used for the first few weeks. After that, your baby’s big enough to go in the same bath tub as you. So why waste your money?
• Designer baby gear. Whether we are talking about designer clothes, crib sets or wallpaper for the bedroom, your baby doesn’t need or want expensive designer gear. She’ll grow out of the clothes before she’s old enough to notice them, and by the time she cares about the decor in her bedroom she won’t appreciate teddy bears and fairies!
• Fancy toys. Stick to safe basics. Always make sure that toys that are to be given to baby to touch have safety certificates. However, when it comes to mobiles, babies will be just as fascinated by a home made mobile of shiny silver paper and coloured feathers as they would be by any expensive shop bought confection.
• Musical boxes and toys. In the early days, your baby would prefer you to sing to her. It proves to her that you are close, so it makes her feel safe. And, she loves nothing more than the sound of your voice! This is your chance to be the most popular singer on the block, so make the most of it!
• Baby bouncers or swings. While a little soft bouncy chair is inexpensive and great for baby, fancy swings and bouncers really aren’t needed. Playing with your baby, or popping her into a sling around your body will provide  physical closeness and the gentle swaying motion she will find so enjoyable.

Most of the unnecessary baby items that you’ll see for sale are actually sad susbstitutes for a mom’s love and time. You can save lots of cash just by being with your baby, rather than expecting flashy toys to do th work for you. There’s no effective substitute for a mom, when it comes to a baby’s happiness and real needs!

So, save yourself cash and get even more out of the experience of being a mom at the same time.

Schools serving low income families can be found here:

https://www.tcli.ed.gov/CBSWebApp/tcli/TCLIPubSchoolSearch.jsp

In July 2010, it was decided a student would not have to worry if the high need area he studied is no longer considered a high need area upon his graduation. The Department of Education will allow a student to fulfill their teaching obligation in the subject in which he specialized. This is true whether or not that subject is still considered a high needs area. If you receive a TEACH Grant for more than one program you will need to teach for 4 years for EACH program. It does not matter whether you withdraw from any program you receive a TEACH Grant for, you are still required to complete the 4 year teaching obligation.

It is possible for the 4 year teaching requirement to be suspended in specific circumstances or canceled in extreme ones. In order for your teaching requirements to be suspended you must: a) be returning to school and enrolling in a program that is eligible for the TEACH Grant; b) fall under one of the terms in the Family and Medical Leave Act that qualifies you for leave; or c) are called to active duty in the military or National Guard for 30 days or more. Suspensions are only good for one year and you cannot have more than 3 consecutive suspensions, totaling 3 years. A cancellation of the 4 year teaching requirement can occur for three reasons: you die, you become permanently disabled and are unable to teach as a result, or you are called to active duty in the military or National Guard for 3 or more years.

If your grant does end up being turned into a Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan you will need to pay back the full amount of the grant plus interest. The interest will be back dated to the day you first received the grant. Being back dated means the interest will start building up from the day you first received the grant.  From the day the grant is converted into a loan, you will have a 6 month grace period before you have to start paying back the loan.

For more information visit: http://www.cgu.edu/PDFFiles/TEACHGrant.pdf or

http://www.tcnj.edu/~sfs/aid/documents/teachgrant_factsheet.pdf

Eligibility

The TEACH Grant does not only have eligibility requirements for a student applying for the grant but also during the student’s school career and the first eight years after the student graduates. If at any time the students violates the eligibility requirements the TEACH Grant can and will be converted into a Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan with interest added.

To Apply

• You must be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen with a valid social security number.

• If you are a male, who is between 18 and 25, you must register with the Selective Service. To find out more about Selective Service or to register visit: http://www.sss.gov

• You must have a high school diploma, GED, or another alternative approved by the state.

• You must be seeking a degree and enrolled in an undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or graduate program. The program you are enrolled in must be participating in the TEACH Grant program. An eligible program at one school may or may not be an eligible program at another school. You must contact a school directly to find out which of their programs are participating in the TEACH Grant program.

• You must achieve a certain academic standing. This standard usually requires the student to score, if just entering college, at least in the 75th percentile on standardized admission tests such as the SAT. If the student is already in college the academic standard is to have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25.

During School

• You must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25. If your GPA slips below this level then you will not receive any more money until your cumulative GPA returns to 3.25.

• You need to be enrolled in a program or courses that will allow you to teach in a high needs area. Current high needs areas include: English language acquisition, foreign languages, maths, becoming a reading specialist, sciences, and Special Education.

After Graduation

• Once you have graduated you need to, within 120 days, write to the Secretary of Education. In this letter you must a) confirm you have a job as a full time teacher which meets the requirements of the TEACH Agreement to Serve; or b) write that you have yet to find a full time job that meets the requirements but you still intend to fulfill your side of the agreement.

• You must teach as a “highly-qualified teacher” as defined by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 1965 under section 9101(23)(found here: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg107.html, search the page for the number 23 or the words Highly Qualified). Or, for Special Education teachers, as defined by the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act under Section 602(10) (found here:http://www.afb.org/section.aspx?SectionID=58&TopicID=264&DocumentID=2769)

• After you complete each year of your teaching requirement you must send in certification from the chief administrative officer of the school you worked at. This certificate needs to confirm that you worked full time for the full year.

You will also have to meet any other requirements imposed by the Department of Education.

Application Process

To apply for the TEACH Grant you need to fill out an FAFSA (Federal Application For Student Aid). You can submit your application via paper or internet. When filling out the FAFSA, it is important to fill in all the information thoroughly. Make sure to follow all directions. You are going to have to submit additional documents with your application. These will include copies of your: social security card, drivers license, W-2 forms, income tax returns, bank statements, etc. There is a complete list given in the FAFSA.

