I picked up a blog post today that I thought was worth sharing… about our jobs and how our perception of them can alter our ability to find happiness in a career. Johnplaceonline.com has a great article titled, “Hate Your Job? First, Shatter Your Work Prejudice“, and it details the idea that we have such a negative perception of our jobs that we fail to see the possibilities in making it a meaningful experience.

I have thought a lot about this recently. I have heard phrases such as “Slave, Save and Retire” and I realize that we all see it that way. I often do. But, if I am to work 40 hours a week for the next 25-odd years, than finding a way to destroy the negative attachments I have is crucial to my own peace in life. This is a great article, go check it out.

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This post refers specifically to the United States, and I don’t really have any idea how other country’s education systems work but I would love to hear from those of you not in the U.S. about how your country tackle’s these issues.

There are some huge problems in the education system here, and I am not going to touch on all of them because I don’t have time to write a novel! If you look around online, even just in the blogosphere, what are the two main things you see people interested in? Money and Diet. I’ll tell you that those are my two primary topics of interest most of the time. It seems that no one really knows how to manage their money or their health, and here in America those are the two subjects that no one ever teaches you about in school. I suppose the education system expects that families will teach these things to their kids, but that only works if the families are already well educated in finance and health. Based on our debt problems and obesity rates in this country, I’d say we’re not.

Finance

I never took a finance class, nor was there any class about managing money and the expenses of living as an adult offered at my high school (or any others that I know of). Children should be taught how to manage their own money and the responsibility that you have when you become an adult. How did I learn about money? The hard way. I learned the way most people learn- trial and error. Our financial system in this country is a scam and it feeds on the fiscally uneducated. After many mistakes and eventually winding up in the hole, I’ve joined the millions of people who are online reading and learning about how to be financially independent instead of at the mercy of credit card companies. Sadly, I don’t see any hope for primary and secondary education in this country realizing the need for kids to have access to financial knowledge. So, I’m gonna do the best I can to educate my children myself. I’ve certainly made enough mistakes to be able to tell what NOT to do! I’ve also learned along the way some ways to save money that have helped me. Women and especially and young girls should learn to be their own financial advisor because all too often there is this idea that managing money is a man’s job.

Since I realize I live in only one of 50 states, you should look into your education system and find out if your child’s school offers a class in finance. If they do, explain to you child how important it is to know how to avoid the pitfalls of the American financial system. Even if the classes viewpoint differs from yours, there is still much to be gained from learning these things from a teacher instead of just the parent.

Nutrition

I don’t have to explain why I think we need to be teaching nutrition in school. Look at our country. I saw in the news that Mississippi has now surpassed the 30% mark for obesity. More than 1 in 3 people in Mississippi are considered obese. Nation-wide it’s an epidemic and we hear about it all the time. Colorado is the thinnest state, where I live, and we’re still holding steady with a 17% obesity rate. It’s not about fitting some standard or looking like a model. It’s a serious health concern, and what bothers me most is the number of kids I see that are already fighting with weight issues. Parent’s should be diligent about what goes into their child’s mouth, but if the parent’s are struggling to make healthy food choices then they’re certainly not going to be making smart choices for their kids.

America goes on these fads; something will suddenly become “in” or “out”… right now whole grains are the new thing. If the newest trend towards nutrition has convinced people to stop eating refined grains like white bread, that’s great! Still, there’s so much more to nutrition than the latest fad. Everything from the types of meat we’re eating (and how much) to choosing whether or not to buy organic. How about Fast Food? Most people have no idea the levels of chemicals, hormones and pesticides that they’re eating on a daily basis.

As far as obesity is concerned, nutrition doesn’t just have to do with what you’re putting into your body. It also matters greatly what you do with your body, and let’s face it- watching TV for two hours every night is not a good choice when combined with our choices of diet.

