It’s Called Currency

As I was running through some headlines for online news articles yesterday, I was pleased to find some that related to topics I’ve talked about here in the past couple of weeks. For instance, on the subject of layaway, which was my November 2 topic,  Sears is reinstating its layaway program starting tomorrow. Of course, they’ve got restrictions so you can’t put a computer or refrigerator on layaway, but something’s better than nothing, right? Perhaps they’ll add options for those items if the program turns out to be popular.

I also discovered that warehouse club Sam’s Club, which I talked about on November 5th, announced that it would give a $10 Sam’s Club gift card to all new members signing up between November 14 and 25. This would cut the net price of your membership, and might make sense for you if you know how to shop without overspending at warehouse clubs.

Another noteworthy news item is the article about how a Junior Achievement survey found that most teenagers plan on spending the same or more this holiday season than they did last year. Of course, this begs the question, “Are they unaffected by the current economic situation?” They might be, but is it because they know they have already planned and budgeted the money for their holiday spending, or do they just expect that their parents will cover any shortfalls? In the article, Jack E. Kosakowski, president of Junior Achievement USA, is quoted as saying, “Given the current state of the economy, the holiday shopping season provides an ideal opportunity for parents to talk to their children about appropriate budgeting and spending, so that they are staying within their financial means.” When it comes to finances, always consider what lessons you can teach your children about money. That’s especially important when times are tough and everyone’s having to spend more carefully.

Whatever the news, remember that you are steering your own boat in the financial waters. You can choose to direct where you are going, or you can float along without a care for what you might be headed toward. Your actions today will decide where you end up tomorrow.

Tags: budgeting, cashflow management, education, spending less // Add Comment »