Watching the market.

Well I have joined the ranks of those who suffer from spring allergies. I am not suffering horribly but it still isn't fun with the itchy eyes, post nasal drip and the constant coughing to clear the mucus from my airways.

As I mentioned once before I receive updates every morning from a mortgage lender on the current status of interest rates for home mortgages. Occasionally he has some interesting information that he passes on to us that receive his updates automatically.

This mornings updates included this thought provoking statement:
"An inflation story worth following - the United Kingdom (UK) saw consumer price inflation in March rise o 3.4% up sharply from a 3% reading in February. This is well above keeping inflation at 2% or below. Seeing that England is still trying to recover from a deep recession, their central bank is not in a position to hike interest rates at the immediate time. This could create a greater inflation problem down the road. The financial world has become quite small and interconnected. Higher inflation in the UK will lead to higher rates there and that will pressure rates in the US higher as well."

Our world is so integrated with instant communications and computers that tie banks and other institutions together instantly. Our world has shrunk from when I was a child and even a young adult. Countries used to have the buffer of time to protect them from events that occurred across the globe.

Today, they affect us the same day if not within just a few hours or even minutes.

What our government does and does not do not only affects us but it affects every other country, even if its as simple as giving money away to first time buyers to try and stir the economy.

It has been my experience that quick fixes become long term problems. It has always proved profitable either financially or in time to do things correctly the first time, that no emergency is worth trying to make a patch of things unless you already have a plan for the long term.

My church has been advising me and others to plan for the future, put money for at least six months aside, have extra food, water and other consumables set aside for at least a couple of months but try for at least two years, and live within your means...staying out of debt.

I have worked on this and have some of it down, but I still have a ways to go.