The holidays are rapidly approaching and it will soon be time to visit family and friends for a celebration. It is always nice to unite with family members over a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, or at Christmas time to enjoy the festivities. If you are planning a flight to visit relatives or friends this holiday season, you may want to consider the following information. If you are traveling far from home, consider checking with your health insurance plans about coverage availability should you become ill.

Fares are rising rapidly and are currently approximately 35% higher than they were last year at this time. Non-stop travel is even more costly than ever. How can you find a better rate? Timing may be everything when it comes to saving on holiday travel.

The best day to travel at the lowest cost is Thanksgiving Day itself. Of course, a delay could make you miss the big event you are planning to attend. The Saturday and Tuesday before the holiday are the least expensive days to travel and the return trip will also cost less if planned for the following Saturday or Tuesday. Another consideration which may help to reduce your costs is the time of day you choose to travel. The least expensive flights are the first flight of the day and the first flight after lunch or dinner. The main thing to remember is to avoid booking connecting flights at major airports in New York, Atlanta, or Chicago. Hopefully, following this advice will allow you to enjoy your holiday without spending more than you can afford.

Happy Thanksgiving!

When looking for a home, a nice option to have nearby would be a lovely park. Parks provide wonderful places for exercise and fun. Family picnics, afternoons on swings and slides for the children, a great place to walk the dog; all of these are available if you have a park nearby.

If you take advantage of your park and include regular walks in your daily routine, you will be participating in the healthy lifestyle encouraged by many health insurance plans. Some will even offer incentives to encourage participation.

Parks are available for family outings. Be sure to check ahead to verify if equipment and activities are age-appropriate for your children if this is your first visit.

Wear your running shoes and hit the trails at your local park for a nature walk that will help you relax and be good for both your mind and body.

If possible, visit the park during your workday. It would be a great place to have lunch or take a power walk after eating at the office. This will refresh you the rest of the day.

Many local parks play host to free or low-cost concerts. This provides an entertaining outing at a very minimal cost.

Inquire if they have basketball courts or tennis courts available. If you do not have your own equipment, perhaps you can borrow some from the park.

Many parks offer classes in dance, exercises and gardening. Check with your local park to see what courses are available in your neighborhood.

Local parks often provide the opportunity to meet new neighbors and make new friends.

Some parks host regular farmer’s markets where you can purchase local produce and, at the same time, support your neighbors.

Visit the park with a good book and enjoy the afternoon under a shady tree.

Learn about the people who run your local park. If you have suggestions for new programs, let them know.Still better, consider volunteering to serve on a committee or board.

Unfortunately in today’s society, obesity is a large problem which doctors and health insurance companies are trying to address. Many health insurance plans are providing incentives to people who are trying to lose weight. Some are offering discounted gym memberships. Others are choosing to educate people as to how they can change their habits so that they will have a healthy lifestyle.

Some of the simple weight-loss tactics to follow are:

Create a food diary by recording everything you eat in the course of a day. This truly results in a larger weight loss because you become so aware of each calorie.

Eliminate fructose, the sugar that turns to fat in your body. This can be accomplished by limiting the amount of processed foods you eat and refrain from drinking beverages sweetened with fructose.

It has been documented that eating vegetable soup reduces the risk of being overweight for young girls. This is also true for adults who eat vegetable soup before a meal. They will generally eat 20% less calories because the soup is so filling.

People who eat slowly generally eat 70 fewer calories than those who eat quickly. Tests have found that the slow eaters also seem more satisfied for a longer period of time.

Saturday is the toughest day for dieters. No matter how good you may be at following your diet, the freedom associated with Saturdays causes most people to cheat.

Drinking water a half hour before breakfast can cut calories by 13% in older, overweight people.

A daily portion of breakfast cereal apparently helps young people to stay thin. Overweight dieters who ate two eggs daily were found to have lost considerably more weight in an eight week test than those who ate bagels with equal calories.

Home improvement companies are a large part of the economic picture. Many people are not do-it-yourselfers and hire people to maintain their home. This has been the case for many years and the home remodeling industry is very large. Suddenly, the market has shrunk and there is not enough work to go around.

Homeowners who are interested in remodeling are finding that it is a buyer’s market. Business is slow and contractors are often forced to cut expenses such as forfeiting their health insurance plans. A good number of them are willing to cut their prices just to obtain work. Many homeowners are scaling down their plans. A family considering remodeling a bath, for example, will settle for a new vanity and a coat of paint. The larger jobs are being put on hold as people consider the impact of their investment and whether or not they will get their money back when they sell.

Estimates are that investments n home improvements and maintenance is expected to drop 4% this year compared with 2007. It is also anticipated that 2007 levels will not be seen again until 2010. Meanwhile, many contractors are trying to survive in this new environment.

Companies catering to high end clientele are surviving and profitable, however, it is those who cater to the middle income homeowner who are feeling the pinch the most.

It will take a recovery in the housing market in general to improve the situation in the home improvement and remodeling industry. We are all hoping that this is just around the corner, but realize that it may take some time to materialize. Meanwhile, contractors, as so many others, will just have to try to hang on and be ready for the upswing when it does come.

My local realtor sends out monthly letters on a variety of “value” topics. She believes that the information contained in these letters are things her customers should be aware of for their own benefit. I have seen articles on health insurance plans, home improvements that pay good returns, and, now, sound financial management. Meanwhile, of course, the articles she forwards also serve to remind us of her availability to service our real estate needs, along with those of our family or friends.

This month’s “value” subject is about sound financial management and possibly paying down your mortgage. The article first asks that you consider the following:

Begin your future planning by paying off credit cards with a large balance and high interest rate.

Be prepared for the unexpected costs. Have emergency funds set aside that you can handle whatever comes your way.

Always make retirement plan contributions. This is the best way to plan ahead while growing your assets.

Be sure to plan ahead for major expenses, such as college tuition or new business ventures. Be financially prepared for these events.

Once debt has been reduced and future expenses have been allotted for, it is time to work towards paying off your mortgage. Here are a few different ways to approach this goal:

Biweekly payments result in 26 payments per year. This extra annual payment will help reduce your mortgage debt.

You can transfer your biweekly payment into a separate account and then withdraw your monthly payment from that account. Gradually, you will accrue an additional monthly payment, plus you will be receiving interest on these funds.

Any additional money you receive during the year (tax refund or job bonus) should also be set aside. Be certain to specify that the money should be applied to principal.

Every small contribution towards your mortgage debt brings you closer to your goal. If you pay an additional $20 per month on a $100,000 loan at 6.5%, your savings will be $13,000 over the life of the loan. Wise financial planning can help you reach your goal.