Ten Ways to Save Money on Your Summer Vacation

    As the chill of winter wanes and the cool breath of spring appears on a softer breeze, one’s thoughts turn to the quickly approaching warmth of sun drenched summer, longer days, verdant gardens, full bloom flowers, and the hope of relaxing in a hammock amidst the chirpings of birds and crickets. As jubilant memories of past summers evolve and entwine with the nearing season, thoughts of woods, lakes, beaches, long walks at night, fire flies, and visits with friends and family all fill our thoughts and hearts as we move forward to summer vacation. As these ripening fantasies are just starting to gain momentum, the harsh reality of the present enters as their opponent. How am I going to afford a summer vacation? How can I take time off from work? Where can I go that I can afford and enjoy all the things I like to do? Will I even be able to take a vacation?

    Taking a vacation is a must for stress reduction, relaxation, and rejuvenation. So, do not skip your vacation, but rather, look for cost-effective options that suit your budget and lifestyle. Here are ten ways to help you afford a vacation and some suggestions to get you started:

1. Vacation close to home. With the soaring price of gas and rising transportation costs, you may want to consider taking your vacations close to where you live. Almost every geographical area is steeped in history and culture, and local communities offer free summer concerts, festivals, and events. Each state has a Visitors Center full of free information, and the local Chambers of Commerce can be of great value when planning a local vacation. Searching the internet for events and local happenings is free and fun. Don’t wait for out of town friends and family members to visit. Take advantage of the local attractions in your area. You may be pleasantly surprised at how much fun you will have.
   
2. Join an association or organization that offers travel discounts. Many associations, groups and organizations offer travel discounts for their members. These benefits can include “buy one/ get one free” travel fares, discounts and upgrades at hotels and with rental cars, and deeply discounted dining coupons. Many associations offer 10- 50 % discounts on an array of opportunities for shopping, services, sports, and events as well. Be sure to check on all the discounts available to you through your membership associations.
3. Volunteer or go on an adventure vacation. Are you thinking you might want to see Nepal? You can go on a service mission trip very inexpensively and help children in orphanages or help farmers plant on the terraced slopes of the Himalayas. Have you always wanted to see the Mayan pyramids? You can volunteer to help with a local archaeological group to clear the ruins and excavate remains. You can go on a hiking trip with pack llamas in South America for a fraction of the cost of the usual trip, or cruise the rivers of Laos with a plant-savers group on an inexpensive tour. Use the internet to find these wonderful travel and service opportunities.
4. Spend less on rooms. There are youth hostels all over the world that welcome people of all ages. Every state and most foreign countries have public camping facilities that are inexpensive, and many have cabins or lean-tos for rent if you are not inclined to use a tent. There are monasteries in Europe that have sparse, lovely, rooms for inexpensive prices, and they are usually filled with interesting history. You can negotiate room prices, and be sure to ask to see the room to determine if it meets your expectations. If it is not what you expected, many hotels and motels may offer you a free upgrade.
5. Travel with a group. This may be the least expensive means of travel as you have the benefits of sharing spaces and fares with others. The more people in the group, usually the less you will pay for the tour or trip. If you do not want to go on a guided tour, you can still travel with a group of friends and share expenses, driving, gas, and rooms.
6. Cook or bring your own food. Three meals a day at restaurants can cost a small fortune and be the greatest expense of your vacation. In addition to being expensive, you may not eat the healthiest food at restaurants, or restaurants may not be easily available to you while traveling. It is very easy to pack healthy and nutritious “road food”, cook some of your meals if you are camping, or rent a house or condominium with cooking facilities included. You will have healthier meals, make choices that you like, and decide when you want to eat.
7. Use the Internet to find deals. Everything for planning and executing vacations can be found on the Internet, and the best opportunities for discounts are sometimes found on vacation destination websites. If your departure date is flexible, you can get deeply discounted airline or train fares because you can accommodate carriers by filling empty seats. If you want to travel outside of the traditional vacation months of July and August, say in June and September, then cruises, hotels, and special attractions offer many discounts.
8. Look for combination deals. Many of best known travel combinations include hotels with cars, cruises with airfare, and the European favorite of the bed and breakfast. These same combination deals have grown throughout the world to include travel and lodging combined with tours, special events, chauffeurs, and a host of other amenities. Ask if your hotel, airfare, or tour can be combined with other benefits and amenities. Sometimes credit card companies and membership associations offer these services.
   
