July 2016 is finally here! For those who don’t know, I am getting married this month! All the planning and preparation over the last 2 years of our engagement will finally (hopefully) pay off. With that being said, I have saved up vacation days and will be taking a few weeks this month. I will be out of the

office July 8th-27th. If you have any questions or concerns during that time I am out, Conny and/or Mary will be glad to help you in anyway they can. I look forward to getting back and working on getting the new homemaker year started and working with this year’s Leadership Montgomery County class! We also have some changes going on at the Extension office. Our Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent, Mr. Ron Catchen will retire July 6th after 45 years with the Cooperative Extension Service. For those who know him (which seems like most people in the county), you know how much his presence will be missed. We are sad to see him retire but wish him all the best in his new journey of retired life! Charles and I will be working to make this as smooth of a transition as possible. Just another reminder, Montgomery County is in charge of classes for LRA Skills Day on October 18th. Please let me know if you have any ideas of classes to offer! If you have anything “crafty” or creative that you would like to teach, that would be wonderful! We can have morning and/or afternoon classes that last up to 3 hours or we have all day classes if needed. I look forward to hearing some of your ideas!

H a p p y 4 t h o f J u l y !

W h a t ' s I n s i d e ?

Summer Travel on a Budget July MoneyWi$e Newsletter July Adult Health Bulletin Summer Travel on a Budget Elder Financial Abuse Mark Your Calendars Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud

Recipe: Cabbage Noodle Casserole

Hannah Leonard Montgomery Co.

Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences

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Fami ly and Consumer Sciences Extens ion

News Montgomery County

Ju ly 2016

Cooperative Extension Service Montgomery County

106 East Locust Street

Mt. Sterling, KY 40353-1404

(859) 498-8741

Fax: (859) 498-8712

extension.ca.uky.edu/

Source: Jennifer Hunter, extension specialist for family financial management

Warm, sunny days are the perfect occasion to hit the road to discover new things. But the dream of get-

ting away may seem impossible to some of us when the costs of traveling, including food, lodging and enter-

tainment, are piled on top of everyday living expenses. These tips may make it easier for you to get away

without breaking the bank.

1) Shorten the length of your stay. Everyone would love to stay on the beach for a full seven days, but

for some, that may not be economically feasible. Instead of canceling your trip, look at your budget

and see how many days you can afford. You may find that you save several hundred dollars just by

shortening your stay by a few days.

2) Choose off-peak vacation spots. While summer is the peak season for most places, destinations like

ski resorts that do the majority of their business during the winter months may offer discounts during

the off-season. You won’t be able to ski, but you can enjoy nature, restaurants and tourist attrac-

tions, not to mention fewer crowds.

3) Look for last minute deals or specials if you are flexible with your dates. Often airlines or hotels will

offer discounts to fill empty seats and vacant rooms. Make sure you book with a reputable company

when searching the Internet for deals.

4) Save money by eating in. Food can be one of the biggest expenses of a vacation next to lodging.

Think about whether you could bring food or purchase it at a local grocery store instead of dining out

for every meal. Breakfast and lunch may be easy to do, if you have refrigerator access or are ok with

grab-n-go food. Having access to a kitchen in your room or vacation rental could help you prepare a

couple of home-cooked meals for your family.

5) Have a staycation. Become a tourist in your own city or region. You can also contact the visitor’s bu-

reau at (859)498-8132 for more information on free or low-cost summer events offered in the county.

6) Set a budget and follow it. Make sure everyone in your family knows the daily spending allowance

and agrees to stay within it. Families can plan each day’s events based on their budget.

M a r k Yo u r C a l e n d a r s

July 1st– First Friday Market in Downtown Mt. Sterling July 4th– Happy Independence Day! (Extension Office closed) August 1st-6th– Montgomery County Fair August 16th at 10:00am– Next Homemaker Council Meeting This will be the first homemaker council meeting of the 2016-2017 so you will want to make sure to have a representative from each club present at the meeting. Come with ideas for the Homemaker Bazaar, fundraising opportunities, and other ways to volunteer! August 25th at The Extension Education Center– Licking River Area Leadership Day Instead of meeting for leader lessons every month, we are trying something a little different. At this meeting we will have lessons as well as discuss leadership and homemakers. All members are wel- come to attend this all day training. More information about this event will come out closer to the date. October 18th at The Fleming County Extension Office– Licking River Area Skills Day A registration flyer with all the classes and details about sign up will come out in a newsletter later this summer. October 28th in Bracken County (daytime)– Licking River Area Annual Meeting More information about registration and location will be forthcoming. November 12th at The Extension Education Center– Annual Homemaker Bazaar

E l d e r F i n a n c i a l A b u s e

Sadly, there are many elderly people who face financial abuse every year. This includes having someone steal money, sell or take property, fake their signature or trick the person into spending money. Luckily, there are some ways that you can protect yourself, friends and loved ones: Hire the right people. Hire a certified public accountant or financial planner to help you manage

your money. A lawyer with elder-law or estate planning knowledge can help you write a will and craft trusts, which can limit others’ access to your money.

Power-of-attorney. Think about who you can trust to be your power-of-attorney. The document can be written to include another person to monitor the person with power-of-attorney or to have two powers-of-attorney. Talk with your attorney about the roll of the power-of-attorney. You will also want to discuss the difference between the standard power-of-attorney and a durable power-of-attorney.

Set up direct payment. Have your tax refunds, pension benefits and Social Security benefits paid directly to your banking account. You can also simplify bill paying by using online payment options available through your bank.

Protect your home. If you are hiring outside help, be sure that the person is trustworthy by hav-ing a background check done and/or checking references. You will also want to check to make cer-tain the person is properly insured.