A new study reported in USA Today finds that "kids meals" at chain and fast food restaurants are too high in calories for a single meal. According to the analysis from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, some meals contain more than 1,000 calories, which is the typical daily calorie count per DAY for elementary school children. Considering that the average child, under 18, eats 167 restaurant meals in a year, that is a lot of calories.

This does not surprise me. All you have to do is look around. When I was a kid, we were all skinny. It was unusual to see a heavy-set kid in the class. Now I go to my daughter's swim class and the majority of the kids are overweight. Granted, kids may be sitting more, but I vote that the eating habits are more of the problem.

The USA Today reports that, in this era of unprecedented gas prices, an increasing number of home buyers are placing more emphasis on commuting costs in the search for the perfect property.

Homes near train stations, buses, and lots of jobs are back in vogue, and suburban McMansions are out like a fat kid in a game of dodge ball. Call it suburban contraction following decades of suburban sprawl.

A survey of 900 Coldwell Banker real estate agents found that 78% are making their clients more interested in city living. Some workers are planning to save more than $100 per month on gas costs by moving closer to the city.

In a way this increased focus on gas prices in the search for homes makes sense, but I'm not sure that it's really that rational. If you save $100 on gas, that's really only a savings of $50 compared to when the cost of gas was $2. A $100 savings sounds good, but living closer to the work has always reduced transportation costs, so it's important to realize that the savings may be more marginal than you think.

If you want to live in the suburbs, is it really worth sacrificing that lifestyle to avoid spending $50 a month more than you would have if you'd made the same decision a year ago? I somehow doubt it, for most people anyway. There are a lot of ways to add $50 a month that don't involve living somewhere you'd rather not. And remember: if moving into the cities becomes more popular in the face of rising gas prices, cities will get even more crowded, and you'll have to deal with everything that goes along with that.

My suggestion: before you put too much emphasis on transportation costs in your home buying decision, do the math: figure out your cost and how much you'll save on gas at price of $1 a gallon, $2, $3, $4, $5 and maybe $6. Then ask yourself it it's really rational to move to the city -- you might find that you're being emotionally swayed by the media barrage of new about soaring gas prices.

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, run by the University of California provides a great resource for finding ways to reduce your energy consumption through its Home Energy Saver website.

The energy calculator takes climate data as well as local information and combines it with your current residence to find projects you can do to increase your energy efficiency. While the questions are geared toward someone living in a house, my results provided useful tips for apartment living,

I think my favorite part about this energy savings project is that it lets you choose the number of years between installation and the time the upgrade pays for itself. For example when I ran the survey I choose items which would pay for themselves in the first year, since i hope to be moving into a home by that time. I ended up with three actions to take on the actual building which I will pass on for now and two interior activities to reduce energy consumption all of which should pay for themselves in year one. If I purchased a programmable thermostat and finished my conversion to CFL lighting as the survey recommends I would save $120 in energy costs in just one year.

This is a really easy way to get a snapshot of your home energy uses and look for ways to lower your monthly bills. I can't emphasize how great it is to choose actions and upgrades based on the time it takes to pay for itself in savings. Finally the use of local information and the ability to enter my own utility prices pushes this tool over the top. The options I went with are just the tip of the iceberg, homeowners looking for items that pay for themselves over longer periods of time will find even more ideas. I am definitely bookmarking this so that I can run it on any home I am ready to purchase, in case I want to ask for any upgrades before I purchase.

Dwell reports that the American Institute of Architects has given BSB Designs a 2008 Small Projects Award for its Abod housing unit -- a $1500 solution to South Africa's housing shortage. According to Dwell: "Each home packs flat and can be assembled by four people with a screwdriver and awl (both tools are shipped with the structure). Buyers can add multiple features on to the original 10x12 foot structure, including a kitchen, bathroom, window-walls, and closets. The lightweight steel framework and corrugated walls can be easily disassembled and transported."

The company manufactured the prototype in the United States but has plans to move manufacturing to South Africa soon.

Given the huge homeless problem facing the United States, these could also come in handy here. They're lightweight, easy to assemble, and easy to dissemble and move. At $1500 a pop, the cost is minimal and definitely worth a try.

Of course they're also perfect for a cranky mother in law. Set one up in the backyard and add a barbecue and hose for fully-independent living.

Years ago, I bought one of those bookcases in a box. You know, you go to a discount big box store like Wal-Mart and buy these boxes filled with thin pieces of wood, and if you follow the directions correctly and have a few hours (or minutes, I guess, if you know what you're doing), you can put together a functional piece of furniture.

In my bookcase's case, when I was finished, I had furniture that wouldn't be allowed to enter even a rummage sale. One shelf was uneven, so that if you put books on it, they slid off; another shelf was so wobbly, I couldn't fill the entire thing with books, lest the weight bring it all down; and the back of the bookcase was crooked when I nailed it in, and so you can imagine how that looked.

