"Looking Good During The Bad Times" Lessons In Debt, Credit And Home Ownership

"Looking Good During The Bad Times” is not a lesson in fashion, but one about making the most of what you have in regards to your largest investment – your home ! Your home may have dropped in value like your neighbors, but it doesn’t have to look like it. IF you have found more time on your hands due to employment cut backs, take advantage of the time. Structure a “To Do List”, every home owner should have one of these stuck on the refrigerator even during the best of times.

You’ve probably heard your Granny say, “No matter how broke you become, you can always be clean.” Old wives tales do hold a bit of wisdom in them. The fact remains, clean, shiny and pretty is better than dirty, ugly and unwanted. If you are facing any kind of financial crises at all, you must protect your largest asset. If any equity is to be realized, more will come from your home looking good than neglected and dirty.

It’s called ‘ROI’=Return On Investment. You can experience in the worse of times a positive ROI in your home by taking little actions that can produce big reactions and
profitability. Increase the curb appeal on your home by removing outside clutter. Sweep the walks and driveway. Cut grass and trim out dead wood in trees and bushes. Pressure wash your shutters, window sashes, and trim. Put a fresh coat of paint on the front door and perhaps a shiny new kick plate at the bottom. Clean the light fixture of birds nest and cobwebs.

Next walk through your home. Really look at it as if you were to buy it today. The stained flooring, the soiled wall paper, chipped paint, hand prints on the cabinets, broken tiles, hardware loose, uneven and cluttered pictures or wall hangings and all waiting to be put your ‘To Do List”. The biggest challenge is eliminating clutter. If you can’t bring yourself to make all of those tiny decisions, call in your toughest friend and give the ‘OK’ to be strong for you. The point of this lesson is to maximize what you have in time, and assets. You will feel good about your ‘ROI’ while making your house a more comfortable home. Clean is good and it’s affordable !

Spectrum Resources provides counseling in daily money management, providing education, resources and options to those seeking financial self sufficiency. Debt, credit and home ownership issues always comes back to you setting priorities that make a positive difference in your life. Only you can make the decisions which truly make a difference.

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Call ( 863) 967-0660 or email: SpectrumResources@tampabay.rr.com and visit our sister blogs: http://moneysavingtips.polkvoice.com/ and a new one http://womantowomanmagazine.ning.com/ and http://spectrumresources.wordpress.com/

"Financial Literacy -VS- Employer's ROI"

If you are an employer, you may have used the saying, “What Goes Around Comes Around”. Please think about how those words may apply to you and your business. Helping your employees learn how to live within the paycheck you are providing can actually help your profitability.

Today’s economic situation has caused everyone to re-evaluate their priorities, to re-think their long term plans and sharpen the focus on daily living and the decisions provide secure passage through the month. More employees are looking to the employer to solve their problems. Now is the time to work together, bring real meaning to 'extended family' and the word 'team'. "Through Sharing We All Grow !"

Employers are beginning to realize that by investing more in the employee it does impact overall performance, and productivity and profits. Financial literacy in the workplace brings a very high ROI. The damaging effect WITHOUT personal money management skills in employees show:
· Absenteeism
· Tardiness
· Garnishee
· Diminished customer service levels
· Loss of revenue from sales not closed
· Increased risk taking
· Increased request for pay advancement / raises
· Theft
· Increased health care costs
· Employee turnover

Without financial literacy in the workplace, employees bring their frustrations into their work environment and it spreads like a virus. One in four Americans (30 million in all )are in serious financial distress according to a study done by Dr. Thomas Garman. This domino effects not only the employee, their co-workers, their family life, but also the employer.

It’s smart business to provide employees with education, resources, and options. This empowers them to make better decisions with less stress and less cost to the company. In addition to the regular education on investments, there is a need for daily money management in the workplace. Employers providing basic personal money management education have shown a return with $450 in positive job outcomes, $300 in lower health care cost, and those who are offering flexible benefits accounts might even realize an additional savings of $1,274.

Causes of financial stress is the workplace is seen in four main categories: the most common is life events and emergencies that deplete personal savings and the ability to generate sufficient income. The second is primarily skill-based and involves a lack of understanding about how to manage, save, and invest money wisely. Americans have not been taught basic money management skills. The third is psychological factors that include impulse buying and responding to advertising and marketing tactics. The fourth is income stagnation due to inflation-adjusted real income of the vast majority of workers. Actual take home pay hasn’t increased much since year 2000. What incomes did rise, inflation ate.

Spectrum Resources offers education, resources and options. Spectrum Resources educators goes into the workplace for 'Lunch and Learns', or prior or after work hours. Call (863)967-0660 or email: SpectrumResources@tampabay.rr.com and visit often all our blogs each one with new and different lessons. http://moneysavingtips.polkvoice.com/, http://spectrumresources.wordpress.com/ and of course keep this one in your favorites: http://financialeducationandoptions.blogspot.com/