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Frugal Articles of the Week

By Frugaling 5 Comments

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Reading Nook Photo

Last week I took a little break from the frugal round-up. Sorry Frugaling fans, but I’m back and have a terrific list of favorite reads over the last couple weeks. Hope you enjoy and share widely!

Slow Cooker Chicken Ropa Vieja by Budget Bytes
This week I’m hoping to cook this special recipe up! Budget Bytes is one of my favorite frugal blogs because the author breaks down total and serving cost for all the meals. This chicken dish costs about $1.32 per serving. Heck yes, I’ll try it!

Living In An Expensive City Can Make You Richer, Happier, And More Diplomatic by Financial Samurai
Here’s a unique twist on the choice between big-city and small-town living. Sam reviews some compelling reasons for considering more expensive cities. One of the most interesting centers on the push and need for frugality in a bigger city with less space. Cities seem to be bastions for minimalism and simple living, and when done right, can still be affordable places to live.

Why Do We Like Brands As Much As We Like People? by Eric Jaffe
Do we love Apple, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Pepsi, Google, etc? Can we love brands? If so, what does that mean for our spending habits? This article analyzes the very real effect that your love/like of brands has.

Millionaires Who Are Frugal When They Don’t Have to Be by Paul Sullivan
Frugality crosses income and wealth classes. It doesn’t mean that wealthy people can’t be frugal. This is a philosophy and way of life. Paul Sullivan from The New York Times perfectly highlights the trend of millionaires living well within their means.

Escape to Bro-topia by Steven Kurutz
Despite an abysmal, corny title, this New York Times article features one man’s simple life… in the trees. He built an incredible house in the forests of Oregon. Take a look at these pictures, too!

Filed Under: Save Money Tagged With: articles, brands, Food, Frugal, millionaires, Minimalism, Recipe, rich, Simple Living, Wealth, week

Everything We Learned About Investing Was Wrong. That’s Why We Need Betterment.

By Frugaling 11 Comments

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Wall Street Photo Wikipedia

What I learned about investing from my grandparents

As a young child, I loved pouring over the daily stock tables. Every day, I would scan over the newspaper to see how stocks moved up, down, and sideways. It was this fun dance of numbers.

Age-old wisdom about stocks was shared with me, too. Find some blue chip stocks and invest for the long-term, my grandparents said. They taught me about investing in great companies and pointed out stocks like GE, International Paper, IBM, and Wells Fargo. But living through the tech bubble and mortgage crisis tainted my perspective — it wasn’t easy to digest that buy-and-hold strategy.

My Millennial status seemed to set me up for some strong investments at a young age. I had a knack for picking winners. I purchased Apple in the double-digits before multiple splits. I eyed Google, but didn’t have any money to invest around $100 per share. More recently, there was Tesla Motors, where I invested around $30 per share. I don’t often take to optimism, but these companies embodied a positivity for the future. There was hope in these companies. It was easy to invest.

While the preceding investments paid off, plenty of others failed. There were embarrassing investments that went totally south. Additionally, trading fees ate up gains and increased losses. When you only have a couple thousand dollars to invest, losing $10 per trade can be painful.

Eventually, companies started marketing ETFs heavily. Some even incentivized the purchase of ETFs via free trades. But the investment fees were often expensive and I needed to buy whole shares. If I didn’t have enough liquid cash, I wasn’t going to be able to buy one. The money would sit in a paltry savings account and dwindle.

I spent years at Vanguard Group. They’re friendly, available, and supportive to smaller investors. They’re customer owned and tend to have lower transaction fees (about $7 per trade). The big bonus was low-fee ETFs that could be traded for free. It was perfect, except that income fluctuations and whole-share buying restricted diversification.

You’ve been investing wrong, here’s why

This summer, I decided to read A Random Walk Down Wall Street. I heard that this was the ultimate, research-based, investment strategy book. The author Burton Malkiel outlined the major investment theories that market makers, advisors, and average investors used.

The book blew my mind and set me on a race to change my investments. Malkiel introduced fundamental ideas such as, the more an individual trades (frequency), the worse they perform (usually). So if you trade nervously throughout the market’s swings, you’re likely performing worse than the broader market (compared to the S&P 500). The author also noted that male investors traded more often than women, too.

