Siblings

          If you are an “only child” you’ll probably not really understand what I’m going to talk about here in this blog post.  But, this post is about siblings --- your brothers and/or sisters.

          I can remember growing up:  When I was small I had two older sisters.  I was the first boy.  Those two really “babied” me for a long time.  In particular I remember when my Mama was trying to get me off the bottle.  I had one of those pacifiers, but I really didn’t like it very much.  So when Mama wasn’t around my sisters would “sneak” me a bottle of milk and then try to make sure I finished it quickly so they wouldn’t get caught.  They did this for my brother later on too.  I really can’t remember if they got caught or if my Mom threw the bottles away, but at some pint I no longer got my milk visits.

          When I was almost seven years old my life got a “punch in the gut.”  I had grown pretty comfortable with being the “baby” in the family and getting all the “special” treatment and attention.  But then my brother was born.  Now HE got all the attention!  And from that moment forward my sisters and I knew HE was Mamas favorite.  Of course, being young I didn’t understand anything about a woman having a baby “later in life” and how they were affected by such an event.  But I did know that my “rule” as “baby” in the family had come to a sudden stop!  Even my sisters seemed to abandon me because they were more interested in helping with the NEW addition to our family.  They were fourteen and twelve respectively and that type of thing was more interesting to them instead of wanting to play “cowboys and Indians” with me.  For awhile I almost felt that I was an “only child”!  But I knew that wasn’t true.

          Of course things began to advance as we all got older and we got motivated and fascinated by different aspects of education, our goals, and our inter-reactions with OTHER people.  My sisters were into “girl” things and being interested in boys.  We didn’t have very many things in common.  Even when we would go on our family vacations they RARELY wanted their “little” brother hanging around with them.  And I REALLY didn’t want my “little” brother hanging around with me and my friends.  But, of course, that’s what he always wanted to do!  And Mama was constantly telling me: “Take your brother with you.  Just make sure he’s okay.”

          We also had our “moments” as all siblings do!  I remember one occasion in particular after my sister, Shirley, had gotten a new pair of glasses.  She had been strictly told she had better take care of those glasses because of what they cost.  I don’t remember what the cost was and maybe I never knew; however, it was stressed that they were expensive!

          We were all on the front porch of our house which was across the street from the High School when I decided we should wrestle like they did on the television program “Live Atlanta Wrestling.”  My sisters didn’t want to because that was a crazy “boy” thing and they had NO interest in it at all!  But I continued to “slap” at my sister Shirley trying to provoke her into a wrestling match.  After a few futile attempts, I slapped a little too close to her face and knocked the new glasses off.  As they fell to the porch, in a slow-motion, eternity time-frame as I picture it today, I could see that this was not going to end very well!  And I was right!  The glasses hit the porch and shattered into many pieces and my heart got this strange sinking feeling.  My sister Shirley just stood motionless for a few minutes starring at me in utter disbelief.  Then in a move that would have made the wrestling profession proud she grabbed me in a head lock, turned me around a couple of times, and rammed my head into the wall of the house. I didn’t pass-out, but I fell to my butt and sat there fairly dizzy for several minutes.  When I “came to my senses” my Mom was standing over me scolding me to no end!  My sister got here new pair of glasses that she liked better than the first ones and I got “the privilege” of paying for them out of my allowance for the next S-E-V-E-R-A-L months!

          There were other times like that, but there were many more “good” times that I also remember.  And when my sisters got married and moved out of the house, I missed them.  Then, in time, it was my turn to leave after High School and my “little” brother became the “only child” who remained in the house.

          After that event we all seemed to grow apart and become more involved in our own activities of life, our own employment careers, and our own families.  Now that many years have passed and so has my sister Shirley, I often think of my remaining siblings.  When you become adults you put away the childish things and even those “awful” times you remember with great fondness.  You tend to think back more on the happier times: the times when you travelled together on those trips for vacations, when you realize that there really isn’t a sibling handbook available to help you with those awkward or embarrassing times.  But you do realize that it was ALL of those experiences that have brought you and your siblings to the point in time where you now exist.  And although it’s probably not said as often as it should have been, you know in your heart that those brothers and those sisters --- your siblings --- love you just as much as you love them.  And THAT is what has made it all work out for the best!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"You can never go wrong

by doing the LOVING thing."

