Buying Versus Renting a Home

     Are you debating on whether buying or renting a home? Well, I believe buying a home is the better route to take because I feel a person saves money, builds personal credit, and gains the sense of ownership when one buys a home. However, buying a home depends on the person and their situation. Overall, there are many factors to take into consideration on whether to buy or to rent a home.  The “New York Times” provides a calculator to calculate buying costs and renting costs.  It also presents a graph showing how much money one would save by simply buying a house and living there for at least five years. This calculator will also show the long-term savings when it comes to buying a house instead of renting.

     Even though I believe buying is considerably better than renting, there are some things to consider when making this decision.  Some critical things to think about before determining a final decision would be the maintenance required when buying a home, credit score, and job instability or the possibility of relocation.  About.com  states “Not everyone should buy a home.” This website provides and in-depth explanation of some of the reasons to not buy a home.

     On the other hand, a person who is buying a house, gains equity and the sense of personal ownership because any improvements made to the home increases the value of the home.  Also, when the loan is paid off the house will actually be owned by the buyer.  Buying a house also drastically improves a person’s credit score.  If one pays their mortgage payment on time for six to twelve months, their credit score will increase as much as 100 points because buying a home shows stability and responsibility.  When it comes to renting a house, a person is pretty much throwing their money down the drain.  A person will pay a monthly rent amount but they never gain anything.  The landlord will provide any maintenance required for the home, but ultimately the landlord owns the home.  I have rented a house and I do not like all the rules set in place by the landlord.  I was unable to paint any of the rooms, put holes in the wall for hanging pictures, or make any sort of improvement to the house.  Buying enables more freedom.

        All in all, I feel the advantages of buying a home outweigh the advantages of renting a home.  I believe stability, saving money, building personal credit, and gaining ownership of something are the greatest aspects of buying a home and the best for me and my family. We do not plan on moving anytime soon, but if we ever decided to move, at least we will have an asset to sell.  If one decides to move after renting a house, they basically leave empty-handed. I would strongly encourage all people to buy a home instead of renting one.

Tis' the Season to Shop!

     As I sit on my front porch freezing my butt off and look at all this stuff I am selling in my yard sale, all I can think about is going shopping. Yeah, like I need more stuff, but it is a tradition and I love going. The countdown has begun, Black Friday is only like two months away and I am already preparing.

     I love to go shopping on Black Friday because the total chaos is a thrilling event for me.  It also seems like more stores have been opening earlier and earlier than in previous years. Last year, my mother-in-law, my two sister-in-laws, and I set out on our journey at 8 p.m. on the night of Thanksgiving.  We were headed to Toy’s R’ Us to wait in line until 10 p.m. when the store would finally open its doors.  Many people do not feel the sales on Black Friday are worth all the hassle and chaos one must go through, but I definitely feel they are worth it.  Since I have two small children, any amount of money that I can save on their Christmas gifts is fantastic! I mean who would not want to save money? I know Black Friday is crazy but regardless, I am able to buy my children’s Christmas presents and save money at the same time.

     In other words, Black Friday is not for everyone; only for the bargain-hunters that can withstand waiting in line for a long period of time and dealing with the uncivil crowds.  Black Friday, in retrospect, is an annual event for shopaholics, like me, who would not miss it for any reason.  I revel in the uproar of spending all night shopping with people who are determined to get the best bargain.  Although these people are shopping for bargains, it seems as though the early morning hours bring out their worst behavior.  Most shoppers display the “I do not care about you” attitude on getting what they want, no matter whom or what is standing in their way.  The news media across the country have reported injuries and deaths related to accidents on Black Friday every year.  During that time, people are uncontrollable and inconsolable.  I have a compulsive shopping disorder that always surfaces on Black Friday; I shop until I literally drop.  I am an avid shopper especially on Black Friday. 