We have teenage girls who are starving themselves to be thin and maybe if they had been educated on how to eat healthy, they would be in a place where they were actually healthy and the desire to starve would not be as intense. A simple nutrition class on healthy foods, healthy activities, and the basic idea of the body as an energy machine (i.e. your weight is a result of what you put in vs. what you put out) would go a long way towards teaching children about their health. I have taught my kids a lot about healthy food choices, and while they’re not perfect and still chow down on candy once in a while, they’re leaps and bounds above most kids their age. I was in the produce isle the other day with them and they were fighting over whether we should get asparagus, artichokes or broccoli. They were nearly begging me for asparagus but I had just made it the other day and wanted to get broccoli. You should have seen the other parents nearby looking at my boys like they were mutants! They’re not…. the only difference in them is that I’ve had them eating healthy fruits and vegetables for so long now that they actually like them.

Nutrition is something that is offered more commonly in schools, but usually is an elective. If your child’s school does have such a class, convince your child the class is valuable. Even if they don’t use what they’ve learned initially, it will come back eventually and the acquired skills will be important for getting on a healthy track.

I realize that adding two subjects to school’s here in this country is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our flawed education system, but it would be the first thing I would change if I had the power to do it on my own. It will take parents to realize the importance of these things to convince schools to add such subjects, and most parents are still struggling from the lack of financial and health information they received. Our kids deserve to have the necessary skills to become successful adults, and if the school system supported these two subjects I think this next generation would be far more prepared than my generation was.

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Every time I watched Carry in Sex and the City spend $900 on a new pair of Manolo’s it made me sick to my stomach. Don’t get me wrong, I love shoes. Love shoes. If could, I would have a pair for every day of the year and then some. The problem for me is spending that kind of money on one pair of shoes. Think how many you could buy somewhere else for the price of one pair of Manolo’s? Therein lies the issue. Many people don’t want 40 pairs of shoes, they want one pair of Manolo’s. They’ll do anything to have the most fashionable thing on their feet, including spending $900.

I don’t buy girlie magazines (if you want to know why check out my post on fighting the Cosmo-girl image), but occasionally I might flip through one my Mom brings me. There’s always a page or two on the new “hot looks”. It starts with showing you a famous person all glammed-up and how much their particular outfit cost, including accessories. It’s usually completely absurd… like $1300 just for the skirt. Then, they kindly show you how you can mimic this outfit buying less expensive items somewhere else. I always laugh, because even though they’ve found a cheaper alternative, it’s still more than I would ever spend on one outfit. I might consider it if someone could assure me that it would be timeless; it would never go out of style and I could wear it for years to come. Yeah, right! This $500 “mimic” outfit is  this year’s fall fashion and so next year if I want to be in fashion again I’ll have to go out and buy something different. Chances are if you want to be fashionable you have to consider buying more than one outfit too, because fashionistas certainly don’t wear the same outfit over and over and over again.

And realistically, the outfit is only the tip of the iceberg. There’s hair style, hair color, makeup, shoes, necklaces, earrings, handbags, and outerwear. Did I miss anything? It seems like it would be a full-time hobby just to keep up with everything.

Imagine what it must cost us every year to keep up… and I doubt that most of us even spend the kind of money that I’m speaking about.  Make an estimate of what you spend in an average year on the Christmas party dress, new work clothes, fashionable hair style, and everything else and I bet you could almost take a trip somewhere for the same amount of money!

There was a Sex and the City episode where Carry tries to buy her apartment, but realizes that she’s spent all her money on shoes. She has hundred’s of thousands of dollars worth of shoes and as a result she now lacks any kind of net worth, can’t buy her precious apartment. This is the high price of fashion. It’s not the actual cost in dollars, it’s the opportunity cost that is lost when you spend your money on it. For the price of two Manolo’s, I could redo my bathroom and increase the value of my home $5,000! For the price of two Manolo’s, I could take my kids to Hawaii! Of course, I don’t actually have that kind of money, but you see my point. Fashion can sometimes end up costing you much more than just the green stuff.

Since I have neither the time nor the money to keep up with the rat race of fashion, I am terminally uncool. You’ll find me most days in some version of a t-shirt and jeans. And ya know… that’s ok with me.