Simple

     Some times have you ever noticed that it’s the really simple things that make you happy?  I can remember growing up and every Sunday the family would get together at our home or my aunts and have a big dinner together.  This was when I was really young, but I remember it very well.  At least when I was smaller and before we all began to “grow up” and have our own agendas for the day.

     I can remember setting on the front porch and idly talking about any number of topics while we rocked in various rhythms in our chairs.  Us younger kids would take turns sitting on the ice cream churn while my Dad or uncle would turn the crank, making ice cream for after our meals. You knew it was time to let someone else have a turn sitting on the machine because your rear-end would start getting cold as the ice cream began to freeze.

     Of course, it was a simpler time also.  We didn’t have a great threat of terrorism back in that day.  Nor did we have the “fear” that a neighborhood riot would break out at any moment.  The really “big” problem was if your favorite baseball team was going to win the game that day or not.  I know, we still have THAT terror hanging over our heads, but it was different then.  When the summer sun hit your face you just felt a wonderful filling all over.  And right when you were starting to think that the sun was getting a little bit too warm for you to continue sitting there, a cooling breeze would begin to slowly ruffle the leaves and then pass gentle across your arms, and legs, and your face and you would feel much better than before.

     And that was also the way it was throughout the conversations we would have.  When you got the feeling that the words were getting a little bit heated, someone would come up with some comment that had absolutely NOTHING to do with the subject being discussed, but it was just “natural” enough to make everybody pause and then breakout in a good belly laugh.  I sometimes had wondered if an uncle, or aunt or cousin had been “assigned” at each gathering to provide just the needed comment at the right time to keep the comments “light” and to avoid any unnecessary arguments or disagreements while we were all there.

     When I consider those comments:  I would have never guessed how much talking a person could do on any particular subject without knowing too much about the experience or even actually talking about what had happened to make the subject worthy of any time length of discussion.  Just for one example:  We could be sitting; enjoying a brief moment of silence while someone was deeply in thought about what should be our next topic of consideration.  Then my Uncle Gene (or someone else would say:  Remember when Billy (that is one of my cousins) failed that math test in the fifth grade?  Then everyone would immediately start “chiming” in with their comments.  Now that math test was something that had happened several years and NO ONE (in our group) was there when it happened be (except my cousin and the teacher), but ALL had their comments on WHAT had happened and WHY!  And these conversations continued until we got the call that dinner was ready and we should be getting ourselves in to the table if we wanted to get anything to eat.

     And after the meal was over there was the “assigned” crew for that day who would clean the table and put all the “left-overs” away for another time.  The rest of us got to go back to our rocking chairs, rest for awhile, and then begin the stories again.  That was a happy time for me to remember.

     Probably one of the other most enjoyable times was on those cool summer evenings when we would get together in the backyard and sit around in the swing eating cold watermelon.  We could cut off a nice sized slice of the melon and my sisters and I would see who could spit the seeds the greatest distance.  We never really cared who won; we just liked spitting the seeds.  And before we would know it we would begin spitting the seeds at each other and finally my mother would make us stop.

     Those were simpler times.  Times when we didn’t have the many pressures that exist in today’s world.  Certainly times that we would like to travel back to on occasions and let our minds enjoy, once again, the pleasures of a by-gone generation of events.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If anything, the past teaches us that

we need to make changes to improve the future."

NAT

     Today it would be almost impossible for someone to think about living with NAT!  I think most of the current generation has never had to live with NAT during their entire lifetime!  What am I talking about?  NAT is No Advancements in Technology!  Would you consider what that would mean?  First problem I would have is none of you would be able to read this blog because there would be NO computers, NO electricity, and NO internet!  The very thought is probably enough to give you great chills and a very uneasy disposition.  You would want to text your friends and tell them how deeply upset you were.  Wait!  There would be NO cell phones for you to text them on.  You would have to resort to “calling” them on a “land line”.  But that would also be impossible because there would be NO telephones.  Now what could you possibly do?  We would actually have to “force” ourselves to get out of our pajamas and drive over to our friends’ houses (one at a time) and “talk” to them face-to-face!  Here again we run into a problem:  With NO advances in technology we would probably have NO automobiles.  Could you see yourself “walking” to ALL your friends’ homes EVERY time you wanted to share the most “up-do-date” information with them?  “Stubbed my toe.”  “Finished my make-up.”  “Mom wants me to throw the trash.”  This life would quickly become unbearable to live with.  What are we ever going to do?

