Is ‘Junk’ Ever Good For You?

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Is ‘Junk’ Ever Good For You?

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June 07, 2013

I have never paid any money to listen to Sirius/XM in my car. I’m probably too cheap to get hooked on to the monthly subscription fees. On the other hand, my sister cannot live without satellite radio in her car. Whenever I bring my automobile into the dealership for a major service, they always give me Sirius/XM for some free trial period looking to bait me into paying the monthly dues. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been throttling the dial between 70’s, 80’, and 90’s songs listening to one hit wonders that bring back childhood memories. In the 70’s Larry Groce belted out the tune “Junk Food Junkie” (http://bit.ly/cuNbVY) that was written about 35 years ago as a parity song about the proliferation of fast food. The song sounds a little like Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” and it got me thinking about this topic: Is JUNK a word that is ever good for you?

I suppose if you do anything in moderation with food, money, or collectibles JUNK can never really kill you. Here are two types JUNK and the smart money moves to make if you decide to add JUNK to your life.

  1. JUNK Food– Although most junk food isn’t something you want to have as a major staple in your diet, not all junk food is completely bad for you and some foods can actually be positive depending on what type of program you are running at this point in your life. Most people think Pork Rinds are absolutely horrible for you because they look like greasy puffy Styrofoam fat in a bag.  A 1-ounce serving contains zero carbohydrates, 17 grams (g) of protein, and 9 g fat. That’s nine times the protein and less fat than you’ll find in a serving of carb-packed potato chips. Even better, 43 percent of a pork rind’s fat is unsaturated, and most of that is oleic acid—the same healthy fat found in olive oil. Another 13 percent of its fat content is stearic acid, a type of saturated fat that’s considered harmless, because it doesn’t raise cholesterol levels. (source: www.menshealth.com). Beef Jerky is another example of food that many people think is junk. You can buy bags of beef or turkey jerky from places like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s and a 3 oz. bag has no fat and is loaded with protein. Don’t make it a daily essential due to its high sodium content, but this can be a great alternative snack on days that the usual fruits and vegetables just aren’t cutting it.
  2. JUNK Collectibles– There is an old saying that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. When it comes to collectibles, we’ve seen how reality television shows like Storage Wars and American Pickers demonstrate that certain types of junk can turn into lots of cash. The key within collecting junk is to become an expert in a particular topic or subject if you are going to spend your money buying junk. Whether an art, jewelry, coins, or some other type of collectible, you really need to know how to find the worthwhile junk and then what is necessary to resell it for a profit. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a garage full of street signs and dolls like some of the “hoarders” you see on those television shows. However, if you collect items the right way, you could turn your hobby into a thriving side-business!

In the 70’s one of the famous shows was about a junkyard owner played by Redd Foxx called “Sanford & Son” which, even today, you’ll find many a person still humming the opening them song. Fred Sanford believed his son, Lamont, to be unintelligent and often used to call him a ‘big dummy’ on many of the episodes. However, as we know, this was far from the case, and Lamont often tried out new things and ideas to better himself. When it comes to the word JUNK, we are sometimes fooled into thinking JUNK is always bad for us. If you use these smart money moves, junk may actually be something that can turn in a positive in your life, so try something new and don’t underestimate ‘big dummy’ junk!

Written by:
Ted Jenkin

Request a FREE consultation: www.oxygenfinancial.net

Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through NFP Advisor Services, LLC (NFPAS), Member FINRA/SIPC. Oxygen Financial is not affiliated with NFPAS.

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