Terms starting with C

Every Buhata Life Terms entry that starts with C, with its short definition.

C

Caffeine cutoffThe time of day after which you stop having caffeine so it doesn't disturb sleep; CDC's NIOSH advises 5 or more hours before you plan to sleep.

Camping with kidsPlanning a family camping trip around kids' safety and comfort: water, fire, food storage, ticks and constant watching near lakes and rivers.

Capital gainsThe profit when you sell an investment or other capital asset for more than you paid; the tax depends on whether you held it more than one year.

Capsule wardrobeA small set of essential, versatile clothes and accessories chosen so most pieces combine with each other into many outfits.

Car interior detailingA thorough cleaning of a car's cabin: vacuuming, cleaning seats, dashboard, screens and the surfaces hands touch, each with a cleaner that won't damage it.

Car loanAn installment loan used to buy a vehicle, repaid in monthly payments over a set term, with the vehicle as collateral.

Carbon monoxide detectorAn alarm that sounds when carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas, builds up to a dangerous level in the air of a home.

Career breakA planned stretch of months or years away from paid work, for caregiving, study, health, travel or rest, usually with a plan to return later.

Caregiver burnoutPhysical, emotional and mental exhaustion that can build when you spend your time and energy looking after someone else's health and safety.

Carpet shampooingDeep cleaning a carpet with a cleaning solution and a machine, most often by hot water extraction, to lift dirt that weekly vacuuming leaves behind.

Cash advance(1) Cash borrowed against a credit card's limit, which usually costs a fee plus interest from day one; (2) a small advance on your pay from an app.

Cash flowThe money coming in and going out over a period; positive cash flow means more came in than went out, and negative means the reverse.

Cash stuffingA budgeting habit of withdrawing spending money as cash and dividing it into labeled envelopes or binder pockets, one for each category.

Cash-out refinanceReplacing your mortgage with a new, larger one and taking the difference, minus closing costs, in cash.

CashbackMoney a card or program pays back as a percentage of what you spend, usually as a statement credit, a deposit or a check.

Cashier's checkA check a bank issues and sells, drawn on the bank's own funds, so the bank itself is responsible for paying it.

CatastrophizingA thinking pattern that jumps straight to the worst possible outcome and treats it as likely, often from a small or uncertain trigger.

CaulkingSealing cracks and gaps between parts of a house that don't move, such as around window and door frames, with a flexible filler called caulk.

CD ladderSplitting savings across several CDs with staggered maturity dates, so part of the money comes due at regular intervals instead of all at once.

Ceiling fan cleaningRemoving the dust that builds up on ceiling fan blades and housing, which Hunter Fan suggests doing every 1 to 3 months.

Certificate of depositA deposit you agree to leave at a bank or credit union for a set term, until its maturity date, usually with a penalty for taking money out early.

Chair methodA gradual sleep training method where a parent sits in a chair by the crib until the baby falls asleep, moving it farther away every few nights.

Change of addressTelling the Postal Service, the IRS and everyone else who writes to you that you've moved, so mail is forwarded and official records follow you.

Chapter 13 bankruptcyA form of bankruptcy in which you keep your property and repay creditors through a court-approved plan lasting three to five years.

Chapter 7 bankruptcyA form of bankruptcy in which a court trustee sells property the law doesn't protect to pay creditors, and most remaining debts are discharged, usually within months.

Charge-offWhen a lender writes an unpaid account off as a loss and closes it; you still owe the money, and the mark can stay on your credit report for up to seven years.

Charter schoolA tuition-free public school run under a charter, a contract with a state, district or other authorizer, that families choose rather than being assigned to.

Checking accountA bank or credit union account for everyday money going in and out, used by debit card, checks, transfers and direct deposit.

Child tax creditA federal tax credit of up to $2,200 per qualifying child under 17 on 2025 returns, partly refundable, with the full amount at incomes up to $200,000 ($400,000 joint).

Chimney sweepA professional who inspects and cleans chimneys, fireplaces and vents. NFPA 211 calls for an inspection at least once a year, with cleaning as needed.

Chlorine bleachHousehold bleach made with sodium hypochlorite that whitens, removes stains and disinfects, but can fade colors and damage some fibers.

Choice overloadThe finding that facing too many options can make people less likely to choose at all and less happy with the choice they make.

Choking vs gaggingGagging is a noisy, normal reflex that keeps food out of a baby's airway; choking is a blocked airway, often silent, that needs 911 and first aid.

Chore moneyMoney a child earns for jobs around the house, often paid for extra work beyond the chores everyone in the family is expected to do.

Chore rewardSomething a person earns for finishing a household job, such as points, money or a privilege, often tallied on a chart and cashed in later.

Christmas club accountA savings account you pay into on a schedule through the year, so the balance is ready for holiday shopping when the bank or credit union pays it out.

