Cost Cutting – Grocery Bills

If you really want to cut your grocery expense in half — or more — don’t make a shopping list until you plan your meals.

Money experts are in near unanimity about meal planning as a way to save on grocery costs. The advantage of meal planning is that you buy just what you actually eat, cutting down on food waste and time spent figuring out every meal.

According to SimpleDollar.com, if you make a meal plan you’ll find that you usually eat simply, even if you do like to fantasize about the fancy meals you see on Facebook. Meal planning can allow for hurry-up meals and make room for more creative cooking. The key is: Plan first. Use the weekly grocery flyer in your local newspaper to find deeply discounted items.  The Simple Dollar recommends identifying three discounted items and planning six meals around them.  Using the discounted items as a base, plan your meals for a week.

How much can you save?

Writing in Simple Dollar, Holly Johnson says she feeds her family of four on $150 per week by creating meal plans and shopping sales.  Here’s how her grocery list roughly breaks down:

    • Produce: $52, including fruits, lettuce, carrots, celery parsnips, cabbage squash, tomatoes.
    • Core Foods: $51, including bread, eggs, milk, noodles, cereal, vegetable broth, juice, cheese, beans,  peanut butter and soup.
    • Snacks: $10, crackers and granola bars.
    • Drinks: $14, beer, soda, tea.
    • Total: $127.25.

Among the meals Johnson planned for the week: Vegetable soup, vegetable lasagna, egg sandwiches, spaghetti squash and sauce, grilled cheese and tomato soup.

May the Fourth be With You – PROMOTION 2017

StarWars-May4thBeWithYou

To Those Who Might Want our RetirementView Software,

…SCROLL TO END OF ARTICLE FOR A SPECIAL OFFER….

May the 4th has become known as “Star Wars Day”!  Built on the idea of May the 4th be with you.

I wanted to use this day to tell you about my recent trip on a Disney Star Wars cruise.

I got to take my wife and 2 youngest sons (still in high school) on the cruise which offers Star Wars movies, characters, memorabilia, and of course the awesome “Star Wars Day at Sea”.

Being like a big kid, I signed up for a couple of “character encounters”.

Tim gets to meet Darth Vader!

Tim gets to meet Darth Vader!

My encounter with Darth Vader was quite scary.

 The dude is like 6 foot 8 in the Darth costume and he has the “real” James Earl Jones voice – I assume from a voice converter box.  He said that I looked like I might be part of the “rebel alliance”.

I was lucky to even get a picture before he pulled out his light saber and tried to chase me down!

On another encounter, I got to meet R2D2 and C3PO.

These droids were alive and active.

C3PO shook my hand when I walked up and talked to me ad lib in the C3PO voice.

Meanwhile, R2D2 was blinking and chirping with his computerized “voice” during the entire photo encounter.

It was so real I couldn’t believe it.

I had to get a photo to “prove” I met two of the most outstanding movie characters of all time.

Although R2D2 is soooo cool, the wit and wisdom of C3PO has always made him my favorite.

Tim meets his mystery friends.. R2D2 and C3PO.

Tim meets his mystery friends.. R2D2 and C3PO.

My wife and kids were too tired to want to get up to meet R2D2 at 8am. Sure I was on vacation but I would have gotten up at 5am to see these guys!

During the cruise we could watch any Star Wars movie we wanted on demand except Force Awakens which was only in the theater.

They have a full size theater on the ship just for showing movies!

On the ship’s opening departure party, they have a lot of Star Wars and Disney characters there to “see us off”.

This deck party has a lot of music and dancing and typical Disney show flare.

On the Day at Sea you can buy the BB8 cup (you can see it in the Darth Vader picture) or a Bobo Fett cup.

They double down on the movies and show Star Wars the CLone Wars cartoon on the huge deck screen.

At night they have another deck party where there is a mob of people dancing and celebrating in Star Wars costumes.

There are so many light sabers out on the deck and costumes that it makes for a really cool experience.

This article is mainly about “STAR WARS” but the cruise itself is fantastic.  I’ve added a couple of pictures at the bottom if you want to see them.

SPECIAL OFFER: MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!

IF you are smart enough to follow these directions, you will be rewarded with a 20%, 30% or even 40% discount on our RetirementView software.

And this promotion is good for ANY edition.

Directions:

– find pictures of actual Star Wars characters in this article

– write down their names in all CAPS

– if their name is greater than 4 letters, then mark out everything after the first 4 letters

– go to the page for the edition you want to purchase.  Personal or Couples or Professional Edition.

– enter into the Promo Code the 4 character “name” of one of the Star Wars characters you have selected (hint: not traditional Disney characters but Star Wars only)

– a DISCOUNT should appear on the order form

– Complete the purchase process and enjoy using the RetirementView software!

May the Fourth Be With You in Your Retirement Planning!

THESE SPECIAL DISCOUNTS END FRIDAY MAY 5th at MIDNIGHT!

Star Wars Day at Sea

Star Wars Day at Sea

Disney Adult Pool

Disney Adult Pool

My best buddy PLUTO!

