As the stock market continues its gyrations, now is a good time to buy an investment with a favorable NAV and alpha that keeps on giving while reducing beta.
Got that?
If not, don’t be embarrassed. Investment companies and financial advisers love to load up their materials with this kind of jargon. Too bad they don’t just say something like this (a plain-English translation of the first sentence in this article): “You might want to buy an investment that is likely to grow faster and experience less risk than alternatives.”
Well, some actually do, but many still don’t. If companies aren’t willing to talk to you in a language you understand, it’s up to you to decipher their financial-speak.
So, here are five of the more widely-used, but not widely-understood, financial terms you should know:
Alpha It’s a measure of investment performance adjusted for risk. Think of alpha as the two extra chocolates you happily found in your bag of candy. Alpha is like an overfilled box of chocolates, the part of your investment return that is more than a benchmark market index.
For example, your large-company mutual fund may return 10 cents a share more than the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index — the benchmark to which you might compare the fund. Consequently, your alpha is 10 cents a share.
If your mutual fund has an alpha of 0, that means its performance has matched its benchmark (before fees are taken out).
Alpha is often used along with…
Beta This is a measurement of investment volatility or risk compared to the market overall. For example, when your investment’s beta is 2, that means its volatility, or risk, is twice as great as the volatility of the entire market. Tech stocks often have a beta of more than 1.
A beta of 1 means your investment’s price will move as much as the market and a beta of less than 1 (such as what you’d find with many utility stocks) means your investment isn’t as volatile as the market as a whole.
If you’re near retirement, keeping many investments with high beta probably isn’t wise, because you’re taking on extra risk. But if you’re younger and have time to weather market volatility, a little beta can be a good thing since it usually accompanies greater potential returns.
Bottom-up analysis When stock analysts look at specific companies with little regard to the overall economy or a broad industry, they practice the discipline known as doing a bottom-up analysis. They’re looking at firms based on their “fundamentals” — things like their financial statements, their management and how their products or services are doing.
It’s like looking for a grain of sand in the desert. For example, you might like to own Exxon-Mobil, no matter how the energy sector performs.
It’s the opposite of…
Top-down analysis Some investment analysts, by contrast, use top-down analysis to identify hot or cold industries and economic trends. They might think a sector that’s currently cold could depress even the best stocks in it.
Using top-down analysis might lead you to, say, shun all energy stocks at a given time. In other words, you’re avoiding the desert altogether.
NAV (Net Asset Value) Mutual fund managers and Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) managers toss NAV around like it’s as familiar to you as your name. For many people, it’s not. But it is the figure calculated every day by funds and ETFs and the one that appears in financial listings and places like Morningstar.com that track these types of investments.
Net asset value is a mutual fund’s price per share or an ETF’s per-share value. You get it by dividing the value of all the stocks in the fund or ETF minus liabilities by the number of shares it has.
Here’s an example of how you’d find a fund’s NAV if it had $101 million in assets, $1 million in liabilities and 10 million shares: Subtract the $1 million in liabilities from the $101 million in assets to come up with $100 million. Then, divide that $100 million by the 10 million shares and you have a NAV of $10 per share.
You’ll get more shares in a fund with a NAV of $10 than in a similar fund with a NAV of $11. Simple math.
To complicate matters, shares of some mutual funds known as closed-end funds and ETFs can trade above or below their NAV.
The jargon cited here is by no means an exhaustive list. To learn more, check out www.Mymoney.gov, the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, Investopedia.com and Investor.gov.


Your Plain English Guide to Investment Jargon

Jack Fehr

We're a year into a pandemic that you may have thought would last a few weeks or a few months. Perhaps you thought you'd return to the office full-time at some point, but now it's looking like you'll only be going back at a reduced rate or maybe not at all. So, how should you be taking care of your car if you're not driving it much and won't be anytime soon?
As an automotive journalist and founder of the Mechanic Shop Femme company helping car owners protect and maintain their cars, I can tell you that not driving can cause a boatload of problems you may not have considered. They might include rodents eating your wiring, dead batteries and a need to replace your tires.
5 Easy Steps to Care for Your Car 
Fortunately, you can avoid most of these issues by taking five simple steps to care for your car. Here they are:
1. Drive at least once a week for at least 30 minutes. Your car was meant to be driven! One of the most common problems that comes from not driving is finding a dead battery just when you actually do need to go somewhere. Batteries drain without use — though age and extreme temperatures can exacerbate this.
But that's not the only possible unpleasantness you could encounter.
Your fuel could begin to degrade if your car has been just sitting for over 30 days.
Your fuel could begin to degrade if your car has been just sitting for over 30 days. That can damage your fuel system, and, of course, cost you money.
You might also see flat spots developing on your tires, which will shorten their lifespan and mean buying new ones.
Your seals and gaskets will begin to dry rot, too, leading to repairs and possible car failure if that problem isn't caught in time.
If you have a hybrid vehicle, you may think you are exempt from battery problems, but you'd be mistaken. Hybrid batteries also rely on your vehicle being driven regularly. And the hybrid battery is significantly more expensive to replace than a standard one: You might pay $3,000 or more for one, compared to about $150 or more normally.
2. Don't delay maintenance because you haven't been driving a lot. At the beginning of the pandemic, automotive journalists and mechanics like me were advising car owners to hold off on maintenance until it became safer to go to auto repair shops. But that was when the pandemic was expected to last a month, tops.
Lately, auto repair shops have adapted, with safety precautions for owners and for employees. So, since you no longer have to risk your health to take care of your vehicle, it's time to get back to caring for it the way you should.
For starters, that means having your oil changed when it's due. Required intervals vary from vehicle to vehicle, so check your owner's manual for the manufacturer's recommended optimal maintenance, even if you haven't reached the recommended mileage.
In addition, don't ignore the pricier, and less frequently required, services like getting your timing belt and coolant replaced at the proper intervals as well. Those are in your owner's manual, too, since they are vehicle specific.
This type of maintenance is preventative, so a short delay once is not a huge issue. But multiple delays will eventually cause the problem the maintenance was attempting to prevent.
Can't find your owner's manual? Go online to find a digital version by searching the year, make, and model of your vehicle plus the words "owner's manual."
3. Clean and wash your car. If just getting rid of the grime and bacteria isn't enough of an incentive for you to make your auto look good inside and out, remember this: Cleaning it helps maintain your investment. That's because washing and cleaning your car protects the exterior from rust and the interior from stains and wear.
Take care to wash tree sap and bird droppings to protect your car's painted surfaces. And now that winter is pretty much over, get rid of any residual salt and dirt. These jobs are especially important  if you're working from home and don't have garage parking.
The rule of thumb is to wash your car every other week.
If salt, tree sap or bird droppings sit on your paint, they'll begin to eat away at the clear coat and damage the paint.
The rule of thumb is to wash your car every other week. But if that is beyond your capacity or budget, do it at least once a month. 
And if you can't keep your car in a garage, try not to park under trees where tree sap and bird droppings are prevalent.
If your car has leather seats, direct sunlight and your own body oils can damage them, so don't forget to clean and condition them. You can use a brush designed for leather as well as a bottle of cleaner and conditioner to do the job yourself. Cost: about $6 to $15.
4. Watch out for pests. Some of the most expensive damage that happens from a car sitting unused comes from rodents. Specifically, mice eating away at the car's wiring (whether the auto is garaged or parked outdoors). There are a number of reasons rodents may be attracted to your vehicle — from the corn and soy-based coatings used on its wirings to the warmth of the engine.
While there are countless strategies to prevent rodent damage, none are as effective as simply driving your vehicle regularly.
Other methods include leaving your hood up while parked inside your garage  if you're not planning to drive for a week or more; using a product hooked up to your car's battery, like Mouse Blocker (about $60 to $100), to emit a high-frequency noise intended to deter mice; spritzing your vehicle with peppermint oil or even lighting it up with an LED lamp placed underneath a car (rodents are primarily drawn to dark places.)
According to Consumer Reports, Honda has recommended using a rodent deterrent tape coated with a spicy capsaicin oil (cost: roughly $36).
5. Regularly check your tire pressure and oil level. Proper tire pressure is immensely important for your safety and your wallet. But it can often be left by the wayside when driving your car seldomly. If you don't ensure proper tire pressure, your vehicle is prone to blowouts — one of the leading causes of high-speed accidents.
Use a tire pressure gauge to check your tire pressure at least once a month. To find out how much air your tires need, check the tire pressure sticker inside your driver's side door or check your owner's manual.
Checking your oil level will help you ensure your engine has enough oil to properly function, avoiding malfunction due to oil leaks and oil consumption. In addition, it will help you catch problems when they occur, instead of waiting until a small problem becomes a big one. It's a good idea to check your oil level once a month, while your car is cold. To do it, simply grab a rag, open your hood and find the dipstick. (I have a video showing you how to do that.)
Next, remove the dipstick, wipe it off on the rag and then reinsert it. The second level is the accurate one.
After removing the dipstick the second time, ensure that the oil is between the two markings on its bottom. If you find the level is low, add some oil. If there is no oil, add some and be sure to have this checked out right away for a major oil leak or irregular engine oil consumption.
Taking these simple care and maintenance tips will keep your car in the best shape and help keep its value up when you eventually sell it.


