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Costco Roses Are Red, Are They Cheaper Too?

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Costco Roses

Valentine’s Day has the sale of red roses through the roof. While many florists can get away with charging up to $3.50 a stem, you can get roses for around $1 each. That is if you are willing to order more than 12. Bulk or otherwise, Costco roses seem to be the most fairly priced.

Average Price of Roses

Despite studies showing most women don’t want flowers for Valentine’s Day, roses continue to be a popular gift for the holiday.

This year, you can grab a dozen roses at Costco for $15.99. Although there’s no vase included, you can’t really beat that elsewhere. In fact, the average price of a dozen roses has climbed in recent years.

Bouquet prices can reach up to $6 per stem, making a dozen cost more than $60, with higher-end bouquets landing around $100. The average price paid for a dozen falls around $30. Typically, price varies on quality, supply, and stem length. Oftentimes, cheaper bouquets will not be as high quality.

Costco Roses Bulk Price

Costco Roses

Buying in bulk, of course, will always save you money but you’ll be stuck with more roses than you need, most likely. The bulk lot requirement to save money at Costco: 50 roses for $49.99. If you talk any of your friends into going in on a deal with you and splitting up the flowers, then the deal is fairly cheap and can save you money. However, most people don’t need 50 roses.

Costco is able to offer such low prices on roses because the company negotiated a bulk deal with a flower warehouse located in Colombia. Unlike many other cheaper options, the quality of the roses is fantastic.

Interestingly, Costco’s deal doesn’t require membership for purchase, and it includes shipping and handling. However, the deal is only available online or via telephone. You will not be able to place Costco roses orders in the store.

Last-Minute Savings

Unfortunately, it is probably too late to order a last-minute bouquet for your sweetheart. Costco typically requires all Valentine’s Day orders to be in by noon EST on February 10. Oftentimes, the wholesale retailer sells out early. The same is the case with many other retailers and flower companies. You’ll likely be able to rely on Walmart and some of the mainstream flower companies for last-minute assistance. Here are the prices for last-minute Valentine’s Day roses.

  • Walmart: Bouquets of roses start at $9.99 and go up from there. Most locations will also have some roses available in premade vases if you get there early enough in the day.
  • Amazon: Prime members may have the best option when it comes to buying last-minute roses for Valentine’s Day. You can get free two-day shipping on roses through Amazon. Get two dozen roses through Amazon for just $45.
  • ProFlowers: ProFlowers has one dozen roses from $19.99. You can get additional sweets and gifts for your significant other through them as well. They will be taking orders up until February 13 for Valentine’s Day.
  • 1-800-Flowers: This company is offering a similar guarantee. As long as you order by noon EST the day before Valentine’s, you should have your order the next day. Prices for one dozen roses through 1-800-Flowers start at $24.99.

Additionally, the closer you get to the holiday, the more likely businesses are to raise their prices. If the price of roses is a bit too high for your Valentine’s budget, you may also consider looking into different types of flowers for your significant other. Inquire what some of their favorites might be and consider sending those instead. Carnations are always a popular second choice.

Readers, are you planning to send (or receive) any flowers this Valentine’s Day? 

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Three Things to Keep in Mind When Making Charitable Gifts

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charitable gifts

In 2017, Americans gave an estimated $410 billion in charitable gifts to organizations. This has continued the upward trend of giving we’ve seen in the U.S. in recent years. The majority of this giving was done by individuals. However, before you donate any of your financial assets, you will want to consider each of the following points.

1. The Reputation of the Charity

It is always important to be informed about the charity and its reputation before donating. Research the organization before donating a penny. Any worthwhile charity will spend 75% of its income on programs and upkeep rather than administrative costs. You may be able to find this information in the charity’s annual report. Considering these things before you donate financial assets as charitable gifts you will ensure you are supporting a good cause. It also helps you decide whether or not it fits into your financial plan.

2. Your Portfolio Balance

Donating financial assets to charity means you are also taking them out of your portfolio. You’ll want to consider how getting rid of certain assets will impact your overall finances and the balance of your portfolio. If you want your portfolio to grow, you won’t want to donate all of your growth-oriented stocks. Be sure you aren’t donating stocks that will impact your endgame. Consider consulting a stock advisor or financial professional to ensure the assets you are giving as charitable gifts won’t hinder your long-term goals.