     I have gone shopping on Black Friday for three years now and from the situations I have experienced on numerous occasions during the Black Friday sales, I have learned that people disregard anyone but themselves.  People fight and push their way through the crowds, but it is the only way one can even get inside the store.  I know I can handle my own, when it comes to dealing with the enormous crowds of people. The moral of this story is to not go shopping on Black Friday unless you are equipped to handle the crowds.  Oh, my favorite event cannot get here fast enough! 

Venti Carmel Frapp – No Whip Please!

     Oh, the delicious taste of coffee, how I love it!  I love grabbing a coffee early in the morning before I go to work.  My favorite coffee shop to stop is Starbucks.  They produce the most amazing blends of coffee and tea in the whole world.  If those products are not enough, one can also purchase ice cream, breakfast sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, and sweet treats.

     Also, one might wonder how many calories are contained in each beverage or delicacy.  Most of the drinks range from 5 calories to 400 calories, but the coffee is so delicious to make anyone forget about the calories. Who’s counting anyway?

     If a customer prefers to brew his or her own coffee, I must recommend for them to visit the Starbucks store. There are a number of products available and the option to buy a subscription for coffee or tea, which is shipped to the customer’s home as often as they like. Starbucks also offers espresso machines, coffee machines, drink ware, and gift cards.

     Next, Starbucks also offers the RED card. Every time a customer uses their RED card a contribution is made to the Global Fund to help people who live with HIV/AIDS in Africa. I feel this is a great benefit on Starbuck’s behalf because I can purchase my favorite drink and help people in need at the same time. Moreover, the Starbucks Foundation, which was created in 1997 to help fund many literacy programs in the United States and in Canada is another way Starbucks gives back to the community.  Another program involved in the Starbucks Foundation is the Ethos Water Fund.  Every time a customer purchases a bottle of water at Starbucks, 5 cents is contributed to the Ethos Water Fund.  So far, 6 million dollars has been raised to provide clean water to people all over the world.  I never knew, before now, how much Starbucks reaches out to the surrounding communities. Why would a person not want to buy coffee at Starbucks and be a part of helping those in need?

     I see many commercials on television stating how Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme offer the best coffee around but I do not agree with these commercials. These two companies do not even compare to Starbucks. Dunkin’ Donuts only offers coffee, no breakfast sandwiches, no tea or espressos, just coffee.  Also, Krispy Kreme offers a relatively similar selection but not as vast as Starbucks and I know Starbucks drinks taste much better than either of these two companies because I have tasted them.

     Overall, I urge anyone to try Starbucks. I know I am hooked and I am sure anyone who tries Starbucks will be too! The products may be a little pricy but they are definitely worth it. I think I will go get my favorite drink – Venti Carmel Frappuccino without whip cream – right now!

Breaking Bad Habits Is Never An Easy Task

     Let me start off by saying I have two children: Malakai, who is four and Myrissa, who is two. They attend a Christian preschool or daycare all day while I am at work.  I feel preschool is great for them because they learn many things and prepare for Kindergarten.  Malakai is in a class with twelve other children. The majority of his class is boys, which is never a good thing. Myrissa is in the Toddler and Two’s class with eight other children and the ratio of boys and girls is fairly equal. 

     The drawback to preschool is that my children have learned some bad things. I know this happens all the time when children begin to be around each other every day. I know it is hard to control what comes out of a child’s mouth when the preschool teachers can only control what goes on while attending preschool, not when the child is at home with his or her parents.

     Malakai has started saying the word “fart” all the time.  He uses it in substitution for almost every word. For example, he will say, “My fart hurts,” or “I want a fart for dinner.”  He will also make a fart noise and say, “Oh disgusting! I farted!”  I do not consider this word a bad word, but I feel it is not appropriate for him to say.  When I say he acts like this all the time, I mean all the time! It is so annoying and frustrating whenever the children and I go out in public and he gets going on his language and actions. For a while, I had an issue with Malakai getting spanked by other children and him spanking other children. This situation finally blew up when Malakai spanked a child’s mother who was bent over in the hallway at the preschool. I had had it with his actions and he was harshly reprimanded. As soon as that event ended was when he began acting the way he does currently. 

