School is almost out, and soon we’ll be enjoying all that is wonderful about spending those long summer days with our kids. Whether your summer itinerary includes lots of beach days, trips to museums and cultural events, road trips, a big family vacation, or even just chilling at home, it helps to be prepared.

Here’s how you can get the summer started off right, and keep on top of things until school starts up again.

Covering the basics

Because last summer’s swimsuit likely isn’t going to fit your kid anymore, it’s a good idea to make a list of their summer essentials and buy them before you actually need them. You don’t want to be caught scrambling on that first trip to the beach/pool/cottage when your kid can’t squeeze into their old shorts. Also, depending on how rough your child is on their things, you might discover that even if the shorts fit, they may no longer be in wearable condition.

Take time to go through your kids drawers and to work out what they need. Going through the clothes with your kids will also help you decide whether they actually need new things, or if they just want them. Just asking kids, especially those who are more fashion-aware, may result in you spending more than is needed.

Well-stocked summer supplies

We’ve all been in that situation where we’ve had to buy an emergency bottle of sunscreen or bug-spray at a place that charges premium prices, and it’s hugely frustrating. You either end up paying double the price for your usual brand, or your only choice may be a fancy sunscreen you’ve never heard of that sets you back even more, just because you’re in a pinch. The same could be said for other summer fun essentials, like sand toys, hats, flip-flops and more.

Be smart this year, and stock up on summer essentials now, so you can use the brands you trust, shop the stores you like and pay the prices you expect. And don’t get caught in the same situation next summer! If you see an end-of-season summer clearance, stock up on sale items or summer styles a size or two up for your kids now so you don’t have to pay full-price.

Beat Backyard Blues

If you have a backyard, keep a basket of everything your kids need near the door they are using to go in and outside. That way they can help themselves to towels, sunscreen, a hat and flip flops when they are heading out the door. Every so often add something new to the basket, like sidewalk chalk or bubbles, to keep things fresh and exciting. This works well in small spaces too — just adjust the contents of the basket to match the outdoor space and activities that best suit your needs.

Screen-free boredom busters

The battle to keep kids off screens is something most parents struggle with, and it only gets worse over the summer when the kids don’t have school and their regular activities to distract them. Advance planning here can help too.

Clever parents set limits on screens that are manageable and easy to enforce. Depending on the age of your kids, this could include no screens until they’ve fulfilled certain tasks — cleaned their room, read for 20 minutes, played outside for 30 minutes, etc. — or by allowing them a certain amount of screen time per day/week, divvied up however they decide.

If you’d like your kids to read more over the summer, you could order them a gift of a series of books to work their way through, or join a summer reading program at your local library. Library reading programs often offer incentives to those who read a certain number of books, such as theme park tickets or meal vouchers, and this is something that you could easily emulate at home.

For kids that are too young to read solo, you could stock up on age-appropriate art supplies, stickers, and colouring books that’ll keep them busy. This way, you still get time to yourself without resorting to screens.

Plan ahead – for summer and back to school!

Take inventory of what your kids have and know what they’ll need for the upcoming year. Being organized and planning ahead will allow parents to make the most of their time this summer and scoop up school savings.

Most stores will begin having school savings beginning in July, so slowly check items off your list to relieve that last-minute school shopping that can be extremely stressful.

A little planning and preparation will help ensure parents, and kids, get the most out of summer, with the least amount of spending surprises.

INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA Division II Softball Committee has selected the 64 teams that will participate in the 2015 NCAA Division II Softball Championship. Four teams will participate at each of 16 regional sites in double-elimination tournaments. Regional competition will take place May 7-9 or May 8-10. Winners will advance to the super regionals May 15-16. The finals will be held May 21-25 at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and will be hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City All Sports Association.

 

In the 2014 championship, West Texas A&M University captured its first national championship title with a 3-2 victory against Valdosta State University.

