Fwd: [thesimple_life] Simple Economics

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Sheryl Simons <thesimple_life

thesimple_life

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 8:11 pm

[thesimple_life] Simple Economics

 

 

 

 

 

The Simple Life

by Sheryl Simons

 

"'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free" - from the

Shaker song "Simple Gifts"

 

The family is the corner stone of our society. More than any other

force it shapes the attitude, the hopes, the ambitions, and the

values of the child. ~~Lyndon Baines Johnson

 

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Simple Economics

 

Google (Internet term for looking up something or a

search) "recession or depression" on the internet and you will come

up with - A depression is when the economy shrinks by more than 10%.

A recession is when the economy shrinks for two consecutive quarters.

We have not even had one quarter where the economy has shrunk yet!

The last time we had a quarter where the economy did decline was the

third quarter of 2001 (9/11). Actually we should have been expecting

an economic decline long before this.

 

The worst recession in the last 60 years was from November 1973 to

March 1975, where economic growth fell by 4.9 percent. We have not

even had one quarter where the economy has shrunk, so we're not in

either a recession or a depression. The economy is still growing,

but at a slower rate than past years.

You've probably heard the old saying, "If you lose your job, we are

in a recession, if I lose my job, we are in a depression."

 

Gary Foreman of "Dollar Stretcher" said, "You'll never see a

big headline saying "Everything Is OK." That doesn't sell newspapers

or keep TV watchers from reaching for the remote. In fact, I get

bugged when they hype a recession that doesn't exist. Frankly,

they've got a lot of people scared who don't need to be."

 

What if you lose your job and your home? It's definitely not as bad

as it seems. We have more resources available now than at any time in

our history, in fact, in the history of the world. There are

numerous ways to find help. For those that bought over-priced homes

they couldn't afford, this will probably be a good thing, looking

down the road, even though it is hard to go through. They can end up

owning a home they really can afford. There are so many homes now on

the market, they won't be sitting empty for too long. They will

either become rentals, or will be sold at a much lower price. Who

will buy them? Most likely the people who have lost a home! So this

just may be an opportunity in disguise! Don't think that if you have

bad credit you can't buy a home. It's not as hard to get a home as

it used to be. Now you have a chance to learn from your mistakes and

really decide to get ahead. Do not put all your eggs in one basket.

Buy a home you really can afford. If your job may not be stable,

(are they ever 100%?) you need to be careful. If you have two

incomes, buy based on ONE! Don't let this happen to you again. Use

this as an opportunity to downsize. Get rid of all that "stuff" you

really didn't need anyway. Your kids will not know the difference.

And if you do find yourself in hard times, keep looking up. Usually

you will find yourself in a better state. Who wants to go through

life as if they are hanging by their fingertips, anyway? Get back to

an even keel, and stay there. Keeping up with the Joneses will only

be putting yourself in hot water.

 

Do what you can to live simply and frugally. Save money. You can

have a good time without spending much money. Find inexpensive ways

to travel, go on vacation, and entertain friends, cook, and spend

your leisure time. It's nothing you can't do.

 

Let's say you want to take the kids to an expensive amusement park.

What if you take some air mattresses and a picnic to the beach?

Entertain friends with a pot-luck. Instead of going to the movies,

exchange a movie with friends, stay home and pop your own popcorn.

Have homemade pizza night. Hang your clothes on the clothesline

instead of using the dryer, and buy good used vehicles you have

checked out on Consumer Reports, or ride your bicycles when

possible.

 

You can think up lots of ways to save money and put some away for

hard times. Have a family meeting and talk about ways you can all

save money. Even the kids can help, and it is good for families to

work together on a project. Once you have a cushion put away, start

working on getting credit cards, and extra bills paid off. When you

really work on it, it won't be too hard. The trick is to have a

cushion BEFORE the hard times get here.

 

Local churches in our Marion area are sponsoring a Dave

Ramsey "Financial Peace" workshop. Dave Ramsey is funny and too the

point, as well as being practical. Call your local churches in your

area to find out dates and times. If we learn anything in times like

this, now is a chance to really learn what financial peace is all

about.

 

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Simple Walking Taco

 

Take a small bag of corn chips, - one per person, or for a group, you

can use a large bowl. Sprinkle in taco seasoned hot ground beef, and

taco toppings of your choice, such as salsa, cheese, lettuce,

tomatoes, onions, olives, and Jalapenos (if you dare). Great for a

lunch, too. If you make your own taco meat, you can know the grease

has been well drained. (less calories is another good reason to cook

your own!)

 

Keeping it Simple,

Sheryl

 

Please contact me with recipes, questions, comments and simple living

ideas that work for you. Email: thesimple_life

Join the online newsletter to print recipes and look up previous

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