Relationships

Costco Roses Are Red, Are They Cheaper Too?

February 11, 2019 By Amanda Blankenship Leave a Comment

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

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?

Can Setting a 2019 Budget Save Your Relationship?

December 24, 2018 By Amanda Blankenship 1 Comment

There is always a huge influx of unsolicited advice when you enter the new year (or a new relationship). Fifty-three percent of Americans making resolutions for 2019 are focusing on their personal finances. The first step to improving your finances is setting a budget and, believe it or not, it may have a positive benefit on your relationship as well.

How a Budget Can Save Your Marriage

Talking about your finances can have a huge impact on your relationship. In fact, for 100 percent of marriages money is a necessity every day. Reviewing your finances, going over your budget, and making sure you have enough money, are all key to having a successful relationship.

Having both parties involved in your budget will increase accountability, and it will force you to work together on something. Budgeting can also be humbling and provides some sense of accomplishment, all while cutting down the number of surprises you encounter when it comes to money.

Any type of financial strain can (and will) put additional stress on your relationship. So, how do you start the discussion?

Budgeting for 2019

As you’re wrapping up 2018, you may be looking for ways to improve your marriage or relationship in the new year. Sitting down and talking about your finances is a great way to get started. An estimated 70 percent of couples fight about their finances. The talking points below may help you ease into the discussion and get a better grasp on the finances in your home.

Start budgeting for regular expenses (i.e., taxes, bills, etc.). Go over what your budget is going to look like month-to-month. Doing this can give you both a good idea of how much you’ll be able to save as well as a good snapshot of where your money is going.
Budget large one-time expenses. If you’re planning a vacation, a wedding, or some other big expense, plan for it before the new year starts. You’ll want to budget out your savings for the event.
Find something you can trim from your budget. Sit down together and find something you can save money on together. This will make you both feel accomplished and it will make you both feel like you are contributing to your finances. Not only that but you can take the cash and put it into savings.
Talk about debt. If you and your significant other hold any debt, you need to talk about it and establish a way to pay it down (or off completely). Paying off your debt will make all of your other finances fall into place so much easier.
Discuss your long-term goals. What kind of vision do you have for your lives in the next 12 months? Where do you want to be this time next year? What about this time five years from now? Be sure every change you are making lines up with your financial goals.

Minimizing the amount you fight about finances in the new year will free up plenty of time to focus on what is most important: each other.

Readers, do you go over your budget with your significant other? How has it impacted your relationship?

Ways Friendships Can Affect Your Health

January 9, 2016 By Amanda Blankenship 2 Comments

Is the concept of “friendship” in trouble? We hope not, because it turns out they are key to a long and healthy life.

Friendship is an important part of everyone’s life. Most Americans (about 98 percent) say that they have at least one good friend, and the average number of friends each person has is nine. So, it seems, friends really may make the world go round. However, just 25 years ago, people were reporting that they had 10 friends on average. The number of close friends has fallen as well.

Increases in social isolation would be pretty bad for Americans, who have already isolated themselves with technology. As it turns out, friendships may also have a significant impact on your health. Let’s take a look at a few reasons why.

Friends can actually help extend your life. You are less likely to die prematurely if you have a good group of friends than if you are isolated. Social ties like this impact life expectancy more than exercising or quitting smoking. The main reason for this is that the number of friendships you have are linked to the body’s way of processing stress. Social isolation can increase stress and cause some significant wear and tear on your body.

Friends make you healthier overall. This statement sounds kind of weird, but it is true. Looking at studies over a period of time, researchers have found that people who are socially isolated are more likely to be sick often or have chronic illness.

Friends help your mental health. Friends oftentimes make you feel like you belong with them, and that may be key for mental health. Older people with dementia often see an increase in symptoms when feelings of loneliness increase. This led researchers to believe that a lack of social attachments increases cognitive decline.

Friends are good (or bad) influences. Many headlines and news stories have alerted people that “obesity is contagious.” If your friends gain weight, it is likely you will also gain weight, but this is also true of losing weight, or being thin. Your friends influence you more than you know, for better or for worse.