Essential Car Maintenance in the Pandemic

Chaya Milchtein

How do you envision life in your later years? Most of us imagine ourselves aging happily and healthy in our own homes. The reality is the experience of aging falls along a spectrum.
Seven out of 10 of us who turn 65 will at some point need long-term care services. While most of us will get that care at home – most often from family caregivers – some will require a level of medical care that makes moving into a nursing home the right option.
A nursing home is a communal living facility providing 24-hour on-site services such as nursing care, physical therapy and assistance with everyday activities like bathing, eating or walking. Importantly, nursing homes are not all alike.
Many nursing homes are beautiful, safe environments that help people thrive, no matter their physical and mental condition. Others desperately need radical changes, which my organization and many others are calling for right now.
Not everyone who moves into a nursing home does so for the same reason. Here are five common questions and answers that will help you and your family better understand nursing home care:
When is a nursing home stay needed and for how long?
You may need a nursing home after a hospital stay for an acute condition — like a joint replacement or recovering from a stroke. The most common reason for living in a nursing home, however, is dementia, affecting more than 50-70% of all nursing home residents.
The length of time you stay in a nursing home depends on how much care you need and for how long. For example:
Short-term stay (up to 100 days): for physical, occupational or speech therapy following an in-patient hospital stay (like for a hip replacement or small stroke) or after an out-patient procedureLong-term stay (100 days and beyond): for disabled, chronically ill and older individuals who do not require hospital-level care but need more support than is possible in their own homesWhat may start as a short-term stay can unexpectedly turn into a long-term stay in a nursing home, especially if your condition is not improving.
Who cares for me in a nursing home?
A variety of professionals care for nursing home residents: registered and licensed practical nurses; physical, speech and occupational therapists and social workers. Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) handle much of the day-to-day patient care such as helping with bathing, getting in and out of bed and delivering medications. Often, CNAs do not receive livable wages, full-time benefits or adequate training for their incredibly difficult and highly skilled work. These issues have been exacerbated by COVID-19 and you should ask any nursing home you are considering about their staffing policies.
What will it cost?
A short-term rehabilitation stay in a nursing home can be covered for up to 100 days by Medicare following hospitalization. But be aware: if Medicare classifies you as being on "observation status" (meaning the hospital has not admitted you as an in-patient but just as "observational"), that could disqualify you from Medicare coverage for that post-hospital nursing home stay. The Center for Medicare Advocacy has a helpful resource on nursing home coverage.
Intermediate- to long-term stays are typically paid for by private insurance or out-of-pocket by the patient or family members. Nursing home stays can cost on average $255 per day for a shared room or $290 per day for a private room.
How have nursing homes changed?
Many of today's nursing homes were designed 50 years ago to meet the needs of a past era. They often reflect how care was delivered. But nursing homes are beginning to adapt to the contemporary needs of patients and deliver high-quality care with a supportive and fair workplace for staff
Green House senior living is one example of innovative nursing home care where the number of residents in each of its small homes is restricted to a maximum of 12 and dedicated staff are assigned exclusively to each home, which proved incredibly important during the pandemic.
How do I choose a nursing home?
Choosing a nursing home can seem daunting at first but there are several checklists that can help you make your decision, including ones from the National Institute on Aging and Medicare.
You may want to consider reviewing nursing home safety ratings before you make your decision as well. Medicare's Nursing Home Compare online tool features a database of nursing home ratings based on health inspections, staffing levels and certain measures of the quality of resident care. The tool has limitations and not all nursing homes accurately report their data. Another tool, Nursing Home Inspect, allows you to compare nursing homes based on citations and penalties related to safety deficiencies.
As you consider your options, it's important to ask how nursing homes have adapted during COVID-19 and what new policies they have in place to safeguard and ensure the highest quality of life for staff and residents.


