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Recap: Savings Account

Posted on by cvargas

“Do not save what is left after spending; instead spend what is left after saving.” ― Warren Buffett

Do you put some of your household’s money into a savings account every month? You would be surprised by how many Americans aren’t ready for a potential significant loss in income. Approximately 7 in 10 Americans would feel the weight of a loss of income in a month or less.

Most financial experts recommend that a person or family have at least three months’ (and up to six months’) worth of expenses in an interest-earning savings account to be ready for unexpected financial hardships. Savings above and beyond that amount should be in a retirement or investment account.

Check out our full blog post with more information, including detailed explanations of ways you could be saving more of your money, including:

  • Instituting a waiting period to avoid impulse purchases.
  • Tracking spending to identify savings opportunities.
  • Cutting back on unnecessary expenses.
  • Taking advantage of free entertainment in Boston.
  • Reducing or eliminating recurring expenses.

One easy place to save money is on your insurance policies! Call Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency at 617-298-0655 to ask about how you could lower your insurance payments. While we’re chatting, let us recommend a financial advisor to you. With our help, you could be well on your way to bolstering your savings and being ready for any unexpected future expenses.

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Hosting the Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner

Posted on by cvargas

Thanksgiving is a time for celebration. No two families Thanksgiving festivities are the same, but most consist of some combination of good food and the joy of togetherness. If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner for your family (whether that means two or two hundred people) you want it to be perfect. Here are some tips from the Vargas and Vargas Insurance staff on some of the best ways to make Thanksgiving 2018 the best one yet.

Start Preparations Now

Thanksgiving may be more than two weeks away, but that is no excuse for not preparing as much as you can in advance! The most important thing you need to do is make two lists: your guest list and your shopping list.

Choosing your guests can mean the difference between an intimate affair and a huge gathering. When you invite everyone, let them know when you would like to know whether they will commit to coming for dinner – after all, you will need to know how much food to have on hand!

When you choose the dishes you will make, you will need to consider a few things, including what you will ask your guests to bring (if anything) and whether there will be anyone with dietary restrictions or severe food allergies present. Otherwise, you will need to ensure that you have a wide variety of dishes that will please all palates. Many people choose to do a variety of plates with a mix of both traditional dishes and new additions to the Thanksgiving table.

Review Food Safety Tips

Before you even think about dealing with food this Thanksgiving, consider reviewing the basics of food safety – after all, you will be responsible for the continued health of all the people that you host, and the last thing you want is for your guests to get food poisoning!

Thaw the Turkey!

Don’t forget that if you purchase a frozen turkey, you will need to let it thaw fully prior to cooking. According to Butterball’s website, there are two ways to do this. The first is by submerging the wrapped turkey in cold water for 30 minutes per pound of weight. The second is to put the turkey into the fridge ahead of Thanksgiving Day, allowing 1 day of thawing for every 4 pounds of weight.

“Make and Freeze” Foods

Once you have all your recipes picked out and the shopping is done, it’s time to figure out how much of the Thanksgiving meal that you can make ahead of time. You might be surprised at how many things can be made a day or more ahead and then frozen. And they taste just the same when reheated as they did when they were fresh.

Foods that can be made ahead include rolls and even mashed potatoes and gravy. While you’re at it, remember that many ingredients can be chopped and measured ahead of time (think the celery for your stuffing) or made the day before and left on the counter overnight (pumpkin pie).

Before Guests Arrive

When the big day arrives, you’ve undoubtedly got a lot to do. Enlist some help if you can to check the following non-cooking activities off your list. First, make sure that your home (including the walkways outside) are well-lit and free of tripping hazards. You should also make sure that anything fragile is put out of sight, especially if you will have young kids around.

During the Gathering

Oftentimes, hosting Thanksgiving means much more than just serving a meal. People tend to come and hang out for most of the day, so you will need to provide them with entertainment. In addition to putting on some festive music and/or turning on the obligatory football game (the Patriots don’t play until Sunday, but the three Thursday games won’t disappoint), you can also break out family-friendly Thanksgiving-themed games and activities.

After-Party Cleanup

All your guests may have left, but the party isn’t over! You probably still have some cleaning up to do – after all, Thanksgiving tends to be a very messy holiday, especially in the kitchen. Instead of using excessive elbow grease, let tough dishes soak while you do other tasks like taking out the garbage and wiping down the table.

Do you have any more Thanksgiving tips that we missed? Leave a comment and tell us – we would love to hear your cheats, hacks, and secrets for hosting. And, as always, remember that Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency has all the secrets for the best home insurance in Boston. Call 617-298-0655 before Thanksgiving to make sure that your Massachusetts home insurance policy is ready to protect you and all your guests this holiday season.