REGIONAL BRACKETS | FINALS BRACKET (OKLAHOMA CITY)

Here’s a list of the 22 automatic qualifiers: 
California Collegiate Athletic Association: California State University, Monterey Bay
Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference: Caldwell University
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association: Saint Augustine’s University
Conference Carolinas: Limestone College
East Coast Conference: Queens College (New York)
Great American Conference: East Central University
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Wayne State University (Michigan)
Great Lakes Valley Conference: University of Missouri-St. Louis
Great Northwest Athletic Conference: Montana State University Billings
Gulf South Conference: Shorter University
Heartland Conference: St. Mary’s University (Texas)
Lone Star Conference: West Texas A&M University
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association: University of Central Missouri
Northeast-10 Conference: Southern New Hampshire University
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Winona State University
Pacific West Conference: Dixie State University
Peach Belt Conference: University of North Georgia
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference: California University of Pennsylvania
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference: Regis University (Colorado)
South Atlantic Conference: Catawba College
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Tuskegee University
Sunshine State Conference: University of Tampa

— Courtesy of NCAA.com

SITES/PAIRINGS:

*Denotes host institution

Atlantic 1 Regional at California, Pennsylvania

1. California (Pa.)*  35-10

8. Saint Augustine’s 20-12

4. Charleston (W.Va.) 36-12

5. Gannon 28-14

 

Atlantic 2 Regional at Buckhannon, W.Va.

2. West Virginia Wesleyan 35-8

7. Seton Hill 31-13-1

3. West Chester 41-14

6. Concord 33-17

 

Central 1 Regional at Sioux Falls, S.D.

1. Augustana (S.D.)* 43-13

8. East Central 32-14

4. Central Oklahoma 40-18

5. Winona State 46-12

 

Central 2 Regional at Warrensburg, Mo.

2. Central Missouri* 44-14

7. Missouri Western State 36-19

3. Henderson State 41-13

6. Arkansas Tech 40-20

 

East 1 Regional at Garden City, N.Y.

1. Caldwell 34-12-1

8. Pace 25-15

4. Adelphi* 25-19

5. Wilmington (Del.) 31-16

 

East 2 Regional at Manchester, N.H.

2. Southern New Hampshire* 31-6

7. St. Anselm 22-11

3. Queens (N.Y.) 35-14

6. LIU Post 30-15-1

 

Midwest 1 Regional at St. Louis, Mo.

1. Missouri-St. Louis* 44-6

8. Wayne State (Mich.) 42-17-1

4. Grand Valley State 32-15

5. Southern Indiana 37-9

 

Midwest 2 Regional at Indianapolis, Ind.

2. Indianapolis* 42-12

7. Trevecca Nazarene 38-8

3. Ashland 38-8

6. Truman 33-14

 

South 1 Regional at Valdosta, Ga.

1. Valdosta State* 46-7

8. Tuskegee 13-18

4. Shorter 36-15

5. Alabama-Huntsville 39-14

 

South 2 Regional at Florence, Ala.

2. Rollins 37-11

7. Tampa 28-11

3. North Alabama* 35-12

6. Florida Tech 35-17

 

South Central 1 Regional at Canyon, Texas

1. West Texas A&M* 44-9

8. Tarleton State 30-20

4. Cameron 39-16

5. Angelo State 33-15-1

 

South Central 2 Regional at San Angelo, Texas

2. St. Mary’s* (Texas) 42-9

7. Texas Woman’s 28-20-2

3. Metro State 42-14

6. Regis (Colo.) 31-17

 

Southeast 1 Regional at Dahlonega, Ga.

1. North Georgia * 43-9

8. Limestone 30-13

4. Catawba 29-15

5. Anderson (S.C.) 39-13

 

Southeast 2 Regional at Milledgeville, Ga.

2. Georgia College* 44-9

7. Armstrong State 30-14

3. GRU Augusta 32-12

6. Carson-Newman 35-13

 

West 1 Regional at Seaside, Calif.

1. Cal State Monterey Bay* 47-10

8. Montana St. Billings 29-21

4. Humboldt State 41-17

5. Sonoma State 39-19

 

West 2 Regional at St. George, Utah

2. Dixie State* 44-7

7. Saint Martin’s 41-18

3. California Baptist 40-9

6. Chico State 28-20

If sex education were anything like the typical hormonal teenager learning about it in classrooms, it would probably be hunched over in its desk right now, hoping it hasn’t sweated through the armpits of its shirt from all the attention it’s getting.

First, there was the uproar from more socially-conservative folks and concerned parents over Ontario’s revised curriculum in 2015, which included the concepts of gender identity, sexual orientation and masturbation. Then last week, there was outrage from the curriculum’s supporters as new premier Doug Ford rolled back the curriculum to its 1998 version, which many have said puts LGBTQ children in danger.

As Ontario’s education minister goes back and forth on what students will actually be taught in the classroom, we don’t expect that sex education will be out of the spotlight anytime soon (cue sex education sinking even lower into its chair, wondering if its forehead is shiny).

