As we blaze into August, the back-to-school advertising and sales descend with thunder. Even though much of the Pacific Northwest has several weeks until school begins, most national retailers plan their sales and promotions around East coast schools, many of whom begin school early this month. So we are forced to start thinking about buying school supplies just as we're starting to enjoy the sun. If you're strategic about buying your children's school supplies, you can save big. Here are four tips for spending less on school supplies: 1. Shop with your child's list in hand. Don't try to guess what your child will need. Most school supply Keep Reading

How to save money at the dentist As we are self-employed, we have elected to forgo dental insurance and pay out-of-pocket for all our dental procedures. (Our kids are required by law to be on a dental insurance plan, but it still costs a fortune so we employ these techniques on them as well.) We have had to be fairly shrewd when it comes to our dental health. Here are some things we do to drastically lower our dental costs: We brush and floss regularly. A no-brainer, but I am surprised how many people skip basic recommended dental maintenance. After a much-too expensive dental procedure, my dentist said to me, "You know, you could save a lot Keep Reading