Chronic absenteeismMissing so much school that it puts learning at risk, measured by the U.S. Department of Education as 10% or more of school days, excused or unexcused.

ChronotypeA person's natural lean toward earlier or later times for sleeping and being active, usually described as morning, evening or in between.

Circadian rhythmThe body's roughly 24-hour cycle of physical, mental and behavioral changes, such as sleepiness at night, kept in time by a clock in the brain that follows light.

Class valentinesThe small cards or treats a child brings to school on Valentine's Day to hand out to classmates, often one for every child in the class.

Cleaning caddyA portable tote that holds your everyday cleaning supplies, so you can carry them from room to room and store them safely in one place.

Cleaning checklistA written list of household cleaning jobs, often split into daily and weekly tasks, that you tick off so nothing gets missed.

Cleaning serviceA business or person you pay to clean your home, usually by the visit or by the hour, on a one-time or regular schedule.

Clogged drainA drain blocked by debris built up inside the pipe, so water drains slowly or stops draining altogether.

Closet auditGoing through everything in a closet piece by piece to decide what you wear and keep, what needs repair, and what leaves the house.

Closing costsThe fees and upfront charges you pay to finalize a mortgage, apart from the down payment, itemized on your Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure.

Cluster feedingWhen a baby wants several feeds close together over a few hours, often in the evening, instead of feeding at spaced-out times.

ClutterA crowded, untidy collection of things, especially things that aren't useful or needed, spread over the surfaces and spaces of a home.

Clutter hotspotA spot in the home, such as the kitchen table, where things without a permanent home get dropped and keep piling up.

Co-parentingTwo parents who live apart sharing the job of raising their child, working together on rules, schedules and decisions across both homes.

Co-regulationThe way a calm, caring adult helps a child manage feelings and behavior, through a warm relationship, a steady setting and coaching, until the child can do more alone.

Co-sleepingA parent and baby sleeping close together. Bed-sharing on the same surface is the form the AAP can't recommend; room-sharing on separate surfaces is the one it advises.

Co-viewingWatching TV, videos or apps together with your child and talking about what you see, rather than handing over a screen to watch alone.

Coast FIREA FIRE style where you save enough early that, left to grow, your investments could reach a retirement goal later without large new contributions.

Coffee badgingSlang for going into the office only briefly, long enough to be seen and have a coffee, then leaving to work elsewhere, usually at home.

Cognitive developmentHow a child's learning, thinking and problem-solving grow, from finding a dropped toy to drawing shapes and counting.

Cognitive distortionA habitual, automatic way of thinking that bends the facts in a negative direction, such as jumping to the worst case or seeing things as all good or all bad.

Cognitive laborThe thinking work of running a household: anticipating needs, finding options, making decisions and checking that things got done.

CoinsuranceYour share of the cost of a covered health care service, set as a percentage such as 20%, that you pay after meeting your deductible.

Combination feedingFeeding a baby both breast milk and infant formula, in whatever mix suits the family, also called combo feeding or supplementing.

Common CoreA set of K to 12 learning goals in English language arts and math, released in 2010 by state leaders' groups, that each state chooses whether to use.

Commonplace bookA personal notebook of passages, quotations and ideas copied from what you read, filed under topic headings so you can find and reuse them.

Comp timePaid time off given in place of overtime pay; under federal wage law only state and local government employers may use it, at 1.5 hours off per overtime hour.

Compassion fatigueThe emotional toll of caring for people who are suffering, which researchers describe as burnout combined with stress from exposure to others' trauma.

CompostingTurning food scraps and yard waste into a dark, crumbly soil amendment by letting them break down in a managed pile or bin.

Compound interestInterest paid on your original amount and on the interest it has already earned, so each year's interest is a little bigger than the last.

Compressed workweekA full-time schedule that fits the usual hours into fewer, longer days, such as four 10-hour days a week instead of five 8-hour days.

Connection before correctionA parenting idea from Jane Nelsen's Positive Discipline: calm and reconnect with an upset child first, then deal with the behavior together.

Conscious parentingAn approach, popularized by Dr. Shefali Tsabary, where parents focus on their own reactions, history and self-awareness as the way to change how they respond to a child.

Consent for kidsTeaching children that people ask before touching someone, that a "no" is respected, and that their own "yes" or "no" about their body counts.

Constructive feedbackSpecific, fact-based feedback that describes what someone did and its effect, so they can keep doing it or change it.

Context switchingMoving your attention from one task to another and back, which costs time and focus each time your mind has to reset for the new task.

Contribution limitThe most the IRS lets you put into a tax-advantaged account in a year, such as a 401(k), IRA or HSA, often with a higher catch-up amount at older ages.

Cooperative playPlay in which children work together toward a shared goal, taking roles and following a plan, like building one fort or acting out one story together.

CopayA fixed dollar amount, such as $20, that you pay for a covered health care service under your health insurance plan.

