Commze

With foreclosures headlining the news, most people feel the urge to stuff the mattress with cash and save, save, save. There’s nothing wrong with saving (we’ll leave the discussion about stuffing mattresses with money at a later date), but it’s important to realize that with prices at all-time lows, now is also the best time to invest - if you have the money.

If you install a pool in your backyard or put marble in the kitchens, then you’re sure to increase the value of your home. (My recent upgrade was wooden cornices that I had installed from Next Day Blinds. They are beautifully hand crafted.) You’re adding custom features that make the inside more valuable to potential purchasers. But if you’re not looking to sell your home at the moment, then those would definitely fall under the long-term investment category.

Investing in your home can have both short term, and a long term benefits. By taking a look at where you spend the most energy in your home, remodeling can not only improve the aesthetics of your living space, but also help save some money in the short term. Check your appliances - are any of them over 10 years old and do they not carry an Energy Star symbol for energy efficiency? Every time you run the dishwasher or the dryer, these appliances may be sucking up unnecessary electricity or water. A really simple way to save on electricity is to just use more natural light. If you find curtains too cumbersome, blinds and shades make adjusting the light in the room much easier. If you need quick service, Next Day Blinds can get your new window coverings to you by the next day.

Today, BusinessWeek brought to our attention the devaluation of The New York Times Company. Just last year, the paper and its respected firm were worth double what stock prices show today. It isn’t just the respected New York Times that suffers. All newspaper stocks have not been favorably valued for quite some time. According to the article, the attributed culprit is a decrease in advertising revenue. During the dot com boom, traditional media companies were hit hard. Today, the Times has transitioned itself into the Internet era by establishing its online presence and garnering substantial website traffic. Adapting to the current technology has been a step in the right direction, but media companies throughout the industry are still struggling. It will be interesting to see how the Times Co. will adjust to this stressed economy and bring back the value associated with its revered reputation.