I am frequently suprised to discover that buying the special offer may not be the best value for money. For example. One item is on special offer at a reduced price or it is on a ‘buy two get one half price’ yet, if you work out the prices it may be cheaper to buy a larger size which is the same size but cheaper than the two specials.

It does take a little mental arithmetic and I do find if I am in a hurry it does add to the challenge but if maths and mental arithmetic don’t come easily to you it could be too hard to even attempt to work it out.

There is a government run website that is providing advice on free maths courses and even a free DVD to offer help and instruction to improve maths skills for anyone who feels they could benefit.

If you, or anyone you know, struggles with basic maths I suggest you direct them to visit http://geton.direct.gov.uk/get-ahead.html and check out what is on offer.

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Nobody can be blamed for not forseeing the changes in the use of computers and the finance industry. We had no preparation for the huge development of the finance industry and the enormous impact it has had on our lives. The problem with revolutions is that their consequences cannot be forseen and there will no doubt be huge changes in our lives in the future.

Being trained for life as it is today is not going to be a great deal of help for the children starting school today. When they leave school in 12 to 15 years life will be very different, the world will have changed significantly and the skills they need will no doubt be different to what matters now. Knowledge of the environment was considered as an interesting bonus to education in the past, yet now, the importance is hard to comprehend. The changes in the environment and awareness of the problems and changes they will bring are unimaginable at this point in time. The only thing we can be certain of is that there will be big changes in our energy use, the weather and how our societies respond to these changes.

What is certain is our children will need to be adaptable and able to deal with the changes. Being creative and adaptable may be more important than how good their skills are in some of the more traditional acedemic subjects. We don’t just need workers, we need visionaries, developers, inventors and free thinkers. We need creative children to be encouraged and help children reach their potential in whatever they are good at and enjoy doing.

I just watched a fascinating video about this very subject and if you care about your children’s future you might enjoy it too. Our children are our future and they are the ones that will decide the financial scenarios for us in our old age. We must hope that they, and us, are as well prepared as possible.

Watch the video and see if you don’t agree with the views put forward by Sir Ken Robinson.

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Everything we do is an investment which could be investing time at work to earn money to live or for investment in our savings plans for the future or we are investing time at home with our families but whatever we do we are making an investment with the assumption that we benefit in some way in the long term.

There is nothing as important to us as parents, as our children. We devote a large part of our lives to seeing that our children are OK. We invest significant amounts of our time and our money in an attempt to help our children succeed and be happy in their lives. We put them in first place and our own needs come second to anything we believe will benefit them.

So when we invest so much in our children we hope that there will be a good return. The return, in this case, is their success and happiness but there are plenty of parents out there who have given everything to their kids but their kids have not responded or even appreciated what has been given up to help them succeed.

The most important thing you can do for your children is to ensure they have a good education. Without a good education their chances of success are greatly reduced. Unfortunately, though you can take a horse to water, you cannot make it drink and our kids are just like that. You cannot force them to learn, all you can do is give them every opportunity to learn.

So what can we learn as parents from this? The most important thing you can do for your child is to encourage them to want to learn. If they have an enthusiasm for reading they will go on to learn without even realising they are learning. They will soak up knowledge constantly as part of their daily lives and they will have an interest in the world that encourages them to develop themselves and progress.

The key to success in education is to want it. The key to success in life is a good education and an eagerness to succeed. It follows, therefore, that the key thing in your investment in your children is that you invest in the right way so that they want the education you are helping them receive. Money invested by you in a college course that they don’t want to do is unlikely to show a good return on your investment. You need to start much earlier than that.

When your kids are young invest your time and read stories to them, as they get older read stories with them and encourage them to read along with you. As they grow older supply them with the books they WANT to read. It may not be to your taste but if they want to read then encourage that enthusiasm.

When they are in their teens help them in any way you can. Support them in their interests and encourage their hopes and their ideas. Spend the time helping them with homework. If they are willing get them to spend time taking extra curricular lessons to overcome any difficulties they are having at school and develop their understanding. If you have always encouraged them to want to learn then they will enjoy the relaxed learning environment where they can better understand what they are taught at school.

Investing in your children is not just about paying for them through college. It is a lifetime commitment with the most crucial times being from around 5 to 15. It is a big investment but perhaps the most significant investment you will make in your life. Encourage your children to want to learn and you will have given them the best possible start in life and there is a good chance you will see that time you spent on your children as your best investment ever.

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