Spending more than you make isn't a good thing

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator


If your outgo is more than your income then your upkeep will be your downfall. A sure way to disable yourself financially is to spend more than your income.

If your income is $2500 a month then you can’t spend $3500 a month and come out ahead.

An old friend used to say, “You can’t borrow yourself rich.”

We have “wants” and “needs.” Needs must always outweigh wants. We need food and shelter, transportation and basic utilities to survive.

A person with a small income has severe financial pressure and must live on a strict budget. The person who has a lot of income still must determine a budget. The principal is the same for the person who has more income. Your outgo must not exceed your income. If you are earning $9,000 a month but spending $10,0000 you are going to end up in financial trouble.

With a very low income even the very basic needs become a luxury. Keeping the house warm or cool is a luxury. Buying good or healthy groceries are difficult. Buying gasoline to go to work is expensive. If you have access to a credit card, the pressure is great to put basic living needs on the card but the exorbitant fees and interest of credit card companies begin to quickly intensify your financial burden.

Your choices are few when it comes to good household budgeting.

Let’s look at a lean budget. Let’s say your income is $2,000 a month. You can afford the following: $500 a month in rent, $250 a month in utilities, $250 a month for a used car payment and $150 a month for gasoline. This gives you $850 a month to buy food on and buy basic auto insurance. You will have to go through your state medical insurance program and apply for free state health insurance because you can’t afford to buy health insurance.

You also have to figure out how to make more money. You have to work hard where you are and do good so you can get a better paying job. Or, you must gain additional income through a second job. With surging inflation facing our country this makes these numbers an intense strain. Consider living as close to your job as possible to save on transportation costs.

If your income is $5,000, $10,000 a month or more. Your strategy is easier. Your main goal must be to not buy a house or a car that stretches your income to the max. You don’t need the stress. Budget so you can afford to take a vacation or have a play day. Life is short!

Enjoy it along the way. How you budget and spend your money can make you financially unstable or you can live with a feeling of financial security.


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Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated American columnist and author of American Issues, Every American Has An Opinion and ten other books. He is read in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization.

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This article is the sole opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Sentinel. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.


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High Honor Roll students named at St. Joseph-Ogden

Last week, St. Joseph-Ogden High School announced their list of students who earned high honor roll status during the 4th quarter. Forty-nine members of the junior class were the among the 173 that achieved a high level of academic achievement.

To receive honor roll recognition at SJO students must earn a grade point average of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Students whose GPA soared above 3.74 are recognized as High Honor Roll students.

High Honor Roll

Freshmen

Sophomores

Juniors

Seniors

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Guest Commentary | Social Security, It is worth the bite out of every check

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator


In 2020 over 64 million Americans were collecting Social Security benefits.

The National Institute for Retirement Security (NIRS)has reported that Social Security is the only income source for 40 percent of retirees over the age of 60. The study also claimed that only 6.8 percent of retirees receive income from the three-legged stool of Social Security, a defined benefit pension and a defined contribution plan.

Another study conducted by researchers at the Social Security Administration, found that only 19.6 of Americans 65 and over received at least 90% of their total incomes from Social Security. That’s a big difference from the stat provided by the NIRS.

Nevertheless, the point is that for millions of Americans Social Security is either all they have or mostly all they have. Also, there are some government employees who have their own pension system and do not pay into Social Security.

Social Security taxes take a bite of our income from every check. Employers and employees each pay 6.2 percent of wages up to the taxable maximum of $142,800 for 2021. The self-employed pay 12.4 percent. Some self-employed struggle with paying the 12.4 percent and look for creative ways to only report a small salary. This may enable you to have more cash now but your Social Security check will be much smaller when you become retirement age.

Religious objectors can often be exempted from paying the tax. I knew a minister who in his younger days did the paperwork to exempt out of Social Security. It was the one of the biggest mistakes of his life. When he became 65, he couldn’t quit working. He had also drawn out most of his other pension savings for emergencies.

With meager retirement dollars he was also faced with having to buy Medicare insurance. To make matters worse he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. At a relatively young senior adult age he had nothing with which to fight. He was tired from his long years of work. He had nothing financially saved. He couldn’t stop working. Medical insurance became a dilemma and within two years he was dead.

Social Security is not a perfect world. It won’t make you rich but you’ll be glad you have the check and the medical insurance.