5 Common Questions About Nursing Home Care

Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN

A 2020 study from Australian researchers finds that vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) — exercising in an intense burst for 1 minute, 3-11 times a day — cut study subjects' risk of cardiovascular death by an impressive 65% and death from cancer by 49%.
Exercising in an intense burst for 1 minute, 3-11 times a day — can cut the risk of cardiovascular death by an impressive 65% and death from cancer by 49%.VILPA is thought to be effective in the same way a high-intensity conventional workout can be. Lead study author Emmanuel Stamakakis, professor of physical activity, lifestyle and population health at the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre, and his team found that VILPA done during daily activity can provide the same health benefits as more traditional cardio activities.
"Ideally, getting 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous exercise is recommended."
The researchers asked 25,000 people who said they did not work out to use a wearable device and engage in exercise "micropatterns"— frequent, spaced-out, high-energy movement as opposed to one long session. The results: Eleven VILPA micropatterns a day is all you need to do to gain results, and you can do almost any cardio — even amped-up housework does the trick.
Additional research has previously shown this workout approach to be favorably effective. For example, a French - US study found that spreading outbursts of physical activity throughout the day positively affected mood, appetite and energy levels. 
Also, the study found that moving for three minutes every half hour – which you can achieve by taking some stairs or jumping jacks – helped control participants' blood sugar. 
"Ideally, getting 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous exercise is recommended," says Cindy Sullivan, owner of Cindy Sullivan Fitness in Boston, which trains older adults. "That equals about 30 minutes a day, but it can be broken up in many different ways to be effective."
Do you want to try this time-saving, health-boosting "workout"? We asked two top exercise experts for their advice; here are their five easy tips for getting the most out of VILPA.
1. Get A Physical
No matter how briefly you do it, higher–intensity cardio requires endurance and good health. So you want to make sure before you start any VILPA that it's safe for you to start. 
"You definitely want to speak with your doctor before you do this kind of exercise," says Ron DeAngelo, director of sports performance training at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. 
"I would also recommend using a pulse oximeter while doing this exercise, for safety. If you measure 95 or more, your oxygen level is good. You don't want it dropping below 93," he says.
Your doctor may also advise you to monitor your heart rate before, during and after exercise.
2. Vary Your Activity
Making micro-bursts a habit throughout your day should never feel like a chore. Instead, it should be something that invigorates you. The key to making this happen? "Try to make it fun," suggests Sullivan. 
"You can do microbursts while brushing your teeth or taking out the garbage." 
"For example, I have a client who admitted to sitting and watching TV a bit too long. I encouraged her to start including little bursts of exercise during commercials. We make it like a game to see how many chair squats, standing and sitting, she can do in 60 seconds during the commercial."
"Another way to do this could be to sneak in a microburst workout while the water is boiling while you are cooking. You can march in place, raising your knees high with your arms overhead. You can do standing push-ups off your kitchen counter. You can do microbursts while brushing your teeth or taking out the garbage." 
Remind yourself that you are doing good for your body and you will also experience an incredible sense of accomplishment.
3. Watch Your Form
"Even though you might be speeding up your moves, you still want to maintain proper form throughout your movements," Sullivan stresses. 
"This is especially important as we get older to maintain good joint health, posture and alignment, and to prevent overall injuries," she adds. 
Remember to engage your core, not hunch over, and do a few stretches before and after you complete a micro-burst. 
You can consult a trainer at your local gym for tips on a specific form to ensure you are maximizing your results.
4. Focus on Recovery
The period after you stop exercising is just as beneficial as the workout. For example, the physiological changes that exercise causes that are good for your heart occur as you rest. 
Therefore, it's crucial to stop after short activity, drink water, and allow your system to "catch up." 
"Go at a comfortable pace and listen to your body as you go."
"As we get older, recovery is even more important," says DeAngelo. Another critical reason to pause for recovery: you'll rejuvenate, so it will be less stressful on your body when you do your next micro-burst. 
"It's not unusual to be out of breath after intense exercise, but you don't want to be totally out of breath," DeAngelo adds. 
"So, you have to have an excellent recovery period. If you run up and down the stairs to get your laundry in the basement, for example, take breaks. For fit people, the work-to-rest rate is about 10 seconds of going upstairs, then 1 minute of recovery."
5. Don't Overdo
You'll notice some quick and positive changes after following a VIPLA routine. Of course, it's normal to feel a little fatigued at first, but chances are, your energy level will increase as your body gets used to the activity boost. 
Still, this doesn't mean you should push too hard or fast. "Start slow and build up the intensity to avoid injury," notes Sullivan. It's great to set mini-goals – say, increasing the number of micro-bursts you do throughout a couple of weeks. 
However, there are no rules as to how fast you should progress. "I think a good way to think about this is that everyone is different," DeAngelo explains. "An intense 5 minutes for me might be longer for someone else." 
"Go at a comfortable pace, and listen to your body as you go." Be consistent and you'll notice the difference. 


Why Exercising For Just A Minute Could Save Your Life

Lisa Mulcahy

Retirees have long been a frequent target of cybercriminals, but the amount of money those digital fraudsters fleeced from older adults skyrocketed in 2022 amid the growth of poorly understood cryptocurrencies and hyped concern about the economy.
While tech support scams continue to be the most common type of fraud, investment frauds raked in the most money by far — roughly $990 millionWhile tech support scams continue to be the most common type of fraud, with 17,810 victims, investment frauds raked in the most money by far — roughly $990 million, or more than four times as much as 2021, according to the most recent FBI Elder Fraud Report.
Education and awareness are the most effective defenses against fraud. If you can spot a con, you can avoid it
The soaring sum of money lost came even as data from the bureau's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) showed that the number of investment-fraud victims aged 60 and over declined by 4.4%, to 88,262 in 2022 from 92,371 a year earlier.
So Many Hustles
"Senior individuals often fall victim to these scams due to a lack of digital literacy," explains Taylor Kovar, a CFA and founder of Kovar Wealth in Lufkin, Texas. "Scammers take advantage of their unfamiliarity with technology and their often-trusting nature." Cryptocurrency and other types of newer payment methods also helped scammers to commit elder fraud.
When looking at the full menagerie of scams — including those involving tech support, non-payment, personal data breach and confidence/romance — total losses by victims aged 60 and over soared to $3.1 billion in 2022 from $1.7 billion in 2021.
Unfortunately, that's not the only statistic that skyrocketed last year. The average loss per victim increased to $35,101 from $18,246, and the number of victims losing more than $100,000 rose to 5,456 from 3,133.
Finding Flimflams
To be clear, people in every age group are susceptible to fraud. However, the $3.1 billion reported by those over 60 years of age is close to or more than double the $1.8 billion reported by those in the 50 to 59 age group or the $1.5 billion reported by those in the 40 to 49 age group.
Education and awareness are the most effective defenses against fraud, Kovar says. If you can spot a con, you can avoid it. To help you recognize frauds, here are common scams.
Investment Fraud
Investment fraud scams tend to be online and are presented as low-risk opportunities promising guaranteed returns. This includes Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, real-estate swindles and advance-fee fraud. Cryptocurrency is commonly involved. Victims are often talked into draining their savings, tapping into the equity in their home or accessing their retirement accounts.
Tech Support Scams
Tech support scams claimed 17,810 victims in 2022, a year-over-year increase of 147%. It was, by far, the most common swindle committed against victims over 60 and resulted in losses totaling more than $587.8 million. In addition, government-impersonation flimflams claimed 3,425 victims — almost twice as many as a year earlier — and resulted in losses of $136.5 million. These two schemes involve call centers, which disproportionately target older adults.
Lottery/Sweepstakes/Inheritance Fraud
Schemes involving lotteries, sweepstakes or inheritance stung 2,388 victims. Total losses exceeded $69.8 million. In this kind of fraud, con men may contact victims by email, phone call, social media or U.S. mail, but the scam remains the same. Victims are told they won a contest, lottery or sweepstakes (even though they never signed up or submitted any type of information). After calling in to claim the prize, they are informed that they need to pay taxes and fees. This scenario plays out for several months (but can even be years), as the scammers keep making up new types of fees, while promising victims they are just one step away from claiming their prize.
With inheritance scams, it's the same process, but involves an unknown relative who died and purportedly left the victim a large sum of money.
A closely related crime is the grandparent scam, in which grifters pretend to be a member of the victim's family who is in trouble and needs money sent to them immediately.
Confidence/Romance Scams
Confidence and romance scams claimed 7,166 victims and resulted in losses exceeding $419 million. This online crime involves a scammer pretending to fall in love or have other types of strong feelings for victims in order to gain their trust — and eventually their money. The scammers will usually claim to either be in the military or live outside of the U.S., and ask for money to be sent overseas. This cover also provides them with a convenient excuse to avoid meeting the victim in person.
A closely related crime is the grandparent scam, in which grifters pretend to be a member of the victim's family who is in trouble and needs money sent to them immediately. The FBI reports that close to 400 victims lost 3.8 million in 2022 as a result of this scam.
Extortion Scams
Extortion scams claimed more than $15.5 million from 4,285 victims in 2022. Victims are coerced to turn over funds or else face physical or financial harm or public embarrassment by the release of sensitive information. Sextortion accounted for almost half of the extortion scams. Victims, who were tricked into thinking they were in actual relationships with the scammers, shared intimate photos or information; the material is then used against them.
Non-Payment/Non-Delivery Scams
The second-most-reported elder fraud are non-payment/non-delivery scams, in which victims sell something of value to someone they met on social media but never receive payment or pay up front for something that never arrives. Criminals using this scam stole $51.5 million from 7,985 victims.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center classifies cryptocurrency as a descriptor, not a type of fraud, because IC3 considers it a tool sometimes used to commit fraud. The center said about 10,000 people asserted they had lost a combined $1 billion on a variety of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Ripple.
Avoid Becoming a Victim
This isn't an exhaustive list of elder fraud scams. There are also data breaches, identity theft, credit card fraud — the list goes on. However, there are ways to avoid elder abuse.
"It's important to know that unsolicited tech support calls or emails are almost always scams," Kovar says. "No reputable company will ever ask for remote access to your computer or ask for payments via gift cards or wire transfers."
Regarding the alarming increase in confidence/romance scams, Kovar says, "It's crucial to remain skeptical of anyone you meet online who quickly professes love and then needs financial assistance."
"No reputable company will ever ask for remote access to your computer or ask for payments via gift cards or wire transfers."
He adds that there is no such thing as love at first sight online. "And it certainly doesn't carry a price tag," he cautions, "so when in doubt, take the advice of your heart, but take your wallet out of the conversation."
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends that retirees choose a trusted contact person who can help them protect their money. This person, who could be an adult relative or close friend, would be listed on your banking account as an emergency contact.
If the bank cannot contact you to confirm that a large withdrawal from your account is not a scam-related transaction, it would be authorized to ask your trusted contact person to talk with you about the withdrawal.
Sometimes, two heads are better than one, and someone who has not been in contact with the scammer can provide a different perspective.


