_Dear Beachwood,
By now most of you are aware of our first annual Beachwood Can Food Drive which began on December 3, 2011 and will run through December 17, 2011. I am so excited to be apart of this great event! We are so fortunate to be apart of a neighborhood, where neighbors helping neighbors is not just a cliché’.
It was not long ago, when some of my neighbors took it upon themselves to assist my son and me during a difficult period in our life. I never thought any of my neighbors noticed me or had any idea of what I was going through. For instance, one of my brothers stopped by my home, while I was away at work, to make some minor repairs to my home. He later told me that from the time he arrived and until he actually left my home he had been closely watched by neighbors. I called this scenario the Pilton Place Community Watch.
Shortly thereafter one of my neighbors started having my son and me over for dinner. It was not long after the invites to dinner, they started dropping off groceries. My neighbors also took it upon themselves to purchase stones for my backyard, assisting me in chipping away ice from my front yard, taking my trash to the dump, along with so many other things. I am so thankful for everything that my neighbors have done for me over the past 10 years. They saw my needs and decided amongst their selves to do whatever they could to assist us. Ultimately, it was my neighbors who gave me the push I needed to stay in my home. I call this scenario the Pilton Place Angels in action.
Sometimes all people need is to know that they are not alone in their struggles. The world is a scary place when you are on the bottom looking up. Just knowing that you have someone in your corner can make a world of a difference.
I am a single mom, who at one time worked full-time and went to school part-time in the evenings. I had a limited amount of money and time. I also had too much pride to ask for help and was too ashamed to let anyone know that I needed help. I suffered for a long time in silence. Until one day one of my neighbors, watched me long enough to know that I was hurt, broken, and was in need of help. I am now and will always be grateful to all of my neighbors, who live on Pilton Place. Thank you for pushing me to never give up the fight. I call his scenario forever grateful!
It is now time for me to pay it forward, which is why this food drive is so important to me. If anyone knows what it is like to not have enough, I do. My neighbors let me keep pride, but hey loved the shame right out of me.
I humbly beseech all of you to participate in the first annual Beachwood Can Food Drive. Your neighbors need your help, so please give generously.
Daisy Lucas
“A Woman of Purpose and Destiny”
Dear Beachwood,
As we approach Thanksgiving, let us continue to be mindful of our spending. It is so easily to get caught up in the holiday spending, that we forget the true meaning of the holiday. Thanksgiving is a time for us to be thankful.
For many years, I spent lots of money and time trying to prepare the perfect Thanksgiving Dinner. I would spend my last dollar trying to make an impression on my family and guest. I would invite everyone I knew. My home would be filled with food and laughter. I loved to hear my family and friends praises…. Oh, Daisy your house is beautiful. Oh, Daisy this food tastes wonderful. You are doing so well for yourself. Mmm….if they only knew. I had maxed out my credit cards and spent every dime I had to impress them.
While my guests were eating and enjoying themselves, I was secretly calculating how I was going to pay my utility bills and mortgage for the month of November. My stomach would be doing flips. My nerves would be torn all to pieces. Sometimes I could not even sit down and eat, because I was so worried about my bills. To make matters worse many of my guests would take plates of food home, which would leave me trying to figure our how I was going to eat for the next couple of days. I am so thankful, that I no longer feel the need to betray myself like this any more.
No, this Thanksgiving will be much different. I get it… I am so thankful for life and the things that I have been able to experience these past couple of years. My son and I are soaring to new heights. We will spend this Thanksgiving with our family and friends without breaking the bank. We will have all of the fixings for a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner, but on a much smaller scale. While we eat, we will remember to give thanks for all of our blessings.
One of the things that I am most thankful for is my Beachwood neighbors. You guys are absolutely wonderful! I am so blessed to have neighbors like you. We are all working together for one common goal, which is to make our neighborhood a better place to live. Every one of you in your own little way continues to encouragement me to keep going.
My son and I would like to take this time to wish all our Beachwood neighbors a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
Daisy Lucas
“A Woman of Purpose and Destiny”
Dear Beachwood,
In my quest to become financially secure, I found that there has been a direct correlation between my finances and my health. Let me explain, the better I feel about myself the better I manage my finances and other important matters in my life. When I am depressed, sad, or for better words… out of balance for whatever reason, the more I eat and the less I pay attention to the those things that matter.
Sometime ago, while sitting in Bible study, I look down to see that my ankles were swollen. Since this was not the first time this had happen, I began to think seriously about my health. While thinking about my food consumption and lack of exercise, I continued to eat and sit on the couch. Giving thought to how I could possibly loose the extra pounds, which I had gained over the course of about 20 years. Then there was what Oprah Winfrey calls the A-ha moment! I finally got it! I thought fixing my finances would ultimately fix everything in my life. Wrong! You know how we think. If I could win the lottery all of my problems would be solved. Not so. I realized there was no book, movie, or person coming to my rescue. I had to get up off the couch and rescue myself. Food was not my problem! Money or the lack of it was not my problem! My problem was me. I was my own worst enemy! So I got up off the couch and made the decision to finally become a whole Daisy. Not just in my finances, but in every area of my life.
