Pay Yourself

For starters, pay yourself first. If you have a permanent job, see if your employer offers direct deposit. If so, you can choose to send a set amount into your savings and then the rest of your paycheck will go into checking. If you never see the money in your checking account, chances are you won’t miss it.

Maybe you earn cash from a side job, like babysitting or tutoring.  Either way, you’re earning cash and it feels so good to get paid! Can I get a witness? So, when you get those stacks in your hand after working hard, deposit a small amount into your savings account right away. Do this the day you get paid and you’ll be less tempted to spend the money.

Make a Deposit…Day or Night

When I want to deposit money into my savings account, it’s a breeze because MIDFLORIDA’s drive-thru is open 7am to 7pm, as well as Saturdays! It works perfect with my hectic schedule. And even if I can’t make it during their business hours, I can choose to deposit my money at an ATM or in a Night Drop. 

Share Your Savings Goal

If you have a specific goal you’re saving up for, write it down and use it as a daily reminder.  People usually end up saving more successfully when there is a goal in mind. You can be saving up for anything, like a new phone, college funds, or even a new pair of shoes. Share your savings goal with me by downloading this Savings Poster.  Then take a photo of yourself holding your Savings goal poster and post it on my Facebook page at Facebook.com/RT4Teen. 

Once you get into the habit of depositing, it will come second nature to you and pretty soon you’ll be rolling in cash… enough to buy you 5 pairs of new shoes!

You have to be super careful though.  It’s caught up with me a few times and I spent money I didn’t have, so it overdrafted and took money out of my savings account which cost me a fee!

The best thing to do when you get paid, or have a certain amount of money stashed, is to budget it very wisely. Spend on the things that are most important first - like gas, lunch money, groceries, and of course stuff like deodorant!!! Then if you have some money left, be sure to budget it into the following week, only doing leisurely spending three times a month. 

You might even consider working into your budget a certain amount of money to transfer from your checking to your savings account.  If I didn’t have money in my savings account when I overdrafted in the past, I would have had MUCH larger fees for insufficient funds. Yikes!

It would be awesome for you to share your best budgeting advice with me!

But hold off on eating that box of conversation hearts for a second… you might regret it later! And before you dive into the sea of sugar, take a moment to think about it… How will you feel after eating three Reeses hearts, a marshmallow peep, and a red velvet cupcake?  The result will most likely be your stomach revolting against you with some serious pains and aches! TRUST ME, it’s not a good idea because when your stomach isn’t happy, you’re not happy!

Instead, be frugal with your goodies this Valentine’s Day. Have one Ghirardelli chocolate square or a pack of heart gummies a day. It’s not smart to devour all your delicious treats in one sitting so spread them throughout the week. If you don’t, you’ll be out of candy and begging your friends to share some of their chocolate-covered strawberries with you.  Plus, you’ll most likely have to endure a stomach ache - and how can you celebrate the day of love when you’re in pain?!

Take it easy this Valentine’s day and spoil yourself with sweets all week long, rather than gorging yourself for only one day!

Instead, go for the cliché picnic in the park or woods… Why not?! Make some sandwiches and bring a couple sides like macaroni, a side salad and some veggies! Then go for a long walk afterwards and have healthy drinks handy, like water or gatorade… it is getting toasty outside!

But if you’re not into picnics, host this special day at your house! Cook a homemade meal, pull a couple flowers from outside to place in a jar, and make your own card! If you really want to go all out, find someone to dress up and serve your meal. Maybe a younger sibling or even a friend who might “owe you one!” It not only will be hilarious to see your friend or younger sibling serving the meal, it will completely melt your signifcant other’s heart!

If you find yourself single on Valentine’s day, turn the holiday into “Pal”entine’s day! Make it about you and your friends and the love you have for them. You can host a party at your house, make valentines decorations, play games, and even hand out candy grams! And if I were throwing a Palentine’s day party, I would definitely end the night with a romantic chick-flick!

Whether you’re single or in a relationship, don’t let Valentine’s Day intimidate you. The most important thing is to enjoy this special day with the ones you love!

There are so many ideas and DIY projects on there! I actually just made a Pizza Casserole and some homemade snickers bars. Both were SO GOOD.

So if you’re absolutely stuck on what kind of dessert to make for your Super Bowl Bash (that you’re going to have AFTER the RT4T Pre-Game Party!!!) LOOK NO FURTHER.

Pinterest has every single idea you’ll be needing and more. Here are just a few of the thousands of yummy ideas!!!

CHOCOLATE COVERED FOOTBALL STRAWBERRIES

FOOTBALL COOKIES

CANDY COVERED FOOTBALL FIELD

BUFFALO CHICKEN CUPCAKES 

CANDIED HAMBURGER

If those recipes don’t satisfy your sweet tooth, there are plenty more. Just use the key word “super bowl” in the search bar! Happy Pinning!

