Lemonade Maker: April McCray, from Real Estate to Cardboard Houses

Two years ago, April McCray, 38, got the feeling it was time to change careers. She’d been helping sell homes for a real estate developer in Palm Springs, California, but the market was fizzling and sales were getting scarce. She and her husband took their savings and started Color Me House, which makes cardboard forts for kids. She talked to us about how she came up with the idea, why they moved in with his parents, and how she got her products into Costco.

Did you quit your job or were you laid off?
My job pretty much quit itself. The builders were letting everyone go. People weren’t closing. I knew in three months there would be nothing left to be made. I’d left the office and was looking for a new place to go, but everywhere I went there was nothing. I knew that I was not a desired commodity any more and I was going to have to recreate yourself…

5 Ways the Recession is Good for Your Kids

Some days, you might feel a bit down in the dumps over a lost job or a depleted 401K, but that doesn’t mean your kids may be. In fact, it’s beginning to look like the recession might actually be good for your kids—in the long run, at least. Whereas older generations learned their money lessons from the Great Depression, today’s younger generation is finally getting its chance to see the benefits of frugality and savings up close. Here’s a few more ways that the economic downturn might be benefiting your kids…

Recession Briefing 10.26: Pre-Teens Striking Out on Their Own

What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.

Over the past two years, officials and experts have seen an increasing number of children leave home for life on the streets, including many under 13. (New York Times)

Staying put has become a national phenomenon. The rate of interstate migration is the lowest since the 1940s, the Census Bureau reports. (Chicago Tribune)

Nearly half a million workers 65 and older want to work but cannot find a job — more than five times the level early this decade and this group’s highest unemployment level since the Great Depression. (New York Times)…

10 Deals for Back to School

There are lots of ways to cut back on your back to school budget — you might, for instance, do a full inventory of any pencils and scissors you have in the house. But if you do have to get to the store for some missing items, you’ll find lots of retailers are eager for your business. According to the National Retail Federation, back to school spending is expected to fall by 7.7 percent this season, while more parents report plans to purchase hand-me-downs at secondhand stores (though they’re also expected to increase spending on electronics, like laptops, by 11 percent).

The big chains are doing all they can to encourage you to buy from them at any price. And the government hopes to help, too, as several states are offering “tax holidays” for back to school shopping (see a list of states and dates here). We’ve compiled a list of some of the best deals out there…

Swap Parties for Small People

Even a bad economy can’t stop parent peer pressure—those overpriced strollers and designer baby sneakers are a persistent part of the dynamic. But for some frugal parents these pint size luxuries don’t cost quite that much, or anything at all.

Even while retailers like Carter’s and Gap are posting solid sales in baby apparel, an increasing number of parents say they’re cutting costs on high-end purchases like strollers and cribs by shopping secondhand. An even cheaper—and more fun—option is the growing number of swap parties for people with kids.

The clothing swap concept has been written about a ton, and is fairly simple. Groups of friends come together to trade duds they no longer wear. The kids’ version is pretty much the same, with parents exchanging strollers, clothes and toys they don’t need.

Hosting a swap can be tricky if you don’t know what to expect, which is why we’ve put together a handy guide for throwing your first kids’ swap party…