Strawberries are a favorite fruit of my hubby and thousands of other coastal residents. We celebrate the ripening of these berries with festivals across the region. Here are just a few that you can attend over the next month or so. I'll share some of my favorite recipes later in the blog.
The Baldwin County Strawberry Festival in Loxley, Alabama - April 12 & 13.
Click here for more information.
Since 1972 the town of Pontchatoula has been hosting the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival.
This one involves a day trip to neighboring Louisiana, however we think you'll enjoy yourself.
Dates are April 11 - 13. Click here are for more information.
One of my spring time favorites is happening this weekend!
March 14-16
Fairhope, Alabama
Click here for more information
Lil' Jack, our Shih Tzu, invites you to help raise money and awareness for the rescue group that saved him from the streets! Make plans to head over to the Ziegler location for one of the biggest sales of the season.
Mobile SPCA's Spring Rummage Sale
March 14 & 15th
Friday & Saturday
Doors open at 8AM
620 Ziegler Circle
West Mobile
251-633-3531
Click here for more info
Thanks so much!
Jack
If you are looking for things to do in March go check out the Mobile Arts Council Community Calendar. It is loaded with events for folks of all ages including clay wheel throwing, concerts, classes for children and more.
Mark your calendar for the 3rd Annual South Alabama Gong Show!
Thursday, April 10th
Welcome to our newest Boss Partner, Jennifer Clark with AFLAC
Jennifer Walley-Clark is an AFLAC District Sales Coordinator located in Mobile, Alabama. AFLAC has been a leading supplemental insurance provider for more than 65 years.
Sharing options for coverage is what Jennifer is passionate about. Did you know that AFLAC offers group dental, vision, life and disability insurance and absence management solutions.
If you would like to offer additional employee benefits to your company, give Jennifer a call at 251-599-5212 to schedule a meeting.
6304 Piccadilly Drive
Suite 2
Mobile, Alabama 36609
YouTube Strawberry Videos
You don't have to wait until the 4th of July to make this delicious Flag Cake.
Click here to watch the video!
You literally can stand over this Strawberry Spoon Cake and spoon out a taste or two right from the baking dish. Perfect to pair with your favorite ice cream.
Great Financial Tips from the desk of Richard Lindsey
Richard Lindsey's "Real World" Personal Strategy Note 7 Ways to Make the Most of Your Personal Budgeting Template
"Managing your money effectively doesn’t always mean following conventional wisdom." – Ray Charles Howard
Time for a check-in: How’s your 2025 budget going so far? We’re now three months into the year – that’s enough time for a decent go of the budget you set for yourself in January.
How far off are you from the targets you set for yourself?
If your answer is, “farther off than I’d like to admit,” that’s okay. You haven’t failed. You only fail if you don’t adapt your approach now.
Pick your poisonSo, you’ve got a baseline budgeting system set up, likely using a personal budgeting template like the zero-based template, the 50/30/20 method, or even old-fashioned envelopes. Or maybe you’re using software like Google Sheets, Excel, or a personal finance app.
I’m not here to tell you which way is superior – that’s decided by your preferences and your financial goals.
I AM here to tell you that using a personal budgeting template is a baseline — not an end goal. Stopping at the baseline won’t guarantee success. It’s simply a tool – and if you’re struggling to stick to your budget, you’re probably not aware of how to wield it most effectively. I’ve got a few tips for you on adapting your personal budgeting template to best suit your situation…
Tip #1: Be more optimistic. A recent study found that setting a tighter budget led to a 22 percent reduction in spending. Why? Because when you aim REALLY high, even if you miss, you’ll still accomplish more than if you aimed lower.
So, when you’re plugging your expenses into your budgeting template, set your spending goal about 20-25 percent lower than what you estimate you usually spend.
Tip #2: Automate. Any to-do you can automate means one less tedious task on YOUR plate. Spreadsheets and apps have built-in functions for things like calculating totals, categorizing your expenses, and tracking remaining budgets. It’s also helpful to create conditional formatting to help you see where you’re overspending or under-budgeting. And you can even connect it to your bank account to automatically pull in your transactions.
Tip #3: Make savings a fixed expense. You need to add savings to your category of fixed expenses, because it really is THAT important. It needs to be a non-negotiable line item in your regular financial habits. If you treat it like a fixed expense, you won’t skimp out on it.
Tip #4: Crack down on the lattes. Little regular expenses really add up – and every one of them needs to go in your template. Yes, I’m talking about those caramel macchiatos you treat yourself to once a week. You might think it doesn’t make a difference, but it does. And you make your budget template weaker by leaving it out.
Tip #5: Review and update. What you’re doing right now… do it more often. Regularly take a good, hard look at your budget. Find what’s not working and make changes. Think about how any recent life changes are affecting your finances and pivot accordingly. Your budget should never be written in ink (or gathering dust).
Tip #6: Budget for taxes. Most people don’t budget for taxes – and it gets them into trouble. Which is why it’s crucial to understand your tax liability and save accordingly. An example I see all the time is property taxes. A lot of people get blindsided by them, and it really sets them back in their budgeting.
So, if you’re a homeowner, make sure to include an “annual property tax” category in your personal budgeting template and contribute to it over the course of the year. Or, if you have a mortgage, you may be able to use an escrow account.
Tip #7: If you’re self-employed – budget for MORE taxes. If you don’t have a previous year’s tax payments to look back on, set aside about 30 percent of your income for federal taxes. This will cover your estimated taxes and self-employment tax, which is 15.3 percent of your net business profit + Social Security and Medicare on the first 160.2K you make + 2.9 percent on whatever you make exceeding that.
Thank you to everyone who enjoys this blog! I'll leave you with this...can you name 3 or more local businesses that you intend to spend money with in March?
Here are a few of mine!
RedBar Espresso & Market Place located on Old Shell Road
Apollo's Paws where Jack gets his shower and shave. Located on Knollwood off of Grelot
Ronnie Lee's Automotive located in Daphne.
Genesis Salon located in West Mobile on Dawes.
Fairhope Arts & Crafts Festival is one of my favorites.
The Joyous Goat is a mid-city coffee destination.
Dr. Walt Vickers will be cleaning my teeth...well his assistant Heather will!
Have a fun March and enjoy life on the Coast! ~ Charlsie
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