Take the time now to do one more thing in preparation for the holidays: program the Vargas and Vargas Insurance 24/7 emergency line into your phone. It is 617-322-5289, and it is the best way to begin an insurance claim outside of our office hours.

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Morning Motivation – Week of October 29, 2018

Posted on by cvargas

Ready for this week’s words of wisdom? Here you go!

For the last several weeks, I have emailed you to discuss the steps that you can take to gain Freedom in your business. For a reminder of my tips, click here.

To recap, here are the three steps to freedom:

  1. Release yourself of tasks you don’t like doing
  2. Release yourself of tasks you don’t know how to do
  3. Release yourself of tasks you feel you shouldn’t be doing

To succeed:

  • Have desire
  • Overcome self-doubt
  • Push out of comfort zone
  • Learn and apply Pareto’s Law
  • Get help by hiring an assistant

Have you been implementing any of my advice into your daily routine? I would love to hear how it has been working for you!

If you need help getting started and want to see how you can do this in your business, let’s set up a strategy session so that I can answer any questions you may have and see if I can help your design your own roadmap.

To do so, click here: https://meetme.so/InsuranceAgencyFreedom

Look out for my email next week, when I will start my next Monday Morning email series all about how to try new things and push your personal limits in order to grow.

Carlos

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Is Motorhome Insurance Mandatory?

Posted on by agentinsure
A lot of families pack up their camper for a road trip during summer. It’s one of the best ways to travel and see the country with your family. But if you own or are considering getting a recreational vehicle, commonly referred to as an RV or a motorhome, you may be confused on whether or not you need a motorhome insurance. When it comes to motorhome insurance, many factors come into play and laws vary from one state to the next. 
 
In Massachusetts, for instance, you will be required to carry valid liability insurance to drive legally. But do you need a separate insurance for your camper or fifth wheel when driving on Massachusetts roads? Well, not necessarily. But the fact that you may not be legally obligated to carry motorhome insurance for your RV doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t. At Vargas & Vargas Insurance in Dorchester MA, we can help you choose a motorhome insurance coverage that makes sense for your situation.
 
When Is Motorhome Insurance Required?
 
One critical factor that comes into play when it comes to deciding whether you need a separate motorhome insurance policy is the class of the RV. There are three major classes of RVs i.e. class A, B, and C. Class A motorhomes include long RVs such as luxury coaches. The small class of recreational vehicles are covered in class B and include camper vans, travel trailers, and cargo van type designs. 
 
Fifth wheels and other vehicles whose camper portions extend over the cab area are in Class C motorhomes. You definitely need a separate motorhome policy if you have a Class A or Class B motorhome. You may also need motorhome insurance if your RV is a rental or if you don’t own it outright. Find the right coverage for your camper or motorhome at Vargas & Vargas Insurance in Dorchester, MA. Give us a call if you need more information on motorhome insurance. 
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Recap: Small Business Winter Tips

Posted on by cvargas

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness. ” – John Steinbeck

Is your Massachusetts small business prepared for the upcoming winter months? As colder weather arrives, look at our blog post with tips on how to keep your business running strong this winter and beyond. Here are just a few of the tips that we offered:

  • Stay on top of snow removal and take precautions to avoid slip and fall accidents in areas where customers and employees walk.
  • Prepare for flu season by stocking up on hand soap, sanitizer, and disinfectant. Encourage sick employees to stay home.
  • Be available for your customers when they need holiday gifts. Offer gift wrapping, gift cards, and other incentives.
  • Introduce your business to new customers by showing off your product at holiday fairs, trade shows, and other local winter events. Look for anything your customers might find interesting.
  • When the weather outside is frightful, stay home and focus on your business’s Social Media presence! Create an account or schedule posts for the accounts that already exist. You could also take the opportunity to get ahead on writing blogs!

And remember, at Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency we want to help Boston business owners to work more on their business rather than in their business. If you need help with this, or if you need a business insurance quote, call our office at 617-298-0655.

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Savings Account: Critical for Your Financial Success

Posted on by cvargas

Everyone wants to lead a successful life, but that means different things to different people. What does success mean to you? No matter the answer, you will likely need to have some money to get there – even if it’s just to pay for housing and food. In addition to having money to spend, you need to have some money saved… just in case there’s ever a low point in your life where you may need a financial boost.

Let’s face it, you never plan to have financial problems. Thankfully, there are two things that you can do to mitigate your risk. The first, as any Vargas and Vargas Insurance agent will tell you, is to have an up-to-date insurance portfolio. The right insurance can protect your home, your car, and even your health. The second thing that you can do is to have some money saved up for a ‘rainy day.’

