Don’t Pay Full Price Admission to the Texas State Fair

The Texas State Fair opens this weekend. Get your wallets ready. This year, admission is $16. Senior citizens and children age three up to 48 inches are $12 each. Children 2 and under are free.

I used to cringe when my son would ask what day we were going to the fair. I didn’t even want to think about the money I would have to spend just to get in, not to mention rides and food. The good news is there are lots of ways to save money at the Texas State Fair.

Free Admission

Children who attend public school in Texas usually receive a free ticket to the fair. Ours come home a day or two before our scheduled fair day holiday from school. Be sure to look at the date on those tickets. Often, they are only good for your school district’s scheduled fair day.

Every Thursday during the state fair, you get free admission with a Cinemark movie ticket stub.

Get in free on Thursday, Oct. 11 by wearing any item of clothing with a Dickies logo. (This is the Dickies clothing line and not the barbecue franchise.)

Senior citizens age 60 years and up get free admission every Thursday.

Canned Food Discount Admission

Any Wednesday, pay only $2 for admission when you bring three canned goods. They will be donated to area food banks.

More Admission Discounts

Opening day and Thursdays – bring a 20 oz. bottle of water (full and unopened) or any other 20 oz. Coca Cola product and get in for $6.

Tuesdays – get in for $5 when you bring an empty Dr. Pepper can.

Any day – pay $8 for admission after 5 p.m. when you bring an empty Dr. Pepper can.

Buy tickets online and save $1.05 each.

Buy tickets at Kroger at save $1.50 per ticket or save $10 on season passes. Kroger also sells a DART combo ticket, which includes general admission to the fair and round trip transportation on DART. Combo tickets are only available at Kroger.

Discounts on Midway Rides

Every Tuesday, most rides are half price. That makes most of them five tickets or $2.50 each. It’s still expensive, but it beats $5 a ride. Before you even head out to the fair, set a ride spending limit. Once it’s reached, the rides are over for the day. This will save you a lot of grief and will help the kids make wise decisions on which rides they really want to experience.

How much can you really save? Last year, I saved $29 just on admission with my son’s free ticket and an empty Dr. Pepper can. You can do it.

Remember, Texas State Fair Coupons NEVER expire. If you still have some from last year, use them. If you can’t use all the ones you buy this year, hold on to them for next year. And don’t forget to eat something fried in honor of the money you saved.

Your Dollar Could Donate a Miracle

Having your child admitted to a children’s hospital is not something you ever imagine will happen when you become a parent. Sure, there are those trips to the pediatrician for routine ailments and maybe even an emergency room visit for stitches at some point, but not a hospital stay. If you have never had this happen in your family, be thankful. I speak from experience when I tell you it changes you forever.

About two and a half years ago, my son got sick. It started with a fever and no other symptoms. The next morning, he had a slight limp and was complaining of some ankle pain. As the day went on, his pain got worse and we noticed it increased as the fever got higher. Eventually, he was in so much pain that he stopped walking completely and started crawling through our house. At the time, he was six-years-old. The very next day, we took him to the pediatrician, who diagnosed him with strep, but also sent us for x-rays of his leg and a sonogram of his heart to rule out other ailments. Within 24 hours, we were sitting in the ER of Children’s Hospital of Dallas, where we were later admitted for what we would learn the next day was a bone infection. We endured five days of test, IVs and other things you never want to witness your child go through.

If I had to do it again - and I hope I never do - I would want my child right back at Children’s Hospital of Dallas, one of the local children’s hospitals supported by the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN). The hospitals supported by the CMN turn nobody away. I was very lucky to have health insurance, but even if I didn’t, my son would have been treated. Whether they suffer from common childhood afflictions like asthma and broken bones, or fight bigger challenges like birth defects or cancer, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals provide comfort, treatment and hope to millions of sick kids each year – even when the kids’ families can’t pay. They are local families living in your community. This level of treatment is made possible by people like you, who donate money to help these hospitals keep their doors open.

Neighborhood Credit Union is asking you to join us as we participate in Miracle Jeans Days every Wednesday in September. Each Wednesday, we will be wearing our jeans to help raise funds for local children who need medical help. With the support of our members, we're working to raise funds for our local Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Contribute as little as $1 at your local branch anytime in September, and we'll post your name on a Miracle Jeans Day donation form, We hope you'll join us by making a donation to make a difference.

Truth be known, my family fared well compared to many children who end up living in the hospital for years. As I was wheeling my son around the hospital many times for a change of scenery, we saw children who couldn’t sit up, couldn’t eat or didn’t have hair. Please, help these children and their families by making a donation at your Neighborhood Credit Union branch. Together, we can change a child’s life.

Time Flies...Make Sure Your Money Doesn’t Fly Away With It

Time flies as the old saying goes and years can seem like only a few months.  A forgotten check that you neglected to cash, a certificate of deposit that automatically renews each year, or a savings account at your mother’s credit union can all end up being money that flies away as well.  Bank and credit union accounts are considered dormant if there is no activity or contact by the account owner after a certain period of time.  Effective this year, the dormancy period for a checking, savings or certificate of deposit account has been shortened from five (5) years to a fleeting three (3) years. 

In less time than what most people take to pay off an automobile loan, a lack of activity or contact with your financial institution can result in your hard earned money being shipped off to your state government.  How much of this money is actually flying off to state coffers?  The State of Texas reports that it is currently holding more than $2.5 billion in cash and other valuables.  This occurs from a process called escheatment in which property is considered abandoned and forwarded to the State Comptroller’s office.

Of course you can always reclaim money that has been escheated  to the State Comptroller, but wouldn’t it make sense to prevent your money from being sent there in the first place?  States do not pay interest on your money.  While you may be earning a paltry sum now in some financial accounts, compare that to a zero percent interest rate.  Also, it takes more time to reclaim your money.  The State of Texas reports that it may take three or four months to review and process an Original Owner claim once it is received.

Credit unions and other financial institutions are busy this month running reports to determine if you and other members or customers have initiated any activity or contact in the last three years.  If they can’t reach dormant account owners before November 1, the money takes flight to the State Treasury.

Don’t let your money fly away through the escheatment process.  Take these recommended steps by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts today to protect your funds and prevent abandonment.

1. Check on your financial accounts annually. Keep a list of all of your bank and credit union accounts.  Make a transaction, send an email, or call the financial institution to check on these accounts at least once per year.
2. Complete a change of address when you relocate. To ensure any checks or other financial correspondence are forwarded to you upon a move or relocation, change your address with the United States Postal Service or your local post office.
3. Confirm your address for checks that your receive. Ensure that anyone issuing you reimbursement or other checks has your correct address.
4. Review safe deposit box contents annually. If you have a safe deposit box, review the contents at least once per year.  Also list it as a part of your estate and make sure a friend or family member is aware of it.

Being aware of escheatment rules for your state along with conducting a few simple steps to check on your financial accounts will save you future headaches.  Neighborhood Credit Union members can also learn more about protecting accounts from escheatment on our website. Time flies but you can ensure that your money doesn’t take flight along with it.

Article by Carolyn Jordan, Senior Vice President of Retail Operations at Neighborhood Credit Union