Investment Fraud Soars

Terri Williams

Whether you are seeking a winter holiday getaway, or just a winter respite, here are five destinations, from across the country, offering unique adventures.  
Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina 
For palmetto trees and pink and red camellias abloom in winter amid balmy weather, you can't top Charleston for a gracious Southern Christmas, even if you didn't know the poinsettia was introduced to the U.S. by a Charlestonian. The first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, an amateur botanist, found the red-leafed flower growing wild in Taxco in 1828. He brought it back to his greenhouses, and sent a cutting to a Philadelphia botanist, who named it after him and helped popularize the plant nationwide.
Founded in 1670, Charleston boasts a beautiful, walkable historic district with a wealth of well-preserved 18th and 19th-century Federal- and Georgian-style townhouses in brick or soft pastels, exquisite mansions with large porches to catch ocean breezes on The Battery and charming alleys like cobblestoned Longitude Lane. Shops for antiques, jewelry, clothing and local crafts like woven sweetgrass baskets abound, as do terrific restaurants for Lowcountry foods like she-crab soup and shrimp and grits.
Charleston boasts a beautiful, walkable historic district with a wealth of well-preserved 18th and 19th-century townhouses
A stay in the city's inns in historic houses is an ideal way to savor the history of this jewel box of the South, named the #1 favorite U.S. city for 11 straight years by Travel + Leisure; perhaps an 18th century inn with lacy teal-colored wrought-iron balconies or an 1880s mansion decked with crystal chandeliers and marble fireplaces. Tours year-round range from house and garden tours, horse-and-carriage, food, Gullah history (African Americans who have the best-preserved African cultural and language traditions in the nation), Jewish history (dating back to 1695) and crabbing. 
A packed calendar of holiday tours and events includes candlelight house and walking tours, gospel, jazz and Gullah concerts and shows galore,
Getting there: Charleston is 12 miles from Charleston Airport.
Leavenworth, WashingtonLeavenworth, Washington State
You'll feel you're inside a snow globe in this adorable Bavarian-style town nestled in the stunning Cascade Mountains (just pretend they're the Alps). Over 500,000 lights adorn  Leavenworth from Thanksgiving through February, edging quaint half-timbered buildings with carved wooden balconies and muraled facades and illuminating huge trees in the village plaza in colors like red, purple and white. 
You'll feel you're inside a snow globe in this adorable Bavarian-style town nestled in the stunning Cascade Mountains (just pretend they're the Alps).
Lighting ceremonies, accompanied by a choir singing Christmas carols, take place in the plaza on the first three weekends of December. Enjoy a sleigh ride through the snow-blanketed town, drink hot mulled wine or cider at over 20 tasting rooms in this town of 2,300. Thanks to "fire tables" in front of tasting rooms and restaurants like Rhein Haus, you can sit outdoors and sip, feeling fairly toasty.
You can also see gingerbread houses on display and the Nutcracker Museum's global collection of over 7,000 nutcrackers, take guided winter nature walks, and eat bratwurst and schnitzel in the many German restaurants, followed by dessert at the bakery, The Gingerbread Factory.
At a reindeer farm under a mile from this town of 2,300, you (and delighted grandkids) can meet and feed the herd, and hear a talk about the animals that have (besides helping Santa) helped people in northern Scandinavia survive for centuries. (Reservations required – book far in advance.) 
A spectacular log home whose massive fireplace is built from river stone – and whose picture windows have views of Icicle Ridge – is the wine tasting room at Icicle Ridge Winery, four miles from Leavenworth. Guided snowshoe walks, followed by a meal and wine, leave from the winery, its founders' 5,000-square-foot former home, in January.  
Getting there: Leavenworth is a 2 ½ hour drive from Seattle, or 3 ½ hours from Seattle-Tacoma Airport by bus to Peshastin, a town a 5-minute taxi away.
Santa Fe, New MexicoSanta Fe, New Mexico 
For a high desert winter vacation spiced with a Mexican and Native American accent and lots of culture, Santa Fe is ideal. The tradition of walking Canyon Road at night on Christmas Eve past hundreds of little paper bags illuminated by votive candles filled with sand on streets and ledges, inhaling the scent of smoky pinon-scented bonfires, where people gather to sing carols and chatting with locals is simply magical. 
If you want a dish with both red and green chile sauce, ask for "Christmas" style. 
Called the Farolito Walk ("farol" is Spanish for lantern or lighthouse), it's inspired by the Mexican custom of symbolically guiding the Holy Family on their journey before the birth of Jesus. But you'll also see farolitos in front of homes, churches and businesses — not just on this sloping street where over 80 galleries show contemporary, traditional, Western and Native American art and sculpture, as well as shops and restaurants, in a mere half-mile. Some Native American pueblos perform ornately-costumed dances in late December.   
Adobe architecture everywhere, in a pinkish-beige that's either authentic or painted concrete, and New Mexican food  are other distinctive features of this city at the foot of the snow-draped Sangre de Cristo mountains. Green and red chile peppers are staples in basically everything, from chicken enchiladas and chile stew to chile rellenos. If you want a dish with both red and green chile sauce, ask for "Christmas" style. 
You can find splendid shopping  for Native American jewelry and pottery, locally-made art, textiles, Kokopelli figurines (a humpbacked flute playing deity and symbol of joy and fertility, seen in petroglyphs all over the Southwest) and "dream catchers" (circle-shaped talismans with feathers that prevent bad dreams and evil spirits from disturbing your sleep), both Native American traditions, from artisan sidewalk vendors in front of the Palace of the Governors, museum gift shops and local shops. 
At a year-round Christmas store, you can buy unusual handmade tree ornaments and figurines in clay, metal, wood, paper and glass plus tin Mexican Nativity scenes. 
Museums include the wonderful Museum of International Folk Art – which contains over 100,000 objects from over 100 countries, from costumes to handicrafts; the New Mexico History Museum – which covers 400 years of history, from indigenous, Spanish colonization to 20 joining the U.S. and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum (the Wisconsin-born artist lived for 40 years northwest of Santa Fe in Abiquiu).
Getting there: Santa Fe is an hour's drive north from Albuquerque, or 1 ½ hours by train from Albuquerque or its airport to Santa Fe's Railroad District.
New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana 
A spirit of perpetual festivity pervades New Orleans, but let's count the reasons to visit during the holiday season. Free concerts in St. Louis Cathedral, from gospel, jazz, Christmas favorites to classical music. Carol-singing by candlelight in Jackson Square Park, in front of the historic church. Reveillon dinners, special four-course menus at many restaurants, derived from the Creole custom of having a big feast after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve (the word derives from the French word for "waken"). House tours in the French Quarter and Garden District, beautifully decorated for the holidays. Bonfires on the Mississippi River levees on Christmas Eve, some creative in their design, a Cajun custom to light the way for Papa Noel, whose sleigh, legend says, is pulled by eight alligators. (Most are about 30 miles north in St. James Parish, but Gray Line narrated bus tours leave from New Orleans.)  
If you're around New Year's Eve, watch the giant fleur-de-lis drop in Jackson Square and watch fireworks over the river. 
Hotel deals up to 25% off are offered during the holidays. In City Park, Celebration in the Oaks means over one million colored lights drape live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss on 25 acres, shaped like dinosaurs, palm trees, fleur-de-lis and a menorah with dreidel. You can walk, drive or bike it, but advance online ticket purchases are required. A free outdoor light and technology festival in Ernest Morial Convention Center park, LUNA Fete, offers large-scale projection mapping on facades and light installations. (Attendees are encouraged to wear lights.) 
If you're around New Year's Eve, watch the giant fleur-de-lis drop in Jackson Square and watch fireworks over the river. January 6 marks the start of Mardi Gras season. That means both the solemn torchlit St. Joan of Arc procession on horses and in medieval-style costume, and time to eat King Cake, a rich coffee/cinnamon cake topped with purple, green and yellow icing, the colors of Carnival.   
Getting there: New Orleans is 15 miles from New Orleans Airport.
Cambria, California Cambria, California 
A small coastal town off scenic Highway 1 halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Cambria holds a European-style Christmas Market from Thanksgiving until December 23 that may well be the most spectacular you'll ever see (but no snow). Two million lights adorn paths, rainbow-colored tunnels, tree ornaments a group can comfortably fit inside, animal shapes and nativity scenes. 
 No, you're not dreaming: those are zebras you see on the bus ride uphill from the visitor center, descendants from Hearst's private zoo.
Vendor stalls sell hand-made gifts both locally-made and imported from Germany. Foods from wood-fired pizza, pot pies to German specialties plus wine, beer and hot mulled wine are served. It's held at Cambria Pines Lodge, a rustic lodge on 34 acres built in 1927 that's up a 250-step wooden staircase (or a short drive) from Cambria's East Village, a charming district of independently-owned shops like Cinnabar, which sells fair-trade crafts from around the world, and Ephraim Pottery and restaurants like Linn's, famed for olallieberry pie. 
In this town of under 7,000, the Market is such a big deal, they start building structures in summer. Tickets are $15-$35 (depending on the night), and overnight hotel packages are offered by Cambria Pines and its two sister inns.
A peaceful place to stroll and admire sunset on the Pacific Ocean, is Moonstone Beach Drive, a two-mile stretch of shoreline with a boardwalk. Bonus: Hearst Castle, the hilltop mansion of media mogul William Randolph Hearst, is just six miles away. Tours include art tours (art treasures from all over Europe are here, from a 15-century Spanish ceiling to 150 Greek vases) and holiday twilight tours. No, you're not dreaming: those are zebras you see on the bus ride uphill from the visitor center, descendants from Hearst's private zoo.
Getting there: Cambria is a 4 hour drive south of San Francisco or north of Los Angeles, or a 45-minute drive from San Luis Obispo Airport or AMTRAK's San Luis Obispo stop.


