Gray Wolf Productions

Tag: money

  • Why Having A Job May Not Help Your Retirement

    at my job

    We used to think that staying in or at a job for years until we reached “retirement” age or about 65 was the way to live. Many stayed with jobs that did not exactly love, but the job provided security in the form of paying into Social Security, and sometimes a company pension plan.

    And as we aged in that job, we figured these “perks” wold carry us into retirement and into our golden years of older ages. 

    Not so – according to recent research!

    Almost a third of workers (28%) say they have less than $1,000 in savings and investments that could be used for retirement, not counting their primary residence or defined benefits plans such as traditional pensions. And 57% say they have less than $25,000, according to a telephone survey of 1,003 workers and 1,001 retirees from the non-profit Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Greenwald and Associates. Previous surveys from EBRI and other groups have shown similar savings rates.

    Not having enough saved away at present may lead you think you’ll just keep working at that job.

    But will that job still want you?
    Or will it want a younger less expensive employee?


    Or, if you are young enough, you may think “well there’s lots of years left until I retire I’ll just start saving in a few years.”  But you probably won’t – you won’t save then because you’re not saving now. We have debts we have bills we have other things that we use our money for and we tend to not think about retirement when we’re young.

    As I have suggested before, a better way to plan for your future whether you’re working at a job now is to find some form of self employment.  For starters, being self-employed is good for tax savings. I’m one who does not mind paying my federal and state income taxes. But I also do not like paying more than I have to.  At least in the United  at least in the US,States, the tax code favors the self-employed. There are many more deductions, legitimate deductions, for people who are self-employed then there are for people who work for others.

    What kind of self-employment is good for YOU? Possible for YOU?
    That will be covered in the next post……

    stay tuned

    Comments?
    Questions?

  • Be Kind to Mother Earth [and Your Wallet Too!]

    home made laundry soap

     

    Changing some cleansers, using fewer utilities, and smarter shopping can help reduce your footprint on the planet and it sure will save you money too!

    Gas prices are high, electric bills are high, heating bills are high, food costs are high…etc…etc..etc…

    Earth Day comes once a year but you can celebrate it 365 days a year…and while celebrating the Earth – you can save enough money to buy yourself something nice [and useful of course ]

    Here are some things I do that you might consider for your home. And I've even gotten some friends to also reduce their electric consumptions when they found out how low my bill is compared to theirs. [Comparing utility usage is a neighborly thing to do.]

    Wash and rinse clothes in cold water – I can't remember the last time I washed with warm or hot water – and yes my clothes are very clean.

    Make you own laundry detergent. Use the ingredients in the photo – Borax, Fels Naptha and Washing Soda. It's easy to make, it's fun to make and it washes better than store-bought stuff. [Even in my very cold winter water.]

    Use vinegar as an all purposes cleanser. I wash my floors with vinegar – and – nope – there is no odor.

    Hang clothes out to dry or hang them inside as often as you are able to do so. Sun dried clothing has a great fresh smell – and it sure beats the one from machine additives.

    Unplug most of your small kitchen appliances when not using – do you really need all those reminders of what time it is?

    Unplug the TV set. That instant on means it's always on – even when it's off.

    Run your dishwasher only when it is full. You can make your own dishwasher detergent but I've had problems with it not getting glasses clean.

    Do as many errands as you can in one car trip and plan out your route.

    Better – start carpooling with pals for those shopping excursions.

    And even though I've added light bulbs – please turn yours off when you leave a room [unless of course someone else is in that room

    Turn down the thermostat and add a layer of clothing.

    All the above will save you on your utility bills too!

    Put the green back on the planet and in your wallet.

    How do YOU save the planet and save money??

    Thank you for your comments……

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