      For me, I guess I’m going to hang out in my room, watch my favorite television program,  and eat ice cream ALL afternoon.  Where is my mind?  There are NO television programs to watch.  The television has never been developed.  My kids used to think I was crazy when I’d want to watch an old science fiction movie, like Metropolis, and they found out it was in “black ‘n white” NOT in color!  That was like THE worst thing you could try to get them to sit through.  But, I bet after having to live with NAT they would surprisingly welcome the chance to watch such a program.  Almost forgot:  You can forget about that big bowl of ice cream too.  NO freezer!  Of course, I guess I could try and find the “old” ice cream maker that we had to churn by hand!

     It seems that we usually don’t give any of the “modern” day developments much of a thought as long as they are available to us and are working fine.  But for the slightest moment let us be without them and you’ll never hear the end!

     We lose track, so to speak, about really how “effortlessly” we can get things done today.  And I never even mentioned such things as airplanes, washers, dryers, microwave ovens, the electric light bulb, the gasoline engine, and many, MANY other things.  Why don’t you sit down some quiet afternoon with a lonely pen and paper and write about what you would really miss and WHY if you had to live with NAT!  And maybe you’d want to consider how long it would take you to go “stark raving MAD!”

                        QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

                                     "Give up your pride and

          you will be much happier."

Deep No 1

     I should probably warn you at the very beginning:  There are times when my mind journeys into extremely untraveled roads.  This means that I am going to “throw out” some wild ideas within this blog post.  I’ll give you my opinions on these topics and maybe you can compare them to your thoughts on the subjects.  I’m not going to cover ALL the topics that I think about in this blog.  I have to save some of the topics for future discussions, so I’ll only discuss TWO here.  Let’s get started!

            INVISIBILITY

                        I think maybe all of us, at one time or another; have had thoughts about having the ability to be invisible.  No one would be able to see us and, no doubt, we have thought up some pretty interesting circumstances in which this ability would be very useful (or enjoyable)!

                        But have you given any serious consideration to what would have to be involved in having this ability?  And what really is invisibility?  Consider the quality of site itself:  We “see” because of the ability of objects to reflect light.  What does this mean?

                        Your eyes are organs in your body that detect light, which allows you to see by sending signals to the optic nerve and other areas of your brain.  Eyes do not actually see, but they are the medium we use to see through.  When rays of light enter our eyes, it excites the nerves and sends that message to the brain.  The brain is then able to compute what the eye is seeing.  Through the eye, we can see darkness, brightness and different colors.  When you vary the intensity of the light, you are able to distinguish between colors.

                        For the eye to be able to see, light has to pass through the cornea and reach the retina.  The retina is the light-sensing structure in the eye.  When light hits the retina a chemical forms that causes an electrical impulse in your optic nerve.  The electric impulse is transmitted to the brain and is interpreted as light.  The brain is able to understand these signals, which allows you to see images.

                        Your eyes can only see some light.  There are many more wavelengths of light that the human eye cannot see.  Some birds, particularly geese and other waterfowl can see some strange types of light called polarized light, and recognize it distinctly as reflections from calm bodies of water far below.

                        The spectrum, or the rainbow, displays for you the colors we can see, which are: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Other light sources we can’t see include such things as infrared and ultraviolet, although there is a fluorescent lamp known as a “black light” which produces ultraviolet, and the bulb glows visibly, it isn’t really the ultraviolet rays you see, but re-emission in visible wavelengths that are within the visible range of wavelengths.  And possibly there are other light sources that we as humans are unable to see.

                        So, if you could “reflect” a light wavelength that was undetectable by the human eye you would be “invisible” to all humans.  This would still bring into question additional consequences to be considered.  If you reflected NO visible light would people looking in your direction “see” a blank space or would the light of the objects behind you “bend” around you so that a person would see those things instead of you?  And when you moved would a person “see” a “ripple” effect moving across the landscape?  Also, although you would “appear” to be invisible, would you in fact still be “solid”, so that you might “bump” into things or have people “run into you?”  You can understand how complicated this ability might be in actuality.  We noted earlier that some animals see light waves in a different frequency than we do.  So would they, perhaps, still be able to “see” you?  Also, if a person had some type of “vision problem” might they be able to “see” you even though others could not?  This question alone may lead us into another area of discussion later.  Let’s look at another area as we go deeper into the corridors of my mind.

