A few years ago, my husband and I went to see a financial counselor. Our son had just been born, and we had to put things in shape. Complicating this was that we were coming from different worlds: Rob was (and is) enlisted in the Air Force, I was a New York City magazine editor. The way our wages were calculated, the tax rules that applied, how we could see our careers playing out—everything was so different between us.

Our financial planner, it turned out, had himself been in the military for many years, and he had great suggestions on how to use all our many benefits: We got a super low-rate loan, wrote up our will totally free, and found out how to basically get our son’s college paid for. Yay!

So I wanted to pass on that benefit to all the military moms out there (without the honking fee we paid, ouch!). If you have a money question, send it in, and we’ll get Jim Ludwick, founder of MainStreet Financial Planning, which offices in Washington DC and in California, (and a former serviceman himself) to weigh in.

By the holidays, your finances will be ship-shape!

Parenting's Christina Vercelletto appeared on the Today Show this morning to dish about our favorite mom-tested gear that adjusts to fit different stages of your kid's life, therefore giving you a ton of bang for your buck. Check out the clip below, then click through to our slideshow to see them all!

I edit the personal finance page for Parenting, which means I read a lot of letters from moms complaining about their husband’s spending habits or budget-aversion--and an equal number admitting that their family’s financial woes are their fault, that they hide expenses from  their husbands or just don’t know how to keep track of the family’s money. So in the interest of scientific inquiry, we put up two polls, one asking, 'Who is the bigger spender in your family, you or your husband?' and the other, 'Who is the biggest nag about money?' The results, read together, fascinate me.

So I have one last question: What is the biggest money problem you guys have had to (or will have to) overcome? Seems like there's something off here, people.

 

BusinessWeek's "Working Parents" blog reports on a study that found that moms were 100% less likely to be recommended for a position than their childless peers. One hundred percent!

Moms also were offered, on average, $11,000 less in salary, and judged less competent and committed. This made the wage gap between moms and non-moms wider than that between men and women. In fact, the researchers say, the 'mom penalty' might be the whole reason that wage gap exists.

Pardon me while I go weep quietly while pumping in the company bathroom.

Over on our message boards, a mom-to-be with a tiny house and a tight budget wondered what the bare minimum is for baby gear. What are the must-haves, and what are the can-do-withouts? Other moms chimed in to list the essentials, like a pack ‘n’ play, swing, car seat, burp clothes, a nursing pillow, and a high chair that straps to the table. On the skip it list? Bassinets and too many 0-3 month outfits. Travel systems, swaddlers, receiving blankets and slings/carriers seemed to divide our informal mom panel.

We’d like to hear from been-there, done-that moms. What do you truly need for a new baby – and what’s a waste of money?