Springboard Summer 2013 - Credit.org · preparing meals at home is that left-overs can be used to prepare bag lunches for the following day. This will enable you to save the money

Volume 8 - Issue 1 Summer 2013

You can contact SPRINGBOARD® by mail, phone, fax or email; we are always here to help.

Mail: SPRINGBOARD®Nonprofit Consumer Credit ManagementP.O. Box 5438Riverside, CA 92517-5438

Phone: 1-877-Wise-Plan (1.877.947.3752)E-mail: [email protected]: 1.951.781.8027Website: www.credit.org

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Raising Money Smart Children

Children can have solid reading, writing and math skills, but research shows theywill struggle, even fail as adults if they cannot manage theirmoney. As parents, grandparents, and even mentors, wecan change that by teaching our children basic financialconcepts. The summer months can be the perfect time.While children are looking for activities to keep them busyuntil the start of the new academic school year, why nottake advantage of this time to teach good financial habitsthat will carry them through adulthood.

Following are 10 basic steps to teach your children respon-sibility with money.

1. Examine your own attitudes about money.

2. Involve your child in family financial planning.

3. Give your children an allowance and let him/her be in charge of spendingit. When your child runs out of money and still wants something, he/she willhave to do without.

4. Expect your child to contribute to family chores.

5. Provide extra income opportunities.

cont. on pg. 2...

Todd Emerson,President and Chief

Executive Officer

The Dollar Stretcher Page 2

The Dollar StretcherP.O. Box 14160 • Bradenton, FL 34280-4160Phone: (941) 761-7805 • Fax: (941) 584-4954Publisher: Dollar Stretcher, Inc.Editor-In-Chief: Gary Foreman

The Dollar Stretcher is published monthlyAnnual subscriptions $36.00 (US$)Group rates available on requestReprints for non-profit classes also availablePlease call for information

Copyright 2013 Dollar Stretcher, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Dollar Stretcher does not assumeresponsibility for advice given. Alladvice should be weighed against yourown abilities and circumstances andapplied accordingly. It is up to thereader to determine if advice is safeand suitable for his own situation.

6. Teach your child to save regularly. They should set aside a portion of allincome, including money received for birthdays, holidays, and special occasions.

7. Help your child discover the satisfaction of sharing; use every opportunityto teach personal values.

8. Show your child how to be a wise consumer. Teach him/her to comparisonshop and to be aware of persuasive advertising.

9. Teach your child a healthy attitude toward credit.

10. Teach your child the value of wise investments. Pick a stock together and teachhim/her how to follow it.

The idea is to have fun by creating opportunities that will encourage learning at allage levels. The sooner children are taught basic financial concepts; the better theywill be at managing their money as adults.

For more tips on teaching children about money, visit our learning center athttp://credit.org/learning-center to download a free copy of our seminar booklet,Raising a Money Smart Child.

Visit Springboard online at www.Springboard.org or call 800.449.9818.

Raising Money Smart Children cont...

http://credit.org/assets/ebooks/MoneySmartChild.pdf

Who doesn’t love summertime?The world slows down a little.Our minds turn to some of the

more enjoyable things in life like travel,entertainment, and social activities.

However, for many of us, cost is a con-sideration. So let’s explore five low-and no-cost ways to enjoy summer.

Become a treasure hunter. We’re allused to devices that use GPS to tell usexactly where we are. But did you knowthat they can be used to have fun, too?

Enter geocaching. A geocache is asmall packet that’s hidden in plainsight. On <www.geocaching.com>,you’ll find caches listed. Your job is tochoose one. Follow the clues andattempt to find the cache. Once you’vefound it, you add your name to a logthat’s hidden with it.

Caches have been hidden all over theworld. Some players limit their search-es locally, but others make geocachingpart of their vacation.

All you need to get started is a comput-er and a device with GPS. Playing isfree! So if you’ve ever wanted to findburied treasure, here’s your chance.You might not get wealthy, but you willdiscover a load of fun.

Hold a virtual scavenger hunt. Foryears, scavenger hunts have been a

group favorite. Two or more teamssearch out a list of items. In the origi-nal game, they collected the items andthen brought them back to the startingpoint. The first team to complete thelist and return wins.

Digital cameras and cell phones havegiven us an updated version. Nowteams spread out and collect picturesof items on the list. The items to bephotographed can be wonderfully var-ied. Items from nature (like a bird’snest) can be mixed with human inter-est (a mother and baby) and commer-cial (a rare brand or logo). Let yourimagination run wild.

Technology not only changes the itemsyou’re collecting, but also affects howyou find them. Teams have beenknown to use searches to help findtheir quarry. Cheaters might even try tosneak in a picture they found on thenet. You can prevent that by makingthem include something current in thepicture.

Check out the local talent. Whetheryou like Broadway productions or goodmusic, there’s likely to be some good,low-cost entertainment available nearyou.

Colleges are an excellent place tostart. Most have low- or no-cost movienights for students and locals. If thecollege has a speech and theatre

Add some frugal fun!

5 Low-Cost Ways to Have Summer Funby Gary Foreman

living better...for less Page 3

cont. on pg. 4...

department, they’ll offer student pro-ductions. The quality is often verygood.

Don’t forget to check local papers andwebsites for their community bulletinboards. You’ll find all kinds of enter-tainment options, including up andcoming performers at local establish-ments.

Revive old games. Games weren’talways connected to a video screenand a game system or the internet.Discover the world of board games.You’ll find the games inexpensive andpacked with entertainment value.Often you can buy them at thrift storesor garage sales.

Play was designed to encourage inter-action among the players, whichmakes for great conversation.Generally games take an hour ormore, so you can have a wholeevening’s entertainment for the cost ofbeverages and snacks!

Become a virtual explorer. Most of uswill never get to explore the AmazonRiver basin, climb Mt. Everest, or setfoot on Mars, but with the internet, wecan do the next best thing, which isexperience them virtually.

What have you always wanted to do?Set aside time to make that dreaminto a virtual reality. Begin by doing

some research. Read all you canabout your adventure. Are there waysto experience the food, drink, clothingor other aspects? Can you experi-ence the restaurants, shops, ormuseums?

Invite friends to share the adventurewith you. While you may not have feltthe humidity of a tropical rain forest,your mind will have experienced muchof it for pennies.

Gary Foreman is a former financial plannerwho founded The Dollar Stretcher.

Summer Fun cont...


