They are so cute when they are little.<<<
These border on ugly, so skinny and all muddled mud color.
If I ever catch the escapee and get them fat and sassy, I may decide they are cute.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026693_debt_America_disease.html
(NaturalNews) With a military rifle in one hand and a bottle of prescription medications in the other, the new “Mr. America” is over-fed, under-nourished, over-medicated, over-spent and “over there” (waging war in the Middle East). And soon, with Obama’s new disease care reform proposals, America will find itself destitute and diseased, unable to climb out of the medication dependence pit it has dug for itself.
See the political cartoon on this topic here: http://www.naturalnews.com/026686_d...
To understand why this is true from a financial point of view, take a look at these numbers:
If you read the actual federal budget for 2009, it’s an astonishing $3.1 trillion. The size of the number itself is mind-boggling, but it’s even more disturbing when you realize just how much of the federal budget is spent on these three things:
WAR
DISEASE
DEBT
In fact, let me ask you this question right now: What percentage of the federal budget do you think is spent on these three things? War, Disease and Debt.
Is it 10 percent? Twenty-five percent? Fifty percent?
Keep going...
Of course, if you actually work in Washington, you won’t even describe these as “War, Disease and Debt.” Instead, you call them:
DEFENSE
HEALTH
THE ECONOMY
It all sounds much nicer when phrased that way. But these terms are intentionally deceptive. We’re not really “defending” our way into Iraq, Afghanistan and seventy-five other countries where we have a military presence. Spending on “health care” doesn’t have anything to do with health (it’s all about disease). And people who say spending more debt money to “help the economy” are mathematical retards. You can’t get yourself out of debt by spending more money (even though V.P. Joe Biden insists you can...).
So are you ready for the actual number?
It’s an eye-opener. The actual percentage of the U.S. federal budget spent on WAR, DISEASE and DEBT is 87 percent.
Here’s how it breaks down according to publicly-available numbers: (Source = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United... )
Total U.S. Federal Budget for 2009: $3.1 trillion
1) WAR: Department of Defense ($515.4 billion) + War on Terror ($145.2 billion) + Dept. of Veterans Affairs ($44.8 billion) + Dept. of Homeland Security ($37.6 billion) = $743 billion
2) DISEASE: Medicare ($408 billion) + Medicaid ($224 billion) + Dept. of Health and Human Services ($70 billion) = $702 billion
3) DEBT: Debt to the people: Social Security ($644 billion), Social Security Administration ($8.4 billion), Welfare ($360 billion) and Interest on National Debt ($260 billion) = $1,272 billion
(Note: This does not even include the financial cost of the War on Iraq or the War in Afghanistan, as those are budgeted separately as appropriations and are not included in the Dept. of Defense budget. So the actual numbers are far worse than what’s shown here...)
Combined spending on War, Disease and Debt: $2,717 billion ($2.7 trillion), which is 87% of the total expenditures by the federal government ($3.1 trillion).
How do you dig yourself out of this hole?
For every tax dollar you send to Washington (and it’s about to become a whole lot more of ‘em), 87 cents gets spent on war, disease and debt. That leaves just 13 cents on the dollar for roads, schools, parks, technology, science, the environment, adult education and other programs.
If you spent 87% of your own household income on war, disease and debt, leaving only 13 cents on the dollar for food, clothing, transportation and entertainment, how long would your own finances stay solvent? Not very long...
It doesn’t take a financial genius to realize that the United States of America has dug itself into a financial trench so deep and so infected with really bad planning that there is virtually no way it can get out. As a result, the American people are increasingly bankrupt, diseased and homeless. (I predict a new wave of tent cities springing up across the American landscape as increasing numbers of Americans lose their jobs and their homes.)
“Mr. America” is burned out, stressed out, tapped out and about to be rubbed out.
It is only a matter of time before economic reality sets in and the American people find their currency is phased out, too.
An economic prison to keep you trapped and penniless
It’s easy to see this from afar (from South America, in my case, where I live full time): America is living in a fantasy world, where the laws of economics have been (temporarily) suspended. There’s no such thing as too much spending. No such thing as too many prescription drugs or vaccines. No such thing as too much war. It’s all justifiable by the relentless fools in Washington who claim, “We saved the economy!”
Because, you see, we are past the point of dealing with reality in America. There will be no saving the nation from financial demise. There will be no meaningful health care reform. There will be no real changes that preserve your freedom or your bank account. Instead, one hundred percent of the efforts are now focused on preserving the illusions that keep America artificially propped up like a morbid human puppet.