Keep this in mind the average monthly Social Security payment for 2021 is $1,543, and the maximum you can receive at full retirement age is $3,113 a month. If you have waited until you are 70 the amount is $3,895.00. These figures change all the time depending on cost of living adjustments and how long you work and how much you pay into the system. Keep in mind the longer you work and the more you pay into Social Security, the more you collect at retirement.

So, go to work and be glad for every dollar withheld from your check for Social Security.


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Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated American columnist and author of American Issues, Every American Has An Opinion and ten other books. He is read in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization.

-----------------------------------------------------------

This article is the sole opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Sentinel. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.


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Are you washing your fruits and vegetables the right way?

StatePoint Media -- The USDA’s Dietary Guidelines recommend adults eat anywhere from five to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. While meeting or exceeding your recommended daily dose is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle, it’s just as important to ensure that you’re consuming produce safely.

Now that it is fresh produce season, keep in mind that rinsing with water doesn’t completely eliminate pesticides, or the wax that’s sprayed on produce to help extend its shelf life. Regardless if it is fresh out of your garden or delicious looking veggies from the farmer's market, it is a good idea to throughly wash your produce.

Photo: Any Lane/Pexels
Whether you’re making a salad, sauté, skewers or soup, the best way to ensure you’re maximizing the health benefits of these good-for-you food choices is to consider incorporating a fruit and vegetable wash into your kitchen routine. Just be sure that when choosing a wash you look out for the Safer Choice label from the EPA, which indicates the product is both effective and uses only ingredients that are safer for families.

One choice to consider using is ARM & HAMMER Fruit & Vegetable Wash, which combines baking soda with other pure and simple ingredients such as lemon, purified water and salt. This formula is scientifically proven to safely eliminate up to 90 percent of pesticide residue of the commonly used pesticide, thiabendazole, when used as directed, as well as clean four times better than water alone.

To safely eliminate pesticides, wax and soil from your fruits and vegetables, follow these three steps:

1. Spray: Spray produce with Arm & Hammer Fruit & Vegetable Wash.
2. Gently rub: Gently rub produce to remove soil and wax.
3. Rinse: Rinse under water to wash away pesticides, wax and soil.

To learn more and for additional tips, visit armandhammercleans.com.

When it comes to your family’s healthy lifestyle, choosing nutritious fruits and vegetables is just part of the equation. With this small tweak to your food prep routine, you can ensure those supermarket selections are wholesome and safe by the time they reach your plate.

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Tips to keep remote meetings productive

Photo: Anna Shvets/Pexels
StatePoint Media -- With many offices continuing to function remotely or hybrid style, video conferencing will remain a mainstay of the American workforce for the foreseeable future. Here’s how to ensure your meetings stay professional and productive:

Be Mindful of Limitations
Miscommunication can occur during an in-person meeting, however, there is a larger margin for error in a video call. Be mindful of the limitations of remote meetings and encourage participants to address who they are speaking to by name to avoid confusion. Consider assigning a moderator to help prevent interruptions, as well as someone to take minutes. This can ensure key takeaways are understood by all, particularly if tasks are assigned during the call.

Embrace its Benefits
While video calls do have their limitations, they also have a number of key benefits too. Features like screensharing make it easy to share presentations, data and analysis. Meetings can be also recorded for future reference or shared with colleagues who were unable to attend. And, while the mute/unmute button should never be abused, having this feature does give moderators the ability to make it clear who has the floor at any given time so that meetings stay structured.

Employ New Tech
The right technology can help ensure your staff is not overwhelmed with calls and video conferences. For example, Motiv, a mobile dashboard powered by Eturi that tracks productivity metrics for team leaders, now has a new Google Meets feature offering deeper insights specifically into meetings and calls. Is the time allocated for reoccurring meeting being used effectively or can it be optimized? Are the right team members using ad hoc meetings to brainstorm and collaborate? Who is meeting with who, when? Using this feature, CEOs, managers and team leaders can have these questions answered so they can make informed decisions. To learn more, visit motivapp.com.

Your team may be decentralized, but collaboration is just as important as ever. With the right habits and tools, you can run more effective meetings, and work productively together from afar.

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Unity Junior High list 4th quarter honor roll students


Today, Unity Junior High School announced the names of students who achieved honor roll status during the third quarter. Congratulations to the 76 students who earned the requisite grade point average to celebrate the honor. See the names of UJHS students who made the quarter's High Honor Roll list here.


6th Grade Honor Roll

7th Grade Honor Roll

8th Grade Honor Roll


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