And now, children, let us finish our discussion of the Seven Commandments. Remember:

• Commandment 1: Start Thy Purse to Fattening
• Commandment 2: Control Thy Expenditures

Behold, Commandments 3 through 7.

Commandment 3: Make Thy Gold Multiply

Unlike Commandment 2, which took me two weeks to cover, this one is pretty straightforward. It involves two simple rules:

• Thou shalt earn a reasonable income; and
• Thou shalt invest thy money wisely and setteth it to work for thou.

Commandment 4: Guard Thy Treasure from Loss

To protect your money, you must:

• Be careful about selecting those to whom you lend it;
• Invest only where thy principal is safe; and
• Consult only wise men (and women) on matters financial.

Commandment 5: Make Of Thy Dwelling a Profitable Investment

Simply put, own your home. Neither a lessee nor a renter be.

Commandment 6: Insure Thyself a Future Income

Two time-tested rules:

• Thou shalt save for retirement no matter how prosperous thy current business and investments; and
• Thou shalt provide in advance for the needs and protections of thy family.

Commandment 7: Increase Thy Ability to Earn

Keep in mind the following principles:

• Success must be desired before it can be achieved;
• Desire must be strong and definite, yet simple;
• Your ability to earn will increase in proportion to the perfection of your desires and your attainment of wisdom;
• Always do the affairs of man change and improve;
• One must pay debts with all the promptness within one's power;
• One must not purchase what one cannot afford;
• Take care of your family that they may think and speak well of you;
• Making a valid, written will dividing one's estate is a definite "shalt";
• Have compassion for those who are injured or smitten by misfortune and render unto them all reasonable assistance; and;
• Lasteth but not leasteth, cultivate thy own powers and become wiser, more skillful and self-respectful.

Conclusion

Now hath thou received the Seven Commandments of Financial Management and Career Success. Ere I depart and leaveth to you the business of running thy own lives, allow me to offer you my five laws of money:

• Money cometh gladly and in increasing quantity to any man or woman who will put by not less than one-tenth of his earnings to create an estate for the future and family.
• Money laboreth diligently and contentedly for the wise owner who finds for it a profitable employment, multiplying even as the flocks of the field.
• Money clingeth to the protection of the cautious owner who invests it under the advice of men wise in its handling.
• Money slippeth away from the man who invests it in businesses or purposes with which he is not familiar or which are not approved by those skilled in its keep.
• Money flees the man who would force it to impossible earnings or who followeth the alluring advice of tricksters and schemers or who trusts it to his own inexperience and romantic desires in investment.

All right, that's enough rhetorical flourish for one day. Thanks for listening, everybody, and I wish thou all a safe and happy weekend.

SAFETYXCHANGE CONTEST

Best Ideas for $aving Money

We asked you to suggest creative ways to save money. About 10 of you replied. From these, we selected three winners:

FIRST PRIZE

Drive less aggressively. It will reduce wear and tear on your vehicle, improve fuel mileage, reduce your chances of getting a ticket, and most of all . . . it's safer for you, your passengers and the public and will result in lower insurance premiums and higher resale value of your car.

Evan Adair
Risk Prevention Planner
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SECOND PRIZE

Find charge cards that credit you for the purchase of groceries, gas and pharmacy products. CITI card used to pay a 5% credit rebate on all gas, grocery store and pharmacy products purchased on a no fee card. That changes 10-13-06 to 2% so I'll probably be dropping that card.  I believe Chase may offer a higher percentage now but I am sure readers can update you as to good cards out.  CITI requires that the credit build up to $50 or more and upon a call or e-mail request will forward a check to you in 7-10 days or less.

Just a thought and as you know real savings for credit cards comes only if monthly balances are always paid fully and on time..

Don Tomczyk
HR Dept.

******

THIRD PRIZE

Plan a menu for meals during the week and use the list to buy your groceries. My menu is planned around my family's busy lifestyle and activities. On days when we have meetings or sports events, we do crockpot or slow cooker meals that can be started before we leave and are ready when we get home.  If a weekend has extra time in it, I will fix casseroles and/or meatloafs that can be baked in the oven at one time and then warmed up in the microwave or oven for a shorter period of time.

The cost savings comes in dollars saved at the grocery store and in energy savings by not constantly heating up the oven every day.

Sara Davison
********

HONORABLE MENTION

I see so many efforts to reduce hazardous waste, to save money, yet very little effort put into the small things. Gee whiz, just use dishwashing soap mixed with water ( I use 15% solution of dishwashing soap & water) and old news papers to clean glass and windows helps. Dishwashing soap is very low impact on the environment compared to commercial and home bought over the counter window cleaners, no more rag control and loss problems or buying paper towels for cleaning glass, old newspapers still will recycle even after cleaning the glass or windows.

I mix "Dawn," or other high quality dishwashing soap in small lens cleaner bottle (small spray bottle) (about 60/40 solution 60% soap) spray what I don't want to fog up, and it will last up to two weeks on my motorcycle face shield. It's also great for mirrors in shower rooms and bathrooms at home, yes the anti-fog solution is a bit thick and you do have to buff it off, it stops moisture from forming into micro drops that we call fog.

Oh yes by the way my wife saves me the fabric softener sheets which I keep in my office, usually under a computer speaker or drawer that I open frequently, then when the good smell is about gone, they work great for wiping the dust off the computer screen, just like and anti-static dust comes right off, good to clean off television screen at home to. Don't know if this will win or not, pass the ideas around the office, if one person uses one of my suggestion I'll be happy.

Jim West
MSD Safety Manager
MSD/QPI
Airfield
LG Maintenance

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