Americans are currentlyexperiencing the “nearextinction” of a very impor-

tant custom. This endangeredcustom is that of family mealtime. It seems there are negativerepercussions occurring as thistradition diminishes. There aremany benefits to gathering as afamily around a table at home toenjoy good food and meaningfulconversation.

According to studies done by theU.S. Centers for Disease Control, morethan one third of American adults areobese. Their statistics also indicate thatchildhood obesity has more than tripledin the past thirty years. An increase inthe obesity rate is connected to theincreased frequency of eating unhealthymeals away from home, an increase in asedentary lifestyle, and the amount ofexposure children have to advertise-ments that encourage the consumptionof foods and drinks with high sugar con-tent. Reviving “family dinner time” wouldbe a positive step toward establishinghealthier eating habits. When you pre-pare meals at home you can:

~ control the quality of ingredients~ control the amount of sugar and salt

that goes into each dish you prepare~ maintain greater portion control

From a cost perspective, eating at homeis more frugal than eating at a chain

restaurant or at a fast food location.Dining at home enables you to preparefood in a healthier manner. One of themost common excuses given for aban-doning family meal time at home is thateating out is faster. For your health andfor the health of your family, there arethings you can do to make preparingmeals at home quick, easy, and healthy.

~ Set aside some time on the weekendto pre-cut vegetables for futuremeals and for bag lunches.

~ Prepare large quantities of food andfreeze some for quick and easym e a l s o n d a y s w h e n y o u ’ r e experiencing a time crunch.

~ Enlist the help of your spouse andchildren. Extra hands can reduce thepreparation time.

According to the National RestaurantAssociation, 49% of every food dollar isspent in restaurants. Preparing meals at

l iving better...for less Page 5

And, improve your health, too!

Eating Together Could Save You Moneyby Veronica Bowman

cont. on pg. 6...

Eating Together cont...

home definitely qualifies as a more fru-gal way to feed your family. One quickinternet search will reveal an abundanceof frugal shopping tips to help you staywithin a budget as you make plans torevive the custom of having familymeals at home. There’s also a wealth ofhealthy, budget-friendly recipes andcooking tips available to help you withthe transition from drive-through to sitdown meals. You can get the whole fam-ily involved in this new adventure.

~ Let each person claim a certain dayas “their” day to choose the menu.This may require some parentalguidance.

~ Once a week, introduce everyone toa new fruit or vegetable.

~ Keep in mind that diversity is the keyto keeping meals interesting.

A budget bonus that comes withpreparing meals at home is that left-overs can be used to prepare baglunches for the following day. This willenable you to save the money youwere spending at fast food locationsand assure that the whole family is get-ting a healthy lunch.

The whole family can become morephysically active if you grow some ofyour own vegetables. Gardening is goodexercise that yields more than just edi-ble rewards. It provides an opportunityfor everyone to get outdoors, enjoy thesunshine, and get involved in some

physical activity, all of which are benefi-cial to everyone’s health.

A report by Martha Marino and SueButkus of Washington State Universityprovides detailed information regardingthe benefits of family meals. Among thebenefits mentioned are improved com-munication with children, improvementin a child’s school performance and bet-ter nutrition. The report also notes thatchildren actually appreciate the depend-ability of family meal time.

Maybe, due to the busyness of today’sfamily, having breakfast or dinnertogether every day is not a reasonableexpectation. However, the custom ofeating together as a family is so benefi-cial that striving to revive it is well worththe effort. The financial benefits are cer-tainly a bonus during a time when manyof us are pinching pennies and stretch-ing dollars.


7 essential items for your ad

Selling on Craigslistby Brittney Walker

Craigslist is by far the easiest (andcheapest) way to sell all that junkcluttering your house. It’s as sim-

ple as posting a listing for the item(s)you are trying to sell, and then waitingfor the responses to come flooding in.The hardest part for new users is figur-ing out how to write the post.

Most people don’t realize that to get themost out of your ad, you must think likea buyer when you write your ad. If youwere looking to buy this item, whatwould you want to know about it beforetaking the time to email the owner? Ifyou were a buyer, would you even takethe time to reply to an ad that didn’t tellyou anything about the item?

It’s very important to include at mini-mum, the following in your ad:

1. Price

Buyers want to know how much you areasking for your item before they take

the time to email you, or even openyour ad, because if you’re asking toomuch, they don’t want to waste theirtime with you. Make sure that you havethe price clearly listed in the ad as wellas on the space near the top, whereyou are allowed to share your pricenext to your listing title.

2. Condition

Your potential customers want to makesure that they are getting what theywant and need. If you have a prettybeat up iPhone, describe its conditionas well as possible. For electronics,make sure that you note any problemsit may have. By doing this, you’ll findthe right buyer that will not want toreturn the item after purchase.

3. Model # (if applicable)

Having a model number in your listingis super important if your item doeshave a model number. Some people


cont. on pg. 8...

Craigslist cont...

may be searching for that exactmodel to replace or repair their own.Maybe they want it to add to a collec-tion. There are also re-sellers oncraigslist. They want to know the itemmodel number so that they can checkit out online to see if they can make aprofit off it.

4. Brand

Whether you’re selling clothes,phones, shoes, or furniture, brand isalways important to have in your list-ing. Brand-picky people will pay extrafor items if they are a name brand,even if there’s another item just like itfor less. If you have a nice brandname item, tell the brand name in thetitle as well as the listing.

5. Location

Craigslist gives you a textbox to writeyour location, so use it. Say your city,not the region. People want to make

sure that you’re not too far awaybefore they email you about some-thing. In your ad, try to be descriptivewith your location without givingaway your address. Maybe give a zipcode or a local landmark?

6. Description

This one is especially important.Buyers want to know what they arebuying before they buy it. Tell asmuch as you can about the item,including color, style, etc.

7. Pictures

If you’re listing DVDs or somethinglike that, you don’t usually need pic-tures. For most everything else, pic-tures are a necessity. It can showbuyers more about your item thanwords can. Some people only searchlistings with pictures, so having a pic-ture increases your chances of beingseen.


Buying better vision for less

Saving Money on Eyeglassesby Rich Finzer

living better...for less Page 9

itive, so to attract new customers, mostchains offer coupons for an eye examand one pair of glasses. The tactic is tooffer you a package deal and persuadeyou to upgrade the glasses you selectwith clear coated lenses or those thatdarken automatically. As when buying anew car, the dealer makes larger profitsselling you optional equipment. If yourfavorite eyewear chain isn’t running acoupon deal, it will most likely honor acompetitor’s coupon. How large areeyewear coupons? They can be for asmuch as 25 percent off, so watch theSunday ads or you might miss out. And

cont. on pg. 10...