Once you have submitted your FAFSA you can track it by going to: http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp.  Once at the website you can apply for a Federal Student Aid PIN number.  This PIN number can be used to track your FAFSA application as well as apply electronically each subsequent year.

Once the FAFSA has been processed, both you and the colleges you have written down will receive a Student Aid Report.  This report will contain your Expected Family Contributions.  This is the amount your family is expected to contribute to your education.  The report will also contain a Data Release Number.  It is important to remember this number because you will need it if you ever want to go back and change your information. You will need to fill out the FAFSA every year.

The FAFSA can be found here: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

Besides filling out the FAFSA, you will also need complete the TEACH Grant Initial and Subsequent Counseling and the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve. The TEACH Grant Initial and Subsequent Counseling is a 45 minute online course.  This course must be completed before you are able to sign the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve or are eligible to receive funds. You can complete the TEACH Grant counseling by going to: https://teach-ats.ed.gov/ats/studentHome.action. Once on the website you need to sign in using your Federal Student Aid PIN number and click on the “START NEW COUNSELING” button.

The purpose of the counseling course is to explain the TEACH Grant program and the 4 year teaching requirement. Before you can begin counseling you are going to have to provide the year you received the TEACH Grant and the name of the school you are attending. The counseling is broken down into four parts: an overview of the program; an explanation of the Agreement to Serve; an explanation of the Service Obligation, and an explanation on converting the TEACH Grant into a Federal Student Loan. Each part of the course is followed by a quiz. Counseling must be completed each year you receive funds from the TEACH Grant.

At any time during the counseling course you may leave to view other parts of the TEACH website and not lose the progress you have made. However, if you leave the TEACH Grant website or log out you will have to restart the counseling course. Once you have finished the TEACH Grant Initial and Subsequent Counseling you have a choice. You can either to go directly to the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve (ATS) or you can leave the TEACH website and complete it later.

The TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve must be completed each year after completing the TEACH Grant Initial and Subsequent Counseling course. Like the counseling course, you can complete the ATS by going to: https://teach-ats.ed.gov/ats/studentHome.action and signing in using your Federal Student Aid PIN number. Once signed in, you click on “START NEW ATS” and it will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. The ATS has four steps: School Information, Student Information, Review Draft, and Submit.

The school information step is easy to complete. The information required, the year you received the TEACH Grant and the name of the school you attend, is taken directly from the information provided during the Initial and Subsequent Counseling course. You simply need to review the information to ensure it is correct and move to the next step. For the Student Information step you will need to fill in your contact information and two references. The references must have different addresses here in the USA and you must have known both for at least 3 years.

The review draft step requires that you read and agree to all the terms and conditions in the ATS. After you have done that you must sign the Agreement to Serve. In the last step, submit, you must review and insure all the information in the ATS is correct. Once done, simply click submit and the ATS is complete.

The school you are attending may have its own forms it will require you to fill out to apply for the TEACH Grant. As an example, the University of Arizona has such forms. They can be found here:

http://financialaid.arizona.edu/grants/teach

Award Amount

The TEACH Grant awards up to $4, 000 per year to all eligible students. Students who are enrolled for less than full time will receive less than the full amount of the Grant as is deemed appropriate. The TEACH Grant cannot exceed the cost to attend school.

There are limits to the amount of grant money a student can receive. Undergraduates and Post-baccalaureate students will receive up to $16, 000. Graduate students will receive up to $8, 000. There is also a lifetime TEACH Grant limit of $24, 000.

Conclusion

The Department of Education funds a grant for students interested in teaching in a high needs area, it is called the TEACH Grant. It is available to both undergraduate and graduate students. However, when you apply for the TEACH Grant you also agree to teach for 4 years in a high need area and in a school or educational service agency that serves low income families. The eligibility requirements for this grant are tough. They span from the time you first apply, with the regular application requirements, to after you graduate, with work requirements. If you break any of the eligibility requirements at any time after you receive the grant it will be converted into a Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan with interest. If emergencies do come up, the 4 year teaching requirement can be suspended or canceled.

If you decide you want to apply for this grant you need to fill out an FAFSA as well as completing a TEACH Grant Initial and Subsequent Counseling and the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve. If your application is accepted, you will receive up to $4,000 depending on your enrollment status and the cost to attend school. You can only receive a maximum of $24,000 in TEACH Grants.

So what do you need to know about filing taxes? First off, you need to know who needs to file taxes because, surprisingly enough, not all Americans are required to file taxes. You need to know which tax forms to use and what to put down as your filing status. You also need to know who qualifies as a dependent. Other things you should know about are deductions, tax credits, exemptions, and methods of compiling and filing taxes.

Who Must File

Whether or not a person has to file taxes is dependent on age, filing status, income and citizenship status. All US citizens and residents can be required to file taxes as long as you meet certain income standards. This is true even if you do not live in the US. Once you reach a certain income level you are required by law to file taxes. The income standard for filing taxes is defined by your age and filing status. Age is divided into two categories: those 65 and older and those younger than 65. For those younger than 65 the minimum income standard is $9,500  if your filing status is Single. If you file as a Head of Household, you only have to file taxes if your income is at least $12,200. If you file as Married Filing Jointly, you and your spouse have to have a combined income of at least $19,000 before you are required to file taxes. If you file as Married Filing Separately you need to have a minimum income of $3,700 before you are required to file taxes. Lastly, if you file as a Qualifying Widow or Widower your income needs to be at least $15,300 before you need to file taxes.

Whether or not you are required to file taxes, going through the effort to file taxes anyways can be profitable. Even if  you are not required to file taxes, you could be entitled to a refund that the government will not give you unless you make the effort to file your tax return. If you file taxes at a later time the government may not give you the full amount of the refund or any at all due to fees and penalties.

