Financial and Lifestyle Resources for Vermont

February is Black History Month—a time to recognize the role that African American people have had in U.S. history. In celebration, I would like to bring attention to one of the most influential African American women in U.S. history—my favorite author and poet Ms. Maya Angelou.

I love to exercise outdoors, especially in the summer. I’m not much of a runner or biker. I like to walk, but I get bored on my typical route. Hiking gives me the complete experience—lots of exercise, views, fresh air, sunshine, companionship, and a sense of challenge and accomplishment. I’ve hiked all my life, starting as a little girl on Mount Mansfield’s Sunset Ridge Trail, the Tetons in Wyoming in 1990, and the Hunger and Elmore Mountain trails in central Vermont in the last couple of decades.

Like many people, I want to give to others, but I don’t have a lot of time and I don’t have a lot of money. Fortunately, I love athleticism and I have found that nearly all races are tied to a charity. I learned about this connection at an important juncture in my life and I want to share my story with you because it is this connection that allows me to make a real and positive difference in people’s lives.

Winter is definitely here and you may be thinking about enjoying this early winter snow with a new snowmobile. You may wonder whether you should finance the sled or pay cash for it. If so, you can begin by asking yourself a couple of questions: Do have enough cash to purchase the snowmobile out of pocket? If I take out a loan, can I afford another monthly payment? Do I have to put insurance on the snowmobile? How much do I really want to spend?

When you first start bike commuting, a big question you are going to have is what kind of bike do you need? There are a ton of different bikes out there, and I am not even talking about brands. It can be very confusing. When it comes to buying your bike, the most important thing you can do is ask yourself these questions.

If you have owned your home for a while, you may be ready to upgrade to a bigger house; but before calling the movers, consider why you want to move and what the financial impact of owning a larger home could be.         

When I was a little girl, my mother often took me to see a woman named Maisie. She was an older, Native American woman—hunched from age, one tooth remaining in an otherwise empty mouth. Wise and thoughtful, Maisie became a quick friend and when she died a year or so after I met her, I was heartbroken. She was the first major death in my life.

If you’ve played the board game Monopoly, you have probably experienced the heated arguments, flipped boards, and endless play time that normally comes with it. But what you may not know about Monopoly is these horrible experiences we have are all part of the game.