9. Travel to places during their “off season”. Have you ever dreamed of a Jamaican vacation? The time to get the best deals in the Caribbean and most islands north of the equator is during your summer, as their busiest tourist time is during winter months. The airline fares will be reduced and you will avoid the crowds. Do you want a ski vacation for your summer jaunt? Go to New Zealand or South America during your summer and ski during their winter months.
   

Think outside of the box. Wherever you may travel, take the time to plan your trip, take alternative routes, and stay in unknown places. Instead of staying in Cancun, Mexico, travel a little further south down the coast to the romantic town of Carmen de Playa, enjoy the Mayan ruins, and glean travel savings. Read travel magazines and travel guides that can be obtained for free from your roadside assistance programs, from local, state and international travel bureaus, and from the library. Reading travel guides gives you ratings on the costs of everything from lodging to meals and local attractions. Look for free events, natural beauty, unchartered beaches, and ask the local people where they like to go and what they like to do, since they are the experts in their area. Explore on your own and see what you can find!

GET MOVING WITH SUMMER FUN!

        Now that winter has passed, and the warmer months are here, everyone will want to shed their sweaters and get moving to get in shape for the sultry months of summer heat and swimsuit season. There is never a better time to get outside than on a beautiful sunny day with a warm breeze and bright blue sky! Here are a few ideas that can help you get started with an outdoor exercise program that will be fun, increase your metabolism, help you get in shape, and boost your health. Remember to start slowly and build to higher levels of exercise on weekly intervals. Discuss any exercise program with your physician prior to starting if you have any questions or concerns. Here are five fun options to get you into a sporting mood with healthy exercise!

Walking- For an easy beginning to the outdoor exercise season, you can start with walking at a rate of fifteen minutes twice a day, or thirty minutes once a day. Work up to walking for forty-five minutes three times a week. The quicker the pace of your walking, then the greater the benefits will be for your body.

Play In The Park- Do you remember the feeling of being a child playing in the park for the first time? You can have those feelings again! For a great workout, go to a park and use all the equipment- the monkey bars for pull-ups, the swings for developing leg muscles, the trails for jogging and walking, and the benches for stretching and conditioning. Some parks have fitness trails already installed, but of course, you can also walk the dog, play Frisbee, or jump rope. Be a kid again, and have fun!

Fishing- The opulent spring waters often bring on the spawning for many types of fish and the excitement of the first fishing of the season. Hike into a beautiful fishing area, walk up and down the rivers in waders, and throw dozens of lines into the water to increase your muscle performance and benefit from resistance training.

Bicycle Riding- Now is the time to check the tires on your bike, grab your helmet, pack a bottle of water, and get cruising. Depending on your overall conditioning and the surface of your biking area, you can take a journey for one to several miles while increasing your breathing capacity, improving overall fitness, developing your legs, and reaping all the benefits of aerobic exercise in a beautiful setting.

Skate Boarding- You can have a customized skate board made during the winter months and be ready for the first days of summer to head for the hills or the nearest skate park. You can skate for as long as you want, on ramps, streets (where permitted), boxes, rails, and over obstacles, but make sure to wear protective padding and a helmet.

SAVE MONEY ON GAS

    We have all noticed the price of gas rising at the pumps. Some weeks it seems as though the price increases on a daily basis! Since our lives often include driving to work, to recreational activities, on vacations, and to do errands, here are some helpful suggestions for using less gas. If you follow these suggestions, you can save money at the gas pump, and you will also leave a lighter carbon footprint on the environment.

