Reading is an important skill for everyone, and it’s one that benefits from being practised extensively in childhood. Kids who read often grow up to be better readers. This helps them do better in every aspect of life.

Some kids have a natural love of reading. Others need a little encouragement. The best thing we can do as parents is provide them with books that are challenging and educational, yet entertaining. This can get expensive if you buy lots of new books, but there are ways to keep your child reading for cheap or free. Here are some ideas:

1. Go to the library. This is the best place for anyone to read for free, and most public libraries have a large selection of children’s books. Best of all, the librarian can help you find books that are appropriate for your child’s age and skill level, so there’s no guesswork.

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There was a time when people had to do some legwork to sell their unwanted items. They could have a garage sale, which requires a great deal of planning and setting up. They could put it in the paper, which was pretty easy but cost money and required the arrangement of times for customers to come look at the goods. They could sell on consignment, but that required delivering the item to the consignment shop and collecting payment when it sold.

Today, selling stuff is much easier. All you have to do is sit down in front of your computer, go to eBay.com, and create a listing for each item. If the item sells, you can even arrange for pickup with carriers such as UPS and FedEx. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

But there is some debate as to whether this is the best method for making money from items you don’t need. Some believe that the fees (see below) are a small price to pay for the convenience offered. Others feel that all of those fees add up to too much money for not enough reward.

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How do you use the space in your basement? Do you cram it full of the clutter that you don’t want in the main part of the house? Does it serve as an extra bedroom when you have guests? Or is it rarely visited unless there is a problem with the heating or plumbing?

The basement is one of the most underutilized spaces in many homes. Yet it has tons of potential. With a little work, a basement can serve any number of purposes. If you work from home, it could make a great home office.

Those who work from home know the importance of working without interruption. Some build separate structures to maintain privacy, and some rent office space somewhere else instead. But converting your basement into an office provides a great deal of privacy, and it’s much less expensive.

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