They are so cute, they bring us so much joy. There is nothing quite like that feeling when you look at a child and think "wow, I made you..." Then they ask you for $100 bucks and you're reminded that it's because of them you can't have fancy things. YET! This episode we dissect all the things that kids require that cost money. How much are we really spending? Is it really necessary? Answers to those questions are fluid, but we're here to talk about it anyway!

Introduction:

• Greetings, fellow financial acrobats and budgeting enthusiasts! Get ready for a thrilling rollercoaster ride through the tumultuous terrain of parenting expenses.
• Cue the dramatic drumroll as we unveil the secrets behind the mysterious disappearance of your hard-earned cash when you became a parent.

Segment 1: Sponsored Spotlight - Gabb Gear for Worry-Free Adventures

• Introducing Gabb Gear, the superhero sidekick for parents, keeping kids free-range and parents worry-free.
• Shouting from the rooftops about the exclusive A For Effort discount code AFOREFFORT – because saving money is a superpower too.

Segment 2: The Case of the Vanishing Shoe Laces

• Unraveling the unsolved mystery of Amanda's son's missing shoe laces, from playground construction projects to fishing escapades.
• The whimsical world of kid accessories on the lam – where socks play hide-and-seek and gloves embark on solo adventures.

Segment 3: Parental Piggy Banks - What Do Parents Spend the Most On?

• Megan spills the beans on her financial nemesis: pants. Beware of the elusive disappearing trousers!
• Exploring the treasure trove of parental expenses, from craft supplies to winter gear, with laugh-out-loud anecdotes.
• Unveiling the conspiracy theory that kids have a secret society devoted to sabotaging new pants.

Segment 4: Extravagances or Essentials - The Parental Spending Dilemma

• Diving into the financial deep end with splurges on craft supplies, socks, and the perpetual quest for shoes.
• Unmasking the unspoken pressure of birthday party gift trends and the art of balancing commitment and retaining sanity.
• The high stakes of extracurricular activities – turning parents into financial acrobats, juggling commitments like a circus act.

Segment 5: Water Bottles and Beyond - The Hidden Costs of Parenthood

• Commiserating over the bottomless pit of expenses called water bottles and the ill-fated saga of dollar store solutions.
• A cautionary tale about specific sports water bottles – a recipe for confusion and potential financial chaos.
• Debunking the myth that spending more equates to superior parenting and exploring states that proudly top the charts in kid-related expenditures.

Segment 6: Crunching the Numbers - The Average Cost of Raising a Child

• Breaking out the calculators for a hilarious exploration of percentages and averages in the world of parental finance.
• Reassuring parents that kids can be as expensive or as budget-friendly as you decide – with a side of laughter.

Conclusion:

• Encouraging parents to embrace the financial chaos, make memories, and perhaps reconsider that impulse buy of the latest gadget.
• Issuing a call to action for listeners to share their funniest and most frugal parenting moments for future episodes.
• Signing off with a reminder that while kids may come with a price tag, the priceless moments far outweigh the cost.

There is no good time for a child to get sick. It's always a good time for a dad to get sick. And the world just ends when a mom gets sick. But despite all your prayers and Vitamin C, it still happens. So then what?? You just buck up and deal with it. This episode is all the stories of when parents did just that. 

Show Notes:

Introduction:

• Sick season is upon us, and we're here to discuss the melodramatic saga of dealing with kids' illnesses and, of course, the inevitable times when moms and dads fall victim to sickness.
• Quick check-in on each other's current health statuses because, you know, we're walking on the wild side of the germ-infested parenting jungle.

Listener Responses:

• Survey results on how frequently kids get sick: Weekly (0%, are these kids wearing biohazard suits?), Monthly (21%, a monthly subscription to sniffles?), Quarterly (62%, the average parent's subscription), Yearly (15%, immune system envy).
• Hilarious and relatable stories from listeners, featuring projectile vomiting during road trips and dinner table horror scenes that could rival a low-budget zombie film.