Fundamentally, the entire book wrapped psychology, economics, and politics into one perfectly assembled masterpiece about investing. I felt like I was sipping from the fountain of youth and could finally understand why — despite some good investments here and there — I was performing worse than the broader market averages.

Every time I thought I discovered a new pattern in the market or companies introducing breakthrough technologies, the entire market was too. I wasn’t the only one, and that screwed with my ability to profit from reason. And even more powerful, was this statement, “Even real technology revolutions do not guarantee benefits for investors.” That crushed my soul. How could I invest in life-changing technologies and companies, but not see profit and gain? The reason: companies are constantly growing and changing and falling from grace. It’s a constant cycle. To predict one company over every other competitor and up and comer is dangerous, potentially futile, and rarely as safe as investing in a broader average (a basket of stocks).

The book brilliantly analyzed humans’ use of heuristics and time-saving mental machinations that actually served to stifle our gains. Convinced that we are always right, we tend to reflect on our more positive investments and downplay the negative ones. We like to think we can “beat the market.” Being average is a bore, right?!

We grow up reading and watching articles and movies and novels that take us on an arc: introduction, rise, climax, decline, resolution. We grow accustomed to this style of story from a young age. And that can easily be applied (poorly) to the markets. We can look for climaxes and resolutions, where they might not be there. We can analyze past chart history to predict the future, but research shows that doesn’t give us an advantage over broad indexing. Despite searching for market patterns, rules to the market, etc., we overwhelmingly fail — time and time again — when compared to the averages. Our minds are tricking us.

As a species we love heuristics. Brain schemes allow us to save time and look for patterns. In nature, patterns help us stay safe — snakes are dangerous. TV shows follow traditional arcs: intro rise climax decline conclusion. An episode of Law and Order follows characters for one hour through a new problem. We expect a resolution. By 45-50 minutes in, we should find our culprit. When we apply these patterns and rules to the market, we tend to fail. Even if there are patterns, the markets quickly learn about them and destroy the potential use. When everyone knows the pattern, nobody needs it. The market smooths out the differences that the pattern once held. As much as our minds search for patterns and see them, they’re an evil chicanery. The market winners know this.

After reading all the books conclusions, it was like getting smacked over the head with a large frying pan. I felt dizzy and sick. Why hadn’t I been given this knowledge prior to this date? Why had I been allowed to invest on my own, without any research understanding of market behavior?

I was investing all wrong. It was costing me money (in fees, lack of diversification, and portfolio performance) and time (researching different investments, ETFs, and scanning for proper diversification). After reading the book, I couldn’t help but look for a better way.

How to easily, affordably diversify

Betterment allocation
Betterment allows investors to easily diversify and allocate.

Over the last five or so years, there’s been a torrential rise in robo-advisors. These are companies that invest the money for you, with little overhead and fees. Additionally, they use the market theories introduced by Burton Malkiel’s book and apply it to your investments. Instead of staking claims on individual stocks, which are prone to heavily volatility (read: risk), they broadly diversify across sectors and areas of the economy. The intention is to keep risk minimal, while maximizing performance.

The research is clear: low-fee diversification via ETFs is the best option for most investors. Moreover, when it’s managed and invested for you it cuts down on day trading and psychological biases. Numerous companies have sprouted up to take on the challenge. The most popular robo-advisors tend to be Betterment, FutureAdvisor, Schwab’s Intelligent Portfolios, and Wealthfront. Each provides different fee structures and diversification practices. It’s important that you select the best one for your financial needs.

Recently, I wrote about how it is hard to save when interest rates are this low. It’s pushed the stock market higher, but left savers in the lurch. The average interest rate on a savings account is 0.06%, while inflation rates generally stay around 1-2%. That means you’re losing money by keeping it in a savings account.

With little disposable income or money available to invest, I wanted a robo-advisor that would provide all the diversification I needed, with few fees, and the ability to invest immediately — without a minimum. That’s a tough bargain, right?

After considering all these factors, Betterment was the clear winner. Let me tell you why.

Betterment marries technology and market knowledge to provide a low-cost choice. They provide three brackets for users: 0.35% (below $10,000), 0.25% ($10,000-$99,999), and 0.15% ($100,000+). When you have less than $10,000 invested, like me (for now), that 0.35% management fee is assessed — regardless of returns. Thankfully, that’s comparable to all the current robo-advisors right now (note: Schwab’s Intelligent Portfolios don’t charge a direct fee, but they grab your interest in a forced cash quantity — 6% of the portfolio).