For more information visit: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/20/who-must-file-a-tax-return/

Tax Forms

There are seemingly millions of tax forms and schedules available to be filled out. Which one or ones do you need to fill out when you file your taxes? The standard forms are: Form 1040, Form 1040A, and Form 1040EZ. Which one of these forms you choose depends on if you meet the conditions laid out for its use.

Form 1040 is the most basic of tax forms also known as the long tax form. You need to use this form if your taxable income is greater then $100,000 and is from unreported tips, non-taxable distributions, self employment, because you are a beneficiary of an estate or trust, or because you are a shareholder or partner in an “S” class company.  Another reason to use this form is if you wish to itemize your deductions or claim certain tax credits. Lastly, you must use this form if you are adjusting your income or owe household employment taxes.

Form 1040 can be found here: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040.pdf?portlet=103

Form 1040A is the short tax form. When using this form your taxable income must be below $100,000. Your income needs to be from wages, salaries, tips, taxable scholarships/fellowships, interest, dividends, capital gain distributions, pensions, annuities, IRAs, unemployment compensation, social security, or the Alaska Permanent Fund dividends. If you choose to use this form you cannot itemize your deductions and you can only adjust your income on this form if you are doings so for IRA deductions, student loan interest deductions, educator expenses, or the tuition and fees deduction. The only tax credits you can claim using this form are: the child and dependent care expenses, earned income, adoption, elderly or disabled, education, child tax , the additional child tax, and retirement savings contribution tax credits.

Form 1040A can be found here: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040a.pdf

Form 1040EZ is know as the easy tax form. This form is to be used when you are filing as Single or Married Filing Jointly and are not claiming dependents. Your income needs to be under $100,000 and come from wages, salaries, tips, taxable scholarships/fellowship grants, unemployment compensation, state tuition program earnings, or the Alaska Permanent Fund dividends. You cannot have a taxable interest exceeding $1,500. You must be under 65 and have your eyesight. You cannot receive advanced earned income credit payments. You cannot owe household employment taxes for wages paid to a household employee. You cannot claim certain deductions (student loan interest, educator expense, and tuition and fees) or credits (education, retirement savings contributions). As well, you cannot claim income/tax credit adjustments.

Form 1040EZ can be found here: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040ez.pdf

Other standard tax forms include 1040NR, 1040NR-EZ, and 1040X. The 1040 NR form is for Nonresident Aliens. The 1040NR-EZ form is for Nonresident Aliens without dependents. Nonresident Aliens can use the 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ form if, and only if, they are married to a US citizen. Finally, the 1040X form is only for if you are correcting one of the other 1040 forms.

• 1040NR can be found here: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040nr.pdf
• 1040NR-EZ can be found here: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040nre.pdf
• 1040X can be found here: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040x.pdf

Whichever 1040 form you use it will instruct you on any other forms you need to fill out and attach.

Filling Status

After filling in your personal information the first line on the 1040 form is to declare your filing status. Your filing status will decide which tax rates and standard deductions you will receive. Two people can have the same income but receive different tax rates and standard deductions simply due to their filing status. There are five different fillings statuses you can choose from depending on your marital status and whether or not you have dependents. The different filling statuses are: Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, Head of Household, and Qualifying Widow or Widower. If you are single on the last day of the year you file as Single. If you are married on the last day of the year you file as either Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately.

In order to file as Single you must be unmarried. This includes those who are divorced and legally separated. If you have dependents, you should first check to see if you qualify to file as Head of Household before filing as Single.

If you are married you have two choices on which filing status you can choose.. You can choose to file as Married Filing Separately or Married Filing Jointly. If you choose to file separately it means that you and your husband are choosing to each file your own taxes. If you are separated but not yet divorced this will, most likely, be your filing status. This filing status is the least favorable to tax payers. However, it is beneficial when one spouse owes taxes and the other is eligible for a refund. Even filing separately spouses still need to cooperate on certain details. For example: who will claim dependents and if your spouse is receiving the standard deduction or itemizing his deductions. Filing Separately disqualifies you from some tax credits and benefits. Choosing to file as Married Filing Jointly means you and your spouse will combine your incomes when filing your tax returns. When filing Jointly this both spouses are required to sign the tax return.

Head of Household is a filing status for those who are unmarried with at least one dependent. Unmarried status includes those who are divorced or widowed. To be the Head of Household means that you pay for more than half of the bills needed to take care of your house and family. There is an exception to the Unmarried requirement. If you have been separated for more than six months you are able to file as Head of Household as well.

The last filing status is Qualifying Widow or Widower. This filing status is for a person who has lost their spouse and has at least one dependent. You can file as a Qualifying Widow or Widower for only 2 years. The year your spouse dies you can file as Married Filing Jointly (or Separately if you wish). The next two years you can file as a Qualifying Widow or Widower. You are ineligible to use this filing status if you remarry. Filing as a Qualifying Widow or Widower means that you will receive the same rates and standard deductions as if you filed Married Filing Jointly.

For more information visit: http://taxes.about.com/od/filingstatus/qt/FilingStatus.htm

Dependents

A dependent is either a child or qualifying relative. A dependent child must be under the age of 19 or under the age of 24 and a full-time student for at least 5 months out of the year. A dependent child can also be of any age if he is fully disabled. The child needs to be your biological child, a step-child, adopted, a sibling, a foster child or any one of their descendents. The child must live with you for at least 51% (six months and one day) of the year and cannot be providing more than half of his own support. The residency rules mean you should keep track of where your child spends the night if you share custody in case of an audit.