     Malakai went to his best friend’s birthday party last weekend at the House of Bounce.  I have never heard “fart” some many times in my entire life! I was very frustrated.  The reason I become so angry is because he gets in trouble every day at preschool for saying that word. I am sure other children get in trouble also but most of the time it seems like he is the only child that is disciplined for his actions. We, (my husband and I), try very hard at home to break his new habit.  When he acts like this at home we constantly tell him that “fart” is an ugly word and to not say it, but when he laughs and continues to say it I become very angry. When Malakai speaks and acts in a bad manner, his sister also repeats everything he says. All I can think is, “Great, now I have two children talking and acting horribly.”  I wish this habit would have never formed, but what can I do about it now?  It is a shame that there is nothing else he can do to take his mind off of constantly having the urge to say this word.

     As he completes his final year of preschool, I pray he grows out of this habit. I continue to hope that one day he will just say, “Okay mom, I won’t say those bad words anymore,” but I know that is just a dream.  I would love to have advice from anyone who knows what to do in order to solve this problem.

The Use of Layaway

     Can you afford to buy all your Christmas gifts at one time? I know I cannot.  This is why I use the layaway program offered through Sears and K-Mart.  I love layaway because I am allowed to put as little as 10% down for the items I wish to put on layaway.  Since Sears and K-Mart are sister stores, the layaway program remains the same at either store.  Not only does Sear and K-Mart offer layaway in store but also online.  This is a very convenient way to shop for merchandise for Christmas, birthdays, or back to school items.  With two small children, I cannot afford to pay for many items with cash, hence the use of layaway.

     Next, the best thing about layaway through Sears and K-mart is that every piece of merchandise except clearance items is offered for the layaway program. However some stipulations apply to this layaway program. For instance, there is a requirement of a five dollar non-refundable processing fee and 10% or 20 dollars down, whatever one is higher, on your first layaway.  Also, one has eight weeks to pay the layaway in full, which means making a required payment every two weeks. This equals a total of four payments over eight weeks.  On the other hand, if a person decided to cancel their layaway a 15 dollar charge is imposed, but the rest of the payments that were applied to the layaway are refunded.  Does this program sound like something you might be interested in?

     Currently, Wal-Mart will be reinstating their layaway program on October 16, 2011 and will run through the holiday season until December 16, 2011. As of right now, this layaway program only consists of toys and electronics. It has been said that if Wal-Mart succeeds with this program, then layaway might be extended throughout the year, instead of just during the holiday season.  The other requirements involved for this program are relatively the same as for Sears and K-Mart, with the exception of only in-store layaways, the items must be at least 15 dollars or more to eligible to layaway and the total layaway amount can be no less than 50 dollars. I agree that bringing back the layaway program to Wal-Mart may be beneficial for many people, but I do not think it will supersede the Sears and K-Mart layaway programs. To be more competitive, Wal-Mart must allow all items to be considered for layaway and it must run year round. Also, I believe layaway would be a more profitable program for Wal-Mart if they had a certain length of time that a layaway could be help just like Sears and K-Mart.

     In conclusion, I believe using a layaway program is a great way to save money and I would recommend anyone to use these programs. I am also not alone in my feelings because many other people have stated the same comments. I encourage everyone to try the layaway program this holiday season. You will never regret it. Best of luck shopping!

Where Have All the Good Samaritans Gone?

     On Wednesday, September 14, 2011, I left work in route to my home. As I was driving North down Maiden Lane toward 7^th street, I came across a line of people stopped at a green light. I heard people honking and saw cars veering from the inside lane to the turning and outside lanes. At first, I could not perceive what was going on or why none of the cars were moving. I knew something up ahead must be wrong.

