Eat, Save, and Be Healthy

Summertime…… vacation time……… expensive time?

It doesn’t have to be cost you a small fortune to go on vacation. Here are a few tips that will help you save money this vacation season.

Have a “staycation” and stay at home.  Visit the local special spots that you always plan to visit but may normally not have the time to explore.  This may be a great time to visit state or national parks.  Visit the National Parks Service website to locate parks in your area.  http://www.nps.gov/index.htm  Check with the visitor’s bureau or local Chamber of Commerce for additional local opportunities or festivals.

Visit a local farm and pick some berries or vegetables.   What a fun way to teach your family about how food is grown and enjoy the rich taste of handpicked strawberries.

If you are having that vacation where you “stay at home” – plan some special activities such as camping under the stars, playing yard or board games or taking that day long bike ride, complete with a picnic lunch.   Enjoy marshmallows cooked over an open fire or fix a special camp fire meal.  Take time to plan your fun filled day.  Enjoy this special family time and make memories that will last a lifetime.  If you travel to a destination such as the beach or mountains, look for a rental that has a kitchen available.  Go to the grocery and pick up easy to fix breakfast items and food for lunches and snacks.  Plan to prepare some meals at home.  Eat dinner in a few nights during your vacation.  Involve the entire family in fixing an easy family meal at your vacation home.

Buy local – if you are at the beach ask the locals where they purchase seafood.  Often these “off-the-beaten-path” spots provide you with high quality, fresh seafood at a great price.  Take the time to grill or fix the local food for your family.  You will save a lot of money by fixing the food yourself.  Think of the memories you are also making.

If you do enjoy a meal out, try these tips that will help you save money:

• Go early for specials

• Drink water instead of soda or other beverages

• Split a meal or share a meal between parent and small child

• Enjoy lunch out instead of dinner – you may find you save quite a bit by going out during the day

• Enjoy half price appetizers if they are available.  Perhaps you will enjoy an appetizer or two instead of eating an entire meal

If you are traveling out of the area, look for fairs, trade shows or exhibits as fun educational opportunities that may be relatively inexpensive.  If you are traveling by air, book early or book very late.  If you are flexible on your travel dates, you can sometimes get a great last minute deal.  This is difficult to do with a family but it may be worth a try.  Visit a website that lets you compare different airlines and their prices.

Packing items from home can also save money.  Try these ideas:

• Buy water in bulk or better yet, use a refillable water bottle.  If you enjoy juices, pack some individual juice servings for your family.  Pack a small cooler with items you want to keep cool.

• Prior to your trip, look for sales on your everyday products.  Use samples that you may have on hand – this can be a good way to clean out your cupboards and save money.

• Watch for sales on products such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoos and personal care items.   Buy the store brand if it is less expensive.  This is a great time to try a store brand with the knowledge that if you don’t like it you can go back to your favorite item at the end of the week.

• Pack snacks for the car so that you aren’t tempted to stop and spend a lot of money at a gas station, restaurant or vending machine.  You can often get items in bulk in individual sizes or package them yourself in individual serving bags.

Remember that vacation doesn’t have to be expensive. You can stay at home for that “staycation” or take that special trip and still save money and build memories.  Remember the most important thing is the time you spend with your family and loved ones; not the amount of money that you spend.  Enjoy your summer!

Writer:  Michelle Treber, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, treber.1@osu.edu.

Sources:  National Park Services, Department of Interior.  National Park Services. Retrieved June 20, 2012.  http://www.nps.gov/index.htm

Pam, T., Chobdee, J. 25 Ways to Save Money, University of California Riverside Wellness.  Retrieved June 20, 2012. http://wellness.ucr.edu/25%20Ways%20to%20Save%20Money.pdf

Turner, J. (2009).  Vacation Planning: Planning Stretches Vacation Dollars. University of Florida IFAS. Retrieved June 20, 2012. http://fycs.ifas.ufl.edu/newsletters/mm_v01.htm