1. Have Regular Service Checks for You Car. Having a dirty air filter in your car can limit your gas mileage by at least 10%. A car that needs a tune-up can cost 4- 5% more in gas to run. These are only a couple of examples of how regular maintenance on your car can save you money at the pumps.

    

2. Check Your Tires. Checking the air in your tires and making sure that the tires are properly aligned will help to save money on gas. Not only does poor tire alignment cause tires to prematurely wear, but it also costs up to 10% more for gas. Under inflation in tires can cause up to a 3% decrease in fuel efficiency. If your tires are in need of servicing, this alone could cost you up to 13% more in gas!

    

3. Check Your Gas Cap. Many vehicles have missing or loose gas caps, and this poses as a double problem. Gas that would power your car escapes into the atmosphere, and depending on the amount of the leak, some or all of your gas could go up into thin air! The pollution from the leaking gas also hurts the air quality and contributes to global warming. It’s easy to check and/or replace gas caps.

    

4. Drive Smoothly. Your style of driving is probably the largest way you can save or waste gas and your money spent on fuel. If you frequently use your brakes, that can cost up to 35% more in gas. If you avoid making sudden moves and weaves in traffic, and move smoothly instead, this style of driving can save up to 33% in fuel efficiency. If you reduce your speed on the highway by 5 miles per hour, you can save 7% of your fuel consumption. If you used all of these driving strategies, you could increase your fuel efficiency mileage by at least 40%, and you would be a better driver!

    

5. Reorganize Your Trunk. The weight that is carried in the trunk of your car, the bed of your pick-up truck, or the interior of your SUV all contribute to the amount of fuel your vehicle uses to move. For every extra 100 pounds of weight, your vehicle loses 2% in fuel efficiency. Get rid of the junk in your trunk!

    

6. Idle No More. If you sit in your car and let it idle, or if you let it warm up for a long period of time, you are wasting gas. In addition to polluting the environment, you are wasting up to 5% of gas efficiency during the idle time.

    

    

    

Changing Your Workout Routine in Summer

    The summer is upon us and with the longer days and added sunlight, many people want to exercise outdoors. However, in many places, the sun, humidity, and heat can make people not want to exercise at all! Here are some helpful ideas to make getting off the couch easier and the thoughts of working out more appealing.

1. Choose the right time to exercise. If you are a morning person, get up earlier and hit the outdoors before the sun is overhead and beating down. If you are an evening person, make time to exercise right before sunset. These are the times when outdoor exercise will have the least amount of sun heat and you will be more comfortable exercising.

    

2. Change Your Exercise Routine. You may already know the benefits of cross training, and the added strength and stamina your body will receive from trying a new exercise routine. The summer is a great time to trade in jogging for doing laps in the pool, or for relinquishing indoor aerobics classes for outdoor roller blading.

    

3. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate. The most common cause of exercise related illness in the summer heat is the lack of hydration. It is mandatory to drink water before, during, and after any exercise sessions in the summer. If you are on a boat or in the sun for a prolonged period time, it is essential to hydrate, even if you aren’t exercising, as the sun will dehydrate your body at an accelerated pace.

    

4. Make Good Choices for Exercise Locations. If you can only exercise during the day when the sun is hot and the air is humid, then choose an exercise area that is shaded and cool. Air conditioned gyms, air conditioned rooms at home, and shaded outdoor areas will be easier on your body than exercising in the full sun.

    

5. Learn About Heat Related Illnesses. If you are planning on exercising outdoors in the summer, then you owe yourself the discovery of learning more about heat related illnesses and what to do if you experience any of the symptoms associated with these maladies. For example, if you start to feel dizziness, nausea, develop a terrible headache, or feel like you are going to faint, you will need to stop exercising, sit down, cool off, and hydrate.