My prediction is that these fees will precipitously reduce over the next 5-10 years. The technology will clearly be very competitive and adaptive. Any company that continues to charge a lot will be priced out of the market. Competition will be extremely helpful in this area.

Here’s what I like about Betterment:

No minimums

There are no minimums for new accounts. Thankfully, simpletons like me can start with $100 and invest over time. This is especially helpful for irregular — month-to-month — incomes. Let’s say I make $2000 this month, which provides $1000 to invest with (rounding for simplicity), I can direct that $1000 into Betterment. But if I can’t rely on that amount, and I make $1100 the next month, I can manually transfer in $100 instead. The only minimum you need to meet is $100 invested per month until you reach $10,000. Once you reach that level, you reduce to 0.25% in management fees and $0 minimum deposits.

Fractional shares

This really sets Betterment apart from the rest of the pack. Normally when you invest, you need to buy whole shares. That means if there’s an ETF that costs $125, but you only invest $100, it won’t be purchased. Unfortunately, uninvested cash can hurt your potential gains. Betterment allows you to purchase fractional shares of every ETF they invest in. Your money is always working at full capacity!

Goal-based investing

Betterment accounts
Betterment allows you to have specific goals and accounts. Then, you just need to follow their advice!

Psychologically, humans suffer without clear goals. With retirement and other long-term goals (vacations, cars, homes, etc.), it’s tricky to understand how best to allocate funds. How much do you really need to invest in your Roth IRA to maintain your current standard of living? How much to improve it? How much if you cut back a bit? This is where Betterment shines. The company has designed beautiful graphs customized to your needs. For instance, I’m saving to move away from Iowa City right now. I estimate that I’ll need a couple thousand dollars when it comes to interviews for jobs and moving and finding a new place to rent. That all costs sizable sums, and I don’t dare consider debt. I estimate the time until completion, and Betterment provides an initial deposit and regular monthly contribution to meet the goal. Simple, as any financial advisor should be.

Smart rebalancing

The maintanence of a diverse portfolio is one of my least favorite activities. Let’s say I want to be invested in 90% stocks and 10% bonds, but the stock market has improved and bonds have lagged. Your stock position might represent more than you allocated. That requires you to sell a portion of the stock and reinvest elsewhere to regain balance. This can be time-consuming and tax-laden. Thankfully, Betterment handles it automatically. If your portfolio “drifts” 5% from its intended allocation, they’ll rebalance for proper diversification. Additionally, they’ll minimize any tax implications associated with the activity. That’s one of the hardest parts of managing your own portfolio.

Tax-loss harvesting

For those in the big leagues with lots more money than me, you also could benefit from tax-loss harvesting. Essentially, the portfolio will sell off your losses so that you can have a tax writeoff and invest in a comparable stock. Without getting into the weeds, that’s a really good thing as you want to prevent “wash sales.”

Behavioral change

This aspect has nothing to do directly with money. Since my shift to Betterment, I’ve noticed I’m calmer and clearer about my investments. I know how I’m invested and why. Likewise, I have confidence in the market principles that are used. Whereas individual stocks can make you go wild — needing to buy and sell all the time — this highly diversified portfolio provides comfort.

Next-day investments

Another essential aspect for any company managing your money is rapid investment of deposits. Betterment invests all your deposits the next day. With that turn around you don’t miss the market’s moves, and can quickly benefit. Numerous companies require cash to be held about 3-5 days before it’s invested, and then you need to find ways to diversify it. Betterment does all the work for you.

Here’s what I dislike:

No direct transfer from brokerage to IRAs

This is a pesky rule, but Betterment does not allow any cash positions. Therefore, to transfer money from a brokerage account in the company to an IRA, you need to withdraw the funds and redeposit them through your bank account. That takes a lot of time, in some cases. For instance, if I want to invest $500 from my brokerage to Roth IRA, it’ll take about 1 week or more even though Betterment already has all my funds.

No progressive fee structure favoring poorest

I’m disappointed that no robo-advisor’s fee structure is preferential for those with less. It’s a universal problem for the industry, not just Betterment. Still, I’d like to see the process of investing and taking charge of your future be easier for everyone involved. Those with $100 per month or less to invest shouldn’t have to pay more than those who invest $1000.