The new Congressional bills, the financial bailouts, the empty talk of health care reform — these are all designed to distract you from the sobering, unavoidable and simple truth: That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage, born inside a prison that you cannot smell, taste, or touch. A prison for your mind. [Recognize it?]
That prison keeps you working 60-hour weeks. It keeps you paying your taxes. It keeps you medicated and indoctrinated like a slobbering idiot who buys brand-name products because the logos seem somehow emotionally familiar (TV programming). It keeps you slaving away your precious hours, shoveling the fruits of your labor into a mindless, heartless machine of Big Government that has already mortgaged your assets, sacrificed your health and stolen your future.
And there’s always a seductive motivation beckoning you to sacrifice more. If you only work another job, you’ll be able to afford that giant TV screen you’ve always wanted. Here’s a credit card to make it easy, or you can just sign over your home. Here, take this vaccine shot for your own protection. Vote for me, and I’ll give you free health care. I’ll stabilize the economy by spending future generations into yet more debt. Don’t worry about paying anything back... we’ll let the next President deal with that.
The fraud continues, year after year, with new faces and names at the helm, but the same old failed thinking at the core. You cannot spend your way to prosperity, you must SAVE your way there. You cannot make a population healthy by drugging more people. You cannot make peace by waging war. And you cannot make a nation great by abandoning the real needs of the people and selling out to corporations and their lobbyists.
Sadly, while Mr. America was once a healthy, thriving, hard-working individual, he’s now a jobless, indebted medicated heart patient with a caffeine habit and an upside-down mortgage on the home he’s about to lose. And the worst part is that the lawmakers in Washington are doing everything in their power to make sure Mr. America stays that way.
[Several interesting lawsuits here, some are for common products]
http://www.aboutlawsuits.com/trials-for-lawsuits-over-chinese-drywall-5104/
Trials for Lawsuits over Chinese Drywall Could Begin Early 2010
July 28th, 2009 • Filed Under: News • No Comments
feature photo
U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon, who is overseeing the consolidated lawsuits over Chinese drywall, has indicated he intends to move the litigation forward quickly and the first trials could begin in six months.
All federal lawsuits filed by homeowners throughout the United States over damages caused by defective drywall imported from China were centralized and consolidated on June 15 in an MDL, or Multidistrict Litigation. The cases were assigned to Judge Fallon in the Eastern District of Louisiana for pretrial litigation.
While it typically takes more than a year for the first trials to occur in complex MDL litigation like this, Judge Fallon intends to fast track the first trials, referred to as “bellwether” trials because they are selected to be representative of issues that will be presented to juries in other cases involved in the litigation.
continued...
[some had seizures]
http://www.aboutlawsuits.com/medtronic-paradigm-recall-quick-set-infusion-sets-4810/#comment-7518
Medtronic Inc. has recalled three million disposable infusion sets designed for their MiniMed Paradigm insulin pumps
July 13th, 2009 • Filed Under: News • 32 Comments
feature photo
Medtronic Inc. has recalled three million disposable infusion sets designed for their MiniMed Paradigm insulin pumps after discovering that some of them could deliver incorrect doses of insulin, potentially leading to injury or death.
The Medtronic Paradigm recall involves one lot of Quick-set infusion sets, which are disposable plastic tubes used to infuse a diabetes patient from the Medtronic insulin pump. They are usually replaced after three days. Medtronic issued a press release on July 10 alerting users that approximately 2%, or about 60,000 units, from one lot of its infusion sets have a defect that could give too much insulin to the patient.
The affected infusion sets have a lot number starting with “8” marked on the product box label and on each infusion set package, with the reference numbers MMT-396, MMT-397, MMT-398 and MMT-399. The defective infusion sets do not vent air pressure properly when delivering an insulin dose.
The sets were distributed throughout the United States and to a small number of countries outside of the U.S., such as Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Great Britain, Canada and the Bahamas. There have been no reported injuries related to the insulin pump infusion set recall, but the defect has the potential to cause fatal injury.
Last month, the FDA issued a warning letter to Medtronic about Synchromed and MiniMed pump problems. The agency warned the company that it needed to fix quality control issues in its Puerto Rico plant where the products are manufactured. According to FDA investigators, the plant had a wide range of problems that included lax testing of products for defects, proper record keeping, and employing someone with only a high school education and some special training as a medical expert for determining the danger of defects.