After age 41, I was forced to beginwearing reading glasses. Andwith roughly 10,000 Americans

retiring every day, many of those newretirees will soon become slaves to cor-rective lenses themselves. Eyeglassescan be expensive to acquire, anddepending upon the individual, theymay require annual changes to the lensprescription. But having said all this, acrafty shopper can still save moneywhen purchasing spectacles. As my wifehas spent the last 25 years working foran eye care company, I went to her forsome money-saving tips, and here areher best suggestions.

Understand your vision plan: If yourhealth insurance plan includesa vision care benefit, be cer-tain you understand itclearly. Some plans payfor an annual eye examand a complete pair ofglasses. Other plansonly offer this coverageon a biennial basis.Either way, the cover-age is for a set periodof months, so be sureto use it.

Coupons: The retail eyecare business is very compet-

Eyeglasses cont...

missing the ad is a tell-tale sign that youreally need glasses.

BOGOF: Just like when buying gro-ceries, vision retailers often run buy one,get one free promotions on eyeglasses.The deal is usually on frames beingphased out or very inexpensive ones,but you still end up with a second pair ofspecs. If you’ve ever run over yourglasses with the lawn mower, ordropped them overboard like I have(both), a second pair of glasses is agodsend.

Back to school: Assuming you can waituntil early or mid-summer, every eye-glass retailer runs aggressive back-to-school specials, and they’re not only forkids. Leveraging these sales can helpyou save big, which is particularly impor-tant if you don’t have a vision plan.

Extra discounts: Let’s assume youdon’t have vision care insurance cover-age and nobody is running a sale. Youmight still be entitled to a discount onyour new glasses. The AAA auto club,AARP, and similar organizations havesecured eye care discounts with manymajor eyeglass retailers.

Shop online: A terrific strategy whenbuying extra pairs of glasses or pre-scription sunglasses is to shop the web.Discounts on designer eyewear may runas high as 80 percent over what a brickand mortar retailer charges. Many sites


offer free shipping, but there are down-sides as well. You will need a prescrip-tion from a trained, licensed optometrist.Before venturing online, be certain youhave a written copy of your current lensprescription. The other negative associ-ated with shopping online is you can’t tryon a pair of frames to see how they lookon you. If you’re particular about style,you may want to stay with a brick andmortar location. If you do want to shoponline, a great website to begin yoursearch is <www.justeyewear.com/how-to-buy-glasses-online>.

Remember that 70 percent of your sen-sory input is received via your eyes.With a little strategic planning, there’s noreason why you can have the best ofboth worlds with a healthy pair of eyesand significant savings as well.

I only need my glasses when reading,writing, or performing other close work.But, it’s still a subtle form of penanceassociated with growing older. I spendmore time trying to remember where Iset them down last than I do wearingthem!

Rich Finzer resides in upstate New York.During his 43 years as a writer, he has pub-lished over 1,000 newspaper, magazine andInternet articles. His award-winning bookMaple on Tap is available through his pub-lisher; ACRES USA. His novel Taking theTracks is available at Amazon.com

Are the walls of your house starting to close in onyou? Are the tired furniture, dingy paint, anddusty curtains prompting you to pack up and

move? Are you addicted to the HGTV shows? Beforeyou jump into the housing market, consider these tips tofreshen up your space without busting your budget.

First off, you need a plan and a budget. You can do a loton a limited amount of money, but some projects requiremore than others. If you are planning a major renova-tion, first consider how it will affect the resale value ofyour house. According to Remodeling Magazine’s annu-al report at <www.remodeling.hw.net/2013/costvsvalue/national.aspx>, kitchens and bathrooms net a big returnon your investment, while bedrooms and living areasdon’t offer as much. A minor kitchen makeover gives youa 75.4% return, while a bathroom remodel will yield arespectable 65.2% return on your investment. Most peo-ple want to personalize these areas, so putting toomuch money here can backfire.

Another area that offers a big reward is outdoor living,such as decks, patios, three-season porches, coveredsunrooms, or formal gardens. Any investment madehere will increase your home’s value and add moresquare footage of living space. Choose carefully if youare mainly considering your home’s resale value. Awooden deck will return 77.3% of your cost, while a sun-room only adds 46.5% at a much bigger investment. Fora whopping 85.6% return, replace your entry door witha steel one and spruce it up at the same time.

Once you pick a room to tackle, decide on a theme. Thiscould be an architectural style, like Mission,Contemporary, or Eclectic. Or you could choose a colortheme with one or two accent hues to complement it. Orbase your room on a favorite collection, a treasured artprint, or the funky old couch your grandma gave you.

cont. on pg. 12...


An affordable new look

A Room Makeover for $100 or Less!by Shaunna Privratsky


Room Makeover cont...

Divide your plan into five major areas: flooring, walls,lighting, furniture, and accessories. Make a list of itemsyou’ll need and estimated costs. Having a plan makesthe project go smoothly and eliminates overspending.

Now that you have your plan, go online or pick up thephone. Calling stores to locate the items you need andgetting an idea of prices eliminates some legwork. Shoparound for price as well as quality. When your shoppinglist is complete, you should hop in your car. Grouperrands at stores that are nearby to save time and gas.

Flooring can be a big expense. Hate the green shag car-peting but can’t afford to replace it? Cover it with anattractive area rug. Discount stores, home improvementstores, and even catalogs are good sources for inexpen-sive rugs. I scored a room-size rug for $49 at a back-to-school sale. The regular price was $189!

Walls are a relatively easy fix. Neutral or light walls willexpand the space visually. Yet don’t be afraid of color.You could paint one wall your focal color, like OceanBlue, and then paint the other walls a pale gray. Paint isthe cheapest, fastest way to start your “look.” I buy Wal-Mart’s store brand for around $15 a gallon. The colorscan be custom-mixed, and the semi-gloss finish makescleaning a snap and offers excellent coverage.

Lights add visibility and mood. The lamps or lights youhave will most likely work, or you can spray paint themfor a totally new look at a fraction of the cost of new light-ing. Shining light upwards also draws the eye up andmakes the room appear taller. To update our blacklamps, I purchased feather trim for $8 at Michael’s. Withglue, it instantly transformed Modern style into Safari.

