Spartan Newsroom (http://news.jrn.msu.edu/author/gabriellagalloway/)
Everyone knows, if you break the law, you’d better be ready to pay the consequences. Traffic violations such as speeding are all fun and games until the blue and red lights come on, and the green starts to come out of your pocket.But does the consequence of a fine deter people from driving recklessly?
Finding ways to save money can be difficult. Everyday people have to make decisions about where and how to spend their hard-earned dough. Back in 2014, Michael Kirk decided not only to help people save money, but time as well. After using engineering concepts, he was able to eat for $1,000 a year and decided to share with people what he had learned. He developed a company called Efficiency is Everything (EIE). Through this, he utilizes his master’s degree in engineering to give people tools and data that will allow them to become more efficient in their spending.
Money can have a big impact on not only what we eat but also what stores we choose to buy our food from. Some people place a priority on the quality of food while others on pricing of food. Quality seems to be most important when it comes to wife and mother of two, Crystal Oweis. When it comes to quality and organics, Oweis is willing to go out of her way and spend a little more for her family. “Whole Foods has a lot of organic things there and I’ll go to Kroger for cheaper, everyday items,” said Oweis.
As exciting as living in a big city can be for a young person, when it comes to a budget, costs seem to multiply. Amanda Ogren, an intern at Bosch in Chicago, says that while living in a big city for the summer, she has had to make some financial precautions in order to stay on budget. “Before moving to the city I made a budget sheet with my allowances for food, living, transportation, health and entertainment,” says Ogren. Of her expenses, Ogren notes that her rent is one that is much higher in the city compared to her rent back in the suburbs of Michigan. In Chicago she pays around $1,000 a month and in the suburbs she pays around $700 a month.
In most work environments, passion and money are what motivate employees. Many companies look to encourage their employees to work to their full potential by offering monetary incentives, one of these companies being Quicken Loans. According to Reece McCabe, an employee at Quicken Loans for 7 years, the company will hold contests for prizes or money to create a more competitive work place. “Any monetary incentive adds fuel to the fire for anyone inside our organization. People will be more dialed in during the day and get more work done, which brings in more revenue to the organization,” said McCabe.
When a couple marries, among their vows they’ll say they will take thee “for richer or poorer,” however when the reality of money issues hits, a couple may think twice about this vow. According to Michigan.gov, financial issues are a leading cause of marital stress and without a common ground on how to manage money together, it can cause for further problems in a marriage. “If someone is trying to work hard and save money and then their partner is just like ‘oh yeah here, here’ and making stupid choices, that would infuriate somebody and I probably would leave them, too,” said Maria Caccamo, a married woman of 29 years. Even those who are happily married will still likely, at some point, argue over where money should be spent and how much. According to Maria Caccamo, these arguments are present whether a couple is financially stable or not.
East Lansing residents today would have a hard time recognizing Grand River Avenue if they were to look back at pictures from its beginnings.
By Gabriella Galloway
Entirely East Lansing
New technology will be added to the children’s area of the East Lansing Public Library with proceeds coming from the fifth annual Books, Bites and Bids fundraising event on Friday, April 29. According to Jennifer Amormino, executive assistant to the library director, the type of new technology that will be put in will be determined by the funds raised at the event. This new technology will be installed after the library reconstruction. “We’ll be adding in early literacy stations that include some new interactive technologies like iPads, and the money raised during Books, Bites & Bids will go towards enhancing that — in particular, we’ll be able to buy things like new desktop computers, software and programs, furniture, etc,” said Eva Weihl, youth services librarian. Due to reconstruction at the library, this year’s event will be held at the Hannah Community Center.