A qualifying relative must not be a dependent child of another taxpayer and must be related to you. Some qualifying dependents must live with you for an entire year before you can claim them as a dependent while others do not. Qualifying Relatives who do not need to live with you for one year are: children and grandchildren (whether biological, adopted, step, or foster); siblings (whether biological, step or half); parents, step-parents, and grandparents; nieces and nephews; aunts and uncles; and in-laws. Members of your household who have lived with you for 1 year can be claimed as a dependent as well. This is true only so long as the relationship does not violate local law. Qualifying relatives must also meet other requirements. The Qualifying Relative must earn less than the personal exemption amount ($3,700 in 2011). You must provide at least 51% of their support. He must be a US citizen or a resident alien of Canada, Mexico, or the US and not file as Married Filing Jointly.

For more information on dependents visit: http://taxes.about.com/od/dependents/a/Dependents.htm

The rules of claiming a dependent are such that only one person can claim the same dependent. In all cases the custodial parent takes precedent over anyone else’s claim on the dependent. If two or more people attempt to claim the same dependent the IRS does an audit to see whose claim is the most valid. This can be the most expensive type of audit there is because the taxpayer who loses not only loses the right to claim the dependent but can also lose the right to file as Head of Household and receive certain tax credits.  If the custodial parent chooses he or she can share the benefits which come with claiming a child dependent. When you claim a dependent you must write their social security number on your tax return.

For more information on dependents visit: http://taxes.about.com/od/dependents/a/Dependents.htm

Income

Income is money you receive and what you pay taxes on. There are three different types of main income. There is earned income, investment income, and passive income. These three types of income pus other earnings are added up to come to your total income. Your Earned Income is money you have worked to obtain. This, usually, includes wages, salary, commission, tips, and bonuses. Your W-2 form contains your Earned Income information. A W-2 form is provided by your employer (no later than January 31st) and has to be attached to your tax return. Investment Income is money you receive from dividends, interest, rent or similar sources. Lastly, Passive Income, the last of the three, is for money received from activities in which you take no active part. Other earnings include alimony, awards, lottery winnings and prizes. All of these are earnings are taxable. Going line by line through the tax form will tell you what different forms of income the government is looking to tax. If you do not receive income for one of the lines, for example Alimony, then enter 0 into that line.

For information about W-2 Forms visit: http://taxes.about.com/od/formw2/a/IRSFormW2.htm

Once you have calculated your total income then it is one to the next section of the tax form. In this section you are calculating your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). To calculate your AGI you are going to subtract certain expenses and deductions from your Total Income. Once you come to your Adjusted Gross Income you will subtract your standard or itemized deduction and your exemptions. This will bring you to your Taxable Income. Your Taxable Income is the amount you will actually be taxed on.

Deductions

A Deduction is an amount that is subtracted from your Adjusted Gross Income before calculating your Taxable Income. You can receive a Standard Deduction, which is available to everyone, or you can itemize your deductions. In 2005, the standard deduction for couples who used the filing status Married Filing Jointly was $9,700. The standard deduction is different depending on your filing status. Individuals who are blind or over 65 will receive a higher standard deduction than a person would otherwise. Besides your standard deduction there are also itemized deductions. Itemized deductions are where you calculate your own deduction instead of using the standard one. The most common deductions you can receive are: Medical and Dental Expenses, Taxes, Contributions, Casualty and Theft Losses,  Moving Expenses, and Job Related and Other Expenses. To itemized deductions you need to use Schedule A.

In order to receive deductions you must maintain records that document any expenses that qualify for a deduction. If the IRS audits you, you will need these documents to prove you have not miscalculated your deductions. When choosing whether to accept the standard deduction or do an itemized deduction it would be smart to itemize your deductions first and then chose based on the deduction which will reduce your Adjusted Gross Income the most.

For more information visit: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-tax-deduction.htm and http://www.businessknowhow.com/money/50deduct.htm

Exemptions

An Exemption is an amount of money deducted from your Adjusted Gross Income. An Exemption is given for people: you, a spouse, and any dependents you may claim. You cannot check the exemption box for yourself if someone else is claiming you as a dependent. Your exemption amount will be the number of people you are claiming exemptions for multiplied by $3,700. The dollar amount may change year to year.

Tax Credits

A Tax Credit is an amount of money that is subtracted from your Taxable Income. By using tax credits you can reduce the amount of taxes you owe the government to zero. However, you can not use tax credits, most of the time, to receive money from the government. This is because most tax credits are non-refundable. So, when your taxes reach zero your left over tax credits either disappear or can be saved to use another year. There are two refundable tax credits, the Additional Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit. Even after your taxes have reached zero you can use these two tax credits to get a refund from the government.

The tax credits listed on the 1040 form are: General Business Credit (Form 3800), Credit for Prior Year Minimum Tax (8801), Foreign Tax Credit (Form 1116), Child and Dependent Care Expenses Credit (Form 2441), Education Credits (Form 8863, line 23), Retirement Savings Contribution Credit (Form8880), Child Tax Credit, Additional Child Tax Credit (Form 8812), Residential Energy Credit (Form 5695), Adoption Tax Credit (Form 8839), First-time Homebuyer Credit (Form 5405, line 10), Earned Income Credit (Schedule EIC), American Opportunity Credit (Form 8863, line 14), Health Coverage Tax Credit (Form 8885), and Federal Tax on Fuels Credit (Form 4136).

Visit http://www.irs.gov/app/picklist/list/formsPublications.html?value=&criteria=formNumber&submitSearch=Find to search for any needed Forms or Schedules

Methods of Compiling and Filing Your Taxes

You have a few different options when it comes to compiling and filing your taxes. The compiling methods are: by hand, software programs, using tax services, or E-filing. As opposed to all the different methods of compiling taxes there are only two methods of filing taxes. You can either file your taxes by mail or you can file your taxes electronically (through the internet).

Filing taxes by hand is where you sit at a desk or your kitchen table and fill in the tax forms yourself. Once done, you mail your taxes to the IRS. You can buy different software packages, such as TaxCut or TurboTax, to help you do your taxes. These types of software programs help you to fill out any tax forms you need for your tax return, including the Form 1040. By using a software program you are still doing your taxes by yourself but can save up to 10 hours of time and effort. You put in the information and the program does the calculations for you. With a program you can file your taxes either electronically or you can send them in by mail.