Road Trip Woes:

• Tips and tricks for managing motion sickness in kids during road trips, because nobody wants to clean that up.
• The nighttime agility of moms responding to surprise vomit sessions, the ultimate ninja move.

Pregnancy-Related Sickness:

• Majority of responses related to moms getting sick during pregnancy, where the glow of expecting is sometimes replaced with the green tint of nausea.
• A pop quiz from Amanda: Does Megan ever get sick? Spoiler alert: pregnancy might be the closest she gets to it.

When Mom Gets Sick:

• The chaotic scenarios when moms fall ill, featuring a listener's 12-day flu, diarrhea, and sleep regression marathon - because nothing says "fun" like a sleep-deprived, ailing mom.
• The dream scenario of both parents falling sick simultaneously, creating a tag-team of germs.

Husbanditis Chronicles:

• Stories of husbands falling prey to unexpected illnesses, including COVID quarantines during pregnancy and husbands struggling to adult at Disneyland.
• Special appearances by husbands objecting to their portrayal in the "Husbanditis Chronicles" - because fairness in storytelling is essential.

Buffets and Turkey Days:

• The love-hate relationship with buffets and their tendency to unleash silent killers (stomach upsets).
• Husbands choosing inconvenient times like Mother's Day and Thanksgiving to get sick, sparking discussions on the competitive sport of acting sick for couch dominance.

Conclusion:

• A humorous dive into the chaotic, germ-ridden world of sick seasons, where tissues and puke bowls become essential accessories, and husbands engage in the unintentional art of inconvenient illness. Welcome to the sitcom of parenting ailments!

It's Halloween, yet again, and it only seems right to dissect this holiday from a parent's stand point. When should you start the night? When do you end it? Do you really have to sort through all their candy? Do you even have to dress up? We don't know, all we do know is it's not safe to eat Hershey's anymore... :/

Thank heaven for Megan and her always pleasant and kind commentary on life in general. She is the jelly to Amanda’s sticky, sticky feelings when it comes to baby names. It’s not that hard, people, just pick something tried and true. But apparently it’s not that easy and Megan is here to support your choice of naming your kid Averly Aftonly. 

If you have more than zero kids, you have most certainly been told this by some stranger at some point. The jury is out on whether or not this is their way of connecting or being condescending, but we asked the question to the listeners and this is what they came back with. So you be the judge. But also, take it from us, NEVER say this to a parent. You'll thank us later.

Well the listeners have spoken yet again and this time we're talking TALENTS. What is your kid good at? What are they impressively bad at? If you don't hear something in this episode that you can relate to, then your kids really are a cut above the rest and you're too good for us! You're gonna need some REAL parenting experts.... which we are not.

Magistrate Mom's are back in the house! And this time we're judging all the 90's toys the listeners mentioned. From Stretch Armstrong to the Bop-it, we know you've heard of these things and we're dying to know if you owned them and want them to be resurrected! We didn't even mention the Skydancers or the Viewmaster, but fear not, those are on our radar! 

Hobby (n) : an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure. We actually had to look it up to make sure we knew what it was. Does it feel like having a hobby was something of the past? Absolutely. But are we pro-hobby-ists..... ABSOLUTELY. It only took us 10 years, but we are finally finding activities that can be done regularly in our "leisure time for pleasure...." (insert eyebrow raise, smirk and potentially eye roll.) Apparently we aren't alone, because there are plenty of you out there who are doing some pretty jazzy things, and we want to talk about it.

Have any travel on the calendar for the next few months? You know us, we’re trying to set you up for success. So when going through security at the airport, leave the geodes at home, empty all your pockets of all their treasures and be aware that your PB M&M’s might raise some eyebrows…

Today we're talking about the age old topic, the thing we're always complaining about, the thing that no one has, but we all want more of..... TIME!!!!!! Where is it going and how do we get more of it?? Well, my friend, we your (un)certified mentors will coach you on how to become time affluent and be okay with it. If you don't even know what "time affluence" is, you better just listen because we only have 150 characte