No manual cash positions

Sometimes, especially near retirement, it can be helpful to temporarily have cash or cash-equivalents in your account. Unfortunately, Betterment does not provide space for cash positions. They note that it goes against their entire premise and philosophy to allow pure cash positions. I understand their rationale, but it’s scary not being able to run for cover (you have to withdraw to your bank account to be in cash).

No expected returns presented

Instead of presenting expected returns from your portfolio allocation of stocks and bonds, Betterment provides predicted totals. As a novice, it would be helpful to see gains in a percentage form. That way I could compare portfolio allocations to other types of investments.

No real estate exposure

Lastly, Betterment doesn’t seem to provide real estate exposure through something like Vanguard’s REIT ETF (VNQ). Burton Malkiel suggested that some amount of nearly every retirement portfolio should have real estate exposure because they’re a safer place for higher yields. I would tend to agree, especially since the population growth rate is very strong in America.

After I read Malkiel’s A Random Walk Down Wall Street, I realized I needed to take action. But even before that book, I wanted something that would minimize my time spent researching ETFs and strategies and individual companies. Betterment has been the perfect solution, and a wonderful way to concentrate on what really matters: those around me.

Filed Under: Make Money, Save Money Tagged With: Advice, Betterment, ETFs, goals, Income, invest, investing, money, Random Walk, Robo-advisors, Stock Market, Wall Street, Wealth, Wealthfront

The Real Reason Poor People Can’t Save

By Frugaling 29 Comments

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The Real Reason Poor People Can’t Save. People in poverty will continue to sit back and watch as others’ lucrative capital increase until something changes.  #savingmoney #savemoney

The Great Recession was “solved” by a number of rapid fire actions by Congress and the Executive Branch. They came together to fund stimulus bills and negotiate with massive banks. They found a way to save most people’s retirements, despite the corruption and chicanery of companies that caused the mess.

We were in a horrible bind. Most people’s entire wealth was wrapped up in real estate and investments, which were tanking. The bubble had popped. Previously, people with little credit and, sometimes, no down payments were able to buy homes. It inflated everything, as people were buying more than they could ever afford.

After the collapse, a lengthy program called for zero-interest borrowing and quantitative easing. The Federal Reserve (U.S. central bank) doled out massive amounts of money to banks at zero and near-zero interest. Effectively, this would enable banks to give borrowers easier access to mortgages, small business loans, and more. The hope was that banks would generously loan out the money.

Then came quantitative easing. Because the interest rates were already at zero, the Federal Reserve (central bank) couldn’t prop up the banks this way any more. They made a last ditch effort and started buying bonds (or, debt) of financial institutions (i.e., Bank of America, Chase, and Wells Fargo).

Every time there was speculation that the discount window to interest-free loans or quantitative easing would come to an end, the stock market would hiccup. Investments would nose dive and a panicked market pleaded with Federal Reserve chairs to hold back – the economy was still “soft.”

Economic stimulation of this sort allowed people to spend more, too. By acquiring low-interest debt, people could buy more, bigger, and better. Everything seemed more affordable when loans were artificially depressed (heck, that’s why I bought a car I couldn’t afford).

Screenshot 2015-05-28 17.29.08People with money bought and bought. And they invested like mad. Those who invested post-Great Recession were rewarded handsomely. From the bottom of the crash to now, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) has returned approximately 173%. In other words, investors who got in mid-2009 and 2010 have nearly doubled their money!

One of the saving graces of today’s economy is that inflation has held constant. Throughout 2014, the inflation rate ranged from 0.8 to 2.1% every month. And inflation is an important variable in this conversation, because it’s essentially a measure of affordability. When inflation increases, the consumer price of all goods increases. Everything from bread to cars to homes is affected by this measure.

Thus, in 2014 the average inflation rate was 1.77%. Not too shabby! When you compare that to deflationary or atmospheric inflation, we are in a pleasant sweet spot. The price of goods are increasing at a controlled, moderate rate.

For most of us, the stimulus has worked. My investments are doing better than ever and I’m seeing some sizable gains. The future of my money looks brighter.

Additionally, I have fewer “savings” than ever, and that’s a good thing because I have more invested than ever. I followed the financial advice of the world and realized that cash is a drag. I don’t mean that tongue-in-cheek. Cash suffocates returns, because checking and savings accounts pay next to nothing (even if you choose an online bank). To let cash sit in those accounts means that we accept a pittance and suffer from inflation rates.

