5 Personal Finance Basics Every Smart Woman Should Know

1. Spend less than you earn

If you remember only one thing from this article, let it be this point: spend less than you earn. The bigger the gap between what you earn and what you spend, the better. This is the holy grail of accumulating wealth.

2. Know how your money flows

When I got my first job out of college, the best thing my mom made me do was to sit down and create a budget. I didn’t necessarily stick to every detail that I wrote out, but it was eye-opening to see that if I planned to spend $X on rent, I wouldn’t have enough for groceries.

3. Save for rainy days

Once you’ve gotten the hang of spending less than you earn, it’s time to put that extra money somewhere. Rather than leaving it in your checking account, where you’ll be tempted to spend it, transfer it to a high-interest savings account and start building your emergency fund.

4. Pay off high-interest debt

There’s really no way around this one: high-interest debt is terrible and expensive. If you have credit card debt, you could be paying interest rates over 20%, which can make it really difficult to pay off that debt.

5. Take advantage of employer retirement plans as soon as you can

If you work for a company that offers to match part of your contributions to a retirement plan, take advantage of that as soon as you can. Not only is it great to start saving for retirement early, but the employer match is basically free money.

https://www.eviemagazine.com/post/the-10-personal-finance-basics-every-smart-woman-should-know/

Best Diets for Healthy Eating

Mediterranean Diet ranked #1 in Best Diets Overall. 

It's generally accepted that the folks in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea live longer and suffer less than most Americans from cancer and cardiovascular ailments. The not-so-surprising secret is an active lifestyle, weight control, and a diet low in red meat, sugar and saturated fat and high in produce, nuts and other healthful foods. The Mediterranean Diet may offer a host of health benefits, including weight loss, heart and brain health, cancer prevention, and diabetes prevention and control. By following the Mediterranean Diet, you could also keep that weight off while avoiding chronic disease.

The Mediterranean diet pyramid should help get you started. The pyramid emphasizes eating fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, olive oil, and flavorful herbs and spices; fish and seafood at least a couple of times a week; and poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt in moderation, while saving sweets and red meat for special occasions. Top it off with a splash of red wine (if you want), remember to stay physically active and you're set.

https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/mediterranean-diet

2019 GRAND JUNCTION RENAISSANCE FAIRE

Fully Heavy Armor Jousting, Sword Fighting, Celtica - Pipes Rock!, Comedy, Music, Artisans and Craft Vendors, Fire Dancing, Historical Re-enactment, Beer Garden, Mead, Faires and Mermaids

April 27, 2019 - April 28, 2019

Watson Island Park

639 Struthers Ave 
Grand Junction, CO 81501

Admission: $14 for adults, $8 for children, Hours: 10 am - 8 pm

https://www.visitgrandjunction.com/events/2019-grand-junction-renaissance-faire

ABSOLUTE DANCE AND PERFORMING ARTS PRESENTS THE NUTCRACKER

Absolute Dance brings the beloved classic, The Nutcracker, to Grand Junction with six performances of thrilling choreography, dazzling costumes, a cast of 75 local performers, and featured professional guest artists, Nicholas Patterson and Sayaka Ishibashi from Orlando Ballet and the incredible magician, Danny Baker. This is a holiday tradition you won't want your family to miss, it is a perfect holiday treat! With direction and choreography by Dina Duckworth, Tanner Blee and Theresa Kahl, join us as we tell the story of a young girl named Clara and how a mysterious gift from her Uncle Drosselmeyer brings about enchanted dreams and magical scenes.

December 21, 2018 - December 23, 2018

The Robinson Theatre

1100 North Ave 
Grand Junction, CO December 21, 2018 - December 23, 2018

https://www.visitgrandjunction.com/events/absolute-dance-and-performing-arts-presents-nutcracker

Studt's Pumpkin Patch

October 1 – 31, 2018

The Original Studt’s Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze is the Biggest and Best in the Grand Valley guaranteed! Studt’s is excited to once again offer fun for the whole family!

https://studtspumpkinpatchandcornmaze.com/

HORNS & FRILLS - SUMMER EXHIBIT

This summer, Horns and Frills: Ceratopsian one of the Most Striking Dinosaurs Ever Found exhibit opens to the public on May 18th at the Dinosaur Journey Museum in Fruita. The exhibit be on display until September 16th. Don't miss your opportunity to see this amazing exhibit!
https://www.visitgrandjunction.com/events/horns-frills-summer-exhibit

Palisade Peaches

A quick and easy guide to picking the perfect peach in Palisade, Colorado.

Each fall, delicious Palisade peaches show up at grocery stores, roadside stands and Colorado farmers markets.

Locals will tell you Palisade peaches are the best, simply because they’re ripe, sweet and loaded with chin-dripping juice. The Grand Valley’s hot days and cool nights are perfect for bringing out the natural sugars in the peaches and growing big fruit. In comparison, peaches from other areas, such as California, seem invariably dry, mealy and tart because they must be picked green to survive traveling and won’t develop any more sugar once they are picked.

Two varieties of peaches grace local stands: early season cling peaches and freestones. The names “cling” and “freestone” refer to the peach pits and mean what they sound like. A “cling” peach will stick to the pit and a “freestone” is not so securely attached, particularly when they are fully ripe. Freestones are larger, juicier, sweeter and easier to work with in the kitchen since the pit pops right out of a ripe peach. 

To select the perfect Palisade peach look first around the stem. If the skin is green near the stem the peach was picked green. Use these for recipes where a firmer peach is needed, such as grilling. If the skin around the stem is yellow or red then the peach is ripe. If it yields easily to pressure then it is very ripe and will bruise easily. These peaches must be handled with care and are perfect for eating right away. Fresh peaches should be available until the first or second week of September.

Don’t miss the Palisade Peach Festival in August, featuring live music, chef demos, a peach eating contest, and lots of peach tasting. It’s a lot of fun and a chance to take a box of sweet, Colorado mountain sunshine home with you.

https://www.visitgrandjunction.com/selecting-perfect-palisade-peaches