by California Casualty | Homeowners Insurance Info |
Your budget may already be on life support if you are getting married. The average cost of a wedding in the United States is now over $30,000 and climbing. I cringe to think of what tying the knot will cost when my daughter finally meets the man of her dreams and there is a proposal.
The costliest weddings are in in Manhattan, where the average bill soars to over $88,000. The average where I live (Colorado) is around $32,000.
Renting the venue and paying for the reception was the biggest expense, averaging almost $15,000. The wedding ring and other jewelry came in at $5,800.
If you are planning a wedding (or a father taking a loan to pay for one), here are some ideas for reducing the stress and the expense of saying, “I do.”
- Pare down the guest list. The average cost per guest is around $200. Times that by 100 and you’ve already hit $20,000. It’s a hard task cutting the invites but it could save you thousands of dollars.
- Pick a less expensive place for the reception. Instead of a fancy downtown hotel, consider a meeting hall. Having it at a restaurant will also save tons on catering, rental and alcohol. You can really cut your costs and use a friend’s or relative’s home.
- Reduce your flower costs. Fresh flowers are beautiful, but like memories, they fade and wilt. Choose flowers that are local and in season. Even though you might have fewer flowers, most people won’t notice.
- Simplify your menu. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails cost less than a five course sit-down meal. A nice compromise is a buffet luncheon or dinner.
- Schedule your wedding in the off season or on a weekday. Weekends from June through September, when most weddings occur, will cost more. You’ll find better deals if you plan a wedding for the fall or winter months, except on Valentine’s Day.
- Create your own invitations. Instead of frilly paper and multiple ink colors, go simple to cut production, printing and mailing costs.
- Hire a DJ instead of a band. Many couples on a budget also make their own mix-tape or iPod play list.
- Let your guests help with wedding photos. Hire a photographer for the special portrait and family shots, but purchase some low end digital or disposable cameras for capturing the reception. You will be amazed at the pictures your friends and relatives will take for you.
- Get a smaller cake. Forget expensive tiered cakes with fancy frostings, order fabulous sheet cakes that can taste just as good but cost much less and are easier to serve. Some couples have opted for cupcakes, pies, or desert bars with chocolate fountains instead of the cake.
Here’s one final money savings tip: don’t mention you are taking estimates for a wedding. Many vendors charge more for weddings than other events. Instead, say you are planning a family party and you could save anywhere from 20 to 40 percent.
Tie up your insurance.
Once the rings are exchanged and the honeymoon is over, there’s another important step – getting your auto and home insurance in order. Here’s a checklist for newlyweds that can also save you money.
- Combine Your Insurance
If you have separate cars with different insurance companies, now that you are married you can find discounts by putting both vehicles on the same policy. It will also ensure that both drivers are covered no matter which car they use. Get extra savings by bundling your autos with your home or renters insurance.
- Marriage Discount
Make sure to inform your insurance company that you got married – most auto and home insurance companies offer important discounts for newlyweds. Men under the age of 25 are usually considered high risk drivers. However, once they marry they often see a big drop in insurance premiums. The lower rates can also apply to those in domestic partnerships.
- Increase Homeowner or Renters Coverage
Wedding presents are wonderful. You now have a new set of china, expensive new appliances and other things for your home. These assets need to be covered. Talk to an insurance advisor to make sure you have enough coverage to protect all the things you own and to increase your liability protection. It’s also a great time to create an inventory of your possessions to help you purchase the right insurance protection and make filing a claim much easier.
- Get Extra Protection for High Value Items
That beautiful new wedding ring and special gifts like fine art or silverware may need scheduled personal property protection, often called a “floater,” to make sure they are covered for their full value. Most homeowners and renters policies will provide limited coverage for those items. Scheduled personal property coverage will also pay to replace a ring, without a deductible, even if it was misplaced or damaged in the disposal.
by California Casualty | Firefighters |
The job of a first responder is very challenging. In an earlier article I stressed the importance of mental health. I am now turning my focus to the physical aspects we face at work. It is imperative that we stay in the best shape possible. We owe it to the community we serve and our fellow brothers and sisters.
It’s not as easy as one would think. Many firefighters have turned to CrossFit, which is good for some but not for everyone. One of the best things your department can do is provide time and equipment to stay in top physical shape. We need to be cardiovascular fit, strong, flexible and keep our minds in shape. Shift work can make it difficult to train so we must train at work.
