O’ Money Ain’t For Nothing!

 I think it is safe to say that most of us have been hit by this recession in one way or another. For those of us who have been fortunate enough to have our jobs in tact, our money isn’t going any further and with inflation we might be trying to cut back on some of our expenses. Maybe we hold off on certain unnecessary purchases. It might mean we may not go out to eat as often and take fewer vacations. We may be cutting out more coupons in the newspaper or watching for Groupon specials. We might even stretch out the number of times we get our hair cut, go to the movies, or take the kids to the toy store.
 

But for the unfortunate ones that have been hit the most, this might mean the loss of a job, living on one income instead of two or possibly with no income at all. They might be eating more rice and beans than hamburger or chicken. Perhaps they’ve been forced to play “Go Fish” when it comes to paying their bills. They are unable to afford new clothes for the children, let alone buy new toys. And like so many today, they may be upside-down with their mortgage, which in the state of California is hovering over 44%. They may have had to move in with a close family member or friend when the bank decided to foreclose on their house.
 

Whether it is a relative, neighbor or friend, at this point we all know someone that has been affected by this extended economic downturn. And as it rolls over from one year to the next, it can be inspiring to watch the fortitude and resourcefulness for which through the ages has strengthened our fellow man around the globe.
 

Take for instance a certain Irishman in the city of Dublin. As we all know Ireland has had its share of financial woes throughout the years or perhaps even for centuries. They did have a slight glimpse of economic sunshine during the 1990’s until its intensity dimmed during the world monetary banking crisis that started in 2008.
 

What did this unemployed Irish artist do when push came to shove? Well, what would any unemployed creative person do?
 

Use his imagination!
 

Frank Buckley had originally wanted to create a gallery for his mixed-media artwork called “Expressions of Recession”, but he ended up building a house instead. What would you do if someone handed you $1.4 billion euro dollars? In Ireland, people build houses out of it.
 

What?
 

It seems that Ireland’s mint has lent their shredded money to Mr. Buckley. And for roughly 12 hours a day, every day since the beginning of December, he has been fast at work laying 50,000 decommissioned Irish Euro bricks into the construction of his house that contains a bedroom, bath, and living room. He plans to continue expanding the house that sits in the lobby of an empty office building to include a kitchen, shower, and patio.
 

If you’re wondering how it feels to live in a house made out of paper currency, this Irish artist said that it’s quite warm inside: “Whatever you say about the Euro, it’s a great insulator.” Mr. Buckley is one of countless amount people from all over the world that have been affected by this recession.
 

“It’s the reflection of the whole madness that has gripped us,” he said. “People were pouring billions into buildings that are now worth nothing.” So the reason why he built the house was because he “wanted to create something from nothing.”
 

It will take about two more months to complete the building of his new home, but Frank Buckley welcomes any visitor who wants to take a look at his billion-dollar masterpiece.
 


 
Yes optimism is alive and well and has always been in the hearts of the people of Ireland and the rest of the world. It just shows that with a little ingenuity and imagination what we can all recreate in our own hopes and dreams. You see, a little bit O’Money Ain’t For Nothing! 🙂
 
 

So what do you think? If you were to go through an economic crisis, would you have been that ingenious? As an artist, what would you do to make a statement about your predicament? Are there some fun ideas that you and your family or friends have found while helping to cut back on expenses that you would like to share?
 
 
 
Thank you everyone.
 
Now if I may I would like to change the subject.

 
 

I finally have the results from the drawing at Diane Capri’s launch day party for “Don’t Know Jack!” Thanks for your patience. It took some time, but I worked Diane over for extra prizes and I think all of you will be pleased!
 

First, we have five winners from the first day of the drawing!
 

These five winners will receive a FREE Kindle copy of “Don’t Know Jack”! But that’s not all. You will also receive a FREE Kindle copy of EITHER Lee Child’s “Killing Floor” OR Lee Child’s “Bad Luck and Trouble.” In order for you to receive your prize, you will need to leave your email address at Diane Capri’s website, http://dianecapri.com/contact/ . And don’t worry if you don’t have a Kindle because Diane can help you convert her books to a format of your choice.
 

See, I told you it would be good! You not only receive one book, but two FREE books!
 

Ready? Here are the winners:
 

1- Prudence MacLeod

2- Debra Kristi

3- Diana Murdock

4- M. G. Miller

5- Pat O’Dea
 

But that’s not all!
 

For those of you who commented on the first day of the launch, Diane has decided to award the rest of you with a FREE copy of Lee Child’s book “Killing Floor” OR “Bad Luck and Trouble.” This will be of your choosing, but you must purchase a copy of her book, “Don’t Know Jack” and the Lee Child book will be gifted to you through Amazon. (A proof of purchase will be required.)
 

Then for those that arrived fashionably late for the party, that is after her launch date of February 1st, Diane has also decided to award you with a FREE copy of Lee Child’s book “Killing Floor” OR “Bad Luck and Trouble”. This will also be of your choosing, but you must purchase two copies of “Don’t Know Jack” and the Lee Child book will be gifted to you through Amazon. (A proof of purchase will be required.)
 