5 Idyllic Towns for a Winter Vacation

Sharon McDonnell

When we moved to our very rural small lake home in the Ozark Mountains nearly 15 years ago, we thought our expenses would be much less. There is a well, so we would no longer be paying a water bill. We were very happy to ditch the high real estate taxes of our suburban home for a property the state actually paid us to develop with a Homestead Credit, which is a property tax credit. 
Finally, the home is smaller, so surely it would cost less to heat and cool.
We were very surprised to learn that living in the country actually doesn't save much, if anything, in any area of the budget.
"I've lived in the country all my life and there are lots of hidden costs people who live in the cities and suburbs don't understand," says Tammy Sons, 52, who lives and owns various businesses around Altamont, Tenn. "There are a few things cheaper like the cost of rent or the price of homes, but wages are generally lower, too."
The 5 Hidden Costs of Living in the Country
We discovered hidden expenses we weren't expecting. Here are some areas where we were surprised.
1. Gasoline and Car Maintenance
It is logical you're going to be paying more for gasoline because towns are typically farther away. If you only have a couple of routes in and out, and one road shuts down or you have to take a longer route due to bad weather, it adds more to your budget. A bridge on one of two routes to my town recently shut down; it's especially hard now that gasoline prices are up. 
"I've lived in the country all my life and there are lots of hidden costs people who live in the cities and suburbs don't understand." 
I live on a dirt road in rocky terrain and even with care, I'm lucky to get two years out of a set of tires. Sons points to the problem of mice, rats and other pests that may nest under your car hood or chew your wires. 
There may be bigger problems with wildlife as well. "If you live in an area with bears, they will sometimes also break into your homes and cars, causing lots of damage," says Sons.
Cost analysis: According to Car and Driver, many new tires will get 30,000 to 80,000 miles, or 3–5 years. My car is at 23,000 miles at two years old and my service shop is recommending new tires. My car only gets two trips to my town per tank of gas. Recently, it cost $35 to fill the tank. (And gas prices are also rising.) 
2. Wells and Septic Systems
"I think the most surprising thing to most people who move to the country is the cost of maintaining the well and septic system," says David North, a real estate broker and owner of Realtrua in Redmond, Wash. "Most people understand wells need to be maintained, but it's an abstract idea until the well pump goes out and can cost thousands to replace." 
Many rural homes also have septic systems, which if not maintained, could overflow. "The septic has to be pumped and the costs of that can be high," says North. "The systems also require repairs sometimes. Accounting for the amortization of those costs is guess work."
Cost analysis: When my well suddenly quit pumping, I was afraid it might be the 15-year-old well pump. According to This Old House, it costs between $900 and $2500 to replace a well pump. I was relieved that it was only a wire that needed replaced and it cost $100. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends having a professional inspect the septic system every three years and having it cleaned at least every five years. Home Advisor says it costs an average of $408 to inspect and clean the septic tank. Additives to help your septic system cost about $10 per month.
3. Heating and Other Utility Costs
Even if your home is a small one, like my cabin is, it may not cost less to heat. When we first moved here, we only had a wood stove for heat, which may have saved money because we were harvesting downed trees from our own property. However that's questionable, given the cost to buy and maintain a wood splitter and chainsaw. 
When we ran out of downed trees and had to buy wood from others, it was pretty costly. I now have electric heat, but I believe I pay rates (for heat) as high, if not higher, from my rural electric company. At least I do not heat with propane. Experts are estimating that will cost up to 47% more this year than in 2021. Access to rural internet is also likely a higher cost and provides much slower speeds than what is found in the city. If you work from home, this could limit your job opportunities.
Cost analysis: I pay $150 to have my stovepipe on my wood stove cleaned and inspected each year. If you heat with propane, as many rural people do, expect to pay more this year.
4. Insurance and Fire Dues 
Sons says, surprisingly, insurance rates tend to be higher in the country. 
"If there are no fire hydrants within a half-mile radius, or a volunteer fire station within that distance, you're likely going to be paying more," she says, adding that while insurance companies typically offer small discounts for living in a low crime area, the premium they charge for the fire hazard is more. 
"If there are no fire hydrants within a half-mile radius, or a  volunteer fire station within that distance, you're likely going to be paying more." 
I also pay dues to my volunteer fire department; they have doubled in the past 15 years.
Cost Analysis: Fire dues for my volunteer fire department have risen from $25 to $50 per year. Homeowners insurance can be up to 43% more for rural homes, depending on how far the nearest fire station is located. 
5. The Costs of Health Care
The benefits of good health care, as the ad says, are "priceless." However, many small rural hospitals don't offer some services, and provide inadequate services in other areas. 
The small rural hospital system in my town doesn't have an endocrinologist, which I need, nor a rheumatologist, which my aunt (who is also my neighbor) needs, so we have to drive an hour to a larger health care system in a bigger town. 
Our rural hospital doesn't provide trauma services, so extra air ambulance insurance is needed in case we have to be airlifted to a larger hospital. A study conducted by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health suggests people living in rural areas pay more for health insurance.
Cost Analysis: Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute published a report saying health insurance costs are only slightly higher for rural residents, but a larger proportion of rural residents pay out-of-pocket for their costs. 
Despite the hidden (and sometimes higher) costs of living in the country, I am not complaining. This is where I want to be, where I feel at home now. However, when making the decision to move, people should investigate these as well as the other costs, of living rural.


