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Monday, January 16, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
HONOR OUR VETS!
Fundraiser for Our Veterans Music City Style!
Rock Benefit Show @ The Hard Rock Café Nashville TN
Sunday, January 15, 2012
8pm Midnight
All Ages Welcome (under 18 require parent/guardian)
Benefit Rock Show to Support Returning Troops and Their Families8:00 pm – Marlee Scott (country/pop)
8:40 pm – Sharif Iman (pop/rock)
9:20 pm – Magician/Illusionist Carl Michael
9:45 pm – Shawn Mayer (indie rock)
10:30 pm – Kris Bell / Dav Mikals / Matt “Lig” Knabe (ROCK!!)
$5 cover
FREE Passes for Military veterans with proper ID courtesy of HonorVet.orgReserved Tables for 5 people available $
100
Proceeds to benefit HonorVet.org
Sunday, January 8, 2012
4Q2011 Results for Alfa Sugar
During Alfa Sugar's inception year as a blog, it has seen 2,327 all-time views from an international audience (such as USA, Sweden, Russia, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, India, Romania, Singapore, Latvia and many others). Positive feedback has been strong regarding the content of this blog as I believe that it discusses financial perspective in such a way that many seek without realizing the need. For veterans, many have been able to gain some current information regarding their situation; though limiting, it is a key resource to filter through the red tape online.
Top three articles of interest for the quarter and year are:
1) No Pay if Fed Shutdown Occurs
2) Concurrent retirement and disability pay for our veterans
3) Veterans, the public is outraged at your cost of coming home
Many of our articles get posted according to the financial perspective that seems relevant at time of publication. Our top article categories include military money, financial food for thought, personal spending, retirement and big picture (economy).
Alfa Sugar represents a former financial advisor who is completely independant of any and all financial insitutions. This autonomy enables her to post relevant financial perspective that is unbiased yet current marketplace perspctive based off of over 20 years of experience and knowledge. Please see disclaimer note.
Thank you for making 2011 a great year for Alfa Sugar.
Top three articles of interest for the quarter and year are:
1) No Pay if Fed Shutdown Occurs
2) Concurrent retirement and disability pay for our veterans
3) Veterans, the public is outraged at your cost of coming home
Many of our articles get posted according to the financial perspective that seems relevant at time of publication. Our top article categories include military money, financial food for thought, personal spending, retirement and big picture (economy).
Alfa Sugar represents a former financial advisor who is completely independant of any and all financial insitutions. This autonomy enables her to post relevant financial perspective that is unbiased yet current marketplace perspctive based off of over 20 years of experience and knowledge. Please see disclaimer note.
Thank you for making 2011 a great year for Alfa Sugar.
2012 May Be a Financially Great Year
2012 may be a financially great year, that is IF you are willing to do something about it.
It's important to keep in mind that things just don't happen. You have to take action and make things happen. So why does this bit of perspective help me out financially?
In the wonderful world of finance where everyone must do basic math on up to advanced math albeit with your income, investments or other means of support, there is action happening. Your spending behavior is directly reflected in your wallet even if it is buying food or fuel or other. By not paying attention to your budget or how you spend your money, you are taking action.
Perhaps you are neglecting your finances. It's easy to do because many folks dislike the accountability factor involved with budgeting, reconciling your accounts and making financial decisions. Sometimes financial hardship resurfaces hard times from your past and can cause you to turn the other way or can cause you to get intense when it comes to your money.
Perhaps you are a good steward of your money, track it and live within your means. This routine action of managing your finances deserves a pat on the back AND a time to reassess your financial goals. Are you interested in a return on your funds? Are you going to take a risk and step out of your circle of comfort? Are you willing to do more work for more financial gain or are you determining your retirement options?
Perhaps you are in between where you earn income and yet just can figure out why the money was there and is now gone. This constant merrygoround gets old, discouraging and lackluster. This is when taking a personal finance class or something related to the topic will help jumpstart you back into action.
Perhaps you have been in recovery. For many veterans and military personnel coming back from the combat zone, they are faced with medical costs that wipe out whatever savings and/or income that they have. The financial hardship on the families is difficult. For some the physical disabilities create challenges including finding a job, keeping a job, and dealing with certain limitations. For many, they are dealing with PTSD or post traumatic stress disorder. It's a major issue that few talk about nor the negative effects it has on many military families. Sweeping it under the carpet is difficult when a military member dealing with PTSD has a hard time getting out of bed to go to work or to even funtion in American society.
