As the summer winds down, and everyone is anxious about the kids going back to school, why not get out of the house and take to kids out to eat, right?  Except, if you a couple kids, or more, that can get very expensive.  Well no need to worry, there are many local Massachusetts restaurants that will feed your brood for FREE.  Why not take advantage of a great deal, and have a great time with your family? Local Massachusetts Restaurants Where Kids can Eat for FREE The Halfway Café – Kids eat free every Monday and Tuesday after 4pm.  The Halfway Café is also running a 7 for $7 deal through August, offering 7 entrées for $7!  You can’t beat that! Uno Chicago Grill – Kids eat free every Tuesday all summer with a purchase of an adult entree. The 99 Restaurant & Pub – Kids eat free any day all day after the Red Sox Win with the purchase of and adult entree! IHOP – Kids eat free on Tuesdays after 4pm with the purchase of an adult entrée. British Beer Company – Kids eat free all day Monday with purchase of an adult entrée. Moe’s Southwest Grill – Kids eat free after 4pm on Tuesday, with the purchase of and adult entrée. Samba Steak + Sushi – Sunday kids eat free all day.  Samba also offers a free Magic show on Sunday to amaze and wonder your kids from 5pm -8pm.   That sounds like a great deal! As always, please check your local dining establishments to make sure these deals are still active in case they have changed, and happy dining!

With some nine million households sending high school graduates off to college this year, the next year will be a hectic time. But during all the planning, one important thing is regularly overlooked by college-bound students and their parents—Massachusetts Insurance. Downey Insurance has been helping families through this transition for years.  The most common question we hear is, “how will this transition affect my current Massachusetts Insurance policies, and what addition insurance should we acquire for our college student?”  The answers vary greatly every family’s situation is unique.  The knowledgeable professionals at Downey Insurance are prepared to walk you through all your options and give you the peace of mind that you need during this time. More than 80 % of students who rent during the school year may not have enough insurance to protect their personal property—like computers and stereos—or to shield them from liability if someone should get hurt in their apartment.  In addition, one in seven students has no health insurance. Students and parents should visit a Massachusetts insurance professional like Downey Insurance to discuss student insurance needs like auto, health, and renters. Make a list of personal belongings the student is taking to school and keep it in a safe place in the event of theft or damage.

In this new digital era you may be planning your vacation differently that you used to. With the addition of smart phones, tablets, and digital apps to our lives we are behaving differently in every aspect of our lives including travel. We here at Downey Insurance, your New Hampshire Insurance Company favorite, we want you to be as safe and knowledgeable about the new traveling experience as you can be. Some of these tips to follow have been learned the hard way! Here is our updated travel tips for the new digital era: Post your vacation pictures to Facebook, Twitter, and Flicker upon your return. I know it is tempting to tweet your photos immediately. But heed our warning their are thieves perusing the web for this kind of content. A family vacation = Empty home = A New Hampshire Homeowners Insurance Company claim. It’s not worth it. People will love seeing your pictures just as much when you get home. Use GPS and Google Maps to your advantage. Families are now able to explore like never before with the use of technology without getting lost! I am sure everyone has a fond childhood memory of getting lost on a family vacation. Mom and Dad yelling, kids wondering “Are we there yet?” Now, our new friend GPS can alleviate all of that. You may even be able to find a really interesting destination via Google Maps that you never would have found the old fashion way. Check out interactive Mobile Apps for your destination. Some vacation destinations now offer a mobile app to add to your experience. Disney has a great one that allows your to make reservation for dinner in their restaurants and check wait times for rides. Some cruise lines are doing the same thing. Destination travel locations will be working toward this kind of interactive experience in the next few years.  So if they don’t have it today they are probably working on it. Most importantly enjoy your vacation with each other! Try not to check your smart phone or your email for a few days and just enjoy being with your family or friends. From Downey Insurance and your New Hampshire Insurance Company we know that you will have a great time!

Have you come up with a great business idea but don’t know how to turn it into a reality? It can be hard to take that first step, particularly when it seems like you have a mountain to climb. However, setting up in business needn’t be hard, especially if you can do it on a small scale from home. When you start from your New Hampshire home, you may need little more than a business plan and a home office. It might be important to consider business insurance, as a homeowners policy likely won’t cover dedicated business equipment. Contact an insurance company or your agent for some quotes. You might even be able to work on your business part-time in the early stages, until your business starts paying its way. Doing it this way may mean you need to be super organized to manage both obligations from your ordinary job, as well as your own business. But having regular income from your existing job to rely on could make a huge difference to your success or failure in the long run. Also consider testing your business in a small way first. Find one or two clients, or pitch for a small amount of work, until you are sure your business idea will be viable. Don’t think about taking on rented office space or staff and expanding your clientele until you are sure you will have the means to support it.