The Friday Five 1.19.19
100 easy ways to save money by involving the whole family
We recently came across this brilliant list of money-saving ways to make small changes in your family that can have a huge impact on your wallet. It’s easy to get your kids involved in preventing household waste, especially if you attach a cool family goal to the challenge. With ideas like planning meals around grocery store flyers and making use of your local library, you can connect with your children and spouse and save your dollars. We especially liked tip #2 to turn off the television and also cut the cord on cable. By getting a basic (free) antenna for local channels and an inexpensive monthly Netflix subscription, we eliminated our cable bill and are saving well over $100 each month.
Quote I am pondering
“Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is specifically your own.“ – Bruce Lee, from his book, “Bruce Lee Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee’s Wisdom for Daily Living”
January is a month full of information. People are sharing their resolutions, giving advice on how to manage 2019, and social media outlets are bombarded with opinions. That is why I love this quote by Bruce Lee. It reminds us that it is OK to only take in things that have value in our lives and to ignore those that don’t. We hope that his words help bring some calm to you this year, but if you still need a little help, here’s another one of his great phrases: “Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.” Go with the flow, let negativity roll off your back, and trudge forward into this great year!
An adjuster calls you after an accident – do you know what to say?
This is a little bit of a trick question since the answer is actually don’t say anything at all. No matter how friendly the insurance claims person seems, chances are they will try to get you to say something that will damage your case and record you saying it so they can use it against you later. Insurance adjusters are pros at saving their companies money (by not paying you what you are entitled to if you are hurt in a wreck) and they do it by nicely asking you questions that don’t seem like “that big of a deal”. In reality, they are a very big deal when your words are twisted to act against you, so before speaking with anyone from the insurance company, call us first.
Best apps for managing your “online” relationships offline
With all of the different social media platforms available these days, it can be hard to keep track of who’s doing what on which online outlet, especially if you meet them in person and want to make small talk or discuss business. That’s why we love the Cloze app. This free app allows you to pull your contacts from your email and social media accounts and see your latest correspondence all in one place. You can set reminders to circle back with people and it even provides briefs of information that help you easily pick up right where you left off. Plus it shows you the contacts who are meaningful to you because of interaction – not just because they keep showing up in your feed.
Swap “clean your room” with these pieces of advice for your kids
Switch it up this year and instead of nagging the kids to do the same old things (Pick up your toys! Turn off the lights! Eat your dinner!), try giving them a glimpse into adulthood and remind them of these life lessons that make a huge difference. They might not understand why you are giving the advice now, but I promise: kids are sponges and it will stick. Our family favorite from this list: Be nice to humans. So many problems can be solved with simple kindness. Teaching them to be nice to others now can prevent a lot of heartache later. We’re in this together, parents!