The last two ways to compile your taxes are: a tax service and E-file. Tax services are companies that help people fill out and file their taxes. Depending on the company depends on how your taxes will be filed (either by mail or electronically). These companies do not offer free service. They can cost anywhere from $40 to $2,000. There are a wide variety of companies that offer tax services from banks, to government tax specialists, to one man companies, to accounting firms, and law firms. If you wish to E-file there are many different companies that offer to help. E-filing your taxes means you are filling out and filing your taxes online. There is free e-filing available for those who qualify. For those who don’t qualify for free e-filing, they will be offered a small fee to use the service.

For information on e-filing visit: http://www.irs.gov/efile/index.html

For more information visit: http://www.taxtips.ca/filing/taxfilingmethods.htm

Conclusion

Taxes can seem big and scary at first glance. However, once you break the forms down doing your taxes can seem a whole lot easier. Figure out if you have to or want to file your taxes. Learn what Forms and Schedules you will need to use and what filing status to file under.  List all of your dependents and declare all of your income. Do not forget to attach your W-2 form. After that it is the home stretch. You need to calculate your deductions and tax credits. This will help you calculate the amount of taxes you owe the government. The only rule left unsaid is the deadline. You have a deadline you must file your tax return by, this deadline is April 15th.

However, in many marriages, neither parent has been abusive towards the kids, and both parents love the children and want to play an important part in their lives after the divorce. It’s when this leads to a custody battle that things can get really complicated. If you can agree out of court, it’s best for all concerned. But, sometimes it just doesn’t work like that.

So, how can you swing the court’s decision in your favor? It isn’t necessarily the case that the mother always wins custody, times have moved on and the court’s will award it to the parent who seems most able to serve the child’s best interests.

Remember the old story about the rich mother who fled the country in wartime and left her child behind? A serving girl looked after the child, risking her life for him, loving him and treating him as her own, and then, years later, the real mother returned having decided it was safe to do so. Both claimed the right to have the child, so the case went before a judge. The judge drew a circle on the floor in chalk, and placed the child in the centre. He then instructed the two women to take hold of one of the child’s arms each, and pull. The woman who pulled the hardest and pulled the child to her side of the circle, he said, would be the winner.

The real mother grabbed her child’s arm, ready for the tug o’ war. The serving girl refused to take part, fearful of hurting the child. She said she would rather give him up than see him hurt.

Custody was, of course, awarded to the serving girl, who had proved beyond doubt that she had the child’s best interests at heart and was prepared to suffer for him and put hs needs before her own happiness.

It’s just a fable, of course, but one that any mother preparing to enter a custody court room to fight for the custody of her child would do well to bear in mind. Courts don’t take kindly to parents who try to put the other party down, badmouthing them and making exaggerated claims about their bad behavior. If there are real issues of problems with your ex partner’s behavior, such as substance abuse, violence or alcoholism, it will, of course, count against him.

The key to making sure that you are awarded custody of your child in court is to be thoroughly prepared. (Although it goes without saying that you should be sure in your heart that you are the one who will be best for the child of course!). Being prepared means doing some homework to find out what the courts will be looking for.  Here are some pointers.

• Understand the ‘Better Parent Standard’. This is the benchmark standard that the courts will apply in making their decision. In order to resolve a custody dispute, the courts need to decide which of you is best equipped to be the main carer or sole carer for the child.
• Show that you have a clear understanding of your child’s physical and emotional needs. Focus on things like daily routines, a healthy diet and sports and lesiure activities that are part of your child’s life that you assist with.
• Courts are also, unless there is clear reason not to, likely to prefer giving custody to the parent who is prepared to agree to and work with the other parent’s visiting rights and time with the children. Courts take a dim view of a mother or father who is so bitter against the ex that they want to refuse access without a strong reason. So, being reasonable on this point will work in your favor.
• Keep and take to court a record of your own and your ex partner’s contact with the child. This includes regular phone calls, visits, days out etc. If, for example, your ex is claiming he has more contact with the child than he actually does, this will help your case.
• Be ready to prove what support payments have been made or missed.
• Demonstrating that you have made and continue to make efforts to keep the lines of communication open between you and your ex in matters of child care is another point that will help swing the courts in your favor. Courts, in general, prefer both parents to maintain contact with their children, even if custody is awarded to one parent over the other. Showing that you have a mature and reasonible approach with regard to this is one of the best things that you can do.
• Present yourself in the best possible light. Dress appropriately for the court hearing. This shows that you understand and appreciate the gravity of the occasion and have respect for the law. Incorrectly dressed moms or dads will not present themselves well, so wear a plain coloured suit or similarly sober outfit. Turning up in court dressed for a night out on the town in short skirt or short sleeved shirt will not impress the judge! Even if you think you should be able to express yourself through your style of dress and not be judged on it, a custody court is not the place to make this point!
• Observe court etiquette. However emotionally charged the moment, and whatever the provocation, only speak when you are spoken to and only answer the question you are asked. Never interrupt the judge or anyone else in a courtroom.
• Listen to the advice of your attorney, and follow it meticulously. He or she knows what they are doing, and will act in your best interests. That’s what you hired them for, so don’t imagine you know better, and don’t interfere.
• Some US states insist that you draw up a parenting plan prior to the hearing. If this is the case, be sure to have this prepared and take it to court. A parenting plan involves getting together with your ex to agree on things like weekends to be spent with which parent, school holiday time to be spent with which parent,

visiting rights and holiday plans. Being able to agree with your ex on this in                  advance is helpful, but if he won’t play ball, at least be ready to show the courts that you have tried.

