I was logging in to check my email when the above headline caught my eye.  I know a whole lot of people who have rather unworkable financial management skills and practices, but I was surprised to realize that the national savings rate is a negative number.  Last year, Americans saved -0.5% of their income.  That means we dipped into savings and spent moeny we borrowed from credit cards in excess of the money we brought into our homes. 

I think I may be in shock.

I was curious about my own savings rate.  I'm collecting W-2 forms to file my taxes and while I'm still awaiting one, I have the others so I have a pretty good idea what my income was last year (I don't want to depress anyone with the actual number so lets just say it was diddly squat.) 

I started the year with zero money in savings.

I opened a savings account at the bank in May.

I went months without any income at all, so the savings I had was depleted a bit.

I ended the year with 25% of my annual income in savings. 

Now folks, I'm not a genius.  Financial or otherwise.  Well, okay, maybe in some ways I'm a genius, but I'm not a money whiz.  I'm not a tightwad either.  I have made donations to worthy causes, my kids lack for nothing that they need, and I have more than one pair of black shoes ... more than five pairs of black shoes ... okay, I went and counted and I have six pairs of black shoes.  Surely no one with six pairs of black shoes can be considered deprived?  (I'm not mentioning the brown shoes, the red shoes, the maroon shoes, the burgundy boots, the purple pumps, the taupe shoes and the navy blue heels ... because that's just an embarrassment of riches that I'd prefer to keep out of the judgmental public eye.)

But you see my point? 

I saved money without sacrificing my pleasures, although I will admit that I live within certain limits.  If I can do it, you can do it.  And if you and I can do it together, then we will all be better off. 

I work in an industry (Pay Day Advance) that exists because Americans spend more than they earn.  We have people who come in every day who have more month at the end of their money than they know what to do with.  But no one ever managed to borrow his way out of debt.  All the loans in the world will never increase your bottom line, they only deplete it because the money belongs to someone else and it's due back with fees and interest on top.

The last time the national savings rate was a negative number was in 1932 when the unemployment rate rose to such a degree that people had no choice but to live off their savings.  Our circumstances are much different.  For the most part, we are employed, we just spend more and more and more and more and ... you know the thing about being a Jeremiad was that in the end ... Jeremiah was right.  Sooner or later, we will have a rainy day, or we'll get old enough that we don't WANT to work.  The old lady who greets shoppers at the Walmart where I shop carries her oxygen tank on her motorized wheelchair, and I don't want that to be me in another 30 years. 

I don't want it to be you either.

Hero of My Own Story

When I logged in this morning there was a banner across the page that said, "Beware your online frineds, they may not be who they say they are."  Well, DUH!

None of us is ever a 100% match with who we say we are.  I'm not suggesting that we lie, but we are all human with a common human failing.  We tend to believe our own PR.  Sometimes our PR department is all about being brutally honest and we may come up with a 95 or 96% match.  But we all have blind spots. 

I don't think of myself as someone who focuses overly on the small details or worries excessively about my appearance.  But comments from my friends suugest that I have moments when I'm a fuss budget of the top drawer. 

I also don't think of myself as overly competitive, except when I'm playing Scrabble or Literati, but again the gentle observations of those who know me and love me suggest that I have a competitive streak that we can only hope our Olympic athletes have developed so well.  Once or twice they have even been a little manipulative and suggested things in the form of a dare simply because they were certain that I couldn't resist proving them wrong.  And I fell for it.  SO I have to consider that maybe they know what they are talking about?

Its not just people online who may not be who they say they are.  But in real life, we have the benefit of seeing them interact with other people, we hear their tones of voice, and know whether they keep their word or leave us on the curb waiting and waiting ... Here, we have just their words to go by. 

We can pay attention to whether the words they speak in comments are kind or helpful.  We can hope that the picture we are getting is a full one, and over time, I believe we CAN come to know each other pretty well here.  We just have to keep in mind that we are all writing our story here.  And we are each the hero of our own story. 

Family Issues ...

We've been doing something new and different.  We've done it twice now, and I'm feeling pretty good about it.  We're having Family Meetings.  The boys and I sit down, we don't spend any more than ten minutes.  And we do "go arounds" where we go around answering a question.  Right now, the questions aren't deep.  They aren't trivial either.  Bot for now the point is to establish a habit and to practice active listening. 

