Insurance Blog of Florida

Back in September 1969, a U.S. Senator by the name of Gaylord Nelson gave a speech in which he announced his idea for a nationwide “teach-in” about the environment.  Just a few short months later, on April 22, 1970 our nation celebrated the very first Earth Day.  Approximately 20 million Americans participated in the very first Earth Day.  Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against deterioration of the environment. 

There really are so many things that we can do to be more Earth friendly.  I’m not asking you to become an extremist; small changes can have a big impact.  Below are some ways that you can help preserve our home for future generations.

In the kitchen:

-          Shop every two weeks instead of weekly.  Buying in bulk uses less packaging which results in less waste

-          When using the stove, match your burner to your pot size.  Using a smaller pot means that heat is escaping which is costing you money!

-          Fix a leaking faucet.  Even if your faucet drips only once per minute it can waste up to 3000 gallons of water per year.  That’s water that you are paying for and not using.

-          Run the dishwasher only when it is full and skip the heated dry.

-          Set up a small compost box for your food scraps.  You’ll have less kitchen garbage and your garden will grow faster.

In the office:

-          Go paperless with your bills, receive and generate your statements online.

-          Instead of using disposable cups at the office for water and coffee, have everyone bring their own.

-          Only print what you have to, save paper by saving soft copies on your computer.

-          If you live close enough, bike or walk to the office.  Save the environment and get exercise at the same time!  If you live too far away, try to carpool.

-          Don’t leave your computers on overnight when they are not in use.

Everywhere else:

-          If you are in line waiting for the kids, and it will be more than a minute…turn off the car. 

-          When doing laundry, use the appropriate water level.  Don’t use more than you need.

-          If you can avoid it, don’t use Styrofoam.  Did you know that it last for 500 years?  Yes, that IS a long time.

-          Instead of using the plastic bags at the grocery store, bring your own cloth bags.  If you have to use the plastic ones then use them again at home in your garbage bins.

Happy Earth Day!!  Celebrate it by showing it some love!

Retirement – what comes to mind when you hear that word?  I think of a daily nap, playing tennis when the weather is nice, spoiling some grandkids or maybe even doing some traveling.  If I’m lucky I will be wearing yellow shorts and a sun visor since I plan to do my retiring in our great state of Florida.  One day I will proudly display a bumper-sticker on my car that reads, “Ask me about my grandchildren” and an AARP card in my wallet.

A bit of history for you:
The idea of “retirement” actually started in the 19th century, Germany was the first to embrace the term in the 1880’s.  Previous to that time, a shorter life expectancy and lack of pension plans kept people working until their death.  

In the United States, the normal retirement age is 66 and only 5% of people over the age of 70 are still working.  If you are reading this and you happen to live in France your retirement age is 60, which is the lowest in the world (enjoy some crème brulee for me).  

You can’t talk about retirement without mentioning retirement planning.  There are formulas to calculate how much you need to save in order to meet your specific goals.  Remember, it’s never too late nor too early to start saving.

Regardless of where you live, how old you are, or your economic standing, one thing remains the same.  We all want and deserve some time to relax after years of working, raising children, and contributing to society.  How will you spend yours?

An Ode to Old Age
There’s quite an art to falling apart as the years go by,
And life doesn’t begin at 40, that’s a big fat lie
My hair’s getting thinner, my body is not
The few teeth I have are beginning to rot

I smell of Vick’s Vapo Rub, not Chanel #5
My new pacemaker’s all that’s keeping me alive
When asked of my past, every detail I know,
But, what I was doing 10 minutes ago?

Well, you get the idea, what more can I say?
I’m off to read the obituary, like I do every day
If my names there, I’ll once again start-
perfecting the art of falling apart

-Unknown Wise Person

Well, it’s finally here – Spring!!  It is time to thaw out!  Here, in central Florida, we have had a long, cold winter.  The winter of 2010 has been a record breaking one actually.  It has damaged crops, plants, and heating units that cracked under the pressure (which can all be covered with the right Florida homeowners of business insurance policy).

I, for one, am so happy to see that winter has come to a close.  I hope that we don’t see a high temperature that is under 60 until I have my Christmas tree up.  I don’t want to turn on my heated seats until I am headed to a New Year’s Eve celebration.  Simply put, we’ve had enough cold.  We are ready for flip flops, shorts, and a tan.  Let’s load up the car and head to the nearest body of water!!

When I think of spring, one of the first things that comes to mind is spring cleaning.  It’s time to empty those closets and pack up the winter clothes.  It’s time to open the windows and air out the house.  It may even be a time to have a garage sale to get rid of unwanted items.  Spring cleaning has been a ritual that people have participated in for a long time.  I’m not sure exactly when it started but I am pretty sure that cave women were cleaning out the caves after being cooped up for such a long period of time.  

Each family has their own spring rituals that they follow.  Maybe it’s a trip over Spring Break, a picnic in the park or a day trip to the lake.  Whatever your ritual…it’s time, enjoy.