Friends are great support systems. When you are going through hard times, you can usually lean on your best friend. Research has shown this has also worked in helping cancer patients to pull through treatment. Support groups and friendships may not extend the life of people going through hard times (mentally and physically), but it will improve their quality of life.

Friends can help you cope. We’ve all seen relationships that go badly, but friends can help you get through the rejection. They can also help you pick up the pieces and cope with your feelings. They are people you can lean on, always.

Friends can be there forever. Lifelong friends are a real concept. Even when people move away for work or school, friendships can be maintained. Oftentimes, friendships made during college years last for the length of a person’s life. Even if they don’t live near one another, many people keep in contact via telephone and email.

It seems your friendships can be crucial to your overall health, so make sure you focus on your friendships and the healthy relationships in your life. It can mean life or death.

Photo: Flickr: Corey Balazowich

10 Things That Don’t Seem To Be About Money, But Really Are

August 9, 2012 By Danielle Warchol 4 Comments

Many people fail to realize that almost all aspects of our lives are intricately weaved together with our finances, but it’s crucially important to understand that even things that don’t initially seem to have anything to do with finances or money management can have a great impact on these areas. By understanding that almost every decision that we make has financial consequences, you place yourself in a position to save money where you once wasted it without even realizing it. Here are a few of those areas that may not seem to have anything to do with money, but upon deeper reflection actually have a large impact in this area:

Stress

Almost everyone has been stressed out about something during their lives. Some of us deal with more stress on a daily basis than others. While stress can be caused by a variety of things, it’s often caused due to concerns about money. After all, which of us haven’t been stressed about our lack of savings, paying bills, or saving for retirement? Money is always a constant concern and it’s no wonder that stress is usually about money – even when it appears that the reason behind stress is something completely different.

Time

The saying “time is money” is definitely true. Time is a valuable thing and wasted time means wasted money. What this boils down to is people who squander opportunities to earn money – or spend less – in favor of being unproductive. How many of us could do an extra job for an extra paycheck but choose not to because we would rather hang out or sit in front of the TV? So, really, Benjamin Franklin was right when he said that “time is money”.

Relationship Breakups

More people than ever before state that the biggest reason their relationships fail is because of money. If one or both people in a relationship are barely breaking even, money is going to be an issue. It might not seem like it at first, but when you get down to the root of the problem or the arguments, you can bet that it’s going to be about money.

Health Problems

Just as money is often a factor behind stress, it’s also a factor behind poor health. Of course, money isn’t going to give you a disease, but constantly worrying about money will take its toll on your mental and physical wellbeing. If you’re worn down by your financial troubles, then you’re going to be more prone to getting sick.

Diet

Obviously, your diet is influenced by your financial status. Of course, on the surface level you’re going to worry about paying for groceries or your ability to go out to a restaurant is determined by how much money you have in the bank. But on a deeper level, your choice of food may be subconsciously influenced by money. For example, you might choose a generic brand over a well-known one because it’s cheaper. You might automatically skip organic produce because you don’t want to pay more money for it.

Education

Unfortunately, education has become about money. Sometimes it’s about sending a child to a public or private middle or high school. Sometimes it’s about whether or not someone can afford to go to a specific college. Additionally, instead of education being about obtaining knowledge and expanding one’s mind and skills, it’s become about obtaining a degree in order to obtain a job with a higher paycheck.

Habits

Most habits stem from someone’s financial status or awareness of money. This can range from having expensive clothing tastes to eating out every night to spending money twice a day for coffee. Or it could be obsessing about your budget and minimizing the amount of money you spend. It can even be something as simple as having the bad habit of leaving the light on after you leave a room, which makes your electric bill more expensive.

Emotions

Emotions are often tied to money. You’re happy when you’re not worrying about money and pleased when you can spend money without concern. But you’re angry when you don’t have any money and stressed when you’re in debt. Our emotions are tied to our financial stability. Even when money isn’t the first thing on our mind, it still affects our mood.

Entertainment

How you entertain yourself is definitely about money. Whether it’s going out to the movies, watching a sports game with friends, or staying home reading or watching TV, money is definitely involved. Your entertainment options are definitely affected by your budget and sometimes certain options aren’t feasible because you don’t have the money to spend. Even the decision to buy a DVD to watch repeatedly instead of paying for a movie channel on TV or Netflix is a decision that’s based on money and convenience.

