Buchanan County

November 2015

Fayette County ISU Extension and Outreach 218 South Main Street Fayette IA 52142 PH: 563-425-3331

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January 2019

Keep Fiscally Healthy This Holiday Season Contact — Barb Dunn-Swanson, Human Sciences Specialist

Guest blogger Mary Weinand, Human Sciences Specialist, shares some important helpful ideas for fiscal health this holiday season.

Each year at holiday season we are flooded with articles and ad-vice on how to “stay healthy” with all the choices we have and the opportunities to overindulge. Well, the advice we hear to maintain our physical health is useful for our fiscal health as well. This is a great time of year to take the opportunity to share healthy financial choices with our children.

Provide Healthy Choices

Discuss things your child enjoys that are free, such as playing with a friend or going to the library. Teachers report year after year that it is not the toys their students remember but the time they spend with their families. The card games and puzzles, the snowball fights and family meals are important healthy financial choices. A good book on this topic is, “Alexander who used to be Rich Last Sunday” by Judith Viorst. You can talk to your child about all the ways Alexander used his money and more importantly …was he happy with his choices.

Portion Control

Many health advisors remind us to manage our portions to minimize over indulgence. This Holiday season take the opportunity to think about ways we can talk to our children about spending plans. How much money do they have and how do they plan to spend it when buying gifts for the family. Remind your children about added expenses like taxes and work with them to think about ways to stretch their dollars. Show them how to comparison shop and emphasize the gift of time. Promising to rake leaves and shovel driveways would be greatly appreciated by many family members. A good book to read together is, “Sheep in a Shop” by Nancy Shaw. Ask your child if it was hard for the sheep to decide and how did the sheep solve the problem of not enough money?

Set Realistic Goals

When setting health goals we want the goal to be realistic and manageable and the same applies to finances. Young children may be confused about delayed gratification and buy-ing gifts for others. It can be difficult for children to give a gift they may want themselves. Talk to your child about things that take time, plant some seeds in a cup or in a garden, and wait for them to grow. Together, take care of the seeds to help them grow. Or, sit down as a family and create a “family fun” list for winter, spring, summer and fall. Write down all the activities that your family likes to do together. Some activities are free, like going for a walk or playing a game, and some activities cost money. A fun book to read together about realistic goals is, “Curious George Saves His Pennies” by Margaret and H.A. Rey.

For more ideas or book suggestions about money, refer to the “Money as You Grow Book-shelf” by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Additional family finance resources are available at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/family-finances-families

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach does not discriminate on the basis of age, disability,

ethnicity, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion,

sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or status as a U.S. veteran. Direct inquiries to the Diversi-

ty Officer, 515-294-1482, extdiversity@iastate.edu.

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Give Your Brain a Boost with Breakfast Author — Amber Baughman, Dietetic Intern

Mornings can be extremely busy, and sometimes it is hard to find time to fit in breakfast. I am not a morning person, so I need an easy and fast breakfast option every morning. Breakfast has been called the most important meal of the day and for good reason. Studies have shown that eating breakfast has many benefits, including feelings of well-being and better cognitive performance. Eating breakfast is associated with a lowered risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Although breakfast is important for adults, it is even more crucial that children have breakfast every day. Eating breakfast can

help children and adolescents do better in school by improving memory, test grades, school attendance, and mood.

Sadly, breakfast consumption has been declining among youth in the U.S. However, with some planning ahead, breakfast can be ready in just a few minutes. One of my favorite breakfast items to make is Scrambled Egg Muffins https://spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu/recipe/scrambled-egg-muffins/. They are like a blank canvas, you can use whatever vegeta-bles, meat, or cheese you have leftover in the fridge. They are also packed full of protein, so they will help you stay full longer! I make six of them on Sunday and then warm one or two up each morning for breakfast. Now you can sleep in those few extra minutes in the morning and still enjoy an easy, healthy breakfast!

Fast Food Restaurant vs. Homemade Breakfast Author — Kathryn Standing, Student Assistant, ISU Dietetics It can be difficult to keep to a budget, keep yourself healthy and keep to your schedule. I have been trying to change my break-fast routine with the goal of reducing my stress and spending, all while being healthier. Easy right? If I pick up breakfast on the way to work from a drive-through, would it save me time and money? How healthy would it be? I tried a couple of fast food breakfasts near my home to see what I find and I’m sharing the low down with you.

