Whatever you do, don't save any money

My good friend Leo Quinn, master financial advisor, has allowed me reprint permission on this very interesting article. It's all about getting your finances organized and your debts paid off so you can rest a bit easier.

Leo really knows what he's talking about, and that's why I so willing share his excellent information. Here goes . . .

Whatever you do, don't save any money

No, that's not a misprint. Even though falling interest rates are good when you want to get a loan, they are bad for people with savings accounts.

In this economy your best investment--the best place to put your money--is into paying off debts. Think of it as investing in your debt, because that is exactly what you are doing.

If you put $1,000 into a bank savings account earning 2%, at the end of a year you will have $1,020.

If you carry a $1,000 balance on a credit card with a 19% interest rate, and you pay the minimum monthly payments, at the end of one year you will have paid $190 in interest.

If you get $1,000 in a tax refund, small inheritance or from somewhere else, you now have a choice to make. You can earn 20 bucks in a savings account or save $190 by paying off that credit card. Keep in mind that your 20 bucks is taxable income so you'll be left with $15 or so after taxes.

Do you need a savings account for emergencies? That savings account may be causing those emergencies! Think about it this way...

If you are earning money in a savings account at 2% and paying anything over 2% on your debts you are sliding backwards financially and you'll never get ahead. It's basic mathematics.

If you earn 20 bucks for five years in your savings account you'll have $100. If you pay $190 in interest on your $1,000 credit card after five years you will have paid $950 in interest charges.

In other words you have wasted, lost, burned or flushed $850 by having a savings account. ($950 - $100 = $850) OUCH!

What can you do? Pay off that credit card and use that as your emergency fund. It's not the best way to do it, but it's better than earning 2% and paying anything over 2%.

So, while the stock market is on it's roller coaster and the economy is challenged your best investment, bar none, is your debts. Get them paid off.

Reprinted with permission by Leo J. Quinn, Jr. Leo is a financial educator from the Albany, NY area. For the last eight years he has been stunning audiences by showing them that paying off their highest interest rates debts first and/or paying extra on more than one debt is often the SLOWEST way to get rid of those debts. He has a special offer for readers of this blog at:
http://www.LeoQuinn.com/maria

Happy Halloween!

Hope you had a fantastic Halloween. Ours started off on Sunday--an amazing 60 degree day, which is always welcome in Wisconsin.

Our town regulates trick or treating hours, and our designated day and time was Sunday, October 29th from 1:00P to 4:00P. For the first hour, we handed out treats to all the trick or treaters. We then left more treats on our doorstep for others, and took our daughter, Amanda, trick or treating around the neighborhood. She was a little kitty this year and was just adorable.

We managed to get around to about 40 homes, before Amanda was totally pooped. In my town, if you have treats for the kiddies you simply put on your porch light. So basically there's someone home or there are treats at the door at every house with a light on. You can imagine how full Amanda's treat bag was when we got home.

We spread out everything on a sheet of blank newsprint, and went through each treat one by one. Amanda can't yet eat gum, or hard candy, so we removed all those. The rest are sitting in a large bowl, on a high shelf that Amanda can't reach.

If she eats her lunch and dinner, she's allowed a small treat after those meals if she's still hungry. (If the treat she chooses is too big, I simply break it into smaller portions that can be enjoyed on another day.) Sometimes after her meals she asks for the treat, and other times she doesn't. This system works out well for us.

Tonight, one of the outdoor malls in town (Johnson Creek Outlet Mall) is holding an evening trick or treating event, so we'll take her there too--just to give her the evening experience. We're sure she'll love it.

Unfortunately, the temperature has dropped dramatically and it's very windy outside tonight. Hope the stores at the mall all have their heat running.

Anyway, hope you had a wonderfully spooky day!

Ever Hear of a Progressive Dinner?

Ever Hear of a Progressive Dinner? Recently, my friend Tammy approached me and asked if I would be interested in being part of a Progressive Dinner. I didn't even know what this was, but when she told me about it, I was all for it.

In a nutshell, a group of friends plan a meal together where each course is served at a different participant's home. The entire party moves from home to home throughout the evening.

We had 4 couples involved--8 people in total. We chose an Italian theme for the evening.

The progressive dinner started at my house, where Joe and I served three appetizers: bruchetta, caponata and stuffed mushrooms, as well as beverages and one specialty drink.

We then moved on to Poppy and Kurt's house, where we enjoyed minestrone soup, followed by arugula salad and beverages.

Afterwards, everyone walked over to Tammy and Jesse's home, where we were treated to lasagna and beverages.

Finally, we proceeded to Christel and Ryan's home, where we ended the evening with an assortment of wonderful desserts, including tapioca parfait, banana pudding, pumpkin cheesecake and chocolate boston creme pie--along with cold beverages and/or coffee.

We spent about an hour at each home, give or take. The evening began at 6:00P and ended at approximately 10:30PM.

I can't even begin to tell you what a fantastic night this was. We shared wonderful stories with each other, discussed topics of interest, and enjoyed so many delicious dishes.