Let me put this together. We have benefited from the Federal Reserve’s decision to provide easy capital to banks, which then presumably went to consumers. Similarly, quantitative easing has further supported banks recovery and ability to loan. Investments are spectacular right now, too. But this combination of events has wreaked havoc on the most desperate among us.

The advice for someone like me (who has some – albeit small – amounts of money) is to invest. Don’t suffer the cash drag. Unfortunately, that financial advice doesn’t apply to the poorest among us. Those with irregular and/or unknown paychecks by amount and/or interval can’t invest the money. By investing their funds, they could put themselves at risk because they don’t have enough liquidity. Additionally, they might not be able to invest because they barely have enough at the end of every month to scrape by.

That’s where the advice between wealthy and poor individuals diverges. Our financial commentators tell wealthy people to invest, and the impoverished to save. If only the poor would save more, their lives might be better. Except, if you’ve been following along, “saving money” doesn’t mean protecting money. The average interest rate of savings accounts was 0.06% in 2014. At Bank of America, Chase, PNC Bank, and Wells Fargo – all the brick and mortar banks that those in poverty are more likely to use – the interest rate is a dormant 0.01%.

Let’s say you’re Joe Poverty, trying to save. Mr. Poverty has turned on CNBC, Fox News, and CNN to listen to all the financial advice he can get his hands on. He’s motivated and leans in. He wants to live better, eat healthier, and save for the future. He wants to pay his daughter’s student loans, and he feels guilty that he couldn’t support her. His first step is to open a checking and savings account at a local, popular bank. He needs to be able to pay bills and receive paychecks, but he also wants to begin saving. The checking and savings accounts will pay him 0% and 0.01%, respectively.

Now, here’s where things get really sad. Joe Poverty is going to stay in poverty using this method. Unless he can drastically increase his income and build a huge safety net, he won’t have enough to invest each month. Because he’ll be precluded from investing, his only hope is to save. So he does. And he does. And he does. He’s motivated, remember? He cares about his daughter and wants to succeed.

He drops money here and there into the savings account. But each month that money is worth less and less. Despite his attempts to save at 0.01%, the inflation rate hovers around 1.77%. Effectively, he loses 1.76% every month in spending power. The savings are hibernating, as the world around those dollars is ablaze. The market is benefiting nearly every day from free-flowing capital, but the poorest have had to sit by and watch it happen. Every month, having less.

At some point, Joe Poverty feels like “he’s failing.” He turns on the channels, rereads books, and looks at his savings account. Despite his efforts, he can’t afford to pay off his daughter’s loans. Her loans accelerate at 6.8% interest, as his savings lingers.

This economy disincentivized savings. It trumped up how easy it is to spend and invest, while ignoring those most in need. Savings rates used to 3%, 4%, and 5% only a few years ago. They could easily beat the inflation rate, and incentivize savings. People really added to their wealth when they saved.

Even worse, by disincentivizing savings, those who might need positive reinforcement didn’t receive it. In fact, they were punished for saving. They had less and less each month. The savings were an illusion, and the purposelessness was degrading. Who wants to continue trying to save and add to their income – following the advice of wizened “gurus” – only to find out they’re failing?

The Great Recession hurt nearly everyone. The actions that the government took are debatable. The necessity of those actions are questionable. But the result is undeniable. People have been encouraged to spend free cash and invest for the long term. Neither are bad options in a low-rate environment. Sickeningly, that advice doesn’t apply to everyone.

People in poverty will continue to sit back and watch as others’ lucrative capital increase until something changes. We need the Federal Reserve and the government to incentivize savings like mad. We need an economy and country that’s prosperous for a greater whole, not a select few. The discount window for loans must raise their interest. The quantitative easing must stop. And the world must compromise investment performance for a short while – adjusting to the new rates – to encourage everyone to save.

It’s no longer enough to verbally smack and accost the most destitute without understanding the systemic factors that prevent their success. It’s time we advocate for respect and change these financial practices. Then, and only then, will the advice to “save” make cents.

Filed Under: Save Money, Social Justice Tagged With: Account, Bank, Income, invest, Investments, money, poor, poverty, savings, Social Justice, Wealth

Homelessness Is Everyone’s Problem

By Frugaling 16 Comments

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Snowplow Street

I stood there, harboring a chip on my shoulder and feeling like I was carrying a burden in my chest. School was entering the toughest part of the year, and I was still trudging along in sub-zero, arctic-like temperatures of Iowa. Stressed out and pissed off, the snow pummeled and angled for my eyes.

