Hi Do It Yourself (usually),

I stick hardly any of my money under the mattress - the mouse called "inflation" comes and chews off a small corner of each dollar, every year that it sits there.

When I put it into a bank account, I tell the teller that I should take out all of the cash that I need for the month, for the extra couple of cents interest that they pay on that amount for that time (if any) won't buy the gas to drive the car 50 feet (I used to say "half a block").

Plus ... the interest that they pay me (current income) is taxed at top rate, here in Canada.

And, in the light of their guarantee that they'll give me back every dollar that I gave them, and the other promise that they never mention, that, apart from the rent that they pay for the use of my money, they won't pay me one dollar more, either. So ... I have to worry about the depradations of that mouse chewing off a corner of each Dollar, annually, that I did when it was in (well, "under") the mattress.

Which is the reason that I buy stocks.

Rather than me work for my income ...

... if you work for one of the companies in which I own stocks ...

... you work ...

... to provide my income.

I like that scenario better - even if I weren't an old fart.

In a Canadian money management magazine, I've been reading of a guy who retired at age 34, and got his book, "STOP Working ... Here's How YOU Can", from the library, the other day.

Interesting read.

Have a fine weekend,everyone.

ole joyful

Is this a money-back guarantee? Let's take a look at but a few examples:

Don't spend 5¢ on a faucet washer. Let it keep dripping, then dribbling and eventually running water. You're guaranteed to save money? Especially when it's the hot water tap and you have to keep heating replacement water. And if you're on a well and it keeps the pump going to prematurely burn out...

Don't spend $1 on a 13 watt CFL to replace that 60 watt incandescent bulb that burns 24/7. You're guaranteed to save money?

Don't spend a few dollars to have the brakes relined, wait until they're grinding into the drums and rotors, or worse yet don't stop you and you hit a kid on a bicycle. You can also save more by not spending money on that auto insurance! You're guaranteed to save money?

Don't spend money to patch that hole in the roof. (I won't go on)

The point is, sometimes you do have to spend money to save money. The important thing is to spend it wisely. Then, in many or most cases you're guaranteed to save money. And I can even save on exclamation points! ;)

Oh, and as our wise old owl, Joyful Ed, often alludes to is that you also need to save wisely. Penny pinching can be fun and worthwhile on certain things, but there's times when it can cost you, whether it be increased doctor bills due to ignoring your health or some of the examples above.

Over the years I've found that spending wisely, saving wisely, and managing your lifestyle all go hand-in-hand in working toward a fun & frugal life.

Often, when I so happily tell my DH about an item that is NOW 50% off!. His favorite comment is always, "let's not buy it, then it will be 100% off!"

You say "Putting it under your mattress gives a better return than spending it!"

Not so in every case.

If you INVEST it wisely you will get a better return. Guaranteed!

Inflation will eat away at that money you have tucked away under your matress or sitting in your checking account.

Spend it by investing in real estate and you have a 99.99999 percent probability making more money on what you spent on the investment. Spend it on a house and SAVE money on rent that you would NEVER see again. There are other things out that are sure bets for making money by spending it. Sometimes not a lot - but it is better than NOT spending it and letting it languish.

EVERYONE (except newborns) has a home-based business.

They have employees that work for them.

Their job is to make the employees work wisely.

If they send a Dollar bill out to buy an ice cream, that employee works for them once.

Same for buying groceries, cosmetics, etc.

If they send the Dollar out to buy a pair of pants, that dollar works probably a few hundred times (until the pants wear out).

Same for a car - the thing of value provided by that employee-Dollar lasts longer, yes, but costs a large number of dollars, that only work that one time, then are gone.

Except, of course, if one sells the car later, it brings back (a small percentage of) the number of employee-Dollars that were sent out to buy the car in the first place.

If one chooses to buy a house, (with the exception of in the case of an over-inflated market), one can usually get a good deal of use out of it for a long period, and sell it later for more than one paid (but the dollar-employees that it will bring in will be, like the house-owner, sort of old and decrepit.

Some business owners figure that others can use their employees more effectively than they can, so they lend them out, for a rental fee ...

... and the personnel company (bank) that borrows the employees usually makes more on the effort expended by the employees than does the owner.

If one puts the employees to work - they'll work for you as long as you hang on to them.

Your job is to make them work for you as effectively as possible.

If you put them under the mattress, you're letting your employees be on siesta.

That may be O.K. for the hot hours of the early afternoon, in tropical countries, for live employees - but Dollar-employees don't sweat (Sorry - "perspire"). Or get sun-stroke.

They'll just keep working for as long as you want.

Without pay.

No vacations.

No sick days.

The ideal employee, no?

Have a great week (yesterday was holiday, around this area).

ole joyful

That (early August) was Civic Holiday.

Then there was Labour Day (early September).

Then Thanksgiving (early October).

Now, November 11, Remembrance Day, when we are supposed to recall with thankful hearts the gift of freedom and democracy offered to us by our military service people, over many generations.

But whose gift many of us abuse, when only 35 - 40% (even 50%) go out to vote on election day.

Up here, the lowest rate is for municipal elections - and that's the level where the services that most affect us are administered.

Who said humans were reasonable?

Responsible?

Responsible - that's the other side of the coin of the "freedom" that we say we value so much, isn't it?

Trouble is, so few consider that to be really important.

