It is a hot day here in the Kudzu. Was supposed to get up around 91-92, but with the humidity up it feels like more. Could be worse I reckon, I could be working on the highways or up on a roof right now. I've put on several roofs where we had to keep a water hose spraying cool water on it and us in order to be able to survive. That's a tough way to exchange bits of your life for pieces of paper at the end of the week that you can then exchange for other pieces of paper with pictures of dead presidents on them.
That's what your doing, you know. Exchanging portions of your life, your time, and your knowledge, skill, and or ability for money. Doesn't seem hardly fair that you have to spend your youth and middle years just to try to have a little something to tide you through the end stage of your life, when you may be sick and feeble and not much in the mood to enjoy it all that much. Maybe want to end it altogether.
Why can't we have our retirement in the middle years. Say from 35 to 60, or 45 to 70. Something like that. We can then enjoy the retirement and look forward to having something to occupy or time in the last years we have. So many people have nothing to do other than watch the tv and wait for the grim reaper. Their children have moved on and the grandchildren have grown up and have their own lives to live. If their lucky their children will visit a few times a year. Better to give them something to get up for each morning.
Or you could spend your time and effort wisely. Ensure several streams of passive income and live the rest of their lives in retirement or semi retirement.
Just my view while resting in the shade of the kudzu and waiting for it to bloom.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Do you think you can't?
.
If so you are probably right.
But if you think you can...............
.......you're right again.
If you're willing to quit, you're already defeated.
I don't know who said that, but it's true.
"You're not the product of a broken home, a devastated economy, a world in the upheaval of war, a minority group, a family of drunkards or a poverty-ridden neighborhood. You are the product of your own thinking processes, and whatever you're thinking about today is the cornerstone of your tomorrow."
If you can only imagine..........you might have
.....as much heart as this dad has.
If they don't inspire you, you may need to hold a mirror under your nose. You may have died and didn't notice.
If so you are probably right.
But if you think you can...............
.......you're right again.
If you're willing to quit, you're already defeated.
I don't know who said that, but it's true.
"You're not the product of a broken home, a devastated economy, a world in the upheaval of war, a minority group, a family of drunkards or a poverty-ridden neighborhood. You are the product of your own thinking processes, and whatever you're thinking about today is the cornerstone of your tomorrow."
If you can only imagine..........you might have
.....as much heart as this dad has.
If they don't inspire you, you may need to hold a mirror under your nose. You may have died and didn't notice.
Stocks slammed........
.
.......Should you worry.
That depends. Do you have a lot invested in the stock market? Do you need your money out right now in order to maintain your life style.
Probably not. If you have money in your 401-K in stocks you may see a slight loss. If you don't get nervous and yank it out it'll be OK. Stocks go up and down. That's the way the big boys play. Move things up........Sell.......when they go down buy.........wait until they go up again and sell once more.
But you're likely not a big boy in the stock market. You should have a job that brings in at least enough to survive on. That is pay your mortgage, taxes, utilities, food and other needs. Anything left over should go towards accumulating at least a 6 month reserve of cash and ideally a 1 year reserve of cash in a money market or saving account to take care of you for a while in case of a loss of job or disability. If you don't have that right now, start from where you are toward fulfilling that basic reserve.
Not many people put up a food reserve out of their own gardens anymore. When I was a lad we could walk into a closet and pick out food enough to feed us for at least 6 to 8 months until the garden started producing again. We could always go to the field and butcher a cow or pig for meat. Times have changed, but not so much that you couldn't accumulate at least some canned food that would get you by for a while. Once again, start from where you are now and work slowly toward a goal to have this.
If you have anything left over try to buy investments that will protect your input and hopefully increase over time. At least buy something that is worth what you paid for it and will maintain value. Some people buy gold. It goes up and down, but will likely never drop to zero. Likely it will stay even with inflation over the long haul.
The point is that most of the country can do more than they are to protect themselves from the future. Most people spend far more time planning their next vacation than planning for their future.
If you are most people, you might as well paint a big L on your forehead. If that sounds embarrassing, you might consider thinking about your future. If that's too much trouble, just open another beer and kick the Easy Boy back and tune in to American Idol.
.......Should you worry.
