Tuning In With Betsy  

Well, since 2005 I have been predicting and preaching for people to prepare for a rough economic ride.  Watching Larry King on Thursday night, there was my girl, Suzy Ormand, giving advice to someone who had e-mailed about a decision with their house.

Should they pay off the mortgage now,  or sell the property?

Smart Suzy gave the same advice i had recently given someone.

If you don't plan to live at this house, for the rest of your life, why pay off the mortgage?

Smart move is to attempt to sell it.  Yes, the housing market is a mess, as is the economy, and it doesn't appear to be turning around anytime soon.  Suzy agreed with me, 2010.

And as far as racking up high credit card debt, to make sure your children have a wonderful Christmas, wake up!

Be creative.  Start a new tradition, be realistic about your Holiday Spending.

If you don't have the cash, don't go into debt with your plastic.

Kids will appreciate and remember, far longer, time spent with Mom and Dad.

Bake cookies, go for a Creativity Holiday Walk,  look at the lights in the neighborhood,
make a list of 100 things you are grateful for in 2008.  Make your Dream List for 2009.
Celebrate an old fashioned Christmas.  Check out Free Events at your Library.  Mine is
having a Dickens Evening, with the film, a Christmas Carol, with Alister Sims (the best
Scrooge ever) and then a Dickens Discussion, with free refreshments after the movie,
hosted by, whom else, The Dickens Society of Toronto.  I'm sure your city or town has
similar Holiday Events.  And the price is right.

Time is the Best Gift you can give your kids.

We never have enough of it.

Make some extra time for them, now.  This Holiday, This Season, This Day.

Toys can break, iPhones will be out of date in 6 months when the new style comes out.  Typical of the Electronics Business/.

Memories last a lifetime.

Make some today.

Don't forget your camera.


Betsy Balega