As I worked on historical information about the Central House and the Andrews Family, my dad "Bucky" Andrews is always mentioned as a footnote to history. He wasn't a footnote. He was a talented, promising young man who chose to "check out" early. The stigma of his early demise has always created some mystery. There was also anger by all the people he left behind. So here goes.
Named Warren C. Andrews, the first born to Chalk and Myrna Andrews in Mukwanago, Wisconsin, in 1920, the family moved to Plymouth in 1922. I don't know where the name "Bucky" came from. I always wanted to know what the middle initial "C" stood for and he told me "just C". I have a sneaky feeling if we would find his birth certificate it would say Charles after his dad.
He was stocky like Christopher, very intelligent and physically gifted. He played football, was a pole vaulter in track and loved baseball. Baseball became a passion. He was good enough at baseball to get a contract to try out for the Chicago Cubs farm team in Eau Clare, Wisconsin. He befriended Andy Pafko who went on to play 15 years in the Big Leagues. Legend has it that Pafko could throw the ball from deep center field to the home plate on the line never bouncing the ball. Pafko had a cannon for an arm. My dad didn't.
The baseball tryout was April of 1940. I was born in April. He was off chasing baseballs. My birth certificate says his occupation was a professional baseball player. Even though he didn't make the Cubs, when he returned to Plymouth he played for the City team for many years (also Glenbulah team). In the mid 50's, he was voted to the all time Sheboygan County baseball team in a poll conducted by the Plymouth Review.
Bucky was left handed. Damn! Left handed golf clubs, left hand baseball gloves and even his bowling ball was drilled different. That meant I couldn't use any of his equipment. He wrote with a pen and his hand would curl over the top of the script so he didn't drag the ink.
He went in the Army in 1941. He hated it but you did what you had to do. It was World War II. He served in the South Pacific. I think Jack was the result of a home leave and maybe even Addie. Jack was 1943. Addie 1944. Jerry Lee was after the War 1946. Addie May was named after a great-grandmother and always got special attention because she was the only girl in two generations. It wasn't fair.
Bucky went to work at the Borden Company in accounting after the War and I think we even lived in Green Bay for a year or so. He came back to Plymouth and started to get involved at City Club. Like Paul, he went to school choosing Lakeland College paid for by the GI bill. He never finished his senior year but his specialty was accounting. His grades were A's and B's.
He ran for the Plymouth School Board twice and was ELECTED both times. He participated in the community. He was well known and well liked.
He met and dated Alice in High School. My impression is that it was special. If anybody has seen the movie Notebook, the young couple in there was infatuated with each other. I think that it is the way it was. Alice in high school was a knockout!
Sounds like he had it all. He did. He was on a roll. Great family, going to school. Promising career. Always maintaining a passion for baseball.
I can't emphasize baseball enough. We would talk constantly about different players, calculate their batting averages and we'd argue who was best. His favorite? Ted Williams.
Growing up he coached our baseball teams: Chuck, Jack, and Jerry. Thank God they didn't have girls teams at that time or Addie would have received special treatment again (she is the only kid who ever got a new bicycle). He coached me through Pee-Wee League. Jack and Jerry too. Later was American Legion teams.
And he smoked cigars. Two for a quarter (expensive at that time) Dutch Master Presidents. A buck a day. His spigot was always slightly open. Even today when I smell cigars, it reminds me of him.
He started his own "mobile" accounting business called Cunocar. It was a van outfitted like a mobile trailer. Counters, calculating machines, storage cabinets. "Have business, will travel".
Near the end, he managed the Plymouth Foundry along with two cattle farms near Cascade. Jack and I always had to go out to the farms to feed the horses and cattle. He screwed up my dates with your mother.
When it came to anything to do with the kids and athletics, he was there. I played basketball and always would look up in the stands and see him there. I also got an earfull on things I should have done differently in the game. God I hated that. But he was there! He beat me regularly at "21", a basketball game.
Bucky traveled to many, many football and basketball games with Art Mueller (Bill's father) who was sports editor at the Plymouth Review. They stopped to have a drink or two on the way to the game and certainly on the way home. The referees always stunk. Believe it not they solved all the problems of the world on those trips. At least they thought they did.