    

6. Take New Classes. The summer months may be the time when you feel more energy, and you can take advantage of these energy spurts to learn new sports or to try something new. For example, maybe you would like to try ballroom dancing classes which will be indoors and air conditioned in most places. Maybe you would like to try handball, or indoor tennis, or even buy a Wii for indoor exercise sessions with a virtual hulahoop. The summer gives you an opportunity to explore and try new things.

    

7. Think Cool. The best way to get exercise and stay cool is to think about the cool places that surround your area. For example, you could get into a pair of waders and fly fish in the middle of a cool river, or you could do water aerobics in a pool. You could get a kayak and hit the rivers or go to the beach for a long swim.

    

8. Wear Sunscreen. If you are going to be in any amount of sun for any amount of time, you need to wear sunscreen. Put sunscreen on at least a half an hour before you exercise so the lotion can sink into your skin and not be removed by perspiration or water. Re-apply sunscreen every half an hour to get the optimal benefits. Sunscreen will protect your skin from aging, wrinkles, potentiality for skin cancer, and sunburn. There is nothing hotter than having a sunburn, so if you want to stay cool, use sunscreen.
   

FATHER’S DAY ON A DIME

    This Sunday is the annual celebration of Father’s Day in the United States. This year has been a financially difficult one for so many individuals and families that it may seem like there are no cost effective ways to help your Dad celebrate his special day. However, your love and time spent with Dad are free, but to him, these gifts are priceless. If you want to also give Dad a present besides time spent together, but you can’t afford to spend too much money, then here are some inexpensive, highly valuable ideas that will guarantee to make your Dad happy on Father’s Day!

1. Wash and Clean His Car. Most Dads are proud of their cars and they like to have a spiffy auto for cruising around town. If you give Dad your own version of auto detailing for his car, this will surely be pleasing to him.

    

2. Serve Breakfast In Bed. Since most Dads will not be used to having their breakfast served in bed, this will be a good and most appreciated surprise. Try to cook Dad’s favorite breakfast items for an even larger impact.

    

3. Take Dad to a Sporting Event. Search the local papers for a community sporting event, enter Dad into a fishing contest and pay the entry fee, or take Dad to a professional sports game. If you can also go to the sporting event with Dad, then the event will be totally a win-win situation.

    

4. Relinquish the TV Remote Control. It seems like a cliché, but most men do enjoy having control over the network surfing for TV. Make Father’s Day a time to give Dad the sole propriety of the remote control for the entire day and night, and let him know that this is a conscious gift.

    

5. Choice of Chores. Make a list of all of the chores and responsibilities that you are willing to take over for your Dad for father’s Day. Have your Dad choose the chore he would most like to have you do for him, such as mow the lawn or take out the garbage. Lessening Dad’s chore load on Father’s Day is sure to be a hit.

    

6. Shoulder Rub. Most everyone likes a shoulder rub or foot massage, and this could be an appreciated gift from you to Dad. Make sure your Dad likes a shoulder rub before making the offer, and ask him how much pressure and strength he wants you to use.

    

7. Bake a dessert. Most Dads will appreciate the attention and time you spent making their favorite cake, cookies, or pie. A homemade dessert doesn’t cost as much as one purchased from the store or bakery, and it most always tastes much better.
   

    

8. Make A Collage. Buy a frame for the collage, or find a frame at a yard sale or consignment store. Go through the family pictures and select the ones with Dad that you like the best. Artfully arrange the pictures in the frame, and give to your Dad as a lasting memento of your good times together.

    

    

9. Make a Card. The most personal and heartfelt messages are those from you to be especially significant to your Dad through an individualized card. You can write a poem for Dad, tell him all of the things he does well, or write down all the things you have learned from him. This personalized gift will be one that keeps giving throughout the years.

Consumer Information Catalog

    The useful and prolific information provided for free and low cost from several federal government agencies is available to all U.S. citizens of any age from the GSA Federal Citizen Information Center. Many of the publications are available to read and view online so the consumer doesn’t even have to pay for any postage!

