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'TIS THE
SEASON TO
BUDGET:
BUDGETING
- for the Holidays & Special Events!
Big events and holidays
can often mean big spending. A little pre-planning can help to
ease and avoid financial pain. In
this article you'll find tips for avoiding overspending and sample
worksheets that may be used when planning
holiday or big event spending.
'TIS THE SEASON TO BE SAFE:
WINTER HOME SAFETY!
Winter brings many different holidays and
celebrations, and during these various festivities we host dinners or gatherings and may have many house guests.
And so up go the decorations! Decorating your home for the
holidays can be fun, but displaying these items safely is very
important. If you have children, pets, house guests, or crazy, exuberant relatives around the house this winter holiday season, you may want to consider some general safety tips. Even if you aren't hosting an event but will be using winter items, such as a fireplace, this article
offers helpful tips and a simple, quick safety checklist for your winter fun!
HOLIDAY
FOOD SAFETY!
With the various fall and winter holidays upon us, we know everyone is busy. Here is a short list of food safety precautions to take during this holiday season. As always, enjoy the fun and have safe holidays this year.
'TIS THE
SEASON TO BE CHARITABLE:
CHARITY 101!
Giving to others in need seems to be a natural impulse the world
over. Many of us enjoy giving to causes, programs or research that
we agree with and believe in; however, sometimes we are caught
unaware and asked to give by volunteers. We may love the idea of the
cause but know little about the organization. Or we may like the
idea, but prefer it were handled differently. So how do you find the
best fitting charity and determine they are legitimate? In this
article, we've compiled things to consider when choosing a charity,
such as when to give, how to avoid scams, and other ways to give to
the community rather than a cash donation.
'TIS THE SEASON TO
VIDEOCONFERENCE:
VIDEOCONFERENCE
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!
I
normally write articles as a detached third person, but for this
one, I'm sharing a personal story - the experience I had using online
videoconferencing when I took a trip to Poland and the Czech Republic.
Having been to Europe before, I knew I had three options regarding
communication home in the States: 1) buy an
international cell phone, 2) hunt down an Internet café, and 3) find an old fashioned payphone. These
options have their ups and downs and various levels of expense.
Since I
was traveling on the cheap, I had decided to use option 3 and was relying on using payphones.
But this time I ran into a problem that I hadn't anticipated: I arrived in Gdansk, Poland on a late Sunday afternoon.
When I found my first payphone, I noticed that they did not accept credit
cards or coins and, instead, you needed a phone card or account
number purchased from where else - the post office, which wasn't open
because it was late and it was Sunday. For the life of me, I
could not figure out how to make a collect call, either, so that
meant no phone call home
Sunday night for me! How in the world was I going to let my family know I
arrived safely? VIDEOCONFERENCING, of course! |
