Skip to main content

What's The Boy Scout Motto?

It’s technically still summer in the Northern Hemisphere, but it seems that the Rocky Mountain West (where I live) has already moved on to winter. No, not fall, winter–on Labor Day we had a record-breaking windstorm that downed scores of trees, tree limbs, fences, and walls on my friend’s house that was under construction. It damaged and/or displaced trampolines, garbage cans, outdoor furniture, and anything else that wasn’t tied down. It left lots of people without power for over 24 hours. I felt very fortunate that mine was only off for about 3 ½ hours. When I was out assessing local damage, I noticed a dusting of snow on the mountains near my home. This does not make me happy.

But I digress because my blogpost this week is NOT about my dislike for the cold, it’s about being prepared.

In the middle of the storm, it was too late to stock up on anything, including batteries, flashlights, and bottled water. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but when something like this happens, as long as there is not a declared national emergency, the costs of these items skyrocket (anyone remember trying to buy a facemask at the onset of the epidemic?).

Work emergency items into your budget and watch for stuff on sale. Garage sales and second hand stores are ideal places to score some of those much needed items. Camping gear anyone? And many grocery stores have case lot sales going on right now. Getting prepared ahead of time will save you money and stress, and I could certainly use less stress in MY life.

Comedic note: This post is dedicated to the friend of a friend who kept reminding us of The Boy Scout Motto when we, quite unprepared, set off on a hike in Southern Utah earlier this year and ALMOST got lost because we knew not where the trail would take us (and we did not have any water with us. Don't try this at home). 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sunny and 75

While the Intermountain West has had slightly cooler climate than is typical for this time of year, I just know gorgeous weather is right around the corner. Today I wore flip flops in the rain just to make my point. And wearing open-toed shoes without socks is just one of the wonderful things you can do when it’s nice outside! I don’t know about you, but thinking about warm-weather activities makes me want to play hooky from work and play instead. But because I am an accountable adult (most days, anyway), I will NOT forsake my grown-up responsibilities (as bad as I might want to) in favor of longer days and spring and summer fun. I can work before I play. And so can you. Here is a short list of things you should check NOW before the weather gets too hot: THE CHIMNEY – climb on your roof (if it’s safe) or use binoculars to check the exterior, hire a professional for the interior cleaning GUTTERS AND DOWNSPOUTS – make sure they’re clean and make repairs as needed THE ROOF – it’s mu
Post a Comment
Read more

Who’s the Boss?

If you know me at all, then you know I love Dave Ramsey. In fact, I not only attended a Dave Ramsey affair when it once came to an event center near me, but when I went through Tennessee on a road trip, I hunted him down and visited his studio. I have a picture to prove it (well, it’s somewhere). I always listened to Dave when his show was featured from 1:00 to 4:00 pm on my local talk radio station. One of the things he said frequently (something that he actually borrowed from somebody else–John C. Maxwell) was, “A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.” If you are getting a tax “refund” this year, I will first invite you to review last week's blog post and the three links to previous blog posts. I would then encourage you to plan for that “refund” money, and I don’t mean blow it as most Americans will do. Be smart. Use it to pay off some debt if you, as most Americans do, have some. If not, save it appropriately.  We've discussed deb
Post a Comment
Read more

April Fools'

Warning: this material might cause anger and frustration in some readers. But don’t shoot the messenger here. Oh, how I wish I could tell you that this post is based on a joke, but I cannot because it’s the cold, hard truth. So here it is: if you have gotten relatively large tax returns in recent years, those days are probably far behind you. Don’t count on it this year. Things have changed. Our refunds will be much smaller for the 2022 tax year. Why? Many Americans thought that the stimulus payments they’d received were basically “free money” and were excited to get them at the time. But, unfortunately, nothing is ever free, and those stimulus payments are returning to bite us now. A couple of tax credits have expired ; the expanded Child Tax Credit and certain Covid-related breaks are no longer in existence. During the pandemic, the IRS also gave breaks to those who filed their taxes late. That, too, has been taken off the table. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you
Post a Comment
Read more