How the Brewers Budget Themselves

 Tyler Bell

After two straight postseason appearances in 2018 and 2019, the Milwaukee Brewers slashed payroll last winter, with owner Mark Attanasio saying that the team had operated “in the red” after the end-of-season payroll had risen past $120 million in 2019. David Stearns and company executed a major roster retooling while cutting salaries down under $100 mil as Spring Training began last February, then the coronavirus pandemic hit.

We ended up getting a shortened, 60-game campaign in 2020 with no fans in attendance (during the regular season, at least) and players receiving prorated salaries for their work amid the public health crisis. That meant that the Brewers’ actual Opening Day payroll ended up at just over $39 mil this year (per Cot’s Contracts). The Cream City Nine struggled to a 29-31 record, and while that did allow them to sneak into the expanded playoffs as the #8 and final seed on the Senior Circuit, they were quickly dispatched in the opening round by the eventual champion Dodgers.

Milwaukee’s ownership and front office have talked in the past about how much impact their attendance has on spending capability, and shortly after this season concluded, Stearns was suggesting that further cuts could be on the horizon. (Indeed, the Brewers already trimmed back their scouting department as well as things on the business side of the organization, including in the ticket office and the social media team). With revenues down across the game and this org constantly talking about their small market status, it is reasonable to expect that player spending will fall even further heading into the 2021 season. The Brewers have remained mostly inert since the last update after the non-tender deadline, with the only outside additions coming on the fringes of the roster. But with the arbitration filing deadline occurring a few days ago, the team agreed to 2021 contracts for their final two arb-eligible players, giving further clarity to the payroll situation:

Total: $73,175,000

Obesity Crisis

 Alexa Arntz

Obesity is a widespread disease that is destroying our countries. This ongoing epidemic has cost America more money

every year. As obesity rates hit the younger adolescents, more money is getting wasted. As well as the ongoing chain of fast food

and calorie packed processed foods, something the government hasn't and should fix. 

In America, it costs us 147 billion dollars for obesity. 39% of adults were obese in 2015-2016 and expected to grow.

The more suprising factor then almost half of the adults being obese is that our government hasn’t done anything about it. 

The direct cost for obesity is the cost of surgery for any issues that arise. Also for any diseases that are contracted. Obesity

increases the chance of diabetes, cancer, stroke, and death. It is the result of inpatient and outpatient health services. Indirect

costs are the missed days at work to receive that specific surgery or therapy. As well as, insurance which certain employees

have to pay more for because of their obesity. “The study concluded that obese women (body mass index [BMI] of 30 or higher)

were 61 percent more likely to miss work time, compared to women of healthy weight.” However, the government hasn’t

taken control. Fast food chains keep growing and processed foods are pushed out on shelves faster. The rise of child obesity

is scary and no one has taken control. In 2030 it is predicted to be more than 49%. 

The opportunity cost of not having obesity can be used in so many things. Military, national debt, or other topics like that.

With this money we can find different ways to use it in a better manner. Even though “Some estimate the fast-food industry's

revenue to be about $200 billion in America and $570 billion globally.” There is only a 53 billion dollar difference between the two.

In some ways it’s a lot however for the health of country it isn’t. 

In conclusion, this specific issue is one that the government should look into. If all the government is spending and

wasting billions of dollars, there needs to be change. There can not be any change without the realization of this obesity crisis. 

Works Cited

“Please Enable Cookies.” StackPath, www.ehstoday.com/health/article/21908784/obesity-linked-to-job-absenteeism-study-says.

“The Revenue of Fast Food Chains in America.” TitleMax, 14 Apr. 2021, www.titlemax.com/discovery-center/money-finance/the-revenue-of-fast-food-chains-in-america/#:~:text=Some estimate the fast-food,America and $570 billion globally.

The Costs of Performing Live Music As A Local Band

Becca Heer

Live music is one of the things in many areas that just brings people together. Whether it be going out to see a concert of a well known band,

or supporting a local band playing downtown, it is always a great experience getting to see music live in front of you.

However, for these bands, it can be a very costly experience as well. The costs of the lighting, venue/place, promotion and advertisement,

and other things can get really expensive. The problem with this for smaller local bands is that there might not be much profit,

if any, depending on a few different factors that I will get into. It is important to look at the opportunity costs of these decisions and what is worth

it to you.

