Thursday, December 17, 2009

living-on-a-cash-only-diet:

living-on-a-cash-only-diet: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance: "Living on a Cash-Only Diet"

Love the title to this article. Hope you will check it out. Many years I lived with no checking account, was called a credit ghost, and paid everything in cash. It is amazing how much more you watch your spending when you are on a cash only, debt free basis. Once a month I went to the Post Office to buy three money orders. Mortgage (I had the house almost paid off), lights, and insurance. The simplicity was liberating.

I admit that I have gotten far from those days but hope someday to return. We all have to start where we are and the road may be longer for some than others but I can tell you this: a person can sure sleep good at night when they have no debts.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Paintbrush on America

Jobs are one of the hottest topics. Paintbrush on America is my job creation idea and could be reviewed for a federal, state, local, or personal jobs program. Feel free to use it or pass it on. Here's the idea:

Paintbrush on America

Nothing improves the look of a home faster than a fresh coat of paint. Paint can raise the appraised value of the home and neighborhood, increase the life of the home, and improve the pride of living in a community.

Painting can benefit every community in America from the urban areas to the small rural towns throughout the nation. The work would be distributed by population area so all Americans could benefit.

The program, if managed properly, can be economical by the purchase of paint in bulk and workers would be paid minimum wage while they obtain a valuable skill that can be used to open their own business or for personal use after the program is completed, and keep them off unemployment for the duration of the project. Training required is minimal. Availability and cost of the program could be supplemented by the private sector by charging on a scale based on income. This would enable the low income people to have the service for free or in trade for their own labor. Current businesses could avail themselves of the business if they are willing to comply with the guidelines of the program. (Such as when a doctor agrees to take what Medicare pays). Habitat for humanity would be an excellent resource to manage the project.

The program would compliment other programs currently under consideration such as the weatherization and plumbing projects. Another program that could fall into the same category is roofing. Although the idea does benefit the individual it also creates jobs, boosts the real estate market, and improves the communities in which we live.

If you have ideas that would generate jobs contact your city council, representatives, or whitehouse.gov. Creation of jobs is an American problem and we need to have an American solution in every community across the nation.