Family vacations – how big, how far, how much?

In the spirit of our "planning ahead" theme this week, I asked our Senior Vice President of Marketing, Beth Jaskiewicz, to share some of her vacation preparation tips. Read below and enjoy!

Be the germ – Don’t wait for others to ask. Start talking with family members early to find out what works for all (or depending on the size of your family, for most). Beach? Mountains? Dude ranch? Extreme sports?

Be realistic – Everyone wants to go to Europe for a month, but unless your job and your checking account can swing that – or you won the lottery – that’s probably not going to happen this year. Also consider age ranges and make sure there’s something for everyone (Beth's family vacation will include over a dozen people, age 1 year to 80 years)

Be creative – Relentlessly search for affordable, fun options.

• Look for deals online. The usual resources – Hotwire, Orbitz, VRBO, etc.

• Thinking of Disney?

• Use your points – CUReward Points for airfare, car rental, hotels, etc. 

Be the chief – Or designate chiefs to take on critical roles. Depending on the crowd, location and interests, you might have many chiefs: Chief of dates; Chief of Reservations; Chief of Menus; Chief of Fun. Everyone wants to enjoy the vacation, so spread the love and let everyone play a part.

What are some of your vacation planning tips that have worked well (or not) ?

Chao for now,

Leslita

Raising a Money Smart Kid

About six years ago, I worked at a financial institution that was across the street from a college. I lost count of how many times I would have college students come to my office and gripe about getting non-sufficient funds charges on their account. Some thought the Visa or Mastercard logo on their card meant their debit card was an actual credit card,and they had a grace period to pay back the charges. Others would actually say that they thought they had money in their account because they still had checks left! Haha! What used to really get on my nerves (sorry, just being honest) was when they would call their parents right in front of me and demand that their parents deposit money into their account to clear up the negative balance and NSF charges. I remember when I was 16 and had my first checking account and I got an NSF fee. I remember my dad telling me that I would have to deal with it on my own. He would say, it was my account, my problem. He wasn't being mean, he was simply helping me reach a mature approach regarding monetary matters.

I realize that not everyone has parents who teach them banking 101, and there are some parents that may want to teach their children about money, but simply do not know how to start the process. Among many of the free financial seminars that we offer, we have a seminar coming up that addresses the importance of teaching your children about money, expecially at a young age. Its called How to Raise a Money Smart Kid. Check it out at www.scfedseminars.org. I encourage parents of children of all ages to attend!

Are you talking to your children about money?

Chao for now,

Leslita

Bargain or Budget Buster?

In the spirit of traveling debit and credit cards this week, I'm happy to inform my readers that my debit card has been on a shoe shopping frenzy! I'm not talking about one or two pairs of shoes...I'm talking about 6 pairs of shoes!

I'm supposed to be teaching my blog viewers good spending habits, so why am I bragging about buying 6 pairs of shoes? Simply because I got a really good deal! I got 3 pair of dress shoes that were regularly $60 each for $14.75 each, a pair of genuine leather boots for $17 (regularly $100), a pair of comfy every day shoes for $4.28 (regularly $70), and a pair of leather loafers for my hubby for $10 (regularly $80).

You are either shocked by my great deals, or questioning my spending habits. Some may say that I am a great bargain shopper, while others might say that bargain shopping is only a bargain when you get a good deal on something you needed, or originally planned to buy.

Six pair of shoes wasn't a need. Clearly a want. I justify my fun shopping sprees by using the funds in my spending account. I basically save to spend. I put a certain amount of money in a spending account because I know I like to shop. That way I know I am not spending my mortgage payment or light bill money on things like shoes!

Where has your debit or credit card been lately?

Chao for now,

Leslita

Dining Out Made Healthier...

It's no secret that I love to eat out! Some may argue that this hobby of mine is both wallet breaking and unhealthy, but I only use funds from my spending account (not bill account) to dine out and I usually always order a healthy side to go with my main meal. Most restaurants will let you substitute a traditional side (i.e., fries) for a salad or upgraded side (i.e. baked potato, vegetable medley). The catch is, that they usually charge $1.50 of more to do this. I am a fan of saving a dollar here and there, but I think it is well worth the extra dollar or two to get a heart healthy meal.

