How Can I Get That Santa Feeling?

 

 

December 2, 2014 and the holiday season is well under way,

For that matter, it started before my pumpkin could fade.

 

The homes I see are all decorated; they are all a light,

They even have stars in the trees shining bright.

So why does it feel so grey and  dismal?

Is the universe making us so infinitesimal?

 

What can little ole me do to make a difference?

Is it possible that Santa can make an appearance?

Angle Trees are all about and Interfaith has Adopt a Family,

It gives us an opportunity to buy presents for Ben or Natalie.

 

Giving to others anonymously,

Creates a blissful feeling so predominantly.

If you are looking for hope and that all festive feeling,

Giving and doing for others caused even the Grinch to completely start healing.

Try tonight with a neighborly smile & howdy,

It will surely remove the grey & the cloudy.

Next stop; grab a name from the Angle Tree,

Run through the store like a wind banshee.

Buy a present or two maybe even three,

 

Its 100% guarantee that you will want to yell yippee!

For making a child’s wishes come true,

Is something that is always long overdue.

 

DGK’s employees annually adopt a family from Interfaith Friends and the Christmas Bureau of Wyoming County.  Looking for that magical feeling?   Contact Interfaith Friends in Tunkhannock to see how you can help.  570-836-2428.  May your days be merry & bright.

 



Credit Reports 101

I ran my free credit report through annualcreditreport.com.  I chose only one credit reporting agency.  You can receive all three from Equifax, Experian and TranUnion.  Since I am not making a major purchase i.e. car or home, I chose only one agency.

 Free Credit Reports

Once you fill in your information: name, address for the past two years and social security number, some security questions pop-up.  If you have a mortgage, they ask what the name of the institution is.  Do not be alarmed if mortgagee is not listed, mine was not.  They asked about a credit card I was issued in a specific year and to match the name of the institution.   All were easy to answer even for me and I am not a detail remembering type of person. 

How to Spot Identity Theft

 

The next screen is the breakdown of your credit history.  There is a pie chart, a listing of all lenders including how much you owe, what your limit is for each lender, when it originated and your debt to credit ratio.  I have been told 20 to 25 percent is a good number for your ratio.  I also have heard that 30% and under is a good ratio to have.  I think the goal is to have your debt to credit ratio be no higher than 25 to 30 percent.   At this point, you can figure your debt to income ratio by dividing your monthly payment as shown on the credit report by your monthly gross income.  I did just my income, I did not include my husband’s income.  I guess I could have included his income, since the mortgage and such are in both our names. 

 

not my actual pie chart

The screen with your credit breakdown also shows what credit cards have been cancelled, if you have applied for any credit in the past two years and any negative comments about your credit history.  Thankfully, I have no negative comments.  My identity has not been stolen, yet.  It was very interesting to see who and how often my credit report was requested.  The screen also indicates that the credit reports that were requested did not affect my credit score.  If you want your credit score then you can pay $7.95 to obtain it.  Since I am not making a purchase I am not interested in my score, I just wanted to know what the report stated.
 

not my actual score

Since I requested only one report from one agency, I can request another report in 6 months from a different agency and then request another a few months later.  By law, you can receive your credit report free every year.  I am spacing them out so I can keep track of any credit report requests for possible identity theft.  Once I decide to make a purchase like a new car in a year or two, I will request all three credit reports at once.  However, I will not pay for my credit score as I can obtain that free from a credit card company I have. 
 

I would like this to be my new car ....

I have a plan to watch my credit report since it seems so important to so many people.  Do you have a plan? 

Making Camping A Sweet Experience

My family went camping for our summer vacation.  We took the usual items: pillows, clothing, towels, sleeping bags, tent and cooking gear.  This year we decided to make camping a bit more comfortable.

In order to camp in comfort we added a few more items to our list.  The first was a screened tent to enclose our picnic table (provided by the campgrounds).  That made our eating experience much nicer without the buzzing of bugs.  The second was the essentials of camping: bug spray, sunscreen and first aid kit.  I cut my finger twice, my husband cut his hand and my grandson scraped his foot.  The bugs still bit since we did not realize they were fleas and not mosquitoes. 

