Ever feel like you can’t get ahead?

Saving at tax time may help you get started. Saving throughout the year can be tough. It may feel like every paycheck is spent before you get it. If that’s the case, you’re not alone.

Tax refunds may be the largest check you will receive all year, but used as unplanned bonuses. Refunds are an opportunity to commit saving a portion to improve your financial situation.

Get the Most Value from Your Tax Refund

• Pay down your debt. Use your refund for some much-needed debt relief. Pay off your credit card balance. If you have an outstanding balance on more than one credit card, try to pay off the smaller, high-interest rate balances first. That will free up more funds to put toward larger balances. You can apply your refund toward other debts, like a car loan or a home equity loan.
• Save for a rainy day. Why not give yourself an even bigger return on your tax refund by putting the money into a savings account, CD, or retirement fund? Your tax refund will continue to grow if you put it into savings or invest the money. It’s always helpful to have a savings account to draw from when a major car repair bill, medical emergency or other unexpected expense comes along. That way, you don’t have to borrow money and add to your debt-load.
• Consider your financial goals. Trying to save for a house or car down payment? Hope to contribute to your child’s college tuition? Consider applying your tax refund toward these goals. If you don’t yet have a set of short-term and long-term financial goals, put one together. You’ll be more conscientious about how you spend your refund or any other extra money that comes your way.

Remember, you work hard for your money and you deserve to enjoy a healthy financial lifestyle. Put some thought into how you use your tax refund. Making smart financial decisions is not always easy, but it will definitely benefit you and your family over the long term.

Joy Miller may be reached at [email protected] or 620-223-3720.

Are you itching to get out of the house and do something productive in the landscape? If you have fruit trees, then now is the time to prune! A little planning ahead with fruit trees can mean big rewards later in the growing season.

Are you like many who are “afraid” to prune? Don’t be. When done correctly, pruning is an essential component of growing a healthy, productive fruit tree. Fruit trees should be pruned every year and for several reasons. The first is the development of a strong tree structure. Pruning should begin when the tree is planted and continued each year thereafter. Another reason to prune is the increased penetration of sunlight for the development of fruit buds and for the fruit to mature properly.

Trees can be pruned this early (winter) because they are dormant. This can be done in January, February and even early March. Pruning when trees are dormant makes it easier to see undesirable branches because leaves aren’t present. It is important to do any pruning before dormant sprays are applied, to avoid spraying some of the wood that will later be removed. Total spray coverage of limbs, branches and shoots will be increased after pruning. Do not prune if temperatures are below 20°F because this can cause tissue damage.

Have your fruit trees been neglected for quite some time? If so, pruning can seem like an overwhelming task; where to start, how much wood to remove, etc. But a neglected tree can be revitalized.

The first step in revitalizing a neglected tree is to prune wood around the trunk area and near the ground. Remove all sucker growth around the trunk by cutting as close as possible to the point of origin. Next, remove all branches that hang below a 4-foot level. Prune them off at the supporting limb. Stand back and study the tree and decide the next cut to make. Retain scaffolds that are growing away from the tree center at wide angles with the trunk. Scaffolds are one of the main branches making the basic framework of a tree. They should be positioned on different sides of the tree for good distribution of the fruit crop.

The right tools are needed for proper pruning. Tools always need to be sharp so clean cuts can be made. Cuts that result in bark tears, stubs, or jagged surfaces are slow to heal and may even not completely heal. A scissor type of hand shear is used to prune small size wood, usually ¼ inch in diameter. Long handled loppers should be used to cut ¼ to ½ inch wood. These will need to be used generally by the third year of tree growth. For branches larger than ½ inch, use a fine-toothed pruning saw.

The Extension office has a publication titled, “Pruning Fruit Trees,” that explains in more detail how to prune depending on the age of the tree. It also has a section devoted to pruning different types of fruit trees. The publication has diagrams that demonstrate how and where pruning cuts should be made. As with most Extension services, this publication is free of charge.

If you would like me to evaluate your trees, give me a call and a home visit can be scheduled. Also, I would like to remind you of my office schedule. Monday and Friday – Erie; Tuesday – Iola; Thursday – Fort Scott; Wednesday morning – Yates Center and Wednesday afternoon – Chanute. New this year, I will be partnering with the Chanute Recreation Commission to have an office space to better serve the residents of Chanute.

Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Agricultural agent assigned to Southwind District.  She may be reached at 620-244-3826 or [email protected].

K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

During late winter, many cow herds begin the calving season. This is also the time that our feed resources may begin to become limited. Additionally, in southeast Kansas, we get the occasional severe winter storm. As our farmers and ranchers know, this winter has been particularly cold, muddy and icy. Do we really know if our hay and other feeds can accurately meet the nutritional needs of our cattle?

The best way to be sure that your hay and other feeds are adequate is to send a sample to a lab for testing. Your local extension office is a great place to go for help in this process. Your Southwind Extension District Offices can loan you a hay probe for use in testing hay bales. We can also help with sending samples to the lab and with explaining the lab results, once returned to you.

Just before a winter storm approaches and throughout severe weather, cattle should have the opportunity to eat your better quality feeds. This increase in nutrition will help them persist until the weather improves. After the bad weather passes, you can return to feeding your regular feeds. Testing is the best way to know which feeds are of higher quality.

Additionally, better quality feeds can be used for heifers. Generally speaking, young growing heifers need a higher plain of nutrition for growth and development. Older dry or open cows can be fed your average quality feeds.

For more information call me, Christopher Petty, at 620-223-3720, that’s 620-223-3720