No, I’m not literally talking about a book.  I’m actually talking about a person. Judging others is a popular tendency for high school aged students. We all have our own group of friends and if we think someone doesn’t fit into our group or “image” we automatically assume they aren’t good enough or don’t fit in with us. And a lot of times we judge people based on how they look, how they talk, or maybe the people they hang out with…but why?

I think a lot of times we don’t accept things that are different. We assume different is bad, but what if different is a lot better than what we’re already used to?

I was recently talking to one of my friends and noticed she was holding what seemed to be a boring book. I snatched it out of her hands and for the heck of it, began to read the first paragraph. Immediately, I was hooked. My friend laughed and said, “See Hannah, you can’t always judge a book by its cover.” That’s when it kind of dawned on me about how often teens judge people by what they see on the outside.

For those of you who aren’t bookworms, look at it this way. Sometimes when browsing around in your favorite store, you skip the clearance rack completely. Your mindset might be that if they are on sale, no one wants them so they must be pretty ugly… SO WRONG!!! Chances are there’s something hiding on that rack that will fit you perfectly AND have a low price. You see, if you let outward appearance control your decisions, you’ll miss out on a lot of good finds and that doesn’t just include clothes, it also applies to potential friendships with the people around you!

Whether it’s a job, clothing item, or even a person in your algebra class, take the time to look inside. There is so much more than what is on the cover!

It’s always fun ’cause we get really into the game by yelling at the TV if we think the ref had a bad call, or if someone totally missed a field goal by a long shot.

And there’s always the amazing Super Bowl commercials we look forward to seeing during game breaks! For the price they pay for those clips they better be amazing! Just a 30-second commercial can cost 2 MILLION to 4 MILLION dollars. That’s kinda insane.  On a side note – have you seen the preview of Volkswagen’s “The Bark Side” Super Bowl ad?  Totally cracks me up and I can’t wait to watch the whole commercial during the game!

I’m actually really excited about the halftime show this year! Madonna is performing with Nicki Minaj, and M. I. A.! (Plus, there’s rumors that Cee Lo might make an appearance too!)  Kelly Clarkson is gonna sing the national anthem, and then Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert are singing America the Beautiful!

I don’t have any particular favorite football team, so whether the Patriots or Giants win… I’ll be happy with both!  Either way, I’m looking forward to the most-watched television event in history!!

Getting into a relationship

If you jump into a relationship, it can end just as fast as it started. The best possible way to have a long and healthy relationship with someone is if you take your time to get to know them. Have fun and become good friends from the start. Don’t be too quick to put a title on something.  It’s great to be sure you’re comfortable around someone before you make a commitment to them.

Keeping your relationship healthy

Communication is vital to any relationship. If something is on your mind, don’t wait for the topic to come up to talk about it… Express your feelings, but be rational as well. Take each others feelings into deep consideration.  If your boo is down, make it a point to find out what it is and fix it. Trust is huge!  Without it, the relationship will slowly crumble. Make time for yourself, friends, and family … they’re important too. Give each other space and then you’ll appreciate your time together even more.  Also, sending a quick text in the morning or at night is really sweet. It lets your significant other know they are on your mind!

Big No Nos

Bringing up past relationships you had with an ex boyfriend or girlfriend can instigate fights out of the wazoo. It’s better to let the past stay in the past! You can’t move forward if you keep re-reading a chapter of your book. Something even worse than considering an ex would be comparing your recent crush to an ex.  That’s hurtful and it gets you nowhere.

Dating is a privilege and not a necessity. Most importantly, remember that you’re not defined by your relationship status!  You’re young so have fun being you.  And if cupid shoots you out of the blue, follow my advice for starting a match made in heaven.  And remember - whether you’re single or “in a relationship” you can still have a great Valentine’s Day.

It’s all about how you choose to look at life!

• 42″ HDTV
• Kindle Fire
• Cash money
• Gift cards

Oops, I almost forgot. There will be really fun activities that will push you to the limits by testing your own football skills and knowledge.  Check it out.  Just kick a football and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a 42″ LCD Flat Screen HDTV.  How sick is that! The better you kick the ball, the more entries you’ll earn into the drawing.  And you don’t even have to be an MVP to give it a try. As long as your foot touches the ball, you win an entry. Don’t worry if you’re not the athletic type.  There will be plenty of other ways to have fun, like trivia, NFL logo match-up, cornhole bean bag toss & more.

So invite your friends, put your game face on, and get ready for the most legit Super Bowl party of 2012!

Sunday, February 5
2pm – 4pm
Lakeland High School
(Football Practice Field)

Be sure to RSVP on the RT4T Facebook page!

Dorm Room Necessities

Moving into a dorm room for guys is almost effortless because guys are easy to please. A fridge, a microwave, and a bed is all they need! But girls are high maintenance… We need cute bedding, pictures to hang, a neat alarm clock… and that doesn’t even begin to cover half of the basics! A great place to get all your dorm room necessities is IKEA. If you haven’t heard of IKEA, it’s basically a really cool store that sells affordable decorations and space-saving items that help keep your belongings organized and your living space stylish!