About Melissa Young

A Little about me: My name is Melissa Young and I am Senior Director of Mission Delivery, Client Services/MRI. I have my MSW from the University of Pennsylvania. In my spare time I enjoy playing golf and tennis, cooking, and spending time with my family and friends.

Budget Friendly Food Tips

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Melissa Young

Although we all need food and we shop for groceries, the food budget is the easiest place to save a few bucks. Even the cheapest restaurants add up fast too. Next time you are thinking about eating out or spending money at the grocery store on items you don’t need, think about these simple tips:

Eat at home. While it’s a nice treat to go out to eat once a week, it can get very expensive if you do it much more than that.

Buy store brands. It’s sometimes very difficult to tell the difference between store and name brands. Why pay a premium for the name brand when the store products are so similar.

Shop with a plan. You are less likely to buy things you don’t need if you’ve made a shopping list ahead of time.

Clip coupons. They’re basically free money. Stores and companies are paying you to try their products. Take them up on their offer.

Skip the fancy latte in the morning and brew at home.

Buy produce in season. Prices tend to be lower when there is a large supply of something.

Brown bag it! It’s much cheaper to prepare your lunch at home and take it with you than it is to buy it every day.

Obviously, we need to eat to live. But, depending on where and when you buy it, food can take a big bite out of your budget. These are some easy tips you can do to keep your spending down without making big sacrifices.

As they say “time is money”. If you take some time to follow some of these tips, you may save some money!!!

Long-Term Care Insurance

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Melissa Young

Have you looked into a Long-Term Care insurance policy?

Long-Term Care refers to help that people with disabilities or chronic, long-lasting illness need over an extended period of time. The type of help needed can range from assistance with simple activities to care provided by nurses, therapists and other professionals.

Some services that might fall under long-term care insurance are:

• Providing you with assistance in your home with daily activities, such as meals, eating, bathing, and light housekeeping
• Nursing home coverage
• Helping with the cost of assisted living facilities
• Visiting nurse in the home or a certified nursing assistant
• Assistance with personal shopping needs
• Adult day care services
• Home modification
• Care coordination

Without a long-term care policy you could spend your savings rather quickly. So purchasing long-term care is important, but it can seem like a daunting task. It doesn’t have to be if you follow some easy steps.

1. Ask a family member/friend to help you if you are overwhelmed with the process.
2. Decide on which services are most important to have covered.
3. Take your time; don’t be pressured by anyone to make a quick decision.
4. Check your current insurance policy to see what is covered.
5. Check with at least 3 insurance companies about the long-term offerings.
6. Research the different plans available in your price range.
7. Get written copies of any policies you are considering and read them carefully.
8. Review everything one last time before signing on the dotted line.
9. Always pay your premiums with a check payable to a company not a person to prevent fraud.

Make the decision that is right for you and that will give you peace of mind.

Life Happens is a non-profit organization that can also explain Long-term Care coverage for you. Please check out their website here.

Benefits To Having a Hobby

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Melissa Young

Having a hobby can be beneficial to your health and well-being. Quoted by Albert Einstein, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” We all have talents. Some of them might be hidden though. If you see something on TV or in a magazine that interests you, you should give it a try. You just might need to try new things to uncover your hidden talents or passions.

Hobbies provide many benefits in one’s life. Below are several reasons why you should give a new hobby a try.

A hobby can:
• be pleasurable
• be gratifying
• be a great way to take a break from daily stress and give you a purpose
• be good for your mind, body and spirit
• promote eustress – which means healthy stress that we all need to remain feeling excited about life
• open doors to making new friends with shared interests
• bring joy to your loved ones by sharing your passions with them

So, give new things a try and be open to new experiences. You may find that hobbies can bring you added joy and fulfillment. Now is a good time as any to start!

What’s your hobby?

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Melissa Young

We’ve all heard this saying or one of the many similar to it. Since we are focusing on “positivity” this month I thought it was an apt saying to start with. To me, this saying focuses on how we react to certain situations, usually negative, that we face often in life. A lot of the time, these situations are out of our control. The one thing we can control is our reaction to an event or situation.

I guess you can say that an MS diagnosis would be considered a bushel basket full of lemons. Well, now you have this big basket full of fruit! So you have two choices: You could put the lemons on your counter, stare at them from time to time and watch them go bad. Or, you can turn those lemons into freshly squeezed lemonade. You then get the best out of the fruit and turn a perceived negative into a positive.

It all comes down to you and how you decide to approach life’s challenges. While it’s sometimes difficult, tackling things with a positive attitude is a much better option than facing things with dread. I’d much rather enjoy a nice cold glass of freshly squeezed lemonade any day!!

A Little About Me

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Melissa Young

Meeting new people and learning new things is always exciting. I thought it might be helpful for you to know a little more about me. My name is Melissa Young and I am the new Manager of Client Services. I have my MSW from the University of Pennsylvania. In my spare time I enjoy playing golf and tennis, cooking and spending time with my family and friends.

As I mentioned in my bio, I love to cook. I also enjoy watching cooking shows on TV, and trying to replicate the dishes for my family. It’s always fun to try new things, and sometimes I even succeed at making the dishes look like they do on TV! My favorite show is “The Pioneer Woman” starring Ree Drummond. Not only is she a fabulous chef, but she is a blogger too. I read her blog faithfully and I think the introduction to her blog speaks to how I view my blog. It reads:

“I am no life expert. Not by a long shot. I don’t have all the answers. Sometimes I don’t have any answers. Sometimes I have some answers. Sometimes I have what I think is an answer but it turns out not to be an answer. Sometimes I dance around the house in overalls and stilettos. But every once in a while, perhaps because I’m an older sister myself, perhaps because I’ve lived 43 years, perhaps because I’m constantly seeking answers myself. I’m able to give an answer that works for someone.”

I’ve been a social worker for over 15 years and have had to deal with my fair share of unique and difficult situations. I have a good heart and always try to do the right thing. I know I don’t know everything (far from it) but I am here for you as a resource and will do my best to get you the answers you need.

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