But I had spent the money, knew I could never return it and get my cash back, and so I kept it in my one-room apartment until I moved across the country. I couldn't possibly take it with me, and since nobody would let me give it to them, I had to throw it away. And this is why I think people should be licensed to use a hammer and nail.

What is it about the thought of shopping at a dollar store that makes some people cringe? Quality has always been linked to a price tag. Sayings like "you only get what you pay for" are firmly embedded in our collective conscience. But it ain't necessarily so and people are slowly discovering that they don't always have to spend a lot to get a lot.

The beauty of shopping at a well-stocked, well-organized dollar store is finding small items of comparative quality with department stores for a lot less. While the basics like stationery and hardware items remain comparatively fixed for selection, if you like treasure hunting, new surprises are stocked in almost every aisle on a regular basis. Recently, we found some beautiful 3 1/2" tall tulip-shaped candles in pretty pastel colors for a buck each. You can find vases, fabric flowers that rival craft store finds and a multitude of quality scrapbook materials and tools, to name just some of the deals. So you gotta ask: why pay more than a buck? George Washington may be hobbling around on crutches right now but that's all the more reason to help him go the extra mile by taking him for a turn around a good dollar store.

For ideas on using dollar store finds in your home decor, check out http://www.dollarstorestyle.com.

Do you still subscribe to your local newspaper? If you do, you likely have a stack of papers somewhere in the house or garage waiting to be recycled. Apartment Therapy has come up with 20 ways to recycle or reuse newspaper around your house. It turns out leftover newsprint is suited for a myriad of uses but it is especially useful for soaking up odors in many places.

If you have a smelly container, fridge or shoe stuffing some newspaper in it is likely to pull the odor and moisture out. This method of odor fighting is no doubt much cheaper than air sprays and baking soda. Other uses include keeping weeds out of your garden and as an additive to your compost pile. The uses for newspaper around your house or community abound. You can even use the newspaper to prevent icing on your car windows during the winter.

We don't get the paper at home anymore, since the idea of on time delivery eluded the local delivery boy. At work we get 3-4 papers daily which get recycled by an employee but I don't think any of the papers enjoy any of the varied recycling activities mentioned by Apartment Therapy. I enjoy using newspaper and Windex to clean my car windows as it does a great job of preventing streaking, but that is my extent of paper reuse.

Do you still get a hard copy paper? If so, what do you re-use your newspaper for?

About seven years ago, shortly after my wife and I moved into our house, it started raining, and the roof began leaking. We hadn't been in the house a year, and so naturally we wondered if the previous owners of our home knew anything about this. But I hardly had time to dwell on the dampness of our new dwelling. About two months after filing a claim to have some roofers make some repairs, a lightning strike took out our sump pump in the basement in the middle of the night, and when I came downstairs in the morning, I was stepping onto a wet, mushy carpet underneath about two inches of water.

Before the water even receded, we filed another claim, foolishly thinking that that's what a home owner should do. What can I say? We were young and stupid. Almost needless to say, we were told that our policy wouldn't replace the soon-to-be-molding carpet and received a check for a few hundred dollars to replace my damaged fax machine and other random items in my home office. Then, as anyone experienced in this sort of thing can predict -- our insurance dropped us. Our crime? Filing too many claims. Two in about six months, in fact. I still sometimes lie awake at night, feverish and guilt-ridden for having the temerity to use my home owner's insurance.

I know you're probably skeptical about this. Decorating a home at a dollar store? What's next? Wedding gifts at the Salvation Army?

But Marlene Alexander who runs DollarStoreStyle.com shows readers how to do just that -- with candles, dinnerware, fake flowers, soap dishes, etc. all purchased for $1.

I've also become a big fan of dollar store decor: after buying a Pearlessence SpaMist, I headed over to DollarTree and found very good-quality liquid potpourri in tons of scents -- 33.6 fluid ounces for $1, 1/3rd of what it would set you back at Jo-Ann Stores (when it is in stock).

If you're Marlene Alexander and you're interested in writing about dollar stores for WalletPOP, leave a comment and I'll be in touch!

In slow real estate markets, sellers can get a little creative when trying to sell their homes. Curb appeal, white carpet, new bathrooms ... you name it. Anything to get the property moving. Sometimes sellers will throw in some financial considerations by either reducing the sales price or crediting the buyer some money for closing costs. Or both.

If you're in a selling situation and have thought about paying for buyer's closing costs then there is a key question you must answer: "How much are you willing to contribute to the buyers settlement fees?" But before you answer, you need to know that the buyer's lender places restrictions on the type and amount of seller contributions. The first lender rule places seller contribution limits on how much the buyer has for a down payment. If the buyer has a down payment equal to 0-5% down, a lender will typically limit a seller contribution to no more than 3% of the sales price. Anything extra won't be allowed. And no, you can't give the buyer cash at closing, that's illegal. You can only pay for the buyers closing costs.

