Taking
Time
by
Rebecca
Escott
Checkbook
Check-Up Time
When’s the last time you gave
your checkbook a check-up? Fam
ily finances need to occasionally
be examined to see how healthy
they are. Arc you on track with
your spending and saving prac
tices? Are your truly working tow
ard the priorities that you speak
about?
Recently, I scanned my check
book and began to add up monthly
bills. When paid daily or monthly,
expenses for your newspaper,
computer on-line fee or cable TV
seem small, but when added up
over an extended period of time,
consumers realize the amount of
money devoted to items that may
or may not be used.
I know from experience that
other incidentals add up too. How
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much do you think you spend on
greeting cards or “lunches out”
over a year’s time? How many
times do you rent a video when a
quick review of the TV channel
listing would have given you a
“free” movie that would have
been just as good? Often families
swear that they can’t scrounge
together $2OO or $3OO to do some
thing important. Well a quick
review of your expenses may
reveal that there is a solution to
your problem. By eliminating one
regular expense and saving the
money, you may be able to save
that previously illusive amount of
cash.
I like to use two principles of
money management when I give
my checkbook a check-up. First, I
like to ask. “Is there something
important to me and my family
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that I am not able to afford
because I have spent money on
this?”
Secondly, I ask does this purch
ase provide a good return on the
investment? If I know I am only
going to use a product one time,
then I hesitate to spend a signific
ant amount of money on it How
ever, if the purchase will be used
many times, the cost per use drops
and it becomes a wiser purchase.
My husband and I often talk
about family finances in light of
these two ideas. I remember won
dering if we really should have
spent several hundred dollars on
mountain bikes. But each time we
hop on the bikes whether it’s in
our own town, on the boardwalk,
or at a state park, I know that we
have enjoyed them well beyond
the price spent I also know that
having the bikes has proved to be
Pennsylvania Food Products Promote Olympics
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
Pennsylvania food products
will be featured as part of a U.S.
product promotion in more than
2,000 supermarkets in Germany
during the Olympic Games in
Atlanta.
Rewe, the second largest groc
ery store chain in Germany, is
a money-free diversion. Instead of
going to a movie or tenting bikes,
or spending money in other ways,
we enjoy an already-paid-for item.
We use the same principle with
our newspaper. When we are
going to be away, we cancel the
paper and have our account cre
dited. Why pay for a service or
item that you are not using? This
may be a small amount of money,
but the dollars can add up. Each
family will have its own set of
expenses and priorites. But all of
us can evaluate our choices based
on those two quick questions
“Can we not afford something
important because we’ve spent
our money on this instead?” and
“How often will 1 be able to use
this item? Is it truly worth the
expense?”
sponsoring the promotion with
products supplied by S.B. Global,
a Pennsylvania-based food
exporter.
“This promotion of Pennsylva
nia food products in Germany is
an example of the Ridge Admi
nistration's successful efforts to
expand markets for all Pennsylva
nia products," said Agriculture
See Your
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Dealer Listed Below.
Delaware
Georgetown
Baxter Farms
Maryland
Dayton
J.D. Mullinix
Lineboro
Wertz Farm Equipment
Rising Sun
Biggs Inc
New Jersey
Bridgeton
Leslie G. Fogg
Shioh
Farm Rite
Pennsylvania
Airville
Farmers Equipment & Supply
Bechtelsville
Miller Equipment
Bethel
Zimmerman’s Farm Service
Bloomsburg
William F. Welliver
Carlisle
Carlisle Farm Service
Chambersburg
Chambersburg Farm Service
Cochranville
Stoltzfus Farm Service
Dover
George N. Gross
Easton
Fancy Furrow Farm
Greencastle
Meyers Implements
Honesdale
Marshall Machinery
Jersey Shore
Thomas L. Dunlap
Klingerstown
Stanley’s Farm Service
Lebanon
Umbergers of Fontana
Mifflinburg
B, S&B Repair
New Bethlehem
Hetrick Farm Supply
Oakland Mills
Peoples Sales & Service
Somerset
Lincoln Supply
I encourage you to take time
this week, to review the expenses
listed in your checkbook register.
What do they say about your fami
ly’s finances and the priorities you
hold? Are you pleased? Do you
find that the money you spend is
really directed toward the
projects/programs/needs that you
consider most important? If not,
begin today to make one change.
Select one itme from the check
register that should be reduced or
removed all together. Talk with
other family members about the
total cost per year spent on that
item and how that money might be
used in another, more important
way. Then act on that discussion.
It takes time, but you will feel
more in control of your finances as
a result of this simple check up.
Secretary Charles C. Brosius.
“Through companies like S.B.
Global, quality Pennsylvania pro
ducts are becoming known
throughout the world.”
Karl B. Brown, president of
S.B. Global, attributes the agree
ment with Rewe directly to his
participation in trade shows coor
dinated by the agriculture
spartment.
Since taking office
last year. Gov, Tom
Ridge has worked to
improve Pennsylvania’s
export performance as
part of an overall
strategy to retain and
create jobs. To increase
Pennsylvania’s export
power. Ridge earlier
this year outlined a
comprehensive action
plan which includes a
coordinated effort
between the Agriculture
Department and the
Department of Com
munity and Economic
Development to prom
ote the overseas market
ing of food and indust
rial products, as well as
service industries.
Hershey Foods Inter
national provided five
of the products for the
promotion, and Herr’s
of Nottingham provided
three.
The Montgomery
County company,
founded in 1991, is a
leading exporter of
high-quality packaged
food products. In 1995,
it was recognized by
Gov. Ridge with his
Export Excellence
Award. The company
offers a wide variety of
“branded” products,
and has developed food
products specifically
for the export market
S.B. Global has .rep
resentatives in London,
Paris and Jakarta.
Brown noted that the
promotion with Rewe
will feature traditional
supermarket displays,
augmented by news
paper advertising and
flyers. Among the IS
products featured in the
“Olympic” salute, Her
shey Foods and Herr’s
of Nottingham are the
largest suppliers.
Many of the products
were channeled through
administration facilities
in Harrisburg and
Mechanicsburg.
I