     As I got closer, I saw a young man standing beside his car. His Honda Civic had stalled in the inside lane on Maiden Lane. I knew he was in trouble. I went around his stalled car and veered into the outside lane. I kept looking back at this poor guy just standing beside his car, not knowing what to do.  I decided to turn right onto 7^th street and I whipped into the Wendy’s parking lot. I put my car in park and jumped out to ask this man if he needed some help. He advised me that he did, indeed, need some help so I dashed across the outside lane to go help.  I told the guy that I would push the car if he would steer. We decided to back the car up just enough to be able to turn into the Wendy’s side parking lot.

     As I began to push, I noticed a red Dodge Charger revving up its motor behind this stalled Honda Civic. All of a sudden, the woman driving the Dodge Charger laid on her horn. I looked up to see her mouthing “Do not hit my car,” in a very rude manner. I was outraged! I starting making gestures at her and telling her to go around if she was so worried about her stupid car! I know this young man thought I was crazy. I could not hold myself back because I just could not believe that this woman! Instead of being polite or helping, she blew her horn because she was worried that the stalled car, which I was pushing at 5 miles per hour, was going to hit her precious Dodge Charger.

     Finally, this young man and I pushed the car all the way into the Wendy’s parking lot. After putting his car in park, I realized this man did not have a cell phone and had no way of getting home besides walking. I asked him if he needed a ride because I knew in my heart that I couldn’t just leave him there. So, we both jumped in my car and headed off toward his house. When we arrived at his house, he told me how grateful he was that I helped him move his car and he thanked me for the ride.  

     As I headed home, I thought about the previous event that had just occurred. I still could not understand how the woman who was worried about car could act the way she did. Where have all the good people in this world gone? I am always willing to stop and help someone in need if at all possible. I know there are still some good Samaritans left in the world but they are decreasing rapidly. I know thousands of whole-hearted people helped as a result of the the May 22, tornado, but in the future, I hope more and more people will be willing to help someone in need.    

A Telling Tale: Murder, Suspense, and the Judicial System.

     A recent book I read was “The Last Juror” written by John Grisham.   John Grisham is a dynamic author, who has written many books based on various topics.  Before becoming a lawyer, John Grisham attended the Mississippi School of Law. Then, he practiced law for approximately ten years and after he retired from his profession he began writing books.  John Grisham has written several books and “The Last Juror” was his seventeenth book that was published.  For a complete list of John Grisham’s books see here, http://www.jgrisham.com/books/.  I feel everyone should take the time to read at least one book that John Grisham has written.

     First, the setting of this book takes place in the small town of Clanton, Mississippi, from the year 1970 through 1979. In this small town, the rape and murder of Rhoda Kasselaw occurs one night after she had returned home from the bar to attend to her two children. Such a crime was shocking in this town.  Police officers scrambled to undercover the truth about Rhoda’s murder. People within Clanton were outraged and wanted to catch the murderer.

     On the sunnier side of town, the local newspaper, The Ford County Times, had a new journalist from Syracuse, New York, Willie Traynor. He was the first to cover the murder. He interviewed the neighbors, the police officers, and anyone else that he thought might offer some insight to this horrible crime that had been committed. Soon after the news of the murder spread all over Clanton, the police came up with a suspect.

     Danny Padgitt, the main suspect, lived on the out skirts of Clanton with the rest of the Padgitt family.  He usually kept to himself and stayed on the island. Willie Traynor got wind that Danny Padgitt was the main suspect and published a front page story in The Ford Country Times. 

     Soon after Traynor’s story was published, the police began a formal investigation. Eventually a jury was hand-picked to determine the fate of Danny Padgitt.  Among these jurors was an African American lady, known as Mrs. Callie Ruffin. Traynor began visiting Mrs. Callie regularly to gain insight into the trial that was currently going on.  Traynor loved going to Mrs. Callie’s because she cooked the most delicious food in all of Clanton.  Traynor was starting to adapt to the small town life in Clanton, where murder was unusual and segregation was very common.

