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It's on everyone's mind. It is frustrating, degrading, disappointing, worrisome and just plain "the pits." Yes, I am talking about the economythat word that sends us searching for answers and yet knowing it is all beyond our control. We are helpless to change the situation. Now that the horse is out of the barn, it seems it is going to take a lot of patience and time to get him back in.
It doesn't make us feel better when we hear Martha Stewart lost 75 million dollars. (Do we care?) It is also unnerving to hear about some of the "bail-out" employees downing marguerites while they sit around the pool and sun. We don't relish the thought of hearing one more stock report or how many people are unemployed.
Yet for me, now is the best time of my life and it's also one of the most trying times. Charles Dickens said it best, " It was the best of times; it was the worst of times" (A Tale of Two Cities, 1859)
There isn't much we can do about rising costs at the grocery store except try to catch the sales. Above all, we should keep on buying good healthy food.
However, since the cost of heating and cooling has gone up and probably still will keep rising, there are a few things we can do. I found an article in the St Petersburg time, September 20, 2008, which I will paraphrase: (You probably know all of this already, but just a friendly reminder)
v Replace air conditioner filters regularly.
v Clear the outside air conditioning unit. Grass clippings, overgrown plants, lint or dirty coils can cost you hundreds of dollars each year, due to restricted air flow
v Television sets, audio equipment, countertop microwaves, coffee pots and other appliances that are not in use should be unplugged.
v Replace old- fashioned light bulbs with fluorescent light bulbs. A fluorescent light bulb uses 75% less energy and is estimated to last 10 times longer.
v Close curtains on the sunny side of your home during the cooling season.
v Insulate, tape, caulk and seal every opening you can find.
v Turn your hot water heater off when you are not using it. It will reheat quickly. (This little tidbit saved quite a bit on our last electric bill)
Anyway, I can't resist telling you my favorite mantra, "Life by the inch is a cinch, but life by the mile is a trial."
Well, it is time for me to put Jim's "energy-saving " list on his desk and do some free things like taking a walk, calling a friend and just plain enjoying life, in spite of the "E" word.
Francine Larson:
Co-Author of Character Keys to a Bright Future.
She is currently writing for The Pasco Shopper (Fl.) and The Highlands at Scotland Yards. Also writes poetry and short stories.She has a new personal web site:http://thedragonflylady.com/
Too sad that the average financial IQ is quite low. The majority of people don't know how to save, don't know the first thing about current and financial betterment, how to use credit cards (experts say if you can't pay off the balance by the end of the month, don't buy it!), on and on.
In starting my new business and moving into a more spacious home, we had to cut expensis considerably. We did so by about 1/2. People don't realize that they can also save money by skipping payments on credit cards in dire times or ask for a lower interest rate; that they should work to pay off their lowest loan / cc payments and once paid off put that money along with the original monthly payment, like doubling down, on the next lowest and so on and so forth.
There are so many ways to save money. Before we moved in to our new home my wife was working. Since then she's quit her job while taking her time to look for a new one. And we are living just on what I make now while moving into a new home! Merely by initially paying off some five or six monthly expensis, cutting back on others, and just being penny wise and not dollar dumb.
» left by Fran Larson from Florida (345 days 6 hours ago.)
Thank you for commenting and giving some great advice and tips. My mother-in-law always told me that it's not the amount of money that you earn, but it's how you manage what you have.
I wish the best for you and your family.....Fran Larson
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