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Archive for February, 2009

Unemployment Rates are rising…what you already know and must have forgotten…

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Everybody seems to be talking about the unemployment rate reaching a 26 year high recently. Well, it’s true, it did. But are there still jobs to be had? Yes. Are there still ways to make money? Yes. Here is my break down of the the job situation and some other tidbits of information and advice (critique) to get you back on track. (please see referenced websites at the end)

I know that the news regarding jobs and the economy is frightening, but you have to compartmentalize that as “what’s going on in the world” and focus on “what’s going on in your house and community”. It could be that some towns and cities across the U.S. are hitting rock bottom, but your hometown is still doing ok. So, before you do anything, assess your own personal situation. If you have your job, and your company doesn’t seem to be struggling, then stay where you are. Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t build up an emergency fund in case something does happen, it just means that your job looks relatively stable. Now, if you live in a small town with only a couple of big companies that provide employment for most of the townspeople, you should definitely be saving some money and keeping your eyes open for signs that the company is struggling. For example, have they cut back on freebies or privileges? Are there no free bagels in the morning? No more overtime? No bonuses? Have they closed other locations? If you see any actions like this, prepare yourself for the possibility of a layoff.

Okay, so now let’s assume that you’ve lost your job. You need money. You need to provide for your family. Well, in spite of what the news is reporting, there are jobs to be had in the U.S. Now, not all of these jobs are glamorous, and the truth is that you might be overqualified for them, but, I have to say, so what? You are looking for something to provide for your family, and if in a couple of weeks you don’t find your dream job, well then, I suggest you deliver pizzas til you find what you want. Everyone knows that companies are eliminating jobs. There is NO SHAME in providing for your family. Wal-Mart offers health insurance to its employees, so get a job there and have health coverage. Starbucks offers health insurance to part time employees!!!

Here is another point that might surprise you: it might be financially better for your family if one of the parents stayed home. Take a look at your finances. If one parent makes significantly more than the other, maybe the lesser earning parent should stay home. If the lesser earner does not make enough to cover the cost of daycare, their gas or bus pass for transportation to and from work and their daily lunch/coffee, then it is a financially sound decision (not to mention good for the well being of the child) for that parent (no matter if it is the dad or the mom) to stay home and care for the child. So, if you lost your job, but financially weren’t making enough to cover the job, then stay home and be with your child!

Now, for those who say there are no jobs out there, I say you just have to look. Granted, some small towns have only one factory, which provides most of the jobs for its residents. This is hard for me to say, because I came from one of those towns, but it is a bad model from which to set up a town. As a resident, your whole existence depends on the stability of the company. I wouldn’t want that stress. So my advice on this, though hard, is to MOVE AWAY. For the rest of you living in towns/cities with plenty of businesses, I say, looking for a job is a full time job. You only get as much out of it as you put in it. If you blow off looking because interviews are uncomfortable, well then, don’t expect to get a job. And please don’t think that looking for jobs on the internet only will help you find something, because usually it doesn’t (yes, there are exceptions). Here are some places that are usually hiring, no matter what the economy is doing:

Tech industry – you might have a masters degree, but level 1 tech support lackey beats grill master at a fast food joint.

Wal-Mart/Target/Kroger/Costco – again, not glamorous, but we’re talking about basic employment with benefits

Health Care Industry – all that money we pay for health services doesn’t just go to doctors, some of it goes to the nurses and administrative support team. (Hint: these positions are usually paid way more than what the job responsibilities imply they should be)

Government/State jobs – come on, it’s the Government, they’re always hiring. Pay is decent, benefits are good.

Military – should be under government, but I separated it because they just recently came out saying they were adding 180,000 jobs. These jobs offer free housing, food costs, health benefits and an average starting salary of $35,000.

Don’t tell me there’s nothing out there. Maybe you just aren’t looking in the right place, or thinking the right way. I wish all of you luck in your search for a job. If you have any questions and think I might be able to help, just add a comment, and I will try to the best of my ability!

Happy Hunting!

http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/26/news/economy/jobless_claims/index.htm?postversion=2009022609

http://news.google.com/news?ned=us&hl=en&q=walmart+hiring

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10073394-2.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29377376/

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February is “fall off the wagon” month…

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

This month, millions of people do what they said they weren’t going to do on January 1…fall off the wagon. Whether it be with diet, exercise or money etc., people all over the country start slipping on their goals this month. Why is that? Well, I have a couple of ideas about why people fail in February: Tax Refunds, Lack of Accountability, Exhaustion, No Firm Plan and No Cheerleaders.