Happy Birthday America! As you and I gather with family and friends to watch the fireworks, picnics and parades, let’s not forget to share with our children the real meaning of this special time of celebration. Teaching them and reminding ourselves, why independence from Great Britain was important is another step in creating the character pillar of citizenship. We can also talk about the courage it took for our founding fathers to put in writing our “Declaration of Independence”. I found the following paragraph that summarizes the history:
Independence Day is the birthday of the United States of America and is celebrated on the Fourth of July each year. Independence Day is the anniversary of the day on which the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.
John Adams, one of the founders of our new nation, said, “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward for evermore.” Independence Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.
In 1941, Congress declared July 4 a legal public holiday.
Today, we can enjoy the festivities. We should also have a moment of reflection for all of the men and women who have given so much that we might enjoy the freedoms we have today. When the Declaration of Independence was signed, those leaders of our country didn’t know if they would live to see independence. The Revolutionary War (American War of Independence) that followed this act was a monumental feat for a new country to take on Europe and their military forces.
There’s much to read about this event, more than I can summarize here. But as you are gazing at the fireworks, reflect on the freedoms that were bought with many lives. The last verse of the Star Spangled Banner may say it best.
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21560098@N06/

It’s about now that many of us are taking a look at our lists, and checking them twice.  How are we ever going to get everything done so that we meet the expectations and not work around the clock?  If you really want to know what is important, ask the children what things they look forward to.  As they grow older some traditions are kept, but no one really enjoys doing them anymore, but we are afraid to let go of them.  Ask them to finish this sentence: ” When I think about Christmas Eve (or your special holiday), we always……..”

Whether we are considering what things to decorate, or what extra food to prepare or maybe even the added activities on the list to attend, there may be things to let go of that everyone would be happy with .  Here are a few other things to consider:

Set a plan for the rest of the time you have.  Think about what you can reasonably accomplish in the next few days and give the task the amount of time you have on that day.  Remember to take care of yourself, don’t work so hard and do without sleep that you miss the enjoyment of the holidays.

Work with other family members and assign tasks, so that they can help.  Break large jobs down into smaller ones and let everyone help.  Remember to adjust your expectations and don’t “do over” what younger members may have done.  Remember the meaning of the season isn’t the biggest or the best.

It could be  a rite of passage to get to do the cards, or bake the cookies.  Only do what time allows and don’t shoulder guilt for not doing more.  Consider  cutting back on the  the tasks, maybe only send cards to people we don’t see and we only bake two kinds of cookies instead of four.  It’s ok to let go and downsize. 

Instead of trying to do all the food for the meals, why not share and try a pot luck.  Let everyone bring their favorite dish as it makes your job easier and they contribute to the festivities. 

Maybe it’s the snow outside, or the fact that our girls are older, but I’m finding that the “stuff” isn’t what makes the “season bright”.  It’s the time we spend together, telling stories and sharing favorites of times past.  It’s the joy in the laughter, the twinkle in the eyes and the love that’s shown as we work side by side that creates new traditions to treasure.

Best Wishes to All,

Melinda Hill

OSU Extension Wayne County

Here it is, November and the holidays are just around the corner! I love the fall and the colors that it brings along with the special events that bring families together. As your family is gathering with friends or extended family, think about the traditions or rituals you are celebrating. It’s the things that “you always do”, the things that the children look forward to and you have come to expect as part of your holidays. When we do these things, we are creating a strong family. Why is that?
Because Family Rituals help us to relate, communicate, show caring and problem solving. When we are together to catch up on things, we understand the challenges that other have had and how they worked through them.

Family Rituals help us as we go through stages in life….weddings, new babies, moving or job changes. Others can share how they have coped as many have gone through them before us.
Family Rituals help us to heal from loss or to forgive. When our loved ones can’t be with us anymore, it’s important for all of us to realize that life goes on and remember the good memories they left us.
These times together help us to think about what things are important to our family, our values, our faith and life experiences. Use this time to tell and record stories. Talk about why family members are successful, what character traits are important and how they achieved the things they have.

Celebrate the holidays by sharing why you are proud to be a part of this family, share with young adults and new family members the joys of being together. Share with them who’s the keeper of the family stories, who’s the one to always be laughing or telling jokes, who’s the one that knows the history?
Even if distance is keeping you from being together with extended family, look at the traditions you can do to share with your family and friends where you are. When we share time together we are weaving a network that will help to support us when things in our life are challenging.

Source: Melinda J. Hill, CFCS, CFLE
Reference: University of Wyoming, Dr. Ben Silliman