I’ve finally taken the first BIG step towards the RV life! I signed for my trailer!!! I’m picking it up on Friday, so it doesn’t feel quite real yet, but also I feel like there’s a lot to do to be ready.
I’ve actually been thinking about moving to a semi-full time RVing life for about 2 years. I can’t believe that much time has passed; it may even have been a little longer. It all started because I was in a terrible job situation that was always meant to be temporary trying to find a career that I would love in my field. There were a few different paths I could take, but I finally decided I wanted to pursue a career as a Cruise Director. That’s when the idea of full-timing was born for me. As a CD, you don’t have the usual work schedule. You live at work and work full time for weeks in a row, and then you are sent home for breaks for a few weeks or even months at a time. You can think of instead of getting a weekend every week, you skip your weekends and cash them in all at once every couple months. This allows for a lot of opportunity to travel, and it didn’t really make sense to pay for an apartment or house I’d never be in. So why not just drag around my apartment with me?
I say first big step because there were a lot of little steps that got me to this point where I was ready to commit. Over those 2 + years, I did constant research. I probably exhausted the Pinterest search engine for RV tips, hacks, and got-to-knows. Thank goodness so many full-timers make a living blogging about being full time! I went from only having camped in a tent or once in my aunt’s pop-out, to having a good working knowledge of all the terms and differences in RVs. I still don’t feel ready to actually start using the trailer on my own, but I’m confident at this point I know as much as I could without having done it myself. At this point, it is time for some hands-on learning. Having all this research in the back of my mind really helped me know what I was looking for, and to see the things that made this camper the right choice for me.
Once I had researched as much as I could online, I started visiting dealerships to confirm what I thought was my limits and preferences. One nice thing about this pandemic is I ended up having a really free summer. I dragged my mom to a couple different RV dealers to explore units with no intention of buying. Never buy an rv on the first visit. Even if you end up falling in love.
I went thinking I wanted:
25’ or less trailer
It’s GVWR must be lower than my Jeep’s limits
with a full fridge – I wanted plenty of freezer space which meant looking for 2 door fridges
a real bed – none of this “fold-down dinette is the only bed” nonsense
I didn’t care about a dinette, I’d prefer a sofa
Murphy bed was a plus as it combined the last 2 into a smaller unit
I preferred a shower with a tub. I thought it’d be good for washing feet or doing laundry by hand
I ended up deciding a folding bucket would do this just as well
I wanted an oven. I bake and cook pizzas myself, among other things, frequently.
I want solar eventually. If I could find that included, it’d be ideal.
I wanted a dry bath (In a truck camper I was ok with wet, but not in a trailer)
Needed plenty of storage – I’m living in it full time!
I didn’t want slides – I worried about maintenance, limited use, and it blocking functionality when closed
The trailer I ended up signing for is 22’ 6”. Light enough for my Jeep to pull safely. It has a full fridge although not the biggest we saw, the freezer space is enough. The shower doesn’t have a tub, but it has a little bit of a lip mostly so water doesn’t get out. The bathroom is dry and with some of the best storage I’ve seen in a unit of this size. It has a proper queen bed, not a camper size, with cabinets all around and it lifts up for storage under it! It has an oven included and a nice size sink. I sacrificed counterspace, but I didn’t at the same time. I ended up buying one with the shortest slide I’ve ever seen. In the slide there is a sofa instead of a dinette located in the slide. Since there’s no dinette, it comes with a folding table that can be put in front of the sofa. If I use that table as a counter, I actually ended up with way more workspace than any other 22 foot or maybe even 25 foot. Of course, it won’t store things permanently, but the kitchen has some nice sized cabinets in it to make up for that. It also has pass thru storage. I thought pass thru was standard, but a trailer I almost bought didn’t have it. That lack of storage along with a lack of storage throughout the whole unit ended up being why I moved on.
As you can see, really knowing what I wanted and understanding the reasons for or against different things helped me make an informed decision. I could explain exactly why this was the right unit (and I did explain as I talked it out with my parents over the phone). I wanted to make sure I wasn’t making an impulse buy because it was a little higher than the price range I originally was putting myself in. However, really understanding my finances and taking a good hard look at the numbers helped me know I wasn’t putting myself in a hole I couldn’t climb out of.
You also have to keep in mind basic things you may overlook especially if you’re full-timing. It’s easy to not realize that a unit has no place for clothes, linens, or pantry because they’re such a given in sticks and bricks homes that you don’t notice they’re missing, until you go to put things in them. A lovely woman I met gave me such good advice, when you look at a trailer, imagine where you will put your clothes. It’s the quickest way to notice if it’s missing a wardrobe and adequate storage.
If you want to see what a loan will cost you over the life of the loan, check out my post here.
As I mentioned before, don’t buy a unit on your first visit. The unit I ended up getting, we looked at and were really impressed. I didn’t even bother to sit down and discuss price. We talked about it next to the unit, and he offered to give me his “best price”. That’s it. We thanked him and walked away. Turns out, he ended up emailing me in the next couple days. Since it was the end of the month, he emailed me ready to make a deal. Luckily, I read up on tips for negotiating for a RV with a dealer. He wasn’t able to come down as much as I’d have liked, but he threw in a distribution, sway control hitch – something I was going to have to buy before picking up the trailer that comes with a hefty price tag. He wanted a confirmation that I would buy it if he could get me that deal before he’d check with his boss. Don’t worry too much about these kinds of tactics. You haven’t signed a contract, and he’s just doing the old song and dance to try to make you feel like you’re getting a better deal. I also had researched this make, model, and year around the country to see the average price. This helps you see if you’re getting a good deal, and gives an idea and support for you to negotiate the price lower. If you can find it, you also want to know what the MSRP is. If the asking price is above the MSRP, then you’re looking at an inflated price. In my case, I discovered this specific model was rather unique. I only found a couple units over the entire country! In most other models, I found dozens of listings. With that information, I can feel better about the deal I as negotiating.
All in all, I’m very excited. Now I have to decide where I’m going first! Remember, these are more like guidelines.
It definitely took me too long to know this is how interior room numbers work. Luckily, I learned before it was helpful. This may be a “duh” moment for some of you, but if you’ve never had this pointed out or thought about it, it may not be. I’ve seen many adults who don’t understand this concept.
The way interior numbers work is actually really simple. This, of course, assumes that you’re not dealing with a crazy layout that ignores the standard protocol. I have worked in an office that took some liberties with these guidelines, and it confused people. Most of the time that isn’t the case though.
Room numbers actually tell you a lot more than how many rooms there are in a building. Actually, they tell you everything except how many rooms there are. For example, if you are in a hotel and your room number is 1503. Does that mean that there are over 1,500 rooms in this building??? Probably not. It actually breaks up in to a sort of code. It actually indicates that there are at least 15 floors to this building.
Continuing this example, the 15 is actually an indicator of which floor you need, and the 03 indicates which room on that floor you need. It’s actually pretty clever and intuitive if you have it pointed out to you. That way, you don’t have to wander around dozens of floors hoping to figure out which floor the room you need is on. That’s what would happen if the numbers were purely linear instead of this code. That’s why you’ll often see that numbers go from 359 to 401 with nothing in between. If you don’t understand the protocol, then you might be left wondering where those other 42 rooms went.
So again, if you’re told you need room 345 then you need to proceed to the 3rd floor, and then to the 45th room (which of course should be labeled 345). Like I said it’s fairly easy and you may have even noticed it yourself, but if no one tells you it’s on purpose then you may not have realized you can count on it. I’m happy to say these are some guidelines you can usually count on.
I’ve been there a many times as a child with my family, as a teenager, and as an adult with my friends. I’ve lost track of the amount of times I’ve visited, and I interned there for a summer. I consider myself an unofficial expert, no big deal.
My recommendation is to let go of some of your parental urge for control. Always keep your kids safe, but most of the exhibits are setup so that there is only 1 entrance and exit. I recommend loosening the reigns a little and let the kids explore of their own volition. Of course, you know your kids best and wait until they are old enough to understand the rules – no one leaves this exhibit alone. You can explore with them or sit at the entrance to keep an eye on them.
Where to start…
I guess, like all things, at the beginning. The museum operates its own, private parking garage right next to the museum. Best part, its totally free!
The best place to park in the parking garage is the 3rd floor on the side closest to the museum. 3000 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208
Seems odd, but there’s a very good reason. The museum has a sky walk from the parking garage to the interior of the museum. You never have to go outside. There is a crosswalk on the street level, but the museum highly discourages – to the point of not allowing – people to use the crosswalk. This is because people drive pretty recklessly in that area, and they frequently run the stop light directly above the crosswalk. Especially if you’re visiting with small children, the skywalk is the safest option to getting to the museum.