Many restaurants now have healthy meals on their menu. They are usually the same price or a little more than their regular entrees. So the next time you eat out, choose a healthy entree even if it is a few dollars more expensive. It is better to pay a dollar or two now than hundreds of dollars later in doctor bills.

Some people may argue that the heart healthy solution would be to just cut dining out all together. For those of you who know you will continue to eat out, just remember to balance out your meal with a salad or veggies even if it means paying a little extra!

What techniques do you use to turn your dining out experience into a healthy one?

Chao for now,

Leslita

Lessons for life formed in youth...

I was 15 years old when I got my first job. I was a file clerk at a general surgeon's office. My duties weren't strictly filing patient documents. I also had to answer the phones, schedule appointments, and even take patient samples to the hospital next door which gave me a queasy stomach!

I photocopied my first check and still have it in one of my photo albums. I made a little over $80 my first week. After about a year, I was able to buy my first car which made me feel very proud of myself. It made me feel as though alphabetizing all those hundreds of files finally paid off!

Going in to the work force at a young age taught me the value of a dollar. It taught me that money didn't grow on trees and shouldn't always come from mommy and daddy. It felt good to have my own money to be able to pay for things like a car and car insurance.

After highschool, I went to college. It took me from 2000 to 2007 to get my Bachelor's degree. Why so long? Because I worked full time and went to college part time because my parents helped me pay for as much of college as they financially could, but I had to help pay the rest. Working 40 hours a week and having to go to class from 6-9pm four days a week proved to be very exhausting, but I was determined to finish my degree and not let anything stand in my way.

The moral of my story is that jumping in to the workforce at a young age helped me build character and responsibilty. It made me realize that working hard and studying hard results in success and allows you to have a feeling of accomplishment for one's self that no one can take away from you!

What lessons did you learn at your first job that have stayed with you to this very day?

Chao for now,

Leslita

The Direction of Your Savings…

I love clipping coupons and saving money any way that I can. When I buy groceries, I love looking at the bottom of my receipt to see how much I saved. Two months ago, I found a coupon online for a medicine I take that gave me a two month’s supply free (a $60 savings!). Without the coupons/offers, I would have had to pay regular price, so what do I do with the money I save?

 

Sometimes I make an extra principle payment on my credit card or car payment, but other times (almost quarterly or twice a year), I send a check to an organization that is very near and dear to my heart, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. My dad passed away from Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in May of 2005, so each time I send a donation, I hope and pray that my money along with other people’s donations, will help speed up research and progress in order to save the lives of many people suffering with these blood related cancers.

 

So next time you save $20 on groceries or get a free oil change, think about what you can do with that money since you would have had to pay it out anyway if it wouldn’t have been for the coupon or deal you got!

 

Where does your extra money go? To you or a good cause?

 

Chao for now,

 

Leslita

Behind that beautiful smile….

A child’s smile is so innocent and full of life! Behind those smiles are stories and experiences that we may never know about….Let me tell you what lies behind Joseph’s (JoJo) smile.

 

In March of 2006, Joseph caught a virus that caused him to have a high-grade fever. The virus invaded and damaged his heart. Joseph was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a rare weakening of the heart muscles. JoJo faced a long admission at MUSC with the implantation of an internal defibrillator.

 

On March 24, 2007, JoJo collapsed on his porch. Luckily, the defibrillator discharged appropriately and saved his life! His father, Stephen, successfully performed CPR on JoJo. Within 3 hours, JoJo was airlifted to MUSC. On March 25, 2007, Joseph was placed on a life saving heart and lung bypass machine (ECMO). On March 26, 2007, Joseph was placed on the Heart Transplant list. The medical team had decided immediately that Joseph needed a ventricular assist device. They began working eagerly to get Joseph a device never used at this facility before. It has not been used much in the U.S. at all. It is not even FDA approved. It is known as the Berlin Heart Pump.

 

On April 4, JoJo made history by becoming the first pediatric patient in South Carolina (88th in the nation) to receive a Berlin Heart during the 10.5 hour surgery at the Medical University. Within hours of the surgery, he was alert and responsive. Amazing!

 

Joseph underwent a heart transplant on April 13, 2007, only 8 days after receiving the Berlin Heart and five days before his 6th birthday! He recovered well and was released from the hospital 2 weeks after his transplant.

 

Truly an amazing story that gives me chills! JoJo is a wonderful example of bravery and resilience!