Imagine this scenario: the family breadwinner loses their job. How long would you be able to pay your bills while you scrambled to replace the lost income? It is estimated that over 7 in 10 Americans would start to struggle after only one month. In fact, almost half of Americans would notice the deficit in two weeks!

It is recommended that a person have at least three months of expenses saved in case of an emergency. In fact, six months’ worth of expenses is preferred. This will ensure that you are ready for a financial emergency.

Let’s face it – what adult hasn’t ever had a large unforeseen expense (like a car repair or health-related expense)? Sure, most of these will be largely covered by your Massachusetts insurance policies, but you will need to have some money set aside to cover your plan’s deductible.

Consider this also: at what age would you like to retire? Are you saving at a pace that will get you to your goal in time? While it isn’t technically a savings account, a 401k or IRA is a crucial investment for your future and shouldn’t be put off. In fact, it is easy to see when the numbers are crunched that saving a little bit of money early in your life is worth much more than saving a lot later. This is because of the power of compound interest.

Do you feel like you don’t have enough money in your savings account? Here are a few tips to help you save more:

  • Stop making impulse purchases. When you find something that you want, wait at least 24 hours before buying it – you may find that in that time the urge to have it passes and you can put the money into your savings account instead.
  • Track your spending online. Whether you use your bank’s online portal or a safe third-party app, you should be keeping a close eye on your spending and identifying unnecessary expenditures so that similar purchases can be avoided in the future.
  • Identify your biggest area of opportunity. If you want to start saving more of your money, you will need to stop some of your spending. One of the areas where people can easily save is on food and dining. You can save quite a bit of money by buying fresh ingredients and cooking at home rather than going out to eat often.
  • Find free entertainment. Sure, you could spend money on going out, but there are plenty of ways to entertain yourself and your loved ones for free. Look for free events and activities in Boston, or just use something you’ve already bought.
  • Revisit your recurring expenses. Look at your bank account – specifically at your recurring expenses. See if any can be cancelled or parred back. Even your insurance premiums could be lessened. Ask a Vargas and Vargas Insurance agent to find out more.

It’s important to remember, though, that you shouldn’t necessarily have a humongous savings account. While there’s clearly an advantage to having a certain amount of cash available in a liquid form, once you get above a certain amount of savings you should put that money to work for you in investments. If you want some advice on the right threshold for you and your family, or of you have some investing questions, just call Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency. We can recommend a great financial advisor that will be able to help you.

Are you ready to get yourself on the road to financial readiness? Whether you’re starting from nothing or evaluating your changing financial needs, you’re taking a step in the right direction. If you know of any high school or college students who may not yet realize the importance of having a nest egg, please share this blog post with them. And if you want to ensure that your insurance protection is ready to step in if there is a problem, call Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency at 617-298-0655 for a free insurance review.

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Morning Motivation – Week of October 22, 2018

Posted on by cvargas

As you know, I try to start every week with some words of wisdom:

I have been talking about doing what makes you money and getting someone else (or don’t do the other tasks) you can read the past messages here.

There is the law called Pareto’s Law, Pareto’s Law goes like this:

  • 80% of effects come from 20% of causes
  • 80% of your income comes from 20% of your efforts
  • 80% of your headaches come from 20% of your clients and referral partners

Important to know so that you are doing the right 20%!

Pretty eye-opening, right?

So the question is, What is the exact 20% of your efforts that are producing the 80% of your income? If you don’t know the answer to that, don’t worry, it’s not your fault.  Most of us have not heard about this before or taken the time to go step by step through this. So that’s what we are going to do right now.

Start putting your focus on the highest leverage activities to grow your business, while keeping these statistics in mind:

  • We aren’t nearly as important as we think we are!
  • Our clients just want what they want, and they want it on time, they don’t care who does it

So, if you’re delegating tasks to your team, which money-making ones should you keep for yourself? Here are some examples. In my business, there are the highest paying activities:

  • Build referral partners that consistently feed your business
  • Office presentations
  • Meeting and deepening relationships with referral partners.

Next week, we will put together the last several week’s worth of messages to recap the Three Steps to Freedom, and how they will help you succeed.

