Managing Finances for a Better Future Essay Example for Free

Managing Finances for a Better Future Essay In American society, we are encouraged to save money for a better future. However, in my life I have encountered problems with managing my personal finances. In the past, I spent my money irresponsibly. Despite making a decent salary, it was a challenge trying to maintain my financial responsibilities and not something I was very concerned about. I felt as though I was living paycheck to paycheck, when the reality was I simply did a poor job of managing my funds. Now that I have grown up and have a son, my expenses have increased tremendously. Although he is my biggest joy, having to take care of him has worsened my inability to manage and save money properly. When I should be saving money for his college education, instead I spent $500 on toys for Christmas. Therefore, learning how to effectively manage my finances is vitally important in order to secure a healthy and rewarding future for myself and my son. Information to Resolve My Daily Problem As I consider how to resolve my constant problem of saving money, I have identified these information sources as possible resources: 1.  I would use my 401(k) investment catalog to discover more information about how to invest money into different stocks and bonds. 2. I would contact Diana Marrero-Pinto, Director of Housing at the Lorain County Community Action Agency, Inc. to register for the Budgeting Bootcamp seminar. 3. I would search the Internet for reliable resources on how to save money in a bad economy. I would look for such resources in the following manner. I would contact my 401(k) representative to schedule a meeting to discuss my account and possible investments. I would contact Diana Marrero-Pinto to discuss the Budgeting Bootcamp seminar and other training opportunities. I would visit the University of Phoenix Library for articles and book excerpts on budgeting and saving money. Process for Evaluating My Resources In order to evaluate the information that I would gather to resolve my problem, I would consider the source of that information. If I am interviewing professionals, I would ensure that they have a background in finance or experience working with people on how to manage their personal finances. If I am looking at Internet resources, I would be cautious nreliable websites that contain non-factual information. I believe, the Wall Street Journal website has reliable information since it is a nationally renowned newspaper in the United States. Another really reliable resource would be the University of Phoenix Library, because college officials ensure the information is reliable for students. The articles and books available on the University of Phoenix Library allow thousands of students to feel confident about the reliability and accuracy of the resources retrieved from the website. Ways to Use This Information to Resolve the Problem The process of problem-solving includes the ability to utilize self-knowledge to figure out solutions to a problem (Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2007). I believe there are four stages in problem-solving: analyzing, synthesizing, applying, and evaluating. First, analyze the problem or issue by identifying the possible causes for why the problem occurred. Next, synthesize all the data that explains the problem and brainstorm possible solutions. According to Carter, Bishop, and Kravits (2007), â€Å"When you are brainstorming ideas, don’t get hooked on finding the one right answer. Questions may have many â€Å"’right answers’- or many answers that have degrees for usefulness† (para. 52). From these possible solutions create a plan of action, outlining important goals with timeframes for completion. Once the goals and timeframes are established, I will begin to apply the goals set forth in order to solve my problem. Later, I will evaluate the process it took to solve my problem, and decide if the process was dependable. This will help me to make better decisions in the future.

