Outlook!

As the saying goes "Every Sunrise is a New Beginning."

Is it really a new beginning for us though? Not if you choose to purchase things on credit. If you live like most of today's society every day is more interest added to your debt. It's easy to lose sight of how expensive buying things on credit truly is. Rent to own will typically cost you double the price of the item if bought for cash, same goes for credit cards, as well as auto loans...  Mortgages aren't quite as bad and truly are a necessity if we wish to build equity in possessions but I'll get back to rent versus buy in a moment. 

Every time you start working you are adding value to the company you work for, you never get back the same value that you put in, If you did the company would go out of business. So it is an investment in tomorrow, you know if the company prospers and you are a positive contributor you will still have a job tomorrow. You accept that in return for not having to bother with business taxes and insurance, and legal liabilities... The list is rather lengthy in reasons for making the company more money than you get paid. Even owners will invest more time and energy than they profit in the beginning stages of any business in the hopes that the business will become self-sustaining and they will then get a larger return than what they invested. In today's economy that is just a bit more likely than walking out of a casino with more money than you walked in with. Sad reality but it's true.

Now back to Homes, buy versus rent...  Once again you are gambling if you purchase a house in today's market most first time home buyers don’t realize what they are getting into. When you buy a home it isn't just a place to live you have purchased. Even though you are still paying for it you are fully responsible for anything that breaks down, any damages that occur, liability of others on your property, taxes, insurance, maintenance, in some cases HOA fees, and a list of other un-thought of costs. 

You will be there for many years to come even though you own it do you really own it? Try not paying the taxes on it and you realize that you don’t own it you are renting it from the Government. They will take it away from you if you don’t pay the tax. When it comes to a car it is close to the same issue with the exception they won’t come and take it if you don’t pay taxes on it they will just fine you heavily until you comply or no longer drive it.

The opposite side of the coin is renting a house or apartment. When you rent you only pay rent, and to repair damages you cause. Normal wear and use is the owner’s responsibility, if an appliance or furnace / central air or anything else goes out the owner gets to pay for it, in a house you will probably be supplying your own appliances and doing the yard maintenance but that is typically all you have to worry about. The down side to this is you will never build equity in the property. For a lot of people thy feel it is worth it to avoid the annoyances of owning.

So as you see it’s not really a new beginning as much as a new chance to make things right. Every new dawn brings with it a chance for you to make a difference in your life as well as the lives around you. Don’t waste those chances by doing nothing. I choose to try and improve others’ lives by sharing love compassion and encouragement. I make many mistakes and I will continue to make many more, for that I will apologize to those that my mistakes effect. However at the end of the day if I can honestly say I have made more people happy than my mistakes have upset or harmed than it was a successful day and I look forward to the new dawn with anticipation. If today I failed and hurt more than I helped I ask for the next dawn to allow me to renew my efforts.

Thank you for your time, may all of your new dawns be blessed with love and compassion from you and to you.

Sean “Teddy Bear” Sullivan