Found Not Lost

It’s a good thing I have a job because I am certainly no poet. I may not be a poet, but at least I’m not a complete financial dummy according to the bills IQ quiz. Take the bills IQ quiz on the website if you want to know how smart you’ve been with your financial decisions. After all, most Americans aren’t known for their saving abilities. We do like our toys and we want to have them right now. That’s also why many of us have gotten quite familiar with the idea of Debt relief. The last few decades has showed an increasing number of people who file for bankruptcy.

I know the basic idea of good financial management: do not spend more than you earn, and always pay yourself first. But do I follow that advice? Of course not. Since I was old enough to have a credit card, I’ve had at least a couple and carried balances on them; paying huge sums of interest and fees over the years. I have an average bills IQ only because I do try to pay my bills on time and have some investments to balance things out. Still, I could have done better with my finances.

If you are still holding more credit cards than you have fingers, you really should consider getting rid of them or reducing them. Debt help is available if you need it, all you have to do is look for it and follow some basic tips like Debt consolidation to reduce the ratio of money going out vs. the amount coming in.

Start by taking the bills IQ quiz at Bills.com and follow some of the suggestions after the quiz to start building a healthier money IQ.

With back-to-school being here before you know it and the shopping frenzy for school supplies begin, I thought I would just like to bring up a green suggestion with you. No, nothing risque, more in the lines of living green and being more environmentally conscious. You do know that all those trendy and very expensive school bags and back packs are all made of synthetic materials and most of the time, the worst kind of plastics. If you’re taking paper instead of plastic or even bringing your own reuseable bags to the market, why would you send off your child to school in plastic?

I would like to share these environmentally friendly and very attractive alternative to the plastic back pack. These hemp backpacks are made of natural fibers and are quite durable. Consider them when you start shopping for back to school.

One of our nieces is getting married in a month’s time so they have been very busy preparing everything. You know, the dress, the church, the reception, the cake and all that. While we were at their house visiting last weekend, the question came up whether it is still in style to give bridesmaid gifts. She said that some of her friends’ weddings did not bother with gifts for the bridesmaid, that it’s out of fashion.

My take on this is, if all your bridesmaid has to do is show up and walk down the aisle, then no, you don’t have to give a gift. Having been a bridesmaid numerous times, I’ve attended weddings of all types. One wedding where I was a bridesmaid (albeit it was family - my cousin’s), they paid for my dress, shoes and accessories. When I arrived for the out of town wedding, they had a whole ensemble for each bridesmaid and all we had to do was put them on, not look too pretty, and walk down the aisle. They even paid for my hotel room. AND after the wedding, they let me keep everything I used. So that was gift enough for me.

The more common practice nowadays is to have each bridesmaid pay for their outfit and accessories that the bride picked out to match her motif. Sometimes, this can end up costing quite a sum. And if you have to travel to attend the wedding, your cost for their affair continues to rise. Now at the end of the wedding when you get a heartfelt and sincere thanks from the bride, it all seems worth it that you were able to contribute to a special moment in the life of someone you care about. But what if a quick thanks was waved at you and then they’re gone? How would you feel? I think, a good friend would ensure that her bridesmaids were properly thanked for their efforts. A small token of thanks, it doesn’t have to be ostentatious or expensive, would go a long way to expressing this.

What do you think?

More than half of the staff at my office are away from the office today, they are at a company sponsored event that involves water, lots of food and tons of fun to be had. Some of us chose to stay behind and get caught up on work. I stayed because I didn’t feel like spending a whole tank of gas that I can barely afford to put in my car for necessary trips. I certainly couldn’t blow several days worth of gas to go and have fun! *sigh*

Anyway, as a consolation, they ordered in for us the same barbecue feast they are having at the event. There was so much good food that I’m sure no amount of weight loss pills can compensate for today’s calorie intake. So the food was good, and it was free.

That’s not the point of this post though. I think, no matter how generous your employer is and no matter how laid back their attitude is, employees still should show some decorum. We had several people who started packing up the food for them to take home before everyone even finished eating. I was the one embarrassed for them because they didn’t seem to be bothered that everyone was looking sideways at them. Or could it be they didn’t notice? Of course, they later offered that people take the left overs home so they wouldn’t go to waste but I just thought the people who jumped the gun were rude. Is that the right word to describe them?

Bottom line is, after the fun and everyone is full, everyone goes back to their desks and it’s back to business again. But those same people who were looking at you sideways, and some of them are in positions of power, while you were packing away dinner for five just so you won’t have to cook this evening, will remember how crassly you behaved next time they have to choose someone to recommend for a promotion or a raise. And no, they won’t look at your behavior as a sign that you don’t let anything go to waste.

Will Write Blog Entry For Money

Originally uploaded by voxeros

I don’t know why this photo resonated with me? Do you?

OK, while I do feel like I’m begging for money sometimes, I really do enjoy making a little money from blogging. I wish blogging had been around when I was still a stay-at-home-mom. I really would have enjoyed blogging then. Right now, I have to squeeze in my blogging in between work and family time.

OH, this is my ‘find’ today. I just discovered you can blog other people’s photos on Flickr! Duh, I’ve only had my Flickr account for three years or so.

It’s a great way to find images to use in your blog posts just to spruce them up a bit especially if they’re text heavy. There is a ‘blog this’ button, and you choose your blog, write your post, and presto! You have a post with a very nice photo. Nice, huh?

I think most of us know that it is probably best not to take payday loans. At least that is the advise we get most of the time, and it is sound advice.

HOWEVER, life does not always cooperate with being smart or sound. It likes to throw in monkey wrenches whenever it gets a chance because it knows that while we also all know that it is probably smart to have an emergency fund for just in case moments, we usually don’t. There are a great many people who live paycheck to paycheck and they are not irresponsible or dumb people, it’s just the way things are sometimes. I know, I’ve been there before.

When your only transportation to work conks out on you, when the pipes bust or the roof leaks, you don’t always have ready money to fix them and they have to be fixed. Those are times when Pay Day Loans are best utilized (not when you need a shopping spree to feel better). Now, it’s also easier and more convenient to apply for a payday loan. You don’t have to get in line at the store anymore, just go online and fill out an application. It’s convenient, secure and private.