Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1506026
10 SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2023 By eresa Rossetti, Resident Let's face it. Unless you live off the grid, raise your own food and make your own clothes from fabric you've woven yourself, paying for "stuff " is necessary. Going shopping, shopping online, paying bills, we all must pay at some point. We know that checks can be stolen, washed, and cashed. Credit cards can be skimmed, and it isn't smart to walk around with a lot of cash on our person. Automating most of your monthly bills is smart. Practically every bank or credit union offer some form of online banking. Some vendors will auto-debit your checking account (or charge your credit card) and offer a discount if you do. Eliminating paper bills (our personal information exposed), the mailing of checks and the possibility of missing a deadline can be reduced this way. Do you shop online? is brings up two issues – making sure the sites you shop from are legitimate and protecting your pocketbook. First – legitimate sites. As with so much else lately, fake or sketchy sites abound. To protect yourself, remember "if it looks too good to be true, it probably is." Sketchy sites that look legitimate are popping up all over social media. If you're tempted by something you see it pays to wait a bit and check reviews and return policies. Don't shop on public Wi-Fi, where it is easy for hackers to capture your payment method. Wait until you're on a secure Wi-Fi connection to make your purchase. As for shopping in a store, if you have a smart phone do you use the digital wallet for purchases? Not secure, you say? Actually, storing a credit card or two in a digital wallet and using it for purchases is a pretty good idea in my opinion. e wallet app creates a random identification number that's used instead of your actual card number. It's true that if your phone is stolen or lost someone may be able to use the stored cards, but they would have to get past the protection you set up in your phone (face recognition, fingerprint access, passcode, etc.) so do make sure you have that in place. If your wallet is stolen on the other hand, your cash, identification and credit cards are immediately fair game to the thief. Another advantage of the wallet app is to access store cards, concert or movie tickets, plane tickets and so on instead of carrying them with you or relying on paper copies. Some warehouse clubs allow you to add your membership card and/or their credit card to the wallet, some healthcare providers do as well. As for all those store rewards cards, many of them can be digitized. For instance, Panera, AAA and Total Wine (don't judge!) are in my digital wallet! Clare Mendez, Resident While the Side Pocket Sisters were playing 8 ball one morning in August, Carl Reed was at home cleaning and warming up the swimming pool at their home in preparation for the annual SPS swimming party. Fortunately for us, the weather was a beautiful 85 degrees aer a few weeks of record highs. We enjoyed sandwiches, sangria, ice cream and a swim. e "sisters" bonded and exchanged family stories. No business was discussed (as if ). Aer the frolicking was calming down, Carl returned home (he was directed to make himself scarce), he continued with his cabana boy duties and took this picture of the bathing beauties. Sadly, some of the women had already le for home or another appointment and missed the photo opportunity. e photo is proof of sisterhood among competitors. SHOPPING SMART Side Pocket Sisters Pool Party