April is National Financial Literacy Month

April is National Financial Literacy Month

paper bills and changeApril is designated as National Financial Literacy Month to increase awareness about financial literacy, especially with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) causing economic worry for families across the United States. When it comes to financial literacy, knowledge is power!

Consumer debt has become a major challenge for families. If you owe money to multiple creditors, managing this debt can be overwhelming. Many Americans have more debt than they can afford to pay. Developing strategies for overcoming this challenge is essential. These strategies should include building financial knowledge, developing a budget, and setting savings goals to improve your financial outlook.

Financial literacy means understanding how to save, borrow, invest, and care for your money, leading to greater financial well-being. Research has shown that our physical health and well-being are directly linked to our financial health and well-being.

Florida Saves is a statewide initiative that helps inspire Florida families to set savings goals, lower debt, and build personal wealth. The Florida Saves pledge, located on the Florida Saves website, can help us establish personal financial goals. With this pledge, you’re making a commitment to work toward a savings goal, such as college tuition, an emergency fund, or down payment on your first home. Visit the Florida Saves Initiative website to learn more about financial literacy.

Whatever your savings goals are, becoming financially literate can help you achieve those goals. For more information about financial literacy and management, please contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Agent.

Extension classes are open to everyone regardless of race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions, or affiliations.

 

Beware of Scams!

Beware of Scams!

Lately, scammers have gotten more sophisticated. So it’s worth reminding everyone that if you receive an unsolicited email, text, or phone call, DO NOT give out any of your personal information! Scammers often update their tactics, using any way they can to trick you into handing over your precious personal information.

Earlier this week, I received an email (see below) telling me I had successfully set up a mobile wallet using my bank account. Since I had not signed up for this service, I was tempted to call the phone number listed in the email to dispute it. I hesitated, and for good reason. If I had contacted them, they would have tried to get my personal identification information, and then used that information to steal my identity or bank funds. I called my bank directly and learned this scam was recently perpetrated against 40,000 debit card users.

Phishing emails and text messages often appear to be legitimate and from a company you know or trust (like my own bank). These phishing emails and text messages often describe a problem with your billing, to trick you into clicking on a link or an attachment.

REMEMBER, if you receive this kind of message, by email or text, do not click on any attachments or call the phone number that is listed.

The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Consumer Information page offers these tips for consumers to recognize and avoid phishing scams. View their website for more information. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/privacy-identity-online-security.

  1. Protect your computer by using security software.
  2. Protect your mobile phone by setting software to update automatically
  3. Protect your accounts by using multi-factor authentication
  4. Protect your data by backing it up

Lesson learned? Protect yourself and don’t believe anything that doesn’t feel right!

 

 

For more information about protecting yourself and your finances, contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Agent.

Extension classes are open to everyone regardless of race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations.

Recharge for a Low Charge

Recharge for a Low Charge

Brown flip flops on sandy beach

Visit places close to home for a vacation that won’t break the budget. (Photo source: UF/IFAS)

“Summer” and “vacation” seem to go hand-in-hand, as school is out and schedules are a little more laid back. Now that summer is here, you may be making plans for a getaway to your favorite spot. Perhaps, you are saving up for that dream trip next summer but you’d still like to take a break and have some fun this year. How can your family and you enjoy yourselves without breaking the bank? The answer might be right in your own backyard!

  • Plan a staycation. Rather than traveling out of the area, use your home as base and plan some fun activities – family game time, camping out in the backyard and making s’mores, or running through the sprinklers and having a water balloon fight. Or just relax with a good book and a glass of lemonade or catch a few zzzs under a tree. The key is to turn off the devices, forget about work, and not worry about projects around the house – they will be there after you “return.”
  • Plan day trips. These can be a part of your staycation, too.  If you live fairly close to the beach, pack the car and head out early to enjoy the surf before temperatures rise. Make a day of it by enjoying the sunset before heading home. State parks also offer hiking and biking trails, boating and canoeing, swimming, playgrounds, picnic areas, and other fun activities.  Florida boasts of 175 state parks, trails, and historic sites around the state so your next adventure may be just a short drive away.  Check out https://www.floridastateparks.org/ for a park near you.
  • Check out local events. Libraries and museums often feature special exhibits for free or a nominal charge.  Several years ago, I visited a traveling exhibit about the Titanic at an arts center an easy drive from home.  It made for an enjoyable and educational afternoon!  Contact your local library or museum for a schedule of summer program offerings.
  • Take part in a service project. A number of families are opting to use some of their vacation time to help others in need in their communities – projects include yard work, painting, basic home repairs, assisting with a food pantry/clothes closet, and serving meals to the homeless.  These projects may be sponsored by a community service organization or church.  During this past spring, local media outlets reported on several groups of college students representing campus ministries, fraternities, and other organizations who volunteered their Spring Break time to assist with Hurricane Michael clean-up and recovery.  Participating in a service project as a family can be a meaningful way to give back to the community and make a difference locally.  Contact your place of worship or local service organizations for opportunities in your area.