The entrance to the skywalk can be found on the 3rd floor of the parking garage.
Beginning Your Visit – Inside the Museum
After entering the museum, you’ll be in a large atrium (Floor 1). The entrance to Dinosphere is on the right toward the front and easily accessible. When I visited as a child, this is where we would always start. It is the proper entrance to Dinosphere, but not the only one. The designers at the museum do an amazing job of designing the entrances to each exhibit so that they set the atmosphere and mood. That has caused a duality in my opinion of where to start. Now I would say the best place to start is Treasures of the Earth for a first visit.
Sunburst Atrium has always been the entrance to TCM, even with the modern additions.
Be sure to stop and get a map and list of presentations throughout the day. They have actors performing reenactments, presentations, and fun activities all day. Use this to find any presentations you want to be sure to hit and adjust your schedule to be in the exhibit during the presentations you want to see.
The Structure of the Museum
There are 5 Floors all connected by a winding ramp system. I love this system. It makes it so easy to go from floor to floor without using stairs or elevators. Elevators are still an option. There are 2 sets of elevators: a set on the side closest to the atrium, and a set on the right side (when facing the ramps with your back to the atrium). The ramps are so friendly to an environment with lots of strollers and little feet that wouldn’t enjoy using stairs. Plus, there’s no waiting for elevators.
Ramps seen circling their way up and down the museum with Fireworks of Glass in the center.
We loved running up and down these ramps (as long as there was no one else around us) when we were kids. It was an easy way to let the kids have fun and be free while keeping them still in sight. The ramps have clear platform entrances on each floor, so it’s easy and clear when to stop.
Bathrooms
Most adults don’t need to plan this ahead of time, but if you are going with children it can’t hurt to know ahead of time where the bathrooms are. They aren’t hard to find, if you know where they are, but they’re a little hidden. Expand section to read more.
Lower Level
There are Family Restrooms outside of Dinosphere on the way to All Aboard!.
There are men’s and women’s restrooms next to the Lilly Theater in the main area. These are the closest restrooms to The Lilly Theater, Beyond Spaceship Earth, and Treasures of the Earth.
First Level
As you exit the atrium towards the main museum and information desk, the restrooms are on either side of the entrance; women’s on the left and men’s on the right. These are the closest to The Food Court and The Museum Store.
Second Level
There are family bathrooms outside of Take Me There.
Third Level
There are family restrooms and nursing areas inside PlayEscape.
Fourth Level
Men’s and Women’s are on the right side just on the other side of the elevators opposite from CarouselWishes and Dreams. This is the closest restroom to Carousel and Scienceworks.
There’s no right or wrong way to do the museum. All of the exhibits stand on their own and can be done in any order. This is how I would do it.
National Geographic’s Treasures of the Earth
Location: Lower Level Main Entrance: Level 1 Theme: Archaeology
Terra Cotta Warrior section of Treasures of the Earth.
If you go straight into the museum from the atrium and turn right, there is an entrance to Treasures of the Earth. It’s really easy to miss because it’s very small and unassuming. That’s because it’s a ride!
Before getting onto the ride/entrance, be sure to check out the small exhibit just to the right of the entrance. There you can see some information about the exhibit and actual props used in the Indiana Jones movies!
To properly start this exhibit, there is an elevator ride to simulate the experience of being lowered into an Egyptian tomb dig site. There’s a little video presentation talking about what you’re about to see. The ambiance is really fun too.
Upon exiting the ride, you’ll see the entrance to the exhibit. It’s split into 3 parts. From left to right: Seti’s Egyptian Tomb, Captain Kidd’s Shipwreck, and Terra Cotta Warriors – all based on actual archaeological digs.
These are fun, interactive exhibits. There are tunnels to climb in, etchings on the walls to touch, and even some terra cotta warriors to rebuild. The exhibits do a great job of catering to all ages. There’s plenty to do, but there’s also plenty to learn. Through placards and hands-on activities. There is even an active lab with real archaeologists working on active specimens! You can interact and ask them questions or watch presentations.
One of the actors from The Lilly Theatre during my internship playing in Treasures of the Earth after hours.
For us this has always been one of the quicker exhibits. Take it at your own pace, and enjoy everything. You never know what cool tidbits you’ll find in a corner somewhere.
For those who visited the museum in the past, this exhibit took the place of What If? (1992-2010).
As you exit and head back to Floor 1, make sure to grab some free tickets to the Lilly Theater show at the ticket booth at the base of the ramp.
The next thing to do would be the other optional first thing to do. If you’re not riding the elevator to Treasures of the Earth, then start at Dinosphere.
The best entrance to Dinosphere, especially if you’ve never been before, is on Floor 1 in the Sunburst Atrium. It may seem silly to go all the way back up to Floor 1 when you’re just going to go back to Lower Level, but the walk to Dinosphere is made to slowly “transport you into another world”. There are flying fossils of pterodactyls and information placards as you descend. Honestly, it just doesn’t feel right entering Dinosphere from any other entrance. It feels like you’re coming in from the back door, because you kind of are. If you don’t want to break your flow, I might suggest waiting on Dinosphere until after lunch. If you go back to the food court or the pack lunch spot, you’ll be back at the the Level 1 entrance and could then use the Level 1 (Main) entrance to Dinosphere.
Dinosphere is an amazing exhibit. As you enter you are thrust into the world of the dinosaurs. The dome creates a full affected atmosphere, and it changes constantly. Every half hour there’s a storm. There’s also gorgeous sunsets, and day scenes. You can feel the atmosphere shift during all of these.
There are several fossils on display. Unlike most other museums, they display the actual fossils in the exhibit and not only replicas. There’s actually a placard that shows which of the bones are fossils and which are replicas. Some are replicas simply for the sake of completing the structure because those pieces weren’t recovered.
There are lots of fun activities alongside the educational ones. Dinosphere hosts fun, short tunnels to crawl into and become part of the exhibit. There’s also a costume section where you can pretend to be a dinosaur building it’s nest and taking care of eggs. One of the highlights is the excavation site. Kids can don some safety goggles and become an archaeologist themselves as they try to uncover fossils.
Dinosphere also features an active paleo lab with some real paleontologists who you can talk to and ask questions. You can even get the change to touch a real fossil they’re currently working on.
A frequently overlooked part of Dinosphere is that it actually spans 3 floors. The main floor is on LL, but it expands upwards. It even has it’s own private elevator and staircase that stays within Dinosphere. On the second floor of Dinosphere, there is an overlook. It’s actually almost hidden when you’re on the main level, but it’s a cool way to see the exhibit from above.
One more level up and there’s an entire exhibit about paleo-art. Did you know there were artists that specialize in adding life to the fossils that are discovered? This exhibit is on the older side, as in, little kids might not be super interested. Since I was pre-adolescent when Dinosphere was installed, my friend and I would go up there by ourselves and play with the clay modeling and tracing stations. It also has a second, higher overlook, but the second floor is better in my opinion.
You can spend a lot of time in Dinosphere. It is always one of our longest. Keep that in mind, and make sure you leave enough time to not feel rushed. Another reason we frequently do it first.
The natural exit to Dinosphere leads directly into All Aboard! one of the oldest exhibits at the museum. It has been a part of the collection since 1968. This exhibit features a real life locomotive, the Reuben Wells, from around 1868. The current building was built around the train in 1976. The train runs a light and sounds show every 15 min.
You can go inside the car behind the engine, and sit in it. There’s video presentations you can watch, and the windows have videos that make it seem as if you are riding.
There’s a section where you can dress up, and pretend to be a ticket master handing out tickets. There are usually toy trains to play with in this section as well.
You can also see models of trains in their hay-day and even crawl through to a peek-out inside the train display. Make sure to look up as there is a train running around up above.
The exit to All Aboard! brings you back to the main section of the Lower Lever outside of Treasures of the Earth.
You may have noticed the 43 foot tower of colorful spirals the ramps surround. Fireworks of Glass was installed in 2006, and is the work of renown artist Dale Chihuly. It’s a gorgeous centerpiece to enjoy all day.
On the lower level, there’s an exhibit dedicated to this art piece. It’s a great chance to slow down and enjoy the art, and learn about glass blowing. There’s a fun video game where kids can “design and blow” their own piece of glass. It’s actually a really fun way to learn about all the steps to glass blowing.
This is a really relaxing exhibit and totally engaging even though there’s so little to it. The black circular bench in the center of the exhibit actually slowly turns. This lets you lean back and really take in the base of the glass ceiling. The ceiling is see-through so you can take in the whole base of the piece. It makes a gorgeous ceiling to the exhibit, and there’s so much that you can sit and look for a lot longer than you would think. There’s even a hidden object game you can play, looking for specific pieces in the ceiling.