And all of this attention got us thinking about how we learned about sex back when we were too humiliated to ask our parents or teacher about the hair down there or whether you could get pregnant in a hot tub. Books. Perhaps we read them by flashlight under the covers of our beds, or confidently out in the open, while munching on a fruit roll-up and waiting for the “Sun In” we’d sprayed in our hair to dry.

Either way, the 1970s and ’80s were a veritable goldmine of books that gave us many of the answers we didn’t even know we needed at the time (whether they were official sex ed books or not).

While the books of our childhood nostalgia don’t address many of the important sexual issues faced by kids today such as gender identity, same-sex marriage and sexting, they were informative and awkward and certainly worthy of a delve into our past.

With that, here are some of our favourite sex ed books from our childhood, and what they taught us.

1. “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.”

Author: Judy Blume

Published: 1970

What it’s about: Blume’s classic young adult novel tells the story of Margaret Simon, a sixth-grade girl without any specific religious affiliation due to her parents’ interfaith marriage. After moving to a new town, she’s anxious to fit in with her new friends as they form a secret club to discuss boys, bras, and periods.

What it taught us: Periods are normal, boobs happen (eventually), don’t slut shame.

Memorable quote: “We must, we must, we must increase our bust.”

Bonus: The cover was recently updated for a social media generation, which might help convince your kids to read it when “Trust me, it’s cool” doesn’t work.

Buy it: At Indigo

2. “Free To Be You And Me”

Author: Marlo Thomas and Friends

Published: 1972

What it’s about: A compilation of inspirational stories, songs and poems to empower children to be who they want to be and empathize with those who are different.

What it taught us: Celebrate individuality, challenge stereotypes, and it’s all right to cry.

Memorable quote: “It’s all right to cry, little boy. I know some big boys that cry too.”

Buy it: At Indigo

3. “Where Did I Come From?”

Author: Peter Mayle

Published: 1973

What it’s about: A guide to the reproductive process from intercourse to birth, no holds barred, written with a sense of humour, and with, um, graphic cartoon illustrations.

What it taught us: It’s all natural, baby.

Memorable quote: “These bumps have a lot of names. Some call them the bosom (which you say like bozum). Other people call them titties or boobs. (Don’t ask us why).”

Buy it: At Amazon.ca

4. “Changing Bodies, Changing Lives”

Author: Ruth Bell

Published: 1981

What it’s about: A candid collection of the real experiences of hundreds of teens, as well as illustrations, checklists and resources — all to help teens make informed decisions about sex, love, friendship, and their bodies.

What it taught us: Teens are constantly hot and bothered.

Memorable quote: “It seems like everyone else has the script. Everyone else knows what’s happening and I look around and say, Duh.”

Buy it at: Amazon.ca

5. “Deenie”

Author: Judy Blume

Published: 1973

What it’s about: Yet another classic by Judy Blume, this novel tells the story of a seventh-grade pretty girl whose life is turned upside-down when she’s diagnosed with scoliosis and must wear a back brace from her neck to her hips.

What it taught us: How to be comfortable in your own body, and that masturbation is A-OK.

Memorable quote: “I have this special place and when I rub it I get a very nice feeling. I don’t know what it’s called or if anyone else has it but when I have trouble falling asleep, touching my special place helps a lot.”

Buy it at: Indigo

6. “Flowers in the Attic”

Author: V.C. Andrews

Published: 1979

What it’s about: A Gothic novel about four children kept in their cruel grandmother’s attic for years, and the forbidden love/lust that blossoms there between brother and sister as they go through puberty.

What it taught us: We learned a lot about desire and sex and sexy desire and why none of that should ever happen WITH YOUR FRIGGING SIBLING. OMG.

Memorable quote: “Love doesn’t always come when you want it to. Sometimes it just happens, despite your will.”

Bonus: It was made into a 2014 Lifetime movie.

Buy it at: Indigo.

7. “The Joy of Sex”

Author: Alex Comfort

Published: 1972

What it’s about: This book is definitely meant for adults, but most kids at some point sneaked a peek at their parents’ version of this guide to helping couples discover the pleasure of sex.

What it taught us: It will be good some day.

Memorable quote: “If you don’t love your body, change your mind; if your partner doesn’t love your body, change your partner.”