Medtronic is offering patients replacement Quick-set infusion sets for the MiniMed Paradigm insulin pumps in exchange for the defective ones at no charge. However, product liability lawyers who are investigating potential lawsuits for Medtronic insulin pump problems caused by the recalled Quick-set infusion sets, indicate that any units from the recalled lots should be preserved for litigation purposes if a serious or fatal injury has occurred.
many comments on product.....
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm173863.htm
Haifa Smoked Fish, Inc is voluntarily recalling Haifa Smoked Fish brand Cold Smoked Whitefish sold between December 7, 2008 and June 18, 2009 Because of Possible Health Risk
Contact:
IsraelMirzakandov,
Vice President,
HaifaSmoked Fish, Inc,
Tel: 718-526-3338
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 10, 2009 - Haifa Smoked Fish, Inc is voluntarily recalling all Haifa Smoked Fish brand Cold Smoked Whitefish sold between December 7, 2008 and June 18, 2009. The product is being recalled because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.
The recalled product was distributed to retailers and distributors in the New York State area. Consumers could possibly purchase the product through retail stores outside the New York State area.
The recalled product required refrigeration at 38F or below until consumed. It is packaged in either air-packed or vacuum-packed plastic wrap. It contains a label bearing UPC number 832007000263. The packages do not bear any lot codes. The recalled product is sold by weight.
Consumers who have purchased Haifa Smoked Fish brand Cold Smoked Whitefish sold between December 7, 2008 and June 18, 2009 are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 718-523-889, Monday thru Thursday, 9am to 5pm, and on Fridays until 3pm Eastern Time.
Page Last Updated: 07/28/2009
Updated FR Excerpt and Link Only or Deny Posting List due to Copyright Complaints
April 5, 2004 | Jim Robinson
This has posts until end of May, if there is another thread, I do not have the link.
granny
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1111944/posts?q=1&;page=601
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm173851.htm
Fireside Coffee Co. Recalls Chai Tea Affected by Plainview Milk Product Recall
Contact:
Angie Root, 800-344-5282
Fireside Coffee Company, Inc.
3239 Elms Rd.
Swartz Creek, MI 48473
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 27, 2009 - Fireside Coffee Co. Swartz Creek, MI is recalling all Fireside Chai Tea that contains dry milk produced by Plainview Milk Products after June 2007. Plainview Milk Products of Plainview, MN has recalled its instant non-fat dry milk because of potential Salmonella contamination. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.
Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
The Fireside Coffee Co. Chai Tea affected by this recall was distributed nationwide in retail stores, through mail orders and at art fairs. The Chai tea under recall comes in the following four flavors: Spiced, Chocolate, Vanilla and Decaf Vanilla. All four flavors come in a variety of package sizes including a 12oz. box, a 1 lb. sampling bag, 5 lb. bulk packages and single serving packets. The lot number is printed on the bag for each package size and only the following lot numbers are included:
VANILLA CHAI
1LB SAMPLING BAG: D81732157/58/33
12OZ BOX: (UPC: 7-61167-60522-3) A82432157,B827I32156/57, D80932156/57, E8022133/58/32, J831VCHAI32155, L804VCHAI32154, A916VCHAI32216
5LB BAG: C81432158, D81732157/58/33, J831VCHAI32155, A929VCHAI32216
SINGLE SERVE PACKET: (UPC: 7-61167-30522-2) 8311/31255, 8312/31255/35, 8312/31255/3
DECAF VANILLA CHAI ,
12OZ BOX: (UPC: 7-61167-61508-6) A916DVCH32215
SINGLE SERVE PACKET: (UPC: 7-61167-31508-5) 8311/32129/205
CHOCOLATE CHAI
1LB SAMPLING BAG: A83132163/37/38, B801I32137/63/38, D83032141/40, A930CHOCOCHAI32160
12OZ BOX: (UPC: 7-61167-60523-0) A80432162, A81132141/62, A82432137/63, A83132163/37/38, D80932138/63, D82432162/63/38/41, J830CHOCOCHAI32209/139, K812CHOCOCHAI32209/161, L804CHOCOCHAI32160, B917CHOCOCHAI32160/59
5LB BAG: A82432137/63, J814CHOCOCHAI32159, K812CHOCOCHAI32209/161, A929CHOCOCHAI32160
SINGLE SERVE PACKET: (UPC: 7-61167-30523-9) 8215/32209/08
SPICED CHAI
1LB SAMPLING BAG: L70432148/49, B80632148/52/53, D81132150, D83032145, A930SPICEDCHAI32219
12OZ BOX: (UPC: 7-61167-60524-7) A80332147, A81132148, A82432148/47, B80632148/52/53, B80832152/51, B81332151, D81032151/50, J824SPICEDCHAI32207, J830SPICEDCHAI32207/06, J831SPICEDCHAI32206, K810SPICEDCHAI32146/207, K811SPICEDCHAI32146/47/207, K819SPICEDCHAI32147, A908SPICEDCHAI32220
5LB BAG: K72732149, A80732149, A82432148/47, B80632148/52/53, F81932147, K811SPICEDCHAI32146/47/207, A908SPICEDCHAI32220
SINGLE SERVE PACKET: (UPC: 7-61167-30524-6)8312/32206
Consumers who have purchased Fireside Chai Tea with one of the lot numbers listed above should not consume the product and may call 800-344-5282 (M-F from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.) to discuss how to return the recalled tea.