I have never been one who loves the gym or working-out inside. With our jobs we need to find balance and learn to cross train. With this said, most of us need to hit the gym at work. Some of us work 24s and others work 48s; my dept is on a 48 hour shift. Working shifts means you have to utilize whatever workout your dept. offers. We have a gym we can go to and exercise equipment in our station. I choose to utilize our station equipment.
We have stationary bikes, elliptical machines, free weights and a nautilus weight machine. Personally I like to spin. Cardiovascular training is just as important as weight training. Some departments use cross fit, which is good but be careful jumping into this if you are out of shape. Cross Fit is something you should and can work up to. Some departments are using firefighter specific workouts. Whatever you do it should include cardio.
Cardiovascular training, in my opinion, is necessary. When you are working a structure fire you are only as strong as the weakest link on your team. We go in as a team and come out as a team. If one of the members of your team is not up to par with the others, you can only stay interior as long as the weakest link. It is detrimental to the unit if one of your members burns through a bottle of air at twice the rate of the others. You may be doing an interior attack or a search. If one member is low on air we all must exit the building. This is non-productive. It is one of the reasons cardiovascular training is so important. Of course the main reason is our heart is a muscle. If we don’t exercise it we will be at risk of a cardiac event. This could lead to what is called an incident within an incident. This incident can cause your brothers and sisters a great amount of stress, PTSD, and may even lead to a suicide in your dept.
While I push the importance of cardio, weight training is also essential. You don’t have to lift heavy weights, in fact it’s better to lift light with high reps. Going with light weights will increase your strength while elongating your muscles, which reduces the chance of injury on the job.
Core body strength and strengthening your back is imperative. With this said, you need to work your stomach and back. Next to heart attacks, back injuries are probably the number one reason firefighters and EMS personnel miss work. Cardiovascular training, weight training and core body strength can be achieved by making sure you train while on shift. If you don’t have equipment, find a workout program specific to the job. I encourage all chief officers to allow at least 1 hour of part of a day; 2 hours is optimal. You should always start and end your workout with stretching or yoga. On your days off, make your workouts fun.
You can run, bike, ski, hike, swim, paddle, climb, row or find something else to do outside. Personally I like to cross train with climbing, biking, skiing, stand up paddling and swimming. Find something that is fun in your area. It can be something different; in fact a great option is organized sports. At the very least, walk swiftly for 3 miles.
Personally, climbing is my favorite past time. I find climbing is the one sport that lets my mind rest. When I climb I can only think about the climb. This frees your mind by allowing it to focus only on the task of making it to the top. Climbing also increases strength and flexibility. I am fortunate to have the mountains and dessert as my playground. The last thing I would like to discuss is TRE therapy or meditation.
I find it difficult to meditate as my mind wanders. TRE therapy is taught in 35 countries. It stands for tension and trauma release therapy. I recently learned this and it is very easy and can be done at work or home. TRE includes a series of 7 steps. These steps end with the TRE tremor position. TRE uses the body’s innate process of controlled shaking to reduce stress and trauma, including PTSD. This revolutionary approach is doing wonders for me.
In conclusion, we are public servants. With this comes a responsibility to keep in shape. As we get older the stress of the job and life’s stressors can lead us to cope in unhealthy ways. I encourage you all to make a commitment to your community and fellow brothers and sisters. Of course we can’t control our genetic makeup, but we can make a commitment to physical and mental health. Let’s turn the tide towards less injury, death, PTSD and suicide of first responders. With a commitment we can turn the tide.
Jeff lost his right leg below the knee at the age of 50 as the result of a skiing injury. Instead of wallowing in pity, Jeff rebounded physically and mentally through physical therapy and exercise. He returned to work as firefighter/EMT a year later and is now back on the job fulltime. He strives to be the best firefighter/EMT he can be, and also to be an inspiration to others. Jeff welcomes your thoughts and comments at [email protected].
by California Casualty | Nominate a Hero |
You have probably seen them; people around you who are super confident, loved by all and ready to rescue others when they need help with a task. They don’t wear a cape or mask, but they are revered by others.
How can you be like them?
It doesn’t take super powers like the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound or shoot laser beams from your hands or eyes to be a hero. Often times, all you need to do is conquer self-doubt and limitations; vanquishing the inner-villain thwarting the hero trapped inside of you.