Our go arounds have been

• "Tell us something good that happened this week."


• "Tell us something you wish had gone differently since the last time we talked."


• "Say something that you really like about the other two people here."


• "What one thing can we change that will help solve our problem."

The problem in question was how to arrange chores so that they are getting done.

Some times the boys have a hard time taking it seriously.  For the "something you like" they were saying things like, "I don't think he's farted as much today ..."

But I also heard things that were really cool.  We heard how Tucker's class had a "spinach party."  And we learned that Michael is worried about graduation.  I've been telling the boys for two years that we are a team.  We work together and support each other.  I'm hoping that the family meeting will make our team stronger. 

When we got down to problem solving, I was expecting that they would suggest that the problem could be solved if I would just stop getting upset about things that weren't done.  But instead, the boys said that sometimes their chores feel overwhelming, so they suggested that instead of doing everything after school, they will do a couple things in the morning and a couple in the afternoon.  That seems very reasonable to me, but I don't know if I would have ever thought of that as a solution.

I'm optimistic about this.

Today is the First Day ...

The snow has receded if not melted completely.

My cold has receded if not gone completely.

My work is over for the day.

I've been aware all day long that I'm missing the wedding of my Niece of the Heart.  Many many blessings upon you Robby and Chris!  Aunt Terri sends her love.

My boys did MOST of the chores on their list.

Since we missed out on our family time on Wednesday, we are playing games and at some point this evening we are going out for real live honest to God Cheezburgers. 

I hope your weekend is going well.

Oh the weather outside is FrightFul - but the SIMS are so delightful ....

yeah, it's nasty weather here.  Eliza has the boys at her house because of a series of unfortunate events that began with Tucker taking his morning vitamins on an empty stomach, detouring through an episode in which the school said that vomiting kids can't stay, and sliding downhill on a snowstorm at the end. 

So - the boys are spending the night with their cousins. 

I'm home, in my comfy leopard print jammies

I still feel stuffy and my nose hurts from where I've blown it so much that it's red and raw

I COULD be doing housework, laundry, studying, or balancing my checkbook.  But I'm not.  I'm going to finish this blog and then I'm going to play SIMS.  I love playing SIMS.  I have a whole neighborhood of little people with jobs and families and hopes and dreams - and I like to ckeck  in on them every so often and stir things up. Last time, the little SIM Terri got fired.  See in the game, she has this boyfriend.  My boys get a REAL kick out of having the boyfriend come over and kiss on "Mom".  Well, apparently little SIM Terri is more than okay with the kissing thing too because she would rather hang out at home and play in the hot tub than go to work.  So she got fired.  But that's okay, she wasn't really liking her job anyway.  Now she has a job in politics and that's going better.  Look out world, she's gonna wind up as Mayor.  (IF I can get her out of the hot tub.)

Oh Joy

I'm still sick.  Not as bad as yesterday, but still kind of feeling like someone did something that has horribly hurt my feelings.  I HATE this about being sick, I feel on the verge of tears all the time. 

AND the district manager is in my store auditing my work for hte past month. 

Can you say, "ripe for trouble?"

And though she be but little, she is fierce.
                               A MidSummer Night's Dream

Random Thoughts ...

If you don't take risk, risk will take you.

Isn't it interesting that people who laugh at science fiction will listen to weather forecasters and economists?

Those who race through life, finish first.

If a small thing has the power to make you angry, what does that say about your size?

It's not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.

A promise is a debt.

Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos?

Pretty much all the honest truth telling in the world is done by children. (Oliver Wendell Holmes)

Fanatics are the first to betray their beliefs in order to defend them.

Maturity is the ability to do a job whether or not you are supervised, to carry money without spending it and to bear an injustice without wanting to get even.

One evening an old Cherokee Indian told his grandson about a "battle" that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 "wolves" inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:
"Which wolf wins?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

... Two out of three ain't bad.

Cookies for Soldiers ...

It's that time of year again.  Girl Scout cookies are going on sale all across the country.  This year, when you are trying to decide whether to be virtuous and help out the Scouts or be virtuous and stick to your diet, there's a third option.  You can purchase cookies and have them sent directly to deployed soldiers.  Just indicate on the form how many boxes you wish to send and the Girl Scouts will deliver them for you.  Cool huh!

I placed my order yesterday.