On my personal quest to see history and travel as much as I can, I can’t help but be drawn to historic places. Having visited South Louisiana more than 5 times, here’s a list of plantations you can visit so you can immerse yourself in the history (the good and the bad) of the area. It is nice to imagine being a Southern Belle, but also realizing that the wealth of a few was built on the backs of many.  Most of these plantations are within the River Parishes except for Houmas House. The River Parishes are located around 40 minutes from the French Quarter and the New Orleans airport (more if there’s traffic).  Looking for more Louisiana Travel? Click on the links below: One Day in Lafayette Louisiana (A History Tour) Things to Do in New Orleans with Toddlers or Babies How to Spend a Weekend in New Orleans (Itinerary) Complete Guide to New Orleans City Park Things to do in Kenner LA: Rivertown Plantations near New Orleans or Baton Rouge LA Oak Alley Plantation, Louisiana Oak Alley Plantation: The Best Plantation in Louisiana  Address: 3645 LA-18, Vacherie, LA 70090 Entrance Fee: $30++ per person The most visited plantation in South Louisiana, Oak Alley Plantation, is known for its Alley of Oaks, which frames the big house in such a photographic way. If you imagine what plantation houses may be, it’s easy to think of Oak Alley. If you’re a millennial like me, you would remember this house was used as a filming spot for the movie “Interview with the Vampire” starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, not the TV series.  Ever since I saw that movie, I knew I had to visit the plantation, and I finally had my chance. Even better, I got to stay in one of the historic cabins and got the iconic shot of Oak Alley without the crowds of people. And yes, anyone who can pay can stay in the historic or newly renovated cottages located on Oak Alley’s premises. It acts like a hotel where you can just pick the cottage you want, pay, and book. Since the restaurant is closed in the evening, you’ll get room service left on your cabin’s refrigerator (which you’ll get to pick before you check in).   Undoubtedly, this plantation is the most expensive out of the ones I’ve mentioned below, but if you only have the money to visit one plantation outside of the New Orleans area, make it Oak Alley.   Felicity Plantation: A Woman-Owned Plantation Address: 3535 LA-18, Vacherie, LA 70090  Entrance Fee: $24 per person Focuses

Groupon is exclusively offering bonus promo codes that can be used with new annual “Gold Star” Costco memberships (which currently cost $65) or on “Executive” memberships (currently costs $130). The bonus promo codes are either $50 (for Gold Star) or $100 (for Executive) for use on a qualifying purchase (more info. below). This is a nice offer that should more than make up for the most recent Costco membership price increase. Full details and link below. These offers are available to those who have not yet had Costco membership or their membership expired 18+ months ago (not member renewals or The post New Costco Membership Deal: Up to $100 Off at Costco.com appeared first on 20somethingfinance.com.

Mason jar crafts are simple handmade items that can be turned into creative products for selling because jars are cheap to get, easy to decorate, and very flexible when it comes to design ideas that can match different occasions, moods, and customer preferences. You can start making these crafts at home using basic materials like […]

Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #174 Here are some things I really like and that you might too!   Financial Independence/Work Life/Retirement Articles & Content What Risks Don’t You See? (Can I Retire Yet)  “Even if you… The post T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 174 appeared first on Accidental Fire.

This was the first ongoing sci-fi comics anthology series ever; published in 1940, it set the standards and tropes for the modern space opera saga. Image source: Amazon. Sci-fi comics were a groundbreaking genre in the early 20th century. It is taken for granted today, but sci-fi comics were seen as a moral threat to America’s youth back then. EC Comics and other pioneering comic book publishers were forced to stop publishing horror in the […]

Retired teachers still carry years of classroom experience, subject knowledge, and communication skills that can be used in many flexible job options even after leaving full-time teaching, and this experience often remains valuable for students, schools, and parents who still need guidance in different learning areas. Many education-related roles today do not require full-time commitment […]

Dr. Giulia Enders has changed the way millions of people think about the human body. As a physician, microbiome researcher, and bestselling author, she has spent years studying the surprising role the gut plays in everything from digestion and immunity to mood, sleep, metabolism, and long-term health. Public Release: June 23. Members have access now.Join us. Coming Soon: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Transcript In this conversation, Giulia explains how your gut shapes your […]

MBA Series – What Makes Asset Allocation So Important? “Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.” The beginning of the year is typically portfolio rebalancing time for investors. I write a lot about investing as it is an achievable path to long-term wealth. If you don’t know what asset allocation is or much about investing at all, then this article is for you. Modern Portfolio Theory is the science that drives most of the writing about investing today. After teaching a university Investments class, and reviewing the concepts of Modern Portfolio Theory, I’m reminded the key reasons that asset allocation is important. What is Asset Allocation? When creating an investment portfolio, asset allocation means selecting specific asset classes and choosing the percentage amount invested in each asset class.  Sample asset classes are: U.S. Stocks U.S. Corporate Bonds International Stocks International Bonds Real Estate or REITs Government Bonds Small Cap Stocks Large Cap Stocks Diversification – Tried and True Investing Diversification in investing means don’t put all of your money in one investment or one type of investment. Why diversify? There aren’t many people that can stomach three years of declining stock prices. In 2000, the market dropped a total of a 42.85% during 2000 through 2002. S&P 500 With a concentrated portfolio, when that investment goes down, there goes the value of your invested assets-down. And vice versa. Buy different types of investments, so that when one goes down in price, the others may go up, or at least remain stable. Diversification smooths out the ups and downs of your investments. For example, it is rare for bonds and stocks to go down drastically at the same time. During certain years, bonds will outperform stocks, and in others, stocks outperform bonds. S&P 500 Dividends ReinvestedUS Small Cap3-month T. BillUS T. Bond (10-year)Baa Corporate BondReal EstateGold201721.61%15.13%0.95%2.80%9.15%6.21%12.66%2018-4.23%-16.21%1.97%-0.02%-3.18%4.52%-0.93%201931.21%11.92%2.11%9.64%15.25%3.69%19.08%202018.02%34.16%0.36%11.33%10.60%10.43%24.17%202128.47%22.41%0.04%-4.42%1.02%18.86%-3.75%2022-18.04%-22.90%2.09%-17.83%-15.23%5.65%0.55%202326.06%5.19%5.28%3.88%8.74%5.68%13.26%202424.88%8.70%5.18%-1.64%1.74%3.96%25.96%202517.78%16.53%4.21%7.80%6.96%1.58%66.22% Source: https://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/New_Home_Page/datafile/histretSP.html Take a look at a 2022 anomaly: high inflation and subsequent interest rate spikes, caused a S&P 500 tumble of -18.04% and the 10-year US Treasury bond to plunge -17.83% simultaneously. However, look at how beautifully the balance restored itself just a year later: in 2023, the S&P 500 soared 26.06% while bonds stabilized with a return of 3.88%. Despite the stock and bond market losses in 2022, your investment losses would have been tempered, had you also owned real estate and gold. Real estate delivered a 5.65% gain and Gold remained flat with a 0.55% uptick. Over long periods, combining these asset classes drastically curtails your portfolio’s overall volatility. Bonus: What Should My Asset Allocation Be? Over long periods of time stocks have outperformed bonds, but a combination of diverse asset classes reduces your portfolio volatility (as measured by standard deviation). Notice that in 2021, the S&P 500, a proxy for the stock market averaged 28.40% return, while the 10 year Treasury bond lost 4.42%. Next, travel back in time to 2008 when the S&P 500 sunk a disastrous -36.55% and the 10