Furniture is another area to consider. You may just needto update what you have. Slipcovers are a quick way to

cont. on pg. 13...

change that old chair into the new favorite seat. Or youcan paint wood or metal furniture to give it new life.

Rooms become “stale” when everything stays the same.Add excitement by mixing things up. If the sofa hasalways been in front of the window, put it against thewall. Pick a new wall for the focal point with a large pic-ture, mirror, or wall design.

During our recent living room redo, I needed a largepiece of wall art for the “new” area created when I paint-ed dramatic horizontal stripes on our 16’ wall. I decidedon a metal wall plaque, but blanched at the outrageousprices at department and furniture stores.

Instead, I found a gorgeous piece on clearance at a hard-ware store for only $15! The corners were banged up, soI filled in the cracks with spackling, sanded, and paintedit. The sconces setting it off were half-priced Halloweendecorations from Target. I paid only $4 for them.

Next comes the accessories. Remember that less ismore; there will be less to dust and more drama. Thiscan cement the theme you choose. For example, if youare going for a Contemporary look, choose sleek vaseswith a single flower, chunky black candlesticks, etc.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Walls can be re-paint-ed and furniture can be recovered or rearranged, andyou can change your theme. Decorating should be fun.Make it sparkle with a touch of your personality, andyour “new” space will be big on style.

In today’s high-priced home market, it might not be fea-sible to pick up stakes and move. Yet by relocating a fewkey pieces of furniture or picking up a paintbrush, youcan get a whole new look in your home. Once again, itwill be the house of your dreams.

Room Makeover cont...


Tools to reduce your cost

Saving on College Textbooks


Rent College Textbooks

We’ve had great success usingwww.Chegg.com to rent text-books for our son. They havealways had the books we need-ed, and it’s very simple to useand return the books once fin-ished. Also, they are less expen-sive than renting books from theuniversity itself.Joan H. in Wilmington, DE

Looking Online

I used www.Amazon.com (andlooked at the used section), andwww.BarnesandNoble.com(also the used section) to getbooks. Simply search for thebook, and the listing shouldinclude new, used, and rentaloptions. Be aware that oftenwhen buying used books, theseller will use USPS media mail,which significantly adds to ship-ping time. Order your books wellin advance (I tried to allow at

Two Tricks to Savings

When I was an undergrad, I went to one of whatI believe was only two universities in the countrythat rented their college textbooks as part ofyour tuition. Needless to say, when I headed offto chiropractic school, I was in for a serious caseof sticker shock at the price of books.

I caught on quickly that while the books cost afortune to buy, the stores didn’t pay much for thebooks when you went to resell them. I boughtmy books for just a little more than the store waspaying from people who had just taken theclass. It was pretty easy, too. I basically waitedoutside of the class I was taking next semesterand asked people coming out if they would sellme their book.

My other trick was when they used the “new ver-sion” of the book. The changes often times did-n’t matter to me. Sometimes it was as small asupdating the references. In those cases, I wouldjust buy the “old” book. To be very honest, I can’tthink of a single time I didn’t buy a book in oneof these two ways. I would even wing it with theolder book most of the time because usuallywith the notes, I didn’t miss much.Dr. Edward

This past year, I found two great ways to save money on college textbooks. Thefirst is with Half.eBay.com. This is a branch of eBay where shoppers can findtextbooks often for only a few dollars each. The second option is to obtain a

copy of the books you need from the campus or local library. Even if the branch nearyou does not own the books you need, they can obtain them through inter-library loanprograms at no cost to you. This past year alone, I saved $300 compared to my cam-pus bookstore’s prices. Does anyone have any other sources to try?Elizabeth G.

cont. on pg. 15...

http://www.half.ebay.com/

least two weeks), so that youhave the books before you startthe class.

You can also rent college text-books for your Kindle (and prob-ably for the Nook, as well),which is especially usefulbecause you can then searchthe book. Consider traditionaltextbook rentals. There aremany rental sites, some ofwhich can be found at<http://textbook-rentals-online-review.toptenreviews.com/>.

Many colleges also have somesort of a book selling/tradingprogram where students canpost books they no longer needfor others to buy.

Also, keep in mind that you may want to keepsome of your books (especially if you mightneed the same book for a later class, which hap-pens with nursing, for example), so looking for acheap way to own them may be in your bestinterest.Kathi

Know the ISBN

Know what ISBN your college textbook has;each number is unique to the book and its edi-tion. The same text will have a different ISBN forpaperback and hardcover. The number shouldbe available from the college bookstore or book-store website. It is also found on the verso (frontpage) of the textbook where you see copyright,publication year and company, and other infor-mation. Once you know the ISBN, you can shopwhere you like for the lowest price and be sureyou are purchasing the correct text for your

class.Clare (former librarian)

Trade Books for Free

I belong to www.PaperBackSwap.comand have gotten college textbooksfrom them.Chris


College Textbooks cont...

Understanding when to use a power of attorney

Power of Attorney by Rick Kahler

Is it a good idea to give control ofyour finances to someone elsethrough a power of attorney?

Maybe. Or maybe not. It’s foolish tosign away complete authority to some-one who may or may not be trustwor-thy. It’s equally foolish to refuse to con-sider a power of attorney in circum-stances where it could serve you well.

In a recent case where a power ofattorney might have been given tooeasily, best-selling author PatriciaCornwell charged a financial manage-ment firm with negligence, alleging thatit cost her millions of dollars. She hadhired the firm to take care of her finan-cial affairs, authorizing its managerthrough a power of attorney to makedecisions on her behalf.

At the other extreme, one of my clientswas taking care of financial matters forher elderly father, who hadAlzheimer’s. Yet when she mentioned apower of attorney, her father refused tosign one. Even with his memory failing,he had retained the idea that givingcontrol of his money to someone elsewas a really bad idea.

People don’t necessarily realize that apower of attorney can offer a wholerange of options between “go aheadand do everything” and “absolutelynot.” There are many situations wherea limited power of attorney might be


useful. Such a document authorizessomeone to act on your behalf only forone narrow purpose. It spells out theboundaries of that person’s authorityand often expires after a given periodof time.

One common use for a limited power ofattorney is to facilitate the sale of apiece of real estate or other propertyfrom a distance. If you have to move toOhio but your house back in Nebraskahasn’t sold yet, you could authorize atrusted friend, relative, or financial pro-fessional to handle the transaction foryou.