###
Photo: Product Labels
Page Last Updated: 07/28/2009
Due to an uncontrollable system glitch, an email notification was released in error on July 27, 2009 entitled: “Publix Issues Voluntary Recall on Publix Gourmet Peanut Mix Because of Possible Health Risk”. This recall was properly conducted by Publix in a timely and appropriate manner in Feb 2009. Please disregard the July 27 email message. We apologize for any public concern generated in response to this error.
Manage your FDA Subscriptions:
MedWatch logo MedWatch - The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program
Body Building Products (Marketed as Containing Steroids or Steroid-like Substances)
Audience: Consumers and all healthcare professionals
FDA notified both healthcare professionals and their patients about new safety information concerning products marketed for body building and increasing muscle mass, frequently marketed as alternatives to anabolic steroids for increasing muscle mass and strength and sold both online and in retail stores. These products are promoted to athletes to improve sports performance and to aid in recovery from training and sporting events. Although marketed as dietary supplements, they are not dietary supplements, but instead are unapproved new drugs that have not been reviewed by the FDA for safety and effectiveness.
Adverse event reports received by the FDA for body building products that are labeled to contain steroids or steroid alternatives involve men and include cases of serious liver injury, stroke, kidney failure and pulmonary embolism (blockage of an artery in the lung). Due to the potentially serious health risks associated with using these types of products, the FDA recommends that consumers immediately stop using all body building products that claim to contain steroids or steroid-like substances. Health care professionals are advised to ask their patients about any over-the-counter products they may be using, including products marketed as dietary supplements.
Health care professionals and consumers are encouraged to report any adverse events related to the use of these products to FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program, either online, by regular mail or by fax [link in footer below].
Read the complete MedWatch 2009 Safety summary, including links to the FDA public health advisory, news release and consumer update, at:
You are encouraged to report all serious adverse events and product quality problems to FDA MedWatch at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm
REMINDER – FREE WEBINAR ON SHEEP AND GOAT PRODUCTION IS WEDNESDAY
Register now (http://www.attra.ncat.org/webinars2009/sheepandgoat)
Consumer demand for sheep and goat products is up! Learn how you can be a part of this enterprise with a FREE hour-long webinar from ATTRA — National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. Get the most current information on the sheep and goat industry, learn about producing and marketing sheep and goats and hear tips on entering and profiting in this growing livestock area.
In the webinar, experts in sheep and goat production will cover the following topic areas:
- Multiple benefits of raising and marketing sheep and goats
- Selecting breeding stock
- Evaluating animal health
- Marketing meat, milk and wool products, including organic products
There will also be time to ask and get answers to your questions about sheep and goat production.
NCAT program specialists Linda Coffey and Margo Hale will present the webinar. Hale and Coffey are agriculture specialists and sheep and goat enthusiasts. They educate producers about sheep and goat production and help connect producers with local expertise. To accomplish this they draw on degrees in animal science and years of experience raising sheep and goats on their own small farms in Arkansas. They also learn from producers, researchers and extension agents in other locations as they travel or consult through their ATTRA duties.
Hale and Coffey team up to write ATTRA publications about goats and sheep and are members of the Southern Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control.
This free webinar will be held Wednesday, July 29 at 11 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time (MDT). Please register in advance at http://www.attra.ncat.org/webinars2009/sheepandgoat.