            TIME TRAVEL

                        Who hasn’t thought about the ability to return to the past and “change” some of the things that have happened in their life?  This desire for change could be because of something we DID and have come to regret it, or it could be to perhaps DO something we had originally failed to do and now we look back with regrets on that lack of deciding or taking action.  Whichever the case, could we actually return to the past and “change” specific aspects of our lives or maybe the lives of others?  And if we did: What would be the resulting consequences of such actions?  I’d like to share MY thoughts on the subject.  I don’t know if they are all “scientifically” accurate or not, but this is what comes out of the deep recesses of my mind.

                        First is time travel even a possibility?  One of the best (in my humble opinion) discussions of the reality of time travel was presented in an article (updated Sept. 1, 2016) by Andrew Zimmerman Jones.  I would like to quote the entire article below.

“IS TIME TRAVEL POSSIBLE?

            Stories regarding travel into the past and the future have long captured our imagination, but the question of whether time travel is possible is a thorny one that gets right to the heart of understanding what physicists mean when they use the word “time.”

            Modern physics teaches us that time is one of the most mysterious aspects of our universe, though it may at first seem straightforward.  Einstein revolutionized our understanding of the concept, but even with this revised understanding, some scientists still ponder the question of whether or not time actually exists or whether it is a mere “stubbornly persistent illusion” (as Einstein once called it).

What is the Theory of Relativity?

            Whatever time is, though, physicists (and fiction writers) have found some interesting ways to manipulate it to consider traversing it in unorthodox ways.

Time and Relativity

            Though referenced in H.G. Wells’ “The Time Machine” (1895), the actual science of time travel didn’t come into being until well into the twentieth century, as a side-effect of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity (developed in 1915).  Relativity describes the physical fabric of the universe in terms of a 4-dimensional space-time, which includes three spatial dimensions (up/down, left/right, and front/back) along with ONE time dimension.  Under this theory, which has been proven by numerous experiments over the last century, gravity is a result of the bending of this space-time in response to the presence of matter.  In other words, given a certain configuration of matter, the actual space-time fabric of the universe can be altered in significant ways.

            One of the amazing consequences of relativity is that movement can result in a difference in the way time passes, a process known as time dilation.  This is most dramatically manifested in the classic Twin Paradox.  In this method of “time travel” you can move into the future faster than normal, but there’s not really any way back.  (There’s a slight exception, but more on that later in the article.)

Early Time Travel

            In 1937, Scottish physicist W.J. Van Stockum first applied general relativity in a way that opened the door for time travel: By applying the equation of general relativity to a situation with an infinitely long, extreme dense rotting cylinder (kind of like an endless barbershop pole).  The rotation of such a massive object actually creates phenomena known as “frame dragging,” which is that it actually drags space-time along with it.  Van Stockum found that in this situation, you could create a path in 4-dimensional space-time which began and ended at the same point – something called a closed time like curve – which is the physical result that allows time travel.  You can set off in a space ship and travel a path which brings you back to the exact same moment you started out at.

            Though an intriguing result, this was a fairly contrived situation, so there wasn’t really much concern about it taking place.  A new interpretation was about to come along however, which was much more controversial.

            In 1949, the mathematician Kurt Godel – a friend of Einstein’s and a colleague at Princeton University’s Institute for Advanced Study – decided to tackle a situation where the whole universe is rotating.  In Godel’s solutions, time travel was actually allowed by the equations … if the universe were rotating.  A rotating universe could itself function as a time machine.

            Now, if the universe were rotating, there would be ways to detect it (light beams would bend, for example, if the whole universe were rotating), and so far the evidence is overwhelmingly strong that there is no sort of universal rotation.  So again, time rtavel is ruled out by this particular set of results.  But the fact is that things in the universe do rotate, and that again opens up the possibility.

Time Travel and Black Holes

            In 1963, New Zealand mathematician Roy Kerr used the field equations to analyze a rotating black hole, called a Kerr black hole, and found that the results allowed a path through a wormhole in the black hole, missing the singularity at the center, and making it out the other end.  This scenario also allows for closed time like curves, as theoretical physicist Kip Thorne realized years later.

            In the early 1980s, while Carl Sagan worked on his 1985 novel Contact, he approached Kip Thorne with a question about the physics of time travel, which inspired Thorne to examine the concept of using a black hole as a means of time travel.  Together with the physicist Sung-Won Kim, Thorne realized that you could (in theory) have a black hole with a wormhole connecting it to another point in space that could be held open by some form of negative energy.