• Make a note of all court dates and write them  in your diary . Putting a big post it note on the fridge and anywhere else you can’t help but see it is also a good idea. Missing court dates is not likely to help win the court’s approval!
• By the same token, always answer correspondance from the court immediately. If you are not sure how you should respond in any instance, consult your attorney.
• Be yourself, and always tell the truth. Courts have a way of seeing through false personae, and lying in court is a definite ‘no no’.
• If, in spite of all your efforts to make the split amicable or at least civilized for the sake of the children, your ex insists on causing trouble for you, don’t take the law into your own hands. If he comes round causing trouble, ask him to leave, and if he doesn’t do so call the police immediately. That way not only do you and your kids stay safe, you also have an official record of his behavior.
•  Keep personal feeelings for your ex out of court: they have no place there. A custody hearing is not concerned with you or your ex, it is concerned with your child and what’s best for him or her. Keeping that in mind is vital to winning custody. Read the chalk circle story again to remind you!

Court appearances are always stressful, and even more so when something as important as your child’s future is at stake. Take time to follow all the steps and get it right, and it should pay dividends. The courts really do have the best interests of your child at heart, so it’s your job to show them that you agree with that principle.

Why is divorce so painful?

Sometimes, during a divorce process you can experience deep feelings of loss. It’s more than just the loss of a partner or marriage that affects you. Even if the marriage has totally broken down so that you feel it is no longer what you want, it doesn’t stop the pain and feelings of loss.

When your marriage ends, you lose a little of your own identity along with your partner. For years you have been not just you, the individual, but someone’s wife or partner. You will have built up a network of joint friends and a social life that may or may not survive the break up. Some of your friends…and family…will feel that they have to make an allegience to one party or the other, and may apportion blame unfairly. If you have been the one to call time on the marriage, against your partner’s wishes, you may feel a sense of guilt too…even more so if you have met someone else and that has been the reason for the break up. Or, if it is your partner who has found a new love, you may feel resentment and jealousy, not to mention anger.

Fear of the future

Another consequence of divorce is that you may feel anxiety about what the future holds. After all, you have had to change everything in your life. All your expectations for your future are now different. Where before you were half of a couple, planning the future together and able to call on each other for support in the tough times and to share your joy in the good times, now you have to do all this alone. You might wonder if you will always be alone, or even if you even deserve to find a new partner.

The future can seem a scary thing, to a new divorcee.

Step 1: Be positive!

It sounds easier than it is, but the best thing you can do is look at the positives. Believe it or not, a divorce can make you into a stronger, happier person in time if you approach it in the right way. Let’s face it, even if you still love your partner and feel devastated at his loss, if he doesn’t love you enough to stay with you the relationship had no future anyway.

Step 2: Accept your feelings

In the beginning, it’s OK to be sad. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Give yourself time to grieve for the loss of your marriage and your dreams. It’s OK to cry. It’s natural to be worried, natural to feel a little resentful or even angry. Just don’t let those feelings get out of control.

Step 3: Take time to recover

If it’s possible to take a little time off, it can help some people. However, it can be counter productive to take too much time off work. Routine is a great healer and going to work or getting back into a normal routine gives a structure to your days that will make you feel better faster. Remember: being busy gives you less time to cry! Working can also enance your sense of self and your self esteem.

Step 4: Get by with a little help from your friends!

As the Beatles so rightly put it, you can get by with a little help from your friends. Yes, you may find that some of your joint friends are no longer in your social circle, but others will be by your side and wanting to help. In the early days, good friends will be happy to let you cry on their shoulders, and their affection will provide the comfort and nurturing you need. A note of caution, though: Don’t abuse their friendship. Remember, once the worst of your grief has passed, your friends are also human beings with sadnesses and worries of their own. Ask them about their own lives as well as teling them about yours. Grief can make people selfish, don’t let it happen to you.

Step 5: Make new friends

It might be the last thing you feel like doing, but try to get out and about to make new friends. Start a new sport or activity; join a club. Meeting new people gives you the chance to not only rediscover yourself as an individual, but also offers the possibility of reinventing yourself into the person you always wanted to be. New friends won’t view you as ‘so and so’s wife or husband’…so feel free to be you, and enjoy it! Get a new haircut, change your fashion style…whatever it takes to rediscover yourself and your sense of fun.

Step 6: Get active

Activity is very therapeutic, so even if you aren’t really a sporty person, try to do something that gets your body moving again. Even joining a walking club or offering to walk the neighbor’s dog can help you to shake off the lethargy that often accompanies sadness. Exercise releases natural endorphins which help you feel good; there are also plenty of other benefits to regular exercise such as better heart health, a boosted immune system, and weight loss.

Step 7: Get professional help if you need it

Don’t be afraid to ask for professional help if you need it. You can find support groups on the internet or maybe even advertised locally. Professional counsellors can help steer you safely through the feelings of fear, loss and anger that are part and parcel of divorce. If you don’t know where to turn, your doctor will be able to advise you.

Step 8: Set a time limit to grieve

It can be a good idea to set a time limit on your grieving process. Give yourself long enough, you won’t be dancing in the streets in a few days, but try to set goals for getting out more in say, a month , even if it’s just a simple evening spent with a crowd of friends. When you do this, try too not to talk about the divorce. Treat this time as time out from grieving. Focus on the enjoyment of the evening and the company of your friends. Rediscover how to laugh.

Being aware of how you really feel each day will help you to know when you are ready to move on, and bit by bit, you will. Some days will seem to promise a false dawn, you’ll feel better but then the next day you can plunge back into misery…but that’s OK too. It’s all part of the process. In time you will realise that the sadness is receding, a little each day, until one day you wake up and feel optimistic about the future.

What NOT to do

It can be tempting, but don’t fall into the trap of becoming dependent on food, alcohol or drugs to get you over a divorce. These things may seem to offer a temporary relief but will only make your problems worse in the end.