That depends. Do you have a lot invested in the stock market? Do you need your money out right now in order to maintain your life style.
Probably not. If you have money in your 401-K in stocks you may see a slight loss. If you don't get nervous and yank it out it'll be OK. Stocks go up and down. That's the way the big boys play. Move things up........Sell.......when they go down buy.........wait until they go up again and sell once more.
But you're likely not a big boy in the stock market. You should have a job that brings in at least enough to survive on. That is pay your mortgage, taxes, utilities, food and other needs. Anything left over should go towards accumulating at least a 6 month reserve of cash and ideally a 1 year reserve of cash in a money market or saving account to take care of you for a while in case of a loss of job or disability. If you don't have that right now, start from where you are toward fulfilling that basic reserve.
Not many people put up a food reserve out of their own gardens anymore. When I was a lad we could walk into a closet and pick out food enough to feed us for at least 6 to 8 months until the garden started producing again. We could always go to the field and butcher a cow or pig for meat. Times have changed, but not so much that you couldn't accumulate at least some canned food that would get you by for a while. Once again, start from where you are now and work slowly toward a goal to have this.
If you have anything left over try to buy investments that will protect your input and hopefully increase over time. At least buy something that is worth what you paid for it and will maintain value. Some people buy gold. It goes up and down, but will likely never drop to zero. Likely it will stay even with inflation over the long haul.
The point is that most of the country can do more than they are to protect themselves from the future. Most people spend far more time planning their next vacation than planning for their future.
If you are most people, you might as well paint a big L on your forehead. If that sounds embarrassing, you might consider thinking about your future. If that's too much trouble, just open another beer and kick the Easy Boy back and tune in to American Idol.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Want to buy a house?
.
Anybody out there want to buy a house?
Either a brand spanking new one or a slightly used one?
For many months now, those with eyes to see, and even a vague knowledge of what's going on in the housing and financial industry have been worrying about the huge numbers of houses being sold to consumers with average (read poor) or poor (read very bad) credit and no down payment. This follows the collapse about 3 years ago of the mobile home - land purchase loans to anyone who would slightly fog a mirror held under their nose.
This week sees news articles about the numbers of mortgages in default in various areas of the country. See here and here and here. And see too many other news articles to count on your fingers and toes.
Countrywide mortgage has recently been advertising in my neck of the woods like every thing is so good that they will damn near pay your mortgage for you if you'll just make a call to them
But a good friend of mine who has been in the mortgage industry for 36 years told me 6 months ago that countrywide would accept the application and perhaps even approve it, but would keep asking for more info and new surveys and appraisals even up to the hour before the closing making it impossible to close a loan with them.
What does this mean to you? Damnifiknow. I don't know you or your financial circumstance. But I do know that if you have the cash, you can go to any bank around here, and I suspect in a lot of other areas, and buy a brand new house built by a good builder, in a good subdivision, for less than they loaned the builder. Because they have had to foreclose on him and any number of what used to be good risks and have more houses on their books than the federal regulations permit. I have personally been offered houses for $80,000.00 less than the appraisal of $250,000.00.
If only I had the money or knew some one with the money to invest.
What will be the fall out for any of us. Maybe not much. Maybe you are struggling to make your own mortgage payments. Now might be a good time to see if you can negotiate better terms on your present mortgage.
The housing industry has carried a huge part of the countries economy for a decade now. Big and small industry has moved overseas to where production cost are less.
The good thing is that this has spawned huge numbers of small businesses. The Bad thing is that so many of them are serving the housing and related industry.
Henry Ford priced his cars so that his own workers could afford to buy them. What happens if the consumer doesn't have any money to spend?
Riddle me that, Batman.
We'll study more on this in the coming posts.
Anybody out there want to buy a house?
Either a brand spanking new one or a slightly used one?
For many months now, those with eyes to see, and even a vague knowledge of what's going on in the housing and financial industry have been worrying about the huge numbers of houses being sold to consumers with average (read poor) or poor (read very bad) credit and no down payment. This follows the collapse about 3 years ago of the mobile home - land purchase loans to anyone who would slightly fog a mirror held under their nose.
This week sees news articles about the numbers of mortgages in default in various areas of the country. See here and here and here. And see too many other news articles to count on your fingers and toes.