We had electricity at our site so the air mattress was wonderful; next time I’d add a mattress pad.  The other thing we used electricity for was a fan.  It was hot and humid so the fan made all the difference between miserable at night and comfortable.  We slept in the screened tent one night due to the heat.

 Color campfire crystals make the campfire more exciting.  The sparkles that change color once sprinkled on the fire is a like a box of crayon fairies dancing in the fire.  To enjoy your fire, folding canvas chairs with arms that each have a cup holder make the experience more enjoyable.  With each cup holder on the armrests you can have your drink and telephone safely stored. 

After enjoying the campfire a walk to the showers to remove the campfire smell before bed is very satisfying.  Just as in college, flip flops and a shower container makes the task much easier.  The container, mine was a small bucket, held a flashlight, toothpaste, toothbrush, towel, night clothes and tea tree shampoo body wash combination (another defense against bugs). 

It seemed we were either always eating or thinking about eating.  We took two coolers if they had with wheels  that would have been even better.  One cooler was for cold food and one for dry food.  We needed the cooler for dry goods to keep the mice away.  Who knew we would have a family of mice (maybe a colony) joining us on our camping trip?

I included a small rug for our tent this year.  Placed outside our door, we were able to take our shoes (slip-ons or velcro shoes) off before going into the tent keeping the inside of the tent much cleaner.  I am a firm believer in velcro or slip-on shoes for camping.  If you have to go in and out of the tent you are not likely to remove your shoes every time if you have to untie and tie your shoes. 

Lastly is a camera.  If your phone has a good camera then you are set.  A camera captures the fun experiences like the bedtime stories with your grandson and even the not so fun experiences like picking up duct tape not realizing you captured a mouse in the duct tape.  You’ll have that one photgraph that reminds you of the glow of the campfire which immediately brings you back to enjoying everyone’s company wishing you were back at the campground.   

 If you have special equipment that you take camping to make camp life easier please let us know.  We are always interested in comfort. 

Driver Safety Discounts - Not Just for Teenagers

This past weekend I spent my Saturday and Sunday taking a mature driving course.  The mature word was disheartening.  While I am mature and responsible, I do not like the connation that accompanies the word mature.  Truthfully the word means old.  I realize being 55 years and beyond is old but that does not mean that is how I think of myself.

The course is even listed on the PDA, PA Department of Aging!  When you arrive on the page the “hook” is an auto discount for older adults.  The first site listed to contact is AARP.  Of course, AAA is also listed and then Area Agency on Aging.  It is all downhill from there.

The course itself was a great reminder of driving techniques which become second nature or automatic, new signage and new technology for cars along with advanced ommunications.  The course reviews new recommendations such as the proper way to hold a steering wheel is not the positions of 10 and 2 but 8 and 4.  Why the change? Air bags damaging hands and arms when they are deployed.  When I started driving, airbags were not standard equipment.  Next year ESC, Electronic Stability Control, will be standard equipment which will help stabilize a car going around a curve.

Much of the discussion centered on the aging driver.  The ways humans age was shocking to me and even more so that I was considered in that group!  After age 55 many cannot raise their arms perpendicular to the floor, many cannot turn their necks to see the blind spots on their cars and the list continued.  I felt really bad about myself after reading that section!

On Sunday, I went for a ten mile run, did some gardening, laundry and cooking, I settled on my porch to finish the course and take the test.  I also had to regroup and think this aging implication through.  While I may be in the group whose my eyes need more time to adjust to light changes like riding along a tree lined street as the sunlight flickers in and out, I can still raise my arms, turn my head and walk (run) at a fast pace.  It seems maintaining the appropriate speed along the roadway is a difficult task as one ages. 