With real estate markets deflated, home marketing professionals are actively seeking new and effective ways to help sell distressed and foreclosed properties. One concept that is gaining ground is the foreclosed home bus tour. Potential home buyers have taken well to the concept. So well, in fact, that they're even willing to pay a small fee for the service.

Foreclosed home bus tours are taking root in regions as diverse as California, Phoenix and Detroit. In a report from the Associated Press about one of Florida's foreclosed home bus tours, it stated: "A cost of $45 per person or $65 per couple covered the tour, house information, teaching sessions, a continental breakfast and lunch at Applebee's. Everyone on the bus said the fee was worth it."

The concept has many potential benefits. It can multiply the effectiveness of real estate agents in exposing properties to potential buyers and can provide home shoppers with an atmosphere that is both fun and relaxed. The diversity of clientele on the tours allows for a broader pattern of thought for each individual home shopper by exposing them to the observations and opinions of their home tour companions.

Janice Ziesig, owner of Z House Realty Group in Orlando, told Associated Press: "It's turning out just the way it's supposed to. We wanted to do something different. We wanted to teach people. People are interested. It gets people to call."

This just goes to show that even in a depressed home-selling market such as the one we have now, the best of the real estate agents will nearly always find a way to get the job done.

In my last post, I wrote about the hassles of refinancing. It's been a while since I've updated everyone, and I apologize for that, but I've just been dwelling on what to do.

The wife and I sat down and talked about everything. About how we got into the position we are in and how to get out of it. Basically what it came down to is that we jumped into the "home-owners" market too quick. We got sucked in by the allure of owning our own home. We didn't realize all the side effects of owning a home; the maintenance, the upgrades, and most importantly, actually paying for it.

I received a lot of very helpful comments. My short Walletpop career has been jammed with more information than I have read in the past few months. The help and the tips I have received have been great, and have steered me in the right direction.

Some deals only come around once or twice a year, but offer savings that justify the wait. This post is part of our series on such 'don't miss' sales.

Back when I was doing home remodeling and home repair projects for myself, I enjoyed the routine trips to Menard's home improvement centers to buy products and materials. Its weekly newspaper fliers were stuffed into Upper Midwest newspapers where its 235 stores are located. The stores nearly always had exactly what I needed.

Menards has become known for a promotion called the "Fit in a bag sale." It sends full-sized grocery bags out with a sales flier. Shoppers can take the bags to Menards and fill them with whatever they wish (subject to restrictions). All items in the bag are then discounted by a percentage (which varies from sale to sale, but last August's was 15%) off the normal price of the items in the bag.

I used this sale opportunity to beef up on my home DIY guy supplies. I'd pack that bag with things like duct tape, drywall screws, utility knife blades, lightbulbs, batteries, auto fuses, WD-40, Miracle Grow, and caulk. I'd also pick up things for specific ongoing projects. Perhaps I'd buy solder if I was approaching a copper plumbing task, or some ring shank nails to fix a fence.

Surprisingly, the Menards spokesman I spoke to declined to comment on the sales, or even acknowledge that they exist. Apparently, he didn't want to suggest that you should wait for an upcoming bag sale to buy your supplies. But I will. Who doesn't want to save 15%?

Watch your newspaper and circulars for news of upcoming 'fit in a bag' sales at Menards.

If you are interested in purchasing a home, now may be the right time to begin investigating your options. We are in the throes of a double downswing of the costs associated with entering the single family home market. What this means is that as real estate prices are deflating regionally, the interest rates on first mortgage loans to buy those properties are at rock-bottom levels. Deflated real estate markets aren't always bad things, when you're in the mood to buy some.

The tough part of the proposition right now is that bank money is very tight. When I bought my first home, a 2% down payment would get you a mortgage. In the current banking conditions, banks are sometimes seeking as much as 10% to 30% down payments on first mortgages. Here are some of the things you should consider if you want to do business in today's mortgage climate.

Our credit score is critical. Go over your credit reports with careful detail. Bring any errors to the attention of the reporting agency and clear up any outstanding issues. If your credit report and budget are a total mess, consider paying for a couple hours with a CPA who specializes in household finances and investing. They can help you understand how to get back on track. As always, a poor credit rating will be reflected in the mortgage terms you are offered. Today's bankers are more closely scrutinizing how we look on the books.

It's called Big Tusket Island, and it's nestled just off the coast of Nova Scotia. For a mere $65,000 dollars you can own this bit of private paradise, all 37 acres of it. I discovered this little beauty at The Official Private Islands blog, and they refer you to Private Islands Online to research the details and to make an offer.

The listing claims that the Island already has power available to it, and all the amenities of comfortable living are said to be close by. The listing also indicates that multiple anchorage points make the island ideal for development. Personally, I'd keep the whole darn thing to myself.

Considering that 40 acres of undeveloped real estate here in Northern Wisconsin can cost well in excess of $40,000, I think that just $65,000 for a private island is pretty darn cheap. In fact, the people who can afford the yacht to get back and forth from an island on a regular basis would probably consider this price mere chump change.