     In the events during the trial and the ones that followed a mysterious whirlwind unravels.  One by one, jurors started dying. The town was up in arms and did not know what would come next; many feared for their lives. This book illustrates how a terrifying event can happen and how the judicial system failed to work.  For a summary of “The Last Juror” visit the following website http://www.jgrisham.com/the-last-juror/.  I believe everyone should read this book. For a full review of “The Last Juror” see http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5346.The_Last_Juror.

The Insights to Yard Sales

     First off, I have a yard sale twice a year during the Carl Junction City Wide Yard Sale event. One sale is in April and the other is in October. My mother is a voluntary clerk who works alongside me at my yard sales. We have found many amusing situations that have occurred at these sales. One of the most amazing things is the customers are always there before the merchandise is even out on display. They are ready to shop until they drop as soon as they see my mother and me in the front yard putting up the tables.  We have noticed that yard sales bring about all types of customers.  These “yard-salers” can be categorized into four main groups: the Drive-Bys, the Dashers, the Genuines, and last but not least, the Jewers.

     The most hilarious people to watch are the Drive-Bys. These people are at a fast-pace speed until they come upon a yard sale. They slow down, to the point of creeping, to view the items for sale from their vehicles. If they do not see anything worth buying they drive off in record speed, to the next yard sale.

     Another funny group is the Dashers.  These people always park and leap out of their cars. They run in to the yard sale, look around for approximately sixty seconds, and dash back to their cars. When I notice this type of customer, I always yell, “Be sure and tell your friends about this sale,” as they drive off in a hurry.  Sometimes, I miss these people because they go so quickly from the car to the sale and back to the car again.

     Now, the Genuines are a special group of people. They are the people that slowly arrive at the sale, scan over the merchandise, and then, they go through boxes of clothing, books, toys, and any other items that peak their interest. I can sit and talk for hours with the Genuines because they are in no hurry whatsoever and I enjoy them being a part of my yard sale experience.

     Lastly, we have the people know as the Jewers. Usually these people frustrate me. They will ask what my price is on a certain item and then ask me if I will take a drastically lower price. When this happens, I always think, “Why did you ask me the price if you were just going to try my patience by asking me to lower the price.” Do not ask me to take a lower price; just say I will give you x amount of dollars for this particular item; this is a better form of jewing.  

     Lastly, one particular yard sale of mine was very agitating because it was pouring down rain and I still had a car load of people walk up and ask if they could look through my items that were boxed up and in my house. These people were desperate to see what kind of “goodies” I had for sale.  No matter what categories of people attend my yard sales, they still either purchase something or give me great joy in watching their actions. When the day is done and money has been made, you have to love these people.  Please feel free to attend my yard sales no matter what category of “yard-saler” you fit into.

Fad Diets: Friend or Foe?

     One of the biggest issues across the country is the obsession with losing weight.  People will go to the extremes of even hurting themselves just to lose an extra few pounds.  Have you ever tried a “fad diet”? I know I have used many “fad diets” to lose the weight I gained from having children, but they did not seem to work like the advertisements and commercials claim they would.

     According to http://www.why-low-carb-diets-work.com/diet-information.html, a “fad diet” is defined as “a ridiculous but temporarily popular weight loss system that lacks grounding in good science and/or is based on misleading diet information.”  Some of the most popular “fad diets” are the Acai Berry diet, the South Beach diet, and the Grapefruit diet. These diets claim that you will see results instantly and lose up to two to five pounds per week.  Other ways of dieting include binge eating and taking diet pills, such as Phentermine to lose weight. 