            But just because you have a wormhole doesn’t mean that you have a time machine.  Now, let’s assume that you could move one end of the wormhole (the “movable end”).  You place the movable end on a spaceship, shooting it off into space at nearly the speed of light.  Time dilation (see, I promised it would come back) kicks in, and the time experienced by the movable end is much less than the time experienced by the fixed end.  Let’s assume that you move the movable end 5,000 years into the future of the Earth, but the movable end only “ages” 5 years.  So you leave in 2010 AD, day, and arrive in 7010 AD.  However, if you travel through the movable end, you will actually pop out of the fixed end in 2015AD (since 5 years have passed back on Earth).  What?  How does this work?

            Well, the fact is that the two ends of the wormhole are connected.  No matter how far apart they are, in space-time, they’re still basically “near” each other.  Since the movable end is only five years older than when it left, going through it will send you back to the related point on the fixed wormhole.  And if someone from 2015 AD Earth steps through the fixed wormhole, they’d come out in 7010 AD from the movable wormhole.  (If someone stepped through the wormhole in 2012 AD, they’d end up on the spaceship somewhere in the middle of the trip --- and so on.)

            Though [this is] the most physically reasonable description of a time machine, there are still problems.  No one knows if wormholes or negative energy exist, nor how to put them together in this way if they do exist.

            But it is (in theory) possible.”

                        This subject too brings up so many additional questions.  If you traveled into the future to a point where you no longer existed, what would happen?  Could you travel to the past to a point where you didn’t exist, what would happen?  Or perhaps there is a “limitation” of such travel that would prevent you from traveling outside your own lifetime.  If that were the case, and you did indeed travel to such a time (especially the past) would there be TWO of you?  And who really knows what other questions this development may create if it became a reality and what consequences may result from such travels?

            Some times I can let my mind wonder to the unbelievable possibilities of “what if?”  But, as with ALL things we must exist in the present:  In the reality that we have created by choices, and let the realness of the impossible (or the highly improbable) remain in the recesses of our minds.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Really - - -

If you knew the future,

would you do anything different?"

Words

            NEVER underestimate the power of words!  I don’t think that most people truly realize just HOW powerful words can be.  For a moment consider the words spoken by Abraham Lincoln in November, 1863 that have become known as the Gettysburg Address.  The main speaker at the cemetery dedication was Edward Everett who spoke for more than 2 hours, while Lincoln only spoke for 2 minutes.  How many of Everett’s words can you remember today?  But at one time (and I don’t know if this is true today) every school kid had to learn the Gettysburg Address in history class.  Some even had to learn it if they put on plays for school imitating Lincoln as they spoke those words.  True some will say that it is only because Lincoln became President and thus was propelled into infamy, but that was only part of the reason.

            Consider the words of Dr. Martin Luther King.  Back in the sixties Dr. King spoke on many subjects and at many times concerning his views of segregation.  And many of these speeches were very instrumental in various aspects of the civil rights movement at that time!  Perhaps you remember the powerful “I Have a Dream” speech that he gave on August 28, 1963 from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.  That speech, even today, has had a very powerful motivational effect on many people.

            You can look in other areas and times and places in history and you will discover many verbal comments that have been made by individuals which have been extremely effective on many people.  And these don’t have to be long, winded speeches from political figures.  Sometimes the words can be short, but capable of bringing back fond memories of times past or times of enjoyment from events in our lives.  Consider some movie comments that just by saying the phrases will bring various thoughts to your mind:  “May the force be with you!”, “--- you can’t handle the truth!”, “E.T. phone home”, “All you need is love,” “Love is never having to say you’re sorry,” or “Et tu, Brute?”  You can probably think of many such phrases that have an emotional effects on you whenever you hear them.

            Perhaps you can recall the expression: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.”  That is SO NOT TRUE!  I understand the sticks and stones part, but those injuries will, in time, heal.  But, harmful words can stay in your mind and heart for a long time.  And perhaps, even years later, those words will continue to inflict pain on you.

