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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Paint It

As I will be with a bunch of other folks painting today, here is a short video to get us moving. I just could not foresee us painting in this early morning sun!!



Okay, maybe it is about a guy mourning the death of his girlfriend, but it really is a pretty "catchy" tune. Enjoy your weekend everyone!!
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One Step Finance

It was Benjamin Franklin that said, "Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship." And so it is during these tough economic times, you need to be more aware of where your money goes each and every day.

There is truth to the fact that how an economy rises once again is by getting people to spend that money. It does not mean that you should be expending dollars in a 'willy nilly' fashion. What it means is to spend in a smart and structured way.

When times are great and we have lots of money, it becomes very easy to toss our money about. Excess of anything allows us to become lazy in how we treat that excess. But when things become tighter, we usually have to learn once again how to become disciplined.

So how do you become disciplined? I like the idea of keeping it simple and not throw to many steps or bullets out there. Having too many steps to follow simply complicates it. Some call it the 'kiss' principle or 'keep it simple stupid', which is similar to Occam's razor.

Either way, my one step suggestion is (hold on, this is earth shaking); "Create a budget."

Exactly, the one thing we've been told over and over again in our life but never seem to fully adhere to. Create a budget which covers your personal finances. It doesn't matter how you do it or how complex or how simple. What matters is that you do it. When you create a budget, it lets you know what your financial 'reality' is.

Most people don't create a budget because they are afraid to really know how much they spend or how little they really have. Reality can 'bite', but it is the only way you can truly understand how to get through a tough economic time and enjoy even greater the good economic times.

The U.S. government has a really great website that provides lots of free information on a wide range of topics. The site is called the Federal Citizen Information Center and is a forgotten service the government provides that has a wealth of information. To get started on your budget, I suggest reading, There’s a Lot to Learn About Money. It will give you some basic information and a starting place to put you back in charge of your finances.

To quote Benjamin Franklin once again, "All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move." Be the type that moves and change your life forever.
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Winning Lottery Number

So what would you do if you won the 'Mega Money Mucho Bucks' Lottery? Would you hide out for a while and try to figure out what to do with the winnings? Would you jump up and let the world know of your new riches?

You can dream and wish to win some of the biggest lotteries. Some take those dreams and wishes to Las Vegas to try out their luck. Each and every one of these are dreams that do come true for some people. So I'm not here to debate or lay opinion on lotteries.

What I am here is to let you know that you can plan your dreams even if they are not about winning money. Planning for your dreams are important in order to place yourself in a position to actually achieve them. By planning, you become more aware of what is needed to succeed. But what does planning have to do with winning the lottery?

First, the planning on what you would do with the winnings is practice for what you would do by reaching your others dreams. Practice, practice; plan and plan all in an effort to get you closer to that vision.

Second, you have to participate in your dream. Success does not just come to you, you have to be involved in order to grab it. Same is true of a lottery, if you don't buy a ticket, you have no chance in winning the 'pot of gold'. As Hunter Thompson said, 'buy the ticket, take the ride.'; involve your self and take the ride to your goals.
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