Monday, March 28, 2011

By 

James W. Stone

Whether you think you are making a decision, or making a choice, there is often a reason to stop and think about what you are doing. If the consequences of your choice really don’t matter, then you have little at risk. But, sometimes, a bad choice can lead to a life-changing disaster.

“Well, sure!” you’re thinking. Choosing to make a left turn into oncoming traffic is obviously a bad choice, and it would be a life-changing disaster. And then it might occur to you that choosing to eat a cupcake with red icing doesn’t seem to be much different than choosing a cupcake with white icing, except for the color of your tongue. Not all decisions are built from the same complexities. More complex decisions offer more conflict for the decision process.

I find three components in many of the complex decisions I must make in life. I also see these three ingredients in many of the decisions that must be made by our country’s leaders in commerce and government. Here they...   >>MORE

Friday, January 21, 2011

By 

James W. Stone

I sometimes run out of things to say before I run out of words. It is really bad when I continue to talk after everything has been said. That may be where I am with the articles I post for this website.

I have tried to focus on the concepts of managing your day-to-day spending. In my viewpoint, this subject deals with strategy and behavior. It does not deal with getting the most from coupon clipping, watching for sales, or what path to take through your supermarket when you shop for food.

I have written over a hundred articles on various aspects of preparing a budget, the need for an emergency fund, living with a purpose, etc. All these subjects are part of what I call "Spending Joyfully." I should plug my book here. ("Spend Joyfully" available on Amazon.com in paperback or Kindle editions, and >MORE

Friday, January 07, 2011

By 

James W. Stone

Yes, absolutely free! You can read this article from beginning to end for absolutely no charge at all. And you can save thousands of dollars more by using what you learn from reading it. Not convinced? Give it a try. What have you got to lose?

As consumers, we respond to the word "FREE." We all want to get the most for our money. Better yet, we want to get something for nothing. If something is "free" we can take all of it we can get without hurting our pocket book. But a free offer has to benefit someone else, too. Nobody is going to "give" you something for free without gaining something for themselves. Even the act of giving for a charitable cause has a benefit for the giver — either a tax deduction, or a hard-to-purchase feeling of self-worth.

We live in a world that constantly asks, "What's in it for me?" This behavior limits our perception of getting something for nothing. We forget to think about what the giver is getting in return. More importantly,...   >>MORE

Thursday, December 23, 2010

By 

James W. Stone

On my calendar, this Saturday is the "Big Day," December 25th. This date has very different meanings for different folks. The original meaning of this date was for Christians to celebrate the birth of their "Christ," the savior. Actually, if you want to get back to "original meaning," you would look at January 7th as the day Christians celebrate Christmas on the "old" calendar developed by Julius Caesar. Russian and Serbian Christians, as well as some Greek Orthodox Christians, still use the Julian calendar to specify their religious holidays.

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII sponsored the change to our present calendar as a corrected version of the Julian calendar. It moved Christmas 13 days earlier than shown on the old calendar.  With two calendars, we have two different days for Christmas. The Gregorian calendar, as the new calendar is called, (with Christmas on our December 25th) is in use throughout most of the world. Of course, there are other calendars that are in...   >>MORE

Friday, December 17, 2010

By 

James W. Stone

When I go shopping for gifts during the holiday season I tend to be a loner. I don't want to have the distraction of conversation with someone about their week at work. I want to focus on my mission to buy a gift for someone. I know I'm a linear thinker. I'm at my best when I do one thing at a time, and that includes shopping. My wife is a natural-born multi-tasker. She enjoys having company when she is shopping. She will occasionally ask for opinions, and is willing to change her mind about what might be the best gift for her niece.

I know I'm the smartest shopper in our family. So, I thought I would do a little research to prove my point.

At a luncheon, a few days ago, I got into a discussion with ten people who were probably half-way through their holiday shopping list. We quickly agreed on the big difference in shopping styles that divided the group into two kinds of shoppers — those who like shopping alone and those who like shopping with others. Sometimes the solo...   >>MORE