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| No Laurels to Rest on Here |
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The weather is getting warmer, kids are getting ready to end another school year and the dreaded question comes: ”What are we going to do this summer?”
For those who planned ahead, good for you! For those who did not, you may be tempted to use that plastic card sitting in your desk drawer. RESIST THE TEMPTATION! There are plenty of things to do around KC that are free or that cost very little money.
For those who live up North: this coming Friday, May 7th Festival Foods, located on 1-35 and Chouteau Trafficway will have a movie night. It begins at sunset. They will be showing the Disney Pixar movie “Cars” and admission is free. Plus they'll be supplying free popcorn and free water. All you have to do is bring a lawn chair. Based on the turnout, this could be a monthly event (call ahead at 816-452-6803 to check for future dates). Next movie night is scheduled for Friday, May 28th. Also, you can call and suggest what movies you want to watch!
Downtown: Kaleidoscope is a location where kids can “explore, create, imagine, and do”. If you have a child who loves to color, paint or draw you need to take them here. This is a favorite of my seven year old and best of all, it’s free! And taking a stroll through the Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings in the River Market area is always free. Or, it can also be a good place to spend money wisely by getting good deals on fresh produce.
If you're near the Plaza, don’t forget to check out the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Johnson County: Deanna Rose’s Children Farmstead is a place where kids can go and see farm animals, play in the garden, go fishing in the pond, ride a horse drawn wagon, and so much more! Admission is free as well.
Let’s not forget that no matter where you live, there is a park close by. Turn off the video games, TV, and cell phone off and enjoy a day with the family. Have a picnic, play ball, or go for a stroll. Best of all you’ll be spending time with your loved ones and doing it without breaking the bank!
What other suggestions do you have to do around KC for free? |
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| Posted
by Erin DeSantis, May 5, 2010 at 4:02 PM | Add a Comment |
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| Budget Leaks....doing it together |
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Rhonda is a true inspiration to me. From meeting with her face to face and reading her blogs, she is a real person that anyone can relate to, including myself.
Until recently my husband was unemployed. He got laid off a few days before Christmas and just went back to work this past week. Living with one income was very challenging and we had to find ways to cut back. What we have found are little things go a long way. For instance, when I sat down with Rhonda at the Budget Leaks seminar and went over her bank statements one thing was very clear. She LOVES QT! They were little charges but adding them up really came to a hit in the pocket book. After looking at her statement I realized, boy this looks like mine. Rhonda's weakness is soda. Well, mine is coffee and I was spending - depending on what kind of coffee - an average of $10-$15 a week! I thought to myself, "What am I doing?" Here my husband is not working and we're needing every penny to pay bills and I'm spending this much money on coffee!" I immediately bought a coffee maker and for the past month I've made my coffee every morning (with a timer set for the night before because who has time in the morning to make it). The money that I formerly spent on coffee I am now putting into my savings. So far I was able to deposit $40 more than what I usually deposit.
The lesson here is something might seem so little, yet the impact is huge. By making simple changes in your lifestyle and behavior you can start increasing your savings and decreasing your debt.
I look forward to walking this journey with Rhonda and Mary together. I know that I have learned so much from her and I hope that she too will learn from me as well. |
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by Erin DeSantis, March 29, 2010 at 3:31 PM | Add a Comment |
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| Emergencies...Not if but When |
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Even the best efforts towards your planning and budgeting can be upset by a financial “emergency”. These are instances brought on by everything from unforeseen car repairs to medical bills. Planning for these unplanned events is an imperative part of any financial plan. Everyone, no matter if single, married, young or old should have funds set aside to handle life’s surprises. Too often I see people who spend countless hours watching every penny and then are thrown off by the first unexpected expense that comes their way.
Establishing an emergency fund with a minimum of $1,000 should be a top priority when building any budget. Once this amount is in place, don’t stop there; some financial planners say that you should have six months worth of expenses in an emergency fund. The emergency fund should be kept liquid in either a savings or money market account. Set goals for yourself for what you want to save on either a weekly or monthly basis and do whatever it takes to stick to these goals. Setting both short and long term goals for building your emergency fund is also a good idea. After the fund is in place, continue growing it while enjoying more peace of mind that an unexpected financial item can be covered instead of disrupting the financial stability you are working towards.
Timothy D. Blake
Senior Financial Advisor
CUSO Financial Services, L.P.
Community America Credit Union
(913) 905-8223 - Office
(913) 209-2109 - Mobile
(913) 905-7223 - Fax
Investments and investment advisory services offered through CUSO Financial Services, L.P. (CFS), an independent broker-dealer and SEC Registered Investment Advisor are Not NCUA/NCUSIF insured, are Not credit union guaranteed and May lose value. CommunityAmerica Credit Union is affiliated with CFS. Financial Advisors are employees of CommunityAmerica Credit Union and registered through CFS. (Member FINRA/SIPC)
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| Posted
by Tim Blake, March 26, 2010 at 2:53 PM | Add a Comment |
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