Drive through breakfast

Sandwich Time: 10 min — The fast food restaurant is about 6 min out of my way and the time through the drive-through was 4 min for a total of 10 min invested in my breakfast.

Cost: $ 2.59 Calories: 340 Fat: 15 g Saturated fat: 5 g Cholesterol: 175 mg Sodium: 640 mg Fiber: 1g

→ Comments: The sandwich was pretty good! I got crumbs all over my car, though. Plus, I couldn’t resist getting some breakfast potatoes, which I regretted later. If I had chosen this sandwich on a croissant instead it would have doubled my fat and added 160 calories!

At home breakfast

Sandwich: 1 whole wheat English muffin – 1 egg – 1 slice reduced fat white American singles

Time: 7 min — It took me about 4 min to cook the egg and toast the bread, plus another 3 min for clean-up.

Cost: $ .56 Calories: 245 Fat: 8.5 g Saturated fat: 3 g Cholesterol: 196 mg Sodium: 530 mg Fiber: 3g

→ Comments: This sandwich was very similar to the one I had gotten at the drive-thru, except I used the whole wheat version of an English muffin. The sandwich I made at home had better nutrition for me with almost half the fat and triple the fiber. Though the cholesterol was higher, I assume that is only because of a difference in the type and size of eggs used. The sodium was a little lower in mine, but this experiment does show that sodium is hard to limit sometimes.

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A Credit Score Boost Author — Brenda Schmitt, Families Finance Specialist

In the past, the only way to create a credit score for yourself was to borrow money. This makes borrowing a little tricky for those who have little or no credit history. How can banks or credit card companies comfortably lend people money if they have no history for determining if they are a good risk?

Payment history – how you have paid your bills in the past — is one of the most important factors in a credit score. Lenders check an individual’s credit score when deciding whether to lend mon-

ey to him or her.

FICO, the developer of the most widely used credit score, will begin piloting a new score next year (2019) called the Ul-traFICO score. This new scoring model considers how you manage your checking, savings and money market accounts in addition to how you pay back your credit cards and loans; it could be good news for those who have a strong banking record but have little or no credit history or have negative information on their credit reports. If you manage your check-ing, savings and/or money market accounts wisely, avoiding overdrafts and usually keep a modest “cushion” of at least $400 in your checking account, your credit score could receive a much needed boost that can make a difference when applying for a loan.

Use of the UltraFICO score is not automatic. Consumers must opt in before lenders can access their banking records and calculate the alternate score. Consumers who already qualify for credit on good terms will never need to authorize the UltraFICO score; those whose “regular” FICO scores aren’t quite good enough to qualify are the ones who may ben-efit from use of the UltraFICO.

FICO has announced the new scoring model as a “pilot” and has not specified how widely it will be in use, so there is no guarantee it will be available through your lenders. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to be aware of the possibility, for two reasons:

1. If you are turned down for a loan or credit account, you may wish to ask the lender if they can check an alternate

scoring model such as the UltraFICO score.

2. It is a reminder that responsible management of your banking accounts can pay off; if you have a tendency to occa-

sionally get sloppy and incur an overdraft, the existence of UltraFICO may motivate you to manage your accounts more carefully.

FICO is marketing the new score at its website located at https://www.fico.com/ultrafico/, which includes a link to a short video shown at https://cheddar.com/videos/breaking-down-ultrafico describing the basics of UltraFICO.

As always, the best way to improve or protect your credit score is to consistently pay your bills on time, reduce the amount of debt you owe as much as possible and apply for credit only when needed.

Packages on the Doorstep Author — Joyce Lash, Families Finance Specialist

When will it be delivered? I’m learning that tracking services offered by vendors vary with accuracy and details. Packages I mailed at Halloween took a broom stick ride in the opposite direction of their destination and then circled back for a late delivery. I have a purchase that has been “out for delivery” for a week and there are no details.

The Federal Trade Commission website at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/privacy-identity-online-security enforces rules for online and mail order sales. Packages have to arrive within 30 days. If that

isn’t possible, you must be notified and have an option to cancel the order.

Where will I find it? I have an inspection routine at my house when I receive confirmation of delivery. Packages have been found in multiple locations: on the front porch; the back porch; the bushes near the doors; and the back of the mail-box. I’m thankful I don’t have my son’s dog (shredded packages) and I’m not on a busy city street. There are alternatives to consider: work address, neighbor, requiring a signature for delivery (usually involves a separate charge), using the carrier’s designated pickup and delivery location.

