Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

LIVING WELL

SAVING ROUTINES

THAT WORK

Although we all have good intentions about putting some money aside for our future needs, many times we fail to meet our goals. Here are a few tips to get you started on a savings plan.

The first hint is to pay yourself first. Make saving a part of the fixed expenses of your budget - much like your rent, mortgage or utility payments.

Second, use payroll deductions. Check to see if your employer can deduct a certain amount from your pay and have it deposited to a savings plan. Many find this is a painless way to save - if you never see it, you might not spend it.

Third, save your windfall income. Instead of spending your windfall income, put the money you receive from tax refunds, bonuses, overtime pay, gift money, refunds and rebates into your savings account.

Fourth, pay installments to yourself. After you pay off a debt - such as a car loan, furniture or an appliance loan - continue to budget the installment payment, but put it into your savings account.

Fifth, try frugality. Cut out or cut back on some - such as eating out less often - and put the money you don't spend into your savings.

Sixth, break a spending habit. For example, every time you don't have that doughnut at coffee break, you don't spend money in the pop machine, you don't buy that candy bar, or don't buy something you normally buy, save the money you didn't spend. If you give up other habits, such as smoking, save the money you would have spent.

Seventh, try a short-term cash-saving plan. Set a short-term time limit, then save as much as possible before the time expires. During this time, buy only the essentials you need and save the money you would have spent on the nonessential items. Each time you start to buy something, ask yourself: "Is this essential to my life?"

Lastly, use club accounts. Many financial institutions have interest-paying Christmas or vacation clubs which you can use to save for other goals - such as appliances, furnishings and education. If your financial institution doesn't have club accounts, set up a saving account as if it were a club account and make regular payments into it.

How you save is what works best for you - it's that you save that's important.

KITCHEN BACTERIA

Dish towels, cloths and sponges really get around the kitchen, and are a breeding ground for germs. In a recent study of kitchen bacterial contamination, 20% of the dishcloths and 12% of the sponges contained salmonella, a leading cause of food-borne illness in the United States.

Since food-borne bacteria can double in number every 20 minutes in some conditions, it's important to wash towels and sponges often in hot water and liquid bleach. A convenient way to disinfect dish cloths and sponges in-between washing, is to soak for 5 minutes in a solution of 3/4-cup household liquid bleach and one gallon warm water.

Ideally, kitchen surfaces should be disinfected daily.

CARE AND

Deer season is about to start and each year we receive questions about how to take care of deer after the hunt.

The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service has a publication called `Make The Most Of Your Deer Kill'. Come by and pick up your copy.