    There are topics for everyone and all ages. The topics covered include many selections for consumer awareness, finances, health, drugs and medicine, education, and employment. Other topical areas included are more specific, such as information on computers, cars, government auctions, home ownership, insurance considerations, home maintenance, food safety, and identity theft.

    There are also very helpful pamphlets and links to agencies for all of the pertinent federal programs, veteran’s benefits, retirement and social security. The pamphlets are arranged into easy to use instructions giving the reader steps to take in filing for Social Security benefits or how to file for a copyright, for a couple of examples. Traveler’s information can be obtained for all of the national parks, and there is even information available for the family pet. From gardening to investments, from developing good credit to laser eye surgery, the federal government has information available to benefit you and your family at low or no cost.

    The user friendly Web site can be accessed for ordering and reading, and the $2.00 processing fee will be deleted if you order the materials online. However, the information pamphlets can also be ordered by a toll-free telephone call, by FAX, or by mailing to the FCIC. All of this information can be accessed online at: www.pueblo.gsa.gov. Have fun with all of your free reading!

DID YOU KNOW?

DID YOU KNOW SCHEDULES CAN GIVE YOU MORE TIME IN THE SUMMER?

    The summer is upon us, and with the longer days of light and plentiful sun, most people will want to spend more time outdoors having fun and less time doing chores, errands, and inside work. With just a few lifestyle changes, you and your family and friends can save several hours each week for fun, or you may even get to enjoy a couple of days of free time on the weekends. Here are a few helpful suggestions for organizing your life, freeing more time, and even saving money that can increase your enjoyment of the summer.

1. Organizing Your Shopping and Errands. Allow yourself only one day a week to do your errands and grocery shopping. Have a list of where you need to go, the items you need to purchase, and plan to have an organized approach that travels a route where you will use the least amount of time and gas, and one that saves grocery shopping to the last. Do the smaller errands, such as getting gas for the car or dropping off dry cleaning, during the week on your way to or from work or school. This saves time, money, and effort.

    

2. Purchase With Coupons or At Sales. Read the local papers and mailed flyers to see what is on sale at which stores. Organize your purchases in a list identifying the items and stores, and use coupons, sales, and discounts. Leave your coupons and sales items in your car so they will be handy when needed. Organize your coupons in envelopes marked “groceries”, “dry cleaners”, etc.

    

3. Do Not Take Children Shopping. Only take the children shopping when you are purchasing items for them, for example shoes or sneakers. You will take at least twice as much time, and assuredly spend more money, if you have children with you on a shopping trip. They see things they want you to buy for them, they are thirsty and hungry, they want to go into different shops, they are bored, etc.

    

4. Organize At Night. Put everything out at night that you need the next morning. Make sure to put everything in convenient places, for example next to the door where you exit. A few minutes spent organizing at night will save much more time than searching for necessities the next morning.

    

5. Make A Schedule and Keep To The Schedule. Use a schedule for you and any others living with you. Let everyone know your schedule so you will not be disturbed at important times, such as during meals. Have predictable times for meals, sleeping and waking, exercise, lessons, etc. If you stick to a predetermined schedule, then it is much easier to follow and this saves time.

    

6. Do Daily Chores. Much time and effort can be saved by doing one load of laundry per day instead of seven or eight loads of laundry on the weekends. If you schedule one house cleaning chore per night, then there is no need to spend an entire day cleaning the house during your free time. Chores can be regularly scheduled and shared if there are others in your home.
7. Purchase in Bulk. If you have regular items that you purchase and some storage space, then you can save money, time, and effort by buying in bulk at discount stores. Check the local newspapers and flyers to comparison shop before you determine where to go for bulk items.

    

8. Cook For More Than One Meal. Save time by cooking with a couple of meals in mind. If you make a baked chicken, then take the rest of the chicken leftovers and make chicken enchiladas or a chicken pot pie. You can also take the leftovers and freeze them to be used for another meal later. Creatively using leftovers and cooking large quantities can save both time and money.

