financial zen

I’ve read a number of articles and posts talking about how it is cheaper to rent your living space instead of buying a house. It’s all about maximizing your returns, and where you can earn more money in that alloted time (because stats don’t lie, right?)

With that in mind - I’m going to take a different approach. Put your heart into this decision and decide - do you want to make extra cash, or do you want a home you can be happy in?

It’s a delicate balance! Happiness in renting, or happiness in home-owning?
The Real Estate Journal reinforced my thoughts on the issue - they discuss home improvements and whether they really add value - basically, recognizing your bad investment for being exactly what it is - making you happy, with a possibility of a cost (or loss).

In other words, do you temper your desire for what you want your home to be, because what you want may temper a future buyer’s enthusiasm? Or, do you disregard the future to enjoy the present?

Basically, as the article states: Your style is their disaster.

Just think when you are house hunting (or apartment hunting), and even when you hang out with friends. What goes through your mind? Probably something along the lines of “I like their style, this is cool” or…

“What in the WORLD were they THINKING?”

You may think Greco-Roman is in this year. Maybe a little Asian Zing. You drop a lot of money to get a style into your home, either with decor or by remodeling. But you’re doing it for YOU - not for resale, unless you are keeping it as basic and simple as possible. It’s important to remember:

“I want our house to fit our style while we’re here,” my friend says, “but unless I plan to die here, I want to recoup as much money as possible from a remodel.”

That’s it - it’s realizing how long you’re going to live in your house - spend money to make yourself happy in it - and it especially makes sense if you think it’s the house you’re going to grow with your family in.

As for my future home? I plan on making a couple improvements, maybe a remodel here or there - but basic. Making it less dated, a little more roomy and functional - but I won’t be installing the Kitchen of my dreams until we’re settling and in the area when intend to live and grow for the rest of our lives.

It just must be the time of year for giving:

The Org I work for is doing our annual fundraiser and I am trying to get the word out. You can donate through my own little page, where you will get the bonus of a picture of my cat. Donate 5$, 10$ or 4,367$, it all goes to help the animals.

Here’s the spiel:

I will be participating the 14th annual Furry Scurry, a two-mile walk and fun run to support the Dumb Friends League. The League is a national leader in providing humane care to lost and abandoned animals, rescuing sick, injured and abused animals, adopting pets to new homes, helping pets stay in homes and educating pet owners and the public about the needs of companion animals. The League is the largest animal welfare organization in the Rocky Mountain region welcoming as many as 25,000 animals a year. They turn no animals away.

The League’s mission is to shelter and care for every pet in need and they have one of the highest pet adoption rates of any similar sized organizations in the country. The League offers humane education to school children, training for pet owners and animal behavior advice through a free helpline. They investigate animal cruelty, support animal-friendly legislation and initiate partnerships with other groups, including rural shelters, to achieve outcomes that benefit animals, including reducing the number of unwanted animals born and the number relinquished to shelters.

Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support Dumb Friends League

So, help the homeless of Indiana, and help the animals!

This comes from my bro, and he knows what a sucker my family is for animal causes, so he knows I’ll be donating.

I’m going to take a break from my personal career struggle, my search for frugality, financial zen and the zen state of mind and talk about a friend in need.

A good friend of mine from “back in the day” (it was a Wednesday, in case you were wondering) - recently emailed me about a fund raiser he’s doing to help benefit the homeless - but instead of summarizing, here’s his note:

My reason for contacting you all is simple. I am walking in a fundraiser to benefit the homeless, and would like to ask you to sponsor my walk. To those that is all I need to say, here’s the link to sponsor me.

But for everyone else, if I haven’t already told you, I am an AmeriCorps*VISTA. I am paid a small living stipend to volunteer full-time for a nonprofit in Indianapolis. I work on fundraising, communications, infrastructure (boring policy stuff), and whatever else my organization needs, for a year.

And it’s been quite the eye-opening experience. The first thing I’ve learned is that it’s a bad idea to coddle the homeless. Excepting some individuals (the mentally ill, domestic abuse victims, and veterans) a good portion of the homeless are people who really messed up in life and ended up unable to do basic things like pay for rent.

But the consequences of leaving these people to fend for themselves are obvious to anyone who lives in a metropolitan area. They increase crime. They beg on street corners. They get beat up by thrill-seeking teenagers (no, really; google “homeless fights”). And they encourage the drug trade.

But the answer is not to give them hand-outs. My organization, Partners In Housing Development Corporation, is engaged in a “hand-out.” We develop what’s called supportive housing. We take old, abandoned buildings and renovate them for affordable housing. We give the homeless and low-income a place to live where they also get access to social services, like substance abuse counselors, job training, mental health services, and even some health care providers.

You should see these resource coordinators in action. They’re like impromptu parents. If a resident recently got a job, they call and check that they’re showing up every day. They conduct AA meetings and smoking-cessation classes. They leave their doors open so to see the residents walk by and ask them how they’re doing. And they criticize to motivate.

I really believe in what my organization does. I believe that permanent housing, combined with social services, is the answer to ending homelessness. The homeless need something that acts as transitional housing without the deadline. Of our residents who stay for three months, the average stay is just under two years before they transition to living on their own, working like the rest of us.

It’s quite inspiring, the idea that we could actually fix homelessness. Maybe pie-in-the-sky, I know, but at least the immediate benefits are there: less people living on the street.

So, I’m walking to fundraise for my organization on Sunday, and if you’re able and inclined to support my cause, I’d love for you to visit the link below and donate whatever you want. My goal is $125.00, but that’s the bare minimum, and I think my friends and family can do much better.

And to my family (and friends, if so inclined): please forward this to everybody you think might donate. I don’t have near-enough e-mails to reach everyone. Beth, Mom, Dad, Alex, forward this to the fam so that they get it.

Here’s the link again.

I trust that the organization I’m working for is actually helping the homeless problem. I see it everyday.

I’ll stop talking now. The deadline to donate is Saturday evening. I know, I know, it’s a bit late in the game. But I’ve been pretty busy at work. Thank you for listening and if I haven’t seen you recently, call me to catch up!

(emphasis mine, I edited a couple things out, like his phone number)

Join me in helping a good cause!