My dad's life never quite went the way he wanted. He was passionate about many things and really could never grab the brass ring. He missed on the baseball career, never quite finished his accounting degree and never achieved the business career he had wanted.
But he lived. He loved his kids and family and would fight for them. I know that many kids playing summer baseball still remember Bucky Andrews.
His life ended badly but he was loved. He was not a footnote.
Love,
Dad
Today is not financial. The Plymouth Review is going to be doing an article on the City Club Rooms and I was asked what I remembered about it. Before it City Club Rooms it was Central House. All my references are to Central House. Here is what I remember.
The Central House is just that. It is on the central intersection of town. It has always had the prime location in town. Even today! If you have to name the most prominent intersection it would be Stafford and Mill Street. It was named Central House for a reason. It was central to everything that happened in a small and growing town. It is close to being a historic treasure. It has been witness to the evolution of Plymouth.
There were no Walmarts or Fleet Farms on the outskirts of town. The A&W Root Beer Stand did not exist. People were "out and about" everyday. And everyday took them past the main intersection in town. Thats right. They had to go past the Central House. The grocer was downtown located on a corner opposite the Central House. The drugstore, the dentist, doctor and Ben Franklin store were within a block of Central House. The Lutheran Church and the High School were blocks away.
If there was a parade (and still today), it passes the Central House. Early stagecoaches, a trolley system from Sheboygan to Greenbush, and truck traffic going north and south or east and west had to go past the Central House. There were no four lane highways diverting traffic around Plymouth. The Central House was alive. It was vibrant.
Friday nights were a happening. It was the night each week that rural society went to town to do the shopping. Would you believe that the stores stayed open until 9:00 PM. Not just mom and dad but kids too. Thats right! You might just meet that special someone you had seen in science class. Many people would stop at the Central House just to say hello.
Saturday nights the Central House would come alive. It was a major "haunt" for an evening of entertainment. Fun times.
Lower, middle and upper class America stopped at the Central House. It could have been for food, drink, a haircut, a pool game or just plain comradery. The point is people stopped often and it was a hub for activity. The Andrews Family was involved for over 50 years. Chalk and Myrna Andrews were the perfect hosts. Chalk had charisma. He had an infectious chuckle, a hearty laugh and a way of relaxing those who stopped. Myrna was hard working, caring and the perfect compliment to Chalk. Damn nice folks! People wanted to stop because they liked the warmth of the Central House. It was a shame that Chalk passed away so early because he had built the Central House into a special place. It had it's own personality. Slowly things changed as new generations began to get involved. The Andrews charisma is still undeniable. The gene pool has been good to the clan. Good folk with a sense of humor, warm chuckles and hearty laughs.
Bob and Helene? They saved the Central House for another generation. Even though they had moved away to pursue a different vocation, their hearts remained in Plymouth. Central House has held something for them always. Bob and Helene breathed life into the business. And Myrna, she got to live out her life in a place full of good memories. She was part of the Central House fabric.
For Plymouth, the Central House has witnessed 100 years of change. And no, it is not the hub of social activity that it once was but it has retained its place on the prime corner in town. And some semblence of the past remains. The hosts are very cordial. The sandwiches are excellent and if you listen real close, you can hear Chalk telling a story and chuckling in the background.
And me, I was named after Chalk. Ain't that special.
Love,
Dad
Now that you've got control of your cask, the assumption is that you have more money coming in than going out the spigot. That means cash is building up inside the cask. That should make you feel good.
I've always been a champion of the "little guy". He/she always seems to get lost in the financial morass or society. The little guy doesn't have enough money to be interesting to the financial giant but they do have some cash and are taken advantage of. The little guy is like a bug under the shoe of big money managers. Squish, squish. Just a blot on the sideway of financial history.
When you struggle to save some money, even a couple thousand dollars, it is tough to invest anywhere. You can go to the Credit Union. They give free checking if you maintain a minimum balance. Or you might go into a savings account that pays 1.5%. Whoopee! Or you can go the the local Bank. Same thing. The point is that you have money sitting in the Bank earning almost nothing. A hybred offered by many financial institutions is a "money market account" that pays even less interest but you can write checks on the account.