The 5 Hidden Costs of Living in the Country

Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell

We took a bold leap of faith a decade ago by leaving the U.S. to retire in Ecuador. The move happily exceeded all expectations, but during the long months of COVID restrictions in 2020, we re-examined our priorities and agreed it was time to reimagine our retirement once again.
Instead of "go big or go home," we decided to go big by leaving home.
Edd and Cynthia Staton in PatagoniaOur plan was to put all our belongings in storage and travel the world full-time. The big challenge was that we would be doing it on a Social Security budget.
Since this new adventure began almost two years ago, we've traveled from 20 airports to 25 cities in 10 countries. Along the way we've learned numerous "insider tips" to stretch our dollars, euros and pesos, and we're happy to share those tips with you.
Favorable Currency Exchange
A limited budget instantly gets bigger when you visit places with exchange rates that favor your country's currency. Especially ones where prices are cheaper to start with.
Exchanging crisp $100 bills and paying cash in pesos translates to every transaction being 50% off regular price.
When we were in Cancun, Mexico, where one Mexican peso equals about 5 U.S. cents, a platter of fried fish and a beer at our favorite seafood shack costs $6.50. Because Colombia's peso is currently taking such a beating versus the dollar, we recently spent almost two months in that country. The most expensive entree at an upscale restaurant in Medellín was less than $7.50.
To escape winter in the States and take advantage of a unique money-saving opportunity for American travelers, we are currently in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
As a hedge against runaway inflation approaching 100%, Argentineans spend in Argentine pesos and save in U.S. dollars. A government policy to bolster the peso by limiting the peso-dollar exchange rate has created an underground "blue market" for dollars that offers almost double the official rate.
Exchanging crisp $100 bills and paying cash in pesos translates to every transaction being 50% off regular price. That buys a lot more delicious beef and Malbec!
Airbnb Secrets
Traveling full-time on our modest budget has required a lot of creativity when it comes to lodging. For visits of two weeks or less, we most often stay in private rooms with shared common areas.
This economical option is exclusively offered through Airbnb. Typically, the property is a condo or townhouse set up specifically for this purpose. It's cheaper than renting an entire unit but still provides the benefit of a kitchen and dining space.
Traveling full-time on our modest budget has required a lot of creativity when it comes to lodging.
Whichever website you use for accommodations, it's important to take advantage of filters to refine your search. Scrolling through properties that don't suit your needs is a huge waste of time. Set the maximum amount you want to pay, then select anything from a washer to a barbeque grill.
Be sure to read recent reviews by fellow travelers. Before booking, message the host and ask about something. Anything. The speed and tone of the response will give you valuable clues about what to expect once you are there. If the place has an empty calendar, don't be shy about requesting a better price.
Flight Discounts
Did you know that flight discounts are sometimes available for the over 65 crowd? Websites OneTravel and CheapoAir list a "Senior" option right on the Traveler dropdown menu. So does United Airlines.
It's a little trickier with American Airlines. Its home page has no passenger age breakdown, so choose "Advanced/Multi-city search" and whaddayaknow, Senior (65+) is one of the choices. Delta claims to have senior discounts, but you must call their 800 number to inquire.
Two caveats for all this: 1) discounts are available only on select flights, and 2) there's no guarantee that what's called a "senior rate" will be any cheaper than the lowest published fare. Still, it's worth a few extra minutes to potentially get substantial savings on one of the most expensive parts of your travel budget.
Other Money-Saving Ideas
Here's a roundup of other ideas that help us travel more and spend less.
Take advantage of shoulder season. There's everything to love about those glorious months between low and high season. The crowds are gone, the weather's fabulous and costs are lower.
Free admissions. Top attractions around the world often offer free admission on certain days and times. The Prado Museum in Madrid (€15 general admission) is free each evening from 6 to 8 p.m. Binge on almost every museum in Paris the first Sunday of the month without spending a cent.
Eat like a local. In many countries we've explored, locals eat their biggest meal at midday, followed by a pastry and coffee in the late afternoon. That routine suits both our schedule and budget.
We look for busy neighborhood restaurants offering economical daily specials at lunch. How do Europeans eat dinner so late? After a busy day exploring, we are ready to head back home for a glass of wine and maybe a cheese plate or salad before an early bedtime.
Travel for free. Miles and points from strategic use of credit card sign-up bonuses fund much of our travel expenses. We flew nonstop from JFK to Buenos Aires for 20,000 miles and $5.60 each. Almost all of our Airbnb stays during a two-and-a-half-month European adventure were paid for with points we accumulated in only six months through everyday spending on our Social Security budget.
So put that debit card away. Choosing and using the right credit cards for your daily purchases are like jet fuel to accelerate your future travel plans.
Up, Up and Away
Want to travel more but feel like you just don't have the money? Hopefully, these tips we've passed along will get you off the sofa and onto a plane headed to one of your dream destinations.
Rather than feeling restricted by what you perceive to be a lack of funds, we encourage you to instead ask yourself, "How can I make this happen with what I've got?"
Get creative. Be open to possibilities. And above all, believe that what you want is possible. When intention teams up with action, the sky's the limit!