If you're never tried this before, I highly recommend it. You can choose your theme for the evening, or go with a more eclectic mix and just let people choose what they wish to make. We opted for 4 couples and a more formal setting-- served at the dining room table. However, you and the others involved can make your own rules for your own Progressive Dinner.

What a great way to share the workload and catch up with good friends!

Another Load of Clothes Washed, Dried and Folded

Last night, Joe and I watched a very good movie called 'In America' directed by Jim Sheridan. This movie is a heartwarming drama about an Irish family starting life anew in early-1980s America. Both of us enjoyed it very much.

Before we began watching, I tossed a load of clothes in the washing machine. When the buzzer indicated the completion of the cycle, we paused the DVD and I removed the clothes from the washer and put the clothes in the dryer. We then resumed watching the remainder of the flick.

By the time the movie ended, the dryer cycle was done. At that point, I removed the clothes and we both folded them together before going to bed.

Who says you can't get things done while you're relaxing?

Back From Vacation

A few days ago, our family returned from a wonderful 10-day vacation in San Diego, California. I am pleased to report that this was one of the very best trips we've ever taken. The weather was gorgeous, there was no shortage of activities for us to take advantage of, our meals were incredibly tasty and the scenery was breathtaking.

For those of you who offered suggestions to us for our trip, we graciously thank you. We found all thoughts and ideas to be extremely beneficial.

We stayed at the Embassy Suites in La Jolla, which turned out to be a very good choice for us. It didn't have an ocean view, but that was OK since we didn't spend a whole lot of time in the hotel.

The hotel did, however, have wireless Internet access so we were able to quickly check our email and our business each day without a hitch.

Since these were suites, there were two rooms, which meant our daughter had her own room. This, of course, helped ensure she fell asleep when we put her into bed, even though we were watching TV, talking, etc. in the other room.

Each morning, we were served a cooked-to-order breakfast that was complimentary. For those early evenings that we were around the hotel, we were invited to the Manager's Reception. Each person was entitled to two drinks, plus snacks, complimentary.

In addition, it also had a few other amenities that we appreciated, such as a microwave, refrigerator, laundry facilities (when we arrived back home, all of our laundry was clean and ready to be put away) and an exercise room.

While in San Diego, we went to Seaworld, Coronado Island, Wild Animal Park, Old Town, the Gaslamp District, the San Diego Zoo, Seaport Village, Horton Plaza, most of the museums in Balboa Park and La Jolla. Obviously, we got to see a lot, but it wasn't a rushed trip in any way. We had plenty of time to relax, and just enjoy the ocean.

We had breakfast every day in the hotel, but ended up eating lunch and dinner out every single day. Our top three restaurant choices for dinner out of the places we went were:

1. Chianti - Gaslamp District
2. La Dolci Vita - La Jolla
3. George's Top of the Cove - La Jolla

We also enjoyed Waters Cafe in Balboa Park for lunch, where we ate twice. And the famous fish tacos at The Fish Market were very good.

We found the 10-day time span to be perfect; not too short and not too long. I think the only major attraction we decided against this time around was Legoland, just because we felt it would have been a bit too much on top of all the other attractions.

We ended up buying two Go San Diego cards--one for me and one for my husband. Since my daughter isn't 3 years old just yet, she got in all of the attractions for free.

The Go San Diego card was worth it for us. Basically, you pay one price that covers many of the attractions, plus you get discounted prices on dining and shopping. In the end, we saved about $150 or so by getting the cards, rather than paying individually each place we visited.

Note: These cards are available for other cities around the United States, such as Miami, Boston and Chicago. However, they will only save you money if you go to most of the major attractions listed when you purchase. If you plan to go, and then you don't, you will lose money. So think before you buy.

What were our favorite places to be? It's so hard to say, because we enjoyed so much. But if we had to choose, it would be Old Town, Seaport Village, La Jolla and Seaworld, respectively.

Careful planning prior to our trip ensured that we made a good hotel choice, we were able to see everything we wanted to and we went home with amazing memories of a delightful, educational and relaxing trip--one that we all enjoyed thoroughly.

P.S. If anyone reading this blog is interested in seeing our trip photos, just email us at getorgnow@charter.net and we'll send you the link.

Organizing a Breakfast Plan

My husband can eat the same exact breakfast every single morning and be perfectly happy. For me, however, I need more variety.

I try to stay away from the high-carb breakfast foods that pack on the calories, such as pancakes and french toast.

I have a 7-day breakfast plan, that I change up a bit for variety.

Here's how a typical breakfast meal plan looks for me:

Monday: Oatmeal or cereal

Tuesday: Peanut butter or sliced avocado with whole wheat Wheat Thins

Wednesday: Eggs (scrambled, poached or hard boiled), usually with ham or Canadian bacon

Thursday: A low-fat muffin (various flavors)

Friday: Fruit, cheese and nuts

Saturday: Whole grain waffles, buckwheat pancakes or whole- grain french toast and fruit

Sunday: egg casserole (I try various recipes for fun.)

In having a weekly plan drawn up, I don't have to think too hard about what to make for breakfast, and I can plan ahead to ensure I always have the ingredients I need readily available.

I'm a proponent of 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day.' It's that meal that helps me get going, and gives me enough energy to last me until lunchtime.