While the course made me feel sad as to what can happen as I age, it did provide me with a heads up kind of approach.  So I need to be on the lookout for changes in my vision and seek medical advice, look for new safety technology when purchasing a car like blind spot warnings or install extra mirrors, keep abreast of new laws about cell phones such as when they are legal to use and when they are not and to keep updated with new laws or signs. 

One cannot take a course on driving without a section on driving under the influence, .08 BAC, blood alcohol content.  Men metabolize alcohol faster than women.  For the average weight of a female, more than 1.5 drinks in an hour would qualify for an arrest of DUI.  For men, it would take 2.5 drinks in an hour.  One should wait an hour after finishing a drink before driving, as long as one is not going over the drink per weight limit and what constitutes a “drink”.  Of course, do not drink and take medications statement is standard.  Courses did not stress the penalties of DUI when I took my driver's test in 1975 however studying with my daughters I learned the penalties.  Even the term DUI was changed from DWI, driving while intoxicated, to DUI to encompass drugs. 

As you can see taking a course is always helpful.  I learned information about myself, my car, technology, laws, and driving in general.  The course is repeated in 3 years.  To entice people to take the course you earn a driver safety discount on your automobile insurance.  My discount is $113.00 a year.  I spent 8 hours taking the course and $16.00 for the course for a discount of $113.00 each year for the next three years.  That return on my dollar and the education is priceless. 

Spring Roads Can Be Treacherous

Earlier in our posts, we discussed the need to drive cautiously during winter weather.  Now that spring is upon us, defensive driving appears just as important.  Potholes have been in the news and areas still are minefields.  The extreme climate changes have resulted in extreme ice covered roads.   

We are once again advising slow driving, if you can call ahead and ask are there any areas I need to be aware of when driving.  Keep in mind at anytime you may need to make a safety maneuver.  Try to remain in your lane.  Swerving into another lane may result in a multicar accident.  Stay alert, avoid use of the telephone and minimize passenger interactions. 

 

We are going to be entering road construction season next. 

 

 

Will Pizza and Wings End Your Resolution?

By January 21, 2014, most people have broken their new year’s resolution.  The problem with giving up on your new year’s resolution is the total abandonment that comes with giving up. 

“I can’t eat healthy, so let's go for pizza, wings and beer tonight. I can have ice cream for dessert.” 

 

“I did not exercise everyday for 30 minutes; I am just going to stop.  I can’t do it.”

“I had a can of soda with lunch yesterday.  What's the use I already broke my resolution I might as well buy the soda.  It’s on sale.”

 

“Argh! I bought a pair of boots!  I was not going to buy any shoes or clothing until June and then only what I needed.  I may as well see what is on sale at Kohl’s and Boscov’s.”

 

One missed step does not make a failed resolution.  It just means you need a different tactic.  Maybe exercising everyday is too much of a commitment when you have not exercised since August.  Try to do 15 minutes of exercise on Monday and Wednesday.  While we all know what eating healthy means, eating healthy is so vague.  Begin with not bringing any cookies into the house for the first month, the second month no chips and so on. 

 

 

When it comes to not spending money, I too have a problem with that.  I like the after Christmas and winter sales so I have avoided stores.  If I need something specific, I go into the store buy what I need and walk out.  I do not look around to see what else might be on sale.  It is helping. 

 

Goals accompany my New Year’s resolution.  In my case, if I give up on a resolution I still have goals.  While that may sound like cheating, I want to give myself opportunities to succeed.  An escape or an alternate to a resolution is another tip for sticking to your resolution. 

My New Year’s resolution is to finish all my unfinished projects.  I have tons of steam in the beginning of a project then I complete it to the point of “good enough” and I stop.  I am changing that behavior this year.  I am working on my projects one at a time and each one is on a schedule.  I have six unfinished projects.  I have almost completed the first project.  I am not allowed to start another project until I complete one.  I do have to wait for some material to come in the mail and then I will have it finished this month. 