3. Taxes

Donations made to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations are tax-deductible if you itemize your return. After the recent changes made to the tax law, the standard deduction has increased to $24,000 for married couples and $12,000 for singles. Because of this, many people have less incentive to make charitable gifts (at least for tax reasons).

However, if you donate appreciated stocks you may be permitted to deduct the full fair market value of the gift. This is true even if the amount you paid is only a fraction of the value it is today. On top of that, you may not be subjected to capital gains tax for stocks you sold or gifted to charity.

Another possible way to make a tax-deductible donation is using money from your IRA. After you turn 70 1/2 years old, you are required to begin withdrawing money from your account. You will have to pay taxes on this but you can exclude up to $100,000 of your required minimum distributions per year from your taxable income if you gift the money to a qualified charity.

If you are considering donating any of these appreciated assets to charity, consult your tax advisor before doing so.

Readers, are you giving any charitable gifts this season? How have you decided where to donate?

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Coping Techniques That Are Actually Adding To Your Holiday Stress

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The average adult in the United States is expected to spend $885 on Christmas this year. Many people begin to feel the financial impact and stress of the holiday season right around this time of year. However, many folks are trying to cope with holiday stress in ways that actually make it worse.

Unhealthy Coping Techniques

Being stressed out during the holidays is inevitable for some. Between finding the perfect gift, sticking to a budget, and trying to remain in the holiday spirit, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Because of this, many people head straight towards coping techniques to manage the stress of the season. However, some of the most popular coping techniques are actually adding to your holiday stress.

  1. Having a drink before bed. Plenty of people have a glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage before bed. Although this can help you wind down, it will also disrupt REM sleep. To get the best night’s sleep possible, skip the booze.
  2. Binging on carbs. The holidays are typically full of good, carby foods. Loading up on these foods will cause energy crashes and add to your holiday stress more than you know.
  3. Don’t skip the gym! Many people find the hustle-and-bustle of the holiday season a good reason to skip their regular workout routine. Working out will help naturally boost your energy levels and it is a great way to beat stress. Skipping it will actually make you feel less energized.
  4. Stopping for an extra coffee. Too much caffeine will always leave you feeling drained and, when accompanied by stress, it can make you feel really sick.
  5. Making everyone else a priority. Although the holiday season is usually about finding gifts for others and lending a helping hand, you can’t make everyone else top priority all the time. It is important to continue practicing self-care and considering your needs.
  6. Don’t overschedule yourself. FOMO (fear of missing out) often leads people to overscheduling themselves during the holiday season. However, scheduling yourself for too many events will only add to your stress.
  7. Stop trying to catch up on your sleep on the weekends. You need to get regular sleep every night. Don’t try to run all of your errands and catch up on sleep on the weekends. This irregular sleep pattern will make you feel lethargic.
  8. Trim your social media use down. It is easy to fall into a comparison trap when you are scrolling through social media, especially during the holiday season. Instead, unplug for a little while and spend quality time with the people that mean most to you.

Ways to Beat Holiday Stress

Instead of hitting up these harmful coping techniques, consider doing one of the following to battle your holiday stress.

  1. Spend some time outside. It is easy to spend every day inside during the holiday season, especially if you live in a colder area. Bundling up and going out for a walk can be great for your mental health. Be sure that if you’re not able to soak up some sunshine you should take a Vitamin D supplement.
  2. Add some citrus into your life. Citrus smells can help combat stress, anxiety, and depression. Put an orange or lemon essential oil into a diffuser in your home and you’ll start noticing a difference in your overall mood.
  3. Stick to a routine. Don’t let the holidays throw off your regular routine. Stick to some parts of your day, like waking up at the same time, hitting the gym, and what time you eat. Having this basic routine will help you find some normality during the busy time of year.
  4. Get regular exercise. If it’s too cold to get outside for a walk, schedule some time to go to a workout class with friends or hit the gym. Working out is one of the best natural ways to beat stress.
  5. Take some time for yourself. The holiday season is typically about other people so it is easy to let your personal needs go under the radar. The best gift you can give yourself this year is maintaining your self-care throughout the holidays.