Carlos

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Recap: Holiday Budgeting

Posted on by cvargas

“A budget tells us what we can’t afford, but it doesn’t keep us from buying it.” – William Feather

It’s still pumpkin season, but now is the perfect time to start making plans for the end of the year. The holidays can be expensive, so get a jump on your holiday budgeting by starting now. Check out the following prevalent sources of spending in November and December and see where you can make some adjustments:

  • Decorations – Hold off on buying anything new until after the holiday when everything goes on sale.
  • Entertaining – If you’re hosting a party, make it a potluck to ease the financial burden. When attending, bring affordable hostess gifts.
  • Travel – Make your holiday travel a road trip if you can, otherwise buy plane tickets early.
  • Gifts – Get the most bang for your buck by shopping at Black Friday sales. DIY gifts often cost less than store-bought.

To make some room for more spending, call Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency at 617-298-0655. Talk to an agent and see if we can save you money on your home insurance or auto insurance policy. Our trained Massachusetts insurance agents can check your existing policy and see if there are any savings that you could be taking advantage of. And make sure that you stay tuned to our blog to get more tips for the upcoming holiday season and the New Year!

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Wintertime Tips for Your Small Business

Posted on by cvargas

Time for “Fun in the Sun” may be over, but that doesn’t mean that you can relax when it comes to your desire to make your business as great as it can be. Here at Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency, we always say one thing: business owners should always be on (rather than just in) their business. Thankfully, now is the perfect time to cozy up with a blanket and a warm drink and figure out your business’s path to success for the coming winter months.

Here are just a few winter small business tips that you can consider enacting:

Safety First for Employees and Customers

Winter brings its challenges, mostly in the forms of cold weather and snow and ice. When these are present in Massachusetts, make sure that your business does what it can to prevent employees and customers from feeling their effects.

In addition to turning on your heat to take the edge off the chill that could come in from outside, you should be proactive about snow and ice removal. This includes your parking area and walkways to and from the entrances of your building. In addition, place floor mats and wet floor signs in your entry ways to prevent slips and falls due to wet floors.

Avoid Flu Like the Plague

Winter weather is a sign of the emergence of flu season. Help your customers and employees stay healthy with the following tips:

  • Bathrooms should be filled with antibacterial soap and lots of paper towels.
  • Place hand sanitizer around the business, especially in break rooms and any place where money is handled.
  • Have the business cleaned (by employees or professionals) regularly. Make sure that disinfectant is being applied liberally.
  • If an employee does contract the flu, encourage them to stay home and get better, at least until they are no longer contagious – otherwise you will be dealing with an epidemic!

Take Advantage of the Holiday Gift Rush

Very soon, there will be lots of people in the area looking for gifts. If your business offers something worthy of gifting, make sure that you offer it. Stand out from the crowd by offering other perks like gift cards or free giftwrapping. Some businesses even go above and beyond in offering a gift to the customer with purchase. Ask yourself what you can do to stand apart from your competition. After all, people are going to be making purchases – why shouldn’t they be from your business?

Counterbalance Off-Season Slowdowns

Often, businesses see a slowdown in the winter. This is totally normal, especially for restaurants and retail locations where people are less likely to visit because of the cold weather and hazardous conditions. You can offset these slower periods in a variety of ways.

First and foremost, you should be setting aside some of your summer cashflows for wintertime slumps. In addition, you can lower your winter expenses by reducing the number of employees working at once (if possible). You can also call us at Vargas and Vargas Insurance to see if you could save money on your business insurance policy.

Bring Your Business to New Customers

Do you ever wonder what you can do to get your business new customers? The number one reason that people aren’t shopping at your business is because they haven’t heard of you! Combat this problem by getting your business ‘out there.’ This time of year, there are plenty of events that you could be attending to spread the word about who you are and what you do.

Depending on your business’s products, check out local Holiday fairs, wedding expos, trade shows, conferences, and more. There is bound to be some sort of event where you could set up a booth and increase the exposure for your business.

Enhance Your Social Media Presence

Winter blues got you in the mood to cuddle up on the couch with a hot beverage? Don’t worry, you can still help your business from the comfort of your own home. Winter is the perfect season to start up a Social Media presence for your business. Depending on what you do and your customer base, you should consider Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Once you get one (or more) of these Social Media pages up and running, set up an advertisement to people in your neighborhood. It’s a very cost-effective way to spread the word about your business to local customers.

Another thing that you can do is start a blog on your business’s website. This will work wonders in getting your business higher priority in Google searches – which is a key part of attracting younger clients to your business.

For more help as you work on your business, contact the small business insurance experts at Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency. We can get your business a great Massachusetts commercial insurance policy that won’t overburden your bottom line. Call 617-298-0655 to talk to one of our business insurance agents today.

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Morning Motivation – Week of October 15, 2018

Posted on by cvargas

Let’s start the week with some words of wisdom:

We have been talking about getting freedom in your business, check out last week’s message here.