I am in a local Waukesha area band that has played a few different gigs and shows over the past year. Starting out as a small local punk band,

we didn’t really make any money off of the shows at first, because we just wanted to make an appearance and become a little bit more known.

This, in turn, was actually very expensive for us. Fortunately, at our most recent gig, our band had a friend who was willing to lend us

his store for the night for free. However, booking a place to use and play live music in will usually also be a costly portion.

We had someone take pictures for us as well which cost us around 100 dollars collectively. At the early stages of our band’s career, we couldn’t

charge anything for tickets because we didn’t have much of a following and we weren’t really known, so the very small amount of

money we would make off of tickets was not as important as getting a bit of a larger crowd for free at first. Eventually we ended up putting a tip jar which just barely broke even for the cost of the other expenses, so no profit. 

Making money with a full time career in the music industry involves a lot more than just performing live, or covering music. Creating original

music helps a lot with this, and opens a lot of opportunities to earn more money. A survey was conducted for many different types

of music careers, including performing, producing, composing, recording, and more, and relates this all to revenues. In this study with the musicians

they talked to, 12% of their revenue came from directly copyright related things. 10% of sources came from a mixed relationship to

copyright, and 78% came from indirectly related sources. This shows that if you make original music, copyright is one of the big

factors that can play a part in your income, and you can make extra money off of copyright in addition to the live performances and everything else you do.

There are costs to playing live music, but there is also a lot of hope for this industry. If it is worth it for you, take the chance and

build up a living with your music. It varies for every person, and if you’re passionate enough, you might just have a really good career going for you.

Cites Used:

https://arizonalawreview.org/pdf/55-2/55arizlrev301.pdf 

https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/recent-releases/livemusic 

https://careertrend.com/what-are-the-advantages-disadvantages-of-being-a-professional-musician-13653432.html 

https://prism.fm/blog/insights/concert-cost-breakdown-where-promoters-are-spending/

Make your bed in the Morning!

Joe Fedder 

When you wake up each morning do you make your bed? Maybe it’s too much work, your running late, or you’ll do it tomorrow. Wouldn't it be nice if a small amount of time each morning can change your life? 

A study showed that roughly 70% of adult Americans make their bed each morning, and most of those interviewed gave positive feedback. 

One reason to start this healthy habit is to start your day off right. Your brain feeds off of small accomplishments to get a feel good chemical called dopamine. Increased amounts of dopamine contribute to your overall happiness, and improves your mood and mental health.

Another positive outcome is that making your bed encourages you to keep the rest of your room tidy and organized, leading to having a more organized car, house, and lifestyle.

Making your bed makes you more productive! Being in control and making good decisions can lead to other healthy decisions throughout the day. Maybe after making your bed you will second guess eating a whole box of donuts for breakfast.

Lastly, it feels good. When you have a rough day, and come home exhausted, laying down in a neat and fresh bed is the best recovery. Having a made bed improves: sleep, relaxation, and overall mood. 

Admiral McRaven addresses the University of Texas at Austin Class of 2014

In conclusion, the marginal benefits of making your bed exceed the marginal cost of time and effort. Everyone should try to make their bed in the morning to improve their sleep, happiness, and productivity.

Ullman, Michelle. “5 Surprising Benefits to Making Your Bed Every Morning.” The Spruce, www.thespruce.com/reasons-to-make-your-bed-every-day-350511. 

 

Shark Tank

 Shark Tank 

Jack Miller

Many of you know or have seen the show Shark Tank, but for those of you who haven't, it is a show which includes investors worth millions called the “Sharks.” The Sharks are Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Barbra Corcoran, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec and Kevin O’Leary. Every investor in this group has a net worth over 100 million, and Mark Cuban has the highest at roughly $4.5 billion. In Shark Tank, they hear pitches from business owners that want funding in exchange for some ownership, or equity, in the business. Many of the deals that have gone down have made these investors millions, but the potential deals the Sharks missed were their biggest mistakes.

