Saving for a Better Life

Add comment September 26th, 2008

I saw a commercial a few days ago. I’m sure you’ve seen it as well.

A couple have their TV go kaput, so they decide they need a new TV. The first thing the guy does is check what his balance and limit is on his credit so he can see how much he can afford. It made me think of the importance of savings.

My grandmother would talk about how she and my grandfather would save for a car or other major expenses. If there was no money there, then they didn’t buy it.

Is that realistic today? A day when now now now is the mantra?

Ideally, the goal for everyone is to be able to save at least 10 percent with each paycheck. A common response you hear is “I can’t do that. I have mouths to feed.” (I’ve said the same thing myself).

But what if we had started to save back in the “lettuce” days. Back when we had more than we really needed, what if we had put 10 percent in back then?

I remember back in my younger days, I was working 90 hours between a job with the postal service and a job at a bar. I had so much money coming in that I’d sometimes forget to deposit a paycheck and find it later in my wallet.

That lasted for a year. At the end of that, I had nothing. I’m not even sure what I bought. Since I was in my early 20’s then, I can only guess.

Some weeks there is extra. Some weeks there is not. If we can train ourselve to put the extra away for a better day, we will be ready for the weeks when our accounts are light. Or when we have emergencies. Or our kids want to go to college.

So they can afford a new TV.

Hands On Education Stays With You

Add comment September 18th, 2008

Today I was at the post office and the woman behind the counter asked me what organization I was with. When I told her “Junior Achievement,” the woman next to her said “I was a member of Junior Achievement.” From there, they talked aobut the products they created when they were JA students in high school.

This was just a great way to prove what I have noticed since day one of coming into this job. When kids have the opportunity to put their minds to work and put lessons into action, it stays with them.

This year, Junior Achievement will be bringing the JA Company into Rockford and Belvidere high schools. I guarantee it will be an experience they will never forgot and that will stick with them for life.