My best buddy PLUTO!

The Disney Cruise ship docked at Castaway Cay

The Disney Cruise ship docked at Castaway Cay

View from the ship of Disney's private islande Castaway Cay!

View from the ship of Disney’s private island Castaway Cay!

To The Moon, Alice!

Jackie GleasonAlice Kramden was famously unimpressed when her husband Ralph regularly threatened to send her to the moon. The hugely successful and iconic series ‘The Honeymooners’ starred Jackie Gleason as the frustrated bus driver Ralph and Audrey Meadows (as sensible housewife Alice. It was just one part of the hugely successful career of Jackie Gleason. In fact, the series was so enduring and popular (though perhaps a little shocking by today’s standards) that in 2000, a life-size statue of Jackie Gleason, in uniform as bus driver Ralph Kramden, was installed outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City.

By the time Gleason was age of 71, he had established an entertainment legacy that included one of the most financially lucrative shows in history (The Honeymooners), a list of memorable films like The Hustler’ with Paul Newman and Smokey and the Bandit with Burt Reynolds, as well as, a collection of romantic music LPs, the first of which, ‘For Lovers Only,’ sold over half a million copies.

The larger than life star, who had entertained audiences for more than half a century, was a self-made man who propelled himself beyond the limitations of his background. A high-school dropout, Gleason was born on February 26, 1916, to a poor Irish-Catholic immigrant family from Brooklyn, New York. Originally named Herbert John Gleason, his childhood, and adolescence were scarred by hardship. Gleason’s father abandoned him when he was only 8 years old, five years after the death of his only sibling from tuberculosis. 8 years after that, he would find himself completely alone at age 16, after the death of his mother.

Initially involved with a street gang called ‘The Nomads’, Gleason was well- known for his acerbic tongue, fashion sense and pool table smarts. He resolved to make a career out of his understated talent for wordplay. He used the streets to develop a comedic style and create a slew of characters that eventually won him first prize in a neighborhood talent contest for an original comedy routine. He headed in the direction that this early achievement pointed, becoming a club emcee before landing his first job in broadcasting, working as a part-time disc jockey on Newark radio.

His ability to turn life’s lemons into lemonade became a notable part of Gleason’s biography. Although the pathway to fame was far from smooth, he had learned how to hustle on the streets of New York. He saw failure from two different perspectives. When for instance, he was hired to host a TV game show that was cancelled after only one episode, Gleason apologized on air, and landed himself what was to become the precursor to the Honeymooners – ‘The Jackie Gleason’ show. Later, when he couldn’t sell his music album to a major company, he paid Capitol to publish it, and of course, the sales did nothing but prove his instincts right.

What’s your favorite Jackie Gleason memory?

New Money-Wise

Rolling over an IRA

In an effort to simplify the process of rolling over an IRA account, the IRS has just made a change to the way it handles the 60-day deadline to avoid paying penalties on those funds. As of August 2016, those filing past 60 days will have the opportunity to apply for a waiver and be given the benefit of the doubt from the government while they wait for their answer. This means the funds can move safely into their new home without waiting in limbo for a decision.

Buying Flowers

According to Aboutflower.com Valentine’s Day accounts for 25 percent of the total dollars spent on flowers for the year in the U.S. But surprisingly, only 20 percent of mothers surveyed by Offers.com list flowers as one of their top gift picks. If flowers are a must, purchasing a few days early through a local florist will often yield the best results and value.

Pros and cons of mobile check deposits

As technology progresses, even old industries such as banking are beginning to offer new features that can utilize the convenience of smartphones.  According to Bankrate.com, 63 percent of mobile bankers are likely using their phone to deposit checks. They also point out that mobile deposits can help prevent some types of fraud, allow deposits after business hours, and allow customers unprecedented convenience. Be sure to void the checks and mark them deposited. It’s not all great, however, as banks often place a cap on your deposits, place temporary holds on mobile-deposited funds, and have no safeguards against bounced checks.

Changes in Training Employees

ln the world of Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter, employees just don’t want to sit down with a 400 page book for training. Employers are responding.

According to Fortune, Walmart is one of a growing number of corporations that are using apps and Facebook to train employees and facilitate conversation about safety.   As a test, Walmart had 5,000 employees train for jobs with three-minute videos.  The number of reportable injuries dropped by nearly half.  Now all of Walmart’s 80,000 warehouse and logistics workers use the mobile app for training.
PayPal, on the other hand, created a private Facebook page where employees can connect with invited expert to troubleshoot problems.

Would something like this help you in your world?

Paying Too Much In Property Tax?

In the last few years, most property taxes have risen in step with the increase in home values. But it never hurts to find out if your taxes are higher than they should be. Getting them reduced is a chore that’s worth the effort.