Step #3: Delegate tasks you feel you shouldn’t be doing

  • Which tasks should you simply never touch—meaning you could eliminate them from your schedule entirely, making way for more important tasks?
  • Which low-level tasks could be easily given to a virtual assistant as part-time work?
  • Which tasks are you handling that could be taken over by a professional who knows exactly what he or she is doing? These are tasks where the potential harm outweighs the cost savings of doing them yourself.
  • Which tasks are stopping you from really focusing on the strategic growth of your business?

Next week, working on the 20% of your business that brings in 80% of your income.

Carlos

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Recap: Moving for Families

Posted on by cvargas

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein

Moving is stressful for everyone, but most of all for those people with children. If you’re moving in Boston with your family, we posted a blog last week with some tips on how to make the move as stress-free as possible:

  • Tell your family as soon as you can about your move so that kids have time to adjust to the idea of moving.
  • Keep a positive attitude about the move – kids will be upset if they can tell that you are uneasy about the upcoming change.
  • Let your kids help with the move. Depending on their age and maturity, they could tour new homes with you and help pick things out to decorate their new space.
  • Pack your child’s room last and let them pack unbreakable things to contribute. Keep a small box of favorite toys that will stay with you throughout the move.
  • Help your child feel comfortable in their new neighborhood by meeting local kids and classmates before they start school.

Once you’re set to move into your new home, talk to Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency about getting a great home insurance policy for your new place. We will make sure that you and your family are protected. Also ask about how we can protect your car, business, and more.

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Budgeting for the Holiday Season

Posted on by cvargas

It may only be October, but now is the time to start thinking about your end-of-the-year holiday budget. Most Vargas and Vargas Insurance customers that we talk to agree – the holiday season is an expensive time of year (let’s face it – the festivity and merriment don’t come cheap!) Before you even think about picking out the best-looking turkey for Thanksgiving, pick up a pencil and make out a quick budget for the rest of 2018. It doesn’t have to be perfect – any sort of guideline can help make sure that you start the New Year in the black.

Our agency wants to do our part to help! Here are just a few of the categories that you may want to include in your budget, along with a few ways that you can get more bang for your buck this winter:

Holiday Décor

Part of the fun of the holiday season is the festivity and merriment that accompanies it. If you’re one to “deck the halls” then you probably already have most of the decorations that you use every year in storage. Occasionally, though, something will need to be replaced.

Do yourself a favor and save money on the replacement by using the old item one more time (if you can, of course) and purchasing the replacement on a deep discount after the holidays are over.

Food and Entertaining

During the holiday season, many people throw holiday parties or host family events. Whether you are hosting or attending these events, you will need to budget some money for them. Hosting can be costly, but you can cut down on your spending by asking attendees to bring a dish to contribute to the table or buffet – sides and desserts are easy for others to make and bring.

If you are attending an event, offer to bring something to help the host. You could bring food, but alcohol and other hostess gifts may also be appropriate. Many local shops in the Boston area offer a great selection of items that would be perfect to bring to a party.

Travel

Around this time of year, many people are making plans to visit their loved ones. Whether you’re going to be there to eat turkey or open presents, you should start making your plans now so that you don’t get stuck paying last-minute prices.

Depending on how far you need to travel and how many people are going with you, taking a road trip may be a cheaper option than flying. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Road Tripping for tips and tricks to travelling by land. If you don’t have the time to travel by car, then flying is your best option. Buy your plane tickets as early as possible to get the best deal and remember when comparing prices to include the cost of extra fees and baggage to your total cost.

Gifts

If you’re someone that purchases gifts during the holidays, plan now so that you don’t overspend later. Make a list of everyone that you plan to gift to, and how much you will spend. Be as thorough with your list as possible – include family members and friends, as well as neighbors, teachers, your mailman… anyone who will get a present, even if it’s only going to be $10 or less.

When it comes to saving money on gifts, there are many options. For the brave, consider shopping during Black Friday sales to get great gifts at blowout prices. Some people may find Black Friday shopping a little too harrowing of an experience. If that sounds like you, (and you have even a little bit of creative capability) consider making your gifts this year. Often, DIY gifts are less expensive than store-bought, and they can hold extra meaning to the recipient.

As you budget for gifts, remember to also factor in the cost of cards and wrapping paper and bows. These are costly right before the holidays, but you can save money for next year’s presents by purchasing card multi-packs and wrapping paper on clearance and storing it with the rest of your decorations.

Once your holiday budget is complete, do your future self a favor. Take your estimated expenditure amount from this year and divide it by 12. Then you can set up an automatic deposit for that amount into a holiday savings account each month. By this time next year, you won’t have to worry about scrambling to find funds – you will have a lump sum ready to go for all your end of the year spending!