Another way a limited power of attor-ney is often used is to have someonetake care of your affairs while you aretemporarily unavailable or incapable.Suppose you’re undergoing treatmentfor a serious illness or injury, or you’retaking a three-month trip around theworld. You might want to authorize afamily member to pay your bills andmake other necessary decisions. Theauthority you give them could be asbroad or narrow as you deem appropri-ate.

Many couples execute durable powersof attorney granting their spouses orchildren broad authority to act forthem if they become disabled. Thishas become a common and helpfulcomponent of retirement/old age plan-ning.

cont. on pg. 17...

Yet I see far fewer people using limit-ed powers of attorney. One reasonfor this may be the expense and has-sle. You don’t necessarily want tohire an attorney to draw up a com-plex document every time you go onvacation.

If you think limited powers of attorneymight be useful for you, one possibil-ity could be to look online. Severalsites offer legal forms at reasonablerates. Just keep in mind these are“one size fits all.” Be sure the formsare valid in your state and that youunderstand what you’re signing.

Another option might be to see if yourattorney would draft one documentas a template, including language tocover various situations. Then youcould adapt it as needed for specificpurposes.

Whatever the circumstances, remem-ber that a power of attorney is a use-ful but potentially dangerous tool. It’sa bit like a chainsaw. An expert canmake beautiful sculpture with it, butan amateur can cut someone’s legoff. Before you put that much powerinto anyone’s hands, make sure youcan trust the person to use it well.

Kahler, Certified Financial Planner®, MS,ChFC, CCIM, founded Kahler FinancialGroup, and became South Dakota’s firstfee-only financial planner in 1983. In

2009, Wealth Manager named KahlerFinancial Group as the largest financialplanning firm in a seven-state area. A pio-neer in the evolution of integrating finan-cial psychology with traditional financialplanning profession, Rick is co-founderand co-facilitator of the five-day intensiveHealing Money Issues Workshop offeredby Onsite Workshops of Nashville,Ten n e s s e e . H i s w e b s i t e i s a t<www.KahlerFinancial.com>.


Power of Attorney cont...

By virtue of being produced insmall batches with limited distri-bution, craft beer costs more

than its widely produced counterparts.This fact goes hand in hand with why weenjoy it so much; it is somebody else’slabor of love. This isn’t a reason to throwin the towel however, and revisit yourearliest drinking days of tasteless lagersand 40-ounce malt liquors. With a littleeffort and resourcefulness on your part(it’s worth it, we promise), you can stillsample unique and tasty brews andsave your hard-earned dollars. The fol-lowing five tips will let you have yourbeer and drink it, too.

Hit a Happy Hour

It takes a bit of research,but we like to think it’sresearch you’ll enjoy.Scope out the bars inyour neighborhood withinteresting craft beerselections, and then visitthem during happy hour.Find Craft Beer is a smart-phone app that uses GPS tofind brewpubs and breweriesas well as bars, stores, andhome brewing shops near

your location. The app also lets you linkto www.BeerMapping.com to readreviews of the locations before you visit.

Once you find an establishment withhappy hour prices that make you, well,happy, be sure to chat up the bartenderor the bar manager. If the spot servesinteresting brews, chances are good adistributer has come by to educate thefolks who will be serving it. Often thebartenders will know interesting factoidsabout the different varieties you’re sam-pling. Not to mention that a customer


Enjoy the TLC of a craft beer for less

5 Ways to Save on Craft-Brewed Beer by Gregg Smith

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Craft-Brewed Beer cont...

who shows a lot of interest in the craftbeer selection is incentive for theestablishment to keep including note-worthy brews on the menu.

Find a Festival

Sure, you have to pay the cost ofadmission, and you don’t get to takethe beer home with you. But if you’reinterested in sampling as many locallyproduced craft brews as humanly pos-sible in the span of an afternoon,there’s no greater bang for your buckthan a beer festival.

Most festivals offer pre-sale tickets,which give beer lovers a cost savingsover buying at the door, not to mentionthe added bonus of securing a spot atevents that often sell out. Not sure howto f i n d t h e n e a r e s t f e s t i v a l ?www.BeerAdvocate.com has an exten-sive events page and lets you searchby country, city, and event type. Nowgrab yourself a designated driver andgo get festive!

Visit a Brewery

If you’re lucky enough to live in a townwith an interesting brewery, visit often.This is a great way to discover new andseasonal beers by brew masters youalready know you like, and even thesix-pack price costs less on locationbecause there’s no mark up. Whileyou’re there, buy a growler of the

house-brew to take home. Typically, agrowler holds 64 ounces and mostbreweries will let you bring it back for arefill, which is significantly cheapersince you paid for the bottle the firsttime.

The next time you travel, make plans tovisit nearby breweries in the citiesyou’re visiting. In fact, planning yourvacation entirely around destinationswith fantastic beer is an idea we canstand behind. www.CraftBeer.comoffers a continuously updated map ofall US breweries and lets you search bystate, brewery name, or keyword.

Bev-Mo

While many bigger cities have mom andpop beer and wine warehouses foracquiring your craft brews, Bev-Mo isone of the major chains that actuallystock a decent selection of local andregionally sourced micro-brews. Plus, ifyou join ClubBev, every time yourspending in the store reaches $250, youget a 5% savings reward you can use tobuy more beer. As an added bonus, thefirst time you order online you get aneven bigger savings (10% off), makingthe fact that your order will be ready andwaiting for you even sweeter.

Brew at Home

While you certainly do have to lay outsome cash to become a player in the


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Craft-Brewed Beer cont...

home-brewing game, down the line,the cost-savings can be significant.The easiest way to get started is to buya kit, which generally ranges from $80-$100 for the most basic equipment.Over time, depending upon your beercrafting interests, you’ll likely invest inmore specialized equipment that givesyou greater flexibility during the brew-ing process. Ingredients cost roughly$25-$60 per five gallon batch depend-ing on the style being brewed (five gal-lons makes about two cases of 12-ounce bottles with 24 bottles percase).

Once your operation is up and running,the costs associated with home brew-ing simply become the price of ingredi-ents and the value of your time (whichoften ranges from 8-14 hours spreadout over several weeks). Six packs ofhome brew can cost as little as $2.87for Pale Ale, $5.90 for IPA, or $6.88 forImperial Stout. Compare these costs toone of our favorite brew master’s six-pack prices at $8.49 for Pale Ale,$9.99 for IPA, and $12.49 for ImperialStout, and it’s easy to see that homebrewing can be a bargain. If you’reespecially resourceful, you’ll scavengebottles from store bought beers tosave even more on your bottling costs.