Which is one of the reasons that our societies are becoming less friendly (let alone "safe") ...

... or so it seems to me.

Have a great week.

Smile at at least half of the people that you meet throughout the day - they'll wonder what you've been up to.

ole joyful

OJ,

Smile at at least half of the people that you meet throughout the day - they'll wonder what you've been up to.

I've known and believed that for years, and occasionally have someone ask, "What are you smiling about?".
It is usually a close friend who suspects I really am 'up to something'.

diy, I remember years ago, a friend had some CD's that were paying 2.something% interest, after they had been paying maybe 7 or 8% (it has been a 'while').

I told her that b4 I would let a bank pay me that kind of measly interest, and then loan my money out for maybe 10% (more or less) I would bury it in my back yard. At my suggestion, she bought some stock that paid a good dividend, which figured out to be a much better rate of return per year. She was happy, and the stock went up in value as well, as it had been for years (luckily)

Sue

Hi again curly,

You are a wise woman.

(IMHO).

'Cept.

I don't think I'd dig a hole in the back yard and bury the bucks.

They say that old Uncle did that, that there's money buried around this yard - but no one knows where it may be.

Several years ago someone saw him drying some out that had been in a container inadequately sealed, it appears.

They dug part of the yard up a year ago, to install gravel to avoid getting equipment stuck. And some more yesterday to carry electrical and water lines to the shed newly upgraded to become a repair shop - but haven't heard of anyone finding a treasure trove.

Maybe we have to find little green men - and hang on to them tightly - in order to get it.

o j

Money itself is almost useless, I can't really think of any practical purpose for it. If you were left on an empty dessert island with 87 million it wouldn't actually be much use to you. I believe the only useful feature of money is that it may be turned in to things that are useful.

Of course you can save it, and when you save it somewhere good it grows so that eventually when you spend it you'll get more useful things - which you should as all the time you've saved it you were deprived of the useful things it could have been.

So, the question I wonder is should I save money or spend it? The best answer is probably both. Like many people I have long term plans that need money, which I'm saving for, but then I also need to live now and that costs money too.

It would be a bad choice to only invest in the bank and not invest in myself and my life. Perhaps it costs more for good food, but then again people who eat good food should live longer with less expensive health problems. I'm also saving up to go to university, it's expensive but it should mean a good job eventually that pays lots more than what I would otherwise do. I also invest in things around the house, for example I spent £2.50 on a couple of energy saving bulbs the other day, they will save lots of electric over time and thus save me far more money than putting that £2.50 in to the bank normally would. I've also bought a battery charger. Other examples are insulation for the house, and re-usable items such as containers/pots with lids rather than using expensive aluminium foil all the time. Everybody has to live while they save, so I would seriously recommend spending some money on things that reduce your cost of living. You'll end up with more money in the end.

And ultimately, if we're going to enjoy the benefits of all our money we will have to eventually spend it all. Spending isn't a bad thing, it's simply the process of turning money in to things. People should be sure they're turning their money in to useful things of lasting value, and that they're parting with a sensible amount of money for what they receive. The advantages are accumulative throughout your life when you buy useful things that last, because you not only get to keep using them but also adding more useful things with new money rather than forever replacing stuff that was disposable or wore out too quickly.

"QUOTE>The best way to save money is to...
NOT spend it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you don't spend it,

you save it.

Don't think too hard about it.

Putting it under your mattress gives a better return than spending it!"QUOTE>

As a single person with no children I sort of agree with this. I'm not big on investing. Perhaps once I'm done with school (returning adult changing careers).

I have direct deposit and don't really pay attention to my money. I pay my rent, credit card bill, phone bill, food bill, car payment and ins. Those checks go out every month.(except car ins. I pay that in a lump sum every three or four months, I don't pay attention) As a recovering shopaholic I don't purchase much of anything. I'm too busy anyway with work and school. So I basically ignore my money. I find that when I do finally look into my bank account I end up with so much just sitting around. Last year I looked and to my suprise I had six grand just sitting there. It accumulated over a few months. I finally did open a online account and put it in there and now it sits there being ignored again. I transfered my credit cards to my credit union, my car loan to the credit union and pay my tuition out of pocket so no bill once I'm done. All that extra income will be all mine.

I just spent about six grand on new furniture but I'm paying it off monthly (union cc special super low rate until its paid :)) and letting that suprise six grand that accumulated just sit in that online account. When it reaches nine thousand I will pay off my car. Then pay off the credit cards with the extra from the no longer car payment and lower ins. extra cash. Shouldn't take long. I pay way more than the minimum now anyway. Then once again with the ignoring and we will see how much I accumulate. That will go towards a house down payment.

If you have no outside responsibility other than yourself. Ignore your money and stay out of the malls. Don't look at your account for a few months. ( I didn't do this on purpose I'm just real lazy when it comes to balancing a check book and if I didn't have direct deposit I would walk around for weeks with a live check because I always forget) When you see the extra in the account you tend to spend it. I know I have enough to cover the checks I write so I don't think about what's left over. I ignore it and then one day take a peak and suprise large sum looking back at me.

I don't recommend this to everyone because it obviously won't work for all. Keeps me in line though. I see money that has no obligation tied to it and mall here I come!

I will buy a thing here and there though. You can't completely deprive yourself. Usually something from HSN! Love them. But it isn't often and its just enough to sooth my shopping inner demon. LOL HSN has some great deals.