One of the great traditions is the summer vacation. The kids are out of school, and many parents have saved up vacation days or flex time that can be used to go on vacation.

Unfortunately, a summer vacation can get a little expensive. Whether you drive or fly, you need to come up with the funds to pay for your excursion. You shouldn’t go into debt for your summer vacation, though. You should come up with a plan to save up enough money for a summer vacation.

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One of the issues facing women as they take on more of the breadwinning roles outside the home is that of housework.

While there are some traditional gender roles changing with regard to career and housework, there is still a gap. Even though women are starting to catch up to men in terms of number of hours spent doing paid work, they are still doing a higher proportion of the housework. A recent Pew study pointed this out, and Sheryl Sandberg addressed the issue in her book Lean In.

So, with both parents working, how do you divide up the housework?

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Many women choose to take a hiatus from their careers in order to stay home and raise their children. After five to 15 years, though, many of them decide that they are ready to get back into the workforce.

Forget about Sheryl Sandberg and the “Lean In” option; there are a number of women who just need to make sure that they remain competitive after being outside the workforce for a few years. In fact, a recent study from UC Berkeley indicates that one of the reasons that women might not be leading in the workplace is due to the fact that they are taking care of business at home, and that interferes with career advancement.

So, what happens when you take time off to raise a family? What are your options? How can you remain competitive during maternity leave and beyond?

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When it comes to traditional gender roles, my household is a practically-perfect example of reversal. I’m the primary breadwinner. My husband was the primary caregiver to our son for the first 18 months, and still does a good amount of caregiving when I head off to some career-related conference (FinCon, anyone?). I usually take out the trash, my husband usually does the laundry.

However, our arrangement, which many in our rather traditional neighborhood find unusual, is becoming a little more common. Not too long ago, the Pew Research Center released the results of a study that indicate that the roles played by men and women are showing some convergence.

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March is Women’s History Month, and it’s interesting to have a look at whether or not women really have more work options now than they did in the past.

As a work from home mom, I know that technology has the potential to provide greater flexibility in our working lives. However, I’m a work from home mom who runs a freelancing business. I don’t have to report to an employer who wishes I spent more time at the office.

Recently, the furor over Marissa Mayer’s decision to ask telecommuters to come into the office has led to a discussion about women, working from home, and workplace flexibility.

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“Despite the fact that there are more young women in graduate and undergraduate programs, the young bride is willing to give up her career for marriage and kids,” Susan Shapiro Barash says.

Barash teaches gender studies at Marymount Manhattan College, and is well known expert on gender. Her most recent book is The Nine Phases of Marriage: How to Make It, Break It, Keep It. She points out that, for some women, the goal isn’t to advance their careers, but rather to to stay home. “They’re the children of Boomers. They have watched their mothers get divorced and hit glass ceilings,” Barash said.

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When I married my husband at age 22, I was considered on the “old” end by the standards of my state. Now, 11 years later, getting married at 22 isn’t out of the ordinary in Utah — and it’s considered somewhat young by many in the rest of the country.

For Millennials, the marriage age is rising. Not only that, but the way Millennials approach money in their marriages is changing as well. Jane Greer, a marriage and family therapist with more than 20 years of experience, and the host of Doctor On Call at HealthyLife.Net, points out that a lot of the changes are due to more resources, as well as more options for women.

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We love having people over to watch “the big game.” Granted, it was more fun last year when my husband’s beloved Giants won (again), and we cared about the outcome. But, even though we don’t have strong feelings for either team in the Super Bowl this year, we still like having a little party to watch the game.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a great Super Bowl party. Here are some ideas for keeping the costs under control as you plan for the big game:
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