Buy it at: Indigo

8. “Sweet Valley High” series

Author: Francine Pascal

Published: Debuted in 1983

What it’s about: On the surface, the series follows the charmed lives of California twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield as they go to high school, pool parties, and dances. But the extremely popular franchise also delved into themes of love, lust, drug use, and sexual assault.

What it taught us: Never trust a college guy, drugs will kill you, victim-blaming is alive and well.

Memorable quote: “If letting my hair down means attracting guys like Scott, forget it. I’d rather be mousy.”

Buy it at: Amazon.ca

In 2017, box office numbers fell to a three-year low. In 2018, folks returned to their beloved theatres in droves, making it a year for blockbuster movies to make a comeback. And some definitely conquered, while others, not so much.

Hollywood tuned into the fact that diverse casts = diverse audiences = $$. It was a year that celebrated varied storylines and characters who move us. But it was also a year of surprising losses.

Here’s a round-up of the biggest box-office hits and flops of 2018.

HIT: “Black Panther”: On a budget of US$210 million, Ryan Coogler’s superhero film — the first to feature a predominantly black cast — grossed more than US$700 million domestically (third highest all-time, not accounting for inflation) and US$1.3 billion worldwide. It became the first movie to top the weekend box office five times in a row since “Avatar.”

MISS: “Solo: A Star Wars Story”: Not everything Disney did in 2018 was perfect; “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” and “A Wrinkle in Time” also fizzled. But few disappointments were more acutely felt than the extensively retooled Han Solo spinoff directed by Ron Howard after original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were jettisoned. On a production budget of at least US$250 million, the heavily promoted spinoff grossed US$392.9 million worldwide.

It did worse than every previous “Star Wars” film, and the negative reaction from fans and critics forced Disney to reconsider its future plans for the franchise.

HIT: “A Quiet Place”: With just a US$17 million budget, John Krasinski’s horror thriller grossed US$340.7 million worldwide. The Paramount Pictures release was the biggest original hit of a year typically dominated by sequels, superheroes and reboots. Of course, “A Quiet Place” will get its own sequel, slated for release in 2020.

MISS: “Mortal Engines”: One of the year’s worst bombs arrived just as 2018 was coming to a close. The Peter Jackson-produced US$100 million fantasy, from Universal, opened with a mere US$7.5 million last weekend. Young Adult fantasies aren’t selling like they used to, especially when they come with big budgets and a 27 per cent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

HIT: “Crazy Rich Asians”: Rom-coms have for years been largely absent from theatres, but the Warner Bros. adaption of the bestselling novel grossed US$238 million worldwide on a US$30 million budget. As the first studio release in 25 years to feature a predominantly Asian-American cast, it was another example of how diversity sells at the box office.

MISS: “The Happytime Murders”: Who could have foreseen that an R-rated puppet comedy would disappoint? The STX Entertainment release starred one of the most bankable stars in comedy, Melissa McCarthy, but it has managed only US$27.5 million worldwide on a US$40 million budget.

HIT: “Incredibles 2”: Success is usually expected of Pixar; all but one of their 20 releases has opened No. 1 (and the one that didn’t, “Inside Out,” grossed US$857.6 million globally). But even by their high standards, Brad Bird’s “Incredibles” sequel was a massive hit. With US$1.24 billion in worldwide sales from a US$200 million budget, “Incredibles 2” ranks second behind only “Frozen” among animated movies in ticket sales.

MISS: “Robin Hood”: Just as audiences didn’t want another “Girl in With the Dragoon Tattoo,” they had little interest in more Robin Hood. The Taron Egerton-led return to Sherwood Forest, released by Lionsgate, cost US$100 million to make but made out with just US$72.9 million worldwide.

HIT: “Halloween”: Horror continued to dominate the box office — the “Conjuring” spinoff “The Nun” also ranked as one of the year’s most lucrative hits. But Blumhouse’s “Halloween” sequel, 40 years after the original, grossed US$253.5 million worldwide on a budget of just $10 million. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, 60, it now holds the record for best opening weekend for a film with a female lead over 55.

MISS: “London Fields”: It cost a modest US$8 million to make, but the long-delayed Martin Amis adaptation starring Amber Heard was among the most widely ignored films of the year. After being held up for years by lawsuits, it opened with just US$160,000 on 613 screens — a per-screen average of US$262. It ranks as among the worst performing wide releases ever.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For the third time this season, Oregon grabbed the top spot in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll, announced Tuesday by the Association.