At the opposite end of the spectrum are the people who have lots of money. Banks, brokers, and fiancial advisors can't wait to help them. That is because they can get paid for their advice. If you have $10,000 you can buy a bond that gets 5.5%-6% interest. That is a lot better than 1.5%. If you are young and are looking at the long pull, stocks return 11.7% annually every year over a 30 year time horizon. That also is a lot better than 1.5%
As John Lennon sang "Imagine", just think if you had $1,000 being invested at 11.7% in stock just like the big guy, at the end of the year you will have another $117. So you total for doing nothing except investing like Donald Trump would be $1117. Not bad!
Because you might need your $1,000 for an emergency and because you can't find a liquid investment that pays more than 1.5%, your $1,000 just doesn't grow. You are in financial neverland. Squish, squish.
Maybe my line for having little money should be "Splish, splash I was taking a bath". A financial bath.
To turn this into a positive, get beyond being a little guy. Here is another key to getting rich. Save up that $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000 that you can invest and don't need for daily living. You can then make it multiply like the big guys. Then you can stand eye to eye with the financial guru's and kick them in the groin.
Love,
Dad (Just Chas.)
Would you believe that I had my information half typed and I pressed a button accidently and lost it all. Margaret warned me things like that could happen.
I decided I was entitled to be whimsical today. I will tie it into finance somehow.
Just a few comments on Valentines Day. There is no financial consideration of the Day. You don't want to do something stupid! Valentine's Day is not about controlling the spigot, watching cash flow or worrying about long term goals. It fails Paul's "want versus need" analysis. It is about emotion. It is an investment in harmony and the heart. So on this one day, you can loosen up and do what is necessary to tell the special person in your life that you love them and spend a few bucks. It is an investment in the human spirit. I hope you invested wisely.
Okay. Okay. I gave my valentine some flowers and cost was no object. I heeded my own advice. Then I signed the card "with love to the special person in my life". Then my valentine gave me a very nice card and she signed it "with love to the special person in my life". Call it coincidence. Call if spiritual. Spooky!
I was walking this morning as always and I noticed that they are now changing the display windows since Valentines Day is over. I walked by Victoria's Secret and they have a whole new Campaign. Yep. One-half off. The question is, "which half is left off". Is there enough to leave off. By the way, what is Victoria's real secret? I wouldn't say apparel from Victorias is a "need" unless it is Valentines Day. Then it could be a "want".
Sunday night was snow. I didn't shovel because I'm a bright guy. I watched the weather station and we were going to have warmer weather and sunshine. It didn't happen. So my neightbors have to trudge through the snow. I guess I could shovel, but the sun is still forecast. No sense spending a lot of energy if not required. I could hire someone to shovel but my spigot is stuck.
This is the week of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Is the one special issue worth $89.50 subscription per year. I think this investment falls into the category of "want" not "need".
Enough nonsense. I don't know how much you learned, but I feel better.
Go forth and continue your financial vigilance.
Love,
Dad (Just Chas.)
My inspiration for "pouring cash" comes from Nana's 94th birthday dinner at St.Anna with Bob and Mary, Chuck and Shelby and of course, the guest of honor. I hope when I'm 94 that I crave steak and cake. It was very enjoyable.
I've talked about filling your cask with cash. The goal is to maximize the amount of cash poured into the cask and manage spending by controlling the spigot at the bottom. There are a lot of ways to pour cash into your cask and you do it every day. Debs manages a Wisconsin Vision Outlet and makes big bucks, Kelly practices chiropractic for a Health Organization and her own business, Chris makes tons of money telling other people what to do and Margaret is highly paid to develop computer solutions. And for Paul the journey is just beginning.
The dream of starting your own business should conjure up visions of sugar plums in you heads. Steven Jobs at Apple, Bill Gates at Microsoft, and Michael Dell of Dell Computers all followed the dream and are rich beyond comprehension. Money pours into their cask. Hell they probably can't find enough casks. There is probably money all over the floor. I don't think they worry about spigot expense control.
Mary Steger got me thinking with her comment that "anyone who starts their own business ought to have their head examined". She is aware of all the difficulties facing a business and how fragile it really is. However there is the other side. For someone who believes in an idea, is willing to take financial risk and will work tirelessly to make a business succeed, there can be a huge payoff. It is the American way.