We frequently hold off on this exhibit until later. Toward the end of the day, there’s usually less people there. You do not want to bother with this exhibit if there’s a crowd. Plus, it gives us a chance to get off our feet and relax for a little while after being on them all day.
Outside this exhibit, you can find the ticket booth to the Lilly Theater. They run 2 shows daily except Mondays. The tickets are free, but you need to pick them up before hand to get a seat.
Beyond Spaceship Earth & ISS
Location: Lower Level Entrance: Lower Level Theme: Space
Beyond Spaceship Earth simulates what it’s like to be in the International Space Station
This exhibit opened while I was interning in 2016. I was so pumped about this exhibit, and it did not let me down. I adore Beyond Spaceship Earth.
The exhibit is a replica of the interior of the International Space Station (ISS). It lets you explore what it’s like to live and work in space. There are games that focus on themes about space travel, along with information to learn more about living in space.
At the entrance near The Lilly Theater, you can put on some space packs with various countries flags. You can wear the proper gear as you pretend to run space walk missions and explore.
At the end of the ISS, you can continue into a planetarium dome that now houses the actual Liberty Bell 7, the 2nd U.S. capsule ever flown in space! It tells the story of Gus Grissom’s flight into space and return. Outside the theater you can find props and memorabilia related to space and various space related shows, such as Star Trek. Even if you don’t sit for a show, look for an opportunity to visit the exhibits inside the planetarium between shows.
The Lilly Theater
Location: Lower Level Entrance: Lower Level Theme: Live Theatre
One of the hidden gems of The Children’s Museum is The Lilly Theater. This frequently overlooked exhibit can be loads of fun, and a great opportunity to get off your feet for a bit.
They run 45 min. shows that are geared for children, but fun for adults too. The show I worked on in 2016 cracked me up – and I saw it twice a day for a whole summer! Their shows change regularly. There’s usually a Christmas show, a spring show, and a summer show. So you can see a different production every time you visit.
The theater is very child friendly, I mean that makes sense, they will let you in and out if you need to handle an upset child. Most theaters you can’t enter and exit, but please! the actors and staff would greatly appreciate it if you excuse yourself with a crying baby and return when all is well again. You can even choose not return to if necessary. It is not a babysitting service though, so don’t plan on leaving your kids or napping for 45 min.
If your kids adore the show, they can even get the opportunity to meet them after the second show. The actors frequently do a meet and greet after their last show. They are such fun people.
The theater requires tickets, but luckily they are free! You can obtain them in the morning ahead of time at the booth outside Fireworks of Glass, at the bottom of the ramp.
Take Me There
Location: Level 2 Entrance: Level 2 Theme: Cultural
This is another exhibit I adore. I remember the first time I visited and I was blown away with how well done and engaging it was.
Take Me There is a permanent exhibit with a rotating theme. Every 4 years or so they change which country the exhibit features. The first time I visited it was Take Me There Egypt, then it rotated to Take Me There China. Currently, it is Take Me There Greece. One of the reasons my siblings and I went back as adults was to see the updated country.
This exhibit begins by you entering a plane. There’s plane seats and a short video to pretend that you’ve flown to another country. You exit in Greece!
You can then explore apartments designed from two different families living in that country to give an idea of how people live all around the world. You can visit stores and markets modeled just like the ones you can find in those countries.
All along the way there are hands on activities to experience things unique to that culture. For example when it was China, you could write with a brush and copy Chinese script. There were crafts you could make and take home as well.
They frequently have live performances and gallery interpreters throughout this section. Check the information sheet you grabbed at the information booth for exact times and descriptions.
This is a must see exhibit and is friendly for all ages.
If you visited in the past, this replaced Passport to the World (1986 – 2008)
Rotating exhibits at the museum are always changing. These are a great way to always keep TCM fresh, and they’re so fun.
There are 3 galleries that house temporary exhibits. They are all on Level 2. There’s one on either side of the Sunburst Atrium, and another just inside the museum on the right (above Treasures of the Earth.)
Some of my favourite exhibits have come through these galleries. I remember a circus exhibit when I was younger, and appears to have had a reappearance recently. I also remember a Spies exhibit. That exhibit was epic! We visited so many times while that was set up (thank goodness for a membership). It was all about espionage, codes, the art of disguise, and spy gear. It was awesome, and so hands on. I think you can tell I still miss that exhibit.
Usually one of the rotating exhibits will be tuned toward younger children while another may be older. While I was interning, we opened a Doc McStuffins exhibit in coordination with Disney Junior. While at other times, there has been a Titanic and King Tut exhibit. I remember in the Titanic exhibit you were given a name at the beginning of the exhibit, and then at the end you looked up your name to see if you survived or not. Fun idea, but a little morbid. I remember the exhibit was more like a typical museum with less fun hands on things than most of the others. Recently, we returned to check out the Minecraft exhibit. There were little kids and adults having fun seeing and interacting all their favourite elements from Minecraft.
There are a couple reoccurring rotating exhibits such as Jolly Days and the haunted house. I’ve never been to the haunted house because I think it costs extra, or it did. Jolly Days is fun though.
Jolly Days
Jolly Days is part of the Christmas theming the museum does. It’s set up as Santa’s village with “ice skating”, “snowball fights”, and “ice-fishing”. You can also visit Santa and Mrs. Clause and get a picture with him. It’s a busy exhibit, but still quite fun.
The yule slide is a blast for all ages
Be sure to check out the rotating exhibits while you’re there, it may be your only chance to see them!
Playscape
Location: Level 3 Entrance: Level 3 Theme: Young Child Enrichment
Playscape looks so fun. I wish I was 5!
Speaking of exhibits catered to young children, Playscape is a no-big-kids-allowed gallery. Only children 5 and under are allowed in this gallery.
When I was young, one of my favourite exhibits was Playscape. Of course, I was able to enjoy it longer than most since I could accompany all of my younger siblings into the exhibit when they were the right age. I was so sad when we all finally aged out.
The exhibit is completely different than when I was a kid, but it is still so cool. I haven’t been able to explore it since I’m not 5 yo, but I was given a tour once. It’s so cool. Those 5 year olds are lucky ducks.
There’s a whole crawl and climbing space that looks like leaves stacked, and a gentle stream for the kids to play in. They also do music enrichment sessions led by a gallery interpreter that gives little kids their first experience with instruments.
This gallery also features nursing rooms, and quiet rooms to give moms and kids some needed space.
Seriously, try to catch a peak if you can, but you won’t be allowed inside. There’s an actual guard at the door who will stop you if you’re not 5.
The Power of Children: Making a Difference
Location: Level 3 Entrance: Level 3 Theme: Children who changed the world despite bias of their time
This is a powerful exhibit.
In a complete 180 on Floor 3, opposite of Playscape you find The Power of Children.
This exhibit can be mature for some kids, but the museum does a great job of allowing the adult to decide what their kid is and isn’t ready to learn.
The exhibit follows the lives of 4 children who faced discrimination and stood up against bias. Like Treasures of the Earth, there are 4 different places you can start. Each section has a road, modeled to look like the road each child would have walked in their life, that leads to a building dedicated to each of the children.
The children highlighted in the gallery are Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges, and Ryan White, and Malala Yousafzai. They discuss how these children stood up against racial discrimination, and bias against disease.
As the parent, you can decide how much you tell your kids about the exhibit and the details of what it discusses. This is an extremely powerful exhibit, and I’ve seen many young kids having a good time in it without knowing what’s written around them. The museum does give suggestions on how to approach these difficult topics with children, and encourages adults to have appropriate conversations with them to help them understand.
Each of the 4 buildings has a presentation that runs on a set time loop. There is an announcement before one starts so you can be sure to enjoy it. They also bring in actors who do performances as the people from these real life stories. Actors do interpretations as Anne Frank, her father, Ryan’s friend, and Ruby’s teacher. Fun fact: Ruby Bridges won’t allow any interpretations of herself while she is still alive.
Elton John performed at Clowes Hall in Indianapolis benefiting The Children’s Museum in 2010 to mark the 25th anniversary of his friend, Ryan White, passing. Ryan’s room at the exhibit perfectly replicates his room in Muncie, IN.
Ryan’s mom moved to FL, but she still visits the exhibit once a month to continue to raise awareness just like Ryan did during his life. If you visit and see a woman passing out bracelets at a table in Ryan’s section, talk to her. She’s probably his mom.
If you visited in the past, this exhibit replaced Mysteries in History (1985 – 2006).