 

Receiving 18 first place votes and 786 points, the Ducks (44-5) returned to their familiar spot after sweeping then-No. 18 California in convincing fashion over the weekend. Oregon opened with a 5-2 win on Friday night and then outscored the Bears 26-1 in a pair of run-rule victories (9-0 / 17-1) on Saturday and Sunday. The victories extended a pair of winning streaks for the Ducks, who have won 14 straight and 11 consecutive Pac-12 games.

The Gators (49-5) picked up the final 14 first-place nods and are just six points (780) behind the Ducks in the No. 2 position. In the first of two tightly contested SEC series, five total runs decided the outcome of all three games in Columbia, Mo. UF edged then-No. 11 Missouri 7-6 and 9-6 in the first two contests, before the Tigers salvaged game three, 3-2 in eight innings, snapping the Gators’ 17-game winning streak. With those two wins, coupled by an Auburn defeat on Sunday, UF claimed its fifth SEC regular season title and the top seed at the league tournament.

The third, fourth and fifth ranked programs stayed put for a second straight week. Riding a 17-game winning streak, No. 3 Michigan (48-6) was crowned Big Ten regular season champions for the eighth consecutive season. The Wolverines swept through Penn State in their league series (8-0, 14-2, 10-2) for the outright league title and will face either Maryland or the Nittany Lions in their first Big Ten tournament game.

The Crimson Tide (41-11) swept their final SEC series with three road wins at Arkansas (9-1 / 14-2 / 1-0) and will be the third seed at the conference tournament. The Sooners (45-7) picked up three non-conference victories before entering the final week of Big 12 play. OU topped North Texas (6-2) on the road, thanks to Lauren Chamberlain’s go-ahead grand slam and NCAA-record 91^st career home run. The Sooners then shut out Utah Valley State (13-0 / 14-0), which saw freshman Paige Parker twirl her fourth perfect game of the series in the finale, matching a Division I single-season record.

UCLA and Auburn shifted up one spot each to No. 6 and 7, respectively as LSU fell two spots to No. 8. In a battle of Tigers, the orange and blue Tigers of Auburn earned two hard-fought one-run (2-1 / 1-0) wins in Baton Rouge, La. Before the purple and gold Tigers of LSU came out on top in the finale, 7-1. With the two triumphs, AU finishes second in the SEC, its highest finish ever. By virtue of its game-three triumph, LSU, the host of the 2015 SEC Tournament, slid into the fourth seed and earned the final first-round bye in the single-elimination tournament.

Rounding out the top 10 are No. 9 Florida State (42-12) and No. 10 Louisiana-Lafayette (37-8). There was some shifting throughout the rest of the poll, but all 25 teams remained the same for the third straight week 

The regular season winds down this week with several conference tournaments and culminates with the announcement of the 64-team field for the 2015 Women’s College World Series on Sunday at 10:00 p.m. ET.

The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference.  Current 2015 records are shown and first-place votes are in parentheses.

USA Today/NFCA Division I Softball Poll – May 5, 2015

Rank

Team

2015 Record

Totals

Prev. Rank

1

Oregon (18)

44-5

786

2

2

Florida (14)

49-5

780

1

3

Michigan

48-6

733

3

4

Alabama

41-11

688

4

5

Oklahoma

45-7

642

5

6

UCLA

44-8

638

7

7

Auburn

46-9

617

8

8

LSU

44-10

577

6

9

Florida State

42-12

532

9

10

Louisiana Lafayette

37-8

496

10

11

Tennessee

39-13

470

12

12

Minnesota

46-8

449

13

13

Missouri

38-13

441

11

14

Georgia

39-13

371

14

15

UCF

46-7

360

15

16

Baylor

37-13

298

17

17

Arizona

37-15

286

16

18

James Madison

44-6

261

19

19

California

35-16

220

18

20

Washington

38-14

193

20

21

Notre Dame

40-12

144

23

22

Texas A&M

38-17

95

25

23

South Alabama

35-10

87

22

24

Arizona State

32-19

72

24

25

Kentucky

29-23

59

21

 

New to Poll: None

 

Dropped out: None 

Others Receiving Votes: North Dakota State (42), Utah (26), Texas (13), USC Upstate (9), Kansas (5), Western Kentucky (4), South Carolina (3), Cal State Northridge (1), Hofstra (1), North Carolina State (1).

