Everyone has been told to save for a rainy day, but many don’t follow the advice.
This week, residents statewide are asked to become an “Alabama saver” as the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and its Alabama Saves Coalition members are preparing for “Alabama Saves Week, Feb. 19 through 26.
The event coincides with the national observance of Ame-rican Saves Week. Extension Consumer Science and Personal Financial Management agents conduct events and activities to encourage financial literacy throughout the year.
Bridget Brannon, the Covington County extension agent, said during the week, there is an expanded effort to increase awareness of the need to save money, reduce debt and build wealth with a primary focus on taking financial action – making commitments to save, invest and build wealth. She said activities are conducted through partnerships with nonprofit organizations, companies, government agencies, educational institutions, religious institutions, community groups and others.
“As families continue to cope with unemployment, tighter credit and strained budgets, financial security is more important than ever,” Brannon said. “Most Alabamians do not have adequate savings to meet major emergencies, much less prepare for retirement.”
She said research shows the typical American household has less than $100,000 in net wealth, including home equity and 401k accumulations, and only about $10,000 in net financial assets. Lower income families have fewer resources, she said.
“This year’s theme is ‘Set a Goal, Make a Plan, Save Automatically,’” Brannon said. “Saving automatically is the best strategy for savers. There are many different ways to save but one of the most effective ways is to save automatically by agreeing in advance to transfer funds regularly from a paycheck or checking to savings or investments.
“Many low-to-moderate income households believe they can’t afford to save,” she said. “While those with modest incomes cannot save as much as the affluent, almost everyone has the ability to build wealth over time. The creation of wealth, not debt over the long term starts with learning to save.”
One in eight Alabama residents in the state does not have a bank account, making Alabama sixth in the nation with the highest number of unbanked citizens.
Brannon said “Alabama Saves” suggests three ways that individuals can begin or improve their savings right away:
• Assess your spending and make sure you are spending less than you earn. Start by looking at how you spend your money. Inventory your spending for one or more months to see where your money is going. You may be surprised to see how buying a daily cup of coffee adds up, or the budget effects of regularly eating out. Once you have a handle on how you are spending, it’s easy to identify areas to cut back.
• Open a saving account or other savings vehicle, and save automatically. Almost all financial institutions allow account holders to set up automatic weekly or monthly funds transfers from checking to savings accounts. This method of saving allows savings to grow.
• Establish an emergency savings fund to cover unexpected expenses. Keeping $500 to $1,000 in an emergency fund helps you pay for unforeseen costs such as car or house repairs or a doctor’s bill for an illness. It allows you to avoid high-cost, short-term loans, which can create a cycle of debt.
Help is still needed for the Andalusia Tourism and Relocation Committee’s heritage cookbook, organizers said this week.
“We are looking for heart and soul foods with memories,” said T&R member Barbara M. Nichols. “This unique cookbook will provide recipes with a history, but we need help in identifying both the recipes and the cooks behind them.”
Nichols said all area residents are encouraged to send in their favorite recipes with a comment or story about the history of the recipe. She said resent research has highlighted several “must have” recipes for the book, but more information is needed on locating a contact person, such as:
• Edith Bryant’s pies, especially the lemon, chocolate and coconut varieties;
• Trudy Alford’s six-layer chocolate cake;
• Mrs. Heavy Ramsey’s German chocolate cake and lane cake;
• Chalmers Bryant’s barbeque sauce from The Pit restaurant;
• Harris Barbeque’s iced fruit pies; and,
• Anything on the menu from Johnny Crenshaw’s Café.
Nichols said there is also a variety of other areas where recipes are needed.
“Our emphasis is on foods with a tale to tell, from the early 1900s through the early 1980s,” she said.
She said entries are also needed for the following potential cookbook sections:
• Just Cornbread. “Every homemaker had to know how to prepare this Southern staple and in the right cast iron pan, which by the way had to be carefully ‘cured’ with oil and never washed with soapy water,” she said. “We want your best recipe.”
• Bridge Delights. “When bridge parties were in their heyday and held in private homes, the culinary interest was in preparing dessert delights to outdo all others,” she said. “The delights had to be homemade, and often recipes were kept secret, not to be shared. Now, we’re asking you to share – if you’re willing.”
• Fabulous Block Party Grilling. “Neighborhood barbeques were held before the term block party came to be, and usually highlights were barbeque chicken, mounds of potato salad, stuffed eggs, and ‘gotta have baked beans,’” she said. “Anything else was icing on the cake and yep, there were always cakes or maybe homemade banana pudding. “Occasionally, homemade peach ice cream was churned,” she said. “If you’ve got something that would fit in this category, we want it.”
“One of the sections we’re very excited about is ‘The True Diva Cooks,’” Nichols said. “Ask anybody to list names, and you will hear Yeargan, Hart, Wilcox, Moore, Curry to name a few. There are countless ones throughout the county.
“We’re looking for residents to add to this list names and provide us with contact numbers or even visit with them yourself and send in results of interview and recipes,” she said. “Or better still, just tell the story of your relationship with a special diva and provide the recipe you acquired so many years ago.”
For info or to submit a recipe, contact Nichols at 334-427-0454 or via email at or Melissa Gambill at 334-222-4033 or via email at .
Submissions can also be mailed to “Recipes, c/o Andalusia City Hall, P.O. Box 429, Andalusia, AL 36420,” or submitted via the city web site.
City officials said Tuesday they need just a few good days of dry, sunny weather, to get the renovation of Johnson Park completed before the opening day of baseball season.
Members of the city council met at the park for a closer look Tuesday afternoon in lieu of their usual work session.
“We are behind, but we’ll make it up,” Mayor Earl Johnson said.
The new fencing is almost complete, he said. Work continues on the press boxes, and in getting lights in place.
The mayor and council members commended city department heads who have collaborated to get the work done in the park.
“We have gotten the biggest bang for our buck by doing the bulk of this work ourselves,” Johnson said. “We are reinvesting in our community, but putting money back into the infrastructure.”
When the council met later at city hall, members:
• agreed to rezone property on South Three Notch from residential to MED.
• awarded a $624,000 bid to L&K Contracting for work on the sewerage system in the city’s industrial park.
• heard a presentation on ecycling day, set for Fri., March 9.
The Covington Historical Society will meet at 7 tonight, Thurs., Feb. 23, in the Dixon Memorial Room of the Andalusia Public Library.
Agnes Chandler Gatlin, who is 105, will present a program on her early remembrances of Andalusia.
John Sherf is the organization’s new president.
The Civitan Club will present its 25th annual Andalusia Civitan Rodeo at the Covington Center Arena this Thurs., Fri., and Sat., Feb. 23-25.
Sanctioned by the Professional Cowboy Association, the Civitan Rodeo features exciting
events such as saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, bareback riding, team roping, barrel racing, calf roping, ladies’ breakaway roping and bull riding.
With $8000 added money, this year’s rodeo is sure to draw some of PCA’s best performers. This is the second year for the Andalusia Civitans to have two rodeo events with three shows in one weekend.
Gates open at 6 p.m. The Gold Rush for ages 3-8 will held at 7 p.m. followed by the grand entry at 7:30 p.m.
For more information, contact Jan White at 334-222-2907 or or Bert Champion at 334-313-5613 or .