87% of all businesses employ under 50 people. They are small. George and Lyla started a business that is headed for third generation ownership. My Grampa Chalk and Myrna bought the City Club in 1922 and it remained in the family for over 60 years. Kelly started her own Chiropractic practice. David Steger has started his own computer related business (he didn't listen to his mom). Actually your mom started her Shaklee Distributorship but money was secondary to the benefits of the products.
"Pouring cash" comes from the multiple ways your own business can pay off. You usually can draw a salary. Assuming you are profitable, you can pull money out at the end of the year as a dividend or partnership distribution. As the business grows, more cash can follow growth and you can drive a company Porsche (there is my dream car again). The ultimate payoff can come from selling your business at middle age for an obscene profit, wiring the proceeds to an account in the Cayman Islands and then sucking Mint Juleps for the rest of your life on a south sea island.
The entrepreneurial mind doesn't see roadblocks. Only opportunity. They don't know 9 out 10 new business ventures fail. They don't see the problem in raising money to start a venture. They will find cash some-place. There is a passion to build something. They usually are not familiar with the word "no".
So if there is passion within you to build something, call Bob and Mary for fiancial support. My cask doesn't have venture capital in it to chase some wild ass venture.
Love
Dad (Just Chas.)
First, one of the Grasshoppers turned 41 on Feb.7. Happy Birthday! I know it was a festive occasion. The cake was delicious.
Second, I need to clean up some errors and misconceptions about my last writing on "Paychecks!". I mis-spelled Porsche. I can't believe that I could make such a mistake. I left out the "c". If you are going to have snob appeal, you want to spell Porsche correctly. I also indicated that if you made $1000 per week, the medicare health insurance deduction was 1.65% of the total. Well it is really 1.45%. So instead of a deduction of $16.50 it is only $14.50. A gain of $2.00. I want to be correct. I apparently created some feelings of quiet desperation when I said that the federal tax deduction would be 20% or $200. Because the marginal federal tax bracket up to $58,000 is only 15% and you get to take deductions for those kiddies and mortgages and state tax payments, the deduction from you $1,000 per week would only be around $100 per payday. So Grasshopper No. 5, out of $1,000 you would take home a net of $683.50 instead of the meager $581.50. That should make you feel better.
Now a quick note on taxes. I know most of you do your own federal and state taxes. Most steps are pretty simple. After you calculate the total federal tax for the year, USE THAT NUMBER TO DETERMINE YOUR 2005 DEDUCTION ON YOUR PAYCHECK. For example, if your federal tax obligation this year was $3,000 divide that by 52 weeks and that should be your deduction on your paycheck. That comes to $58.00 per week for those of you with a calculator. Do the same with your state deduction.
I know it feels good to get a large tax refund at the end of the year. From a pure money management standpoint, if you are having too much deducted off each paycheck, you are letting the government use your money for free. That is not good management. I always errored on the side of a SLIGHT REFUND but I would cut it pretty close. I wanted more money in my pocket during the year and I didn't plan on a big refund.
Another key to getting rich, YOU MANAGE YOUR MONEY, DON'T LET THE GOVENMENT DO IT. Dah!
Love,
Dad (Just Chas.)
In the musical "The Music Man" there is a scene where gossipy old ladies sing "Pick a little, talk a little, cheep cheep cheep". It serves as a perfect lead in to an analogy for your paycheck (those of you who have one).
When you are employed by someone you receive a paycheck for your services weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly or monthly. It is the financial fulfillment of your employment contract. Of course there are many intangibles such as job fullfillment, goal achievement and comradere. Ha. Ha. Ha.
Let's assume you get $1,000 per week for your services. Here it is okay to have automatic deposit into your checking account on payday. If you are sick or out of town or on vacation, your money is there for you. I use to get my paycheck and cash it on bus on the way home.
Now for my analogy. The government, the bureaucrats, and the company all have plans to reduce your $1,000. They "pick a little, take a little, and chip chip chip" at your money.
First is social security. It is a 6.2% and goes to pay for my retirement. $62. Thank You. I did it for 37 years.
Then there is 1.65% for medicare insurance. $16.50.
