Over the years, I have learned through reading, listening to others, and a little soul searching, that I qualify to be referred to as a Conservative, politically speaking. Mostly, I am a fiscal conservative, believing in the free-market system and Trickle-down economics. But I also think I qualify to be referred to as a conservationist, and that spreads throughout my life, including things like recycling, reusing, working to be sure I am not wasting where I can be using things wisely. This past couple of years, I had a rain barrel installed to capture some of the summer rains we get and use it to water the garden; bought and began using a compost bin to reuse kitchen scraps, yard trimmings, shredded newspaper, etc. Now we have a separate waste can to deposit recyclable items to keep them from adding to the landfill. I believe in all of these things as prudent ways to be good shephards of our resources.
Economically speaking, I also believe in using something until it is no longer usable. My car is a 1995 model, and recently turned over 150k on the odometer. I plan to continue using it until it is no longer economically feasible to do so. I try to keep my debt load under control, not borrowing more than I need to, not spending more than I need to either. This means wearing clothes that I have had for awhile instead of stocking up on newer ones; not going out to eat a lot, limiting travels, basically trying to live within our means. This is no great sacrifice, from where I stand! I love being able to put my head on the pillow at night and not spend hours worrying and fretting about how I will be able to meet our monthly financial obligations. Somehow, though, I feel like the 'powers that be' are not happy if the American public isn't spending to the max, therefore not supporting the economy! I fail to see how overspending and getting into debt, having our homes foreclosed, our cars reposessed, because we were not economically prudent, is supporting our economy, can you?
So, on the off chance that we do get one of those much-touted economic stimulus package checks in the mail any time in the foreseeable future, the chances are I will use it to reduce my debt, or to save for future expenses. Right now, we are in the midst of a giant mud puddle here in Flagstaff, since we live on a dirt road and don't have a paved driveway. My hope is that I can take some of that mystical money, or more likely, some of my income tax refund, and have a load of cinder rock put down in our driveway and out into the roadway, so future snows and rainstorms will be a little easier on our 'mud' footprint! But I'm not going to hold my breath, either way....
Friday, January 9, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
New Year wishes
It's been awhile since I posted here, what with the holidays and all. But I thought it would be a good time tonite, as we await the arrival of 2009, to post my New Year's wishes. This has been an incredibly upsetting, tumultous year for us all, between the endless campaign season, the calamitous state of the economy, political scandals, murder, mayhem... you name it, we've had it! So what is on the horizon? Well, it doesn't really matter who you listen to, most people are predicting chaos, doom, upheaval, the end of civilization as we know it... all I can say is,
E N O U G H!
My sincere hope for 2009 is that somehow, global sanity is restored at least sufficiently enough that we all start acting responsibly and quit finger-pointing, laying blame and fighting like two-year olds. Let's try to identify problems without hidden agendas, come up with workable solutions, and practice a little teamwork to get back on track, so we can try to restore some normalcy to our lives and our communities.
This is going to require us all to become more active in our communities, pay more attention to what our elected representatives are doing, and speak up when we see things that are not right. We can no longer sit by and passively expect business to be taken care of by others. Hard as it may be to accept, there are those in this world who thrive on taking advantage of the apathy of others... they are all to happy to lie, cheat and steal whenever the opportunity arises, and the only defense we have against them is to be vigilant... expect the worst, but hope for the best. But I also think we need to actively support those who are doing the job we expect of them. And one way to do that is to communicate with our representatives, let them know about those things we think need attention; give them constructive input as to what we think can solve the problems we encounter; at the local level, write letters to your newspaper, attend neighborhood meetings, city council meetings, board supervisors' meetings; take part, pitch in, do what you can to make your community, your state, our country a better place to live in.
Well, I think that's enough soap-boxing for tonight... above all, let's do all we can to make 2009 a better year than all the pundits are predicting! God Bless all, and God Bless America!
E N O U G H!
My sincere hope for 2009 is that somehow, global sanity is restored at least sufficiently enough that we all start acting responsibly and quit finger-pointing, laying blame and fighting like two-year olds. Let's try to identify problems without hidden agendas, come up with workable solutions, and practice a little teamwork to get back on track, so we can try to restore some normalcy to our lives and our communities.
