BIG SPENDERS: Large cash expenditure*, like (ending your child to college with i computer, make everyone a little nervous. You can spend with more confidence if you research carefully and make the purchase with your Gold MasterCard*. This card not only offers you purchase protection for your items but also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty for up to one year. Doing homework eases trauma of big-ticket purchases Life is full of times when you have to bite the bullet and spend on those big ticket items. Maybe you are putting together a nursery for a new addition to the family, sending a son or daughter off to college with a computer, or finally getting that new sofa or refrigerator you’ve needed for so long. No matter what the reason, shelling out the money will be a little easier to take if you are confident that you will get the best value for your money. This means doing your homework, and it includes researching and comparative shopping for the purchase as well as carefully considering how you will finance it. First, determine what you really need. Then read everything you can find about the item you want. Most products are reviewed in Consumer Reports magazine, and its objective viewpoint is a great place to start. An index of the reviews and back issues are available at any library. Next, talk to friends, neighbors, colleagues...anyone who can give you TAKE THE WRONG ■ LETTERS FROM THE TEN TITLES AND PUT THEM INTO THE SQUARES BELOW. THEN RE ARRANGE THEM TO FIND A WELL-KNOWN FAIRY TALE PERSON. 1\ PICK _ l I JACK AND tucI 8 \ WHITTIN6T0E \| BEAHstaI1? I to AMSW£*> • V1139WONJO 9/ NOS*3d WHJL I A brief history of money Aitnougn you ouen see mom and dad paying with credit cards, you still see them using one of the oldest methods of payment, the exchange of paper and coins. You may ask yourself: Who used the first coins? Coins were first issued by King Gyges of Lydia (Turkey) and the idea spread through tradesmen around the Mediterranean. Lyatan coins were maae from small lumps of metal which were a mixture of gold and silver. On one side they were stamped with the badge of the king. The Chinese issued the first paper money in the 6th century A.D.. The first credit cards came into being during the 1920’s when they were issued by American oil companies for buying gasoline. Whale watch Whales have been around for millions of years. They are aquatic mammals and they evolved from land mammals; their nearest rel atives are hoofed mammals. Instead of hair, whales have a thick layer of blub ber beneath their skins to keep them warm in cold waters. The whale’s “nostrils” are on top of his head, where they form a blow-hole. After a dive, a whale spouts to expel the used air from its lungs before taking another breath. Because the water sup ports their weight, whales can grow far larger than any living land animal. But the largest whales eat only tiny creatures about 5cm long, called krill. Saving the whales But why are whales so special? And why would any one want to spend time and money trying to save them? Whales are extremely intelligent. They may be even smarter than we are! And whales communicate with each other in a language that we are just beginning to understand. Whales are hunted For hundreds of years, whales have been killed for their blubber, the layer of fat underneath the skin which provides oil, or in the case of the sperm whale, the large reserve of oil in the head, which is used for making candles, margarine and soap. Ambergris, an oil used in the manufacture of perfume, also comes from the intestines of whales. The number of whales which may be killed in a season is limited by interna tional agreement but whales are disappearing, making it important for groups like Greenpeace to pressure countries into saving them. DID VOU KtlOUJ? by AL © IN 1066 mu I AM THE CONQUEROR INVADED ENGLAND EDOM FRANCE AND IT IS EDOM THAT DATE THAT THE CHANNEL ISLANDS HAVE BELONGED TO BRITAIN. CATFISH HAVE BARBELS I AROUND THEIR MOUTHS LUCE A OATS WHISKERS. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THEY HELP THEM TO DETECT FOOD IN VERY MUDDY WATER. ITIS BELIEVED THAT IN ANCIENT TIMES BOTH GREEKS AND E6YFTIANS HAD PICTURES OF PEOPLE'S FACES OH THE SOLES OF THEIR SHOES. THE GREEKS' WERE OF PEOPLE THEY LIKED BUT THE EGYPTIANS HAD THEIR ENEMIES' FACES ON THEM WHICH THEY COULD THEN TREAD INTO THE GROUND! How to draw up annual financial plan it nappens every year. Housenoids all over America make up an annual budget and a firm resolution to stick to it. Unfortunately, by April, the next time most of us give in to the pressure to think seriously about financial management, we've already strayed hopelessly from the original plan and don’t know how it happened. The news here is that it's not you, it’s the budget. Budgets can never be realistic because they are dependent on costs over which we hav? no control. This does not mean, however, that you should throw up your hands and spend in a vacuum. Every household should establish a reasonable, flexible financial plan that they can adapt to their changing financial situation. The way to accomplish this goal is not to plan what you will spend and what you will save, but how you will spend and save. First, you need to chart your income and expenses. Using the standard categories — clothing, credit cards, entertainment, food, household maintenance, insurance, investments, legal/medical, taxes, utilities, and work/school — make a chart that records the monthly income and expenses for each. This will help you keep track of cash flow and it is an effective curb on overspending. Review your investments. You are looking to see that the mix among cash savings, stocks & bonds, real estate (nol including your home) and collectibles continues to reflect your short- and long-tcrrti savings goals. Check up on your insurance As your family/household situation changes, so do your insurance needs. T his is especially true of disability insurance us you arc more likely to become temporarily disabled rather •ban die durum vour wort me \r,« Most people need coverage that will pay 60 to 70 percent of their pretax earnings. Contribute to a tax deferred retirement plan. Whether it’s an individual or matched savings plan through your employer, everyone should have a retirement plan. If possible, make your maximum con tribution at the beginning of the year so that it can reap the most interest. Get the highest rate on your savings. Check around. Why should you let your savings sit in a 6.25 percent passbook account when some guaranteed funds are paying 9.2 percent? Review your credit situation. Check your loan and credit card rates and fees for re-financing. Remember to look for the most value from your credit cards. Many come with enhancements that increase vour buying power, especially the prestige cards like Gold MasterCard'. It offers by comparison TOP POP ALBUMS 1. I’m Your Baby To nlriit, Whitney Houston, Ansta 2. Rhythm of the Saints, Paul Simon, Warner Bros. 3. To the Extreme, Va nitia Ice, SBK 4. Mari ah Carey, Mariah Cary, Columbia 5. Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ’Em, M.C Hammer. Capitol 6. Vol. 3, The Traveling WUburys, Warner Bros. 7. Some People’s Lives. Bette Midler, Atlantic 8. Recycler. ZZ T. Warner Bros. 9. The Razor* Mlgc U'fH ATMt some ot the best value-added packages, including Purchase Assurance™ and Extended Warranty on items bought personally and on gifts you give to others, plus legal and medical protection when you are away from home, as well as emergency roadside assistance almost anywhere in the U.S. Check your estate plan. This means update your will. If, like almost twc thirds of American adults, you don'l have one. make one. Even if you are single, this will guarantee that youi finances don’t become someone else’s problem. If you review ihese guidelines annually, you won't be a slave to an annual budget with figures that are quickly outdated. Instead, you’ll have a flexible plan that allows you to make your own decisions. mmmit ran whit 1009 Coleman Street. Do you have a HAPP certificate which n up lor renewal? Do you won* •*> live in an olmost now ivo bedro. apartment with control hoot ana a, * Ar* you willing to live Within stru" guideline* rotating to not*e. no d u* aenerol cleanliness? Would yo -*t •he tollowing tree Indue*"'*' » «• Moving CoiO' do not apply. (3) Credit History and reference* required ' Ol FMASi S'S" „ 832 S?J? - a first hand opinion from their own experience. For example, if you are purchasing a crib for the nursery, you’ll discover that there are basically two types — the crib with the removable sides that turns into an European bed or the standard crib that lasts throueh the toddler sta&e. The_ crib/bed version is twice as expensive, and maxes too small a bed once the ehild is several years old. Married with children? The same guidelines hold true for computer equipment. You start by evaluating the kind of work vou plan to do on it. While there are two major kinds of computers — IBM compatibles and Apple compatibles — different memory capacities, add-on features and software acceptance plus changing technology mean you'll need all the advice vou can get. now 10 improve your imanciai prome i nere nave oeen mousanas oi books, articles and talk shows aimed at helping married people improve their financial profile. Still, many live dangerously from paycheck to paycheck, paying only lip service to long-term financial planning. The excuses are varied but predictable: the ever-increasing expenses of day care, a night at the movies, new little league uniforms, and so on. Spiraling insurance premiums and balloon mortgages don’t help. The trick to successful financial planning is to start with the basics and then work toward a total plan. As the old saying goes, the longest journey starts with a single step. Here then are some of the easiest single steps that married couples can take to start their journey toward upward financial mobility: •Try to eliminate double insurance coverage if both the husband and wife work. With companies becoming more creative in managing costly health care packages, you may stand to benefit. See which of your employee health insurance packages is more compre hensive in its coverage, and then look .. 1 . to wnittie tne otner. ociect me least expensive employee package, and even check into whether you can refuse medical coverage entirely, which can save as much as an extra $1,000 a year. •Don’t overpay for your child care — nothing frustrates married wage earners more than when they feel the second family income is virtually devastated by day care expenses. The annual bill for such services typically ranges from $5,000 to $10,000 a year depending on whether you have live-in, live-out, or day care help. And, of course, take full advantage of tax credits for daycare spending. You may be entitled to an even bigger tax break if your company offers a dependent-care flexible spending account (FSA). This allows you to use pretajt dollars for daycare costs, usually to a limi* of $5,000 per year. •Pay yourself first — with a tidal wave of bills each month, saving often becomes the last thing on your mind. Experts advise putting aside 10 percent of your net income for savings. 1 Dr. Charles V. Holland Takes Pride In Announcing The Association Of Dr. Michael V. Holland And A Name Change To... Holland & Holland EYE CARE CENTER OPTOMETRY 003 N«w Barn Avo. Ph. (010) 828*9085 OFFICE HOURS MON. thru FRI. 9:00 A.M. • 8:30 P.M. INO mailer wnai me ncm vuy uuve lo select it carefully, anti /ou'should select your payment method jur-t as carefully. Although you may be tempted to consider store credit or even cash, there ate viral good reasons why a credit ; ird w ould be a better choice. In fat t. recent statistics show there has S een a i >ih decline in the use of store credit in the last lew years while the use of bank cards is thriving. These changes 'art due in part to the uncertain finances of many department and chain stores and a so due to the many services now attached to credit card use, especially -.old -.ards. It you are a G