Carousel Wishes & Dreams
Location: Level 4 Entrance: Level 4 Theme: Whimsy
This is another exhibit that can be a long visit. One of the classic exhibits which features a restored 1917 Carousel which used to be in Broad Ripple Village on the bank of the White River. The carousel costs $1 per ride, but is included with a membership. The carousel has 3 different kinds of seats. There are sleighs with bench seats – great for those with small kids and babies who need to hold them during the ride. There are stationary animals – these have all 4 feet on the ground and do not “jump” during the ride. There are also several “jumping” horses – these move up and down during the ride. If I remember correctly, children 9 years and younger are not allowed to ride the jumping animals. Museum staff should direct you.
There are also playhouses hosted in the exhibit, including one that used to belong to Eli Lilly’s daughter.
At the entrance you’ll find the entrance to a maze filled crawl spaces, toys from decades past, and whimsical things to see and do. Even a small room with mirrors on every side. This is a really fun exhibit with lots of tunnels and elements to explore.
ScienceWorks
Location: Level 4 Entrance: Level 4 Theme: STEM
Science works has always been a favourite exhibit. This exhibit has always been a high-activity, hands on exhibit filled with tons of fun. When I visited after the reopening, I was a little disappointed to see some of the more active elements had been removed during the exhibit revamp , but I’m happy to see that some of those elements are still there now. Looks like a revisit is definitely due for me! This exhibit features sections with lessons on environmental sciences like weather and farming. There are also exhibits about cave systems, and chemistry behind water systems. They have always done a great job of making all of these topics extremely interesting and fun. They also tend to focus locally so everyone is learning about the plants, animals, and water systems that affect their community and how science works to make them work for all of us.
If you visited in the past, this exhibit will looked markedly different despite maintaining its name. The mining activities and crane have been replaced, the boat building and the underground tunnels have been removed.
Other Things to Look for
While there are so many cool exhibits in the museum, be sure not to miss any of the mini exhibits spread out through the halls. You can find lots of fun exhibits like a woolly mammoth, Indy car you can get inside, and a collection of doll houses. These don’t take up much time, but are really fun to discover as you make your way around the levels. You can find the exhibit “Stories from Our Community” along the halls, and they’ve even featured items from a Star Wars collection throughout the halls in the past.
Outside the Museum
Just outside the Sunburst Atrium, is a small garden with miniature replicas of famous structures. Its a commonly overlooked area so it’s usually not crowded at all. It’s a nice area to get away and just have a calm walk. Keep a lookout for a chestnut tree. The museum has a sapling from the actual tree that was outside of Anne Frank’s window that she wrote about in her diary. TCM is the first place in America to be given a sapling from that tree.
Ok full disclosure, I know I called myself a pro and I’ve always considered myself one given my extensive experience with the museum, but they went and installed an awesome new outdoor section that I haven’t been able to visit yet. This area was announced and under construction while I was interning at the museum and to my chagrin I have not been able to visit yet. It’s definitely on my list to do and I will update after I do. For now, here’s a great peak at what this area has to offer.
I finally got to go back and check this out. It’s pretty cool and could definitely take up a good chunk of the day. We climbed to the top of the tree and got a good look. It really is a cool facility. It could be one of the coolest playgrounds your family hits this summer, but its all sports. My only concern would be playing here to your hearts content and running out of time in the museum!
This area features elements from sports and activities to encourage kids to get outside and be active! It’s also a great place to learn and improve some sports skills in a safe place with coaches who know the game. Sports Legends Experience is included with the price of admission to the museum. All outdoor areas are weather dependent. Always check the forecast and the museums website for closures. It is also seasonal. Trust me, you don’t want to go out there during those Midwest winters anyway. There is an indoor portion of the exhibit that features hockey and basketball that is open year round.
AVENUE OF CHAMPIONS
Indiana is home to many sports legends throughout history. The “Avenue of Champions” features 16 statues and histories of people with ties to Indy. It’s a fun way to see prominent members of the sports community and perhaps inspire a budding young athlete. We learned about some athletes and sports teams we had never even heard of before.
BASEBALL
Learn about one of America’s oldest games, hang out in a dugout like the big leagues, practice your homerun, and perfect your curve ball with a pitching tudor. You can also learn about the Indianapolis Clowns baseball team, and pretend your batting in an Indianapolis Indians game with the photo-op section! These guys looked like they were having a blast with a mini-game going.
BASKETBALL
In the land of Hoosiers, basketball is a must! Play as a member of the Pacers or Fever and learn some fundamental moves to take yourself up to the big leagues. Perfect your shots, passes, and beat the clock – or outpace your family members – at the shot clock. There were several hoops in all different heights so anyone can play at their level.
FITNESS PATH & TRACK
This features a 2/5 mile track with stations to work out some various muscles. Learn about runner Wilma Rudoph. You can go through the 5 stations of the section starting with a warm up, and wrapping it up with a cool down. Plus, learn exercise tips from representatives from Riley Children’s Health to help you get the most from your exercises. My sister and I had fun messing around on their outdoor fitness equipment, and getting a better look at the mini-golf course.
FOOTBALL
Pulling inspiration from the Indianapolis Colts experience first hand what it’s like to defend your end zone by learning how to grip a football properly and avoid opponents. Learn about local legend Reggie Wayne, and try out your chops as a kicker with either of the 2 goal posts. As always, they have a size for the little kickers and the big so everyone can try. Finally, pass the ball to family members as they dodge around cutouts of opponents. There was even a station where you could pass the ball to a family member and try to dive over a wall of defenders. I saw a dad and his kids try it, and it looked like so much fun.
GOLF
Featuring a 9-hole course with difficulties for beginners to pros. Learn about Pete and Alice Dye while perfecting your putting skills. There are even 2 holes designed by Pete & Alice with replicas of some of those most notable designs from all over the world. This area has scheduled programming you can participate in. Don’t worry if you or your loved ones are new to golf. There is an introductory course to bring you up to speed so you can get the most out of all the skills you’ll learn. There’s even a toddler course for the budding golf pro! They were putting with tennis balls when we visited. I imagine that’s for the best as the course is close to many of the others. I do wish we would have had enough time to check this out because the course was really pretty.
HOCKEY
Play on the street rink and shoot or guard during some street ball. You can learn how to pass and shoot properly with your family. Perhaps this will even inspire some new games for your backyard.
RACING
Indy is of course the home to some major races. Experience your own Indy 500 with the pedal cars at the racing section. There’s a pagoda to learn the history of the famous local race, and a safety video so everyone has a great time with no injuries. After you win your race, you can get a photo in the Winner’s Circle. These seems to be the most weather dependent, and all parts of it weren’t being run when we visited at the end of the day. I would definitely check the daily schedule if you have your heart set on this one.
SOCCER
Take the offensive or defensive position during some shooting practice. There are large and small goals to practice different fundamentals of shooting a soccer goal, and work on your dribbling and passing skills as you go down the field.
TENNIS
Following the guidelines for USTA’s 10 and under tennis, kids can get their first introduction to the racket game. You can pass the balls back and forth, stretch your forehands and backhand hits, and learn about Barbara Wynne and her passion to teach tennis.
TREE OF SPORTS
This 25 foot climbing tree lets you climb in and out of the sports featured in the exhibit, explore with talk-tubes, slide down the slide, and get a bird’s eye view of the “Sports Legends Experience”. This looks like a blast to explore, and I’m sure it’ll be one of the highlights of the trip. See if you can spot the broom branch and find out what it means by exploring inside the tree.
The tree does have a lift for accessibility options. Be sure to ask a staff member for more information.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has always been one of my favourite places to visit in the city. Don’t worry about rushing to get to everything. There’s always something new to discover every time you visit. Have fun, relax, take it at your own pace. You can follow my suggested order or jump around however you like. Either way, I do recommend grabbing a list of daily live events and performances from the info booth at the start of the day. It is easy to miss these and they really do add a lot to the experience. Whatever you decide to do, let loose and have fun. Remember, these are more like guidelines anyway.
The summer after I graduated from college and waiting for job applications to bear some fruit, I decided to drive to Florida and do some auditions at Disney World. My great-aunt and uncle were so generous to let me stay with them for a month so I wouldn’t have to pay for lodging, and at short notice at that. I was and am so grateful for their generosity. On the way there, however, I may have driven myself right into a crazy situation.
From where I lived in the Midwest, Orlando is about a 16 hr. drive with good traffic. Of course, that doesn’t factor in rest stops, food, and running out of gas. Yup, that’s right. I was that girl. So a little background. At the time I was driving my 2003 Mercury Mountaineer. While I loved that car, he was a bit unreliable in the gas tank department aka I didn’t really trust my gas gauge, and therefore I didn’t keep a good eye on it. Instead I had a decent idea of my typical mileage on a single tank and when I’d get close to that I’d compare with the gauge to get an idea of where I was. When I drove my dad’s car before I bought mine, it would tell you how many miles you had left on a tank which got me in the habit of running the tank as low as possible to get maximum output from each fillup.
