Tips to Minimize Holiday Stress

As the song says, it’s the most wonderful time of the year…but it can also be one of the most stressful. Shopping, baking, wrapping, attending concerts, recitals, parties—it’s a lot of extra activity to fit into just a few weeks.

Everyone wants to have that perfect holiday, but you don’t have to run yourself so ragged that you’re too tired to enjoy it. If you love the holidays but don’t love the stress, below are a few tips for keeping it under control this season:

Get organized. Sometimes stress can come from lack of planning. This year, start making lists for yourself and your family—write down everyone you buy for (including your children’s teachers or close friends so you’re prepared for any surprise gift exchanges, and service professionals whose services you use regularly, like your hair stylist or baby-sitter), the cooking and baking you need to do, the parties and events you’d like to attend, and any other commitments you usually have this time of year. Plan your usual activities but leave some flexibility for the unexpected event or activity that’s bound to come up.

Start early.  It’s easier said than done, but the earlier you start your holiday prep, the less scrambling you’ll have to do at the last minute. Many of us wait until Black Friday or Cyber Monday to take advantage of good deals for gifts; others shop all year-round; others fall somewhere in between. Spend Black Friday and/or Cyber Monday shopping for deals on big-ticket items; for others, start shopping as early as you can. Or keep a stash of “emergency gifts” on hand so you’re prepared for unexpected gift-giving.  But start early on other things besides shopping. Make some of your cookie dough ahead of time and freeze it. Set aside a day just for decorating or taking stock of your holiday décor, gift wrap and supplies, and gifts you may have purchased throughout the year and set aside.  Take care of those little tasks early, which will free up your time closer to the actual holiday.

Buy the same gift for multiple people. Check multiple people off your list at the same time by buying or making the same gift, but in a slightly different design or color, for friends or family who are close in age.  This will save you a tremendous amount of time and decision making, and if it’s a trendy or meaningful item (maybe a copy of a favorite family photo in a cute frame), the recipients will be happy to each have one.

Simplify.  There’s no reason why you can’t cut back on some of your holiday activities if you tend to get overwhelmed or stressed every year.  Bake a few less dozen cookies, tone down the decorating, buy fewer gifts, decline a few invitations and take some time to enjoy some unscheduled time at home—that home you’ve been working hard to decorate perfectly!

How do you keep your holiday-related stress to a minimum? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Show Your Gratitude This Thanksgiving

In honor of Thanksgiving, it seemed only fitting that this week’s post should focus on gratitude.

It’s very easy to take things for granted. Most of us get up, go to work, run errands, spend time with friends and family, and live our everyday lives without giving much thought to how lucky we truly are. The holidays can be a difficult time of year, but when we stop and think about it, we probably have more positive things in our lives than we realize. A quick list would include:

•     Health
•       Family
•     Friends
•     Home
•     Pets
•     Having the means of supporting ourselves (and it's even better if we're doing something we actually enjoy)
•      A favorite hobby or pastime

And the list goes on and on!

This Thanksgiving, or any other time of year, take a few minutes to just be thankful for all that you have.  We’ve all watched the news this year and saw the horrible stories of families who have experienced tremendous loss from either an extreme weather event (hurricane, wildfire, earthquake) or a random act of violence.  These stories are reason to pay it forward. The best way to truly show your gratitude is to help someone else. Volunteer for a local organization, donate to the long list of worthy causes who are always grateful for goods or monetary donations, or find other ways to help those who need a hand up. It doesn’t cost you anything and feeling as though you made a difference to someone else makes it so worthwhile.

What are you most thankful for? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Pet Owner? Why to Consider Pet Insurance

Pet owners know how expensive veterinary bills can be, even for routine vaccines and annual checkups.  If your pet gets sick or injured and requires more extensive care, some treatments can easily cost thousands of dollars.  Fortunately, there are pet insurance plans available that can help to ease some of the financial burden of costly procedures.

Pet insurance was a niche market for a long time, but now more traditional carriers are offering this type of coverage.  Like any other policy, pet insurance gives you some extra peace of mind for your pet, especially if it is a mischievous breed prone to destruction (many larger dog breeds are known for chewing or swallowing an unbelievable assortment of items that must be surgically removed!), or known to have certain health problems.

Be advised that many insurance carriers do not cover a pet with a preexisting condition. Many animal care professionals recommend purchasing insurance as early as possible (ideally when your pet is a puppy or kitten) so any conditions they develop later in life are covered.  If your pet grows into a healthy adult, you can always choose to drop the coverage. If your pet’s background is questionable (for instance, if it was left at a shelter and you later adopted it), insurance is a good idea, just in case they develop problems later.

