| OPTIONS For most of us life is full of options and it is | | | | spending we have available to us, now and in the |
| our responsibility, and certainly our pleasure, to choose | | | | future. |
| from those options that which is best suited to our | | | | One of the serious problems today is that the earners |
| individual wants and needs. Having said that, there are | | | | of the lower dollar amounts borrow to have now. And, |
| some implications as to how this works. Some have | | | | as they increase their earnings, their purchasing power |
| money to spend and will spend it, some will not; some | | | | is diminished as they are repaying past purchases, an |
| do not have money to spend and will spend it; some | | | | endless struggle for most, and for most of their lives. |
| will be frugal and live within their means. These | | | | CHOICES In America, for the most part, we have the |
| situations are major determining factors when one is | | | | freedom to make choices, usually without any |
| choosing from the options. | | | | measure of rigid guidelines or red tape. It is true that |
| Here are simple comparisons of available money using | | | | we are free to purchase that which we believe we |
| (1), Bill Gates (2), a well paid person, and (3), a minimum | | | | can afford, things we cannot afford, and things we |
| wage earner-from both ends of the spending | | | | should or should not be buying, whenever and |
| spectrum and the middle: | | | | wherever we so choose. |
| Bill's Net Worth=$24,522,864,691. Gates could spend | | | | However, those choices are always determined by |
| $61m (sixty one million dollars) a day. | | | | one simple factor-money. How much we earn, how |
| Your Net Worth=Less than $61,307.61. | | | | much we have (what we've held on to over time), |
| You could spend (using an annual adjusted net income | | | | how much we may have coming from a windfall of |
| of $40k (forty thousand dollars) $109.59 per day. | | | | some sort; a lawsuit, an inheritance, the lottery, or |
| Minimum wage today varies around $7.00 an hour, or | | | | some source other than our actual earned income. |
| around $1120.00 per month before deductions. A wage | | | | The real issue is how well we are able to make those |
| earner at $7.00 per hour could spend $32.87 per day. | | | | choices: what knowledge do we have of the item, |
| Income is a major determining factor when one sets | | | | where does it fit into our budget, is it a need or a |
| out to buy something, especially when attempting to | | | | want? The truth is: regardless of what we are buying, |
| finance the purchase. | | | | what choice we are making, if that choice is being |
| It is an apparent matter of fact that, when comparing | | | | purchased without knowledge, preparation, and without |
| the above examples, we cannot all choose from the | | | | the proper application of that prepared knowledge it |
| same option bank, and in many cases we will never | | | | may be an unwise and damaging decision to spend |
| be afforded that privilege. It is safe to say, within | | | | our money. Is there a way through this? Yes. |
| reason, that our choices are controlled to a large | | | | Knowledge. Preparation. Application. |
| degree by our financial circumstances-the means of | | | | |