The following week I made the decision to join a gym through Raleigh Parks and Recreation for only $10 a month, which does not require me to sign a contract. The gym is small and private, which I really like! Although I am unable to go every day, I go as much as I can. Like my finances, every step I take in the right direction can only lead to success. My former employer use to say, “You can not put a price on your health.” He tried on many occasions to show me how to eat healthy, but I would always tell him that eating healthy cost too much. Well, I now see the light... Good health could save me money by reducing my healthcare cost in the long run; especially with healthcare cost rising everyday. Even if you could afford the rising cost of healthcare, what about your family? You owe it to your family to live a well balance life.
Investing in a healthy lifestyle, could possibly be one of your most important investments.
I know this weeks Lessons Learned maybe a little off target, but I felt the need to share this A-ha moment with all of you. Like I have said in the past, “I am on a journey.”
Daisy Lucas
“A Woman of Purpose and De
Dear Beachwood,
Suze Orman once said, “Nobody cares more about your money than you do”, which I now believe is absolutely true. I spent most of my life running away from my parent’s success. Both of my parents achieved financial success, through hard work and perseverance. Unfortunately, neither of my parents managed their money very well.
My father, who only had an eight grade education, owned a successful trucking company and was part owner of a seafood market. My mother on the other hand, who was a single mom, worked in the medical field as a Dialysis Technician. She was one of the best in her field, which afforded her a very generous salary. Yes, life was good for the most part, but neither of my parents gave much thought to the future. My father lost everything, due to poor planning. My mother’s health failed her at an early age, which forced her to have to go on disability.
In order to not follow in their foot steps, I chose to go to college and learn as much as I could about money management. Well, as much as I did not want to be like my parents, I have become them. But as Oprah Winfrey often says, “When you know better you do better”, which what I am attempting to do every day. This empowering statement leads to my Lessons learned this week.
For starters, have you ever notice how upset some people get when you make the mistake of asking them a question? Well, my first quest last week was to speak with my telephone provider. Since I had some questions about my bill, I decided to give them a call. The first person I spoke with kept putting me on hold, while they checked my account. Every time she came back to the phone I would give her a summary of everything she told me. I would then follow up with another question, which irritated her to no end. Once our conversation was over, I chose to call back in order to speak with someone else. Something in my gut was telling me, that she had given me incorrect information. The second person I spoke with transferred me someone else, who obviously had the day off, so I called back a third time. After taking some time to explain my situation, the representative fixed my problem in less than 10 minutes. Finally, she apologized for the confusion and then as a kind gesture gave me a new discounted rate.
No matter how frustrated someone becomes… keep asking questions. It is your money and nobody cares about your money more than you do. Take charge of your finances… I was on a roll last week, so I decided to called my son’s Ophthalmologist to see if I could get a better price on his glasses. Again, just by asking some questions I was told that I did not have to pay the original balance due of $178.00. After performing some recalculation, my balance is now $0.00 or some where close to it.
If someone gets frustrated by your questions, don’t give up. Keep asking until you are sure you understand what is expected of you the consequences of your decision.
Have a good week!
Daisy Lucas
“A Woman of Purpose and Destiny”
Dear Beachwood, It’s hard to believe that we are in the last quarter of 2011. With the end of the year quickly approaching, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about year-end tax preparations. Before we know it Thanksgiving and Christmas will be gone and it will be time to file our 2011 tax returns. I don’t know about you, but this is by far my least favorite time of the year. Mainly, because I have not always taken the time to gather all my information prior to preparing my tax return. Well, I am going to try to do better this year. I have already started going through receipts and other pertinent information, which could be useful in preparing my 2011 taxes. The closer we get to the end of the year, the more we will hear about the changes in the 2011 tax laws, but some things will never change. Things such as making sure all of your tax records have the correct address, social security numbers, and names spelled correctly. Also make sure your employer has included information concerning bonuses, Health Savings Accounts, and 401k information on your w-2s. I know this sounds basic, but as a former tax preparer I can tell you that more times than not an employee’s name, address, and social security numbers or often times reported in error to the IRS, which can delay refunds. Please do not hesitate to contact your Accountant, Tax Preparer, or the IRS if you have questions concerning your taxes. Finally, the new ALDI will be opening soon, which could be good for us. The added competition could lower the prices of some everyday used items. If anyone hears of any good deals please pass them on to the rest of us. Daisy Lucas “A Woman of Purpose and Destiny” IRS Website www.irs.govALDI http://www.aldi.us/index_ENU_HTML.htm
Dear Beachwood,
Do you know that one of the most powerful words in the English dictionary only has two letters in it? This word is so powerful, that when used it can prevent, delay, or enhance your life in an instance. Up until about a year ago, it was missing from my vocabulary. I was simply afraid to use it. Well, I have since grown and now I realize that I must use this word in order to free myself from worry and anxiety. The word is “No.”
