Great Deals on Staycation Hotspots

Are you one of those families that can’t afford a vacation this year? You’re in good company. My family has always managed to go somewhere during the summer, even if it was just for a few days. This year, it just isn’t going to happen. If you’re in the same boat, consider a staycation instead. That’s where you stay at home and take day trips to local destinations. Here are some good deals and special offers for you to take advantage off.

Ticketmaster Special Offers
I took my son to see the Peter Pan musical at Fair Park last week. He had been asking to see it since March. Ticket Master had a two-for-one offer which got us to orchestra seats for $50 total. Ticketmaster actually has offers like this all the time. You can get two-for-one, family four packs and tickets under $25 each to all kinds of shows. With the circus coming to town next week, you may want to check it out.

Hawaiian Falls
Sunday - Buy one Big Kahuna ticket, get one free – coupon
Friday Slide Night - Buy One Big Kahuna ticket after 2 p.m., get one free – coupon (expires Aug. 17)
Mondays – Buy a Big Kahuna ticket and get a free Little Kahuna ticket - coupon

Credit Union discount (click this link)
Then, click on Enter Coconut Club Code on the left.
Code: Neighborhood CU
Pay only $ 17.99 per ticket.

Six Flags Over Texas and Hurricane Harbor
Credit Union discount (click this link) – username: NCUDALOT, password: SixFlags9
Pay $31 per ticket at Six Flags
Pay $21.99 per ticket a Hurricane Harbor

Museum of Science and Nature
Free child admission when you purchase an adult general admission ticket. Print coupon or purchase online using the code on the coupon.

Mesquite Rodeo
Pick up your $5 discount voucher to the Mesquite ProRodeo Series at any O’Reilly Auto Parts store in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Legoland Discovery Center and Sea Life Aquarium in Grapevine
Save $9 person with combo ticket that gives you admission to both places. They do not have to be used on the same day.

What staycation deals have you found this summer? Please share them here so everyone can benefit.

 

Feeding Your Family When the Money Just Isn’t There

Have you ever looked at your checking account balance and wondered whether you should buy groceries or pay the electric bill?  I was in a similar position earlier this week. There was not enough money to do everything I needed to do, so I had to get creative. It took some planning, but I spent (and bought) only what I needed at the grocery store to get my family through to the next check. Here are some tips to help you do the same thing.

Plan your meals ahead of time. When I realized I couldn’t afford many groceries this week, I looked in my refrigerator and pantry for anything I could make a meal of. Then, I spent an hour on Sunday planning our meals for the week. If you need help making meals from the ingredients on hand, use a website like Taste of Home or Kraft Foods. Both of these websites will search for recipes based on the ingredients already in your kitchen.

Use less meat. Last night, I made stir fry with chicken breast, fresh vegetables and orzo pasta, which is a lot like rice but tastes better to me. The only thing I had to buy was the orzo, which costs about a dollar. I packed the meal with vegetables and orzo and just used the chicken as an accent. It fed three people, and we still had leftovers.

Cook with more beans and grains. Beans, both fresh and canned, are one of the cheapest foods you can buy at the grocery store, along with pasta and rice. Choose beans that provide protein and pair them with the grain of your choice. Add a salad to get in your veggies.

Eliminate (even if it’s just temporary) soft drinks or drinks made from powder mixes. If you or your family members just have to have something with flavor instead of drinking water, make iced tea with tea bags, or buy lemons to make lemonade. Lemons are extremely cheap, and fresh lemons are much stronger than powder mixes or bottled lemon juice. You can also add lemon to your water.

Bake instead of buy. The cost of snacks adds up fast. Bake cookies with ingredients already in your pantry. This week, we’ll be making Rice Krispie treats from cereal already in the pantry and Peeps marshmallows leftover from Easter.

Opt for eggs instead of cereal if necessary. If cereal is not on sale, buy eggs. They are affordable and go a long way. They also are a great source of protein and keep your family full for a longer period of time.

Keep lunch simple. Peanut butter and jelly, pasta, tuna, rice and beans are all cheap lunches packed with protein. Use those instead of fancy lunch meats to get you through to the next pay check.

How else do you stretch your groceries? Leave a comment so everyone can benefit from your insight.

 

Water Safety - An Extra Minute Can Save a Life

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say how much it breaks my heart to hear about a death caused by drowning. Whether it’s an adult or a child, it’s always sad to me to think that a life could have been spared if someone would have taken just one more minute to ensure a safe environment for these people. The truth is that most drownings can be avoided when people just take that extra minute to think before they or their friends do something dangerous.

This summer, I have already heard of two drowning deaths that have affected people I know. Please take a minute to read these water safety tips before you are the children in your care do any activity in or near the water.

Water Saftey Tips

If the children in your care or adults in your presence cannot swim, put a life jacket or other approved flotation device on them every time you are near or in a pool, lake, pond or other body of water with them. That includes fishing, boating or any other activity that can land them in the water by accident. If someone is concentrating on catching a fish, they may lost their footing and fall in. If there is a boating accident on the lake, someone can fly out of the boat and land in the water.

Enroll any member of your family who cannot swim in swimming lessons. Children can learn to swim before they even learn to walk. Adults can enroll in swim classes that are just for adults.

Never swim alone and don’t let children swim unsupervised. Even experienced swimmers can have unexpected cramps or other freak accidents that put them in danger when nobody else is around.

Only swim in areas monitored by a lifeguard. If it’s your own pool, be sure an experienced swimmer is always monitoring swimmers in your pool.

Do not swim or boat while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. These substances can impair your judgment, making you a danger to yourself and others.

If you have a pool, keep it fenced in with a lock on the gate to keep children out. If you don’t have a fence around your pool, put extra locks higher up on the doors leading out to your pool. Even though we’d like to think we can keep an eye on our children 24/7, you don’t know when they will wake up in the middle of the night and decide to go outside. Or, they may decide to head outside when the phone rings or something else happens to distract you. Put locks at the top of the doors where they can’t reach them even when standing on a chair. Remember, it only takes six inches of water to drown a child.

Always wear a life jacket in a boat, even if you are an experienced swimmer. Rough waters and others boaters can cause accidents that put you in danger.

Don’t swim in any body of water when it is dark outside and there is not adequate lighting. It can be extremely difficult to find the surface of the water once you go under, and it’s more difficult for others to find you in the dark.

Finally, take a CPR class. It’s only a few hours out of your day, but that knowledge can save someone’s life.

Whatever you do this summer, we hope you do it safely.