So combine that with being on the road for 14+ hours, and the monotony of highway driving, and we set the scene. It’s about 9ish pm and I’m on the phone (handsfree) with my cousin talking to keep myself awake and focused. I’m in no-wheres-vill Georgia a little from the border of FL. Suddenly, I look down at my gauge and see the needle on E, it may have even been a little below.
“Oh NO! I need gas. I NEED GAS NOW!”
Luckily the highway at that moment was fairly free of other cars so I could change across to the right-most lane as fast as possible.
My cousin, of course, starts asking me the details of what’s happening. There’s 2 gas stations at the next exit whose sign I pass at that moment so it’s about 1 mile away.
She says to me, “Has your gas light come on?”
“No! There was no warning!”
“So you should have enough in the tank to take you that far if the light hasn’t come on yet.”
“Ok right, that makes sense. It’s a mile away so hopefully I can make it.”
Then the light comes on, and the engine shuts off. Thanks for nothing, buddy.
I coast as far as I can, which isn’t as far as I’d like, and the car stops moving.
I’m now about .7 mile from the exit, my car is down, I’m alone, it is getting dark, and there is nothing around me except swampland and highway. So my only option is to walk to the gas station, buy a gas can, and carry it back.
My cousin who is still on the phone tells me that she doesn’t want me to walk alone, and I’m like what other choice do I have??? She suggests calling the police on the non-emergency line and seeing if an officer could follow me to make sure nothing happens. We know they won’t drive me or get the gas for me.
I call them and describe where I am, the dispatcher says it’s actually highway patrol’s area and transfers me. I then talk to a grumpy officer who clearly doesn’t want to help me. He says that he’ll see if he has anyone to send my way, but I should check with my insurance, credit cards, etc. to see if I have any roadside assistance. I already did check all these, but now I have to bite the bullet and call my parents to make sure we don’t have anything, and tell them what happened. As I suspected, nothing I had had any reasonable roadside assistance that could help me at the moment. It’s been a long time so I call the non-emergency back, and get transferred again. When I ask the officer if he was still coming, he says no I was never sending anyone. No one is available.
By this time about an hour has passed. The evening light has turned to darkness, and the empty highway has become backed up to a crawl because of a crash just ahead of where I am, and another just behind. I have no choice, but to walk. So an hour wasted and I’m no closer to getting back on the road, and my aunt and uncle are expecting me, it’s already late, and I have at least 2 more hours to go. Plus, I’ve had to go to the bathroom since the car stopped. Great!
I grab this awesome bright flashlight I had with me, my leatherman (everyone should have a pocket knife), my wallet, and my passport (I had this with me incase I succeeded in getting a job). I wanted to have valuable and essential items on my person in case someone breaks into my stranded car. Now I did not turn the flashlight on to walk the shoulder of the road. It was a clear night, and the lights from the traffice was adequate. Mostly, I didn’t want to draw more attention to myself being a single, young, stranded, girl. I took it mostly incase someone did mess with me, then I could flip it on and blind them. Luckily none of these things happened.
I can’t remember if it was on the way there or on the way back, I think on the way there, I called my parents to calm them that I was ok, and as another little insurance against foul play. So about 3,700 ft. later and I get to the off ramp.
As I make my down the ramp, a fire engine is pulling off the same ramp beside me and passes me. When I get to the street I see the closest gas station, which looks super run down and sketchy, is closed. Almost everything on the exit (which is hardly anything) is dark and closed. Definitely not an ideal place to get stuck. So now my brain starts flooding, do gas stations close? what happens if the other one is closed too! I’m going to be stuck here.
Luckily I see the BP is open. Now I think this is a good thing because I usually think of BP’s adjacent stores to be nicer of the gas station options. Not this one. It’s the sketchiest and smallest BP I’ve ever seen. As I walk up, there’s a whole bunch of bikers. Like the classic leather vest – long white beard – kinda scary looking – bikers. This does little to comfort me. I walk into the store and see the bathroom is behind the counter in the middle of the store. It looks awful and there’s a rope tied across it blocking the entrance with a paper that says “CLOSED”. Remember, I’ve really needed a restroom going on 2 hrs.
I wait for the cashier to finish helping the biker, and before he can even fully turn away, she looks at me and goes, “No.”
Of course, this threw me off and confused me. So I say, “What?”
“You looked like you were going to ask for the bathroom. The answer is no.”
“Well, I do need it, but clearly it’s closed. Actually, I need to know if you have gas cans.”
“No. We fill them (obviously, I think, you’re a gas station.), but we don’t sell them.”
I hadn’t considered a gas station wouldn’t sell gas cans!
That seems so basic, gas station = where you buy gas cans.
Like I said before there is NOTHING around so there’s no where else I can go get a can. I don’t know what to do. I just walk back outside. Outside, I see the fire truck that passed me earlier at one of the stations. Firefighters, you’re supposed to be able to trust firefighters and ask them for help, right? Right? I mean, as a woman, you’re not inclined to open yourself up to any strange man, but of all the men I’m supposed to be able to trust a firefighter to be good and help me. I decide I don’t have a choice, well it’s the best option of the choices.
I walk up to one of the firefighters. He’s a young guy, probably around my age, and I explain my situation. I ask him if he has a gas can I could borrow. I’ll be coming right back to this gas station to fill my car’s tank, so I’ll be able to return it. He tells me that the only thing they have is gas cans filled with mixed fuel, which will do nothing except blow out my engine. That won’t help me. Then he suggests buying a 2 liter, emptying it, and filling it with gas to take to my car. Now, I’m no mechanic, but I know enough for there to be an iching at the back of brain that that’s a bad idea. 1. Because if any of the leftover pop gets into my engine, it could also ruin it. and 2. I’m like 95% positive you can only carry gas in containers made for that purpose. Now I can’t speak to the details of either of these concerns so I can’t do much in terms of negating besides hesitation, and brainstorming other options. Eventually, his partner comes up and asks what’s going on. We explain, and firefighter #1 explains his idea, and #2 confirms both of my worries. The gas would melt through the 2 liter before I get to my car, and anything left over that mixes with the gas into my engine would be very bad.
There is a decent flow of people coming into the gas station so we keep asking them if they have a gas can I could borrow. No one carries one.
Finally, the firefighter says, “You probably won’t like this option, but there’s a bunch of truckers next door, and at least one of them should have a can you could borrow.”
“That sounds perfect! Why wouldn’t I like that idea?”
“Well, it’s a gentleman’s club. I thought you might not feel comfortable going over there.”
“Oh, well, it doesn’t seem I have a choice.” At that moment another car pulls up so I check one last time to see if he has a can I could borrow, with no luck. So again I come to do I trust this firefighter. So far he seems nice and helpful, and him versus a club full of truckers, I’m thinking I’m supposed to trust firefighters. So I ask him if he’ll go with me, and he agrees.
So we walk over to the club. I go inside the front door which leads to a enclosed booth with a big, heavy, wooden door to the right. Basically, so you can’t see anything without paying. I talk to the clerk behind the counter, who is really nice, and ask him if he can check and see if anyone has a can I could borrow, I’ll bring it right back.
Finally! I catch a break. Their cook had a gas can in his car, and it’s already mostly full. Thank goodness, I can finally start moving forward again. As the firefighter and I are walking back to the gas station, he gets a call on the radio that there’s a crash at such and such mile marker. I’m pretty sure that’s the mile marker my car is at! NO! Please don’t let that be my car. I can recover from empty gas tank, but if someone has hit my car going at highway speeds, I’m sunk. I’ll be stuck in the middle of no where with nothing to do and no where to go. I try to tell the firefighter and ask if I could maybe get a ride, but he holds a hand up so he can hear the radio again.
Then he turns to me and tells me to get in. I do with the full gas can. They then say that it was the same accident they had been called to before arriving at the gas station so the call was cancelled. Since they weren’t going onto the highway, they couldn’t take me to my car. They dropped me off at the exit I came down before, which was only a couple feet away, but nice thought at least. I’m very thankful for their assistance, especially firefighter #1.
Now I have to make the trek back to my car. The crazy traffic has died down at least so it’s just me and the night. Only thing I really have to worry about is a stray alligator lol. Luckily no trouble on the way back. I get to the car, which is fine, and I open my tank to fill it with gas. This particular gas can seemed to have a crack where the spout neck connects to the screw-cap. So as I begin to try to pour the gas into my tank, it’s spilling out of that crack all over my arms, the side of the car, and the ground. Moving it around I get the chugging sound so I’m pretty sure, for the moment, it was at least getting some gas into the tank. That eventually stops so I stop trying thinking that I’ll just try to get there on what I’ve managed to get into the tank, and hopefully that will get me to the gas station. If not, I’ll just try again. As I’m putting the can in my trunk, red and blue lights pull up.