     I have actually taken Phentermine, which consisted of taking one 37.5 mg pill every day. This ritual lasted for about eight months. I can say that I loved the pill because it gave me so much energy and I had no appetite. I was rapidly losing weight because I never really ate nutritious meal; I was doing well if I ate one meal per day. When I stopped taking the Phentermine pills, I was hungry ninety-five percent of every day and I had no motivation or energy. As a result from not taking the Phentermine pill I gained back all the weight that I had lost.  As a healthy way to lose weight, I would not recommend this “weight loss” pill.

     The truths about “fad diets” and tips on proper eating are listed here: http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/the-truth-about-fad-diets. To lose weight in a healthy fashion, you need to eat nutritious meals that include items from each food group, watch the carbohydrates and calories you consume, and exercise on a daily basis. Some dieticians also recommend taking a daily multivitamin with your meal so your body will still get the proper nutrients that it needs.

     One of the most healthy and recommended dieting programs is Weight Watchers.  Many people, even celebrities, http://www.skinnybliss.com/jennifer-hudson-weight-loss-and-diet-secrets-in-self-magazine-sept-2011.html, across the nation have used this program as a tool to reach their goal weight and maintain it for years to come.

     “Fad diets” are very unhealthy and can ruin your body! Eating properly and exercising regularly will lead to major weight loss and a feeling of self-confidence.  The better you feel the more determined you will be to continue the journey of reaching your goal. Here is a reminder of each food group you need to eat to become healthy, http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/02/us-usa-food-usda-idUSTRE7514AC20110602. It is the “new” food plate that replaced the food pyramid. It is really neat.

     Losing weight is all about mind over matter; there will be struggles along the way but it is very rewarding. Remember, if you want to lose weight, take a healthy approach!

Fiber Optic Installment in Carl Junction

     I live on Roney Street, the first house east of the elementary school in Carl Junction, Missouri.  On my way home from work last Thursday, I noticed orange flags placed in a line all the way from Joplin Street west to Roney Street, leading to the elementary school.  I soon learned that a construction crew would be digging where the flags had been placed to install new AT&T fiber optic lines for the school.  The construction crew started digging on Monday, August 29, 2011.  Each day that followed, I noticed a considerable amount of progress had been made. When the crew reached my block, everything went downhill. 

     As I pulled in my drive way on Wednesday, August 31, 2011, there were two huge construction machines sitting at each end of my drive way.  I also saw a white piece of paper sticking out of my screen door.  When I looked at the piece of paper it read, “We will fix your fence. Sorry we hit it.” I turned rapidly around to see the damage, which immediately made me nauseous.  One top rail of my chain link fence was broken; it looked like a car had plowed into it.  At that point I did not care about the note; I wanted my fence fixed as soon as possible.   

     As I arrived home on Thursday afternoon, I suddenly realized my fence was again in perfect condition. I was relieved to see the repair had been made.  A little while later, our nosy neighbor came over to relay the eventful activities performed by the construction crew that had gone on during the day.  I was shocked to hear the crew had hit a water main next to our mailbox, which created pools of mud all over the street. Even though the crew had once again done some damage, this event was not nearly the worst of it.  The next thing the crew broke was a gas line, twenty feet from the school.  Staff and children had to be evacuated to a school further down the street.  This incident quickly turned into an emergency situation.  The city fire trucks and police officers showed up in a panic.  Ambulances also arrived as a precaution in case someone had been overcome by gas fumes or hurt in any way.  The firemen were ready, water hoses in hand.  The crew eventually capped off the gas line and the havoc soon abated.  Thank God no one was hurt.  

     When I woke up this morning the crew was already back to work, digging a three foot by three foot trench directly in front of my house.  I felt as if I was trapped, I could not walk out my gate toward my car to go anywhere.  I thanked the foreman of the crew for fixing my fence and he replied to one of his crew workers, “You hit their fence?” I found this statement to be hysterically funny because the crew’s boss did not even know what was going on with this job.  The job finally ended at about two o’ clock this afternoon, the good news is that the school can use a fiber optic network. Hopefully, there will be no further construction jobs in front on my house for a very long time.