Countrywide mortgage has recently been advertising in my neck of the woods like every thing is so good that they will damn near pay your mortgage for you if you'll just make a call to them
But a good friend of mine who has been in the mortgage industry for 36 years told me 6 months ago that countrywide would accept the application and perhaps even approve it, but would keep asking for more info and new surveys and appraisals even up to the hour before the closing making it impossible to close a loan with them.
What does this mean to you? Damnifiknow. I don't know you or your financial circumstance. But I do know that if you have the cash, you can go to any bank around here, and I suspect in a lot of other areas, and buy a brand new house built by a good builder, in a good subdivision, for less than they loaned the builder. Because they have had to foreclose on him and any number of what used to be good risks and have more houses on their books than the federal regulations permit. I have personally been offered houses for $80,000.00 less than the appraisal of $250,000.00.
If only I had the money or knew some one with the money to invest.
What will be the fall out for any of us. Maybe not much. Maybe you are struggling to make your own mortgage payments. Now might be a good time to see if you can negotiate better terms on your present mortgage.
The housing industry has carried a huge part of the countries economy for a decade now. Big and small industry has moved overseas to where production cost are less.
The good thing is that this has spawned huge numbers of small businesses. The Bad thing is that so many of them are serving the housing and related industry.
Henry Ford priced his cars so that his own workers could afford to buy them. What happens if the consumer doesn't have any money to spend?
Riddle me that, Batman.
We'll study more on this in the coming posts.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
It has always amazed me..........
.
.........That people can consider themselves unlucky or discriminated against for what ever reason, to explain to themselves their failures to be lucky or liked for who they are.
Have you ever felt that you were sick and tired of being sick and tired of where you are in your life.
Do you look around and see people who are making more money than you even if you know that they are not smarter than you are. Would you like to make more money.
Do you think that if only someone would give you a chance to show what you can do, that you would amaze them with the brilliance of your charming personality? Would you like to have the ability to communicate better and have more friends?
These and many more are the questions that millions of people ask themselves about every day. Just like you. And just like me.
We're going to discuss some of those ideas and how to improve our lot in life in this blog. No beating around the bush. No hiding from the truth. Just positive ideas on money, love, getting ahead. I know that right now I'm talking to myself. That's OK. If someone stumbles across these words and wishes to participate, just let me know in the comments. There'll be no long rambling posts, just attempts to get to the truths in our lives. I'm Larry and I look forward to getting to know you.
.........That people can consider themselves unlucky or discriminated against for what ever reason, to explain to themselves their failures to be lucky or liked for who they are.
Have you ever felt that you were sick and tired of being sick and tired of where you are in your life.
Do you look around and see people who are making more money than you even if you know that they are not smarter than you are. Would you like to make more money.
Do you think that if only someone would give you a chance to show what you can do, that you would amaze them with the brilliance of your charming personality? Would you like to have the ability to communicate better and have more friends?
These and many more are the questions that millions of people ask themselves about every day. Just like you. And just like me.
We're going to discuss some of those ideas and how to improve our lot in life in this blog. No beating around the bush. No hiding from the truth. Just positive ideas on money, love, getting ahead. I know that right now I'm talking to myself. That's OK. If someone stumbles across these words and wishes to participate, just let me know in the comments. There'll be no long rambling posts, just attempts to get to the truths in our lives. I'm Larry and I look forward to getting to know you.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Why are you where you are?
.
Thomas Sikking said:
"You're not the product of a broken home, a devastated economy, a world in the upheaval of war, a minority group, a family of drunkards or a poverty-ridden neighborhood. You are the product of your own thinking processes, and whatever you're thinking about today is the cornerstone of your tomorrow."
Take control of your thoughts and your future. Determine that you will have a better tomorrow. Make specific plans to do so
Thomas Sikking said:
"You're not the product of a broken home, a devastated economy, a world in the upheaval of war, a minority group, a family of drunkards or a poverty-ridden neighborhood. You are the product of your own thinking processes, and whatever you're thinking about today is the cornerstone of your tomorrow."
Take control of your thoughts and your future. Determine that you will have a better tomorrow. Make specific plans to do so
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