    

    

By the way, these helpful lifestyle suggestions will work in the winter, too!

THE HIGH PRICE OF ANXIETY

    Everyone experiences some form of anxiety on a daily basis. There is the anxiety that comes from being late for an appointment, not getting to the Post Office before it closes, or getting cut off by another car in traffic. Some of the acute forms of anxiety come from the loss of a loved one, losing your job, or finding out that you have a life-threatening illness. In all experiences of anxiety, the human body has cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral reactions. Anxiety is the human organism’s normal reaction to stress, and in most cases, anxiety can help people to avoid doing dangerous activities or to cope with difficult situations.

    What is the biological foundation of anxiety? The start of all anxiety is in the brain and is activated when the individual is confronted with unpleasant and potentially harmful stimuli. The neural pathways in the brain stimulate the amygdale and hippocampus, and then stress hormones are released. In this fashion, anxiety is a protective factor for humans by being an “early warning system” for danger or potential harm.

    Most of the common symptoms of anxiety are experienced as physical, including heart palpitations, fatigue, nausea, chest pain, dilated pupils, breathing problems, headaches, stomach aches, and insomnia, to name just a few. Since anxiety has an “alert function” for humans, those people experiencing anxiety have a concomitant rise in heart rate and blood pressure, increase in bodily sweating, and increased blood flow to the major muscle groups which can cause trembling and shaking of the body and extremities.

    There are also emotional symptoms of anxiety which are often experienced alongside of the physical experiences. These emotional components can include panic attacks, feelings of apprehension, dread, tension, irritability, negative thinking patterns, restlessness, and a loss of the ability to concentrate or think rationally. On an unconscious level, the emotional aspects of anxiety can be experienced as insomnia, nightmares, or the feelings of believing death is imminent.

The many types of anxiety are documented in the DSM-TRIV, or the diagnostic manual of psychiatric disorders. Some of the more frequent types of anxieties include social, stranger, test-taking, public speaking, existential, somatic, etc. With all of the natural causes of anxiety, the forms of anxiety that stay within an individual over time are referred to as Trait anxiety. There are several anxiety measurements and scales used by psychologists and psychiatrists to diagnosis anxiety, and these ask questions regarding the psychological, physical, and behavioral symptoms.

Although moist anxiety goes away after the mitigating factors cease, anxiety that persists over time can be physically and emotionally debilitating for people. Billions of dollars are spent annually on anti-anxiety medications. In addition to anti-anxiety medications, there are some natural treatments that can help many people in their battles with anxiety. Cognitive, reality, and behavioral therapies have been proven effective with many anxiety patients. Stress reduction practices, such as meditation and biofeedback, have also proved effective in treating the symptoms of anxiety. For some people, herbal remedies, such as St. John’s Wort or kava tea, and exercise can be effective in the treatment of mild anxiety.

It is always prudent to first try the natural remedies, therapeutic approaches with a licensed therapist, and relaxation methods of anxiety treatment before going on anti-anxiety medication. If medication is needed, this should be done under the direction of a certified and licensed psychiatrist with frequent check-ups and coordinated psychotherapy. Complete freedom from anxiety would not be good for any person, but the ability to not feel anxiety when it isn’t needed for an alert function is the goal for those suffering from anxiety. Since most anxiety starts in one’s mind, that is the place of treatment. Being more relaxed about the events in one’s life, and having a positive perspective on daily living are perhaps the best treatments for most forms of anxiety.

SUN CARE AND HEALTHY PREVENTION HABITS

    Now that the weather is turning warmer, and the sunny days are longer, many people will want to spend more time outdoors. The warmth of the sun, the newly blooming flowers, and the ability to be outside for several hours is alluring to most people. Although a little sun is a great source of Vitamin D for bodies, the stress that sun causes for skin can be very damaging. At the very least, sun exposure causes skin to dry and wrinkle, and at the worst, sun can cause skin cancer. None of us want to relinquish our time outdoors, but precaution can help to develop healthy skin care habits.