            I bet that you have met people who I refer to as those with a “limited” vocabulary.  Now this is not because they are impaired in some way as to the number of words they can speak.  But, they have limited themselves because, it appears, that they choose to only use a limited amount of words when they speak.  And they normally limit themselves to a select group of “colorful adjectives” when they do speak.  I’ve hear it said that talking to such people is like participating in a verbal dual with an unarmed opponent!  Some people limit themselves by not appreciating the value (and the power) of availing themselves of a complete vocabulary.  And when we do this for ourselves (increasing the quantity and quality of our vocabulary) we can appreciate the words of the Bee Gees song released in January, 1968:  “It’s only words, and words are all I have to take your heart away.”

            And by using words in so many ways we can express such feelings that really surpass even the individual words themselves.  Let’s consider the expression of words in poetry.  In my past I loved writing poems (and I still do).  I used what I called a standard rhyme style of writing.  See the short verse below.  The thoughts behind the words can go beyond the words themselves.  This relates to the expression that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Star Watcher

I’d love to be a star watcher

Just to see the sight,

Of stars sparkling brilliantly

On a cool summer’s night.

And slowly drifting skyward

And fading out of view.

I’d love to be a star watcher

And gaze the whole night through.

            My niece also writes poetry in free-style.  Here is a sample of her writings.

sadness

has a way of

feeding the

hungry, so

I am not

surprised

by the way

you salivate

toward mine.

--a. sapp--

            What this all means to us is this:  Give careful consideration to the words that you will allow to flow over your tongue and between your lips.  Unfortunately we live in the “real” world and NOT in a comic strip.  There when the words are put into the conversation “bubbles” and we are not “happy” with what is there, we only have to “erase” the conversation bubble and re-write the conversation that satisfies our needs.  When we speak the words of love, of encouragement, or the building up effect or the hate, the discouraging, the tearing-down effect, once these have been put into motion and we cannot “take them back!”, regardless of how many times we ask for forgiveness.  The same is true about our web pages, our tweets, our blogs, when we post various comments on them they are there forever!  Always THINK before you speak or post - - - and then THINK AGAIN!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Having wonderful thoughts of someone today?

Let them know."

Budget

     It seems to be the one item that is so-o-o necessary within every individual’s or family’s financial life, and yet, it’s the one thing that very few people actually put into operation.  What is it?  A budget!

What is a budget and why is it important?

Feedback

     What is a budget?  Well, what it is NOT is a mysterious, secretive financial operation that is very difficult to understand or complicated to put into practice.  What a budget IS is really a simple understanding of your financial condition and what you can and cannot do within the boundaries of that budget.  Simply put, a budget is an itemized summary of likely income and expenses for a given period.  It helps you determine whether you can grab that bite to eat or should head home for a bowl of soup.  It is typically created using a spreadsheet, and it provides a concrete, organized, and easily understood breakdown of how much money you have coming in and how much you are letting go.  It’s an invaluable tool to help you prioritize your spending and manage your money—no matter how much or how little you have. 

     Planning and monitoring your budget will help you identify wasteful expenditures, adapt quickly as your financial situation changes, and achieve your financial goals.  When you actually see the breakdown of your expenses, you may be surprised by what you find; this process is essential to fully grasping how things can add up.  Creating a budget will decrease your stress levels because, with a budget, there are no surprises.  Unexpected car problems or medical bills?  That dream vacation your best friends are planning?  With a budget, you don’t have to panic or wonder if you have the money—you already know.  This sense of financial clarity is important not only in college, but throughout life.

How do I create a budget?

Feedback

Step 1 What are my goals?

     The first step in creating a budget is to set your goals. What are your financial goals?  Do you have debts you need to pay off?  Do you want to minimize the debt you graduate with?  Are you trying to save for a car, a vacation, or your future?   What do want to accomplish while you are in school and when you graduate? Budgeting involves tough choices, but having a goal will make budgeting a little less painful and allows you to start planning for the future.

     Every financial goal you set should be a SMART goal: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Framed.

Your goals can be defined using these three categories:

·         Short Term:      less than one year

·         Mid-Term:        one to three years

·         Long Term:      more than five years

     For example, let's say that you want to go on a vacation to Hawaii when you graduate to celebrate your accomplishment!  Maybe you are graduating in three years.  So you have 36 months to save for your vacation.  You did your research and found that you will need to save at least $4,500 for the trip you plan to take.  So, that means you will need to set aside $125 each month until you graduate.  Guess what?  You just created a SMART goal!  Your goal is:

·         Specific: You plan to go to Hawaii when you graduate to celebrate your success

·         Measurable: You know that you will need to save $4,500 to take your trip

·         Achievable: You will need to save $125 a month to meet your goal

·         Relevant: Your goal is relevant to you - you plan to take a trip when you graduate as a reward for your hard work

·         Time-Framed:  You plan to reach your goal in 3 years

     Now, it's your turn!  Think of at least one goal you plan to accomplish using the SMART goal steps.  Use the above thought process to lay out your goal.

