84-Lincaster Farming, Saturday, Octobar 31, 1998 Family Livin Focus by Janice Stoudnour Bedford Coui Cooperative Extei All I Want Is A Debt-Free Holiday! Each October, I hear myself as well as others around me making this statement: “All I want this year for the holidays is to be debt free the first of January!” Have you made this state ment or have had similar thoughts? In the past several years, the use of credit cards has become a more predominant method by which to purchase holiday gifts as opposed to cash. Yes, it is con venient and you can keep track of your purchases easily, but it can become a potential risk for overspending. Most of this over spending comes from “spur-of the-moment purchases. According to Dahlstrom & Company, “For most families, debt is not built out of necessity. Rather, it is built on impulse.” Think about it. The last time you went grocery shopping how many items did you buy that were really a necessity? You probably could have taken a few things out of the cart at the check out counter. Most of us CHOP-BITE TOO, INC. | Quality American Workmanship! #5 CLAMP TYPE CHOPPER #lO CLAMP TYPE CHOPPER * Plates available in 3/16" (standard), 1/8", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 3/4" and 1". * I /-Belt Pullies available for #lO, #l2, #22 and #32 choppers. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL #27 HEALTH OR WRITE: v. FOUNTAIN JUICER CHOP-RITE TWO, INC. 531 OLD SKIPPACK ROAD HARLEYSVILLE, PA 19438 1-800-683-5858 PAX (915) 256-4363 www.chop-rite.com. impulse buy, but do we take the time to cut down and make progress toward becoming “debt free?” ' It takes a concerted effort to really stop impulse buying and put that extra money towards reducing debt. Penn State Cooperative Extension's Money 2000 Newsletter reports that one out of every six families has a credit card problem and one out of every 10 families can only afford to make minimum monthly pay ments. Dahlstrom & Company also reports that the average American has nine credit cards and carries an outstanding bal ance of $1,850. How many cards do you carry? How much credit card debt do you have? Could you be at risk this hol iday season? As you hear the holiday jin gles, see the decorations, and begin making your long gift list, don’t forget to plan out your spending. Try the following plan to make your new year debt-free or at least substantially lower CHOPPER #32 SCREW DOWN TYPE CHOPPER IS than last year’s debt load. Here’s the plan: • Start by hiding or freezing your credit cards. (Freeze your cards in a block of ice-it will take some time to thaw, giving you time to think your purchase over.) Cut up credit cards and return them to the company with a letter closing your account. •When eating out, plan to pay cash. Better yet, pack a sandwich and a drink and keep it in your car in a cooler. You can use the break in shopping and the extra money. This also gives you time to rethink a purchase not on your list that you’ve been considering. • Eliminate as many trips to the mall as possible; don’t keep mail order catalogs in your house. Throw them out the same day they arrive. • Put cash in a money jar each time you reduce your spending. Apply the money saved monthly to the credit card with the smallest balance. Pay more than the minimum on each card or negotiate an affordable minimum with each creditor. • Make a list of all gifts to be bought. Check out the sales and write down where each one is located. Only take enough cash along to buy the gifts on the list. Go home when you are finished. Don’t browse through other stores. • Don’t take children along on your shopping trip unless they clearly understand that the only shopping to be completed will be what is on your list. Above all else, don’t ignore your January credit goal. Whether the goal is to reduce or eliminate debt, the only holiday ❖ Made in the U.S.A. ❖ Easy to Clean ❖ Made from Cast Iron ❖ Quality Workmanship greetings you want in your mail box in the new year is from friends and family - not credi YORK (York Co.) - "Who whooo-who-whoooo" echoing into the black night of the woods bring feet, shuffling along a trail in Nixon County Park, to an abrupt stop. Hearts pound - the sound was startling. And imagi nations wander...the supernat ural? Martians? No, the sound isn't hobgob lins or Martians, just human beings trying to get a closer look at the world of owls. This is the idea of the Owl Walk coming to Nixon County Park on Friday, December 4, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Francis Velazquez, Education Outreach Coordinator, said participants on the Owl Walk will join parks staff and volunteers form York Wildcare, a local raptor rehabili tation group, to learn the who, what and why of owls and their part in the natural world. Velazquez said the program consists of hour-long indoor and outdoor segments; The indoor TOWANDA (Bradford Co.) - "Healthy Provider/Healthy Child" is a free program for any one who cares for other people's kids. It will be held Saturday, November 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Patterson Auditorium, Guthrie Campus, Sayre. Includes workshops on #1 CLAMPLESS TYPE CHOPPER SAUSAGE STUFFER, LARD & FRUIT PRESS Whooo.. Healthy Children tors! Source: Money 2000 News, letter, Vol. 1, Number 2. . Whooo? segment features a discussion on the owls found on the walk; how these birds live, what they feed on, and some basic back ground. During the indoor seg ment, York Wildcare will offer an "up close and personal" live introduction to several local species of owls. The outdoor seg ment includes a quiet, no flash light hike to call for owls in Nixon County Park. Four species of owls could be present during the walk. Those interested in joining the hike need to pre-register by calling (717) 428-1961. The hike is open to children ages 9 and up, but those under 16 years must be accompanied by a par ent. Dress for the weather. Only flashlights with a deep red-tint ed filter will be permitted. Also, donations will be accepted to help with York Wildcare's raptor rehabilitation program. For more information, call (717) 428-1961. Nurturing Children's Mental Health and Preventing Infection in Child Care Settings, and a health fair with free health screening. Lunch provided Sponsored by Guthrie Healthcare System and Penn State Cooperative Extension of Bradford County. Call (717) 265- 2896. #3 FOOD CHOPPER STUFFER HORN AVAILABLE IN VARIOUS SIZES
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