Here are some easy steps to block self-doubt and other self-limiting obstacles:
- Be Brave – identify your fears and shine a light on them. We all have inner villains within us, but as superhero you can overcome the fears, and see the powers you have always had.
- Have Integrity – Stand up for what is right when no else does. The reward will be worth it.
- Save a Life – Reach out to others in need and serve, teach and guide them. Don’t forget to also rescue yourself. Defeating anxiety and stress can allow us to fly to happiness.
- Defeat Archrivals – Procrastination, laziness, self-defeat, and ignorance can all be villains to us. But we can to rise to the occasion and destroy them.
- Offer Hope – Be the person who is strong enough to offer hope in the face of overwhelming doubt or defeat. Let your optimism and decency brighten the path for others.
Simply employing your strengths and intuition can free up your mind, allowing you to become a superhero.
Remember, most superheroes have questioned themselves and their mission. By overcoming their doubts they were able to rise up and be a beacon to others while rescuing themselves in the process. They become everyday heroes to those around them.
At California Casualty, we recognize those who make a difference for their communities. That’s why we created the Nominate a Hero program, www.nominatemyhero.com. We want to honor educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs and health professionals who have gone above and beyond for others with a monthly $250 prize and the chance to be enshrined on the Hall of Heroes. Nominate your hero today!
by California Casualty | Homeowners Insurance Info |
While they can be lovable, cuddly and loyal, if you have a dog, be careful; dog bites accounted for more than one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claim dollars paid out in 2015, costing more than $530 million according to the Insurance Information Institute (III).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year with 885,000 of those requiring medical attention – about half of those were children.
The III reported that while the number of dog bite claims nationwide fell seven percent in 2015, the average cost per claim jumped 16 percent to over $37,000. California led the nation with 1,684 dog bites reported to insurance companies. .
“The average cost per claim nationally has risen more than 94 percent in the last decade (2003-2015), due to increased medical costs as well as the size of settlements, judgments and jury awards given to plaintiffs, which are still on the upswing,” said Loretta Worters, vice president with the III.
May 15-22 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, providing information and tips to help pet owners and the public avoid the serious health issue associated with dog bites.
Experts say that even normally docile dogs may bite when they are frightened or when defending their puppies, owners or food. The most dangerous dogs are those that suffer from poor training, irresponsible owners and breeding practices that foster viciousness. The CDC finds that over half of the dog-bite injuries occur at home and people who have two or more dogs in the household are five times more likely to be bitten than those living without canines.
The Humane Society of the United States and the American Veterinary Medical Association offer these bite prevention tips:
- Be a responsible dog owner – license it and provide regular veterinary care including vaccinations
- Neuter your pet
- Spend time with your dog and socialize it around people and other pets
- Keep your dog away from stressful situations like crowds
- Don’t let children approach an unfamiliar dog
- Discourage children
- Never leave a baby or small child alone with a dog
- Refrain from approaching a dog at eye level or too quickly
- Don’t interact with an unfamiliar dog and remain motionless if approached by one
- Immediately seek professional advice from veterinarians or animal behaviorists if your dog develops aggressive or undesirable behaviors
Homeowners and renters need to know the liabilities that come with dogs.
If you have a dog, you are liable if it bites and injures someone. The Insurance Information Institute recommends pet owners have at least $100,000 to $300,000 liability coverage with their homeowners or renters policy. High income earners or those with expensive homes and assets might consider an umbrella policy.
In some states, statutes make the owners liable whether or not they knew the dog had a tendency to bite; in others, owners can be held responsible only if they knew or should have known their dogs had a propensity to bite. Some states and municipalities have “breed specific” statutes that identify breeds such as pit bulls as dangerous; in others individual dogs can be designated as vicious.
In Ohio, for example, owners of dogs that have been classified as vicious are required to purchase at least $100,000 of liability insurance. Once a dog has bitten someone, it poses an increased risk. In that instance, the insurance company may charge a higher premium, non-renew the homeowner’s insurance policy or exclude the dog from coverage.
by Clarke Henning
Nurse’s Night Out Giveaway from California Casualty You Could Win the Ultimate $1,000 Night Out! Nurse’s you totally deserve this! You’ve dedicated your life to helping others – we think you deserve a fantasy night out to unwind! We’re...
