Cape Coral Town Money Saver | August FOM 2022

It’s Back-to-School Time!

Vision Screening vs. Vision Examination

As summer winds down and kids, teachers and parents get ready to start the new school year, here are some tid bits and healthy hacks!

School vision screenings may help identify the presence of eye or vision problems; however, they cannot be used to diagnose an eye or vision problem. Comprehensive eye and vision examinations with an optometrist or ophthalmologist is important if a child is struggling in school or exhibiting any symptoms of a vision problem. An eye examination between 3 and 5 years of age is recommended.

APPLES

The tradition of giving apples to teachers originated in 16th century Denmark, where parents would often give teachers baskets of apples to pay for their children’s schooling.

Healthy Lunchbox Hacks

Pack more nutrition into school lunches with these tips:

• Look for 100% whole-wheat breads and wraps

• Add fresh produce like lettuce, tomato, shredded carrot, zucchini strips, sliced apple or pear slices to sandwiches

• Pack homemade leftovers like veggie soups or chili in a thermos, or swap lunch meats with last night’s grilled chicken

• Prep “dunkers” like apple or pear slices with yogurt or peanut butter, or pair sliced veggies with hummus, fresh salsa or bean dip

• Get kids involved in planning and prepping their lunches!

$688 average back-toschool spending per family in the U.S. NRF research show teenagers will contribute $37.64 toward this amount.

1858 the year Hymen L. Lipman patented the rst pencil with an attached eraser

The use of pencils in classrooms was controversial, as teachers thought the built-in erasers would cause students to be careless and make more mistakes. Before the invention of the rubber eraser, moist balls of bread were used to erase mistakes!

480,000 yellow school buses transport children to and from school in the U.S.

These buses carry 26 million students each day.

UNIQUE REASONS TO SHOP AT SMALL BUSINESSES

THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE. LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES MAY BE CLASSIFIED AS “SMALL,” BUT THEY HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON THE NATIONAL ECONOMY.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Business Employment Dynamics report, small businesses created 10.5 million net new jobs between 2000 and 2019, accounting for 65.1 percent of net new jobs created since 2000 in the United States. e Government of Canada reports that the number of small businesses in Canada in 2020 was far greater than the number of medium and large businesses, accounting for 97.9 percent of all the businesses in the country.

Supporting locally owned businesses is a great way to support a neighbor, but that’s not the only attraction. Here are several reasons to shop small.

THE FEEL-GOOD FACTOR

Doing for others certainly has an impact on the person on the receiving end, but also bene ts the do-gooders. A November 2020 survey by Union Bank found that 72 percent of Americans said supporting small businesses was more important than getting the best deals. at may be due to the feeling of helping out a fellow neighbor.

CREATE JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Shopping at small businesses keeps those establishments a oat,

and it also keeps their employees a oat. Small businesses are the largest employers in the United States. at’s also true in Canada, where 68.8 percent of the total labor force works for a small business. A person may never know when he or she — or a relative — will need a job. Keeping small businesses viable provides a strong job market for locals.

KEEP MORE MONEY IN THE COMMUNITY

e Small Business Administration says $48 out of every $100 spent at a small business stays in the community. Spend the same $100 at a national retailer and only $14 stays.

ENJOY A MORE LOCAL FLAVOR

National retailers and other businesses follow a global business model that may not allow for much customization, but small businesses can provide products or services that relate directly to the needs of the communities they serve. ese same small businesses also may be more inclined to work with local vendors and start-ups than national companies that have global supply chains.

ese are just a few of the many reasons to seek out small businesses when in need of products or services.

CAPE CORAL

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