Current ratio

Andy and I need to improve our current ratio. A current ratio is your total amount of assets divided by your total liabilities. If you have a 1, then, obviously you're breaking even. If your number is less than one, as most of the families in America can attest, you need to work on improving your assets or eliminating liabilities.
Liabilities are things like debt or rent. Liabilities are bills. Liabilities are things which take money and are then dead.
Assets on the other hand, are investments. They can be things like real estate, stocks and bonds, CDs and IRAs, even savings accounts. What is the difference between these assets? The amount of return as well as the liquidity of the investment. Liquidity is how fast you can change that investment into cash in your wallet.
For example, let's say I decide to invest in a fixer-upper house. I have a lot of fun breaking down walls and painting, installing new lighting fixtures and new appliances. Then I sell it for a hefty profit, right? Or at least that was the plan. The problem is, things don't always "go according to plan," and a project that was intended to take six months can often turn into two years. Also, depending on the market (which, I wouldn't recommend selling in this market right now) it might not be the best time to sell, or there simply might not be anyone interested. All these factors make the investment in your house hard to stick in your wallet.
I would recommend, though, if you want to get in on the real estate game, to buy right now. This is something I am bemoaning as Andy and I are just starting out and really have no capital with which to make such an investment. What a pity. The rock-bottom prices of houses right now almost insure the smart investor will make a profit if they take advantage of it. And how fun is turning over a house?

I have decided that I'm going to start taking the classes at the Home Depot. They're free, and knowledge is invaluable. Besides the basic fixer-upper projects around the house to keep myself busy, I could also turn this into a lucrative career, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. For now, I am doing this because it is a passion and because I love doing it. I love decorating, and I love giving things a "new face." It is a pursuit of beauty, and, while the products of which can attain great profitability, only the pure pursuit of such beauty can be praised.

Anyway, I'm done talking. If you're interested in investing, you should check out http://www.winninginvestor.quickanddirtytips.com for more information. Quick and Dirty Tips have all kinds of podcasts, from the House-Call Doctor to the Nutrition Diva, which fill your iTunes with plenty of useful information (or nonsense, depending on how many you subscribe to... I've subscribed to quite a few, and, let me warn you: Tread carefully! My que is entirely full and I don't know when I'll have the time to listen to them) But, unlike many of you, I don't have an iPod, so perhaps you will find time. Driving in the car is a complete time waster and would be much remedied by a nice podcast. :)

Ok! I'm done talking! Go listen to your podcasts... and comment on this post!