Travel More, Spend Less

Edd and Cynthia Staton

If the words “free money” are music to your ears, credit card companies are playing your song. But grabbing cards that offer cash-back rewards and signing bonuses could create problems for your finances.
While points and privileges still abound, card issuers these days are increasingly wooing prospective customers with cold, hard cash. Some dangle bonuses of $100 or more for enrolling.
The incentives won’t make you rich, but you don’t have to be Gordon Gekko to find them tempting.
(MORE: 5 Surprising Ways Your Credit Score Can Get Nicked)
Why Free Money Offers Hook Us
“Everybody likes something for nothing,” says Olivia Mellan, a psychotherapist in Washington, D.C., who specializes in financial issues. “But it goes deeper than that. Money means love, power, control and security.”
Szifra Birke, a consultant on financial behaviors in Chelmsford, Mass., agrees. “We’re hard-wired for immediate gratification," she says, "and cash back seems pretty immediate.”
If you want to keep your own financial behavior under control, though, it’s wise to remember that credit card companies aren’t philanthropies. To get your hands on their money, you’re going to have to spend yours.
You may be surprised to learn that you typically won’t get a credit card’s signing bonus until you make enough purchases to fulfill its requirements. For example, to get Chase Freedom Card's $100 bonus, you must first spend at least $500 with the card during the first three months.
“Cash-back cards can really disappoint you if you don’t choose them well,” says Beverly Harzog, a credit expert and blogger based in Johns Creek, Ga. “The payback is in the details.”
To come out ahead, here’s what to keep in mind:
Don’t try to game the system. Maybe you’re thinking that you’ll get several new cards with signing bonuses then cancel them after receiving the cash. Not so fast. Cancel any of the cards and you may ding your credit score.
Remember: Credit scores are partly based on the percentage of available credit you’re using — the lower the percentage, the better your score. So if you cancel a card, your percentage rises and your score could drop.
What’s more, if you don’t use cash-back cards enough, you might forfeit your rebates. And if chasing rebates causes you to overspend, you’ll do even more damage to your finances.
Don’t be dazzled by cash-back offers. Do the math. It’s easy to get lured by eye-catching cash-back rebates of 2 percent, 3 percent or even 6 percent of what you spend (rebates are typically 0.25 percent to 1 percent). What you may not realize, though, is that the higher rebates may be restrictive or tough to get.
For instance, American Express’s Blue Cash Everyday Card returns 3 percent on groceries only and 2 percent on just gas and certain department stores. The rebate on everything else is 1 percent.
Some cards switch their higher rebate categories often, making it harder to rack up the deals.
The Chase Freedom card, which normally offers 1 percent rebates, bestows 5 percent on up to $1,500 spent during the quarter in select categories, like restaurants and travel. The catch? Those categories change every three months. In addition, you’ll receive the higher rebate only by explicitly signing up for it online or by phone. Forget to do that and those rewards might never materialize.
(MORE: The Dirty Little Secret About Baby Boomer Debt)
In other cases, you’ll receive the inflated rebate only by agreeing to pay an annual fee for the card. American Express’s Blue Cash Everyday Card normally has no annual fee, but the Preferred version doubles your grocery rebate to 6 percent and ups the gas rebate from 2 to 3 percent if you pony up $75 a year. (The CardHub website just named the Amex Preferred card one of the best cash-back credit cards of 2013.)
You’ll rack up grocery and gas rebates much faster on the Preferred card than the standard Blue Cash card, but some of those rewards will amount to payback for the annual fee. And after you’ve spent $6,000 on groceries in one year, both the Preferred and the Everyday card drop you back down to 1 percent.
Before getting a revolving credit card, be sure you know the interest rate — and what it could become. The rates on these cards may seem low, but they could well be promotional rates that will soon soar. The Chase Freedom card, starts with a 0 percent rate for 15 months then morphs into a variable-rate card whose interest rate could be as high as 22.99 percent.
Read the fine print. All cash-back cards come with rules about expirations, forfeitures and redemptions. For example, if you go 18 months without using your Discover It card or miss two consecutive minimum payments, you’ll lose any accumulated rebates you’ve earned.
With some cards, you might wind up leaving money on the table when you’re ready to cash in because they only pay rebates in $25 or $50 increments. Irregular amounts, like $19, must remain in your account until they rise to the required minimum for payback.
Get help before signing up. If figuring out the right choice for a cash-back card sounds like work, it is. Fortunately, plenty of websites offer head-to-head comparisons, like Bankrate.com. On NextAdvisor.com (formerly ConsumerCompare.org), you can enter your spending patterns and learn how much cash you’d collect from about a dozen cards.
Even the rating sites don’t include every cash-back card, though, and it’s worth noting that the sites often get paid by credit card companies for new sign-ups.
One more thing: card issuers can change their terms about their rebates and bonuses at any time. It’s right there in the fine print.
Like this article? Sign up for Next Avenue’s weekly newsletter to get more fascinating articles and blogs about work, finance and lifestyle issues geared to a 50+ audience.


Are You a Sucker for Cash-Back Credit Card Offers?

