Managing & Saving Money With Our Children & @MassMutual

As a high school student, I was discussing my future plans with my parents only to find out that no money had been put away for further education. I was stunned and worried that I would not be able to afford college, even though I knew I wanted to go. Luckily, I was able to get a scholarship and only had to pay for living expenses and books, but they still added up quickly. For this reason, I had to get a job and worked my way through college. For these reasons, I am thinking ahead for my own children. I want them to have many college choices and not to feel like they need to worry about expenses when the time comes for them to graduate high school.

The day I graduated from UGA many years ago!

MassMutual found that 74% of parents believe it is a never too early to start saving for their children's college fund and that's exactly how I feel. Of course, it is overwhelming to think about saving, especially in this economy. I, like many other moms, worry about my husband's business and our ability to provide for our children. My husband started his law firm in January, so we put off saving during that time, thinking later would be better for us. However, I am learning that there may never be a "better" time and we could easily put off saving money with the many excuses we can make. Saving money each month is always last on the list of priorities, but this really needs to change for our family. It's hard to know where to start first, I know, which is why MassMutual is a great place to start, providing tips and helpful information about planning your financial future.

Josiah's first day of preschool! He'll be ready for college in the blink of an eye!

Each year brings about the opportunity for a fresh start and that is exactly what we are taking advantage of for 2013. With our new business and a move to a new place, this is our chance to really make a difference and start planning for our future. It's so important to also teach our children about money management. Our children learn from us, so it is very important to set a good example for them. In fact, with us homeschooling, Josiah's favorite subject has quickly become math. He loves learning numbers and, now that he is also learning about money, this is the perfect time to teach him about managing his money, saving it and setting priorities. So far, I think we've done a pretty good job. He's been doing chores to earn money and was so excited to add $45 to his savings account this month! I'm so proud of him for being so interested in saving up for things he really wants and for being so interested in math.

Do you often think about your financial security and saving for the future? Well, MassMutual's State of the American Mom, a new research study, revealed that many Moms want to provide financially for our families, but where do we begin? We aren't the only ones who feel this way, which is why MassMutual put together a very helpful quiz just for moms. It helps assess your financial attitude and helps moms make small steps to saving for the future:

Take the Quiz

I took the quiz and my results say I am an Eager DIY-er! This means that although I am not happy with my current financial situation, I am eager to make a change I need to make more attainable short-term goals that progresses to bigger long-term goals. That is definitely a correct assessment! What are your results?

You can also check out the MassMutual website to read more and to find a representative near you! You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest news.

I wrote this post as participation in in a blog tour for Mom Central on behalf of MassMutual and received compensation in the form of an Amazon gift code to thank me for taking the time to participate.