Taking into account the learning curveinvolved in crafting brag-worthy brews,as well as a time investment that mightweed out those who aren’t fully com-


mitted, we’re fans of home brewing asa cost-saving option. We hope you’llemploy some combination of theabove cost-saving tips to get out thereand start enjoying more delicious craftbeer today.

Gregg Smith is the Social Media Coordinatorat <www.WearYourBeer.com>, an onlinestore.

Frugal and green living has always been importantto me. An area that used to concern me for bothreasons was the Christmas gift-giving process.

The insane obsession of finding the right gifts (and lotsof them) and then watching the huge pile of discardedChristmas wrapping paper grow made me crazy. So, afew years back, I decided to offer a new idea to mygrown children (now with little ones of their own).Everyone agreed to holding our first “RecycledChristmas.”

The rules of the “Recycled Christmas” were as follows:

1. Al l g i f ts had to be pre-owned or made f romrecycled/recyclable materials in some way. It wasokay if someone purchased a new, even unopeneditem from a yard or other secondhand sale or store.Items that came from a natural source, such ashoney, jams or jellies made from wild or homegrown sources, nuts picked from a tree, dried herbs,etc., were all just fine. They were especiallygood if they were packaged in secondhandjars or other containers. Craft items made from recycled items were also acceptable.

2. Each person was required to submit a list ofitems that they would be okay with receivingfrom pre-used sources. This list needed tobe available sometime before the end ofsummer (to allow for yard/garage salepurchases). Like the entire “RecycledChristmas” idea, gift selection ismore time consuming than the traditional “run into the store and grab something”method, as it requires really givingthought about the person to whom youare giving. My feeling on the timeinvestment is that thinking about my loved

How one family changed their holiday

My Story: Recycled Christmas contributed by Lorrie


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My Story cont...

one and their interests and likes is an important partof the process. So, I don’t mind investing a bit ofextra time (plus, I love yard sales!). I also found thatI was able to streamline my time expenditure byusing eBay, Etsy, and other such online services.

3. All gifts must be packaged in containers that weremade from recycled materials and/or were recyclable. Gift bags could be made of any type of recycled fabric(pretty pillowcases tied at the top with ribbon don’trequire any sewing and are great for larger packages). Any type of jar or tin could be used.Wrapping paper could be made out of decoratedpaper bags, newspaper, or brown packing paper.Gallon metal cans, decorated with ribbon or paint,could be turned into buckets and covered with recycled tissue paper from other gifts. Even kitty litter buckets could be decorated to serve as great wrappers.

4. During the holiday gift-giving gathering, wewould all share where and how we got great deals on items that were purchased, traded for, and sometimes even found for free. Now,

I know it is not traditional to reveal such secrets, but this part of the process helped us to realize how we can be quite frugal andearth-friendly while still giving great gifts that

people really want. It also allowed us eachto share lots of creative ideas.

As we set out on our “RecycledChristmas” idea, each family could set abudget for how much they would spend perperson and then buy gifts accordingly. Theother option was to simply try to find thebest deal on a special gift for each per-

son. For our first “Recycled Christmas,” we all


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My Story cont...

pretty much went with the first idea, which resulted in usall spending over four hours opening gifts. Everyone gotlots of things they wanted, but it turned out to be a bitoverwhelming. The next year, we opted to go with thesecond idea of just looking for a nice gift at the bestprice possible. This was more fun and resulted in somereally creative thinking.

Creativity flourished with our “Recycled Christmas.”There have been great buys from yard sales, flea mar-kets, craigslist, etc., including CDs and DVDs, an entireset of depression glass, lots of tools, fishing gear, a vin-tage breadbox, clothing, Wii games and accessories, atelevision wall mount, books, and toys. Our families’crafting skills rendered lovely aprons and dish towelsfrom recycled fabrics, homemade beeswax candles inbaby food jars, and Italian-themed artwork. My daugh-ter even made stockings for each family member fromrecycled shirts or sweaters. Some gifts have beentraded for, resulting in no expense whatsoever. Thissummer, an end of the day yard sale allowed meto get a huge lot of Thomas the Tank Enginepieces, cards, and tracks for $5. This allowed forme to prepare a wonderful gift for one of ourgrandsons. Other freebies have come from “curbalerts,” including an electric ice cream maker.

Now, I know that this idea isn’t for everyone,but if your family will buy in, it can saveeveryone money and result in some enjoy-able holiday experiences for all, whilecaring a bit more for our planet.

My Story is a regular feature of The DollarStretcher. If you have information that can helpothers save time or money please send it to:My Story c/o The Dollar Stretcher, PO Box14160, Bradenton FL 34280.


13 ways to find art supplies for less

Artistic Fun on a Budgetby Jeanine DeHoney

As an art teacher for preschoolers and their oldersiblings for many years, I loved seeing them cre-ate, whether they were making noodle collages

or drawing a self-portrait. Although I received a grant tobuy art supplies for my young artists, I was prudent andfound creative ways to replenish my supplies. Now thatI am a grandparent living on a fixed income, helping mygrandchildren create artistic masterpieces could haveput a large dent in my pocket. Thanks to some valuablelessons on frugality, I’ve learned to keep my artist’s binfull of fun stuff and have provided my grandchildren withfree or discounted art enrichment opportunities duringtheir visits. Here are 13 ways to help you create for yourchildren or grandchildren artistic fun on a budget.

1. Get the word out. Let family and friends know thatyou are collecting art supplies. They may havereams of paper, crayons, or markers that their ownchildren are no longer using and are willing to share.

2. Instead of buying a paint smock for your child orgrandchild, use an oversized t-shirt and let yourchild decorate with markers or fabric paint to makeit unique.

3. Make your own paint with fruit, such as blueberriesor blackberries (it will create purple paint), or spiceslike saffron to create yellow paint. Soak the fruit inwater and then sift fruit out of the liquid. Add cornstarch to make thicker paint. You can also usefruits and vegetables that may be bruised as a stamper by cutting them in half and dipping in paint.

