For many school children Summer is ending this week. Malls were packed this weekend with the last minutes back to school. Along with going back to school it means there will be homework. The quality of homework will depend on the environment the homework is done.

Doing homework or any kind of studying on ones bed or in front of the television on the coffee table will only lead to low quality homework. I look the quality of study are will promote the same quality of homework.

If we want our students to do the best, we need to have the best possible area.

I found some great recommendation for the ideal study area at About.com. What impressed me the most it does not take a lot of money to create the ideal study area.

I love sitting around coffee shops, and lounge area. What I over hear is so amazing. Just the other day this guy asked a friend, “Where was the best place to get a LCD TV?”

The friend answered quick, “Fred Meyer, they have the best prices.”

I was so tempted to lean over and ask what empirical data he was making statement. Instead I bit my tongue. Without any ceremony, I got up and walked to my car. From there I went to Fred Meyer.

For centuries families have always gathered together at the end of the day to catch up on the day’s activities, current events along with some form of entertainment. The evening gathering place has evolved from a evening fire, to the dinner table. In the early 1900′s, the radio was a gather point for the family. Today, it is the television.

The past year was marked by the television reception going all digital. This improved the clarity of the picture and the number of channels we could watch. Going all digital now gives many households a very good reason for getting a new television for Christmas.

One of my life mentor’s was a lady name Beverly. She had an uncanny talent of making the most from a dollar. She not only ran a household with 2 growing boys and a husband. Did I mention Beverly and her husband took in hippies and help them get their feet on a more productive path.

Beverly should be given saint hood just because all she accomplished, in addition to how she turned saving money into an art form. She stretched every penny to manage a family, small farm, 10 goates, 3 chickens, and a seasonal vegetable garden. I challenege any Fortune 500 CEO to accomplish what she did.

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I lived on their goat ranch aka farm during the early 70′s. Even back then their mountain hid away was a through back to a much more peaceful period of time, that will only be matched by Heaven.

Enough with the sentential look. Now let us look at how Beverly and her husband saved money without the feeling of poverty.

No Box Cakes – It was a inside joke that you could not find any or even any cake mix was found on the property. Beverly and the other women who lived there made cakes from scratch. A lost art in the 21st century. They took flour, baking powder, eggs, goats milk, and brown sugar to make cakes that rivaled any bakery in the whole state of California.

What is a television? - Even back in the early 1970′s the idea of not having a television in one’s home was a hideous thought. Entertainment was reading, board games, horseshoes, and a few practical jokes. It was amazing how we pasted the time. It did not hurt us. In the years that follow the residence became surveyor, writers, engineers, and a couple of preachers.

Family Time is Important Time – Beverly and her husband were insistent on everybody getting to every evening. This was time we shared the day’s events. We discussed what was working. We offered suggestions on making things better.

People Do Have Talent – I still don’t remember why all the talented musicians appeared on our step. Folk, gospel, blues, and bluegrass musicians seem to be giving concerts in the large living room area once or twice a month.

I don’t want you to get the impression that we did not go into town. We did. We all had jobs outside of our chores around the ranch. Some were taking adult education calls, while others were going to college. Many of us married and moved away when it was time to leave this sanctuary.

Beverly created this environment with little or no outside finances. Years later I ran the numbers on what it would take to make the difference they did. It could not be done today. Over head cost that people are not willing to give up today are:

1. Cell phones $50 per person per month
2. Computer with internet access runs about $30 per computer per month
3. Cable or satellite TV is another $40 to $50 per month
4. Gourmet coffee’s is $90 per month

That totals to over $200 per person per month including extra electricity. What about the lack of interpersonal interaction for having time consumed for these extras of the 21st century.

The bottom-line to Beverly’s art of saving money was a simplier life. You don’t need a lot of money to have a nice relaxed enjoyable life.