This summer, “recharge” without a super charge to your wallet!

Source:  https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/i-need-a-staycation

 

Beware of Scams!

Beware of Holiday Scams

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year… for Criminals, Thieves and Scammers

Red and green Christmas tree ornaments in a clear bowl

Photo source: UF/IFAS Northwest District

This holiday season scammers and identity thieves are hoping to take advantage of shoppers who may be too preoccupied with travel, gift-buying, and festivities to notice. Therefore, during the holidays, it is even more important to remain vigilant while shopping in stores or online.

More people are turning to online shopping for their holiday gifts. The National Retail Federation forecasts consumers to spend about $721 billion this holiday season.  However, this increase in online spending comes with a greater risk for thieves to steal your money or your identity.

Here are some common holiday scams and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim:

Deals That Are Too Good to Be True –while shopping online keep the old adage in mind, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. During the holidays, shoppers are looking for huge deals, and scammers know it. These thieves often set up websites that appear to be legitimate, just to steal your personal information and/or to download a virus onto your computer.

It is important to make sure any site in which you shop contains an HTTPS security designation. Another simple way to know if the website is authentic is to look for the padlock symbol that appears in the address bar of the retailer. Here is an example of an Amazon online address bar.

Holiday Phishing Scams – Around the holidays, beware of emails pretending to be sent from familiar companies like FedEx or UPS. These emails claim to provide links for package tracking information. These links, once clicked on, will either steal your personal information or download a virus onto your computer. Remember, if you receive an email from someone you don’t know or weren’t expecting an email from, you should never click on links. Also, make sure you are using current antivirus software on your computer.

Identity Theft and ATM Skimmers

In Store Shopping:
    • Being vigilant is key to protecting yourself during the holiday season. Thieves target shoppers who are either struggling with packages and bags or those who are unaware of their surroundings. Thieves see this as an opportunity to steal your wallet or credit card numbers.
    • When using an ATM or other key pads, make sure to check for skimming devices that thieves install on ATMs and other card readers. These skimmers are placed over the existing key pad in order to access your account. It is also advised to cover the keypad when entering your pin number while purchasing items or getting money from an ATM
    • After each purchase, take time to put your credit card back into your wallet. Also, it may be worthwhile to purchase an RFID-blocking wallet. These wallets are designed to shield your credit card information from RFID readers and skimmers..
 Online Shopping:
  • When shopping online, experts advise consumers to use credit cards instead of debit cards. In case of fraud, both payments types can be disputed, however debit card payments are automatically deducted from your bank account. Therefore, it may take longer to get your money back.

Gift Cards– Gift cards are a great idea for people on our shopping list. However, a record number of retail stores are closing their doors, so you should consider the retailer’s financial situation before buying a gift card. If the retailer closes or declares bankruptcy, the recipient may not be able to use the gift card.

Package Delivery Theft- Having packages delivered to our homes makes us a target for thieves who case neighborhoods and even follow delivery trucks looking for packages sitting on porches. There are ways to prevent this from happening to you. You can have your packages delivered to their office, a local pick-up area, like a UPS Store or try to schedule delivery times when someone will be home, if possible. Online shoppers can also set up tracking notifications, to know when an item is delivered.

Charitable Giving Tips – Give to charities wisely. At this time of year, we all want to give to charities that pull on our heart strings. But beware of giving money to charities that are fake or irresponsible. Do your research to make sure to support the many legitimate and deserving charities that can use our help during the holidays.

The 2018 Consumer Protection Guide – This guide provides more information about protecting yourself as a consumer, including online identity theft, charity scams, item recalls and more.

The holiday season brings out the best and worst in people. Therefore, you should be vigilant because the holidays are a lucrative time of year for thieves and scammers who are trying their hardest to get into your bank account.

For more tips on how to keep your identity safe and avoid holiday scams, contact Laurie Osgood, UF/IFAS Extension, Gadsden County at Osgoodlb@ufl.edu  or call (850) 875-7255.

 

Wasting Food is SO Outdated

Wasting Food is SO Outdated

Photo source: UF/IFAS Northwest District

If your family is like most, grocery shopping is a dreaded weekly task.  Typical shoppers usually have an idea of what they plan to purchase based on a previously made shopping list.  Even then, it’s easy to go astray with impulse purchasing, bargain prices, and buy-one-get-one free opportunities that simply can’t be passed up!  Before you know it, the shopping cart is loaded with delicious treasures just begging to come home with you.

Now that you have done the shopping, transported it home, and begun to put food items in their appropriate storage places, you realize the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry are cramped and nearly full.  On a related aside, you should see my parents’ pantry.  They have enough cans, boxes, and packages to feed their entire neighborhood…twice!  Not to mention the two full size refrigerator/freezers that are bursting at the seams.  Like my parents, I suspect many of us have a food overbuying addiction.  So what happens next?  Well, it’s time to clear out the old and make way for the new, of course.  But how do you know what to purge and what is still good to keep?