Life likes to deal us surprises from time to time — a job loss, a chronic illness, an unfortunate fender bender. As a homeowner, any one of these sudden changes can throw you off your game, financially speaking, but if you’re house poor, even a minor expense change can have catastrophic consequences.

House poorness occurs when a large portion of your income goes towards your housing expenses, leaving little leftover for savings, discretionary spending or emergency funds. House poorness is not uncommon; an Ipsos poll by MNP published in January found that nearly half of Canadians are $200 or less away from being unable to pay their bills. A fluctuation in interest rates or a sudden expense can bring a house poor owner to their knees, Laurie Campbell, CEO of Credit Canada Debt Solutions explains.

“You’re really fighting a situation where anything that happens becomes too much,” she says.

Watch: Stunning energy-efficient mansion for sale in Vancouver. Story continues below.

House poorness falls on a spectrum of intensity. For some, not having much financial wiggle room means no vacations or new cars. For others, it’s the difference between paying the mortgage and saving for retirement.

“The more serious version of house poor that I think people are just starting to see, and possibly for a couple more years, is people who not only can’t afford to do those discretionary spending types of things, but who also cannot save for retirement, save for children’s education, other things that are really important to do as well,” says Jason Heath, managing director of Objective Financial Partners Inc.

While the prospect of house poorness is frightening, it can be prevented through detailed planning, budgeting and thinking into the future. Campbell and Heath share how you can avoid house poorness, even before you sign those mortgage documents.

Want to retire? Buy from the bottom

While it’s expected that Canada’s hottest housing markets won’t cool off entirely this year, affordable housing remains inaccessible for many. Campbell is concerned that in the current market conditions, some new buyers are still purchasing above what they can afford. In the event of a interest rate rise, she says that those who’ve bought beyond their means could be on a course for financial hardship.

“Even a quarter point could result in immediate financial discord for a family that has really bought at the top of their income,” says Campbell.

Heath has worked with a number of clients, who, after several years of house poorness, have not been able to efficiently save for retirement. In order to recoup their losses, Heath says that house poorness has forced some homeowners to make downsizing an inevitable part of their financial plan. He fears that those overpaying in today’s market will follow the same fate.

“Particularly if and when home interest rates rise, mortgages payments will rise accordingly,” says Heath. “I worry that you’ve got a whole generation of young people who may be putting a lot of their retirement plans into their home as opposed to saving in a traditional manner.”

Preventing house poorness starts with buying at the bottom of the market, where the prices are the lowest, but Campbell adds that it also requires ignoring the pressures of needing to buy right now — home prices may decline further yet. By monitoring the price of homes in the markets in which you want to buy, you’ll build your knowledge of a fair evaluation of prices in your desired area and skip overpaying, Campbell explains.

“Even if you want to buy a house a year from now, start doing your research now,” she says. “Know what the real cost of housing in the area you want to buy is so you can make sure you’re evaluating the houses that are up for sale with experience.”

Taking on a smaller mortgage loan may also prevent house poorness, especially in the event of an unexpected income change. Borrowing under the maximum amount a mortgage lender approves you for, Heath says, leaves a good buffer in your financial budget in case any unanticipated changes should occur.

“I think it’s a really good lesson to people before they buy to appreciate that job loss happens, health issues happen,” says Heath. “There are extraordinary financial situations that you may not be able to anticipate that could put you into difficulty if you bite off more than you can chew in the first place.”

Skip the McMansion — think long term

Like we keep a spare tire in the event of a flat, or a box of bandaids for those little accidents, avoiding house poorness requires establishing some safeguards in case of unforeseen circumstances. This means having a well thought out financial budget, and a good cushion of emergency funds.

When it comes to budgets, Heath says it takes a very personalized approach to get it right. The mortgage stress test does not factor in personal spending, so financial budgets for homeownership should reflect your own spending habits and expenses.

“The mortgage qualification process does not take into account things like your discretionary spending or the activities that your children are enrolled in, for example,” says Heath. “You can have two families with the same income and the same mortgage approval, but spend very different amounts of money month to month on housing related stuff.”

Beyond budgets, Campbell says it’s also important to account for the long-term lifestyle you’ll want under your mortgage. Owning a home in your early thirties with no children will mean different financial priorities compared to your late forties with post-secondary education fees and retirement in mind. It’s important that your mortgage accommodates your long-term savings and planned changes to family and income. Campbell says this starts with sticking to a budget.