Lastly, remember that the holiday season is about spending time with one another. The best present you can give someone is your presence. Don’t let your finances stop you from having a happy holiday season.

Readers, how do you cope with holiday stress?

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Return to the True Meaning of the Season – Get In on Giving Tuesday

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what is giving tuesday
Giving Tuesday is a way to de-emphasize some of the commercialism of the holiday season, by remembering what the holidays are really about – not Black Friday riots or Cyber Monday deals. But, instead, giving to the less fortunate, fostering goodwill toward all, and helping your fellow man. So, what is Giving Tuesday? Here’s a brief explanation and some Giving Tuesday ideas to get you started.

What Is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 as a way to counter the consumerism encouraged by Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday sales. Founding organizations included the United Nations Foundation, the 92nd Street Y, Skype, Mashable, Phoenix House, Starwood Hotels, Microsoft, Case Foundation, Aldo, Sony, Cisco, and Heifer International.

Giving Tuesday falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and represents an international day of giving that allows nonprofits, charities, and causes to push for a big boost to year-end fundraising. The intention is to create a new, unselfish habit of donating to charitable causes at the end of the year. In just a few years, Giving Tuesday has exploded in popularity, generating $274 million in donations in 2017. This year, it’s sure to be even bigger, and your organization shouldn’t miss out.

Giving Tuesday Ideas

Your organization can join the fun at GivingTuesday.org. Most organizations take to social media to promote their Giving Tuesday campaigns using the hashtag #GivingTuesday. Designate a point person within your organization who can round up volunteers from your network, spearhead the fundraising efforts, and collate the results with lessons for next year. Then get creative with some of these ideas to make the most of your 24-hour fundraising drive:

  • Ask each person who donates to tag five friends and ask them to donate. People are more likely to respond to a personal appeal from someone they know and trust – that’s why the Ice Bucket Challenge was so successful. Amplify your fundraising power by asking each donor to challenge specific friends to participate, too.
  • Start your campaign early. With Black Friday sales starting earlier and earlier on Thanksgiving Day, it’s fair to start your Giving Tuesday event on Monday night.
  • Promote the event on social media. Don’t be afraid to use hashtag power to get the word out. Use a platform like Hootsuite to schedule posts. Use YouTube or Facebook Live to run a traditional telethon event, announcing new donations and interacting with donors. Make things exciting – put your CEO in a dunk tank, show a progress meter, or hang donor’s names on a wall of giving.
  • Encourage supporters to use the hashtag #Unselfie to identify them on social media. If you’re having a brick-and-mortar event, use temporary tattoos with your logo, or some other identifying mark that supporters can photograph and post on social media.
  • Match gifts. Offer to match gifts given within the 24-hour timeframe to incentivize donations.
  • Collaborate with other organizations. Find out what other organizations or local businesses you can collaborate with to promote your Giving Tuesday event. Perhaps a local business can help you match donations, or contribute prizes to give away to lucky donors.
  • Perform challenges. Your staff can celebrate campaign milestones by performing challenges, such as posting a silly video of employees singing and dancing, jumping into a frozen lake, or getting an interesting haircut.
  • Ask supporters to donate the price of a morning coffee. Lots of people buy a coffee on the way to work. Ask supporters to donate the price of their drink, and when they get to your fundraising page, use price anchoring to encourage a larger donation.
  • Make Giving Tuesday a regular affair. Now that Giving Tuesday is becoming more established, many organizations are extending the holiday into First Tuesday, a monthly day of giving. Encourage donors to commit to a regular, monthly donation.

Giving Tuesday gives charitable and nonprofit organizations a chance to ramp up year-end fundraising numbers. It’s the perfect time to celebrate an international day focused on giving to your favorite causes and organizations. Don’t miss out on the fun! Last year, supporters gave $274 million, and they’re sure to give even more this year.

Is your organization ready to rake in some year-end donation dollars? Who will you be donating to this year? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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When Is Hanukkah This Year?

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when is hanukkah

When is Hanukkah in 2018? This year, it begins at sundown on Sunday, December 2 and lasts until Monday, December 10.

What Is Hanukkah?

Hanukkah was considered to be a minor holiday until about 100 years ago. The holiday still has not gained the religious importance of other Jewish holidays though. Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashana, and Passover are still more popular holidays in the community.