Remember – you can save money on your Massachusetts insurance policies all year ‘round with the help of Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency. One call to 617-298-0655 and our agents will work hard to make sure that you have home and auto insurance policies that will give you the right amount of coverage without overburdening your bank account.

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Morning Motivation – Week of October 8, 2018

Posted on by cvargas

As you know I try to start every week with some words of wisdom:

We have been talking about getting freedom in your business, check out last week’s message here.

Step #2: Eliminate tasks you don’t know how to do

Be honest with yourself. Don’t let superhero syndrome kick in here. I remember trying to design and develop my first blog on my own using a premium theme. I spent 8-10 weeks trying to figure it out, and in the end I was never happy with it. Why? Because it’s not what I do! I don’t have that type of mind or patience.

So I urge you to ask yourself:

  • Are there tasks I am currently doing that could be completed faster AND better by someone else?
  • Are there projects you’re handling that could be wrapped up in a better, more professional way?
  • Are you trying to cut costs by dabbling far outside your areas of expertise?
  • Is it even important for the success of your business?

Next week we will cover the third step toward getting Freedom in your business. Don’t miss it!

Carlos

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Recap: Halloween Safety Tips

Posted on by cvargas

Did you know that there are only a few weeks left before Halloween? Are you and your family prepared? Make the most of the spookiest holiday of the year by following the safety tips from last week’s full blog post. Here is a quick summary for your convenience:

  • When you decorate, make sure that you are making your home spooky without creating tripping hazards. When choosing lighting, opt for battery powered flickering lights over candles.
  • Pumpkin carving should be reserved for kids that can handle sharp objects. Little ones can use paint or stickers on their pumpkins!
  • When passing out candy, always give treats bought at the store instead of homemade confections.
  • Trick-or-Treating can be dangerous, so make sure that kids are wearing safe costumes and comfortable shoes. Be careful driving around on Halloween night, and always check candy for tampering before eating it.

At Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency, we always have a blast celebrating Halloween in the office. This October, we would also enjoy helping you lower your insurance premiums. Just call our office at 617-298-0655 to speak with one of our Massachusetts insurance agents about how we can help avoid potential frights from the unknown with our top of the line insurance protection.

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The Best Tips for Moving with Kids in Boston

Posted on by cvargas

Moving is stressful for everyone. Even the most organized people can become overwhelmed at the thought of the necessary logistics to relocate. This stress increases by orders of magnitude when children are involved. If you are planning to move within the Boston area with your children, consider the following tips to make the transition easier for everyone involved:

Telling Your Kids About the Move

Kids – especially younger ones – are creatures of habit. This means that uprooting them from the home that they know and love is probably going to be a big deal. Help them get used to the upcoming change by telling them about it well in advance, and make sure that you have a positive attitude when talking about the impending relocation. Prepare them by telling them what will be different but also tell them what will stay the same so that they can retain a sense of normalcy.

To help younger children prepare for what will happen when you move, consider getting a book on moving. There are several available that will help little ones understand that the process doesn’t have to be scary. You can also share the story of the first time you moved with your kids to help them understand that moving is a normal part of life.

Choosing a New Home with Your Kids

If your kids are old enough, you might want to let them get in on some of the house hunting fun. Ask what they would want in your next home – maybe a bedroom that they don’t have to share, or a big backyard, or a bonus room that could be used just for hanging out? When choosing a home, make sure to research which schools the house is assigned to, don’t just assume it is the closest one!

Once you choose a home, let your child help decorate their room. Give small children a few choices on colors to paint the walls or rugs to put next to their bed. Teenagers can be given additional freedom to make their own choices (within reason, as always – no one wants to paint bedroom walls black!)

Tips for Packing Your Home

Your child probably won’t adjust well to having all their favorite things in boxes, so plan on packing their room as late as possible. Let younger kids feel like they can contribute and have some control over the move by placing them in charge of packing a box or two – preferably something that can’t break like stuffed animals. If your move will take more than a day, allow your child to keep a small bin of their most favorite toys with them during travel to ease separation anxiety.

As you know, moving is also the perfect excuse to get rid of old stuff that you don’t use any more. Encourage your child to choose some of their older toys to be sold at a moving sale or to be donated to a local organization for underprivileged kids.

Moving Day is Here!

Only you know what is best for your child, so only you will be able to decide what the best course of action is on days when packers and movers will be at your home. Some families know that their little one will need to be out of the house and opt for daycare or having a friend or family member watch their child. Other children would rather be involved and see the move happen – just ensure that they will be able to stay out of the way and out of trouble for the duration of the process.