 Moving on and up!

There is no set time for any one person, but eventually you will find you are ready to move on from the pain of your divorce and settle into a new life. Before you really, finally let go, though, give a little thought to the way that you can make life and possible future relationships better.

Think about your old relationship. What went wrong? Did you choose the wrong person in the first place? If so, why was it wrong? This way, if you realise you are drawn to people who aren’t healthy for you, you can avoid making the same mistakes again.

If your ex criticised you for your part in the break down of the marriage, was there any truth in his comments? This isn’t to say you should heap blame on yourself, but just being aware of times where you may have been wrong can help build stronger relationships in the future.

Be honest with yourslf, accept that you could have been partly responsible, then move on, armed with the knowledge of how to do things better next time. You learn more from failure than you ever do from success!

Don’t rush into a new relationship

One common mistake that people make after going through a difficlt break up is to rush headlong into a new relationship with the first person that shows you some affection.

It’s understandable, you have been feeling unloved and unwanted and to find someone who tells you you are wonderful is a powerful thing. However, rebound relationships rarely last long. You will be carrying a lot of emotional baggage during the early days and you won’t be seeing things as clearly as you usually would. Make it clear that you are happy to be friends but that you aren’t ready for anything more…yet. There’s plenty of time, if it’s meant to be then it will happen.

A divorce can be seen not as an ending, but as a chance for a new beginning. The Chinese character for ‘Crisis’ is the same as the character for ‘Opportunity’. Try thinking about it this way and enjoy an exciting future.

But, dating as a single mom opens up a new list of problems. Your kids are your first conv cern, and you know they’ve probably been through a lot. They’ve had to cope with the loss of their dad (if they were old enough to know him) and they’ve learned to rely on you to be both Mom and Dad in their lives. If you’ve started seeing someone, you have to think carefully about how, and when to introduce him to the kids. Tell them too soon, and you risk upsetting the applecart by letting them get to know someone who may or may not stay part of their lives.

• Wait until the relationship is established. It might be difficult, if you are used to sharing everything with your kids, but the best idea is to wait a good while before introducing them to your new man. Give the relationship time to develop. You don’t want the kids to have a succession of ‘uncles’ who may not stay around for long. If they’ve already experienced the loss of their father, the last thing they need is to place trust and love in someone else who subsequently walks out of their lives. A period of around 6 months is probably a good rule of thumb.
• Check your new man’s feelings. Another good reason to give it time is that you really need to get to know your man’s feelings towards kids. He may be a little anxious, especially if he doesn’t have kids of his own and hasn’t much experience of them. You need to give him time too! Talk it through with him, so that when he does meet your children he feels happy and confident about it.
• Have a few informal chats with the kids about the possibility of your dating again before you hit them with the fact that you have met someone. Sound out their feelings and try to allay any worries they may have. They might worry that if you have a new man, their dad will be forced further away from their lives, so reassure them that this isn’t going to happen. If your children are clearly unhappy with the idea of your dating, don’t push it at first. Just answer their questions and let them adjust to the idea.
• Bring your man’s name into the conversation sometimes. Talk about other friends too, but just mentioning his name and perhaps telling the kids about some of the things you’ve done togerther will help to familiarize them with him befor they actually meet. If he has an interesting job or hobby, tell them about it…it may make them keen to get to know him and will give them all something to talk about when they do get together.
• If your new boyfriend has kids, chat about them too. Don’t make your children feel that they are expected to become friends with his children at first, just casually mention them, in conversation.
• Make the first meeting informal, and keep the pressure off. It’s best if you can let them meet him as part of a crowd they already know, so they aren’t forced to spend all the time talking to him if they aren’t too confident. If you can tie in the first meeting with a fun activity like a day at the beach or lake, so much the better. Having something to do eases the need to talk and makes the whole event less stressful for everyone. It lets the kids assosciate him with having a good time too.
• Take it slowly. Once you have introduced them all, don’t expect your kids and your man to see each other all the time. Keep doing the other activities you always did with your kids without him being around, and make sure you still have other friends around when your kids are about. Whatever the temptation, don’t talk about him all the time.
• Give your man clues about things your kids like to do, or to talk about. If he isn’t used to kids this can really help him…and the kids will feel they have something in common with him too.
• Make sure he doesn’t try to be a father to your kids too soon. If your kids already have a Dad that they see, they’ll resent this. If they don’t have a father figure they will still be uncomfortable with this type of behaviour, however well intentioned it is. If the kids need scolding, do it when he’s not around, and don’t let him get involved.
• Don’t patronise your kids or underestimate their intelligence. Older kids will be looking for signs of the new ‘friend’ being more than just a friend, so be honest if they ask you about it.
• Try not to be too outwardly affectionate to each other at first when the kids are around. Take it slowly, don’t be kissing and cuddling until the children have had a chance to get used to things.
• Wait plenty before you ask him over to stay the night. It can come as quite a shock to your kids to see another man in Mommy’s bedroom, so resist the temptation to let this happen too soon. You need to know your kids are really comfortable with him and with the situation before you let this happen.

If you’ve followed all the steps and made the introductions in an honest and sensitive way, your children and your new man should be fine. But accept that there will be a transition period while they all adjust to the new situation. You have every right to have a boyfriend and a happy relationship, and it is part of your kids’ growing up that they learn to accept this.

The Federal Pell Grant is a need based grant offered to undergraduate students who do not possess a bachelors or professional degree. Sometimes a student, even though he possess a bachelors degree, can be eligible for the Pell Grant if he is enrolled in a teacher certificate program. The Federal Pell Grant will only fund a student for 12 semesters (or the equivalent).