This is going to require us all to become more active in our communities, pay more attention to what our elected representatives are doing, and speak up when we see things that are not right. We can no longer sit by and passively expect business to be taken care of by others. Hard as it may be to accept, there are those in this world who thrive on taking advantage of the apathy of others... they are all to happy to lie, cheat and steal whenever the opportunity arises, and the only defense we have against them is to be vigilant... expect the worst, but hope for the best. But I also think we need to actively support those who are doing the job we expect of them. And one way to do that is to communicate with our representatives, let them know about those things we think need attention; give them constructive input as to what we think can solve the problems we encounter; at the local level, write letters to your newspaper, attend neighborhood meetings, city council meetings, board supervisors' meetings; take part, pitch in, do what you can to make your community, your state, our country a better place to live in.
Well, I think that's enough soap-boxing for tonight... above all, let's do all we can to make 2009 a better year than all the pundits are predicting! God Bless all, and God Bless America!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Sound advice, indeed!
I was visiting a blog this morning that I check regularly these days, and read this post: http://imataxpayertoo.wordpress.com/2008/12/11/sound-advice/
I commented about it, asking what has happened to personal initiative? Hard work? Determination?
By that, what I was getting at is that we have become a nation, maybe even a globe, that gives to those who won't do for themselves. I'm not referring to those who need help because THEY ARE UNABLE to do for themselves, but those who WON'T do for themselves. Most of us have to work hard to achieve things like earning a living, getting an education, getting ahead in the world. Very few of us succeed without a great deal of effort.
What I am seeing, and have seen for some time, is that a large segment of our population INSIST that those who have worked hard to succeed need to pay those who haven't worked hard, and to me that is fundamentally wrong! It's like rewarding a child for bad behavior. Oh, I forgot... we are no longer allowed to do that either!
And then there was this statment:
"You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn."
This is such a simple concept, and yet we are looking at a globe where the masses are panicking because our banking industry and our auto industry are collapsing due to massive overspending, and in the case of the auto industry, the unions are adamantly refusing to accept wage reductions in order to help in preventing the demise of the very industry that hires their members. True, just reducing wages of the workers isn't going to save the industry. The powers that be, the auto execs, will need to work very hard to restructure the industry if it is to survive. This is a case where the patient is seriously ill, and we don't need Dr. House to diagnose the ailment! Greed, incompetence, no clear plan for competing with companies based in other countries where the unions don't have a stranglehold on them...
I feel badly for the employees of these behemoths... they are just trying to make a living, feed their families, just like most of us. To have not only the company you work for, but the entire industry jeopardized in this way is a travesty. The dilemma here is whether a 'bailout' from Congress or the White House will serve to cure what ails the industry. Will it change their way of thinking? Will it help them to prevent the same thing from happening again? Or will it just postpone disaster? I have my opinion about the matter.... what's yours?
I commented about it, asking what has happened to personal initiative? Hard work? Determination?
By that, what I was getting at is that we have become a nation, maybe even a globe, that gives to those who won't do for themselves. I'm not referring to those who need help because THEY ARE UNABLE to do for themselves, but those who WON'T do for themselves. Most of us have to work hard to achieve things like earning a living, getting an education, getting ahead in the world. Very few of us succeed without a great deal of effort.
What I am seeing, and have seen for some time, is that a large segment of our population INSIST that those who have worked hard to succeed need to pay those who haven't worked hard, and to me that is fundamentally wrong! It's like rewarding a child for bad behavior. Oh, I forgot... we are no longer allowed to do that either!
And then there was this statment:
"You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn."
This is such a simple concept, and yet we are looking at a globe where the masses are panicking because our banking industry and our auto industry are collapsing due to massive overspending, and in the case of the auto industry, the unions are adamantly refusing to accept wage reductions in order to help in preventing the demise of the very industry that hires their members. True, just reducing wages of the workers isn't going to save the industry. The powers that be, the auto execs, will need to work very hard to restructure the industry if it is to survive. This is a case where the patient is seriously ill, and we don't need Dr. House to diagnose the ailment! Greed, incompetence, no clear plan for competing with companies based in other countries where the unions don't have a stranglehold on them...
I feel badly for the employees of these behemoths... they are just trying to make a living, feed their families, just like most of us. To have not only the company you work for, but the entire industry jeopardized in this way is a travesty. The dilemma here is whether a 'bailout' from Congress or the White House will serve to cure what ails the industry. Will it change their way of thinking? Will it help them to prevent the same thing from happening again? Or will it just postpone disaster? I have my opinion about the matter.... what's yours?