The winner’s of the prize for naming a character in Diane Capri’s new book in the “Hunt for Reacher” series “Get Jack Back” are Fabio Bueno and Lynn Kelley! Diane will contact you both to finalize your choices.
 

Now wasn’t this exciting? I love it when everyone comes out a winner!!!!
 

Congratulations to all and thank you for making Diane Capri’s launch day of “Don’t Know Jack” a memorable one!
 
 

If you enjoyed this I encourage you to run up to the top of the page and hit the follow button for future posts!
 
Thank you for your many thoughts and fine comments everyone!
Karen

 
 
 

30 thoughts on “O’ Money Ain’t For Nothing!

  1. Lynn Kelley

    What a fascinating post. That guy is amazing! The recession has affected so many people I know. It’s crazy that 44% of homes in California have upside-down mortgages. We’re one of them and if it wasn’t so upside-down, we’d be selling it instead of losing it. I’m not even going to rant about the games the bank has played with us, but it’s maddening. So I’ll stop there before my BP spikes.

    And I can sure relate to stretching out the number of times we get our hair cut. Mine is so long, I can’t style it. I just pull it back. Next week I’m getting it cut. I color it myself and that saves tons of money!

    I’m thrilled that I won a chance to name a character in one of Diane’s upcoming books! How cool is that? I’m not sure what name I’ll pick, but I know it won’t be Jack! LOL!

    Karen, what an awesome job you’ve done in promoting Diane and her new book. Kudos to you!
    Lynn Kelley recently posted..First Kiss Scene for Valentine’s Day BloghopMy Profile

    Reply
    1. Karen Post author

      Lynn, I knew this was a story that so many of us could relate to and that’s why I wrote the post. Yes, there are many who may not have experienced hard times. And who of us would wish that upon anyone, even though we may have experienced it ourselves. But you’re right, the recession has affected so many people. Too many people. I hear your pain girl. You and your family have been through too much. I just hope you get settled soon! And congrats on naming a character in Diane’s up coming new book! That’s so cool Lynn! Diane has been so generous. This was really fun! Take care Lynn! 🙂

      Reply
    1. Karen Post author

      I’m glad you thought so Julie. It was quite an inspiring story for our times. Thank you for your thoughts and for stopping by! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jennette Marie Powell

    Late as usual, but what another fun post! So cool to see someone who brought something very creative out of adversity! I am fortunate to still have my job, but my husband sold his business about 5 years ago, and that’s brought about some changes. Mostly, little things that he does now that he has time to do them, rather than paying others. If we had to cut down, I could easily cut out cable TV, but Internet would be tough!
    Jennette Marie Powell recently posted..Why I Stopped ReadingMy Profile

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      1. Karen Post author

        LOL Jen!!!! I couldn’t help it. I tried to come up with something else, but the title just fit. The Irishman made something from money worth nothing. Sorry about that. I’ll try to come up with a different tittle other than a song next time. Hee, hee, hee, that’s funny! 🙂

        Reply
    1. Karen Post author

      Ah Jen, you are not late! LOL! I’m only posting one blog besides ROW80 so I think there’s enough time to drop by. No worries! Thank you Jennette for saying that. I was impressed with how this artist came up with the idea. I thought it was cool. And I like Mike Miller do not have TV. We cut that out almost two years ago. Now the internet, that’s a whole other thing entirely. Not happening. And we watch shows on the computer and movies. I don’t miss TV. anymore. I read more too. Thanks Jen for your comment! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Diana Murdock

    What a great story. That man has spirit. So many people complain about their lives. It is refreshing to see the opposite!

    Thank you for Diane’s book! I’m totally excited, mostly because I hadn’t expected it!!

    Reply
    1. Karen Post author

      Hi Diana! I’m glad you enjoyed it! And congratulations to you! That Diane is a pretty generous gal! You’re gonna love it Diana! Very cool! 🙂

      Reply
    1. Karen Post author

      Ah the Irish are pretty clever and inventive people arent’ they Coleen? We certainly know how to use our imagination to make a peaceful statement. So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks Coleen! 🙂

      Reply
    1. Karen Post author

      I’m glad you enjoyed it August! I thought that this Irishman came up with a unique way to make a peaceful statement with his creativity. I’m sorry but I didn’t see Clint’s commercial. I’ll google it now that you’ve perked my interest. I hope you were able to take advantage of the prize. Thanks August! 🙂

      Reply
    1. Karen Post author

      Why thank you Sheila! Thanks for always being so supportive Sheila! That is so nice of you. Diane did work very hard on that book. Well you do too. I’ll be checking your’s out soon. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Pat O'Dea Rosen

    I won? Woot! Thanks, Diane and Karen.

    Karen, I love this post. I’ve heard of straw-bale houses (the modern version of one of The Three Little Pigs’ houses) and understand straw’s a good insulator. I’d think shredded money would be even better because of the high-quality fibers in the paper. I want to know whether Mr. Buckley will use stucco or a new-fangled substance to cover the paper bricks. Meanwhile, his project gives new meaning to “price per square foot.”