Step 2 Where is my money coming from?

    Where does your money come from?  List the sources of your income (e.g., work, student loans, parents) and the amount that comes in from each source each month.  If you get one disbursement per semester (e.g., student loans and scholarships), determine the monthly allowance by taking the amount that's left after paying nonrecurring costs (e.g., tuition, books, dorm room) and dividing it by the 5 months in a semester.

Example: If you earn $400/month at work and you have $1000 left over from student loans after paying your once-per-semester costs, then your total monthly income is $600.

Step 3  Where is my money going?

     Do you check your bank account at the end of the month or semester and wonder where all the money went?  Before you can manage your money, you have to know how you’re spending it.  Use a spreadsheet to track and categorize your expenses for one month.   Get in the habit of recording your expenditures once a day.  

It's useful to separate your expenses into three categories:

1.     Fixed Needs – Necessary expenses that stay the same from month to month, e.g., rent, phone bill

2.     Variable Needs – Necessary expenses that may vary from month to month, e.g., gas, food

3.     Wants – Nonessential expenses, e.g., lattes, movies, eating out, electronics

     Is this just another rote exercise in organization and formatting?  No!  As you will see in Step 5, categorizing your expenses will help you balance your budget by identifying which expenditures should be cut back on first. 

     If you have a monthly savings goal (and you should!), include it as an expense.  It is much easier to save money if you've planned for it in your budget.  And it's important, too: if you run into unforeseen expenses, you'll want to be able to pay them without going into debt.  And even if nothing goes wrong, having some savings will help you follow your dreams in the future. 

Step 4  Add it all up.

     When you compare your income and expenses, do you have a monthly surplus, or will you be needing another job and begging your parents for help by the end of the semester?

     If you already have a surplus in your budget, congratulations!  You can invest in your future.

     On the other hand, if your expenses exceed your income, Step 5 will help you make some adjustments.

Step 5  Make adjustments if needed.

     If you're over budget, you need a strategy for controlling costs. Balance your budget, starting with the “wants” identified in Step 3.

     When you added up your monthly expenses, did you notice any surprisingly large numbers?  Did you spend $100 at restaurants or on yet another new outfit?  Did you spend more on electronics than food?

     Begin with such "wants" that you may be overindulging in.  For each type of "want," decide on a reasonable monthly limit that will help you balance your budget.  Would it help you reach your goals if you limited yourself to spending $40 a month at restaurants and did more shopping at the grocery store?  Can you get by without a monthly clothing or electronics expenditure, making such purchases only after you reach savings goals?  Set a cap on your "want" expenses and see if you've balanced your budget.

     If you can't trim enough from your "wants" in order to balance your budget, you will need to reduce your variable needs expenditures in the short term and perhaps your fixed needs expenditures in the long term.  This may mean taking the bus instead of driving and finding less expensive housing next year.

How do I monitor and adjust my budget?

Feedback

      As you've read, there are many different options to track and monitor your budget.  Don't be locked into one choice.  Perhaps you try the spreadsheet method the first month just to get a handle on the whole "budgeting" concept.  Then, try out a website or app and keep track of your budget on your phone or laptop.  It may take you several months to decide on which method works best for you.

     But, how do you adjust your budget?  Go back to Step 5 and "trim" your budget starting from the wants and working your way up to your fixed needs.  Do not completely eliminate the "fun" out of your budget!  If you don't plan for your wants, you will be more apt to get discouraged and not stick with your budget at all! 

     Remember, a budget isn’t static—it changes as your life changes. Keep your budget in mind as you make choices and lifestyle changes. Did you get a new job in a new location? You may need to adjust the monthly gas expense for your car. Want to adopt a puppy? You’ll definitely need to check your bottom line and ensure that you can afford the upkeep. Keep a log of your expenses and don't change your spending habits without first adjusting your budget!

