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THE SKINNY

• Summer Tips

• Money Minute

• Well, That Wasn’t on the Bingo Card

Featured Story

Better Late Than Never

A few simple home maintenance tasks can help Southshore homeowners avoid costly repairs during Florida's hottest and stormiest months

If your summer home maintenance plan currently consists of "hopefully nothing breaks," this one's for you. We're already into June, which means you've either been preparing your home for summer or you've been telling yourself you'll get to it next weekend.

Then suddenly it's hurricane season, the AC is working overtime, and you're wondering if that strange noise has always been there. The good news? It's not too late.

Start with your air conditioner. Replace the filter, clear debris around the outdoor unit, and schedule a tune-up if it's been a while. A little maintenance now is a lot cheaper than losing AC in August.

Next, check your gutters. Florida's summer downpours have a way of exposing clogged gutters and turning small issues into expensive ones. While you're outside, look for dead branches or limbs hanging over your roof. If a summer storm can knock it down, now's the time to deal with it.

Inside, check under sinks, around toilets, and near your water heater for leaks. Most water damage starts small and gets expensive later. And don't forget the dryer vent. It's one of the easiest fire hazards to prevent and helps your dryer run more efficiently.

Finally, test your smoke detectors, check your flashlights, and make sure your hurricane supplies didn't disappear into a mystery box in the garage.

Look, nobody moves to Florida because they enjoy home maintenance. But spending an hour or two now could save you thousands later. And if you've been meaning to tackle these projects since Memorial Day? Well, better late than never.

Monday Money Minute

The $5 Lesson Hiding In Your Grocery Cart

Inflation may not be making people happy, but it apparently isn't making many of us shop around either. A recent analysis found that while consumers regularly complain about higher prices, many continue buying the same products from the same stores without spending much time looking for alternatives.

Think about your own habits. How often do you compare prices before ordering from Amazon? How often do you drive across town to save a few cents on gas? How often do you switch grocery stores because one has cheaper eggs?

For most of us, the answer is "not very often." The reason is simple: time has become its own currency.

Many people would rather spend a few extra dollars than spend an extra hour hunting for the best deal. Businesses know this, which is one reason many companies have been able to maintain strong profits despite higher prices.

The lesson isn't that you need to become an extreme couponer. It's simply to recognize where convenience may be quietly costing you money. Saving $5 once doesn't change much. Saving $5 every week for the next ten years puts more than $2,500 back in your pocket.

The next time you're about to hit "Buy Now," ask yourself one question: Am I paying for the product, or am I paying for convenience? Sometimes convenience is worth every penny. Sometimes it's the most expensive thing in your budget.

Things to do

What’s Washing Up on The Shore This Week

Your Weekly What in the World

Cuba Shakes, Florida Checks For Sinkholes

For a few strange moments Monday afternoon, thousands of Floridians had the exact same thought: "Was that an earthquake... or is my house finally giving up?"

A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Cuba around 2 p.m. Monday and was reportedly felt across parts of Florida, including Tampa Bay, Orlando, Miami, and other areas around the state. The quake was initially reported as a magnitude 6.4 before being revised to 6.1. The epicenter was located just west of Cuba near Mantua at a depth of about six miles.

Residents from Clearwater to Orlando reported feeling buildings sway, pictures shake, and floors tremble. Some office buildings were temporarily evacuated while workers tried to figure out what exactly was happening.

In true Florida fashion, many people assumed it was construction, a sinkhole, or maybe just another insurance rate increase hitting their mailbox. Scientists say this was one of the strongest earthquakes ever observed in the Gulf region. Despite being centered offshore near Cuba, the quake was powerful enough for vibrations to travel hundreds of miles across the Gulf and into Florida.

The good news is there were no immediate reports of significant damage or injuries in Florida. Experts say aftershocks are possible in the coming days, although most would likely be too small or too far away for Floridians to notice.

Florida isn't exactly known for earthquakes. We're nowhere near a major tectonic plate boundary, which means when the ground starts moving here, people tend to pay attention. So if your office chair started wobbling Monday afternoon, you weren't imagining things. For once, the thing shaking Florida wasn't a hurricane, a tropical storm, or a new housing development proposal.

Southshore Spotlight

Oasis Opportunities

For many students, success starts with something as simple as a pair of shoes, a school uniform, or basic hygiene supplies. That's where OASIS Opportunities comes in.

The Hillsborough County nonprofit works with local schools to provide clothing, shoes, hygiene items, and other essentials to students facing hardship, helping remove barriers that can stand in the way of education.

Because sometimes the biggest difference in a child's life starts with making sure they have what they need to walk through the school doors with confidence.

Nominate your local hero by emailing us at [email protected]

We Know a Guy…or Girl

Southshore Services

Need a painter? A plumber? Someone brave enough to tackle that lightbulb orbiting 30 feet above your living room? We’ve got you. And the best part, they’re all right here in our community.

Interested in joining the list? Shoot us an email to [email protected]

“Keep it Local!”

Foodies Only

Your Restaurant

New menu items, promos, specials, events- feature them here. This is the place to tell 30,000 readers in Southshore what you've got. Only 20 spots for the year. Claim yours today.

If you’ve got a restaurant, food truck, or even a lemonade stand, it could be featured here. Email us at [email protected]

Local Sports

Got news, events, or press releases that the Southshore needs to know about? Submit them here. (We’ll do our best to add press releases in our regular rotation.) If you’re looking to run an actual ad, go here instead.

Until next time,

Keep It Local.