At this point, I’m completely exasperated and the officer comes out to ask if I was the break down who called for help earlier. I didn’t think he was coming, and honestly he barely even made it in time to find me at all. Due to my exhaustion, I start rambling. I don’t remember everything I said, but it ended with “this gas can is broken, and the gas got everywhere – on the ground, my arms oh and it’s starting to burn – but I’m not sure that I got enough in the tank to make it there so will you follow me to the gas station to make sure I make it there?”
He agrees and then puts both his hands out, looks me directly in the eye – very serious now-, and says, “Do you need rescue?”
“What?”
“Do you need rescue? For the gas, do you need rescue?”
“Oh no. I have baby wipes in the car I should be fine. I just need you to follow me.”
So I finally get to the same gas station with the cop in tow, and fill my tank. I should have refilled the gas can before returning it, but my brain was flustered and otherwise occupied with the cop waiting on me. I still feel bad I didn’t think to do that. When I’m all filled up, I explain where I got the gas can from, and that a fireman accompanied me the first time. I ask him if he would go over with me to return it. He says yes, I’ll follow you. That confused me until I realized I had a functioning car again. Lol.
I drive over, and he follows me. I arrive just intime to see the cook getting ready to leave so I can return his can and thank him in person. The cop drove away basically right after I parked so a lot of good he did.
Now I’m stuck with a delemma. If you remember, I still.haven’t.used.the.restroom! I could get back on the highway, and find an exit with a restroom, but that’s going to take all the more time. My aunt and uncle are still waiting for me 2 hours away and it’s about 11 pm now. On the other hand, I could see if this club will let me use their restroom so I can save time.
I walk inside to thank the clerk for his help, and I ask him if I could use the restroom. He agrees, then he realizes he has to check my ID to let me past the big, heavy, wooden door. My ID is in the car so I promise I’m 22, but that’s not good enough. I then realize I still have my passport on me so I get that out. I definitely threw him for a loop with that because he had clearly never had anyone use that form of ID because he didn’t know where to look. With that settled, he let me in, and pointed me towards the restroom.
This is where I find out/confirm myself that strip clubs in real life are a lot different than you see in movies. I make my way through and I see restrooms. The sign for the men’s restroom pointed down a long all and indicated there were showers there too. Yuck.
The women’s restroom was flush with the wall, no hallway. I open the door and right infront of me is a wall and to my left is an opening with a bunch of lockers. Suddenly, I think I’m now where I should be so I check the sign again, and confirm it says Women’s Restroom.
I go inside to discover that they use this small restroom as a changing room for the girls as well. Makes sense since they probably don’t have many women as patrons. There are 2 girls inside. One is changing into sweats to go home, and the other must have been on break because she’s just hanging out in her work clothes, or lack thereof.
I say excuse me and I just need to use the restroom. They’re like come on in honey it’s yours to use. The 2 toilets were through another doorway separate from the mirror and sink where they were changing. To my discomfort, I discover the toilet stalls had their doors removed! I ask if I should close the door, and again they tell me it’s my bathroom do whatever I want. I, of course, say that it’s their bathroom and I’ll close it, but obviously it’s theirs so if they need to come in…. I chose the stall farthest away from the door so no one would have any need to pass me if they did come in. Good thing too because not 2 seconds later one of them apologizes and tells me she needs to use the restroom as well.
Finally, my needs are taken care of and I can get back on the road. As I wash my hands, the girls kind of questioned me about what I was doing, and I told them how I was heading towards Orlando and my car broke down, and this was the only place I could find help and a bathroom. They were really nice girls.
I arrived at my great aunt and uncles house after 1 am with a crazy story now. I bought a gas can before I drove home. Actually, I think this story is the biggest reason I went kind of overboard with what I keep in my car as I detail in this post. Better safe than sorry, right? Check your gas levels regularly on a long road trip, more like a rule rather than a guideline in this case.
Everyone talks about credit score, but who cares? Honestly, you should. A good or bad credit score can be the difference between getting your dream apartment or not, or getting a good rate on student and car loans. Fortunately, it is extremely easy to make your credit outstanding.
Before I go into how to boost your credit score, please make sure you understand how credit cards work, and consider whether you are ready to take on the responsibility of a credit card. I go into the ups and downs of credit cards here.
There are 6 different factors to determining your credit score. They are weighted differently so some of them are more important than others.
Time
This factor is the one you can control the least, so don’t worry too much about it. The average age of your credit is determined by averaging all of your qualifying accounts: loans & credit cards. The best thing to do is keep a good credit card open for as long as you can. It is also why you don’t want to open and close accounts too frequently. Your oldest card could be 10 years old, but if you open a new account you could greatly lower your average age. I’m not saying don’t open new accounts, but don’t do it with any great frequency. You don’t want to have to manage that many accounts anyway.
Credit Usage
This is an important factor, not just to get your score higher, but to keep your finances healthy. When you are granted credit in the form of a credit card, you are given a maximum of available credit also referred to as a credit limit. When your credit score is low, your maximum available credit will be low. As your credit gets better, it will increase. So let’s say your first credit card gives you $5,000 total credit. You cannot spend more than your credit limit at any one time. All of your available credit limits are added together to get a total available credit. So if you have 2 credit accounts with $5,000 each, you have $10,000 of available credit.
Now don’t get too excited. You don’t suddenly have $10,000, this is the trap they try to get you with. This factor is determined by available credit and the credit you’ve used. Credit you’ve used is as simple as any purchases on the card that you have not paid off, in other words, the balance of the card. The percent of used credit should be as low as possible to have a this factor be considered excellent.
Using our example above, if you have $200 worth of purchases on your balance yet to be paid off, and a credit limit of $10,000; your usage would be 2%. Once you pay off your $200 balance, your usage would be 0% – the absolute best score for this factor.
The best way to use a credit card is to use it as a debit card.
What do I mean by this? What I DON’T mean is that you should use it to take money out of the bank, ATM, or cash back at the cash register. That is essentially taking out a small cash loan at a ridiculous interest rate. DO NOT DO THAT!
What you should do is only make purchases that you currently have funds for in the bank (just like how you can’t use a debit card unless those funds exist already). Once your purchase hits your credit card account, pay that off right away! This practice is single-handedly the fastest way to boost your credit score. By doing this, you will almost always have a 0% credit usage, plus it will also guarantee on-time payments.
On-Time Payments
This is probably the most important factor along with credit usage. Late payments are a huge red flag for potential lenders or landlords. If you don’t follow any of my other advice, follow this.
Always make your payments on-time.
If you follow my advice about paying all of your purchases in full, immediately, then you won’t have to worry about late payments. You will automatically have all of your payments taken care of way before they are due, and it won’t cost you extra like waiting and only paying your required amount. Letting the rest of the amount obtain interest is a great way to pay way more than the original cost of the item. Personally, I don’t like to pay more than I have to.
Now of course, you can’t pay off a student or auto loan in full right away or you wouldn’t have them to begin with. Make sure that you always pay your minimum due on-time or early to avoid any bad marks on your credit history. If you are able to make larger payments than your minimum, definitely consider it. It can save you tons in the long run. I go into more detail in my post about student loans.
Credit Inquiries
This is a tricky factor. For some reason, an institute checking your credit, hurts your credit. I can’t give a good explanation for this beside that’s just how it is. This means that anytime you apply for a new loan, credit card, refinance, or apartment that checks your credit, you will get a ding to your credit score. This again means that you should not be applying for a whole bunch of new accounts too quickly. This is another low impact factor, but that doesn’t mean you want to ignore it completely.
What counts as an inquiry? There are 2 types of inquiries: Hard and Soft. A soft inquiry means that an institution is going to look at an unofficial credit score to get an idea of where you stand. Same way you may use Mint.com* or your credit card’s website to see your own credit score. Institutions typically do a soft inquiry to provide an estimate or determine quick eligibility before a formal application. Soft inquiries don’t affect your credit score.
Hard inquiries are the ones that will ding your score. These are official inquiries into your credit score, and results may differ than soft inquiries slightly. These are used to open new accounts or accept an apartment application. As you become less reliant on loans and credit, and own your own property, the less inquiries will show on your account. A hard inquiry can stay on your credit report for 24 months, but only affect your score for 12 months. Spacing out large financial decisions and new accounts can help lower the impact of credit inquiries on your overall credit.
Derogatory Marks
Derogatory Marks have a high impact on your score. Luckily, you can avoid them by being smart about your borrowing and only making purchases you can afford.
Derogatory Marks indicate irresponsible behavior regarding credit. Some things that could result in a derogatory marks are: accounts in collection, liens, and bankruptcies. Following the advice above will go a long way into avoiding a situation where any of these would be necessary.