Unpacking Made Easy

Make your child’s room one of the first things you unpack when you arrive at your new home. (If anything is broken during the move, find out if your Boston home insurance policy will cover the damage.) As you unpack, take your child with you to meet your new neighbors – especially if they have kids around the same age.

Settling in to Your New Place

Once you’re unpacked, you will have the opportunity to explore your new community with your kids. If they have changed schools, it may help them to see their new school before their first day. If it would help, ask your school for a list of children in your child’s class so that you can arrange playdates ahead of time. Having friends on the first day will make the transition a lot easier for most kids. A scoop of local ice cream never hurts either! There are tons of fun activities in Boston that you can do with your kids to show them how great their new home is.

As you continue to plan for a Boston move with your family, call Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency at 617-298-0655 for help getting the right insurance protection for your new home. We will make sure that you and your family are ready to handle anything that comes your way.

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Morning Motivation – Week of October 1, 2018

Posted on by cvargas

As you know I try to start every week with some words of wisdom,

Have you been keeping up with my weekly motivation posts? The last couple of weeks I have been talking about doing what you do best, what you are gifted in and get someone else to do what you hate to do or are not good at. Check out my last post here if you need a refresher.

Answer the following questions about your involvement in your business:

  • Are you trying to put your own blog together?
  • Are you trying to create a nice Facebook header?
  • Are you trying to complete a nice profile outline about YOU for all your social sites?
  • Are you trying to post 2-3 times a week?
  • Are you trying to keep up with your emails?
  • Are you trying to keep up with your voicemails?
  • Are you trying to keep up with your clients?

When it comes to keeping up with clients, I am talking about any and all of the following activities:

  • Babysitting clients
  • Putting out fires
  • Updating clients
  • Managing the client database
  • Creating mailers for clients
  • On and on and on….

If any of these tasks sounds like something you do, don’t despair! There are three steps to getting some freedom in your business:

Step #1: Make a list of the tasks that you hate to do

These are any task that makes you cringe or procrastinate. Anything can be on this list—except for selling.

Selling needs to be one of your top priorities because it’s the lifeblood of your business, and no one should know your product or service better than you.

Look out for the post all about step #2 next week!

Carlos

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2018 Halloween Safety Tips for Kids and Parents

Posted on by cvargas

The temperatures are steadily dropping, and that can only mean one thing here in Massachusetts – Halloween is just around the corner! It’s the time of year when you can let your spooky side shine… not to mention plan a costume that will knock everyone’s socks off. As October progresses, though, make sure that you follow these safety tips to make sure that you and your kids have a successful fright night!

Decorating Your Home

Some people like to go over the top when decorating the outside of their home for Halloween. We encourage you to get in the spirit, but follow a few simple guidelines:

  • Remove or clearly mark tripping hazards – Trick-or-Treaters will be coming up your walkway, so either remove obstacles or make sure that they are easily seen and avoided.
  • Light up paths – Some visitors will be wearing awkward costumes, so make sure that they can see where they’re stepping.
  • Don’t use real flames – There is something extra spooky about a flickering flame, but instead of using a real candle and risking a fire, opt for a battery-operated flickering light.
  • Be careful with extension cords – You may have lots of decorations that require power. Lights and inflatables are very popular nowadays but resist the urge to overload your extension cords and power strips.

Carving a Pumpkin

Will you be making a Jack-o-Lantern with your kids this year? For kids old enough to carve a pumpkin, make sure to use carving tools meant for pumpkins instead of sharper kitchen knives. Encourage kids to go slowly as they carve in the interest of safety and tell them to cut away from their bodies. In case there is a minor injury, have a first aid kit close by.

Kids that are too young to carve don’t have to miss out on the fun. Instead of making a carved pumpkin, break out the paints and stickers and let them decorate in an age-appropriate way.

Throwing a Party

Getting together with friends for a costume party is a fun thing to do this time of year. If you are hosting, there are a few things you should do to make sure that your guests can enjoy themselves without compromising their safety.

As you plan your party, make sure that your decorations are safe for guests. As we mentioned earlier as we talked about outdoor decorations, indoor décor should also not be a tripping hazard. Also, don’t overload poser strips or use real flames, and opt for flickering battery-operated lights over open flames. In addition, when you choose your costume make sure it is something that you can wear and still play host.

