It's true, July is National Cell Phone Courtesy Month. And we all know it's easier to establish good habits rather than try to break bad ones. So, if you're thinking about getting a cell phone for your tween, or, if your tween already has one, now's the time to teach some basic cell phone and texting etiquette.

More on Tweens and Cell Phones

This week's installment of the Parenting Channel's weekly money saving blog get-together (Thrifty Thursday) offers solid advice and suggestions on getting your family out of debt, saving for college, saving money on hotel bills and infant car seats and much more.

If you're the parent of a tween, think about cheap entertainment this summer. A tween sleepover party can be a super thrifty activity, and the entertainment goes on for hours (and hours, and hours). You (and your tween) might be tired come the end, but sleepovers are a right of passage for tweens. And it is summer!

CNN is reporting that the Obama daughters, Sasha and Malia, have been noticed on their recent overseas trip for their fashion sense. It's true that tweens today are fairly fashion savvy, and many tweens base their clothing choices on what they see their famous contemporaries wear. Weather it's Sasha and Malia classic J. Crew clothing or Miley Cyrus's borderline bohemian look, your tween is probably influenced heavily by the clothes she sees other tweens wear on television and in tween magazines.

If you're worried your tween won't be able to satisfy her fashion identity within your family budget, fear not. There are ways to help tweens choose stylish and appropriate clothing without breaking the bank. The key is communicating before going shopping.

Looking for a way to break up the summer days (and nights) for your tween? Plan a fun sleepover party for your child and her friends and you might just find yourself enjoying the evening, too.

A sleepover party is an inexpensive way to provide your child with hours of entertainment and social bonding. If you put your tween in charge of the planning, you can also teach valuable organizing skills and even budgeting skills.

Of course, the real reason to host a sleepover party is pretty obvious - they're fun and another way to enjoy the preteen years.