Lani Luciano

Frog Eye Salad isn't nearly as savory as it sounds. Nor does it contain peepers extracted from the jumpy amphibian, either. It's a coconut and pineapple-laden sweet take on chilled pasta salad.
Author Christina Ward's latest book, "Holy Food: How Cults, Communes, and Religious Movements Influenced What We Eat — An American History," provides the recipe and breaks down the more profound history of the creamy dish. 
In her latest book, "Holy Food: How Cults, Communes, and Religious Movements Influenced What We Eat — An American History," author Christina Ward breaks down the ways food and spirituality have intersected and shaped our culture.Where the recipes are like dessert — a rich and indulgent complement to the main dish – the historical facts this book serves up is a hearty feast.
"I'm definitely one of those weird 'why?' people. I always want to know why." 
As it turns out, the Frog Eye Salad hails from the Church of the Latter-Day Saints (LDS), which dates back to the early 1800s. Most of the Mormon community follows the LDS tenets, and some of their practices — predominately polygamy — have recently netted them a place in mainstream media in TV programs like "Sister Wives."
In Ward's book, she amply informs readers about various religious groups and their beliefs, highlighting their respective food evolutions. With the Mormons, for example, their oral tradition of sharing recipes established very basic iterations of everyday dishes; eventually, missionaries brought back cooking traits from the regions they visited on their treks to spread their gospel.
Fascinations With Food 
The way food and spiritual quests intersect is only one of Ward's food-related fascinations.
An author, editor, and VP of Feral House Publishing, Ward has penned other food books including "American Advertising Cookbooks: How Corporations Taught Us to Love Bananas, Spam, and Jell-O;" "Preservation: The Art and Science of Canning, Fermentation and Dehydration;" and the recent "Happy Days: The Official Cookbook." The latter is about the iconic TV show, a perfect task for a food expert from Milwaukee, where the show was set.
Ward is a go-to expert on food for platforms from news stations to blogs; she even got to ride around in the Wienermobile with the former "Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi on her breakout TV show, "Taste the Nation." Ward does what you do when you've got a ton of eats or a platter of information before you: she digs in.
Ward's 'Why' 
From an early age, an interest in food and an all-consuming curiosity has been a part of Ward's makeup. "I'm definitely one of those weird 'why?' people," she says. "I always want to know why. Growing up in a mixed household — my dad was kind of agnostic, and my mom was Catholic — I went to Catholic schools, and that gave me an early awareness of the different ways people do things. And our church was an Italian and Irish Catholic church, so it was very food-oriented. I made an early connection between religion and food."
Christina WardShe also cooked at an early age for siblings — not uncommon for young Gen-Xers – and spent summers helping on her grandparents' farm; she says those experiences helped build her food-knowledge foundation.
Media played its part, too, in an aspect of her book. "Growing up in the 70s and 80s, there was a cult awareness — all of those after school specials that showed how cults would snatch you off the sidewalk, which led to realizing there was a lot more to that topic, but that was my evolution of interest (in cults)," Ward says. "That interest has been there since childhood. Then, later, putting together some other connections, like Kellogg's and Little Debbie's roots in the Seventh Day Adventist Church. All of those things made me want to dig through it all and unpack it."
Compiling it all, telling one big story, added excitement to Ward's interest. "It's how my brain works. If I were talking to you in person, I'd corner you and say, 'Wait, let me tell you about this weird thing,' so this is my way of telling everyone, and they can read it on their timeline," she says. "I also collect cookbooks, and I was aware some of the groups (in the book) had been publishing cookbooks. So, I wanted to tell that bigger story — that was really the impetus."
Another component that often threads through these movements and groups is using food and diet as a means of control, which the book thoroughly examines. 
"If you look at some of the dogma of these groups, some of it is very radical — they would like to impose their dogma and belief systems on everyone because they think it's best," Ward notes. "That's the challenge with any religiously informed diet morality — the arrogance that comes with it – that their way of thinking is better than everybody else's and that they're doing you a favor by imposing it on you."
"In a city like Milwaukee ... you can safely guess that we have an incredibly dynamic food culture."
"Holy Food" took Ward five years of "active research and writing." She says that one of the most interesting parts of the deep dive was finding a through-line of connectivity. 
"Not just of the food, of the religions, of the new religious movements and how connected they are to each other. Not just modern connections: some things link back to the 1700s. How connected all the beliefs are and how all the actual people are was a revelation and surprise to me," she explains. 
Folklore and Holiday Food Magic in Milwaukee 
Ward was born in Milwaukee in the late 1960s and talks about the city with a familiarity that travels well beyond being a resident. She attributes the mix of choice eats to its diverse human blend. 
"I've said this to people, food writers, and even Padma Lakshmi, but I firmly believe we become 'American' through our stomachs," Ward says. "In a city like Milwaukee, with a long history of European settlement and immigration that welcomes migrants and refugees, you can safely guess that we have an incredibly dynamic food culture."
When the winter holidays roll around, Krampusnacht on St. Nicholas Eve night (Dec. 5) is a big deal. Courtesy of movies and an inherent intrigue, the folklore figure Krampus has been growing a vast U.S. following, especially over the last decade. For Milwaukee folks, it's been prevalent for well over 100 years.
"Krampus and St. Nick came to Milwaukee with the thousands of Germans seeking refuge from persecution during the 1848 German Confederation Crisis. St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6, and Krampusnacht on St. Nicholas Eve night of December 5," Ward says.
"In the legend, St. Nick brings treats to good children on the morning of his day, while the American version of Santa makes him do the work of keeping a 'naughty or nice' list. St. Nick outsources the finding (and punishing) of the 'naughty' on the evening of December 5 to a more sinister Krampus," Ward explains. "Rough stuff, but in Milwaukee, we love Krampus and St. Nick because no one is ever so naughty to be snatched by Krampus!"
On the morning of December 6, kids of all ages will find a stocking or shoe filled with treats. And in Milwaukee, there are rules. "According to the Milwaukee St. Nicholas tradition, the stocking must contain the following items: an orange, a handful of walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts, pieces of chocolate and a small present," Ward adds. "The celebration of St. Nick has been severed from both the religious and ethnic roots to become a people's holiday enjoyed all."
Carrying on Traditions, Honoring Memories 
Ward, who grew up enjoying Christmas Eve by gathering with family and friends to share a meal and open presents, recalls that though many holiday dishes exemplify the holiday's religious roots, her dad eschewed those foods in favor of his favorite — pizza.
"Dad's best friend from childhood was the second-generation owner of Maria's Pizza. Dad and Ronnie were close, and their 'gang' hung out at the pizza parlor," Ward says. In 1967, her dad even donned a Santa suit for the place. 
As it happens, the friends found less time to hang out as they got older, but they found a way to connect.
"Dad would toss the pizzas in the oven, and we kids were in awe that while every other kid we knew had to sit still and eat their vegetables, we got to eat Maria's."
"On December 23, after his shift at the factory ended, my dad would go to Maria's and spend the waning hours visiting Ronnie, reminiscing and catching up. Then, in the pre-dawn morning, Ronnie would make two or three 'par-bake' pizzas for Dad to take home," Ward says. "In addition to the other plans of the day, Dad would toss the pizzas in the oven, and we kids were in awe that while every other kid we knew had to sit still and eat their vegetables, we got to eat Maria's."Ward's father passed away in 1999. "He was 54 years old, the same age I am now. As I went to the house to bring order to the chaos that follows an unexpected and tragic death, I noticed the pizzas were in the fridge. We were no longer children, but we would always be his kids."
And for Ward's family, the tradition continued. "For 24 years after Dad's death, we have made the trip to Maria's Pizza on December 23 to pick up the par-bakes," she says. 
While Maria's Pizza just closed after 65 years, Ward's family pizza tradition continues, growing to include new people and accommodate new dietary restrictions. 
'Holy Food' Recipe: 
Hog Farm Granola Breakfast (Road Hog Crispies)
Recipe note: Hog Farm Granola was famously served at Woodstock in August 1969 to the nearly half-million hungry attendees. The recipe can be scaled up to serve a larger-than-expected crowd.

Ingredients:
½ cup millet
½ cup cracked wheat
½ cup buckwheat groats
½ cup wheat germ
½ cup sunflower seeds (without shells)
¼ cup sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. cornmeal
2 cups raw (or rolled) oats
1 cup rye flakes
1 cup dried fruits and/or nuts (Use your favorites or whatever you have on hand. This recipe is very forgiving. You can add either ½ cup each of dried fruit and nuts OR 1 cup of each.)
3 Tbsp. soybean oil (can substitute canola or vegetable oil)
1 cup honey

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
2. Over medium heat, boil the millet in a double boiler for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
3. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Add in the cooked millet and mix thoroughly.
4. Over low heat, cook while mixing the soybean oil and honey together until small bubbles appear. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Spread the cereal in a parchment-lined baking pan. Pour the honey-soybean oil syrup over the grain mix. Toast in oven until lightly browned, approximately 30 minutes. Stir once or twice to ensure even browning. Remove from oven and cool.

To serve: Pour into bowl and eat plain or with milk.
Store leftovers in refrigerator in a covered container.
Vegetarian. Can be made vegan if honey is substituted with maple or sorghum syrup. Makes 10 to 20 servings, depending on serving size.



How Religious Groups and Cults Shaped American Eating

Amy Young

The Retirement Gap is a real-life problem. Learn how to prepare for whatever retirement may look like for you.

Growing a business means managing change. Read how entrepreneurs like you have done just that and found resources to succeed.

Nationwide workshops and festivals offer community for aging artists

There is power in talking openly about mental health and mental illness. Featuring expert insight and personal stories, find support and resources on how to challenge stigma and rethink mental health as we age.

Perceptions on Wealth in Retirement

Navigating Change

Art + Aging in Community

Talking About It: Aging and Mental Health