Core four (advertising)Alex Hormozi's four ways to get leads in $100M Leads (2023): warm outreach, cold outreach, posting content and running paid ads.

Core hoursThe fixed part of the workday when everyone on a flexible schedule must be working, with flexible start and finish times on either side.

Cornell notesA note-taking layout from Cornell's Walter Pauk that splits the page into a notes area, a cue column on the left and a summary at the bottom.

CosignerA person who signs a loan alongside the borrower and becomes legally responsible for repaying it if the borrower doesn't.

Cost of collegeWhat a year of college costs, tuition and fees plus housing, food, books and travel; College Board's 2025-26 average budget at a public four-year college in-state is $30,990.

Cost of livingWhat it costs to keep a certain standard of living, such as housing, food and transportation, in a given place at a given time.

Cost of living adjustmentAn increase in pay or benefits meant to keep up with rising prices, such as Social Security's yearly COLA, which is based on the CPI-W.

Cost of raising a childWhat a family spends on a child from birth through age 17; USDA's last estimate, for a child born in 2015, was $233,610 for a middle-income married couple.

Coupon stackingUsing more than one discount on the same item in one purchase, such as a manufacturer coupon plus a store coupon, where the store's policy allows it.

Cover letterA short letter sent with a resume that says which job you want, why you fit it and why this employer, in your own voice.

Coverdell ESAA tax-advantaged education savings account that can take up to $2,000 a year per child, for school costs from kindergarten through college.

Credit builder loanA small loan that's held in a locked account while you repay it, so your on-time payments build a credit record before you receive the money.

Credit bureauA company that collects information about how people use credit and sells it as credit reports; Equifax, Experian and TransUnion are the three nationwide ones.

Credit card grace periodThe time between a card statement and its due date when purchases collect no interest, as long as you pay the full statement balance.

Credit card rewardsCash back, points or miles a credit card pays you on your spending, worth only what the program lets you redeem them for.

Credit counselingAdvice from a trained counselor, usually at a nonprofit agency, on your budget and debts, which can lead to a debt management plan or other next steps.

Credit freezeA free block you place on your credit report at each bureau so lenders can't read it for a new application until you lift it; also called a security freeze.

Credit historyThe record of how you've handled credit over the years, as shown on your credit reports: which accounts you've had, for how long, and whether you paid on time.

Credit limitThe most your card company lets you owe on a credit card or line of credit at one time.

Credit lockA bureau's own service that blocks access to your credit report, much like a freeze, but under the company's terms instead of federal freeze law, sometimes for a fee.

Credit mixThe variety of credit types on your report, such as cards, retail accounts, installment loans and a mortgage; it makes up 10% of a FICO Score.

Credit monitoringA service that watches your credit reports and alerts you to changes, such as a new account or inquiry; it warns you after the fact and doesn't prevent fraud.

Credit recoveryA way for a high school student to retake a required course they failed and earn the credit they need to graduate, often online.

Credit reportA record of how you've borrowed and repaid, kept by credit bureaus and sold to lenders, landlords, insurers and others who decide whether to deal with you.

Credit scoreA three-digit number calculated from your credit report that lenders use to judge how likely you are to repay; common models run from 300 to 850.

Credit unionA not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members, offering accounts and loans to people within the field of membership its charter sets.

Credit utilizationThe share of your available revolving credit you're using, found by dividing your card balances by your credit limits.

Crib napA daytime nap a baby or toddler takes in their own crib, instead of in arms, a car seat or a stroller.

Crib transitionMoving a child from a crib to a toddler bed or regular bed, which the AAP ties to height or to the crib rail getting too low for them.

Criticism vs complaintA complaint names one specific behavior that bothered you, while criticism turns it into an attack on the other person's character, often with "you always".

Cry it outA sleep training method, also called extinction, where a baby is put to bed awake and not comforted again until morning.

Current balanceThe total you owe on a credit card right now, including charges and payments made since your last statement.

Custodial accountAn account an adult manages for a minor, usually under state UGMA or UTMA law, where the money legally belongs to the child from the day it goes in.

Custodial Roth IRAA Roth IRA opened by a parent or other adult for a minor who has earned income, managed by the adult until the child comes of age.

Custody scheduleThe calendar in a parenting plan that says which days and nights a child spends with each parent, including handovers, holidays and school breaks.

Customer acquisition cost (CAC)The average amount a business spends on sales and marketing to win one new paying customer.

Customer lifetime value (LTV)The total revenue a business expects to earn from one customer over the whole time that customer keeps buying.

Cutting board cleaningWashing a cutting board after every use and sanitizing it now and then, using USDA's mix of 1 tablespoon bleach per gallon of water.

CyberbullyingBullying that happens through phones, computers, tablets and games, such as cruel messages, rumors, embarrassing posts or pretending to be someone.