Over a foot of snow accumulated in two hours. I couldn’t see the concrete. Roads and pedestrian paths disintegrated. Cars revved and swerved with each degree shift of the wheel. I feared I’d be the accidental recipient of an absentminded or reckless driver.

A face mask crystallized my condensed breath. I blinked and shards seemed to puncture my eyelids. Although, without it, my nose would likely fall off. I could barely breathe – artificially choked by the restrictive layer like an asthmatic marathoner.

Snow drifts and plows lined the sidewalks. My momentum couldn’t carry me over the hills, so I looked like a football player running through tires. The tendons in my knees stretched and torqued under the trot. I could tell they weren’t happy with me — every time I stopped they screamed and ached.

What was I running to? My place of work: the homeless shelter. A beacon and bastion of hope – the warm solace where my weathered feet might warm. Even more, I was motivated by the fact that my brief discomfort was another’s quotidian life. The punishing cold and snow was an unfortunate norm to the population I came to serve. The homeless were suffering far more at the worst part of the season. I needed to get there and try to make a difference.

An academic year — summer to summer — passed since I started working at the shelter. I saw the seasons change, turnover in residents, and demographic shifts. People with pennies to their name would come in and seek shelter — some would be turned away for lack of room. Some would be paired with case managers, find work, and a fresh start in a new apartment. Sometimes the system worked, and sometimes it failed. Some homeless people were self-starters, and others needed additional help.

As a white guy from a middle-class neighborhood in the Denver area, my experience in life seemed to differ from many of the residents of the shelter. My parents worked hard, but also made time for me. They are still married after 30 years. And they consciously decided on neighborhoods with strong schools. Many residents came from broken families and piss poor educations.

I was born white, and with it, I gained an unearned privilege. Police would pay less attention to me. Teachers would pay more attention to me. Honors and advanced placement (AP) courses were always available, and I was encouraged to take them. Life was easy in these respects. I had difficulties growing up – often feeling like an outsider – but these paled in comparison to systemic racism, segregation, and lost opportunities.

In many ways, I grew to appreciate that shelters are society’s measly attempt at righting systemic wrongs. They focus on the bare necessities usually: a place to sleep and a daily meal. Occasionally, there’s a pair of shoes or gloves that will prevent frostbite.

How do we let people ever get this low? How do we fail to provide for those in need of greater assistance? Unfortunately, answers are complex. It requires changing the dialogues we have with others and in our own heads about poverty, income/wealth inequality, and homelessness.

On my last day, I hugged the staff goodbye and shook the hands of some residents I had gotten to know. My eyes welled up with sadness. A year of counseling and communication with one of the most vulnerable populations… It was overwhelming. I had continuously reached my limits as a counselor – newly defined due to this experience. Sometimes I couldn’t help as much as I wanted because basic needs were unmet. My role at that point became to assist in whatever way I could.

Today, I write about this experience in the hope that you’ll listen and advocate for those in need. The financial burdens of people without homes is great, but the systemic problems that lead to this place are even greater. Advocacy is the only option, and it goes beyond serving food at a soup kitchen or counseling. Change necessitates sociopolitical involvement, which requires us to write, vote, and get upset about it.

We live in a perplexing time of great wealth with horrific poverty. How the two exist and continue is a consequence of systemic, legal, and political action. To change it, we must use the same tools.

In Salt Lake City, there’s a movement afoot to change this paradigm. It’s called, “housing first.” Instead of judging people and calling them “lazy addicts,” Salt Lake provides housing to the homeless. Radically simple, isn’t it? They provide housing, which clears and cleans the streets, and it turns out that it’s cheaper than letting people freeze to death and/or suffering horrific injuries that need the emergency department as a primary means of care.

When you provide housing first, you stop judging someone for all their faults, and start seeing a person that is from a community – who had varying opportunities to succeed. And best of all, it’s affordable.

The sun is beaming down and a breeze passes through my hair. It’s pleasant. And then I think, what will it be like for those out there on the streets tonight? I never used to think that, but now I do almost every day.

Filed Under: Social Justice Tagged With: homeless, homes, housing first, Income, inequality, poverty, Wealth

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