Food Date Labeling Confusion and Food Waste

Standard or uniform language for food product dating does not exist in the U.S., which makes things tricky when it comes to deciphering expiration dates.  Current Federal regulations do not require product dating (excluding infant formula), but instead allow food manufacturers to voluntarily set and display these dates on product packaging.  With the lack of Federal measures, product dating enforcement is left up to individual states, resulting in consumer confusion over food safety.  The U.S. wastes close to an estimated 40% of food produced annually, which equals approximately 160 billion pounds (Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic).  Of that, confusion over the meaning of date labels seems to be responsible for roughly 20% of safe and edible food wasted by consumers.  Undoubtedly, this hurts purchaser’s pocketbooks and results in $29,000,000,000 of wasted consumer spending yearly (Food Date Labeling Act of 2016, 114th Congress 2D Session).

Food Quality vs. Food Safety

While cleaning out the pantry and cold storage, I also have been guilty of trashing perfectly good food. So many of us unknowingly accept the stamped date as common law not to be questioned. So what does that date actually mean?

The “open” date used by the manufacturer or retailer on food packaging is passively thought of by the consumer as the “expiration date,” or the last date a food can safely be eaten.  This is a very common misconception.  Food safety is not represented by this date, but rather it refers to product quality and freshness.  Dates determined by food companies take into consideration such factors as ingredients, product characteristics and packaging, as well as time and temperatures associated with distribution, retail sale, and storage.

With no current standards in place, a variety of food date phrases are utilized which often are misleading to retailers and consumers.  Most commonly used phrases include:

  • “Best If Used By/Before” indicates when a product will be of best flavor or quality.
  • “Sell-By” indicates to the retailer when the product should no longer be displayed for sale.
  • “Use-By” is the last date recommended for use of the product at peak quality. This is only a safety date when used on infant formula packaging.

It’s important to remember that open dates on food products ONLY reflect food quality and NOT food safety (except for infant formula).  For a list of specific foods and recommended storage time frames, check out the FoodKeeper resource at FoodSafety.gov.

Food Spoilage

Knowing the signs of spoilage will help you determine if a food is no longer fit for consumption.  Although the quality date may have passed, the food is safe until it begins to spoil.  Spoiled food may have a different smell, taste, and/or texture with sometimes visible discoloration.  This occurs when environmental conditions (such as temperature, moisture, and oxygen) are introduced which support the growth of bacteria, molds, or yeasts.  Given enough time, these microorganisms multiply rapidly and affect the safety of the food.  If perishable items are not handled and stored properly, spoilage occurs much more rapidly.  Learn more about proper refrigeration and food safety.

Do Your Part at Home

  • Plan meals in advance and make a specific grocery list. Check the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry to utilize what you already have on hand.
  • Don’t overbuy! Especially be aware not to purchase excess perishable items that are likely to spoil quickly.  These may be foods that require cold storage, fresh bakery items, and fresh produce.
  • Always look for and compare date labels of an item; choose the one with a later date.
  • Store foods promptly and properly for food safety and best quality. Discard potentially hazardous cold food items that have not been properly refrigerated for 2 hours or more.
  • Keep a thermometer inside the front of your refrigerator and check it regularly to be sure it stays below 40 degrees F.
  • Thaw foods safely! Thawing in the refrigerator is the safest way, but using cold running water or defrosting in the microwave are acceptable ways to speed up the process. Never sit foods out at room temperature to thaw!
  • Recognize the signs of food spoilage and promptly discard foods that smell funny, have off-flavors, obvious mold growth, or sticky or slimy textures (such as fish, poultry, and deli meats).
  • Evaluate each item in your pantry and consider whether or not it’s something you want to continue to store and use or want to remove.
  • High temperatures affect the shelf life of shelf-stable foods so it’s important to store dry goods and pantry items in temperatures at or below 85 degrees F. Use the “First In First Out” (FIFO) method of rotation, using older items before newly purchased ones.  Read more about Shelf Stable Food Safety.
  • Discard cans that are rusty, bulging, or leaking, as they are at a high risk for containing the deadly pathogen that causes Botulism. Never taste suspicious foods!  Take extra caution by disposing of cans and jars into a tightly closed plastic bag before placing in an outside trash receptacle.

Help Families in Need & Keep Unused Wholesome Food Out of Landfills

Mistakenly discarded food products, not only is the U.S. but globally, have created a sad cascade of wasted resources and money with increasingly negative environmental and social implications.  Food banks and local community organizations have plenty of under-served and needy families who can benefit! Remember, it’s safe to donate dry and canned goods, perishables, and other food related items that are beyond the quality date of the product.

Find a food bank near you.

We all can do our part to reduce the amount of wasted food, save money, help the environment, and help our communities!

 

Additional Resources:

https://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/sources.htm

https://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/resources/donations.htm

USDA Food Safety Information, Food Product Dating

USDA Food Labeling Fact Sheets