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Make A Spending Plan Now to Handle Emergency Expenses

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

In 2019, nearly a year before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the U.S. Federal Reserve estimated that about 4 in 10 American adults could not cover a $400 unexpected expense.

The pandemic heightened those struggles for many.  The best way to weather tough times is to plan for them in better times. It’s not a matter of ‘if’ you’re going to need emergency money, It’s ‘when’ you are going to need it.

When people aren’t saving money for future uses, they often have to find other means to pay for unexpected bills, sometimes turning to high interest loans.

When we talk about health, a lot of times we are talking about your (physical) well-being, but your financial health is just as important.  Doing a financial checkup will help identify problems and chart progress then outlines some steps to achieve your financial goals.

People are emotionally tied to money and it may be because of the way they were brought up, such as their own family financial situation as kids. We are all to some extent tied emotionally to money, the spending of and saving of, how we spend it and what we do with it.

Spending plan is a fancy term for a budget. You say ‘budget’ and people think you have to tighten down and you can’t spend money. But if you say ‘spending plan,’ then people think, ‘oh I get to spend money.’  The term spending plan is used to indicate that you get to tell your money where it goes rather than coming up short at the end of the month.

By: Brenda Langdon

How to Get Rid of Asparagus Beetles

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

If you are growing asparagus, then it is that time of year to be aware of the only insect pest of asparagus; the common asparagus beetle. Adult beetles are only 1/4 inch long. Adults emerge from the soil in early spring and fly to new asparagus shoots where they mate and feed. Females lay up to 30 eggs on the end of spear tips as they emerge from the soil.

Common asparagus beetles overwinter underneath plant debris, loose bark, or hollow stems of old asparagus plants. The life cycle can be completed in eight-weeks. There are two generations in Kansas. The adults and larvae feed on asparagus spears and can defoliate ferns if populations are extensive. Larvae consume leaves and tender buds near the tips, which leaves scars that eventually turn brown. Damage caused by larvae interferes with the plant’s ability to photosynthesize (manufacture food); thus, depleting food reserves for next year’s crop.

To help protect your asparagus patch from beetles: applying insecticides; handpick eggs, adults, and larvae and place into a container with soapy water; and/or remove any plant debris after the growing season to eliminate overwintering sites for adults. Insecticides should be applied as soon as common asparagus beetles are present, and again in late summer through early fall to kill adults before they overwinter.  Thorough coverage of all plant parts is important in suppressing populations.

By: Cassie Homan

COVID-19 Funeral Expense Program

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

If you or a member of your community lost a loved one to COVID-19, you may be eligible for a government program that pays for funeral expenses. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will pay up to $9,000 for funeral expenses for loved ones who died of COVID-19. Survivors can apply for benefits by contacting FEMA, toll-free, at 844-684-6333. To find out if you qualify, read FEMA’s https://www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance/faq

Unfortunately, FEMA reports that scammers are contacting people and pretending to offer to register them for assistance. To avoid those scams, here are some tips:

  • FEMA will not contact you until you call or apply for assistance.
  • The government won’t ask you to pay anything to get this benefit.
  • Don’t give your own or your deceased loved one’s personal or financial information to anyone who contacts you out of the blue.

If you think you got a scam call, hang up and report it to the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 or the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

By: Brenda Langdon

K-State Garden Hour – Herbs: From Seed to Seasoning

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

Healthy food choices don’t have to be boring and bland. Learn how to cook with less salt but more flavor. We will demonstrate how to add herbs to your favorite recipes and grow them in your garden.

Join us for a fun webinar on gardening and cooking. Horticulture Agent, Cassie Homan will share tips on growing and caring for popular herbs such as basil, cilantro, thyme and more. Nutrition, Food Safety and Health Agent, Ashley Svaty will discuss healthy cooking strategies and will provide recipes using home grown herbs.

To register for the webinar visit: https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/k-state-garden-hour-webinar-series/k_state_garden_hour.html

By: Cassie Homan

Tax Deadline Changes

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service announced that the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year will be automatically extended from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021.

This continues to be a tough time for many people and the IRS wants to continue to do everything possible to help taxpayers navigate the unusual circumstances related to the pandemic.  Even with the new deadline, taxpayers are urged to consider filing as soon as possible, especially those who are owed refunds.

Filing electronically with direct deposit is the quickest way to get refunds and it can help some taxpayers more quickly receive any remaining stimulus payments they may be entitled to.

Individual taxpayers can also postpone federal income tax payments for the 2020 tax year due on April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021, without penalties and interest, regardless of the amount owed. Penalties, interest and additions to tax will begin to accrue on any remaining unpaid balances as of May 17, 2021.

By: Brenda Langdon

 

Crabgrass Preventers

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

Crabgrass preventers are another name for preemergence herbicides that prevent crabgrass seeds from developing into mature plants. Many people have a somewhat foggy idea of how they work and assume they kill the weed seed.  Such is not the case. They do not kill the seed or even keep the seed from germinating but rather kill the young plant after it germinates.  Therefore, they do not prevent germination but prevent emergence.

Crabgrass preventers are just that – preventers. With few exceptions they have no effect on existing crabgrass plants, so they must be applied before germination. Additionally, preventers do not last forever once applied to the soil.  Microorganisms and natural processes begin to gradually break them down soon after they are applied. If some products are applied too early, they may have lost much of their strength by the time they are needed. Most crabgrass preventers are fairly ineffective after about 60 days, but there is considerable variation among products.

For most of Kansas, crabgrass typically begins to germinate around May 1 or a little later. April 15 is normally a good target date for applying preventer because it gives active ingredients time to evenly disperse in the soil before crabgrass germination starts.  Even better, base timing on the bloom of ornamental plants. The Eastern Redbud tree is a good choice for this purpose. When the trees in your area approach full bloom, apply crabgrass preventer. A follow-up application will be needed about 8 weeks later unless you are using Dimension or Barricade. Products that do require a follow-up application include pendimethalin (Scotts Halts) and Team (Hi-Yield Crabgrass Control).

We recommend crabgrass preventers be applied before fertilizer so that the grass isn’t  encouraged to put on too much growth too early. However, it may be difficult to find products that contain preemergents without fertilizer. Those that don’t contain fertilizer are listed below.

Barricade – Howard Johnson Crabgrass Control Plus with 0.37 Prodiamine 00-00-07

Pendimethalin – Scotts Halts

Team (Benefin + Trifluralin) – Hi-Yield Crabgrass Control

Dimension – Hi-Yield Turf & Ornamental Weed and Grass Stopper

By: Cassie Homan