Tax Refunds are terrible for the average American. At the end of the year, when the government finally decides to give the taxpayers back their money (unless you live in California this year, where the government is refusing to give back refunds since it spent all of its money), people all over the U.S. get so excited about how they are going to use the money. Most people start off with noble intentions: “I will use the money to start an emergency fund” or “I will use the money to pay off debt”, but by the time the refund shows up, the new intent is to “buy that 50″ flat panel LCD TV that I’ve always wanted”. Failure. This kind of thing makes me cringe. Tax refunds in the hands of most people end up being impulse spending and nothing more. Don’t lose your willpower. Without debt payments, you could have more money throughout the year and have your tax refund…the best of both worlds!

Lack of accountability is another good reason people fall of the wagon. This applies to money, diets, exercise and smoking to name a few. Most people are not capable of being accountable to themselves. Remember the first time you sneaked a cigarette or cupcake, the first time you decided to skip the gym or buy that new pair of shoes? Who was there to talk you out of it? Generally, no one. If you don’t have someone with whom you have to be accountable, someone to say “you don’t need those shoes” and “skipping the gym is like eating a brownie” then you are more susceptible to your own inner demons. You can’t say, “oh, what’s one cupcake?”. FYI, that one cupcake (1.5 oz) is 200 calories, which is a 30 minute walk on a treadmill…sounds tempting huh? If you’re single, find someone you trust to be your conscience. If you’re married, as a couple you should be on a plan and accountable to each other.

Falling off the wagon from exhaustion sneaks up on you. It’s when you have been so good staying focused on your goals that you wake up one day and say to yourself “I am worn out, I just don’t think I can do this anymore”. It’s when you say things like “I don’t care if I ever see another free weight…” and “So help me, I’d give anything to stop looking at spreadsheets…”. There is nothing I could say to counteract this problem. I can only tell you to take solace in the fact that we all have these moments and that you are not alone. You just have to tell yourself that you are not going to give in to your exhaustion and then make a list of what you have accomplished so far. It doesn’t matter how small you think the accomplishment is, it counts. You wouldn’t have accomplished anything if you had not tried.

Falling off the wagon from a lack of a plan and no cheerleaders is obvious. If you don’t figure out exactly how you are going to accomplish your goal and write it down then you will not stay focused. If you don’t have people around you cheering you on, hoping you succeed and helping you out then you will not stay on task. People need other people to affirm that they are doing a good job. They need people to review their plan and say its good. Enough said.

All in all, there are plenty of reasons we fall off the wagon. Staying focused and on task to achieve your goals keeps you on the wagon and is what it means to be an adult. Think about this…we can’t eat the way we did as children and stay thin….if it were that easy, we’d all be thin. When children get money they can spend it however they want and adults cannot. You can’t take your tax refund and blow it on a TV…you have responsibilities. You ARE an adult. You have to do things differently then when you were a child. You can’t expect to stay thin as an adult without getting exercise…you wouldn’t have stayed thin as a child if you didn’t play and ride bikes. Why do you think childhood obesity is on the news all the time these days…children don’t go outside and play anymore.

So, don’t fail in February. Save your refund, be accountable to someone, persevere through exhaustion, make a plan and find your cheerleaders! I believe everyone is capable of doing amazing things under the right circumstances. It is your job, however, to help create as many of those right circumstances as you can!

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Valentine’s Day, The Southern Couple’s Way!

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

Well, it’s that time of year again! The time of year when a man’s palms sweat and they cringe with fear, or they grumble about spending money and resent February (at least any part of February that occurs AFTER the Superbowl). It’s Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day is a very interesting holiday. Though not disliked by men as much as Sweetest Day (which we don’t celebrate, and I don’t even know it’s date), it is still a holiday that men feel passionately about, in a negative way. Now I should say not ALL men dislike this holiday, but most do. Why?

Well, I’m no man, but I have a few ideas. I imagine the 2 biggest complaints are the money that they feel they have to spend (afraid to mess up the budget), and the romance they feel they have to show. Let’s look at the 2 separately, and what your favorite Southern Couple does to celebrate the big day.

The money. Well, sorry fellas, but yes, women do like presents. Hate to burst your bubble. Now for the good news…unless your woman is the type to covet only the best and is all consumed with the price tag (and unfortunately, there are women out there like that) then the present doesn’t really have to cost anything. Women consider all sorts of things gifts that most men never think about. Some examples would be: a back massage from her man (free), breakfast in bed (food cost), homemade card (cost of materials), cleaning the house for us (free), watching the kids while we take a bubble bath or go out with girlfriends (free), making a craft to show your love (cost of materials), take us on a picnic (in the south, outdoors, in the north, in your bedroom), watch our favorite chick flick with us (free), make us dinner (food cost) etc. ANY of these gifts would be well received by a girlfriend/wife. Flowers and chocolates?? Icing on the cake.