No, I can no longer loan what I can not easily give away. No, I can no longer accept every offer that has a pen and a smile attached to it. No, I will not allow you to pressure me into something I do not want to do; especially when everything in me says, “Say No.” Nancy Reagan was right, “Just Say No.” Why is this so hard? It does not have to be, which leads me into my “Lessons Learned” for this week.
Not long ago I went grocery shopping at a membership warehouse. I gave the cashier my membership card and waited for her to swipe it. After swiping my card, the cashier’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. I looked at her and asked if there was a problem. She said, “No there is no problem. You have been approved for a new Visa card.” Now the old Daisy, would have been excited and to embarrass to say, “No thank you.” I also would have felt special to have received such as offer. Since I have been feeling pretty good about myself lately, I did not feel the need to accept their offer.
I did not care what my fellow shoppers thought about me. I did not care if I held up the line. I knew what I said at that very moment would say a lot about, who I was and how I felt about myself. I smiled at the cashier and politely said, “No thank you.” She asked me one more time and I said with confidence and the assurance that I was making the right decision, “No thank you.” I then took the approval receipt and shredded it into little pieces and walked out of the store feeing really good about my decision to say, “No.”
Saying no is not a bad thing. Not saying no when you should is a bad thing.
Have a great week!
Daisy Lucas
“A Woman of Purpose and Destiny”
Dear Beachwood, I would like to start this week’s “Lessons Learned” by asking you a question, “What do you do, when your back is against the wall?” What do you do, when you have exhausted all of your savings and your money is funny…? You have no family or rich friends to come to your rescue. You have done all that you could to survive and it is still not enough. When you look back over your life you say to yourself, “I went to college, I worked hard, I saved my money, and I did my best to make all right the turns, but yet I find myself scraping the bottom of the barrel.” Where did I go wrong? My answer to all of these questions is simply, do not give up! Many of you are facing some unforeseen financial difficulties due to sickness, death, layoffs, and divorce or separation. Do not allow pride or shame to prevent you from seeking out help. Talk to your creditors; especially your mortgage provider. Do not wait until it is too late. It is better to be proactive than reactive. During the time I was laid off, I cleaned toilets, cashiered at a local department store, and office contract work as it became available. In an effort to stay on top of my bills, I contacted one of my creditors to discuss my situation. To my surprise they were very helpful. They put me in contact with a non-profit credit counseling agency, which was able to help me to set up a manageable payment plan. I only wished I had contacted my creditors the day I received my layoff notice. It would have saved me a lot of anxiety and restless nights. As we start another week, let us be proactive in handling our financial affairs. Spend some time this week determining how you and your family would handle the loss of an income in your home. Have a great week! Daisy Lucas “A Woman of Purpose and Destiny” Job Alert Accountants International 919-783-0002 http://www.accountantsinternational.com/ Affordable School TransportationSchool Cabz 919-500-6952 http://www.schoolcabz.com/ Non Profit Credit Counseling Money Management International 866-531-3765 http://www.moneymanagement.org/ Mortgage CounselingMaking home Affordable.Gov 888-995-HOPE
Dear Beachwood, This week I wanted to talk about the importance of using coupons. I must admit there was a time, when I refused to use coupons. I somehow compared using coupons to receiving free lunch at school. I know some of you are thinking why would anyone despise getting free lunch? Well, free lunch at my school was no picnic in the park. It include milk, a soy bean processed turkey sandwich (no cheese), a packet of mayo, cup of fruit, and some leftovers from the garden. It was horrible! The students, who could afford to pay for their lunch, had the luxury of receiving their choice of pizza or a sub, chips, fruit, cake, and milk. My free lunch experience at school undoubtedly shaped my opinion of coupons. I wanted nothing to do with free or reduced price anything! I now have a different opinion about coupons. Coupons are a necessity, when planning a shopping trip. This past week I used several coupons while shopping for grocery. My grocery bill without coupons was $57.00, but after I presented the cashier my beautiful smile along with my coupons my grocery bill dropped to $32. Yes, I was happy! I must admit that I am not an extreme coupon shopper by any means, but I give it my best every week. Finally, I would like to say thank you to all of you who have given me the thumbs up. This is a journey for me and I look forward sharing my thoughts with you each week. I leave you with this thought. “There is no better way to help someone, than to bend down and look the person in the eye, as you offer your help. “ Daisy Lucas NC Fair Tickets Advance NC State Fair Tickets http://www.ncstatefair.org/2011/Tickets/Coupons Hotcouponworld.com WRAL Smart Shopper http://www.wral.com/5onyourside/smartshopper/
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