4. Make your own play dough with two cups of flourand one cup of salt. Add one cup of water gradually(less or more) until the dough is a good consistencyand add food coloring if you like. Your child cansculpt items on his or her own or you can use


cont. on pg. 25...

cookie cutter shapes and dry them overnight aftercutting them out, and then paint and decorate them.

5. Don’t get rid of old broken crayons. Take the wrappers off and put different colors in muffin tins.Spray with nonstick spray and then bake until melted at 250 degrees. When thoroughly cooled,take the muffin shaped crayons out of the tins.

6. Save colored tissue paper from gift bags to make abeautiful collage. You can also ball pieces of tissuepaper up and wet slightly to paint with. The colorsare similar to watercolors.

7. Use the cardboard tubes of tissue and paper towelrolls or oatmeal boxes to come up with clever projects. Use paper towel rol l tubes to make telescopes and kaleidoscopes.

8. Shop at yard sales for items you can use for an artproject. You may find wallpaper samples, fabricswatches, old magazines, catalogues, postcards,coloring books, and even an easel or painting set.

9. Take a nature walk with your child or grandchild andfind acorns, pine cones, twigs, seeds, and feathersthat can be used to create a nature sculpture.

10. A clothesline instead of a costly store-bought frameis an inexpensive way to display your child’s orgrandchild’s artwork. Hang it across a playroom orbedroom wall using clothespins to secure eachdrawing. It is also easier to interchange and allowsyou to see the progression of your child’s orgrandchild’s artistic skills and creativity.

11. Children should be exposed to art at an early age todevelop their creativity. Many times during the


Artistic Fun cont...

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Artistic Fun cont...

holidays, art museums have free family days or discounted visits that are worth taking advantage of.Also check out your neighborhood l ibrary’sannouncement board for any events related to thearts and free arts and craft workshops they mayoffer. Your library’s children’s story hour also may befollowed by a craft, such as making finger puppets,etc.

12. If you must shop for art supplies shop at discount stores like Dollar Tree, Dollar General, or Hobby Lobby. For great deals with sometimes 70% off, shop online at discounted art supply sites. Sign up for special savings they may offer if you are a new customer and subscribe to their e-mail.

13. Scan your child’s artwork (especially holiday artwork) and save it on your computer so you canturn it into a calendar to send as Christmas gifts tofamily and friends. If you need help, Snapfish is agreat site that helps you create personalized gifts, oryou can t ry your large chain pharmacy or supermarket.

It is possible to be frugal and help your children haveartistic fun at the same time. You might even be nurtur-ing the next Rembrandt.


Physical disabilities bring manychallenges, often including finan-cial hardship. Sometimes, cir-

cumstances make the goal of acquiringa handicapped-accessible vehicle seemunobtainable.

Many automotive options exist for per-sons with disabilities. For example, vehi-cles can be outfitted with wheelchair orscooter ramps and lifts and hand con-trols. They can also be given loweredfloors, wheelchair restraint systems, androtating and lowering seats. Today’sadaptive driving technologies areimpressive.

They’re also expensive. If you or a fam-ily member has impaired mobility, ahandicapped-accessible vehicle repre-sents more freedom. Grants, vouchers,low-interest loans, and other financialaid exist to put toward a modified vehi-cle.

Your Dealer

Begin the search for financial aid at yourmobility dealer’s office. Your dealerwants to sell you a vehicle almost asmuch as you want one. Salespeoplegenerally familiarize themselves withlocal and state groups and programsthat may help you afford your handi-capped-accessible vehicle. The dealermay even have paperwork and help youfill it out. You’ll at least get some contactinformation.

Organizations You Deal With

If you receive stipends or support froman agency, additional help might beavailable for paying for a convertedvehicle. If you or your loved one’s dis-ability resulted from US military service,for example, you’re likely entitled tomoney for a special vehicle through theVA. If you collect from Social Security,its Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS)program assists with mobility needs.Also, your state’s Department of Healthand Human Services can direct you tosources of grants and other financialassistance.

Disability-Specific Associations

Almost every disease, genetic condition,and type of injury that causes physicaldisability has one or more nationwideorganizations devoted to advancingresearch, raising funds and awareness,and helping those afflicted. Most havestate chapters, so get in touch with thenearest office. Monetary aid is oftenavailable through these groups, andstaffers can point you toward othersources.

State Chapters of Federal Programs

All states have divisions of federal initia-tives and organizations providing assis-tance to disabled residents. For exam-ple, Aging and Disabilities ResourceCenters, Americans with Disabilities Act

Making it easier to get around

How to Find Help Buying a Handicapped-Accessible Vehicleby Eric Mohrman

cont. on pg. 28...


Centers, Area Agencies on Aging, theNational Association of Councils onDevelopmental Disabilities, andStatewide Independent Living Councilsall have regional branches. If you needa handicapped-accessible vehicle to getto work, contact your state’s Office ofVocational Rehabilitation.

Disabled Children

If you have a child with a developmentalor physical disability, a modified vehicleimproves life and helps your family par-ticipate in the community. Many chari-ties and groups provide assistance tofamilies like yours. Inquire with theAdministration for Children andFamilies, the Disabled Children’s ReliefFund, Easter Seals, the MidwestSpecial Needs Trust, the M.O.R.G.A.N.Project, the President’s ChoiceChildren’s Charity, and the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation.

Application Tips

Competition can be considerable for dis-ability assistance. Typically, the morelocal the group, the fewer the applicants,but amounts offered are usually lower.Expanding to state and national levelsgenerally increases the number of appli-cants and wait times, but also amountsoffered.

Personalize your applications. Includereferences, a letter of recommendation

from a doctor, and one or two from aboss, commanding officer, or other pro-fessional associates.

Many applications request an essay orpersonal statement. Complete even theoptional ones, as they help you standout and make your case. Be honest, fac-tual, and brief, illustrating your need andhow a handicapped-accommodatingvehicle would enhance life for you andyour family.

Confirm you’re eligible for each opportu-nity before applying. Read the rules soyou don’t waste time and postage apply-ing for money you don’t qualify for.Disability details, age or residencyrequirements, financial need, or otherpersonal data may disqualify you.

Send out as many applications as pos-sible. Although all forms are different,you’ll provide the same personal infor-mation and copies of the same docu-ments repeatedly. Gather your medicaland financial records, birth certificate,social security card, and other paper-work in one folder.