On the day of the presentation, please log on to the webinar Web site 15 minutes early to allow the required software to download. You can then listen to the webinar through your computer’s speakers and see the presentation slides on your computer screen. You may also listen to the webinar by calling a phone number provided after you register online.
TITLE: Sheep and Goat Production
WHEN: Wednesday, July 29th at 11 a.m. MDT
WHERE: http://www.attra.ncat.org/webinars2009/sheepandgoat
Please join us on July 29 for this informative webinar on sheep and goat production and marketing.
ATTRA — National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service (http://www.attra.ncat.org) is one of the nation’s oldest and most respected sources for sustainable agriculture information. Resources include hundreds of expert publications and worksheets, as well as sustainable agriculture specialists who provide personalized technical assistance on sustainable agriculture topics. ATTRA is funded under a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service (http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/index.html) and managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) (http://www.ncat.org), a nonprofit organization focusing on sustainable agriculture, energy and communities.
So—are you paying minimum payments on a credit card?
A frugality blog called “Squawkfox” has created a credit card calculator on the Internet. You put in your current balance, the interest rate on the card, and both the minimum payment in dollars your account requires and the minimum percentage of the unpaid balance it also requires (you pay the larger of the two figures).
The calculator will then tell you how many months and years that it will take to pay off the debt at the minimum rate—and how much interest that will mean to the credit card company.
It will probably shock you!
See http://www.squawkfox.com/tools/credit-card-calculator/
This should give you ample incentive to pay off the credit card as quickly as possible!
To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Frugal-Folks-Life/
=== Google News Alert for: Urban Chicken farmers ===
Chickens Roam Their Roosts in Urban Backyards
Noozhawk
Mesa resident Christa Backson shows a couple of eggs pulled from her
chicken coop, where five chickens live. Backson is part of a growing
movement among ...
http://www.noozhawk.com/local_news/article/072809_raising_chickens_in_city_limits/
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news/story?ncl=http://www.noozhawk.com/local_news/article/072809_raising_chickens_in_city_limits/&hl=en
=== Google Blogs Alert for: Urban Chicken farmers ===
One A Day » 40 farmers under 40
By hen
But while they might be dwindling in numbers, young farmers are growing in
visibility. And they’re a motley, stereotype-shattering crew, for sure.
They’re urban, they hold advanced degrees and they’re often female. ...
http://chickenflicker.com/1aday/?p=1481
One A Day
http://chickenflicker.com/1aday/
La Mesa Man Convicted Of Making Threats Against Obama Online
A La Mesa man who posted racially charged comments on Yahoo about killing Barack Obama during the presidential campaign was convicted today of making threats against a major candidate for president.
http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=10804667&Call=Email&Format=HTML
[San Diego...Goody and now we get all of those who made threats against us....riiiight. granny]
Six Words That Saved Me $17,893 - And Can Save You Even More
Posted: 29 Jul 2009 03:00 AM PDT
The following guest post is from one of my favorite writers, Neal Frankle of Wealth Pilgrim. After reading the post, head over to Neal’s site and check out his free subscription options.
“What is the purpose of this?”
Those are the six words. There you have it.
Next time you want to spend money on anything, ask yourself this question first. I guarantee that if you do, your investing/spending intelligence will expand so much that you’ll put Einstein to shame.
This brainstorm didn’t come to me overnight. As you’ll see, I developed it over many years of extremely painful research. But make no mistake. This wisdom is powerful and transformative.
You might chuckle, but the idea came to me after sitting through countess Bar and Bat Mitzvah “celebrations”.
For those of you who don’t live in New York, Los Angeles or Miami, this is a celebration of a 12 or 13 year old Jewish child coming of age. Usually, the parents throw an extravagant and ridiculous party for said offspring. The price tag for one of these shin-digs usually eclipses that of an automobile. If you’re lucky - like me - it’s a used Kia. If you aren’t so lucky, it’s a brand new Lamborghini.
I have 3 daughters and I’ve suffered through dozens of these very loud parties.
What happens is, all your kid’s friends’ parents invite you to the parties and you almost have to go. It wasn’t so bad after my eldest put us through this grinder with all her friends’ parties.
But I have 3 daughters….remember?
It reminds me of Michael Corleone’s famous quote, “Just when I thought I was out they pulled me back in.”
When my second child hit age 12 she put us back at the beginning of this process again. Oh the humanity!