 

To learn more about JoJo’s brave battle, log on to www.helpjojo.com and to do donate to a great cause, stop in and see us at one of our branches!

 

Chao for now,

Leslita

At First Glance

Being bilingual is very fun and many times very interesting. On a few occasions, I have been in a store where someone was talking about me in Spanish and thought I had no idea what they were saying. I once replied back to a rude comment and the person’s facial expression was priceless (They were shocked by the reply in Spanish, not the reply)!

Whenever I order a meal or buy an item from a business that primarily speaks Spanish, I get a lot of surprised looks because I do not look like I can speak Spanish. I’ve also been in a group conversation where comments have been made about Spanish speaking people as the person who made the comment assumed me nor anyone else in the group had any ties to the Spanish language or culture. I feel as though there are stereotypes out there that have a certain description about what Spanish speaking people look like, but I am a prime example that you can’t always judge a book by its cover.

You never know who speaks what language or what people’s backgrounds are, so in the spirit of our diversity blog week, I encourage everyone to be mindful of the diverse makeup of our communities and to embrace people’s differences as that is what makes us unique.

Is there something unique about you that most people don’t know about until they get to know you?

Chao for now,

Leslita

Online Filing Phobia

Every year around tax time, I hear lots of people talking about how great online tax services are. I have thought about trying it a couple of times, but I just can’t work up enough courage to do my taxes online.

I use the internet for a lot of things, so it's not about privacy or security, it's more about me being afraid to input and organize all of my tax information by myself. I feel as though if I do my own taxes online, I might miss something. I have been going to the same tax lady since I was 15 years old. If I had a simple return to file, maybe I would try to overcome my fear and try it, but I have a pretty complicated joint tax return (in my opinion) which includes mine and my husband’s W-2’s, husband’s tuition expenses, medical/pharmacy expenses, day care expenses, rental property info, stock info, etc…

All that information can get pretty confusing and I just don’t feel comfortable handling it all on my own. If I were to file online, the question "Am I  missing something?" would be playing over and over in my head.  If I miss something, I might get audited or I might miss something that would have given me a greater refund.

I also handle my mom’s taxes. When my dad was alive, he always handled their taxes, but when he passed in 2005, I took over that task, so I do double tax duty every year. I don’t feel comfortable doing her taxes online either. What if I miss something on her return?

I’m not sure I will ever get over this phobia. Plus, I have been going to the same tax lady for so many years, that she charges me a VIP rate that I can’t complain about (less than $65 dollars)!

Are you a brave online tax filer or do you still take your taxes to a preparer/CPA?

Chao for now,

Leslita

S.M.A.R.T Chores

Some people sigh at the thought of having to dust, vacuum, mop, etc. I personally despise laundry. I can handle loading them in the washer and placing them in the dryer, but folding/hanging clothes really gets on my nerves. Between my clothes, my husband’s, and my son’s, it seems as though our hamper constantly stays full. My husband and I both help each other with our laundry, but it seems as though no matter how many loads we wash or how much help we give each other, we just can’t seem to reach the bottom of the hamper! I have seriously thought about taking our clothes to a drop off service or paying someone to come to our house to solely do our laundry. Even though I detest laundry duty, I can’t stomach paying a weekly fee for just laundry service!

So here’s our SMART plan for 2010:

Separate colored, white, and delicate clothes into separate hampers. (Maybe this is why the pile looks so enormous right now!)

Make sure that all dirty clothes are rounded up nightly and placed in the appropriate hamper (With an 18 month old, clothes seem to be lying around everywhere!)

Assign Wednesday night as hubby’s night to wash, dry, fold/hang one load of clothes; I will wash, dry, fold/hang one load on Saturday morning.(This will eliminate the 3 loads we usually wash every weekend)

Reorganize our closets. Keep every day wear in our downstairs closet and keep dressy and non-seasonal clothes in our upstairs closet. (This will free up space to easily hang clean clothes and place folded clothes in drawers)

Take the clothes out of the dryer right after the dryer buzzer goes off. (Eliminates clean clothes from sitting in the clothes basket for days and getting wrinkled and creating a clean clothes pile-the dirty clothes pile is enough!)

How do you handle household laundry? I need all the tips I can get, so please comment!

Chao for now,

Leslita