Things To Do In SW Florida

For new college graduates, receiving that first post-degree paycheck can be almost as exciting as getting the diploma itself. But it also presents a challenge: Given the many demands on a young person’s budget, how should those funds be managed?

We asked five money experts to share their best personal finance strategies to help this year’s college grads successfully launch their financial lives. Here’s what they said.

Find your budgeting style

To figure out how to allocate your money toward needs, wants and everything else, Erin Lowry, author of the “Broke Millennial Workbook,” says that instead of following the latest budgeting trend on TikTok, it’s helpful to just sit down with a pen and paper. “Write down what your big expenses are,” she says.

After accounting for large items like rent, car payments and food, you can then see what nonessentials also fit. “You might want to go out to dinner with friends, build up new work attire or adopt a dog,” Lowry says. Writing out the budget helps you figure out what you can afford and when, she adds. read more

Two Central Florida restaurants were temporarily shut down after restaurant inspections in the week of June 4-10, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Volusia County

Uncle Chicken’s Cast Iron Kitchen at 409 Mary Ave. in New Smyrna Beach shut down on June 6. Officials found six violations, three of which are a high priority.

Those violations include rodent activity and a stop-sale on food.

Another inspection the same day found three violations, none of which were a high priority.

The restaurant met inspection standards.

Osceola County

Di Carlo Ristorante at 2095 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Kissimmee shut down on June 9.

Officials found 16 violations, three of which were a high priority.

Those violations include an improperly stored container of medicine, roach activity and chlorine sanitizer not being at the proper strength.

At the time of this writing, the facility is still closed.

Complaints and warnings

Orange County had the top spot for most warnings and other complaints in Central Florida with 50. read more

Florida gas prices rose an average of 10 cents per gallon last week.

On Sunday, the state average for a gallon of gas was $3.46 per gallon, according to AAA – The Auto Club Group.

“Summer hasn’t officially begun, but the driving season is off to a roaring start,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Gasoline demand figures from the past few weeks have been stronger than what we saw during this same time last year.”

The most expensive markets are West Palm Beach-Boca Raton ($3.62), Naples ($3.52) and Port St. Lucie ($3.51).

The least expensive markets are Crestview-Fort Walton Beach ($3.18), Pensacola ($3.22) and Panama City ($3.22).

“Bad Boys 4” is not filming at Gatorland, despite recent reports indicating that the movie sequel starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence is in the works at the Orlando attraction. On Monday, Gatorland said the movie crew has not visited the South Orange Blossom Trail park.

Several outlets, including Entertainment Tonight, Popsugar and the Daily Mail out of the United Kingdom, posted items about the film. Some included alleged star sightings at Gatorland; others reported that the filming is happening in Atlanta with scenes representing Gatorland for the movie’s finale. There also were reports of a near-miss with a missile during the filming.

In April, the Hollywood Reporter wrote that the film, which has neither an official name nor a public release date, had been in production for about a month in Atlanta. Other stars will include Vanessa Hudgens, Eric Dane, Alexander Ludwig and Paola Núnez, it said.

The first “Bad Boys” film was released in 1995 with Smith and Lawrence playing Miami Police Department detectives. “Bad Boys II” came out in 2003, followed by “Bad Boys for Life” in 2020. The latest film grossed $426 million at the box office worldwide. read more