Road trippin' and goin' with the flow

We’ve had this trip planned for months now. We didn’t realize how perfect it would be to get out of town and see some of the eastern seaboard. 

 

I drove from Windham to Presque Isle and back to Windham before picking up the rest of the family and driving for 24 hours straight to Florida. For those who have done this, you know what an experience it is. Driving until you can’t see straight and then trading drivers, no idea what time it is, what day it is and what kind of traffic you’ll encounter. 

We did really well on time, only got lost once and I was asleep at the time, so I never knew. It was a family bonding experience. 

Now that we are here with nine people, we are rolling with the punches. Personalities, rain, long lines, handicaps. I guess I’ve done an okay job with my teens because they understand that we’re going to have to wait in lines. Some people are bound to be jerks. (My daughter saw a fight in the bag check area yesterday.) And, if you wait around long enough good things will happen. We were on two rides that broke down while we were on them, (I’m not saying we’re the cause of the malfunction). They gave us express passes and we got to ride a better ride twice with no line, no waiting, and we finished one of the rides that broke without redeeming our tickets. 

I’m getting my exercise, no doubt about that. The new iPhone 6s have a pedometer in them and those in our party with the right technology are keeping track of the many miles we are walking each day. Most days are between six and seven miles. Yesterday we cleared 10,000 steps before lunch. 

It’s a different experience to have a car on vacation. We control where we want to go and when. Want to run to the drugstore or Walmart? Grab a GPS and go. The traffic is different here…like Windham in the summer on a Friday afternoon…all the time. 

With patience and a positive attitude, we’re having a blast. Oh and that positive attitude? I said something while we were in one of the cues and the employee said, “I like that positive attitude” and it made me think of our paper and our goals. Not sure what a positive paper looks like…then you haven’t been paying attention.

Michelle

Educating our children about money matters - By Kelly Mank

In conjunction with this week’s focus of “money matters” I wanted to share a recent experience that I am feeling very strong about. Growing up I really never got an education on money. I didn’t know how credit cards worked, I didn’t realize how much things cost and I had no real appreciation for the value of a dollar. 

My son is 14 years old and at this age they are starting to make money on their own by doing things around the house for people or helping shovel someone’s driveway and really has no idea what to do with it after that. He is used to bringing it to school and spending it at the school store or concession at a sporting game.

I went to my bank to get a debit card for him to attach to his savings account and to my surprise that wasn’t allowed. I actually inquired about programs they had for kids and come to find out the “norm” is to have nothing available to kids until they are 18.  Now, I understand the risks that are associated with this however… we are completely guilty as a society of raising kids to be money stupid.  I was so happy to find out that there was a bank that actually had an account and program completely for kids, a debit card that can’t get overdrawn, and online accessibility so that parents and kids can go over how the account works. 

I find it amazing that with all the challenges our country has in the financial world that we are not educating our youth on something as simple as balancing a checkbook or what APR means on a credit card. 

Now, as we started this newspaper as a source of positive and solutions based news I do urge you to find a solution and teach your children that a debit card is not a never ending “magic card” that pays for things. I urge you to seek out a bank that has programs for children to learn to take responsibility. I urge you to talk to your school about providing financial education to our youth.  I know I will be doing all of these things!

-Kelly Mank