I write that 2012 may be a financially great year because it can be if you take action. One problem is the word may, and I specifically use this word to make a point. Many want to live up to doing a good job and yet they (especially the men) feel that what they do is not good enough. Bosses and/or supervisors provide negative feedback, expect more than what is realistic and pass judgement on subordinates that beats them down. Few workers underestimate their ability to do a good job yet most question their superior when it comes to job performance and evaluation. Yet employment provides a financial means to support the family so many workers just grin and bear it.
Today is the day to take action even if it is a baby step in your financial affairs. Perhaps you organize your bank accounts into a notebook and your bills into another notebook. Perhaps you learn about a new financial software via your financial institution's web site page or Internet or package. Perhaps you pick up a book from the library to read. Perhaps you cut up your credit card and start paying it off. Perhaps you open a new account to help jumpstart your financial future with just $20 a month.
Little steps of action will enhance your financial situation. Balancing your life and keeping hope abreast will help you navigate through this tricky time. Perhaps reducing or cutting back in certain areas is a necessary action to help your family go forward. For example, buying a frozen pizza versus ordering a pizza for delivery is a small step to save some outflow. Now, if you are on TDY orders and/or PCSing and don't have access to a kitchen, it is wise to eat healthy, drink lots of water instead of sodas or alcohol and make practical choices. Ask for the military discount when possible and seek restaurants who do give it so that you can cut back on this eat out expense. Also, during lonely times it is easy to spend money to compensate for not having someone around. This is when it is very important to do a low cost activity such as a craft, sign up for a class, exercise, attend a church social function or go to the local library for free events (sometimes they are posted on their bulletin boards more so than on the web).
Just taking action to do something will help you come alive with life, venture out, learn something new and gain a whole new perspective on life. It is so much better than watching tv, playing a video game or anything else via your couch. Act and see what great possibilities lie ahead.
It's important to keep in mind that things just don't happen. You have to take action and make things happen. So why does this bit of perspective help me out financially?
In the wonderful world of finance where everyone must do basic math on up to advanced math albeit with your income, investments or other means of support, there is action happening. Your spending behavior is directly reflected in your wallet even if it is buying food or fuel or other. By not paying attention to your budget or how you spend your money, you are taking action.
Perhaps you are neglecting your finances. It's easy to do because many folks dislike the accountability factor involved with budgeting, reconciling your accounts and making financial decisions. Sometimes financial hardship resurfaces hard times from your past and can cause you to turn the other way or can cause you to get intense when it comes to your money.
Perhaps you are a good steward of your money, track it and live within your means. This routine action of managing your finances deserves a pat on the back AND a time to reassess your financial goals. Are you interested in a return on your funds? Are you going to take a risk and step out of your circle of comfort? Are you willing to do more work for more financial gain or are you determining your retirement options?
Perhaps you are in between where you earn income and yet just can figure out why the money was there and is now gone. This constant merrygoround gets old, discouraging and lackluster. This is when taking a personal finance class or something related to the topic will help jumpstart you back into action.
Perhaps you have been in recovery. For many veterans and military personnel coming back from the combat zone, they are faced with medical costs that wipe out whatever savings and/or income that they have. The financial hardship on the families is difficult. For some the physical disabilities create challenges including finding a job, keeping a job, and dealing with certain limitations. For many, they are dealing with PTSD or post traumatic stress disorder. It's a major issue that few talk about nor the negative effects it has on many military families. Sweeping it under the carpet is difficult when a military member dealing with PTSD has a hard time getting out of bed to go to work or to even funtion in American society.
I write that 2012 may be a financially great year because it can be if you take action. One problem is the word may, and I specifically use this word to make a point. Many want to live up to doing a good job and yet they (especially the men) feel that what they do is not good enough. Bosses and/or supervisors provide negative feedback, expect more than what is realistic and pass judgement on subordinates that beats them down. Few workers underestimate their ability to do a good job yet most question their superior when it comes to job performance and evaluation. Yet employment provides a financial means to support the family so many workers just grin and bear it.
