Spending Money Wisely

In the current state of the hurting economy, making financially irresponsible decisions are not as uncommon as we wish them to be. On yahoo there is a story about the money lessons that we as Americans tend to forget. A lot of these lessons we learn about money are the ones we learned when we first started getting an allowance. When push comes to shove though, many of us tend to forget to take money as seriously as it should be.

            The article cites five different lessons that many adults tend to overlook when handling finances. These are: Knowing what you can afford, use savings as a priority and not an afterthought, know how to use credit cards, deal with debt as soon as possible, and knowing to ask about anything we didn’t learn.

            When it comes down to how average Americans regard finances, a lot of them are not very wise upon the matters. Dealing with debt is one of the tips I found most interesting. As a college student, getting debt is usually just a way of life. Many people cannot afford the money to pay for college up front. Many students are not eligible for scholarships. When you live in the middle class you live in the state of having enough money to get in debt, but not enough to earn many scholarships. As a transfer student only attending a college for two year, I am still wondering how I may manage to pay the debts for my education.

            Savings is another topic that was very interesting in the article. The article talks about how savings is mandatory and needs to be part of our life. Putting a percentage of our paycheck in savings account can be a good back-up just in case if any hardships occur. I tend to forget to save my money. As a student, it is hard to save money. My generation spends very much money on entertainment. We do not save as much as we should. When I used to work retail, I used to spend my money so quickly. The money would go towards things like movie tickets, fast food, music, DVD’s, and new guitar gear. I regret not saving a percentage of every pay check for any unexpected emergencies.

            It is easy to forget some of the basic skills that we learned as a child. When I was 8 years old and got my first allowance I was told by my parents to only buy what I could afford. This meant I had to plan ahead and think what else I may need to pay for as the week goes by. Learning to spend money responsibly is more of a discipline you polish over time. It is not something you learn to do in a flash and then are perfect at in a blink of an eye.

            Though there a few other points worth mentioning from the article, it is good to note that these money spending points are worth keeping track of. Spending money wisely has always been a subject of challenge to me.

http://financiallyfit.yahoo.com/finance/article-112592-9401-3-money-lessons-we-should-have-learned-in-childhood?ywaad=ad0035

St. Louis Tornado

On Friday the 22^nd of April, a tornado pillaged throughout the region of St. Louis. The tornado was remarked to be one of the regions worst since 1967. The storm was so strong that it closed down the city’s Lambert International Airport. This news was alarming, because it showed that there is not one place in this world that is completely safe for weather.

            Thankfully there were no recorded deaths during the storm. No fatal injuries were yet recorded as well. Tough lives were not as affected, the level of damage was intense. It shattered thousands of homes and knocked out power for over 50,000 residents. The rocky weather and incidents made for a turbulent Easter weekend for the this citizens of St. Louis.

            The overall damage was not due alone by the works of a twister. It was also accompanied by a thunderstorm that ravaged within an 85 mile range Missouri terrain. This added more strength for damage. National Weather service registered the twister in the EF-4 category.

            Though this was not the most devastating natural disaster recorded in the region, it still brings up talks about the current situation of natural disasters in our world we live in. The world is continually shaking due to one fact. It is a fallen world. We do not live in a place that is immune to such damages. It will continue to get worse.

            After two days of the damage from the disaster, the city is recovering with its airport. The airport is working at 60% capacity. The city showed some better preparation compared to previous natural disasters that have hurt the country. The airport hopes to bring up all of the flights at the right schedule by mid week. The twenty-four hour shutdown of the airport set beck many flights. The ceiling and windows of the main terminal which was most affected by the storm is currently under construction.

            It could have been worse. It also could have been more surprising. Devastating tornadoes are more notable to attack the dead center of the country. This area is know as tornado alley. The states most attacked by tornados are Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. However, weather is not as easily predicted as many would wish it to be.

            The state of Missouri is nearby tornado alley. This does not mean that the strong tornadoes are not specific to only being visible in the main six states. Certain weather patterns can have the tendency be found in other areas nearby.

            Hopefully, St. Louis will recover from the damage as soon as possible. With all that is occurring in the world with earthquakes and natural disasters it is easy to ask the question of when it will end. We just need to place more trust in God. This world is not permanent.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gaT0VrZjXo7JZYf8yEvN9GyLTuBw?docId=bc96cb4c1aae4c82bff403803a3f2a0a