Oh yes, you filled out a W-4 for dependents which determines how much Federal Tax is deducted. You have no idea what you were doing! Lets say you have 20% taken off for Federal Tax or $200.
Because you live in Wisconsin, State Tax is required. Another 5%. Good-bye $50.
One of the benefits of working for a business enterprise is that normally you are allowed to participate in the health plan. It is a good benefit but employees need to pay part of the monthly premium. Let's say $50 per paycheck. Not an unusual amount.
Then there is the opportunity to set aside money into a 401k plan which is not subject to tax but it comes out of your pay and you get it when you are 59.5 years old or retire. Many companies match. Lets say the company matches you dollar for dollar up to 4%. So $40 more is set aside out of your paycheck.
There are life insurance opportunities, medical savings accounts and other potential deductions to ravage your $1,000.
If I calculated correctly, there would be $418.50 deducted from your $1,000. You get in your hand, $581.50. Jesus! It is like a train wreck. The good news is that some of the money went to your retirement through social security and the 401k is your money if you ever leave the company and it was a good investment. You need the medical coverage so it is fair for participation in a group plan.
Then when you take the $581.50 home, some of the money goes for sales tax on essential products and property tax is part of every mortgage payment. Then you have wife and kids needing care. Then the church wants money. And then you dream of the Porshe Cheyenne that you will never own.
Did you notice how nicely the saga of the paycheck fits "pick a little, take a little, chip chip chip".
Don't despair. Gets raises. Earn more. Do the 2 income family bit. Eventually you'll have lots of discretionary money and you can support your parents in their old age.
Love,
Dad (Just Chas.)
First a story from the wilds of Minnesota. Grasshopper No. 5 has been trying to change her billing on cable service from "automatic electronic payment" each month to a regular bill received by mail. She must have anticipated my rant on "never give anyone automatic access to your money". Well, in November she called to change to manual bill. Guess what? In December they still took electronic payment. I don't even know the excuse she was given. Then she called again and she was given assurance that it would change. Again in January, it was electronic deduction from her account. She has called again and you have to wait until February to learn that it hasn't changed. DON'T GIVE PEOPLE AUTOMATIC ACCESS TO YOUR ACCOUNTS. I don't care how easy it is to do or how many stamps you save.
Now THE HABIT. I'm talking of course about the SAVINGS HABIT. Here is another key to getting rich. Develop a boring, regular, disciplined savings habit. It is a mental determination to steadily set aside money.
Why set aside money? Your refrigerator craps out after 25 years. Car prices have gone up and you need a bigger downpayment. Your insurance rates just increased. You got your December gas bill and you can't believe how big it is. You need a new furace. You lose your job and you've got to eat or make payments on your new Honda. You get the idea.
First, Andrews rule is to try to save a minimum of 5% of "after tax" income. Suppose you earn $1,500 every two weeks. Most financial people tell you that should set aside 10% of "pre-tax" income. I've always disliked 10% of pre-tax because those aren't dollars I can touch. What I can touch is my "take home pay" or after tax dollars. $1,500 pre-tax translates to $1,150 after tax. 5% of after tax is $57.50 per payday and at 26 times per year, you'll save the minimum of $1,495.00 per year. You can buy a lot with $1495. If you could save 10% of after tax income you have $2,990 per year.
My personal habit was to open a savings account at a separate bank or credit union and on each payday actually drive to the institution and make a savings deposit. Notice the word habit again. I liked seeing my new balance with each deposit and I earned interest on top of it. By driving to the institution, I was making a conscious statement to myself.
With this habit, you are filling the cask steadily. You aren't depending on any sign from heaven. We'll figure out what to do with the money as it builds up to a significant amount later.
Then, don't touch your savings unless it is an emergency. An emergency is not new DVD's, an extra Xmas gift or a trip to the mall. An emergency is an expense that your regular paycheck doesn't cover. To use Paul's rule, don't use it for a "want", only a "need". And if you are going to withdraw from savings, drive to the savings institution and make a conscious withdrawal. Hopefully, it is painful.
Knowing your cask is steadily filling can be fun and satisfying. It also means you are spending less than you earn. Dah!
Make sure you develop a your annoying HABIT!
Love,
Dad (Just Chas.)