Today is the day to take action even if it is a baby step in your financial affairs. Perhaps you organize your bank accounts into a notebook and your bills into another notebook. Perhaps you learn about a new financial software via your financial institution's web site page or Internet or package. Perhaps you pick up a book from the library to read. Perhaps you cut up your credit card and start paying it off. Perhaps you open a new account to help jumpstart your financial future with just $20 a month.
Little steps of action will enhance your financial situation. Balancing your life and keeping hope abreast will help you navigate through this tricky time. Perhaps reducing or cutting back in certain areas is a necessary action to help your family go forward. For example, buying a frozen pizza versus ordering a pizza for delivery is a small step to save some outflow. Now, if you are on TDY orders and/or PCSing and don't have access to a kitchen, it is wise to eat healthy, drink lots of water instead of sodas or alcohol and make practical choices. Ask for the military discount when possible and seek restaurants who do give it so that you can cut back on this eat out expense. Also, during lonely times it is easy to spend money to compensate for not having someone around. This is when it is very important to do a low cost activity such as a craft, sign up for a class, exercise, attend a church social function or go to the local library for free events (sometimes they are posted on their bulletin boards more so than on the web).
Just taking action to do something will help you come alive with life, venture out, learn something new and gain a whole new perspective on life. It is so much better than watching tv, playing a video game or anything else via your couch. Act and see what great possibilities lie ahead.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Out with the Old and In with the New
New Year's Resolutions abound in ways we least expect. Everyone has something new to do this year whether it's losing weight, doing better in an area of life, getting pregnant, finding a special love, making more money, or on and on and on.....
This year, it's a good thing to focus on out with the old and in with the new.
Instead of dwelling on past failures or past life experiences, it is important to embrace the present like none other. So often we blame ourselves for what's happened and yet we forget to forgive ourselves and try to do better by starting with the little, insignificant, detail stuff that matters in more ways than you'd expect.
For veterans and those dealing with PTSD, it is important to try something new that blesses you.
The financial perspective here is to clean up your finances, prepare taxes and get control of your financial affairs. Kind of like weeding a garden, it's good to let go of investments where the return is lackluster and redirect to a new investment instrument that better meets your needs. It's an arduous task that few enjoy; however, it is a great necessity should you desire to change your family tree.
Embrace the new and try something new in your life. This is your year, and according to Dr. Seuss' book Oh The Places You'll Go, you will succeed indeed!
This year, it's a good thing to focus on out with the old and in with the new.
Instead of dwelling on past failures or past life experiences, it is important to embrace the present like none other. So often we blame ourselves for what's happened and yet we forget to forgive ourselves and try to do better by starting with the little, insignificant, detail stuff that matters in more ways than you'd expect.
For veterans and those dealing with PTSD, it is important to try something new that blesses you.
The financial perspective here is to clean up your finances, prepare taxes and get control of your financial affairs. Kind of like weeding a garden, it's good to let go of investments where the return is lackluster and redirect to a new investment instrument that better meets your needs. It's an arduous task that few enjoy; however, it is a great necessity should you desire to change your family tree.
Embrace the new and try something new in your life. This is your year, and according to Dr. Seuss' book Oh The Places You'll Go, you will succeed indeed!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Celebrate The Season One Nation Under God
Americans struggle this time of year with celebrating the holidays. For some, it's a lonely time. For some, it's an exciting time. For others, it's a crazy busy time. For others, it's a time when you dread it. Whatever your struggle this time of year, it is wise to keep some perspective that money can't buy yet provides a return far greater than your investment portfolio.
Getting back in touch with your spiritual side is a nice start. I listened this morning on the CBS show where three clerics respectively representing the Islam, Jewish and Christian religions spoke about The Deeper Meaning of the Holidays All three commented on why Americans aren't as in touch with their spiritual side. For one thing, many are busy and are trying to buy things to satisfy needs. All agreed that Americans aren't as spiritual as in past times.
Relationships take time, and you need to invest in them. It's intimidating for many who must use a credit card to satisfy certain needs. You cannot buy love. Though love is unseen, not tangible and not readily available, it is experienced by many so we know it exists. Perhaps past hurts prevent you from opening yourself back up and being vulnerable to receiving and/or giving love. If that is the case, then by all means take your time but do not keep the wall up preventing the WHAT IF love really happens this time. It's a risk well worth taking.