cocaine production Essay -- essays research papers

Cocaine Production in Columbia Columbia is the largest coca producing country in the world. Over 70% of our nation’s cocaine is produced and manufactured in Columbia (â€Å"battles won† 1). The cocaine production in Columbia is different than the rest of the Andean countries because it is grown on plots of land that are gigantic, whereas in Peru and Bolivia coca is grown on small plots of land. Cocaine producing plants are poor farmer’s biggest cash crop. Battles are fought every day between the government and farmers over thousands of acres that produce the raw material for cocaine. In the region that most of these farmers live the growing of coca and the transformation to cocaine is the largest and only functioning industry. It is a reliable income that has brought money into the country’s economy for over forty years (â€Å"a crop† 1). For many of these farmers, coca is the only plant that can bring enough money to their family for survival. Coffee, sugar, and bananas have bee n a major export for farmers in the past but a worldwide over-production has lead the farmers to producing fields of cocoa bushes. The lone functioning governments in parts of Columbia are leftist guerrillas. In these areas order is maintained by FARC, which is the countries largest rebel army. The Columbian governments have put laws into place since the 1990’s to cut down on drug trafficking. â€Å"A legal structure has been in place that encourages traffickers to surrender and collaborate with the authorities in return for judicial leniency†(Clawson 90). The drug trafficking in Columbia is causing many problems for Columbian and United States governments. These drug traffickers earn billions of dollars every year selling cocaine to Europe and the United States. The use of the coca plant has been a major way of life for indigenous people for thousands of years. Before coca was mainly used to produce cocaine, it was used by laborers as a mild narcotic to suppress hunger and give energy. â€Å"Some 70 different folk remedies include coca, sometimes in combination with other plants†(Lee 24). â€Å"Cocaine is one of 13 alkaloids produced from the coca leaf, which has been cultivated in South America for at least 2,000 years†(Lee 21). In Columbia it is illegal to grow coca plants unlike Bolivia and Peru but Columbia is still the world’s largest producer of Cocaine. This is credit to drug cartels in Columbia... ...e. Battles are fought every day between the government and farmers over thousands of acres that produce the raw material for cocaine. The Columbian government needs to go into the jungle and wipe out the guerrilla groups but cocaine has somewhat kept Columbia’s economy stable and if cocaine production is demolished then the country might hit rock bottom. The best solution to Columbia’s problems is to cut down on the production of cocaine and create more profitable programs that encourage farmers not to produce coca. Work Cited â€Å"The Absurdity of the Drug War in Columbia†. The Thistle. Oct.2001. Vol.13. 1-2 â€Å"Andean Drug Battle Bears Fruit† Christian Science Moniter.April 2000. Vol.92 . Issue 98 â€Å"Andean Coca Wars†. Economist.March 2000. Vol.354. Issue 8160.1-3 â€Å"Battles won, a War still Lost†.Economist. Feb. 2005. Vol.374. Issue 8413. 1-3 Clawson, Patrick L. The Andean Cocaine Industry. New York:St. Martin’s Press. 1996 â€Å"Columbia’s Cocaine Frontier. National Review. Dec. 2001. Vol.26. Issue 6. 1-6 â€Å"A War Down on the Farm†. Christian Science Moniter. May 2001. Vol.93. Issue 125, 1-3 Lee III, Rensselaer W. The White Labyrinth. New Brunswick. Transaction Publishers. 1989

Compare and Contrast the Poems September 1913 and Easter 1916 Essay

New Irish Hereford Prime bonus THE 90+ days pre-booking bonus is available from the 1st November 2012. If you will have cattle ready for slaughter from this date they should be booked in from the beginning of August 2012. Heifer & Steer qualifying weight range 220kg – 380kg SEE NEXT PAGE FOR EXAMPLE HEIFERS & STEERS >>> What is the new Irish Hereford Prime bonus worth to you Eg. 580kg HEX Heifer – Grading O+4- @ 51% kill out = 296kg carcase – 15c/kg – Under 300kg carcase Hereford Prime bonus + 6c/kg QA – Earn extra â‚ ¬62 – 20c/kg – Under 300kg carcase & pre-booked 28 days + 6c/kg QA – Earn extra â‚ ¬77 – 25c/kg – Under 300kg carcase & pre-booked 90 days + 6c/kg QA – Earn extra â‚ ¬92 If this animal graded R+ or better it would also get a further 6c/kg Hereford quality bonus and be worth â‚ ¬110 extra in Irish Hereford Prime The new Hereford Prime bonus can be worth up to 31c/kg on this R+ heifer under 300kg carcass Eg. 675kg HEX Steer – Grading R-4- @ 52% kill out = 351kg carcase – 10c/kg – Standard Hereford Prime bonus + 6c/kg QA – Earn extra â‚ ¬56 – 15c/kg – Pre-booking 28 days in advance + 6c/kg QA – Earn extra â‚ ¬74 – 20c/kg – Pre-booking 90 days in advance + 6c/kg QA – Earn extra â‚ ¬91 If this animal graded R+ or better it would also get a further 6c/kg Hereford quality bonus and be worth over â‚ ¬112 extra in Irish Hereford Prime The new Hereford Prime bonus can be worth up to 26c/kg on this R+ steer

Women Struggling with their Marriages in Kate Chopins...

