0080_bfPARnl1013_ZZ_Layout 1 9/26/13 10:10 AM Page 1
Published for the parents at Family Trust Federal Credit Union
Fall 2013
A Simple Guide to
P.O. BOX 10233 • Rock Hill, SC 29731
“Not-So-Extreme”
www.familytrust.org
Couponing
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
3
Ways to Plan a KidFriendly NYE Party
The ABC’s of Finding
FREE Homeschool
Curriculum
Do-it-yourself:
Mad Scientist Party
Using coupons and saving money doesn’t have to be an
extreme sport. After all, who really has hours of free time to
spend searching for coupons? With just a little effort (and a
keen eye for deals), you can start using coupons and saving!
Start the coupon hunt
Before anything else, you need to get your
hands on some coupons. The good news is,
coupons can be found everywhere. Some of
the best places for coupons include:
Newspapers: Check Smart Source, Red
Plum, and Proctor & Gamble inserts found
near the weekly ads.
Online: The Internet has made coupon
hunting easy. Use your favorite search
engine to find coupon websites that
gather printable coupons in one place.
The articles in this newsletter are designed for informational purposes only and are not intended as financial
advice. Neither the credit union, nor any of its independent providers is liable for any informational errors,
incompleteness, or delays, or for any actions taken in reliance on information contained herein. Readers are always
encouraged to check and confirm the information with other sources and through direct professional contact.
Copyright © 2013 by Subcat, Inc.
By Jordan Mitchell
Use your favorite
search engine to
find coupon websites
that gather printable
coupons in one place.
In-store: Keep an eye out for coupons on store shelves or on the products themselves.
Many stores will also attach coupons to your receipt when you checkout. If your store
offers a savings card, check their website to see if they offer digital coupons. These are
downloadable to your card for additional savings.
For up-to-the-minute buzz-worthy topics, follow us at Twitter.com/BuckarooFamily
Take ‘em to the max
Before you shop, check your store's coupon policy. Once you know each
store’s policy, use the following tips to maximize your savings:
Daft Punk
Stack coupons: If possible, use one store coupon and one manufacturer
coupon for a single item. This is called stacking, which
provides maximum savings.
Miley Cyrus
Pair coupons with sales: Keep track of stores' weekly ads.
Pairing a coupon with a sale item will save you even more money.
Utilize double coupons: Some stores double or even
triple a coupon's face value. Search your area for a store
that does this, or ask your favorite supermarket if they
run similar promotions.
Take advantage of “buy one get one free” deals:
Depending on store policy, you may be able to pair a
"buy one get one free" deal with a similar coupon
and receive both items for free!
So what are you waiting for? Clip
away and begin your journey to
a low monthly grocery bill.
Halloween
Aluminum foil, sequins, space mas
ks.
Are you kidding?
Of course we’re joking.
Outta this world cool.
Not cool. Not cool at all.
Bright-colored dress, candy
necklace, blue wig, microphone.
Katy Perry
Better hurry up ... Justin’s 15
minutes are just about up.
Lots of hairspray and attitude.
Justin Bieber
Pretty high (just don’t let
your kids listen to their lyrics).
Tuxedo and black tie.
Justin Timberlake
or Jay-Z
Items needed
Costume
Homemade
Costumes
We’ll give her a B+.
Cool factor
t costumes! Put away the princess
Just say no to expensive store-bough
your little one be the coolest
and pirate accessories! This year, help
Here are some ideas:
kid on the block—and save money.
#BuckarooBuzz
A look at pop culture, movies, music and more!
0080_bfPARnl1013_ZZ_Layout 1 9/26/13 10:10 AM Page 2
Plan a Kid-Friendly New Year’s Eve Party
By Damyanti
Biswas
1
ping to make it to
Since kids are ho
much
sugary snacks as
midnight, avoid
to
don't want them
as possible: you
tein
ro
-p
gh
hi
y
o soon. Tr
crash and burn to
s,
up
llas tortilla ro
appetizers such
stuffed
and mushrooms
cocktail wieners,
ffet
se. Lay out a bu
with cream chee
e
ch at their leisur
so kids can mun
evening.
throughout the
2
Plan for a
sleepover.
Since New Year’s Eve is a risky time
to be on the roads, it's best to plan a
sleepover. Ask your young guests to
bring sleeping bags and pillows, and
have separate rooms prepared for
celebrating and sleeping. That way, those
who simply can't keep their eyes open
can hit the sack whenever they like. The
children who do make it to midnight
will enjoy bragging rights the next day!
of Finding
Homeschool Curriculum
Once your children are old enough to stay awake past midnight, they'll beg to join the New
Year's Eve celebration. But since most grown-up NYE bashes aren't kid-friendly, how can you
responsibly entertain your party-happy children? The answer: host a party especially for kids.
