family

You know what’s hot? A money date.

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thHey, all you single men and women: Want to attract a mate? Work on your credit scores as much as your abs.

Of the 1,010 married adults surveyed by Experian, 95 percent rated “financial responsibility” as more important than “physical attractiveness” (86 percent) and “career ambition” (77 percent).

Not that romance is dead: “Personal compatibility” was the most important attribute in a potential partner, ranking at 98 percent.  

Financial compatibility is important, too; in fact, at 96 percent it edged out “sex and intimacy” (95 percent) and trounced “religion and spirituality” (69 percent). The thing is, plenty of people don’t talk about finances before they marry – and that’s a huge mistake.

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Free health screenings. Also: Gift cards and an iPotty.

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14546594_130417061717_138x138When possible, I try to post free stuff and the chance to win gift cards because these are good ways to stretch the budget. Here are four such opps, all of which could turn out to be great frugal hacks – that is, if you live near a Sam’s Club and/or are lucky enough to win.

(About that “iPotty”: I am not making that up. I couldn’t make that up. More on it below.)

On Saturday, June 14 you can get free men’s health screenings at all Sam’s Club locations that have pharmacies. You don’t have to be a member to take advantage of:

  • PSA (prostate-specific antigen), for men 40 and older
  • Total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol
  • Glucose
  • Body mass index
  • Blood pressure
  • Vision
  • Risk ratio

The screenings are offered between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. In honor of Father’s Day, maybe the dad(s) in your life will give you a gift: the opportunity to be in your life longer by being proactive about health.

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The complete college list (enhanced).

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thOver at A Mom, Money and More, my blogging buddy Sonya Ann has reprised her “Complete college list,” originally put together after packing her older child off to college.

Novices would do well to heed this detailed account of everything a student needs, from cards to bed sheets.

You don’t necessarily need all of these things, mind you. (Bug repellent? Movies? A Hairdini?)

However, the list is a great reminder of the things we’re so accustomed to having that we don’t really think about them.

That is, until they aren’t there. If the average freshman needs dental floss or shoelaces or cough syrup, which of these two scenarios is more likely?

Of course, even the most exhaustive list can use a fresh pair of eyes. No offense, Sonya Ann.

 

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Got retirement questions? Ask ’em.

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thKiplinger’s Personal Finance and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors will co-sponsor “Jump-Start Your Retirement Plan Day,” an eight-hour online chat, on Thursday, June 5.

You can ask questions in advance or just follow along on Twitter as 20 money professionals offer their professional advice.

Free professional advice.

Now that I’ve got your attention, check out the touchy-but-necessary topics these money mavens will discuss:

  • Saving for retirement – 401(k)s, IRAs and Roth IRAs
  • Taxes and retirement – including but not limited to estate and gift taxes
  • Earning while retired – Social Security and income investing strategies, whether you’ve already stopped working or merely making plans
  • “Financial challenges” – paying down debt, investing, saving for your kids’ college

To that last I’d add “boomerangers,” i.e., kids who come back after schooling or because of personal economic downturns. About three in 10 young adults are bunking with Mom and Dad, but this isn’t always voluntary; almost 10 percent of grads between 21 and 25 are unemployed and 16.8 percent are underemployed, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

By comparison, back in 2007 those figures were just over 5 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively. Ouch.

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Heart-ening news.

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thAfter four miscarriages, my daughter and her husband have been almost afraid to hope. Recently they found out she was pregnant again, and for the past couple of weeks they’ve been holding their breaths.

Well, she’s also been throwing up. But holding her breath in between.

Earlier today she had another ultrasound. I’ll let her tell it — go read, “Houston, we have a heartbeat!”

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The green sneaks up on you.

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thI spent part of Mother’s Day running errands, including stopping by a charity yard sale, going to the credit union, doing a little Dumpster wading and buying a few groceries. Mostly it was an excuse to be out and about on yet another perfect day.

We’ve had a run of them lately: sunny, sunny, sunny days with temps reaching as high as 70. In southcentral Alaska in May, that’s petty darned warm. In fact, it set a record, and I’ve got the sunburn to prove it.

So does my great-nephew:

 

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(His mother really does feed him, and you should see how he chows down at Café Awesome. He’s just a beanpole.)

Yes, I know the rest of the world considers that mild. I lived on the East Coast and in the Midwest myself. Just be happy for us that we’re getting marvelous weather.

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What I’m writing elsewhere.

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th-1Consider yourself fortunate if your kids have summer birthdays, because they can have their parties outside.

This means they can rip and roar without doing much damage, vs. those winter parties when Pin the Tail on the Donkey turns into “blindfolded kid runs into table and knocks over vase,” or when sugared-up kids spill juice, smear frosting on the rug and otherwise rip up the joint.

Party supplies are just about to go on sale, which is one of the topics of my current post at RetailMeNot. In addition to birthday parties we’re also looking at graduation parties, the barbecue season and maybe even wedding-rehearsal dinners.

Disposable dishes and cutlery have improved considerably since I was a kid. The paper plates I remember had the feel – and the staying power – of a No. 10 envelope. They folded up in the direction of the heaviest foodstuff, and baked-bean juice always leaked through. The forks were wimpy little things too, tines snapping off when you tried to lift a bite of potato salad.

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The prom bubble has burst. Sort of.

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thAccording to a Visa survey of 4,000 people, families will be spending 14 percent less on the prom this year.

“I think people are realizing that prom is a dance, and you don’t have to spend like a celebrity to have a great time,” says Nat Sillin, head of U.S. financial education for Visa.

While I’m glad to hear spending is down, I’m still a little startled by the average price tag: $978.

Regionally speaking, the West Coast region pays the most and the Midwest the least (although more than last year). The Northeast registered a 27 percent spending drop since last year and the South 23 percent.

Here’s how that shakes down per family, per region:

  • Western, $1,125
  • Northeastern, $1,104
  • Southern, $926
  • Midwestern, $835

Doesn’t that sound like an awful lot of money for a high-school dance?

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