“You don’t need the McMansion,” she says. “A lot of people think the bigger the house, the better it is and a lot of people regret that. So make sure that it’s within the budget that you have within an emergency fund that you need to develop around that budget and you’re able to do the things that you’ve wanted to do over time that won’t be impacted by the decisions you make with that home.”

Don’t give up everything

Owning a home ain’t cheap: there’s renovations, regular maintenance, seasonal upkeep and at least one emergency repair that you’ll need to fork out for at some point. Heath says that new home buyers tend to overlook these expenses — but they are critical to account for in any homeowner budget.

“I think it’s really important to, either on your own or with a professional, to try to assess what the true homeownership cost is going to be in that home,” says Heath. “Particularly, if you’re moving from a condo into a house, or from a rental into a homeownership position.”

Failing to accommodate regular home upkeep and extra costs in the budget can skew the true cost of homeownership. It can also be a drain on your finances. House poorness is marked by a lack of disposable income, which not only leads to skipping those needed repairs, but also the inability to go out and enjoy living life.

“People will often say, ‘We’ll give up everything to buy this house,’ but everything gets really boring very fast to have given up everything,” says Campbell.

Heath recommends making a detailed budget for the medium- to long-term financial outcomes of buying a home in order to assess true ownership costs.

Breaking up is hard to do

If you’re in a position of house poorness, don’t give up — there are options.

Campbell says that boosting your income is a good first step. You can do this by getting a part-time job, or creating side hustle from your home by renting out your extra rooms on Airbnb. But, if your mortgage payments have simply become too much, Heath says that you may need to consider selling and downsizing.

“There are situations where people need to consider the home that they own and whether it is too expensive,” he says.

If selling is the last resort, Campbell advises not to do so hastily. While there could be a mounting urge to get cash — and fast — selling quickly could cost you value in your home.

“Don’t wait until you really hit the dirt, and then try to sell your house, because chances are you’re going to have to sell it very quickly, and if you need to sell it very quickly, you’ll probably going to sell at a lower rate than you wanted to get,” says Campbell.

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Hulu is a great way to watch some of the best shows on TV whenever and where ever you want, and right now new subscribers can get a full year of Hulu for just 99-cents per month. The offer was supposed to expire last night, but it’s been extended through 10 AM PT/1 PM ET today.

HOW TO GET THIS DEAL: Open up this page and click on the Hulu icon in the upper left to see the 99-cent offer.

This deal expires today, so if you want to get yourself complete access to every episode of shows like Rick & Morty, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, as well as movies, Hulu originals, anime, documentary series and more.

After the first year, the plan switches to only $7.99 a month for the limited commercial options, but you can cancel whenever you want. So if you decide it’s not for you, there’s no commitment. For 99 cents, what more could you ask for?

The deal expires today, so if you want to get Hulu for what might be the best possible price of any streaming service right now, you don’t have much time.

Reminder, to get this deal you need to open up this page and click on the Hulu icon in the upper left to see the 99-cent offer.

Seth Macy is IGN’s tech and commerce editor. You can find him on Twitter @sethmacy.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senior Michelle Duncan tossed her second straight shutout of the championship as No. 4 Dixie State blanked Adelphi, 2-0, in the second winner’s bracket game (Game 6) of the 2015 NCAA Division II Championship, on a cool and wet Friday evening at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

 

With the victory, the Red Storm (51-7) earn a day off and a trip to the semifinals on Sunday, May 24 at 2:30 p.m. at OGE Energy Field. The Panthers (31-21) fall to the elimination bracket and will face the winner of game seven between North Georgia and St. Mary’s (Texas), tomorrow, May 23 at 5:00 p.m. CT.

Duncan improved to 31-0 with her strong performance in the circle. She scattered five hits, struck out three and did not walk a batter.

Adelphi hurler Lindsay Mapes (19-10) held her own, putting forth another solid showing. In a complete game effort, she only allowed four hits, struck out six and walked two to keep her Panthers within striking distance.

Dixie State scored in the first and fourth innings. A bases loaded hit-by-pitch in the top of the first gave the Red Storm an early 1-0 lead. Dixie State doubled its advantage in the fourth, courtesy of a two-out RBI triple by Josie Hartman. Hartman and three other Red Storm recorded hits on the evening.

Both teams had their chances in the game leaving a combined 15 runners on base (DSU 8/AU 7).

Krista King was 2-for-4 and Megan Lewis went 2-for-2 with a double at the plate for the Panthers.

— Photo courtesy of Richard T. Clifton