I’m not complaining. “Mail-order” shopping has come a long way from the days of the Montgomery Ward catalog. I remember when you mailed in an order and instead of a package, the vendor’s letter arrived informing you the item was “sold out” or “not in stock”. Sometimes they sent a substitute item, which wasn’t always satisfactory. Inventory control with access from your home computer has reinvented “mail-order” shopping, and it’s definitely on the up swing.

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What About Silicone Bakeware? Author — Marlene Geiger, Answerline Specialist

If you’ve been considering new bakeware for your holiday baking, you’ve likely noticed all the silicone bakeware that is available for any baking need in various sizes, shapes, colors, and prices. Perhaps you’ve wondered: Is silicone safe? Is it worth the money spent? and Is it better than traditional bake-ware?

Silicone bakeware is made from a synthetic polymer created from a mixture of silicon, a naturally occur-ring element on the earth’s crust, combined with carbon and/or oxygen to create a rubber-like substance. The rubber-like substance can be shaped into any desired shape during manufacturing. The FDA has approve silicone as a food safe substance and it is generally considered inert and will not leach into foods. Silicone bakeware is rated safe for temperatures below freezing and up to 500 ֯ F (always check the manufacturer’s specs). Good quality silicone should not emit any odor or discolor with use. Lower

quality silicone may contain fillers or additives which may cause odor during baking and discolor over time.

Silicone bakeware is durable, non-stick, and quite flexible. A wide variety of silicone products are available for the kitch-en beyond bakeware. Potholders, trivets, spatulas, whisks and other utensils, collapsible mixing bowls and strainers, ice cube trays, rolling pins and mats, and much more have become commonplace. Silicone baking pan liners provide a non-stick surface for baking sheets and jelly roll pans making for quick and easy cleanup. It can go directly from the oven to

the freezer or vice versa, is microwave and dishwasher safe and easy to clean. Since silicone is naturally non-stick no additional oil or grease calories are needed to prep the mold. However, a small spritz of cooking oil could be helpful with the more decorative molds with sharp corners or intricate designs. Another special feature of silicone is that it’s a great insulator. This means that it both cooks evenly and also cools down quickly. While metal or glass bakeware retain heat, sili-cone bakeware cool enough to handle within minutes after removal from the oven. Silicone bake-ware can go straight from oven to table allowing the molds to be a serving dish, too. They can also be used for non-baked foods that require molding or even arts and crafts projects.

Silicone bakeware should always be used in conjunction with a firm surface like a cookie sheet to prevent burns and flip-ping baked goods to the floor. In most cases, baking and cooling time is the same as for traditional bakeware. While quite durable, beware of sharp objects and direct heat; a knife will cut through silicone and direct heat will melt it.

While silicone bakeware offers some distinct advantages and tradeoffs over the traditional alternatives, the question re-mains: are they for you? I have a few silicone pieces and enjoy using them. However, some products are simply made better in a traditional pan; others are better in silicone. Muffin cups are my favorite.

FOG—Fats, Oils and Grease

Author — Marcia Steed, Answerline Specialist

As we continue to enjoy the holidays with family and friends, I want to remind everyone about something we may not think about often but that could certainly impact a gathering in our homes. If not disposed of properly, fats, oils and grease can build up in the pipes of your home and cause a sewer backup. Those backups are always unpleasant and expensive to repair and there are things we can do to help prevent the backups in the first place. Many food products can lead to a buildup in your homes pipes if not disposed of properly: grease from cooking a turkey in the oven or a deep fat fryer, salad dressing, leftover gravy, cooking oil, butter/margarine, etc.

Here are some tips to help us all avoid having a sewer backup event:

Use a paper towel to remove as much leftover fat, oil and grease as you can on dishes and pans before you wash them.

If you cooked with the fat, oil or grease, let it cool completely then either throw away the fat that has hardened or pour the leftover fat in a sealable container and throw it away in your garbage.

If you have deep fried your turkey, dispose of that oil after each use. If you leave the oil in the fryer to reuse at another time it may attract pests and may not be safe. Many resource recovery plants will accept used cooking oil at no or mini-mal cost.

By following a few tips in removing fats, oils and grease from our dishes and pans we can save ourselves a lot of stress

over clogged pipes in our homes.