Sleep

Naturally, sleep can be drastically tied to money. As with our emotions, health, and stress issues, the state of our finances can affect how we sleep at night. Are you worried about being able to pay your rent? You’re probably going to toss and turn all night. On the other hand, if you just got a promotion and a raise, you’re probably going to sleep wonderfully. Like most things, the more reassured you are, the better you feel. So, the next time you’re having a bad night’s sleep and are also having financial issues, you’ll know why you can’t get that rest you deserve!

(Photo courtesy of stevendepolo)

Starting a Business: Defining Relationships

December 2, 2009 By David G. Mitchell 4 Comments

Over the years, I’ve met a lot of people. If you were to look at my Facebook and Linked-In directories, you would find professionals and artisans, white collar and blue collar, stay at home parents and people who have chosen careers over families. Some have been clients. Others have been service providers. I’ve known some for forty years and others for less than forty days. My network of relationships really reflects the broad spectrum of humanity, and I am richer for that.

The other day, I was looking at my various networks and considering them in the context of my new business. As I looked at all of the names, I realized that I was also categorizing them. Some people were friends. Others were colleagues, and so on. I had someone in every column.

After reflecting on all of the names, I realized that by defining my relationships, I was also limiting them. If I called someone a friend, I was less likely to ask them for a favor in a professional context. If I called someone a colleague or a client, I had other reactions. If someone provided services to me, I looked at the relationship as one in which I have to pay for each interaction.

I also realized that my categorization of relationships was misguided, especially in the context of my new business, so I looked at all of the names a second time. I realized that the only people that I included in my networks were people who I actually liked. No matter how I might otherwise categorize these people, they were all my friends, at least from my perspective. More importantly, in many cases they were people for whom I had performed favors over the years.

I am always quick to offer to help out, or I try to be. Now that I am starting a business, I realized that a true friend will do that and that I needed to test the notion that “a friend in need is a friend indeed.” I also had to do so without appearing needy, because I know that there is only so far that I can push those relationships.

I started with a couple of simple e-mail messages. My website had just been completed and I asked two people – one a friend from high school with an MBA and the other a friend from graduate school who is an expert in all things related to social marketing – to take a look at my site. They both responded quickly and enthusiastically. They were pleased to offer their thoughts and I was thrilled to get their feedback (which was great).

Of course, I would not take my friendship for granted and I would never abuse the relationships that I have established over the years. I only look for favors that my friends will find both easy and convenient to deliver. With that in mind, however, I am looking at all of my relationships and wondering how I can build all of the people I know into a cohesive business plan. More importantly, perhaps, I am also looking at all of my relationships and wondering how I can bring more value to them so that the people who know me will derive more value from knowing me. I am convinced that it is true that the more we give, the more we will receive. Even if that is not the case, knowing all of the hurdles that I face as I start my own business, it is very satisfying to know that I have helped out someone else.

How do you define your relationships? Do you try to maintain a wall between your business relationships and your personal friendships? Do you feel comfortable asking friends for favors? How do you manage your relationships to ensure that you stay in touch with everyone you know?

A Perfect Game: It’s Time To Break Down Barriers

May 1, 2009 By David G. Mitchell 9 Comments

Recently, a twelve year old New Jersey Little League pitcher pitched a perfect game. For those of you who are not baseball fans, a perfect game occurs when a pitcher retires every batter in a game, without any of them reaching base. It is one of the rarest feats in baseball and it is a game that the pitcher will never forget.

The Little League pitcher threw out the ceremonial first pitch in a professional game featuring the New York Mets and the Washington Nationals. Moreover, the pitcher has appeared on weekday morning television shows and even been the subject of conversation on ESPN.

Yes, even for kids, a perfect game is a big deal. That said, several perfect games are thrown every year in Little League baseball games. Why, you might ask, is this particular perfect game getting so much attention? In this case, the pitcher was twelve year old Mackenzie Brown – a girl playing a game that is usually reserved for boys. More importantly, she is a girl who – for at least that one game – “put a real hurting on the boys” (as one of my old coaches would have said).

Young Mackenzie Brown is not the first female to challenge males in sports that are usually dominated by men. Manon Rh