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Gratitude list
As we trudge through our global financial upheaval, I find myself mentally listing things I can be grateful for:
1) The last time I had a new car to pay for was 1983, and I probably won't own one again
2) I have never found it necessary to own an SUV
3) I don't have a cell phone - just a prepaid phone for emergencies; no one has my number
4) I haven't found it necessary to own an ipod, a big-screen TV, name brand clothing
5) Ever since I was a child, I have been interested in making things out of discarded items
6) I dislike shopping
7) I prefer home cooking to fast foods
8) I prefer to stay home rather than travel
9) I don't like to carry large credit card balances
10) I am an optimist, so I tend to believe that things will improve with time
Does all this make me 'odd'? Well, others may think so, but over the years I came to recognize that 'things' don't make me happy. I also found that I sleep a whole lot better when I'm not tossing and turning, trying to figure out how to get out from under a mountain of debt.
My brother died back in 1987, and left my sister-in-law with over $11k in credit card debt. Funny thing, he really didn't know what all he had purchased to add up to that much. That gave me a wake-up call, and I began to pay more attention to my expenditures. My main reason for having a credit card is to handle emergency expenses, like car repairs or items purchased that are more money than I have available at the time to pay for it. But I also make large payments to pay off the balance as quickly as possible.
My hope is that the parents of today's children will teach them how to manage their money, how to budget, and how to get through life without having to buy everything they see advertised! We are a nation of consumers who have totally lost control, and it's time we all came to our senses and started saying 'no' to endless buying! Washington might not think that's the best idea, but I sure do...
1) The last time I had a new car to pay for was 1983, and I probably won't own one again
2) I have never found it necessary to own an SUV
3) I don't have a cell phone - just a prepaid phone for emergencies; no one has my number
4) I haven't found it necessary to own an ipod, a big-screen TV, name brand clothing
5) Ever since I was a child, I have been interested in making things out of discarded items
6) I dislike shopping
7) I prefer home cooking to fast foods
8) I prefer to stay home rather than travel
9) I don't like to carry large credit card balances
10) I am an optimist, so I tend to believe that things will improve with time
Does all this make me 'odd'? Well, others may think so, but over the years I came to recognize that 'things' don't make me happy. I also found that I sleep a whole lot better when I'm not tossing and turning, trying to figure out how to get out from under a mountain of debt.
My brother died back in 1987, and left my sister-in-law with over $11k in credit card debt. Funny thing, he really didn't know what all he had purchased to add up to that much. That gave me a wake-up call, and I began to pay more attention to my expenditures. My main reason for having a credit card is to handle emergency expenses, like car repairs or items purchased that are more money than I have available at the time to pay for it. But I also make large payments to pay off the balance as quickly as possible.
My hope is that the parents of today's children will teach them how to manage their money, how to budget, and how to get through life without having to buy everything they see advertised! We are a nation of consumers who have totally lost control, and it's time we all came to our senses and started saying 'no' to endless buying! Washington might not think that's the best idea, but I sure do...
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Giving Thanks
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a day to reflect on the things we have to be thankful for. I have many, many things I give thanks for today: A loving Creator, who has always given me what I need, who has been patient with me while I went through my wild, crazy days, and responded when I asked for help to get off the roller coaster and get on more stable footing; family, friends and a loving husband, who always seem to be there when I need them; a free nation, filled with fellow citizens who are all trying to make the best of this life we have been given; a form of government, which at times seems to be completely dysfunctional, but still beats any of the alternatives I have seen in our world; health, hope, joy, laughter.... the list goes on. My wish is for a world where we can all thrive and grow, not just those on the side of the aisle that share my political beliefs, but all of us. May we all try to remember to wish for the best in each other, and be thankful for what we have been given. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Words worth considering
Someone sent me a power point presentation today with words of wisdom, along with some beautiful pictures. One quote really caught my attention: "Open your arms to change but don't give up your values". That is so timely, what with all the rhetoric about 'Change' these days. We live in a world of change... often we need to make changes in our outlook or ideas to adapt to the external changes that swirl about us. But I couldn't agree more that it is vital that we hold on to our values, and find ways to cope with the things we can't change within the framework of our values.
I have written in previous posts about the values I hold dear. I am struggling with conflicting feelings about the government bailing out our financial institutions, the auto industry, etc., in an effort to stablize the global economy. First off, I think the time for government action is way overdue, but should have come in the form of basic legislation to prevent lenders from practices that are fiscally unsound. It makes no sense whatever to approve a loan to a borrower who does not have good credit. It is not only unhealthy for the lending institution, but it is insanity to put borrowers in a position where they will most likely default on the loan. I also think the borrowing public needs to take some responsibility for entering into risky loans. Living within our means is far better than taking out a loan with the hope that we will be able to repay it!
