Homeless

"If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience." -George Bernard Shaw

Yes, all of us know our American economy is struggling up a steep hill. The recovery we are pushing through is like many other countries that are strugglings to recover. Long periods of what many would term wild spending and untamed greed placed us at this moment in history.

What I am not here to talk about is the political or ideological reasons for the economic woes. Nor am I here to discuss aspects of the recovery. What I am here to talk about is that history has repeated itself and we are left with many in desperate need. One particular topic is homelessness and how it affects people.

Consider these figures according to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness;

- 2009 Homeless Assessment reports on a single night, 643,067 people were homeless.
- Of those, 63 percent were sheltered, 37 percent were unsheltered.
- Individuals (63%) and Family groups (37%) used shelters in 2009.
- In 2009, 1,558,917 people used emergency shelters or transitional housing programs.
- On a single night in 2009, 238,110 people in families were counted as homeless.

It is found that families experiencing homelessness are usually headed by a single woman who on average is in her late 20s with approximately two children, one or both under six years of age 11. It is also found that the three most important differences between families experiencing homelessness and other poor families concern the resources they need to secure housing.

Families experiencing homelessness;

- have extremely low incomes,
- have less access to housing subsidies than low income families who remain housed,
- and have weaker social networks that are not able to provide sufficient help.

One can always argue various reasons for homelessness. Regardless of those reasons, we should care for those who need housing or shelter. The shanties of the 1930s or the nylon tents of today, each represents someone in need. And that is what we should at least agree upon, that those in need should be helped.

That help can come from public sources, but I tend to believe the bigger assistance is going to come from you and me. From individuals caring for those in need and wanting to care for their fellow human being. We may never completely rid the world of poverty and homelessness, but we can try.

Stay inspired my friends.

Economy Hurts Harder For Some

There is a lot of pain and suffering going on across this nation and most certainly across the world. Economic fortune can turn from good to bad very quickly for some people. The folks in this video are in Sacramento, California and should not be considered the entire picture of our U.S. economy. But they are an indication, a real example of a portion of our society that are hurting.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

When all is said and done, it means you need to work as hard as you can and appreciate the things in your life that you do have. This economy will eventually turn for the better as is the nature of economic cycles. We only hope that those which have fallen further then others are able to climb back as well.
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Is The Sky Falling

Sky Is Falling by Christian Mcleod

"If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there and worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not the loss of sleep." -Dale Carnegie

Things are tough out there are possibly getting worse. As American taxpayers, we are now part owners of million dollar homes, shopping malls, investment firms and we are also in the insurance business. All of this is due to the recent government bailout of many firms, all in the name of saving the American economy.

I understand that I am getting a bit judgemental about things here. I am just a frustrated taxpayer like many others. I could write and complain for many paragraphs, yet it wouldn't accomplish much other then making me feel slightly better.

What I can do is offer some tips that I collected to help you possibly ride through this cyclical thing we call the economy.

No. 1: Do not panic. The sky is not falling and yes, there will be people that get hit hard as many have already. But to panic will not do you any good. Sit back, stay calm and start thinking of ways to find your way to the other side of this.

No. 2: Prepare for adversity. We don't say this enough, early enough to our kids and to ourselves, save, save, save. By establishing emergency savings and preparing for these times will soften the blow. Now that we are in a downturn doesn't mean to stop saving, keep saving if even in smaller increments.

No. 3: Tighten your spending. Go over your personal spending with a fine-toothed comb and look for areas to cut back, such as dining out and entertainment. Put big-ticket purchases on hold. Downscale or delay vacation plans. Look for bargains and shop for the best deals.

Even though the economy rides on the shoulders of consumer spending, people must contain their expenditures during a slowdown. Otherwise they are at risk for personal financial crisis, experts said. "Overall, more consumer spending is obviously a boost to the economy, but at the individual household level, more spending may not be the prescription for your financial ills."

No. 4: Proceed with caution. You need to continue to spend and invest, but be more cautious, especially if you fear that your job or your company may be at risk. Life requires living and to live we do need to spend some amount of money. But evaluate your your job or industry. If either seem tenuous, you should be more conservative about your spending until the economy strengthens.

No. 5: Plastic Diet. The credit-card rates continue to soar reaching into the 20 percent range. Cut down usage or pay it off; it's like earning double-digit returns on your money by cutting out credit card debt. Easier said then done, families in shaky financial condition or uncertain employment may have to make a difficult choice. If your earning are steady and secure, then continue to whittle away at the credit-card debt. For those people with unstable incomes or a chance of being laid off, it's better to beef up emergency savings. Just know that those interest charges will build, so curtail credit-card spending to limit the growth of those credit charges.

No. 6: Manage your credit smartly. Check your credit report routinely and keep your credit score high so you can get favorable interest rates if you need to obtain financing. Pay bills on time, even if it is just the minimum required. Don't open a lot of new credit-card accounts. Don't respond to repeated "special offers" for credit cards in the mail or online. Resist the temptation to get discounts at retailers by opening an in-store account.

No. 7: Think fuel efficiency. Consider buying a more fuel-efficient car. Just remember, though, that spending on gasoline is a small part of the budget for most people, about 5 percent, and trimming your gas mileage likely won't make a huge difference in your budget's bottom line. If you take on a higher auto payment, you might even end up with less discretionary income at the end of the month.

So there it is, seven tips and by reading, I am positive you will find more great advice out there. I'm no financial expert, but want to ensure each of you have an idea of what can be done. Keep your focus, keep your attitude, keep your sanity and you will get through this.

Many have before us; Wall Street Collapse of 1929, the "dot-com" bust of the late 1990's and many others have shown that by staying calm and sensible, you will survive. I fully understand it doesn't seem that way when you are going through it. I was first married in 1980, with a child and the highest interest rates our economy had ever seen. I had thoughts that we would never make it through, but we did...so will you.

So those seven tips...the number seven that I've written about before. Take a few minutes, possibly seven, reflect and consider what you do have. It might be the most important seven minutes of your day.