     It seems that the simplest of tasks for us as individuals or families is the hardest task for a government!  When was the last time that you have heard that the government’s budget was IN BALANCE!  It has probably NOT been in your life-time.  We do not have the luxury of “printing” more money when needed or just “extending” the payment debt into a future time period like the government, but we need to practical and work with what we have.  It will make our lives extremely simpler!  Don’t wait for the future, but start your budget TODAY!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Why do you never have time to do your work right,

but you always have time to do it over?"

Make Your Fortune

            Is it just me or have you ever noticed that the large majority of companies who are offering people the opportunity of making money on the internet (or other places for that matter) are almost always selling the idea of making money on the internet!  I mean is that how you should make your money?  You just offer to others the opportunity of making money on the internet by having THEM offer the opportunity to make money!  Are there any people who are ACTUALLY MAKING money on the internet (without this type of money maker)?  I’m not talking about a business or a professional who offers their goods or services on the internet as part of their advertising or marketing program for their business.  I am talking about those people who, at least it seems to me, are only offering YOU the opportunity to OFFER others the chance to make money doing the same thing!  Some times when I’m thinking about it I get so confused about what I am even thinking!  So let me try to explain my thought in some way that I hope will make some sense to you about what I am talking about.

            Years ago I saw an ad in a magazine that said for $1 this person would explain to me how within less than a year I could become a millionaire!  I don’t know how many times I read over that ad before I finally decided that for only $1 I could receive the explanation on how to become a millionaire was an investment that I COULD NOT afford to let pass by.  So, I addressed my envelope, enclosed my $1, along with my SASE and put my future fortune opportunity investment in the mail.  I might have to explain to some of you who only transact correspondence through email or other electronic functions, SASE means self addressed stamped envelope.  This was so the recipient could immediately put your requested information in the envelope and return it to you right away.  I also found out later that you were asked to include this SASE so that the recipient had no additional expense in returning the information to you.  It was YOUR envelope and YOUR stamp!

            Now after what seemed like an eternity (which was in reality about 10 days or so) I got my envelope back in the mail.  My first thought was it feels strange when you see an envelope addressed to you in YOUR handwriting.  Anyway, I didn’t even go into the house, but I sat in the rocker on the front porch and opened my letter.  I was ready to begin my journey of creating a fortune and becoming a millionaire!

            My eyes read over the enclosed ONE page letter.  The following is an estimation of the contents of the letter (remember it has been a l-o-n-g time ago):

            Dear Future Millionaire:

                        We thank you for responding to our printed ad and we thank you for your $1 donation to our funding success.

                        In assisting you in your hopes of your million dollar fortune please follow these instructions carefully.

1.       Place the below advertisement in various national publications or newspapers.

2.      Make copies of this letter, as needed.

3.      Mail a copy of this letter to each person who sends you a $1 donation and a SASE.

After you have obtained donations from one million people you will have realized your financial goal.

AD:  “Send $1 to [include your address] to receive details on how to become a millionaire in one year or less.”

After having read the letter I just sat there in the rocker thinking: “I have been scammed!”  But after I thought about it for a few minutes I had to admit that I hadn’t been scammed.  They had given me exactly what they told me they would send for my dollar.  And it was true:  If I could get a million people to reply to this ad I would have grossed a million dollars!

            Was it the program that I had been seeking to establish my financial fortune?  Absolutely not!  I was hoping for A LOT more details and more specific points on where to put those ads, what was it going to cost?  How the rest of the program was suppose to run, and so forth!

            And yet, after all these years, I still see basically the same opportunities being offered.  Only now it’s on the internet!  You’ve probably seen them also.  Just buy this program from my company and then what you do is follow the advertising suggestions and resale the same program to others.

            In some cases, and up to a certain point, this would probably work to make SOME money, but in all honesty you’re probably not going to make yourself a small fortune.  What you would really want to do is “re-work” the program or information that you have purchased and “repackage” the product as your own (if this is allowed).  This way you might be surprised as to what you can get out of a product that you have purchased.

            Now if you’re really feeling generous and thankful for the information I have provide you in this blog post (and maybe a little sorry for me) you can comment below and request my mailing address so you can send me one dollar.  This would help me tremendously in trying to make my first million dollars after my own $1 investment those many years ago. And I'm going to be "right up front" with you.  I'll thank you now for your dollar and I'm NOT going to send you anything!  You got your "education" when you read the post!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If you PLAN your work,

and WORK your plan,

you have to be successful!"