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Show Your Love without Breaking the Bank

 

 

You may love it or hate it, but you can’t avoid it. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and with it comes the expense of requisite cards, flowers, and romantic meals. However, consumers this year will be spending a little less on their beloved according to a recent survey from the National Retail Federation. They report consumers will spend $102.50 on Valentine’s gifts and merchandise, a decrease of $20 from last year.

 

But what’s the harm in sharing the love while still watching the bottom line? Here are a few of our favorite ideas this Valentine’s Day to stay out of the dog house and better yet, out of debt.

 

Spread it Out

This year Valentine’s Day falls on the Saturday of a long weekend. Consider it a “Valentine’s Weekend” and try booking a table on Friday or Sunday night and avoid some of the trappings and surcharges that come along with the holiday. Make it a three-day weekend of love! Recession specials are becoming increasingly popular at local restaurants, usually on non-peak nights.

 

Same goes for a standby favorite gift: flowers. Florists cash in on mark-ups this time each year so show your initiative by ordering flowers for delivery on Friday, February 13^th (no bad omen here) and make your sweetie the envy of the office.

Cash it In

Don’t forget a currency you might have handy: rewards points and miles. Check your account balances and see what those points might earn you: trips, flowers, gift certificates, jewelry and more. With thresholds for redeeming these rewards constantly changing, it’s best to make sure you use them before you loose them.  

On the flip side, if you are going out to the mall (or online) to make a purchase, be sure you use your rewards card, preferably one that is linked to a network that will earn you bonus points/miles to help stretch your dollar even further in the future. The best programs will earn you extra points wherever you choose to shop, not just online.

 

Be a Kid

Remembering the littlest sweeties in your life is important too! Take advantage of Valentine’s to plan a special outing for your children. A day at Monkey Joe’s, a trip to the Aquarium or Zoo, a puppet show, or just a trip to the park will show them you care. Deals and specials abound for kids activities in every city. Blogs like Atlanta On the Cheap will help you find coupon codes and deals that make a family day more cost-friendly. 

 

Show the Love at Work

You can also get in on the Valentine Day's fun at work by letting colleagues know how much you appreciate them. This is a great chance to build and fortify team relationships at a nominal cost. Simple ideas are best such as homemade cards, novelty candies (Pez anyone?) or virtual greetings and “gifts” on Facebook.

 

Show your customers and clients your love by focusing on the bottom line. In today’s economic environment, it’s a best practice to search for more cost effective ways to do business by scrutinizing contracts and pricing agreements with service providers. We’re constantly looking for new ways to streamline, save money and hopefully have a positive impact on our client’s pocketbook. And if it’s realistic, this can be a nice time to give-back to charities and organizations on behalf of your clients.

 

Most important, try to remember that Valentine’s Day is about LOVE not THINGS. Simply try to enjoy your time with the ones who mean the most to you!

 

By Heather Graham and Lauren Shankman

Heroes Among Us

 

 

In light of the recent events that have taken place around the country over the past few weeks including the “Miracle on the Hudson” and the inauguration of President Obama, we've found ourselves contemplating the meaning behind modern day heroes and how their profile in the media, whether its delivered via CNN or on Facebook, influences our society and our views of the world.

A hero represents a number of things to different people. We’ve decided to take a look back over the years at the heroes who have sculpted our thoughts and lives and those who continue to motivate us today:

·            Age 4 – 9: Young children marvel at superheroes such as Batman and Spiderman who fill the silver screen performing incredible acts of bravery. Not only can you watch these heroes on TV, but you can purchase their dolls, books and video games to bring them to life. Even though the magic of these characters may fade as we grow-up, their meaning remains the same across generations due to how the media consistently portrays their characters.  George Reeves who portrayed the original Superman, and his modern day unrelated predecessor, Christopher Reeves, both of whom died tragically, had no idea the impact they would make as actors playing an invincible hero that will continue to live on in the minds of youth.

·         Age 10 – 15: Most commonly referred to as tweens and preteens, much of these years are spent idolizing the supermodels, actors and athletes that you watch on TV and read in your glossy magazines. We look at our heroes as the people who we want to be like when we grow up. As the Gatorade commercials illustrated, “I want to be like Mike.” The examples are never-ending -- New Kids on the Block may be last generations Jonas Brothers and Debbie Gibson the old Miley Cyrus, yet their images and hero status is only maximized through their excessive media coverage.

·         Age 16 – 22: As we get a little older we look at the adults and mentors in our life as our personal heroes. Whether it’s a teacher or guidance counselor that helped you get into the college of your choice or the college professor or intern director that led you to the career path that you chose, these are the heroes that played a vital role in how you got to the place you are today.

·         Age 23 – 30: Then one day as you are planning your own wedding or preparing for your first child you look back and realize the very parents or guardian that raised you, are your true heroes. They have been there with you every step of the way cheering you on as you begin each new chapter of your life. Sharing stories and opinions as needed, but for the most part sitting back to let you learn for yourself along the way.

·         Present Day: Another kind of hero we face is one who catches us by surprise and performs extraordinary acts of courage at a time when it’s needed most. An example of this is Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger. When Captain Sully prepared for his routine morning flight schedule on January 15, the last thing to cross his mind was that in a few hours he would be seen as a hero to 155 passengers and crew members. Now thanks to Social Media the world can see Capitan Sully has 525,365 Facebook fans thanks to the heroic act that day. His training, patients, knowledge and strength are all characteristics that have been attributed to the miracle of that day.

·         Historical: Just five days later on January 20, the inauguration of President Obama was also quoted as a heroic moment in history. People across the world tuned in to watch his speech live, and then waited to relive the moment as his family’s wardrobe and actions were analyzed and critiqued by the media, furthering the meaning behind that day. Although the promises he made throughout his campaign are still questionable, his powerful words on that afternoon were inspirational to all of us. As we await the change this leader may bring to our nation, it is eye-opening to see how his one voice instills hope in millions of citizens.

It truly amazes us what the “everyman” and “every woman” can accomplish and what the media does to further our opinions. We can’t end this discussion without asking, who are your heroes?

 

By Carrie Crabill and Colleen Murphy