Finance/Children

Hi Taylor: I’ve got about $2,000 set aside for home improvements and I’m trying to figure out the Taylor best way to Kovar spend it. I want all sorts of things like a new TV and a new couch, but I wonder if something like new windows or some sort of structural work could be a better choice in the long run. Any thoughts about the best way to put my money to work? — Marcia

Hey Marcia: I’ve got all sorts of thoughts on this issue, though I haven’t seen your home so you’ll have to forgive any ideas that seem terrible. Furniture and renovations can make for excellent improvements and upgrades; you just have to make the right choice for your living situation.

1. Buy furniture you’ll keep. A $2,000 couch can seem like an extravagant purchase, but spending that money so you won’t have to buy a replacement for a few decades makes a lot of sense in the long run. If you don’t plan to stay in your current home for too much longer, I’d say think about an improvement that you can take with you, such as a couch or a nice carpet. TVs and other electronics become dated pretty quickly and don’t retain value, so I’d hold off there.

2. Give a small space a makeover. A couple grand can really do a number on a bathroom or entryway. You can buy nice granite countertops, paint the walls, get a nice mirror, and even replace a sink basin for that money. The bathroom is a funny room since it’s out of the way but always in use, so spending a little on these improvements will have a bigger impact on your day-to-day life than you might expect. If you aren’t sure where to begin with this kind of renovation, head to one of the big hardware stores and start looking at what they have on display. It shouldn’t take long for inspiration to strike.

3. Change up your lighting. If you own your home, new lights will make things look better and help increase the value. Using dimmable track lighting or modern pendants and chandeliers, you can drastically change the aesthetic of a room without knocking out a wall or ripping up the floorboards. New bulbs and fixtures can also leave you with a more efficient setup, cutting back on your utility bills and further increasing the resale value of your home.

As long as you don’t go with a total impulse buy, spending on home improvements is a great investment. Take a tour of your home and figure out which room you’re most interested in redoing, and go for it!

Legal Disclaimer: Information presented is for educational purposes only and is not an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. To submit a question to be answered in this column, please send it via email to Question@GoFarWithKovar.com or via USPS to Taylor Kovar, 415 S 1st St, Suite 300, Lufkin, TX 75901. A mother in California seeks her pastor’s opinion on allowing her fifteen-year-old son to have a John smart phone. Rosemond The boy claims that if he can’t use social media, he will have no friends. Mom is skeptical concerning the claim and afraid of other Internet experiences the youngster might be drawn to if he has a smart phone.

The pastor tells Mom that her son needs to learn to navigate the realities of the Internet and learn to use a smart phone responsibly before he goes off to college. Three years! The Doomsday Clock is ticking!

“Help me out here,” Mom asks me.

With all due respect for the pastor, here is the short list of “realities” concerning smart phones and teenagers:

REALITY: Smart phone use by teens coincides with a dramatic increase in adolescent mental health problems including depression, anxiety, and suicide.

REALITY: The addictive element of smart phone use has been verified by several researchers and supported by a preponderance of anecdotal evidence.

REALITY: Teenage boys are notorious for using smart phones and other screen-based devices to access pornography.

REALITY: Teens quickly learn to circumvent smart phone controls installed by their parents. Don’t kid yourself. compelling evidence to the effect that teens without smart phones are at some form of risk –socially, emotionally, cognitively. In fact, the term “responsible smart phone use by a teenager” is not an oxymoron only because a small minority of teens do happen to use smart phones in a completely responsible manner. Repeat, a small minority.

REALITY: I am personally acquainted with teenagers who do not have smart phones or tablets. Said teens are, without exception, personable, well-adjusted, happy, and have plenty of friends. In short, they are normal. The idea that an otherwise well-adjusted teen is going to have no friends if he doesn’t have a smart phone is propaganda.

REALITY: Many of the teens I have met who have smart phones do not act like normal human beings. They don’t converse, for example. They mumble. They don’t look people in the eye. They have their smart phones in their hands at almost all times like they are part of their bodies. While one attempts to engage them in conversation, they are snatching looks at their devices and even texting.

REALITY: Over the last ten years, hundreds of parents have shared horror stories of welladjusted, trustworthy kids who, a year or so after obtaining smart phones, were no longer trustworthy and in many cases had developed significant mental health and behavioral issues.

You think you can throw the dice and roll snake eyes? Best of luck to you.

Family psychologist John Rosemond: johnrosemond.com, p arentguru.com.

REALITY: Teen girls often employ social media to construct alternative identities and personal soap operas that are destructive to proper socialization and adjustment.

REALITY: There is no

John Rosemond has worked with families, children, and parents since 1971 in the field of family psychology. In 1971, John earned his masters in psychology from Western Illinois University and was elected to the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society.