Kate Chopin is an American author who wrote two novels and about a hundred short stories in the 1890s. Most of her fiction is set in Louisiana and most of her work focuses on the lives of intelligent women. Two widely known short stories that Chopin wrote are The Story of an Hour and Desiree’s Baby. Both stories are about women who have struggling relationships with their husbands. The Story of an Hour is about a woman, Mrs. Mallard, who suffers with a heart problem. Her husband’s friend, Richards, and her sister Josephine have to tell Mrs. Mallard that her husband has died in a train accident. They are both concerned that this news might danger Mrs. Mallard’s health. However, when Mrs. Mallard hears about the news, she feels excitement†¦show more content†¦After their marriage, Desiree gives birth to a son. Within a few months, Armand is avoiding spending time with Desiree and their son. One day, she watches a slave fanning her child. She suddenly sees the resemblance between the slave and her own child. When Armand comes, he says that the child is not white, and therefore she is not white. Desiree writes to her mother for an explanation, and her mother responds by telling her to come home. Desiree shows the letter to Armand and asks if he wants her to leave. He answers yes, and she goes outside. Instead of walking on the road, she walk s across fields and her and her child are never seen again. A short time after, Armand is burning Desiree’s possessions. He finds a letter his mother sent his father. In it, Armand’s mother says how pleased she is that their son will never know that his mother is of African descent. In both short stories, Chopin uses various rhetorical devices to further the detail of the stories. In The Story of an Hour, Mrs. Mallard is sobbing, as a â€Å"child who had cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams.† Mrs. Mallard is crying so much that she is crying â€Å"in her dreams,† seeming as if she won’t stop crying. â€Å"She carried herself unwittingly like a goddess of Victory.† She feels victorious in a way, winning her freedom. However, she cannot appear victorious, as she must appear grieving. Mrs. Mallard is being pushedShow MoreRelatedThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin1540 Words   |  7 PagesIn Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, the main character, Mrs. Louise Mallard, is a woman with a heart problem that gets horrifying news that her husband has passed away in a train crash. When she starts thinking about her freedom, she gets excited; she is happy to start her new, free life. However, a few hours late r her husband walks in the door and she finds out it was all a mistake. When she realizes her freedom is gone her heart stop and she then dies. In â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† Desiree is an orphanedRead MoreKate Chopin, An American Writer1425 Words   |  6 PagesKate Chopin, an American writer, known for her vivid portrayals of women’s lives during the late 1800s. Her fiction works usually set in Louisiana, which contributed too much of her description of women’s roles. During Chopin’s time, Louisiana was in the midst of reconstruction and was having racial and economic issues. (Skaggs 4) Louisiana is the setting for many of Chopin’s stories, and they depict a realistic picture of Louisiana society. Kate Chopin published two novels and many short storiesRead MoreSocietal Boundaries in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour and Desirees Baby 1910 Words   |  8 PagesSocietal Boundaries in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour and Desirees Baby As humans, we live our life within the boundaries of our belief systems and moral guidelines we were raised with. Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† tells the story of two women who live according to those societal boundaries. American author Kate Chopin (1850–1904) wrote about a hundred short stories and two novels in the 1890s. Most of her fictionRead More An analysis of three short stories written by Kate Chopin, 1914.2340 Words   |  10 PagesAn analysis of three short stories written by Kate Chopin, 1914. Kate Chopin, a pre 1914 author was born in 1850, in Missouri, USA. She was the third child of five for her parents Mr and Mrs O’Flaherty; however she was their only child to live past the age twenty-five. Her upbringing was very unfortunate, when she was only 5 she was sent to a boarding school but returned home on hearing the news that her father had died. She remained home and stayed there for a further two years with herRead MoreEssay on Kate Chopin1553 Words   |  7 Pages Kate Chopin: A Controversial Feminist nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Kate Chopin was one of the greatest and earliest feminist writers in history, whose works have inspired some and drawn much criticism from others. Chopin, through her writings, had shown her struggle for freedom and individuality. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Katherine (O’Flaherty) Chopin was born February 8, 1851 to a wealthy Irish Catholic Family in St. Louis, Missouri (â€Å"Kate Chopin† 1). Her father, Thomas O’Flaherty, was a founderRead MoreEssay on The Importance of Point of View in Kate Chopin’s Fiction3285 Words   |  14 PagesThe Importance of Point of View in Kate Chopin’s Fiction The impact of Kate Chopin’s novel, The Awakening, on society resulted in her ruin, both literary and social. Reviewers called it vulgar, improper, unhealthy, and sickening. One critic said that he wished she had never written it, and another wrote that to truly describe the novel would entail language not fit for publication (Stipe 16). The overwhelming condemnation of the entire book rather than just Edna’s suicide seems surprisingRead MoreWomen s Search For Selfhood2169 Words   |  9 PagesWomen’s search for selfhood, for self-discovery or identity are themes that are represented in Kate Chopin’s work. Chopin was on the same regular path as other women in her era. She got married at the age of twenty and had six children. When her husband passed away Chopin wanted to support herself so she decided to start writing which was also an outlet for her feelings. During the nineteenth century women were getting sick of the rules that were forced o n them and Chopin expressed her feeling towards