The Economy Stinks

Pets are expensive. No doubt about it. A Washington Post article offers tips to make being a pet owner a less costly venture. Here are some additional tips for Wichita-area pet lovers from Wichita Paws, The Eagle’s pet Web site:

• The trend of adopting pets is up nationally as would-be pet owners combine their love for animals with their desire to watch their wallets. Find out about local animals available for adoption.
• Consider checking out the Spay-Neuter Kansas clinic at 319 S. Hydraulic. It offers low-cost spay and neuter surgeries for pets whose owners meet low-income guidelines ($40,000 a year or less). Surgery costs are $30 for cats and $40 for dogs ($45 to spay a large female dog).
• Watch for affordable pet-related local events. A new cat show coming to Wichita, for example, costs $5 or less to attend, depending on your age and affiliation with the aircraft industry or military. The KansasKatz show is May 23 and 24 at Beech Activity Center. Click here for additional details.

When money’s tight, gift-giving is challenging. Personally, I have been invited to five showers and three weddings already this spring and summer. Even purchasing a small gift to give at each event would add up to quite a chunk of change.

A Los Angeles Times advice column addresses whether it’s wrong to ask friends to buy you gifts if you know they’re in the midst of a difficult financial situation. It also offers some creative ideas for alternative gift requests that might be more affordable. Here are some of mine to add to the mix:

• If you run in a crafty circle, request homemade gifts. At recent showers, I’ve seen guests give homemade napkins, baby blankets, quilts, jewelry and framed original photos.
• Instead of gifts, ask for guests’ favorite recipes. It’s a touching and personal gesture that you’ll likely treasure more than pillowcases anyway.
• If you’re expecting a baby, let your in-town guests know that you’d appreciate their help once the baby arrives in lieu of gifts. Ask friends to sign up to babysit, run errands (to get coffee for mom or more diapers for baby, for example) or to provide dinner for the new — and growing — family.
• If you’re a bride-to-be, ask guests to give a Christmas ornament or decoration from their personal collection. A family friend who hosted a bridal shower for me asked guests to give me a small Christmas decoration, and my husband and I were able to decorate our home with festive items for our first Christmas together. There’s no reason why you couldn’t have fun with secondhand items, too.

Do you have other tips or ideas? Please post them in a comment.

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling this week put out a press release with these 10 tips to help consumers get their finances in order:

1. Open bills the day they arrive.
2. Review credit card statements thoroughly each month.
3. Pay bills on time.
4. Record each check and ATM withdrawal.
5. Don’t max out credit cards.
6. Track spending and know where money goes.
7. Have at least a month’s income available for emergencies.
8. Have three to six month’s income saved in case you lose your job.
9. Review your insurance each year to make sure you’re not over- or under-insured.
10. Have plan for tomorrow — and follow through.

Nalani Jordan, 4, enjoys a snack between trips to the heated pool at the Kampgrounds of America facility in Chula Vista, Calif. Campground franchise owners report strong business despite the weak economy. Photo for the Los Angeles Times by Sean Masterson.

Penny-pinched families are apparently opting to change their vacation plans rather than cancel them altogether, according to a trend reported by the Los Angeles Times:

“Travel spending nationwide has taken a nose dive in recent months, but business remains brisk at many ‘resort campgrounds,’ privately owned suburban parks that offer family-friendly amenities such as pools, free Wi-Fi, furnished cabins, arcade games, hot showers and laundry service. ”

Considering checking a place like this out for your summer getaway? One resource that may help you do just that:

• Kampgrounds of America, which lists five locations in Kansas, three in neighboring Nebraska, 22 in Colorado, nine in Oklahoma, five in Arkansas and 12 in Missouri.

• The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks lists its 19 state park locations that offer cabins. Follow the link to watch a video and get an indoor tour of some of the cabins.