 

I have two goals.  One I started at Thanksgiving by a random purchase of a book due to an email from Prevention magazine.  I have been so good avoiding buying anything from Prevention but this one addressed a need.  I have been told I will have diabetes like my parents,  grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc.  The book explained how to stop developing diabetes.  That is a perfect book for me.  I tried two of the switches they suggested and my blood sugar count has not been above 85.  One switch was a change from bleached flour to unbleached flour even in products you are buying like bread or pasta.  The other was a switch from eating 5 to 6 small meals a day to 3 meals a day and a good 12 hours between  dinner and breakfast.  Two switches, not expensive and easy to do.   After 2 weeks of making those two switches, my blood sugar went from as high as 137 to as low as 82.  I want to continue to keep the numbers in the 80’s.

 

The other goal is to run a full marathon.  I have run enough half marathons that it is time to run a full.  I am nervous and scared.  I am already training for something that will not take place until October.  I have no idea how long it will take me to complete a full marathon yet.  I will know further into my training.  I am committed to this goal.

 

 

New Year resolutions and goals are obtainable.  They may need to be altered and restarted but they are obtainable.  Hang in there.

 

Know Your Insurance

When I purchased my first house I did not have my house inspected; they did not do that back then.  It was a “buyer beware” type of atmosphere.  You could bring a friend along with you to look at the house.  Hopefully, your friend knew every aspect of home construction.  If you did not have a friend or family member that knew about building construction, you were left to trust your realtor who was trying to make a sale.

 
Times have changed.  There are companies that provide building inspections and a report about a building prior to purchase.  Based upon this inspection, that the buyer pays for, recommendations can be made to repair unseen imperfections.  Knowledge is very powerful when you buy a home or a building. 

 

Armed with no inspection, I purchased my first home.  My second critical error began with my realtor’s statement, “You need insurance.  I will find out who the buyer has and then have them rewrite it in your name.”  That sounded perfect to me.  I knew nothing about home buying, insurance, mortgages and the list of all that I did not know continued.  I was also overwhelmed with all I needed to do and the information that everyone wanted.  Having someone offer to take a task off my plate was wonderful.  Until…

I started working at DGK.  I looked at my homeowner’s insurance policy.  The very minimum you want for your home or any building is replacement cost and special form coverage.  Well, my home was not on replacement cost and it was not on special form.  Not only did I not know what insurance I had on my home I also did not have the proper kind needed.  That was an eye opening experience for me.

 

I bought my insurance on three criteria: it was easy, the price was acceptable and the bank accepted the insurance documents for closing.  Once I bought the insurance, I stayed where I was. I never bothered to learn ANYTHING about my insurance.  I did not ask questions; did I even know what to ask?

Does this insurance replace or repair my home in case of a claim? Does it cover my belongings in the same manner?  How much is my deductible?  What happens when I rent a vacation home at the beach; are any of my belongings covered at the beach house?  What exactly is liability insurance?  What happens if my sump pump does not work and the drains back up?  Do I get any discounts for insuring my automobile with you?  In my case, my car was insured with a different agent and neither asked or told me about a two or more policy discount. 

Luckily, I did not learn the hard way: through having a claim not covered.  I have been fortunate that I do not utilize my insurance and I hope that continues.  I practice risk control as much as possible.  I moved my car and home insurance to DGK and received a multi-policy discount.  In my case, I learned through work what I needed for coverage.  I obtained correct coverage and since I serve on Boards of nonprofit agencies, I have an umbrella policy too; no one asked me about that.  What I do now, along with my coworkers, is teach our clients about insurance coverage. 

Some insurance coverages are a huge “bang for your buck” like rental car coverage, scheduling your diamond engagement ring, increasing your liability on your home especially if you have a dog, adding back up of sewer and drains and many other coverages that are specific to your needs.  My advice, besides buying your insurance from DGK, is to ask questions, research your policy, call different insurance agents, and find a “fit” where you are happily informed.  The cheapest and easiest insurance could be a very costly mistake that is nowhere near an easy button.