Because of its proximity to Christmas, it has evolved into a mainstream occasion. This led to the giving of gifts on Hanukkah, which was typically not part of the celebration. In general, gift-giving only seems to happen in Jewish households with children. Gifts may not be given every day of the eight-day holiday either.

Eight Nights of Celebration

As you may know, the holiday is generally celebrated over eight nights. Each night, a new candle on the menorah is lit. During this time, families also say prayers and eat fried foods. Many people are familiar with the popular Hanukkah treat latkes or potato pancakes.

The Story Behind Hanukkah

The story behind Hanukkah, also known as The Miracle of Hanukkah, is something that is told over the eight nights.

In 168 B.C., this great temple was seized by Hellenistic-Syrian soldiers. Mattathias Maccabeeus, a priest in the Jewish faith, refused the soldiers’ demands and his eldest son, Judas, fought to reclaim control of Jerusalem. Their last holdout was at the great temple, and when they returned, they found that there was only one day’s worth of oil left in the temple.

Despite there only being one day’s worth of oil left in the temple, it lasted for eights days and nights. This miracle is essentially the focal point of Hanukkah. It is celebrated by lighting candles instead of oil (one candle per day).

That is only one of the traditions that tie into the story of Hanukkah though. The tradition of eating fried foods is to remind people of the oil that burned for eight days. Another popular tradition is playing dreidel. Whichever side the dreidel lands on indicates how much gelt (or chocolate coins) will be rewarded.

When Is Hanukkah in Future Years?

Hanukkah falls on a different day every year. All Jewish holidays fall on the Hebrew calendar, which corresponds with the moon. As mentioned above, this year the holiday will begin after sundown on December 2 and end on December 10.

According to the Hebrew calendar, Hanukkah begins on 25 Kislev. In 2019, this will make the holiday fall on December 22 and end on December 30, making it coincide with Christmas. The following year, Hanukkah will be celebrated from December 10, 2020, through December 18.

Readers, do you plan to celebrate Hanukkah this year?

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Is Monday a Holiday?

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is Monday a holiday

Holidays seem to come out of nowhere. It seems like it was just Halloween and then here comes Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and then MLK Day. Oftentimes, these holidays fall on random days of the week. However, some holidays fall on the same day every year, usually a Monday. This may leave some people wondering, “Is Monday a Holiday?”

Is Monday a Holiday?

If you’re wondering whether or not Monday is a holiday, it would be a good idea to know what holidays typically fall on the first day of the week. Here’s a list of Monday holidays.

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day: MLK Day falls on the third Monday in January each year.
  • Presidents Day: Every year, Presidents Day falls on the third Monday in February.
  • Easter Monday: Depending on when Easter falls, Easter Monday is always the day after.
  • Memorial Day: Memorial Day is the last Monday in May.
  • Labor Day: Labor Day falls on the first Monday of September every year.
  • Columbus Day: This holiday falls on the second Monday in October.

While the holidays listed above always fall on Monday, some holidays fall on other days of the week or a specific date each year. These can be a bit more tricky to stay on top of.

Holidays That Fall On Different Days Every Year

Below is a full list of holidays that don’t necessarily fall on a Monday (but they can).

  • New Year’s Day: New Year’s Day falls on January 1 every year. This can be any day of the week.
  • Valentine’s Day: Valentine’s Day always falls on February 14.
  • Easter: Easter always falls on a Sunday but can range in date from March to late April, depending on the vernal equinox.
  • Independence Day: July 4th is the date for Independence Day every year. The day of the week will vary from year-to-year.
  • Halloween: Halloween is on October 31 every year.
  • Veterans Day: Veterans Day is observed on November 11. However, if this day falls on a weekend, many banks and government offices will be closed the day before or the day after.
  • Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. The date varies.
  • Christmas Eve: The day of the week for Christmas Eve varies from year-to-year but always falls on the 24th of December.
  • Christmas Day: Christmas is observed on December 25 every year.
  • New Year’s Eve: New Year’s Eve is celebrated on December 31 each year. The day of the week will vary.

Staying on top of the holidays and store schedules can be overwhelming. However, knowing the answer to the question, “Is Monday a holiday?” can make things a bit easier. Make note of the holidays above on your calendar!

Readers, how do you stay on top of these floating holidays?

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