Prior to the 2012-2013 school year, the Federal Pell Grant would fund a student for 18 semesters. This change affects all students no matter when they first received their Federal Pell Grant. This means that if you have already received 12 semesters worth of grant money you will not receive any more grant money, even if you started receiving the Pell Grant prior to the policy change. The government will be sending letters to all students who are no longer eligible to receive grant money through the Federal Pell Grant.

The government is going to use a system called the Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) to determine how much of a Federal Pell Grant a student has used and how much they have remaining. The government considers the amount of money a student is awarded each year to be equal to 100% with a you being eligible to receive a total of 600%. LEU calculates just how much of that 600% a student has already used. Below is an example of how the Government calculates the amount of Pell Grant money a student has used and has remaining.

This table was adapted from: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/PellLimit.jsp

You can determine how much you are still eligible to receive by going to http://www.nslds.ed.gov/nslds_SA/  and signing in with your Federal student aid PIN number. Your LEU will be found on the “Financial Aid Review” page.

The amount you receive will be determine by your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), the cost of attending school, your enrollment status, and how much of the year you plan to attend. Your Expected Family Contribution is determined by the federal government. It is an amount the government thinks your family is able to contribute to your post-secondary education. Your EFC is calculated off of information you put into your Federal Application for Student Aid. You will not need to repay your Federal Pell Grant.

For more information visit: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/PellGrants.jsp

Also check out the FSEOG Grant. If you qualify for the Pell Grant you are also eligible for the FSEOG Grant.

In Layman’s Terms…

This is one of the corner stone grants of federal financial aid. If you qualify as a needy student, part of your federal student aid (student loans + any grant funding) will consist of a Federal Pell Grant. The is a max amount of Federal Pell Grant funding you can receive over the life of your school term, and it’s paid out in installments each semester. As stated in the paragraph above, the amount of funding you do receive comes from your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), the cost of attending school, your enrollment status, and how much of the year you plan to attend.

Eligibility

Students applying for the Federal Pell Grant will need to meet a number of eligibility requirements. To start with, an applying student needs to be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen with a valid Social Security Number. You are also required to have a high school diploma, GED or another government approved alternative and demonstrate financial need. Financial need is demonstrated when a family’s income is under $60,000 but most of the grants are given to students with a family income of less than $30,000. When looking at financial need, the number of students, from one family, attending college or university is taken into account as well.

Other eligibility requirements include: being a degree, diploma, or certificate seeking student, be enrolled in a program participating in the Pell Grant program, and maintain an academic standard. The academic standard includes a student’s GPA and how many credits you earned based on the number of credits you attempted. All males, between 18 and 25, you must be registered with the Selective Service to receive Federal financial aid. You can register using the FAFSA, visiting www.sss.gov or calling 1-847-688-6888. If you are already registered you need to provide confirmation of this.

You can be disqualified from receiving the Federal Pell Grant if you are in default on a federal student loan or if you owe the government money for a federal grant. Another reason to be disqualified is if you have been convicted of a sexual offense. If, while receiving the Pell Grant, you are convicted of a drug offense your aid can be suspended.

For more information about eligibility visit:

http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/aideligibility.jsp?tab=funding

Application

To apply for the Federal Pell Grant you will need to fill out an FAFSA (Federal Application For Student Aid). You can submit your application via paper or the internet. When filling out the FAFSA, it is important to fill in all required information. Make sure to follow all the directions. You are going to have to submit additional documents with your application. These documents will include copies of your: social security card, drivers license, W-2 forms, income tax returns, bank statements, etc. There is a complete list given in the FAFSA. The documents should be kept in the same order as listed in the FAFSA.

Once you have submitted your FAFSA you can track it by going to: http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp.  Once at the website you can apply for for a Federal Student Aid PIN number.  This PIN number can be used to track your FAFSA application as well as apply electronically each subsequent year for federal aid. Your PIN number is your electronic signature, it confirms your identity to the government when you access your records.

Once the FAFSA has been processed both you and the colleges you have written down will receive a Student Aid Report. This report will contain your Expected Family Contributions.  The report will also contain a Data Release Number. This number can be used to go back and change your information.

You will have to fill out the Federal Application for Student Aid each year to continue to receive funds for the Pell Grant

The FAFSA can be found here: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

Award Amount

There is both a maximum and minimum amount of funds you can receive from the Federal Pell Grant, these amount can change from year to year. For the 2012-2013 school year the maximum amount you can receive is $5,550 and the minimum amount is $287. The amount of grant money you receive will be based on your expected family contributions, the costs of school, and your enrollment status (whether you are full-time or part-time), and if you are attending for the full school year. The money you receive can only be used for educational purposes. If one of your parents died do to military service you will automatically receive the maximum amount ($5,550) awarded for the Federal Pell Grant.

Receiving Funds

The government will transfer the funds for your Federal Pell Grant to the school you are attending. The school is required to tell you, in writing, the amount you are to receive. In this letter the school also has to tell you when and how they will transfer the grant money to you. The school has the choice to either directly apply the amount of your grant to your school bill or to transfer the money directly to you.

Conclusion

The federal government offers the Pell Grant to students with a family income lower than $60,000. This grant does not have to be paid back and will cover 12 semesters, or the equivalent. Due to a recent change in policy, the number of semesters the Federal Pell Grant will cover has changed. This change affects all students. No matter when a student first received his grant , whether before or after the policy change, as soon as a student has received 12 semesters of funding he is not eligible to receive anymore funding. The government uses Lifetime Eligibility Use to determine how much a student has used of his Federal Pell Grant and how much he has remaining. The standard eligibility requirements apply as well as the standard dis-qualifiers. If you are interested in applying for this grant you need to fill out the FAFSA. You can receive a maximum of $5,550 per year depending on your cost of attendance, your enrollment status, and your Expected Family Contributions. However, you can receive the full $5,550 if one of your parents died due to military service.  You will receive your grant money through the school you are attending.