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These days it seems that no one saves money like they used to; Money is spent nearly as fast as it’s earned. I know that in my house, there’s is usually very little, if any, left to put into savings. I realized a few months ago that I needed to make some changes and figure out some inventive ways to start saving. Here are some of the tricks that I’ve found work surprisingly well without putting any additional pinch on your pocketbook (well, some of ‘em might pinch a little).

1. Round Up! When I deduct bills, gas, groceries, etc. from my checking account, I always round up. For instance if I spend $127.57 on groceries, I enter into my checking account as $128. This helps with balancing the books, but it will also help you develop a little “padding” in that account. Do this for a month and you’ll be amazed at what you end up with. If you’re really on top of things, take that padding and move it into your savings account to earn interest at the end of each month.
2. Get an online savings account. If you shop around, there are some great deals on savings account which will earn you much higher interest than your local bank will offer. Many of them have incentives as well. How about $50 or more just for opening an account? Be sure to do your homework though, some accounts have fees and others are totally free. Here’s a site that I used to help me choose the right online savings account for me.
3. Use a piggy bank. I know it sounds like we’re back in elementary school (ahhh, the days when $9 could make you feel like the richest person on Earth!), but think about how much change you have floating around your house, in your car, and even in your laundry machine! Start putting that rogue change and lonely dollar bills into a jar and then forget that it exists. Eventually it will add up to more than you would expect. I knew a guy who finally went to cash in his change and ended up with $400 he used for a skydiving vacation.
4. Pack your lunch! This is good for you and your pocketbook. It may take a little extra time each morning to get it ready, but it saves you money on food, on gas to get to the restaurant and back, and chances are you’ll be saving yourself some calories as well.
5. Pay attention to your home habits. I never think to bring this up because I am so conscious of things like the lights in my house, and my AC. I noticed the other day when I had someone staying with me that not everyone may think about these things. Always make sure that your lights are off in the rooms you’re not in, especially if you’re leaving for work or to go out for a few hours! What’s the point of leaving your lights on when you’re gone? For added savings buy the new “green” light bulbs; they last longer and save you money on your electric bill. Another example is heating and air conditioning. My neighbors have their AC running all summer long. It literally NEVER stops running. Why cool your house down when you’re at work? Why does your house have to be so cold? I try never to run it at all, but on the rare occasion I do, I make sure it’s not left on while I’m gone and I always set it at a temperature that I know I will be comfortable and yet at the same time won’t have to run non-stop to achieve. Heat is the same way. So is water. Think about your habits at home and I’ll bet there’s at least one place you could save some dough.
6. Avoid convenience. ATM’s are everywhere, but chances are if you belong to a bank then there is at least one ATM you can use without being charged a fee. If you take the time to plan ahead, you’ll save yourself at least a couple bucks. Same with convenience stores. Sure, it’s great that you can run in and grab milk or a case of soda while you’re getting gas, but that convenience costs you a LOT! Think about that next time you reach for a $12 pack of batteries at the gas station. For example, if you spend an extra $2 each day by taking advantage of these types of conveniences that’s $60 in one month’s time that you could have saved just by taking the time to go where it’s cheaper.
7. Buy your clothes out of season. We all want to go out and buy new winter stuff as soon as fall hits. We’re inundated with ads of great stuff that we “just have to have”! But, this time of year is the most expensive time to be buying winter clothes. If you buy your summer stuff in the fall and your winter stuff in the spring, you’ll end up getting everything for a fraction of what you might have paid just a few months earlier. Yeah, it’s hard to put the perfect little tank top away for 8 months, but it’ll make you grin from ear to ear when you finally get to pull it out and see the price tag.
8. Consider your cable. Do any of us really need 120 channels? How many of those channels do you watch? I figure I watch probably 20 channels, but I gotta pay for the whole enchilada just to get those 20. Ughh. If you are a TV “hobbiest” than this might not be an acceptable place to cut back, but consider whether what you get out of your cable plan is worth what you’re paying.
9. Have ONE phone. How many people do you know have a cell phone AND a land line (and I’m being gracious here… some families have 4 or 5)? Why? I don’t get this. You only need one phone number people! Just one! I assure you that back in the “old” days people got by just fine with only one. Decide how available you need to be and choose one or the other!
10. What’s your vice? For me it’s coffee… $4 soy lattes to be precise. How did I overcome this problem? Well I haven’t completely, but I have limited myself to how often I buy high-priced caffeine, and I invested in an espresso maker for my house so that I can make one each morning and avoid the coffee shop completely. Do you really like to eat out? Cut back on the number of nights you go out and stay in instead. Are you a movie buff? Find your local discount cinema. Have a thing for cosmetics? Set an allowance for how much you can spend each month (A realistic one) and then stick to it!

