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Frugal Family: It takes a family to save some money
I have always said I believe the key to living frugally is by living simply. I am a firm believer in constantly purging and not living with a lot of stuff. I believe when you are not weighed down with stuff, you know what you have and it makes you think before you bring items back into the home. However, you cannot live a frugal and simple lifestyle by yourself. It truly takes a family effort. With my children at home for the summer, I ...
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How to spot and prevent senior financial fraud
Dear Savvy Senior, Can you offer some tips on protecting seniors from financial scams? My neighbor’s elderly mother was recently swindled out of $10,000 and I want to make sure my own mother is protected. Troubled Daughter Dear Troubled, Financial scams that target the elderly continue to be a big problem in the U.S. In fact, it’s estimated that some 5 million Americans over age 60 are scammed out of roughly 3 billion every year. Here...
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You Decide: How will technology shape our future?
My late mother-in-law loved gadgets. As soon as she could afford it, she had to buy the latest kitchen appliance, hi-fi (remember those?) and TV. Indeed, her family was one of the first to have a color TV. My wife, who was a small girl then, watched an entire baseball game just to see the green grass. She hasn’t sat through nine-innings of baseball since. Of course, today, we are spoiled by gadgets, especially computers, tablets and cell ph...
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Frugal Family: No gym membership necessary
For those looking to stay healthy, you don’t have to break the bank to stay fit. You don’t have to have expensive gym memberships or fancy fitness attire to remain fit. You can do several simple things to stay healthy and without spending a lot of money. One thing you need to remember is you don’t need a gym membership. Instead of using a gym you can use a jump rope, a medicine ball or stability ball or stretchable bands. Get walking; it’...
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The risk of doing nothing
“We will not be Intimidated or Coerced by Certain Alphabetical Organizations or Committees under the Disguise of ‘Betterment of Certain Groups or Races’.” It reads like the reactions of some North Carolinians to the Moral Monday demonstrations at the North Carolina Legislative Building recently, doesn’t it? Like Governor Pat McCrory, when he promised not to “back down” in the face of the demonstrations: “Outsiders are coming in and …they ...
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End may be near for N.C. legislative session
The last few weeks have seen a rush of activity at the N.C. General Assembly. First, there was the crossover deadline on May 16. The following week, the N.C. Senate unveiled its budget proposal. Both events kept lawmakers working past their normal hours, sent lobbyists and advocates scrambling to react and hopefully citizens at home were paying some attention. Crossover is the point at which all non-budgetary bills must have passed at least...
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Frugal Family: Keep up with your car
It is that time of year again when travelers will be heading out onto the road. I can’t tell you how important it is to make sure your car is in good working condition. It is important to remember to check various items on a regular schedule. While it may cost you a little in the short term, it will cost you a lot more long term if you neglect to get it checked. It will help you maintain the car’s resale value. I know with our vehicles we...
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Book reminds us to say thanks
“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops.” So wrote General Dwight Eisenhower on June 5, 1944, sixty-nine years ago this week. According to Rick Atkinson’s new book, “The Guns at Last Light: The War in Europe, 1944-1945,” currently Number One on the New York Times Non-Fiction Best Seller list, Ike continued, “If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mi...
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Why so many places named for an enemy general?
What foreign general who fought in North Carolina is most memorialized here? My first guess would be General Lafayette, the young Frenchman who helped win the Revolutionary War and gave his name to Fayetteville. But General Lafayette never fought in North Carolina. Maybe you would guess General Sherman, a “foreign general” when his United States troops fought in North Carolina at the end of the Civil War. But you would have a hard tim...
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Letter to the Editor: Remembering great sacrifice on Memorial Day
Dear Editor, I guess many of our friends and neighbors need a day such as Memorial Day to remember and honor veterans who have passed on. Then, there are those of us who remember almost daily those veterans who have passed. I personally remember certain veterans who have passed, not for any reason other than the impact they have had on my life. I remember an 18-year-old draftee who had been with my platoon for less than a month. This youn...
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Remembering the Merritts of Merritt’s Store
If you mention Merritt’s Store anywhere around Chapel Hill, most often you will hear something like, “Oh yes. Best BLTs I’ve ever tasted.” And it is true. A bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich at Merritt’s Store, together with sweet iced tea flavored with the fresh mint growing in a box beside the store, is one of the great taste treats in my world, right up there with the peach cobbler at Stamey’s Barbecue in Greensboro or a small chopped...
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Frugal Family: Get poppin’ with this healthy snack
As I have shared in previous columns, my family has decided to live a healthier lifestyle in an effort to help our son. We have cut out gluten, dyes and unhealthy foods from his diet and we’ve seen how a healthier diet has made a huge positive impact on our family. However, the healthier lifestyle comes at a cost and it can take a huge hit to the family budget. I found a secret to my son’s favorite snack this week that is not only cheaper, ...
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Our View
Cole Withrow was arrested April 29 for possession of weapons on an educational property (Princeton High School). That is a fact. It turns out it was one of the few facts reported in the media over the last two weeks. Story after story consistently had three parts: Withrow was arrested, statements by “family friend” Kim Boykin and a statement from Johnston County Schools reiterating that they must follow the law when it comes to student and ...
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