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Browsing posts in: Spending Money

Could Drones Help Staffing Shortages?

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Unless you have had your head under a rock for the last few years, you are surely already aware of the fact that there is a staffing shortage issue taking place throughout the country. Companies are struggling to get and retain the workers that they need to move their operations forward. It is having a serious impact on the amount of money that they can earn, and it has them looking for alternatives that can work to replace some of the lost workforce that they are dealing with right now.

Keeping workers on the job is extremely important. According to Legal Jobs, good retention policies can maximize company profits up to four times the amount that they would usually be. Thus, all companies should seek out good hiring policies for themselves.

Could Drones Be an Answer?

Certain industries are looking for answers to their staffing shortages in the form of drones. What this means is that some companies are literally bringing in drones to replace the work that used to be done by human hands. This is because they are trying to overcome certain regulations that make it hard to hire great workers. For example, according to Legal Match, in Illinois, anyone who works more than 30 hours per week is considered full-time. The problem with this for many employers is that they have to pay extra money for someone who is merely working 30 hours per week.

The Department of Corrections in Montana has been experimenting with the concept of using drones to replace some of the workforces that they used to reliably count on to get things done. They think that they can deploy drones to do the work that used to be handled by their regular workforce. They might be on to something there, and it is possible that this is exactly the answer that can alleviate some of the strain of the lack of available labor in certain industries.

Occupations Continue to Grow Despite Strain

Many industries are still growing very rapidly. For example, the number of people working in healthcare is anticipated to grow by 14% from 2018 to 2028. This is much faster than the average across all occupations. The healthcare industry is expected to add 1.9 million new jobs over that ten-year period. If they are able to hit those targets, then it seems likely that many people will find a home in the healthcare industry as far as their career is concerned.

It is important to pay attention to trends like this because they point to a larger growth in the economy that should be noticed. Those who are paying close attention to what is going out on out there will be able to adapt to the changing conditions around them more rapidly than they otherwise would have. That is a big deal when thinking about how to react to certain changes in the economy as a whole. A lot of people don’t realize that they have the power to alter the course of their own employment history if they choose to do so. It is all about figuring out what works best for you.

Companies Will Continue to Adapt

Companies have no choice but to continue to adapt to the changing conditions around them. Thus, you should anticipate that they will do everything in their power to make sure they are able to get the kind of results that they need from their workforce right when they need it. If this means that they have to go to drones to make a difference, then you should expect that this will happen. It is all about what works best for them and their needs at this time, and most agree that they will work with the technologies provided to them to reach those goals.

Splurging On Concert Tickets And Going Easier On Myself

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Splurging on Concert Tickets

You’ve probably seen lots of news articles over the past few days about Taylor Swift’s Eras tour and the struggle to get tickets. Unfortunately I’ve found myself caught up in all the ticket buying craziness! My sister and I love Taylor and have been fans since she released her second album Fearless. Going to her concerts has been a major bonding event for us over the years.

My sister and I have a seven year age gap, so as you can imagine, we haven’t always gotten along. But we’ve always been able to bond over our shared love of Taylor Swift’s music, so it was important to me to get tickets for this tour.

I Got Tickets, But They Were Expensive

I did manage to secure tickets, but the whole ticket buying process was a mess! Although I had a presale code, I wasn’t able to actually purchase tickets because of all the technical issues with Ticketmaster’s website. Earlier today I found out that the general sale was cancelled, so my only chance at getting tickets was to buy a pair from resellers.

Since Taylor is one of two artists I ever want to see in person (the other is a pop punk band that charges about $30 for tickets), I caved. I paid about $850 for two tickets in the nosebleeds earlier this afternoon. Ouch! My wallet hurts just thinking about it. I didn’t have savings to cover this because I honestly didn’t think Taylor would do a nationwide tour right now.

Her last tour got cancelled because of the pandemic and only had two stops – one in Boston and one in LA. I thought she would do something similar for Midnights because of lingering COVID concerns, which would make it impossible to get tickets. For reference, when Harry Styles did a one-night musical event, resale tickets sold for $11,000. That makes my $850 tickets look like a bargain!

For now, I took the money out of savings. But I’m going to do a credit card offer to get a sign-up bonus to help offset the cost, and may look into bank account bonus offers as well. I also got an unexpected $380 check recently, so that will cover about half of the price of the tickets. My sister offered to pay for her ticket, but I think I’m going to give it to her as a Christmas gift. We usually don’t exchange gifts, but she’s been having a tough time lately and I want to treat her to an unforgettable night out.

Going Easier On Myself

Before I started working with my therapist, I would’ve beaten myself up endlessly about this ticket purchase. Even though I can afford it and am going to find ways to replace the money I took from my savings, splurging like this still would’ve flared my financial anxiety. A few months ago, I probably would’ve been sitting in bed crying right now. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to sit down and write this post, so I’m pretty proud of my progress!

I’ve realized that taking a balanced approach to finances means that sometimes I won’t make the absolute wisest, most frugal decisions. Sometimes I’ll splurge on a concert ticket or a nice dinner out even though I’m trying to get out of debt and put myself on a good financial path. I’m a human, not a robot. I still have to live my life and enjoy myself a bit on the road to debt payoff, or else I’ll burn out. So I’m trying to go easier on myself and find financial balance.

How do you find financial balance in your own life? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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