Plans vary from one carrier to another. Some policies cover accidents only; others cover illnesses only; some offer complete (accident, illness, and wellness).  Other options include preventive care, chronic conditions (such as allergies), and even alternative therapies. It depends on your pet’s needs, the cost, and the amount of reimbursement you will receive. If you’re considering buying a plan for your pet, ask for referrals from friends, family, colleagues, and of course your veterinarian. It’s important to do your research so you make the best decision for your 4-legged friend.

ETA Benefits Group now offers pet insurance through Petplan.  Contact us if you would like to learn more about this valuable coverage. 

Have you ever bought a pet insurance policy? What was your experience? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Supplemental Heating Sources for Your Home

Whether you use coal, oil, or natural gas to heat your home, the price of fuel is a major household expense for everyone.  You may use a supplemental heating source to cut costs and add extra warmth.  Some of the most common ones are:

•            Fireplaces (wood-burning or gas)
•           Pellet stoves
•       Coal stoves
•       Wood stoves
•        Kerosene heaters

Let’s look at some of the features, pros, and cons of each unit.

Fireplaces run on either wood or gas. Wood-burning fireplaces are messy and more high-maintenance than gas-powered units. They must be cleaned after each use, and a chimney sweep must inspect your chimney annually to keep too much creosote (a natural by-product of burning wood) from building up and potentially starting a fire. Gas-powered fireplaces are low maintenance; you don’t even need a chimney. Whichever model you choose, the heat these units generate will keep you cozy warm in the coldest winter weather.

Pellet stoves are available as freestanding or insert-style units and are either top- or bottom-fed. The freestanding model runs on a small amount of electricity. They can be placed anywhere in a room because, as their name implies, they don’t need to be mounted on or supported by a wall. An insert-style pellet stove would replace a standard fireplace, and since it does burn wood (in the form of small pellets), some ash will accumulate as it does in a fireplace. It should be cleaned and inspected by a chimney sweep every year.  One big difference between a fireplace and a pellet stove is that a fireplace will send air up the chimney; a pellet stove is more contained and better at keeping heat inside the room.

If you’re considering a wood or coal stove, as already mentioned, wood creates ash, a lightweight substance that blows around easily and can create a huge mess in your home. Coal, particularly anthracite, burns cleaner, slower, and longer, so you would actually use less coal to heat a space than you’d use wood for a wood stove.

Kerosene heaters are safer than they were even a decade ago, but they are still a common cause of many household fires every winter. They do a great job of heating a room, but it’s critical that you know how to use the unit before you get it up and running. Some common mistakes homeowners make with kerosene heaters are not allowing enough ventilation, spilling the fuel, or using the wrong fuel (you don’t want to substitute gasoline for kerosene!)

Supplemental heating sources can be an effective way to cut fuel costs, but they can also impact your homeowners’ insurance policy by way of higher premiums.  Be sure to review your coverage with your agent so you understand the implications of having one of these units in your home.

Do you use a supplemental heating source in the winter? What do you use? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Advantages of Agency Over Online Insurance

Every day, we are bombarded with commercials and ads for online insurance companies that offer various discounts, benefits, and other draws to gain your business.  Buying insurance from an online company might be easier, but in the long run, it might not be best.

One of the biggest advantages to working with an agency is the personalized service you receive.  Many agents already know their clients personally; if they don’t, they will take the time to get to know you and your needs.  Then they can identify the best coverage for those needs. (Independent agencies offer even more choices, as they are not aligned with one carrier and can shop around with several carriers to find the best policy for you).

If you file a claim, the agent will take care of the paperwork and track its progress from beginning to end. Your agent will always look out for your best interests and stay in touch with the carrier so they can reach a positive outcome.  They will also keep in regular contact with you for things like annual renewals and pending cancellation notices.

Many agencies also sell various products, so you can purchase more than one policy from your agent and have all of your coverage in one place. Several carriers offer discounts for bundling policies (home and auto is one of the most common), so you could save money if you have multiple policies with the same agent.

Customers like the convenience of buying insurance online because you can simply fill out a form and the company does the rest.  There is also some cost savings because online companies don’t pay a commission to an agent. But if you file a claim, it’s up to you to stay in contact with the company until it’s resolved.  Many online companies just sell one type of insurance, so you’ll have to find the policies you need on your own, and likely spend more on premiums since you’ll be paying different carriers.

Before you buy your insurance online, see what a local agent can do for you. ETA Benefits Group is a local independent agent that sells a wide range of insurance and works with several different carriers to offer clients the best coverage at a price that fits their budget.

Have you ever bought insurance from an online company? What was your experience? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!