Passing out Candy

If you’re going to be staying at home on Halloween night and passing out candy to trick-or-treaters, make sure to do so in a safe way. You may have a killer recipe for a treat, but this isn’t the time to use it – only pass out candies that are sealed by the manufacturer. Some children who come to your door may have severe allergies, so you may want to have a few small toys ready in case they are necessary. Display a teal pumpkin at your home to advertise that you have these non-food treats available.

For your own safety as you pass out treats, you may opt to sit with other neighbors. At the very least, make sure that you are looking through your peep hole whenever the doorbell rings (as you always should) – you can never be sure that there isn’t a ‘trick’ on the other side of the door.

Trick-or-Treating

Going out trick-or-treating is a rite of passage for kids. As a parent, we know that you want your kid to have a great time while still being safe. Here are just a few tips that you should use to accomplish this goal:

  • Decide whether your child or children are mature enough to go out with friends without supervision. When in doubt, an adult should accompany them.
  • Some parents choose to drive their kids to a different neighborhood to trick-or-treat. If you will be driving on Halloween night, make sure to be exceptionally careful in residential areas after 5pm.
  • Edit kids costumes so that they can easily run around in them for an hour or more. Encourage kids to wear comfortable shoes and to leave their masks at home. For added safety, give kids a small flashlight to carry.
  • Teens that go out on Halloween night without supervision should have a fully charged cell phone with them in case of emergencies.
  • Before you or your kids eat a treat, it should be checked for tampering.

Here’s one thing that doesn’t have to be scary this time of year: your insurance premiums! Call Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency for a free insurance quote or checkup. Our agents would be happy to see if we can lower your home insurance, auto insurance, or other insurance premiums – and you don’t even need to leave your house! Call 617-298-0655 whenever you have questions about your Massachusetts insurance policies.

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Morning Motivation – Week of September 24, 2018

Posted on by cvargas

Would you like some words of wisdom to start off your week on the right foot?

If you remember, last week I wrote about how to identify your innate strengths. For all the things that aren’t your strengths, here is my advice: automate the repetitive tasks. Hire a Virtual Assistant to do those things for you. If you want the information of who I use as Virtual Assistants, please let me know.

My feeling is that no matter how hard you try, it is unlikely you will ever be more than average in areas where you do not have an aptitude.

Working on developing your natural talents is self-rewarding and motivating and allow you to continually realize higher and higher levels of ability, achievement, and success. Invest your time and energy in being great at something really great. You will be happier.

What a great combination: doing what you love and having people pay you for it.

Next week, working your “Triad of Awesomeness.”

So focus on your strengths, my friends.

Carlos

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Recap: Fall Home Maintenance

Posted on by cvargas

“A fallen leaf is nothing more than a summer’s wave goodbye.” – Unknown

Is your home ready for the winter? Many of us here at the Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency are working through our Fall home maintenance checklists and thought that we would share some of the tasks that we are undertaking. Here are just a few examples from our longer post:

  • Trim trees and shrubs, taking care to get rid of anything that could cause a problem when weighted down with snow and ice in the coming months.
  • After the leaves fall, clean gutters and drains so that melting snow and ice can flow freely.
  • Exterior repairs should be taken care of as soon as possible, before everything is blanketed and access to these areas is harder.
  • You will soon need to use your home’s heating system, so now is the time to make sure it is working and ready for the coming temperatures. Hire a professional for a check now – they will soon be very busy!
  • Check to ensure that you have all the gear you will need for winter. Now is the time to replace that old shovel, or to upgrade the ice scraper in your vehicle.

Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency is here to help with one more item on your Fall home maintenance checklist: making sure that your insurance policies are ready for Winter claims! Call 617-298-0655 for a free consultation and a home insurance checkup from the professionals here at Vargas and Vargas Insurance.

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Morning Motivation – Week of September 17, 2018

Posted on by cvargas

As you know I try to start every week with some words of wisdom:

If you remember from last weeks, message, I started talking about the natural gifts that we all have. Check out last week’s message here.

First, write down a list of those things that you do that seem easy for you. These are the things that you can do that seem almost effortless. Often, the tasks that are easy for us are those where we have a special aptitude.

Second, make a list of all the activities that make you happy. These are the things that make you smile. These are the tasks you would do just for yourself, with no promise of gain, just because they are fun.

Look through the two lists to find the common activities. These are likely to be the areas of your natural aptitude and talent, and are the areas of greatest potential for you. Imagine if you could spend most of your time developing and playing at something that makes you happy and where it is easy for you? Wow!

So, my advice is not to get caught up in the old advice to work on your weaknesses. Hire someone who is good where you are weak. Delegate tasks that you don’t enjoy to others who do enjoy those things.

Want to know the best way to delegate these tasks? That’s a post for another week – stay tuned!

Carlos

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