Now, for the men out there who don’t want to break their budget, all I have to say is…why isn’t Valentine’s Day already IN your budget? It does happen every year after all. If you want to cut down on your stress around this holiday, you should budget enough money to buy the items that you think you will continue to buy your significant other for your life. If that happens to only be a card, well, budget $5. If you think dinner out, card, flowers and candy are on the agenda, set aside $100. If you want to do more than that, save more. If you combine your income, set aside some for her too. This isn’t rocket science, it just takes planning.

Alright, the second worry for men is that you won’t be romantic enough. Well, chances are you won’t be. Men should think about this a little. Most women plan their wedding day from their childhood, or watch soap operas (not me, eww yuck) or chick flicks etc. They have ideas about romance in their heads that have been there forever. You will probably NOT live up to that expectation. Accept your fate and MOVE ON. Once you accept this, the pressure of the holiday won’t be there, and you will be more pleasant on the big day. A man who is more pleasant on Valentine’s Day makes the whole day more pleasant, and maybe even romantic, because everyone is RELAXED.

Another little known fact about romance. Most women realize you won’t be as romantic as our daydreams (which is a shame, but we move on) and are used to men not being romantic at all. Therefore, ANY romance you show will make us happy. Extra kisses or hugs (or both) before you go off to work, coming home and intentionally asking about our day (and listening to the answer), and opening up doors for us (chivalry) are all good examples of romance.

This Southern Couple has come up with a solution that works in our life. I plan out the activities and romance for Valentine’s Day, and he plans out our wedding anniversary. This arrangement is great, because I have the opportunity to do for him what he really wants on Valentine’s Day, which takes the pressure to be romantic off of him and allows him to be sweet and romantic on a holiday he can really get excited about. I take him to the movies (double feature this year) and to dinner. I buy him a gift that is practical (what all men REALLY want). I set aside some money from the budget for a gift for me, and he takes me out and has me pick out a gift (he is terrified of picking things out for me…no clue why). Then, on our anniversary, in October, he goes all out and is totally sweet and romantic.

So, don’t break your budget for Valentine’s Day, but DO budget for it. Don’t freak out about what to get her or the prospect of romance, and just relax and be yourself (unless yourself is normally irritating, then be a little better than that)!

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

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Winter Ice Storms…What are the Pitfalls?

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

On January 25 of this year, a nasty series of winter storms hit the entire state (and surrounding states) of your favorite Southern couple. The entire state was buried under snow and ice for a week, and just when we thought we’d get a reprieve, more storms and more snow. Under the weight of the ice, power lines, trees, bushes, fences and a host of other things fell to the ground. Statewide, hundreds of thousands of people without power. Some counties are not expecting that power to be repaired for WEEKS! Trees toppled on houses and roadways, creating hazardous roads and insupportable living conditions. Schools have been closed for 2 weeks and it appears that students might go to school til July this year. All in all, it’s a hot mess.

I have been thinking about what all of the unfortunate people in the state are going through. My 2 best friends both lost power. One for 2-3 days, and the other has been without power for 9 days and counting. Your southern couple was lucky this time. We never lost power or cable, and didn’t have any trees fall on us or our house.

But the people who were impacted by the storm…what about them? They are paying for hotel rooms while their homes have no power. They are paying for arborists and electricians and possibly roofers to fix the problems caused by the weather. They are out hundreds (thousands?) of dollars to get their lives back in order. Could they afford it?

As our readers know, we are BIG supporters of having a rainy day (in this case icy day) or emergency fund. We think that having a reserve of money for life’s little eventualities (or Mother Nature’s tantrums) is a top priority. We do not believe in putting emergencies on credit cards, because MOST people don’t pay off their credit cards. If these people had or have emergency funds, then they could just pay cash for the repairs or hotel rooms and not worry about where they will get the money. Living in a hotel room for 2 weeks is stressful enough without the stress of figuring out how to pay for it.

So, were our fellow citizens prepared? We hope they were, but we obviously don’t know.

The lesson to take away from the last 2 weeks however, is that disasters are only disasters if we are not prepared for them. Keep an emergency fund of at least $1000. Don’t think that it could never happen to you. Don’t let your life impact you…impact your life!

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