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy a good party as much as the next fellow. Loud music doesn’t bother me all that much - even when the kids do the Macarena or “the Chicken Dance” to Madonna or Britney Spears at 200 decibels.
What I find intolerable is mindless extravagance and often times that’s what these events are.
Each of these parties was a replica of the other. Sometimes I forgot which party I was at. They were all exactly the same. Same food. Same games. Same schtick. Very very forgettable..
I can guarantee you, that if the parents who threw these parties had asked ,”What is the purpose of this?” they would have saved themselves a bundle and enjoyed a more meaningful celebration with their children.
If you’re completely honest, there is really only one reason why people spend the kind of money they do on weddings and Bar Mitzvahs. They do it because everyone else does.
Sorry.
For me, that’s not a good enough reason to mortgage my right kidney.
If you want to celebrate a child’s coming of age, do something meaningful rather than mindless.
If you want to celebrate the joining of two people into one couple, follow the same advice.
The best way to insure that what you do is indeed meaningful is to ask yourself, “What is the purpose of this”.
Of course, you don’t have to wait for your two-year old’s Bar Mitzvah or wedding to start profiting from this concept.
Ask yourself the same question before you buy your next car or carton of milk.
This probably makes perfect sense to you but you may still encounter one or two problems when you try to implement it.
The first problem could be your spouse or life partner. The second problem may be your children.
Let’s consider the later first because it’s a much easier hurdle to clear.
Let’s say your kids try to convince you they need one of the following:
1. A gold-plated, ivy-league undergraduate degree in history when you could save 75% by going to a state school.
2. A wedding that cost more than a Greek Island when they could have a wonderful and beautiful celebration in your backyard.
Whip out your 6 word Spend-0-Slayer and ask them, “What is the purpose of this?”
They might explain why they need a degree or a wedding but they won’t be able to justify why they need the priciest version of each.
This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where the corn leaves the husk.
Ask them “What is the purpose of the costlier version when the lower cost version seems to give you what you need?”
If your kids have watched too much “Law and Order”, they may be able to make a case.
Sometimes, the more expensive choice is indeed a better decision.
For example, if your six year old has outgrown her bike and really wants the spanky new red one with the streamers coming out the handle bars…..you might want to go for it.
Depending on the circumstances, it could be a small investment that will pay huge dividends in terms of self-esteem for your daughter.
But everyone has a limit. I don’t think that spending $25,000 on a party for a kid who can’t even shave yet makes sense. I also don’t think that spending that much (and more) on a wedding is particularly clever. Tell you what…..if your child is having a Bar Mitzvah or wedding and you want to spend some dough to help build their self-esteem…..spring for the spanky red bike with the streamers. That should do the trick.
If your child wants you to spend a ridiculous amount of money foolishly, look at this as a teachable moment. Don’t tell them what you already know. Keep asking them the magic 6 words until they admit that they want what they want because everyone else has one or does it that way.
An undergraduate degree is meant to help you get a job so you can support yourself.
A wedding is meant to celebrate marriage.
None of these are meant to impress other people but that’s what many of us use them for. Explain to the kids that by making the more expensive choice, they may actually have less of what they ultimately want. You’ll only get them to see that if you ask the question - what is the purpose of this?
Take the example of the undergraduate degree. My middle daughter recently graduated high-school and after being accepted at some very pricey schools, we decided as a family that the best choice would be a lower cost state college. She realized that by agreeing to this, she would graduate college with no debt and some money leftover to help fund an MBA. She was clear about the purpose of her undergraduate degree - help her get a job or continue on to get her post-grad education. If she would have gone to a pricey Ivy League school, she’d finish college in debt and with limited choices.
Let’s go on to the second more formidable problem - your spouse.
The best way I can help you deal with this is by way of example.
I wanted to have a small Bat Mitzvah for my daughters but my wife would have none of it. While we didn’t go nuts, we spent a lot more than I wanted to. Going back to my car analogy, my wife’s budget for the party was something along the lines of a new Camry and my budget was closer to that a used moped scooter. We settled on a budget that was closer in line with that of a used-Kia. We compromised.
When it came to the Bat Mitzvah party, the answer to “what is the purpose of this” was clear - make my wife happy… stay out of bankruptcy and divorce court at the same time.
Pick your battles well. But use the 6 word spend-o-slayer- it may turn out to be your most effective weapon to tame the extravagance beast.
Post from: http://frugaldad.com