Forgiveness is key. Impossible to forgive...I believe not....It takes courage and swallowing your pride to forgive. Though many see this as weakness, it is greater strength than any football player or Olympic champion can ever display. God forgives us, and perhaps He is desiring us to forgive Him. We can learn to forgive by forgiving others.
We are one nation under God. Isn't it neat that all can celebrate this time of year?
Getting back in touch with your spiritual side is a nice start. I listened this morning on the CBS show where three clerics respectively representing the Islam, Jewish and Christian religions spoke about The Deeper Meaning of the Holidays All three commented on why Americans aren't as in touch with their spiritual side. For one thing, many are busy and are trying to buy things to satisfy needs. All agreed that Americans aren't as spiritual as in past times.
Relationships take time, and you need to invest in them. It's intimidating for many who must use a credit card to satisfy certain needs. You cannot buy love. Though love is unseen, not tangible and not readily available, it is experienced by many so we know it exists. Perhaps past hurts prevent you from opening yourself back up and being vulnerable to receiving and/or giving love. If that is the case, then by all means take your time but do not keep the wall up preventing the WHAT IF love really happens this time. It's a risk well worth taking.
Forgiveness is key. Impossible to forgive...I believe not....It takes courage and swallowing your pride to forgive. Though many see this as weakness, it is greater strength than any football player or Olympic champion can ever display. God forgives us, and perhaps He is desiring us to forgive Him. We can learn to forgive by forgiving others.
We are one nation under God. Isn't it neat that all can celebrate this time of year?
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Holiday Season Tips
Frantic about the end of the year? You are not alone. Many are. In addition to all the holiday season busyness, Americans are dealing with an economy that is dismal regarding employment. For many, Christmas will not be as great as in years past.
1. Check your end of the year financials. The old expression of getting your house in order is recommended.
2. Budget for holiday gift giving and go lean! Everyone understands that people aren't doing as much as in years past.
3. Spend less on your children and spend more time with them.
4. Travel with a purpose, meaning budget your auto fuel. Try to merge two or more trips to the store into one. Try to carpool or get a ride. Walking, riding a bike or even taking an alternative means of transportation though full of hassles can free up cash elsewhere. I know of a retired couple who sold their second car and share one vehicle.
5. Clothing goes on sale this time of year so be on the lookout for nice gift ideas or a new article of clothing for yourself.
6. Attend church especially the Christmas events. They bring out a cheerful bit of our soul. Plus they are free and some offer free child care depending upon the event.
7. Gift cards are all over the place and make for easy gifts (or do they?). If you are handing the recipient a gift, it is best to give cash. Gift cards now come with a $3.95 activitation fee in addition to the amount on the card.
8. Impulse spending occurs so quick as stores and salespeople put the push on you to spend spend spend. Be wise. Watch your wallet.
9. Technology is allowing thiefs to get ahold of your credit card. Check your free credit score as well as your credit card and debit card.
10. Shop during low volume of people times. Weekends, after work and school holidays are when traffic will be high. Plan a day off. Better yet...shop online and plan to be at home when the UPS man delivers your package.
1. Check your end of the year financials. The old expression of getting your house in order is recommended.
2. Budget for holiday gift giving and go lean! Everyone understands that people aren't doing as much as in years past.
3. Spend less on your children and spend more time with them.
4. Travel with a purpose, meaning budget your auto fuel. Try to merge two or more trips to the store into one. Try to carpool or get a ride. Walking, riding a bike or even taking an alternative means of transportation though full of hassles can free up cash elsewhere. I know of a retired couple who sold their second car and share one vehicle.
5. Clothing goes on sale this time of year so be on the lookout for nice gift ideas or a new article of clothing for yourself.
6. Attend church especially the Christmas events. They bring out a cheerful bit of our soul. Plus they are free and some offer free child care depending upon the event.
7. Gift cards are all over the place and make for easy gifts (or do they?). If you are handing the recipient a gift, it is best to give cash. Gift cards now come with a $3.95 activitation fee in addition to the amount on the card.
8. Impulse spending occurs so quick as stores and salespeople put the push on you to spend spend spend. Be wise. Watch your wallet.
9. Technology is allowing thiefs to get ahold of your credit card. Check your free credit score as well as your credit card and debit card.
10. Shop during low volume of people times. Weekends, after work and school holidays are when traffic will be high. Plan a day off. Better yet...shop online and plan to be at home when the UPS man delivers your package.
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