Derogatory Marks stay on your credit report for at least 7 years. These are huge red flags to potential lenders and could make your life difficult in the future.
Ultimately, when the time comes to opening a credit card or obtaining a loan, please only take out what you need and keep your spending below what you have. This lifestyle may require some sacrifices in convenience or pleasure, but in the long run you will be able to enjoy more financial freedom and more luxuries in the future. I have followed these guides since opening my first baby credit card, and I am so pleased with my credit score.
Remember, these are more like guidelines anyway.
I am not a certified financial planner. Please consult with a professional before making any financial decisions. These opinions are my own based on my own experience.
*I am not affiliated or otherwise compensated by Mint.com or Intuit.
Credit Cards are so ubiquitous that you may not even think about how they work or that you don’t have to have credit card debt. Many people talk about credit card debt as if it is to be expected, but it is completely possible to get all the benefits of using a credit card without the extra fees or debt.
First of all, what’s the deal with credit cards? Do you really need one?
Short answer: Yes, Sort-of
Do you need to pay more than the cost of an item just to own it? Absolutely, of course not. I’m not suggesting you do that. In fact, I highly suggest not putting yourself in that situation.
However, the benefits from purchasing with a credit card, when done wisely and fully informed, can actually help you save money.
THE PROBLEM WITH CREDIT CARDS
Credit cards prey on the desire to get what you want right now. Credit cards allow people to purchase things they otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford. They do this by charging interest on the borrowed money used to purchase the items. Interest rates for credit cards, especially for users with low credit scores or no credit history can be astronomical. They make money by making you pay them extra money when you don’t have to. Of course, they make this sound really attractive because you can purchase that expensive item and only pay a small amount every month instead of having to wait until you have the money to pay all at once. All you have to do is the math to see why you wouldn’t want to take this deal.
Let’s say you want to buy a new home theater system for $1,000. You decide to use a credit card with 15% APR and make the minimum monthly payment. Assuming this is the only item on your credit card balance and your minimum payment is $25/mth, it will take 4 years to pay off. It will end up costing you $1,395. Instead you could save $25/mth and it will take you 3 years to save up. That is a year less time to pay for, and $395 you saved. I’m not saying you shouldn’t buy yourself nice things, but that you should wait until you can properly afford them.
I’m also not saying you shouldn’t use a credit card to pay for things, in fact, I think you should. You should use a credit card to make purchases you can afford without falling into debt. When used correctly, credit cards can be a great financial tool. They are the easiest way to boost your credit score, and some will give you rewards to use them.
Best Way to Use Credit Cards
I always say, use a credit card like you would a debit card. Now let me clarify, never use a credit card as a way to get cash from an ATM or cash register. There are really big penalties for that, use a real debit card for that. What I mean is, don’t put anything on your credit card that you don’t already have in the bank. Same as how a debit card would get declined if the funds don’t exist in your account prior to swiping, don’t swipe a credit card if the funds don’t already exist. And no, I don’t mean funds that will be in the account. I mean it’s already there right now.
Available funds is money that:
Exists
Is not already assigned to something else, like a previous purchase, bills, or retirement.
Is not part of the last $1,000 you have. (Leave that for emergencies.)
After making a purchase on your credit card, pay it off immediately after it posts to your account. This will avoid any interest fees I talked about earlier, and it will guarantee your payments are always on time. That is why you have to have the funds available before the purchase.
Why Use a Credit Card
It makes sense if right now you are wondering, if I’m supposed to pretend my credit card is a debit card, why should I not just use my debit card??
Good question. Now if you don’t trust yourself to actually use the credit card in the way I’ve described, then you probably should just keep using your debit card for now. This is really just a self evaluation. If you know yourself well enough to acknowledge the credit availability will present too difficult a temptation, then congratulations on making a very adult decision to wait on a credit card.
When you are ready to use a credit card, then let me explain why a credit card is better than sticking with the debit card. I have 2 reasons.
Credit cards are the quickest way to build your credit. Good credit opens up more financial options like auto loans, better apartments, and home loans. I talk about ways to maximize your credit in my related post here. The earlier you can begin building good credit, the more it will pay off for you. Debit cards don’t contribute.
The second reason, many credit cards pay you to use them. You’ve probably heard people talk about miles earned or such-and-such cash back, but it doesn’t mean much until you begin using credit cards yourself. Many cards offer incentives to use their card in rewards earned by making purchases with their card, and following those with on time payments.
Some cards rewards are calculated in airline miles. These are usually cards from or associated with airlines. Qualifying purchases earn so many miles per dollar purchased. You can then use these miles before they expire to exchange them for airline tickets.
Another way card companies reward users is through reward points. Depending on the card, points can be converted into gift cards or even cash. Capital One and the Amazon Prime Chase card both allow you to convert your points into money on your amazon account, kind of like a gift card although it is categorized differently on the site. They also let you pay off your balance using your points, so essentially like getting your groceries and gas purchases for free. I mention these cards only because I have used them and know how they work. Clearly, I prefer this option over miles because I don’t buy airline tickets very often, and if I need to I could always use the cash to pay off the airline purchase.
So how do you get the points? You will often see or hear them say “qualifying purchases.” These are purchases that you don’t return, and fall into a specific category. The categories vary by card. Some cards have rotating categories that change how many points you earn a month, others have set categories. Common categories include: restaurants, gas, and pharmacies. It’s a good idea to know what earns you what on each of your cards so you can optimize your benefits.
Some cards will also have some extra benefits like travel or luggage insurance, extended warranties, and other benefits to using their card. These are always good to be aware of so you can take advantage of these free benefits.
One last reason to have a credit card, is in case of extreme emergency. Now I highly recommend saving up an emergency fund for this exact reason so that if an emergency does arise you won’t have to go into debt to cover it. However, my dad insisted that I get my first credit card when I was going to Moscow by myself. In case I needed to book an emergency flight home or other such emergency that I didn’t have the cash for, I would at least be able to purchase one on my credit card to fix the immediate problem. Again, going into debt should be the last resort to any emergency, but it is a good last resort to have available. Luckily, I’ve never needed to use my credit card in this way.
Things to Look for in a Card
Interest Rates
First of all, you should take into consideration the variable interest rate. If you always pay off your balance in full, this won’t make a difference to you. On the off chance that you do use your credit card for an emergency, a lower interest rate will make your accrued debt lower.
Where Can it be Used?
Firstly, I mean that certain cards are more widely accepted than others. VISA and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere in the United States. I believe they are widely accepted abroad as well, but your mileage will vary. Discover now seems to be more widely accepted, but when I was a child I know there were a fair amount of establishments that wouldn’t accept Discover so we would have to use another card like VISA. American Express is notorious for being a prestigious card, but it is frequently not accepted by businesses due to the high fees they charge businesses to accept the card. If you are looking to get a second card, I would recommend looking to get a card with a variety of carriers so you are never stuck because your brand isn’t accepted.
Secondly, knowing if you can use your card abroad (with or without fees) is an important thing to know. I specifically got my second card for the express purpose of having a card that I could use overseas without foreign exchange fees. If you are going to be living abroad for an extended time, it may be prudent to research cards from within that country or region.
Reward Systems
Almost all cards offer some kind of reward program now, as I mentioned before, there is no reason not to get a card with a good reward system. Research the various types of reward systems available and determine which will be the most relevant to your current habits. Many cards will have specials where if you spend so much in a certain amount of time, then they’ll give you a reward bonus. Don’t be distracted by the one time offer, especially if it exceeds your normal spending habits. Look for the offers that will give you the best return over the course of the life of the card.
Annual Fees
Many cards charge an annual fee to be able to have their card. Make sure you know the cost to have each card you research. Personally, I don’t see the point in paying an annual fee when so many good cards are out there without any annual fees. Especially if you are working on tighter funds, look into cards with 0 annual fees.
Early Repayment Penalties
Avoid all cards with a penalty for early repayment or guaranteed interest payments! These negate all of my earlier advice by still charging you the interest you would accrue in the allotted time even if you pay back the total early. You do not want this. Most cards don’t have these penalties, but it is essential that you avoid any that do.
Some Cards I Use and Like
Capital One Quicksilver* – I got this card when my credit history was too young. It’s a good card for those with growing credit.
It offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases. That’s a pretty good deal in my opinion. If you aren’t earning interest fees, that means every purchase they pay you a little to use the card.
It has no annual fee, and is accepted anywhere VISA is.
It has no foreign transaction fees.
It has push notifications for every purchase on my phone. Gives me a sense of security that if anyone used my card without my permission, I would immediately see the unauthorized purchase.