I am also trying to understand how the auto industry and their unions thought they could survive while driving the price of new vehicles so high that the average buyer could not even consider purchasing a new car these days! I'm driving around in a 13 year old vehicle for a good reason... there is no way I can see myself clear to put 20-30k into a vehicle! Not now, or anytime in my future. Therefore, I will continue to drive this vehicle until it dies, then will look for a used car to continue my journey.
Rather than seque into a rant about unions or minimum wage, suffice it to say that in my humble opinion, we as a nation need to divest ourselves of any unnecessary expenditures, tighten our belts, and learn to live with less while the globe reels from this certain resession... my hope is that once we have gotten through this era, that we learn something from it... quit putting ourselves in fiscal danger in order to 'own' things we really don't need... put some of our income aside to cover emergencies, and think real hard about how much we can afford to go in debt. Meanwhile, I can only hope and pray that those in the position of leading our country will rethink their values and act in a responsible and prudent manner as they go about the business of running our country. Mom always used to tell me I should learn from my mistakes so I don't have to keep repeating them... I sincerely hope our leaders follow that suggestion and stop practicing same s__t, different day!
I have written in previous posts about the values I hold dear. I am struggling with conflicting feelings about the government bailing out our financial institutions, the auto industry, etc., in an effort to stablize the global economy. First off, I think the time for government action is way overdue, but should have come in the form of basic legislation to prevent lenders from practices that are fiscally unsound. It makes no sense whatever to approve a loan to a borrower who does not have good credit. It is not only unhealthy for the lending institution, but it is insanity to put borrowers in a position where they will most likely default on the loan. I also think the borrowing public needs to take some responsibility for entering into risky loans. Living within our means is far better than taking out a loan with the hope that we will be able to repay it!
I am also trying to understand how the auto industry and their unions thought they could survive while driving the price of new vehicles so high that the average buyer could not even consider purchasing a new car these days! I'm driving around in a 13 year old vehicle for a good reason... there is no way I can see myself clear to put 20-30k into a vehicle! Not now, or anytime in my future. Therefore, I will continue to drive this vehicle until it dies, then will look for a used car to continue my journey.
Rather than seque into a rant about unions or minimum wage, suffice it to say that in my humble opinion, we as a nation need to divest ourselves of any unnecessary expenditures, tighten our belts, and learn to live with less while the globe reels from this certain resession... my hope is that once we have gotten through this era, that we learn something from it... quit putting ourselves in fiscal danger in order to 'own' things we really don't need... put some of our income aside to cover emergencies, and think real hard about how much we can afford to go in debt. Meanwhile, I can only hope and pray that those in the position of leading our country will rethink their values and act in a responsible and prudent manner as they go about the business of running our country. Mom always used to tell me I should learn from my mistakes so I don't have to keep repeating them... I sincerely hope our leaders follow that suggestion and stop practicing same s__t, different day!
Friday, November 7, 2008
"Waste not, want not...."
Boy, did I hear that saying a lot when I was growing up! Being a child of parents who grew up during the Great Depression, who had to squeeze every penny until it cried, I was schooled intensely on frugality. As a result, I do have a tendency to do without a lot of 'nice to haves' with very little difficulty. And because of that, even though our recent and current financial roller-coaster has been unsettling to say the least, I am probably not as stressed about it as a lot of folks who have followed "spend like there's no tomorrow" practices. While I was growing up, we had a lot of instances where if I wanted something, often I would have to sacrifice something else in order to get it, or do odd jobs to earn extra spending money. So that taught me that my time was worth something, but that I couldn't always have everything I wanted. Boy, has that been a valuable lesson! I drive a 13 year old car that probably gets better gas mileage than most cars half its age; I don't own an ipod or an i-anything... as a matter of fact, my car only has a radio! I have bypassed getting caught up in the trap of thinking I had to have something because everyone else did, so while I'm not totally debt-free, the debt I owe is manageable and represents purchases or services to cover needs, and very little in the 'wants' category. Do I feel sorry for myself? Not even close! I can sleep at night, not having to toss and turn wondering how I'm going to keep from having this reposessed, or that foreclosed on. I am not bragging here... but I continue to feel a great deal of gratitude for the lessons my parents taught me early on... they have been very beneficial to me, which is probably why I am trying to document them here, in the hopes that others may benefit as well.
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