5 Things about money that you should teach your kids

http://ow.ly/W21cp 

1. The difference between Needs & Wants

2. Why the family is going to Disney World and not Paris

3. Very few things in life are not free

4. Money does not grow on trees

5. How credit cards work

Shopping smart, stretching every dollar, cutting coupons- these are keys to making e very dollar count. You are able to achieve and reach many more goals when you are shopping on a budget.

Having the latest and greatest cellphone has its perks, and so does that huge new smart TV, but having money set aside for groceries each week and the rent/mortgage payment is far more important. Weighing the costs of benefits of needs and wants is very important.

Unless you have a trust fund or inherited wealth, you almost certainly must work to earn your money. Even if your family is financially well-off, you are doing your kids a disservice if you spoil them. Instant gratification almost never happens in the real world.

Credit cards are certainly easy access to money, but this does not mean it’s free money. Money spent on credit cards must still be paid back. And if not paid back in a timely fashion, you end up paying more back than you originally spent. Having a credit card and treating it properly is a very important step in establishing good credit.

Post by: Emily P.

Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary

The Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary is a great place to take the whole family! It is a beautiful 700 acre urban wildlife refuge. It features live animal exhibits, educational displays, hiking/skiing trails and various wildlife viewing opportunities. It is the largest park in the Green Bay Park system and home to the second largest wildlife rehabilitation program in Wisconsin.

Some fun things to do:

• Feed the ducks and geese:You can buy the corn for them at the Observation Building. 
• You can check out all the cool exhibits at the Nature Center. 
• Take a slide down the tree slide. 
• Go see some wildlife while you are on the lookout tower. 
• Pick up a gift or two at the Stop-n-Gander Gift Shop. 

Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary is free and open to the public year ‘round. Here are their hours:

April 15 - September 15

Nature Center: 8:00 am – 7:30 pm daily
Observation Building: 8:00 am – 6:30 pm
Hiking Trails: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm daily
Woodland Building and Habi-trek: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm daily
Stop-n-Gander Gift Shop: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm daily

September 16 – April 14
Nature Center: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm daily
Observation Building: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm daily
Hiking Trails: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm daily
Woodland Building and Habi-trek: 9:00 am – 4:30 pm daily
Stop-n-Gander Gift Shop: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm daily

If you're not sure where Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary is, they are located at:
1660 East Shore Drive
Green Bay, WI 54302

If you'd like to learn more about Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, visit:
http://www.baybeachwildlife.com/

Pack up the family and head to the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary for a fun and exciting filled day! 

Post by: Alice E.

Kids Day in Green Bay

If you have children 17 or younger, June 25th is marked on your calendar. Why? It’s the annual Kids’ Day in Green Bay!

Kids’ Day was started by Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt in 2003. In his own words, this day was established “as a way to show children how special they are to their families and how important they are to the future of Green Bay.” Kids’ Day occurs annually on June 25th, and has been a success from the start. It grows every year to include more and more events and activities. The best part, and I think you’ll agree, is that ALL EVENTS ARE FREE FOR CHILDREN. Yes, I said FREE FOR CHILDREN.

The events run throughout the day at locations across the city. City parks, Bay Beach, the Wildlife Sanctuary, CityDeck, Brown County Libraries, and a dentist’s office will have prepared activities for your child/ren. And that’s just a fraction of what’s available! Check out the link below for the full schedule.

We would love to see you while you’re out and about with your kiddos. The Mayor’s Lunch is at Leicht Park from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, and Horizon Community Credit Union will have a booth with information and goodies. We can’t wait to see you!

http://greenbaywi.gov/parks/kidsday

Bay Beach Amusement Park

Bay Beach Amusement Park is now open. It’s located at 1313 Bay Beach Road in Green Bay. For the month of May, hours vary. Starting June 6th hours will be 10-9 daily. Bay Beach is a place where the whole family can go and have a great time.
The admission to the park is free and so is the parking. Tickets for the rides are 25 cents each. The number of tickets for each ride varies. Rides include the lady bugs, granny bugs, the jeeps, the boats, the bumper cars, the scat, the scrambler, the tilt-a-whirl, the BIG slide, the merry-go-round, the train, the swings, and ferris wheel. Two of the newest rides are the Sea Dragon and Zippin Pippin. There isn’t a ride that cost more than a dollar. There’s also a free baby pool.
You can also find play grounds, picnic tables, grills, food stands, souvenir stands and cotton candy! Grab the family, pack a picnic basket and head to Bay Beach for a day full of fun and great memories.

Post by: Alice E.

April is National Credit Union Youth Month!

Horizon Community Credit Union invites our young members to join us as we celebrate National Credit Union Youth Month! The theme this year is getting WILD about saving! Stop by this April to take a look at all the cool things we've prepared for our younger members! You and your children can visit either of our two locations to take a photo in our Safari Photo Booth where we supply fun props for them and a camera to take a photo. And afterwards we hang them up in our lobby and you get a copy to take home with you! Kids 12 years old and under that make any deposit to their account of $5 or more are able to pick a toy from our treasure chest and afterwards, if they haven’t received one yet, will receive a coloring sheet which they can color in and enter it to our coloring contest. The winner receives a prize package that includes a $25 Toys R Us gift card! HCCU is also participating in the National Youth Savings Challenge where any kids up to the age of 18 who make a deposit into their account here at HCCU will be entered to win a $100 cash prize!

Is your child not a member of HCCU yet? Well stop by with them and open up an account! They get a free piggy bank to get them started on saving at home and they don’t miss out on our fabulous services!

Post by: Karla C.

Wish I was a Grandma

I was just delivered a flyer for a Spring Festival at the Bellin College Campus on Eaton Rd. Saturday March 28th. They have a list of exciting activities going on that I would love to participate in. Cookie Decorating (that is what I am famous for in my family), a Cake Walk, Planting Flowers (everyone here knows how much I love to work in my gardens), Bracelet Making (I am always wearing some kind of bracelet), Nail Painting (I love painting my nails an array of colors), Lego building (everyone loves to put something together with Lego's), and of course there is an Easter egg hunt (who doesn't like to hunt for something). How much fun does that sound like?

There is only one catch. It is only open to kids 12 and under. Both my children are grown now and it doesn't look like I will have any grandchildren in the near future. What am I to do? I am “wishing I was a Grandma” now.

Post by: Karen S.