Amazon Prime Credit Card by Chase* – My credit was much better when I applied for this card. I don’t know if those with younger or lower credit will qualify.
This card varies it’s cash back based on whether or not you are a prime member.
3% or 5% – Amazon Purchases & Whole Foods
2% – Restaurants, Gas Stations, and Drugstores
1% – All other purchases
It has no foreign transaction fees.
Credit Card through my Bank
This is the best place to start for someone with little to no credit history.
They often don’t have rewards or not a great system.
They are a great way to build up credit history to boost your credit so you can upgrade to better card later.
I don’t use this anymore, but I didn’t close it because it’s my longest credit card account.
Please do not use a credit card as an excuse to put yourself in debt. Credit cards can be an amazing tool when used correctly.
Please use responsibly.
Remember, these are more like guidelines.
I am not a certified financial advisor. All opinions are my own. Please, consult with a professional before making any financial decisions.
*I am not affiliated, endorsed, or compensated by Chase, Amazon, or Capital One in any way. My experience and opinions are my own.
I made a little recipe template for my brother and thought I’d share it with you. It’s really simple. I’m including 2 different copies though, 1 with room for hole punches on the right side, and 1 on the left.
I made them to fit an A5 page. That’s about the size of a day planner or a small binder. Either would be great choices for your book.
I’m also including these with each of the recipes I post already filled out and ready for you. They will also have the Holes on Right/Left option so you can do front and back if you want or just one side. Your choice.
If you’re looking for a little bit of inspiration, I found an adorable recipe book at Marshall’s for only a couple bucks. I bought it for my cousin for her birthday and she loved it as well. I almost bought it for myself even though I already bought a Cookbook from Goodwill.
You can fashion a cookbook yourself, or you might find a cute one like this. If you do buy one, make sure to scan some good copies of blank pages so you can print more later.
Make it your own. Personally, I love the dividers on these. So helpful.
I don’t really know how I feel about the stickers….to each their own. I never end up using stickers because I don’t want to waste them.
Some Ideas for DIY a recipe book
I prefer something that lets you add, remove, and rearrange whenever you want. If you want something more permanent, do that.
While aesthetic can be important, make sure to focus on function over fashion. Yes, it will be great if you love to display it and that helps you use it, but if the base you pick doesn’t stay open on its own or the fonts are hard to read, you will never use the book. It will just be a decoration piece. Let’s make it both.
Make sure you know what size paper the base takes before you decide on yours. You don’t want to get a base that takes an unusual size of paper that you’ll never be able to refill. Doing a quick Amazon search will give you a solid idea for how available and expensive sizes are. A5 (half-sized) is fairly standard while letter sized is probably the easiest to obtain.
1. The Starter: Pick the base you like the best.
The simplest base would be a regular, plain binder. You can pick these up anywhere you can get office supplies. There are even half size binders so you can have something smaller than letter size.
You can also find all kinds of designs and styles of binder, especially in full size.
Another option would be getting a day planner base. You can also find many of these in several styles. They can get more expensive if you’re not careful, especially if you’re buying from Office Depot or Staples. I have found some attractive and decently priced day planner bases an Amazon.
I bought this A5 or half-size journal cover for my day planner. It’s under $15 and really nice. I’ve had it for over a couple years now, and it has held up just fine.
As of Sept. 2020, my planner is unavailable. Here are a couple other ideas I’ve purchased for friends and family as gifts. The black one has a USB hidden in the clasp which could be a cool place to save your recipes digitally.
One more idea for a recipe book is an actual recipe book. There are several recipe books that are formatted in a binder so you could add more recipes to them. This option isn’t necessarily as cute as some of the other options, but it jump starts your book which is great if you don’t have many recipes of your own yet. This is what I’m working with right now and some recipe apps. A possible difficulty with this: the page sizes might not be a standard size so you will have some trial and error to find the right size or your pages will be different sizes than the book pages. I found a ring-bound recipe book at Goodwill that was just like new. It was very similar to this one except it was all kinds of recipes, not just baking. This baking book, however, is one we had in our house growing up and it has some of my favourite recipes.
There are also some very different options. I believe OfficeDepot has a journal system that lets you do whatever you want with pages and connect them with just a series of clips. It’s similar to a binder, but more personalized? Basically, just do a little research. If you have an idea for how you want it to be put together, it’s probably out there or available for you to make.
2. The Meat: Pick how the recipes will look
Like I mentioned before, you can use the simple format I provided at the beginning of the article, you can make your own, or find another download that suits your purpose.
Either way, make sure it has all the basic elements of a recipe (ingredients, directions, cook time etc.) and anything else you like to include. (Personal notes, decorations)
Feel free to browse recipes online, in old books, or even what you may have written by hand to get inspiration for what you want to include in your recipe book.
3. The Toppings: Extras to make the Book more Accessible or Appealing
You can get yourself some little dividers on Amazon or cut them yourself from scrapbook paper if you want.
I got these (left) for under $10 for my day planner. They’d work great for a half-size binder. They are A5 size so be aware of that. This (right) is the paper I use to print my own planner pages, and they would work great for making your own recipe pages.
Adding information to the inside covers of your base or on your dividers can make for some better function and could be really cute too.
Some bookmarks could also be helpful for getting to those recipes you use all the time. Think non-traditional, some of my favourite things to use as bookmarks are paperclips. Maybe this is why they have all those fancy, shaped paperclips.
Don’t forget to just keep adding and cooking. It’s only as useful as you make it. Have fun with it and remember these are more like guidelines anyway.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. All opinions and recommendations are my own regardless.
Thinking about finances when you’re starting out can seem scary. Sometimes you feel like just pretending these expenses aren’t there, but it is actually not so bad when you take it step by step.
First things first, chances are you have some student debt if you went to university. I know my student debt felt really overwhelming, but it made me feel so much better to sit down and make a plan.
Creating a Debt Repayment Plan
1. Know How Much You Owe Each Month – when you’re entering the world of repayment, you should first consider your required repayment number. This number is non-negotiable and you must pay it off every month. Otherwise you will default on your loans and that is just not good, don’t do that. Sometimes it’s possible to apply for Income based repayment. This is a way to ask your Loan Servicer to take your income level as a consideration to make your required payment amount lower.
2. Decide How Much You Can Afford – once you know how much you have to pay, figure out how much you can pay. You are going to want to pay back as much as you can each month. It’s going to be incredibly tempting to just pay the minimum so you can spend more money on a nicer apartment or eating out, but don’t. Paying off your loans as early as possible will let you have these things and more in the future, and most importantly, save you a ton of money. Think of it this way: every dollar more you pay, is one less dollar that is going to increase your interest owed.
3. Choose a Repayment Plan – when choosing a repayment plan, it’s important to know what’s most important to you. There are 2 routes you could take for repayment: The Snowball Plan or The Avalanche Plan. Remember you will still have to make any minimum payments on all accounts no matter which plan you choose. You take the amount you decided you could pay each month on loans and pay off the minimum requirement on each loan, and then all remaining goes toward one account that you focus on. The Snowball Plan: You focus on the loan with the lowest balance. This method is good if you need to keep your motivation up by getting the satisfaction of paying an account off. The downside to this plan is you will end up paying more in interest. The Avalanche Plan: You focus on the loan with the highest interest rate. This method is the one that will result in you paying off the least amount of interest overall. The downside to this one is you won’t see accounts hitting zero as fast. I chose Avalanche for my repayment plan because I cared more about saving money than seeing the little accounts hit zero. I still get that enjoyment from seeing my most daunting account get lower each month. I actually have a really helpful Excel sheet that can help you see the difference in each of these plans. (Download below) You enter each of your loans, their interest rates, and then you can select which plan you want to view, and it will show you the amount of interest you’d pay and when you’d have each loan payed off. I found this little tool to be the most comforting when I was first looking at my loan situation. I got this form from Financial Advisor, Robert Moritz in Indianapolis. I’m sharing it with you with his permission. If your looking for someone to help you with investments, retirement planning, or other financial advice; look him up and schedule an appointment. Here’s his website. Don’t feel shy about telling him I sent you.
4. Set Your Loans on Autopayment – Once you know how much you’ll be paying each month, and where you want that money to go; set your loans on autopayment. Some repayment servicers will give you a little rate reduction for setting your loans on autopayment. It will also help make sure you don’t miss a payment. Don’t just set it and forget about it though. You should keep an eye on it to make sure nothing has changed, make sure you have enough money in the account it’s pulling from, and it gives you the chance to see your balance going down and get that little sense of accomplishment.
Most importantly do what works for you, these are more like guidelines anyway.
*Disclaimer: I am NOT a financial expert nor should this be received as professional advice. Always take the advice of a professional over mine.
This is part of my Getting Your Finances in Order in Your 20’s series.