Now, all of these things will work, IF you take that money you’ve just saved and actually put it into that high interest saving account we spoke about. Saving yourself money in a bunch of different places is great, but it’ll get you nowhere if you go and blow it on a night out on the town, or a great little dress that you just had to have. Make your money work for you, and take charge of it. If you don’t, know one else will… in fact they’ll try to convince you that you shouldn’t.

Have some other ideas? Have a great success story? I would love to hear them!

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The American Financial Trap- I have nothing good to say about it. We are programmed to buy. We buy things just to buy them! The buying puts us in debt, which works out great for them; now we’re not just buying crap we don’t need, we’re paying interest on it too! Pretty soon, all your income goes to paying for stuff you bought 6 months ago and the stuff you’re buying now you will pay interest on for the next 6 months (or longer). I sound like a whiner, but I’m pissed! Mostly at myself for falling for it all, but I’m pissed at the system too. You know that if we were all to pay off our debt tomorrow we would completely trash our financial system in this country? “They” need us to be in debt; they depend on it. Do you think that this country is working for us, or are we working for it? For them? It’s the scam of the century! And we buy into one Starbuck’s Soy Mocha at a time.

Here I am (not unlike many American’s) up to my eyeballs in debt because when I was younger I bought into the “more more more” scam and so did my husband at the time. Everything from school loans to mortgages and car payments only exacerbate my situation… well, that and divorce. I take full responsibility for buying into the whole scheme, and I am where I am today as a result of the choices I made. This isn’t about “Poor me”. What gets under my skin is the fact that once you’ve fallen into the trap, it’s designed to keep you there. I have a good job, make decent money and yet it all goes to pay my bills. I am running to stand still, literally. It’s like trying to climb out of a pit with walls made of dirt and every time you start climbing out, the walls cave in just a little bit more. It’s not as if I go on a shopping spree every month (or any month for that matter), and I’m a responsible bill payer. I pay everything on time, but if anything happens in a month’s time… say car trouble or an emergency trip to the dentist, the credit card comes out and I put whatever I just paid off right back on my card. I have my very own perpetual motion machine… Sweeeeeet.

Let’s not forget that if you are to come to your senses- if only for a moment- you are quickly bombarded with ads and media and mail to convince you that you’ll be fine if you just buy more! More is better. More will solve your problems. More will make you feel better about your life. I’ve already won that battle and I know now that more is certainly not better! More is pointless to my end-goal in life, and if anything it’s detrimental to it.

Our financial “set up” here is all about the system winning and the people losing. They want you to spend, they want you to be in debt, and they don’t want you to figure it out! They… Them. I’m being awfully vague, but I don’t know who specifically to nail for it all! It’s a conglomerate, really. Comprised of government, media, financial institutions, and manufacturers who are all winning as long as we buy into the plan.

I may sound horribly negative, but in my heart it is really motivation and passion to get out. I want out and I want out for good. I’m gonna lay brick along the walls… good and sturdy. I’m gonna climb out and then I’m gonna fill that $*%# hole up with concrete so that neither I nor anyone else can fall in it again.

In my previous post about being your own financial adviser there are some handy links for blogs and websites that detail how to successfully dig out of debt if you find yourself to be in this situation. Keep on diggin’…

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