  • First, look for errors that may be inflating the value of your house. Check the list of factors used to come up with your assessment on the property record card, which is kept at your assessor’s office. Look for obvious errors, such as the incorrect square footage or the wrong number of bathrooms.
  • Because many appraisals are done on a drive-by basis, the assessor may have overlooked defects that could lower your tax bill, such as a wet basement or cracked walls. If you can show that the assessment was based on erroneous information, you may be able to get your tax bill reduced without going through the appeals process.
  • Check out similar properties. Talk to your neighbors or property owners to see whether their tax bills went up as much as yours did. The homes you check should be of similar size as age as your own. Sandra Block of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance recommends getting several examples. If your assessment is considerably larger than theirs, you have a good shot at winning an appeal.
  • Some localities base assessments on the cost of a home replacement plus the value of the land. An amount for depreciation is subtracted. Others use recent sales of comparable homes in the neighborhood. You might be able to challenge the assessment by doing your own research. You can use Zillow.com and Trulia.com to find sales of comparable properties. A real estate agent could provide recent sales prices for comparables.
  • Check to see if the assessor credited you with all the property tax relief available to you, including credits for senior citizens and veterans.

 

Spending Plan to Save for Retirement

Yesterday I saw this great article by Dave Rowan at Investopedia.  Have you seen it?

He is a CFP (Certified Financial Planner) and, from his experience, offers 6 steps to help you develop a plan  to ensure your retirement savings is sufficient.

Garbage In – Garbage Out

Financial Planner Ian James from Baton Rouge, LA tells how RetirementView has improved his client satisfaction.

I Can Retire Early?

For the average middle class family, early retirement may seem like a laughable dream.
But with a few adjustments to the middle class mindset, you might can actually make it a reality.

Can this actually work? That all depends on so many factors that differ from person to person. Any of these tips will help for sure! If you want to see if any of these tips would impact your personal situation, RetirementView can help you define what will make the most impact. It’s super easy to use – no need to be a financial professional.

Click the link to the right or at the bottom of this page to give the free trial a spin. It’s not time limited and it costs nothing – so what’s the risk?

The only difference in the demo and the full version is that the rates of return are locked in the demo. But if you try it out you can change all the other factors and instantly build your own retirement picture…. watch out for the RED which means you ran out of money.

If you need any help, please give us a call at 888.333.5095.

Silver Anniversary

By Tim Turner

No, I’m not talking about Torrid Tech.  I’m referring to my marriage.  My lovely wife and I celebrated 25 years together in August.  If you are blessed enough to be married this long, you definitely will learn a few lessons that help smooth the ride.  These lessons are not just for marriage but for any relationship that you care about.

Be Forgiving – It’s not easy to do, but being forgiving and not keeping a running list of past wrongs will go a long way to drawing you closer together.  Being able to admit you are wrong on something is an important part of this lesson.

Be Intentional – Your spouse doesn’t always want you to “just wing it” especially when it comes to the relationship.  We have little traditions that show each other we care.  My wife always likes a good card for Valentine’s Day, her Birthday, and our Anniversary to name a few, but I go the extra mile and write my own poem in these cards. Yes, one that I make up myself!  It doesn’t take long but it speaks volumes in intentionally telling her how much I love her in my own words.

Be AvailableIf you aren’t around much because you work and travel all of the time, then it makes it difficult to grow your relationship.  Not impossible, but difficult.  Luckily I have not had to travel too much with my work.  But besides being in town, being available when you are in town is what I’m talking about.  My wife and I have often met for “dates” just for breakfast.  Yes, breakfast out.  It’s not as crowded and it’s less expensive than dinner. Or do lunch.  Every date doesn’t have to be a fancy dinner at an expensive restaurant.  There’s nothing better than meeting over a meal that no one has to cook or clean up for.  We also go on walks together as often as we can, usually every day after dinner.  This gives us time to talk and catch up on what happened in our day while doing something else important – exercising.

Be AdventurousFor our honeymoon 25 years ago I took my wife to France. This was BEFORE the internet.  I had to write letters to hotels to reserve a room and find out the exact prices.  It took a fair amount of planning and work.  But the adventure we had when we went on that trip made it all worthwhile.

25 years later – this summer – we went back to France and had just as much adventure as the first time.  We were able to visit many wineries in the Bordeaux region, as well as castles in the Loire valley.  We were able to go to Giverny to see Monet’s house and gardens, and end up in Paris for several days of site seeing including Versailles, Musee d’Orsay, Les Tuilleries, The Eiffel Tower (of course), and the Louvre.  One fun adventure we had was going to a cooking class where we shopped for the ingredients and then learned how to cook a number of dishes including mussels, coq aux vin, and poached peaches with vanilla ice cream.

Be OpenBy this I mean communicate”.  Don’t keep everything bottled up inside.  As men we typically want to keep our feelings inside and that makes it hard on your spouse.  Being open also means being open to “feedback” on what you can do better and what is going great without getting all bent out of shape about it.

I could write many other lessons I have learned in 25 years of marriage but there just isn’t enough paper in this newsletter!  I’m far from a perfect husband, but my best trait is that I keep on trying to do better. I guess you’d call that focused persistence. Some of these same lessons also apply to your relationship with your clients and customers.  Can you see some similarities?  I hope so, but keep the trips to France with just you and your spouse…

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