    Reply
    1. Karen Post author

      You’re welcome Pat! Isn’t that something? Soo cool! I love it Pat! You’re amazing. “New meaning to price per square foot.” I told my husband that and he had a good laugh. He’s a contractor. Thank you as always for dropping by and for all your support! And Congratulations Pat! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Fabio Bueno

    Congrats to all winers! Great promotion, Diane.
    I’m cheap :-), so I have no expenses to cut. I do yardwork and minor fixes around the house. We have traveled much less than we’d like, though 🙁
    Fabio Bueno recently posted..Flying AwayMy Profile

    Reply
    1. Karen Post author

      Hi Fabio! Congratulations! You’re a Winner! But we already knew that. You’re cheap? LOL Fabio! That’s cool that you do those things around the house. There was a time where most people did those things without hiring someone. But I bet you miss traveling with your wife and family. Those are special times. Let’s hope things get better soon. This is so cool Fabio. You and Lynn get to name a character in Diane’s new book! Hooray!!!! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Jennifer Jensen

    Great post, Karen, and I love the story about building a house with Euro bricks! I don’t have any great creative ideas about getting through a recession/depression, other than being very grateful that my husband’s steady, well-paying job stays steady and well-paying!), but we’ve gone through a lot of years of tough times, and I did have a creative “treat” for our family. We had acreage, and I planted strawberries and raspberries. They weren’t to make jam or pies from, just to eat. If you wanted to go pick a whole bowl of raspberries and eat them all yourselves, you could! We loved it, but needless to say, the kids didn’t appreciate it until they grew up and they had to buy them for themselves!
    Jennifer Jensen recently posted..It’s the Little Things that Say I Love YouMy Profile

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    1. Karen Post author

      Ooh Jennifer, love the thought of fresh home grown berries! Yum! And I’m happy to hear that your Hubby has steady work. But I thought that was very clever building that house out of money. Very creative! Thank you Jennifer for stopping by and for your support! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Debra Kristi

    Wow. That house is pretty amazing. That would be something to see! Field trip anyone? 😀 I love the way you flipped the mood around. Building something good out of all the depression. Great post Karen.

    And WOO Diane. What a great offer you have made to everyone. Thank you so much for my win. Woo hoo! Or do I thank Karen for the win? Thank you everyone!!!
    Debra Kristi recently posted..We See You (whether you know it or not) – Guest Diane CapriMy Profile

    Reply
    1. Karen Post author

      Well can I just tell you that I’ve been to Dublin. It’s a beautiful city and so is its people! And the Irish are a very resourceful lot. I took a chance posting this but I’m glad you reconized the positive undertone of the message. And to top it off your a winner! You have Diane to thank for that. But I did ruff her up a bit. LOL! No, she was anxious to give something to everyone! Thank you Debra! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Kristy K. James

    That is quite a story. I know that the recession (or whatever the government wants to call it) has hit many people in Michigan hard. And I think many people are getting creative in how they deal with it. Not quite this creative though.

    Congratulations to all the winners for the contest…and to Diane for the release of her book! 🙂
    Kristy K. James recently posted..Yikes!My Profile

    Reply
    1. Karen Post author

      Uh Kristy, you are a winner too! Please collect your prize. And I do realize that lots of people from different walks of life are having a tough time. The Irishman was pretty clever in his statement against the recession. Very clever. Thanks Kristy for coming by and for all your support! 🙂

      Reply
  9. M.G. Miller

    Awesome! And thanks, ladies! Looking forward to ‘Don’t Know Jack’–which is kind of how I feel today. Ha. I’m glad the launch was so successful. And here’s to many, many more sales.

    As for cutting back in these times, I dropped my cable TV. But have I missed it? Not so much. Just TCM 🙁

    Reply
    1. Karen Post author

      Mike you are hilarious! I think you know more than you’re letting on. I think there is a brilliant mind in that head of yours. Time will tell. You won’t be able to keep it from us forever! And just so you know, we don’t have TV anymore either. And do we miss it? Not so much. Doing a lot more reading and writing. Hmm. I think that’s a good thing. Congratulations on your gift and for dropping by! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Diane Capri

    Thank you, Karen, for the great post and announcing the prize winners! So cool to find out who won!!! I’m looking forward to hearing from the winners so I can deliver their prizes! And thanks again for the fabulous launch party. Don’t Know Jack is doing well with readers, and that’s the best possible prize for me. We have 7 five-star reviews on Amazon now and several more around the web on Goodreads and blogs and such. Thanks for giving Don’t Know Jack the momentum to reach readers who love it!
    Diane Capri recently posted..Diane Capri Reveals Maxine Paetro (and James Patterson)My Profile

    Reply
    1. Karen Post author

      You are so welcome Diane! And thank you for being so generous to al our guest for the launch party for “Don’t Know Jack!” I am thrilled that your book is doing so well! Congratulations Diane! I wish you the best of success! 🙂

      Reply

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