Here’s how to do it:
for
Prepare food ing.
all night party
The
3
Select activ
beforehandities
.
How on earth
are you going
to entertain
a group of yo
ungsters for an
entire evenin
No worries. O
g?
lder kids will
probably not
you hanging
w
an
t
over their shou
lders all even
Take a break
ing.
and retire to
the next room
enjoy grownand
up time. Help
your children
a list of fun ac
m
ake
tivities before
hand. They ca
play games su
n
ch as charades
or twister, or
down with sing
get
ing and dancin
g video games
.
This year’s New Year's Eve can be a rewarding time for the whole family:
you'll save money on a babysitter, enjoy a fun evening at home instead
of fighting the crowds, and earn brownie points with the kids!
Do-it-yourself: Mad Scientist Party
Looking for something different for your child’s birthday? A mad scientist-themed
birthday party is fun, affordable and can be educational. By Genesis Davies
Many homeschoolers use free curricula as the academic backbone of their
school year. If you haven’t learned how to design your school year to take
advantage of these budget-friendly measures, then it’s time for a quick
study of homeschooling with freebies. By M. B. Booth
Smart searching.
With so much free educational information available online, it can be difficult to know
where to begin. Search engines are great, but it helps to know exactly what terms to
search. Type “free curriculum” into your search engine and pair it with more specific terms like
“literature”, “grammar”, or “vocabulary” instead of the more generic word, “English.”
Using the word “fractions” will gain better results than simply typing “math.”
Smart selecting.
Once the results start rolling in, avoid getting
too excited and printing off everything you find.
Bookmark web addresses and take notes on how much time each curricula
allows, if it is heavy or light on using outside resources, if it would serve as a
supplement or core course, and if a teacher’s guide is provided.
Smart organizing.
Time now to organize which freebies you wish
to use and decide which ones you’ll leave for
another year. Using your goals—as well as your children’s interests—return to
the websites and download or print the selected curricula. It’s helpful to mark
in your school calendar when you think you will start and stop the curricula,
so you can see how it blends with activities, holidays and breaks.
Don’t forget to say “Thank You”
If you use material provided for free, send a quick “thank you” email to the author.
Sometimes it is easy to overlook how much time and energy went into developing
the curricula, and what a service it is for a person or organization to offer it for free.
The Invite. Use science-themed art like beakers and other science icons for your invite. For an
added creative touch, roll the invite and slip it inside a plastic test tube with a cork and ribbon.
The Decorations. Fill jars with water and add a few drops of yellow food coloring to
SAVING MONEY WITH ONE HIP DADDY
“Tracking the
Tooth Fairy Poll.”
get that old formaldehyde look, then add whatever you want to the jars. You could have one full of plastic
snakes or eyeballs. Hang cardboard cutouts of beakers and test tubes. Put some scientific posters up
around the room and you have a space that is ready for some science.
The Activities.
Party games and activities should be scientific. Search the web for
age-appropriate experiments. Have an adult serve as “lead scientist” and help guide kids in fun
experiments. Don’t forget the lab coats for everyone!
The Food. Fill clean test tubes with juice and set in a tray designed to hold them. Water bottles
can be labeled with H2O labels. Create fruit molecules by making melon balls and connecting them with
toothpicks. You can also do this with berries or cherries for a healthy snack. A good sweet snack is pudding
with gummy worms on top. Don’t forget to label everything—this gives a lab feel and is fun for party-goers.
My six-year-old daughter is days away
from earning her first paycheck. Well, sorta.
Her front tooth is dangling precariously,
and soon the Tooth Fairy will be making a
visit. According to the Original Tooth Fairy
Poll® (theoriginaltoothfairypoll.com), the
average gift from the tooth fairy is $2.42,
up 15% from last year. I figure I’m in for
a cool $2—though the poll states that
a child’s first tooth averages $3.49.
So here’s the big question: do I let her spend every last
penny, or do I use this as a teachable moment and
encourage her to spend a little/save a little?
I’m going to let her go for it. I say spend it all!
And why not? It’s her first tooth, celebrate!
There will be plenty of opportunities for her to
learn a lesson in saving money. After all, she
has a whole mouth full of teeth, and I promise
we’ll have a sit-down when the next one drops.
Daddy-0!