Last year, I counseled a young mother of two small children who came into our community program distraught, nearly hysterical, and on the verge of divorce. What was the issue? Payday Loans. She and her husband were both working, but she came in for assistance because she had absolutely nothing in the cupboard to feed her kids for the next two weeks until a clear paycheck came in. The other checks were tied up in Payday Loans.
While you may think this is a rare occurrence, sadly it isn’t. In my experience many families are falling into the trap of a promise for cash now and paying later – especially around Christmas time. We’ve all heard that Payday Loans are a poor financial decision, and if you ever take the time to read the small print on one of these loan contracts you might be tempted to take a torch to the building or stand guard outside the door and urge potential customers to run for safety. They really do gouge the consumer to the hilt. Yet these businesses are thriving. In one town near my home, two new Payday Loan offices have moved in over the last year, bringing the total up to four loan centers in a town of about 11,000 residents.
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I have been battling a stuffy nose and a sore throat for the last week, but it takes a severe sickness to cause a missed “work” day because I play professional baseball. Even if I am unable to play, I am required to go to the field to see the trainer. This sickness wasn’t nearly bad enough to keep me from work, but what if it had been? At what point is staying home better than going to work?
Workplace Environment
Viruses can spread through the workplace very easily. This is especially true in jobs with common areas and a lot of interaction. Schools are a good example of a setting where sickness spreads extremely quickly. Teachers are typically advised to stay home if they are sick. Even if you feel as though you are plenty healthy to go to work, you need to keep your coworkers in mind. If you could spread a sickness to them, you are doing everyone a disservice.
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There has been a lot written recently about the idea of a spending fast. You take a break from all non-essential spending (you still have to pay your bills and buy groceries, after all) in order to break the habit of mindlessly spending money.
While I don’t think I would want to participate in a spending fast, I do see the value in saying no to spending more money on occasion. Indeed, I’d rather prioritize my spending so that I am paying for the things that I enjoy and want, rather than watching the money trickle away because I’m mindlessly spending money on things I don’t particularly care about.
When to Say No to Spending More Money
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I have been a baseball nut my entire life. While the game is boring to many, it strikes a chord with me. The intricacies of what happens on the field never cease to amaze me. Baseball has been known as a sport of statistics since its inception. In no other sport are statistics followed so closely. For a number of years, they were merely derived from box scores. Big home run hitters, base stealers and strikeout pitchers dominated the league leaders. Recently, a man named Bill James turned these traditional statistics on their head. By introducing Sabermetrics to the game of baseball, James changed the way general managers and front office personnel view their employees.
What are They?
Sabermetrics uses traditional and modern statistics and molds them into something more tangible. These revolutionary stats can show how much or little one contributes on defense and also how many runs they helped create throughout the season.
While statistics used to only show half of the story, Sabermetrics attempts to show the entire thing. Power hitters who were once thought to be huge contributors are now often seen as defensive liabilities. Fielders with good fielding percentages are now highly sought after for their fantastic range. Sabermetrics have essentially placed values on items that were previously ignored. The name of the game is wins and losses and these statistics can be an effective predictor of overall record.
If America’s pastime and most traditional sport can have a statistical revolution, what is in store for the rest of the world?
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Lately, we’ve been getting a lot of credit offers in the mail. A LOT. Some days, we have four or five offers in the mailbox. We have good credit, so it’s not surprising that our mailbox is flooded with offers. However, even those with less than stellar credit are starting to see an uptick in the offers they are getting. With the economy showing some signs of life, and since many people paid down debt during the recession, credit card issuers are venturing out there with offers.
However, not everyone is getting the same offers. Credit card issuers vary the offers according to your credit profile. Some of the card features that can change according to your credit include:
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Green is the new black.
Buzzwords like “green living,” “eco-friendly,” and “environmentally friendly” are everywhere. Sure, you’ve checked into those products already, but you might decide that these solutions are pricier than their toxic counterparts.
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