Here are some helpful tips for preventing dry skin and for exercising skin care while in the sun.

1. Wear a sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or more every time you are in the sun. Use a skin moisturizer with a SPF of 15 or more, and for those who wear make-up, choose brands with a SPF of 15 or more. For prolonged outdoor activities, use a sunscreen of 60 or more. Remember to reapply all sunscreen every two hours for the maximum benefit.

    

2. Cover your body when in the sun, during outdoor activities, and even on cloudy days. The sun’s rays penetrate clouds, and you still need covering and sunscreen. Wear a hat every time you are in the sun, and for prolonged periods, wear clothing with SPF in the materials.

    

3. Wear sunglasses every day during all seasons for protection of the eyes from sun damage. The most protective sunglasses are polarized and have UV protection. Never look directly at the sun as this may cause severe damage to the eyes.

    

4. Stay away from tanning parlors and prolonged outdoor tanning as these both lead to damaged skin, dehydrated skin, wrinkles, and possibly skin cancer. If you need to look tanned, opt for artificial tanning products, and spray tans. You also have the choice to be comfortable in natural skin without a tan.

    

5. Seek shade whenever possible or provide your own shade with an umbrella, tent, or other device if necessary. Being in the shade will keep you cooler, enable you to stay outside longer, and give your skin a natural protection from the sun. However, you will still need sunscreen even if you are in the shade.

    

Know the environmental risks around you, such as higher altitude, geographical proximity to the equator, and urban environments. Each of these factors allows your body to have less protection from the sun’s damaging rays. As global warming becomes more prevalent, every area on the globe will have increased sun exposure.

THOUGHTS ON MOTHER’S DAY

    It is Mother’s Day this coming weekend, and I want to tell all the mothers that I wish them the very best for their special day, and for the rest of the year. For those who are not mothers, but wish to do something special for their Moms on Mother’s Day, I have a few suggestions. Since the economy is volatile, many people cannot spend a great deal this year on expensive presents. However, remember what our Moms taught us—it isn’t the present, it is the thoughtfulness that counts. Here are a couple of suggestions for Mother’s Day presents that are cost effective and BIG on thoughtfulness.

1. Make a homemade card for your Mom. Use colored paper, paper doilies, maybe even family pictures, and make it personal and sentimental.

    

2. Make a photo album of special family pictures from this year. You can make a digital photo album online using sources like Snapfish.

    

3. Pick some wild flowers and put them in a pretty vase. Add a ribbon or two to make them look special.

    

4. Make breakfast for your Mom and serve it in bed. It beats the lines at and price tags of brunch.

    

5. Take Mom on a family outing, such as for a picnic, to a nature preserve, or on a hike. Bring her favorite foods and a blanket to sit on for the picnic. Being outside in nature is beautiful, calming, and a good time for you both to bond.

    

6. Bake a cake, cookies, muffins, or cupcakes for Mom. The homemade versions will cost little, but they will be highly appreciated for the effort.

    

7. Do some housework or a chore for your Mom. Come to the house prepared to clean, plant shrubs, wash her car, or be the handyman/ handywoman.

    

8. Bring Mom some meals in plastic containers that she can put into the freezer for times when she doesn’t want to cook. Every time she eats one of the meals, she will be thinking good thoughts about you.

    

9. Give Mom a disposable camera, then take her on a ride and let her take the pictures. You can have them developed for her later.

    

10. Make a funny family video that she can keep. The laughs will keep her happy for longer than just one day.

Most importantly, tell your Mom that you love her, give her a big hug and some kisses, tell her ways she has helped you throughout the years, and let her know how important she is in your life. These are the very best ways to show your Mom how much you love her, and this kind of love is always free. Happy Mother’s Day!