Organization keeps this task manage-able. Create a list of places you’re peti-tioning and order them by applicationdeadline. Don’t miss deadlines; theyaren’t flexible. If you miss one, keep theinformation on hand, since most offer-ings are annual. Apply next year ifyou’re still putting together your funding.

Handicapped-Accessible Vehicle cont...


Why I Check Receipts

This is just another reminder for folks toalways take the time to look over storereceipts for accuracy. Today, at the gro-cery store, I was charged for an adultcircus ticket of all things. I had to take itto the service desk to get my $7 back! Betsy

Homemade ‘Oxygen’ Cleaner

I love to use an oxygen cleaner for mylaundry, but the name brand is soexpensive! I have learned to make myown from a mixture of one cup hotwater, 1/2 cup baking soda, and 1/2 cuphydrogen peroxide. It removes even oldblood stains! Just soak the clothing in itfor 20 minutes to overnight and thenwash as usual. This will not harm fabriclike bleach. It doesn’t harm colors either!Christine U.

Garage Sale Trick

At our recent garage sale, we had moremerchandise than table space, so wegot creative. Bi-fold closet doors, whichremoved easily, were placed across thebacks of two kitchen/dining chairs,which gave us instant tables! Wereceived many comments about thesequick and easy tables throughout theday, and kept merchandise at browsinglevel for the customers.LLC

Window Shades for Cooling

If you have a room that gets hot whenthe sun shines in, get a 4x8 sheet of 3/4-inch white foam insulating panel. Cut itto fit the window opening and pop it in.From the outside, it looks like a curtain.On the inside, if you close the shade orcurtains, it isn’t seen. You can easilyremove it any time you wish. This savesbig money on cooling bills, and it evenhelps keep in the heat during the wintermonths.Ken P.

Garden Supplies for Less

When my husband shops for fertilizer,soil, and all the things sold in plasticbags, he goes to the larger stores withgarden departments and asks if theywant to sell the ones with ripped or tornbags. They always do, and they practi-cally give them away to him just to getrid of them. It’s really a big savings.E.

Gift Bag Decoration

While trying to come up with filler to addto a gift bag, I found an easy answer! Itook pieces of wrapping paper I hadsaved that were too small to use and putthem through the paper shredder. It’s aneasy way to come up with colorful fillerfor the gift bag!S.

cont. on pg. 30...

Readers’ Tips


Dinner at the Ready

When I bring leftovers home from arestaurant, I immediately put them in thetype of dish I will reheat them in andcover them. The next day, I just have topop them in the oven or microwave. Ifind that the leftovers stay fresher thisway, and it takes less time to reheatwhen I don’t have to find the correct dishto reheat the leftovers.Kathy H.

Save on Fabric Softener

Vinegar is a natural fabric softener (1/2cup per load usually works). We use thisfor our baby’s cloth diapers becausefabric softeners take away theirabsorbency, and it works great. Thevinegar also helps to remove soapresidue.Allison

The Free Table

My dad passed away recently. He livedin a trailer park and had many closefriends there. While cleaning out hisplace, I found many items that I didn’twant or need, but were too nice to throwaway. I put a few of the more expensivethings on Freecycle and set up a “Free”table in front of his house for the rest.This was a big hit with his friends, and itwas a good way for me to meet hisneighbors and friends.B.

Less Expensive Cars

My husband and I agree that having twocar payments causes our car expensesto be too high. We typically pay on a carfor four years. When one is completelypaid for, we keep it for another fouryears while we pay on the other per-son’s new car. By doing this, we alter-nate who gets a new car. This keeps ourcar expenses to only one payment plusinsurance, maintenance, and fuel.

Insurance is also considerably lower ona car that is over four years old. For fam-ily trips or special occasions, we alwayshave one fairly new car to use, whileenjoying a smaller expense from ourbudget.RTH

You Wouldn’t Believe...

At the beginning of the month, I startedto do something that has been a realeye-opener. In this age of cell phonesand taking pictures of everything, I’vebeen taking a quick photo of all the foodwe throw in the garbage. I take picturesof that half eaten bagel or banana, themilk that went bad before it got used,and the cookies that got stale becausethey weren’t reclosed properly. We are afamily of four and we try to live wiselyand not waste food, but I am honestlyastonished (and somewhat ashamed)by looking at almost a month’s worth ofpictures of the food we are wasting.

cont. on pg. 31...

Readers’ Tips cont...


I have a few more days to go before Ishow my two kids, but I did show myhusband. At first, he thought I was jok-ing, but not for long. Seeing the waste inso many pictures has been a definiteeye-opener for us and will be the samefor my kids I think. We can definitely doa better job and stop throwing food (i.e.money) in the garbage!Ann F.

Wedding Gouging

Our local TV station surveyed costs ofvarious wedding items. They concludedthat many shops that cater exclusivelyto the bridal industry easily take advan-tage of the emotional state of youngwomen and their mothers.

They pointed out that caterers chargeda third more per plate for a wedding din-ner than the exact same menu for aretirement dinner. I suggest bridesexplore the cost of both with the catererof choice to ensure they are not beingtaken advantage of.S.

Tracking Spending

I buy non-food items at the grocerystore. Here is a trick that I use. I just putall the food items on the conveyer first,place a “stop” bar at the end of the gro-ceries, and then unload the non-fooditems. When the cashier gets close to

the end of the groceries, I ask her tosub-total when she gets to the bar. Theyare always glad to do so. Then I justhave them go on and add the rest of theitems onto the ticket.

This way, I have a quick total of my fooditems. With a little subtraction, I also geta total of what I spent on non-fooditems. I don’t have to spend time when Iget home checking off the food itemsseparately and adding them up one byone. Sometimes I get a real surprise atwhat I’ve spent on the other items,which is something that I didn’t payattention to until I started having my tick-ets tallied this way.MH

Summer Nights

We installed a ceiling fan and use sever-al other fans (priceless on a hot night),but the best discovery I made was asimple reversal of our wintertime rou-tine. In winter, we often heat up(microwave) little fragrant herbal beanbags we received as gifts oneChristmas, and we put them in our beds.In summer, the very same bags can gointo the freezer during the day and backinto our beds with us at night. Myfavorite spot is right on my feet, but onthe head is nice too. I think you canmake the bags out of small beans anddried grains and then toss in somelavender for fragrance.Cynthia

Readers’ Tips cont...

Documents

Springboard Summer 2013 - Credit.org · preparing meals at home is that left-overs can be used to prepare bag lunches for the following day. This will enable you to save the money