Fort Rucker Christmas Tree Lighting & Annual Spaghetti Dinner

Fort Rucker Christmas Tree Lighting

Fort Rucker Family & MWR would like to invite the entire community as we kick off to the holiday season with the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. On Monday, December 7 from 5 pm to 6 pm on Howze Field, join us for hot chocolate, holiday music from the 98th Army Band and local choir groups, the lighting of the Post-Christmas Tree, and a very special visitor from the North Pole! MG Michael D. Lundy, USAACE Commanding General, and the Salute to Military Families Photo Contest winner will light the Post-Christmas Tree that will be adorned with handmade ornaments from local girls and boys. Afterwards, be sure to stop by The Landing and enjoy complimentary photos with Santa starting at 6 pm. Santa will have some very special treats for those good girls and boys! In case of inclement weather, the event will take place at The Landing. This event is free and open to the public. EFMP friendly. For more information, contact Special Events at (334)255-1749.

 

Annual Spaghetti Dinner
Thursday, December 7, 6–7:30 pm at The Landing. For more information, please contact (334) 598-2426.

Breakfast with Santa!

Stop by The Landing on December 13 from 9 am–12 pm for Breakfast with Santa! Kids can meet Santa and get their photos taken while they share their Christmas list with him. It’s a jolly fun time for the entire family. Families can enjoy the fun and fill up on some delicious food. The breakfast buffet will include eggs, bacon, hash browns, pancakes, toast, ham, biscuits with gravy, assorted fruits, and much more. The price for this breakfast will be $10.95 for adults 13 and older, $5.95 for children 3-12 and children 2 and under are FREE. There will be a Family Special for $25 for a family of two adults and two children 12 and under.

For more information please call The Landing, (334) 598-2426.

Christmas Tree Lighting & Spaghetti Dinner

December 4
Christmas Tree Lighting

The Annual Fort Rucker Christmas Tree Lighting will be held at Howze Field from 4:45-6pm. Join us for a delightful evening of music, hot chocolate, the lighting of the post Christmas Tree, and a very special visitor from the North Pole! Afterward, enjoy complimentary photos with Santa & Mrs. Claus at the Landing - they may also have some treats for those good girls and boys! This event is free and open to the public and EFMP friendly. In case of inclement weather, the event will take place at the Landing. For more information, contact Special Events, (334) 255-1749 or visit www.ftruckermwr.com.


Annual Spaghetti Dinner
Following the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, stroll over to The Landing for a Spaghetti Dinner from 6 pm – 7:30 pm. Dinner prices are $10 for ages 13 and older, $5 for ages 3-12, and FREE to children ages 2 and under. There is also a Family Special price of $25, which includes 2 adults and up to 2 children ages 12 & under. Dinner will include your choice of pasta and sauce, garlic bread, assorted cookies, tea and coffee. Open to the public. For more information on the Spaghetti Dinner, please contact The Landing at (334) 598-2426.

Holiday Planning on a Tight Budget

The holidays are just around the corner, and the ACS Financial Readiness Program would like to provide you with some helpful tips to budget your holiday spending this year.
Holiday  shoppers, like Santa Claus, could stand a little belt tightening. With the economy still on the ropes, shrunken investment portfolios and dramatically rising costs for such things as health and homeowner’s insurance, many families should be keeping their holiday spending in check. That’s easier said than done. Americans routinely overspend what they plan to every holiday.

Here are some tips from Certified Financial Planner™ professionals to help you keep your spending in check and the New Year free of burdensome holiday debt.

• Put a bright bow on your budget. Shopping for gifts during the holidays is no different from shopping the rest of the year—determine how much you can realistically afford to spend.
• Don’t count on money you don’t have.
• Make a gift list and stick to it.
• Start early. You may not be in the holiday shopping mood yet, but shopping early provides several advantages.
• Start late. The opposite strategy is to start late—after the holidays, when retailers hold big post-holiday sales.
• Pay cash. If you’ve got the discipline and the cash to pay off all credit-card charges every month, fine. But even then, it’s easier to overspend with a credit card than by paying cold hard cash.
• Be creative! Homemade gifts or offers to baby sit or do something special for someone can be an inexpensive yet very personal gift.
• Start saving for next year.

 

Holiday Alerts!

• Gift Cards: Out of $80 Billion purchased, $8 Billion will never be spent.
• Bank Gift Cards: Cards cost up to $10 and the recipient pays an extra $1 on each transaction.
• Be aware of advertisements in stores, direct mailings and internet.
• Watch out for online scams!
• Be aware of debit card fraud.
• Inventory your credit cards after each shopping trip.

 

Holiday Blunders to Avoid!

It may seem too basic to bother with, but sit down now and draw up a holiday budget -- yes, right now. This helps for two reasons:

1. It will give you some perspective on what you think you spend versus what you actually do.
2. You can panic now before you actually go out and spend the cash.

But even careful spenders can find themselves in post-holiday panic when the January credit-card bills roll in. The holidays are an emotional minefield, and one misstep can blow your budget to smithereens. Think before you buy!

For more information on how to keep your wallet and bank account happy, be sure to check out an upcoming ACS Financial Readiness class or contact the ACS office at  (334) 255-3815.