When I think of "community", I picture the aspects of community life that rarely seem to exist in society today. I think of people pulling together to help each other out. I picture the Amish, all coming together to build a house for one of their community members, being willing to give their time and effort, knowing that their community members will be willing to one day do the same for them. I imagine the deeper friendships that are built in communities where not only are people willing to help out, but people are willing to ask for help, to show their vulnerabilities and drop their defenses.
I think back to pictures I've seen of block parties and barbecues, especially in the 1950s era. It seems like communities were closer back then; that people took the time to get to know their neighbors, and to enjoy their "off" time together more than they do now.
I took a class on community organizing, and it was sad to me that most people polled in the class did not know more than two people in their neighborhood. And I am included in those results! What does that do to a "sense of community" if you do not even know who is around you? Most of us seem to be living isolated lives, filling our time with business and busyness, but what about relationships? We all need friendship, accountability, and a sense that someone cares what happens in our lives. I guess that is how I would define an ideal community: one where its members take the time to know each other, keep each other accountable, and care about each other.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Determining my worth
Ha! Thanks for the depressing topic! :) Finding out your net worth is not too difficult to figure out, especially for the average college student, who probably doesn't own much yet, or have many, if any, investments. The simple equation to figuring out your net worth is to subtract what you owe from the value of what you own. If you don't own a house, a car, a savings account, or investments like a 401K plan, and you are debt free, it should be very easy to figure out! You are probably still on the plus side in the net worth category, because you must own something.
If, however, you don't own any of the above listed things, and you DO have debt, your net worth is probably in the hole. I used a financial calculator at http://www.msmoney.com/mm/financial_health/where_stand/yournetworth.htm to determine my net worth. If you plug your numbers in, and you do not like what you see, you can try to turn those numbers around by using a site like https://www.mint.com/ or https://money.strands.com/ which launched in 2009 and won the Best Banking Website in the 14th Annual Webby Awards in 2010. Moneystrands has an online app for money managing, as well as a free app for iPhones and iPods. A calendar can be set up to show which bills are about to be due. A 12-month spending plan can be established (otherwise known as the "b" word: budget.) One reviewer wrote: "Where does my money go" is my favorite feature offered by Moneystrands. It has helped me reevaluate where I spend the majority of my money. My coffee and food budget has been cut by 75%. Just having the visualization of my spending has helped me save so much." A person can set up email alerts; if you reach a certain level of spending in a certain budget category, an alert will be sent to your email or phone warning you so that you can reign in your spending. A person can even compare their spending (by category) with others in the community!
How important is it to know your net worth? Experts are divided on the topic. Per a New York Times article: "To me, it’s an irrelevant number,” says Spencer Sherman, author of “The Cure for Money Madness” and a founder and the chief executive of Abacus Wealth Partners. “If people have a billion in net worth and are spending half a billion in a year, they’re really poor.” After all, they’re on pace to be broke in 24 months. (Sherman’s preferred measure of financial health for retirees is a ratio that compares net worth, excluding home equity, with the amount of money people take from their portfolios each year. He generally doesn’t want clients spending more than 4 to 6 percent of their holdings annually.)
Of course, this is really referring to people who have taken some kind of interest in their finances, obviously, if they have a financial advisor and an established portfolio! Most experts agree that knowing your net worth is a good basic place to start and can lead to learning how to better manage your money.
If, however, you don't own any of the above listed things, and you DO have debt, your net worth is probably in the hole. I used a financial calculator at http://www.msmoney.com/mm/financial_health/where_stand/yournetworth.htm to determine my net worth. If you plug your numbers in, and you do not like what you see, you can try to turn those numbers around by using a site like https://www.mint.com/ or https://money.strands.com/ which launched in 2009 and won the Best Banking Website in the 14th Annual Webby Awards in 2010. Moneystrands has an online app for money managing, as well as a free app for iPhones and iPods. A calendar can be set up to show which bills are about to be due. A 12-month spending plan can be established (otherwise known as the "b" word: budget.) One reviewer wrote: "Where does my money go" is my favorite feature offered by Moneystrands. It has helped me reevaluate where I spend the majority of my money. My coffee and food budget has been cut by 75%. Just having the visualization of my spending has helped me save so much." A person can set up email alerts; if you reach a certain level of spending in a certain budget category, an alert will be sent to your email or phone warning you so that you can reign in your spending. A person can even compare their spending (by category) with others in the community!
How important is it to know your net worth? Experts are divided on the topic. Per a New York Times article: "To me, it’s an irrelevant number,” says Spencer Sherman, author of “The Cure for Money Madness” and a founder and the chief executive of Abacus Wealth Partners. “If people have a billion in net worth and are spending half a billion in a year, they’re really poor.” After all, they’re on pace to be broke in 24 months. (Sherman’s preferred measure of financial health for retirees is a ratio that compares net worth, excluding home equity, with the amount of money people take from their portfolios each year. He generally doesn’t want clients spending more than 4 to 6 percent of their holdings annually.)
Of course, this is really referring to people who have taken some kind of interest in their finances, obviously, if they have a financial advisor and an established portfolio! Most experts agree that knowing your net worth is a good basic place to start and can lead to learning how to better manage your money.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Purchases online vs. in store
Obviously, having trust in the security of an online transaction is important. But there are more factors in deciding whether or not to purchase on item online. Sometimes convenience is king! That is when I turn to the computer to make an online purchase. Some of the items I like to buy online are books, perfume, and games. The more the likelihood that I won't need to return the item, the more the chance I will make the purchase online.
When it comes to something that requires a proper fit, however, I will almost always make the purchase in a store. This is especially true for clothing. I do sometimes purchase shoes online, and can purchase with confidence if it is a brand I have purchased in the past. For the most part, though, when it comes to any apparel, I prefer to go to a store.
I also am a "texture" person, so the majority of the time, I purchase items such as sheets, comforters and towels in a store. I want to feel the fabric before I make my decision!
In addition to the "try before you buy" factor, and being able to feel the fabric first, I also enjoy puttering around in a store, so as convenient as the computer is, the stores still have a stronger pull for me!
When it comes to something that requires a proper fit, however, I will almost always make the purchase in a store. This is especially true for clothing. I do sometimes purchase shoes online, and can purchase with confidence if it is a brand I have purchased in the past. For the most part, though, when it comes to any apparel, I prefer to go to a store.
I also am a "texture" person, so the majority of the time, I purchase items such as sheets, comforters and towels in a store. I want to feel the fabric before I make my decision!
In addition to the "try before you buy" factor, and being able to feel the fabric first, I also enjoy puttering around in a store, so as convenient as the computer is, the stores still have a stronger pull for me!
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