In 2013 Jamie Siminoff walked onto the stage of Shark Tank trying to snag a deal. The product he presented was a security camera system, at the time called Door Bot, now widely known as Ring. His pitch was $700,000 for 10% of his company. This took the Sharks by surprise with many of them seeming to be upset thinking at the evaluation. One of the Sharks offered a $700,000 loan, he gets 10% of sales until it was paid off, and 7% royalty and 5% in company equity. Jamie Siminoff quickly denied the offer; he wanted something more than just a loan. As debates went back and forth, eventually none of them could come to an agreement. Little did they know, Ring would be one of their biggest regrets for not taking this deal. Just 2 years later, Ring was flying off the shelfs and became a huge business known around the world. The company eventually went on to sell over 1 million units. In just 5 year, Ring was sold to Amazon. The amount was never publicly said, but officials are estimating the sale to be between 1.2-1.8 billion dollars. If these numbers are correct, the sharks could have made over 100 million dollars before taxes if they struck a deal. 

The next big miss by the Sharks was on a dating app called Coffee meets Bagel. In 2020, when going onto the stage, this dating app had around 350,000 users and $270,000 in sales within the first 5 months on the market. The three owners, all sisters, traveled to the sharks ready to get a deal. They asked for $500,000 for 5% of the business. Many of the sharks seemed really interested initially. Debating went back and forth for a very long time, but no deal seemed to be working out; the sisters weren’t budging because they thought their business’s future was promising. Then, out of nowhere, Mark Cuban asked, “if I offered 30 million dollars for the whole company would you take it.” The sisters all looked at eachother and jaws dropped, they ended up talking and decided to decline the offer because they weren't willing to sell the whole business yet. So the sisters ended up leaving the show with no deals. Just a year later, the estimated value of Coffee Meets bagels is estimated to be around 150 million dollars.

Overall, the Sharks have been very successful throughout their years on Shark Tank generating millions of dollars in profits each. But even with all the success, they failed to make a deal with Ring and Coffee Meets Bagel which they must strongly regret. 

Work Cited 

“Shark Tank Cast and Guest Sharks + Net Worths.” Shark Tank Tales: Life After Shark Tank Updates, 15 Sept. 2021, https://sharktanktales.com/shark-tank-cast/. 

“The Shark Tank Cast Are Worth Billions – but Who Is Worth the Most?” South China Morning Post, 25 Aug. 2021, https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3131800/whos-richest-shark-tank-cast-member-net-worths-ranked-nba. 

Taylor, Andrea Browne. “8 Shark Tank Fails That Turned into Big Successes.” Kiplinger, Kiplinger, 22 Feb. 2019, https://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/business/t049-s001-8-shark-tank-fails-that-turned-into-big-successes/index.html.

Should you get a Credit Card?

 Should You Get a Credit Card?

By: Natalie Picard

You’ve just turned eighteen, graduated high school, and are ready to start the journey to the career you’ve been working towards. Now that you’ve reached this age, you have more control than ever over your money. You’ve had a debit card for a while, but you’ve heard about the concept of “building credit” and getting a credit card. Needless to say, you’re a bit apprehensive to have another card to keep track of. Beforehand, it’s important to consider the positives and negatives of adding a credit card to your personal finances, and to formulate a coordinated plan to build your credit for the future. 

Credit cards and debit cards are similar in the fact that they can be used pretty much anywhere as a form of payment without using cash or checks. Cards are often more convenient and efficient payment methods. Besides this commonality, there are many differences between the two. Debit cards are relatively simplistic: when you buy something, that money comes directly out of your bank account. Credit cards, on the other hand, are far more complex. This type of payment card charges purchases using a line of credit. Essentially, you’re borrowing money and eventually paying it back with added interest to the card company. The current average credit card interest rate is 18.04% for new offers and 15.10% for existing accounts. There has been a general pattern of an increase in credit card interest rates over the past couple of years, which is expected to continue into the future. Despite what you spend in interest rates, there are plenty of benefits for having a credit card. Opening one can be critical in building your credit, meaning that you develop a good credit score in order to apply for major loans, rent an apartment, or buy a house. Plus, having a credit card can also mean sign-on bonuses, discounts, and a percentage of cash-back on purchases. These are incentives that credit card companies offer to individuals in order to intice them into applying for their credit card. 

Building credit is an essential part of creating a life for yourself and personal assets, however, debt is a very real aspect in finances, which can be rooted in your payment methods. Credit card debt is defined as the result when a client of a credit card company purchases an item or service through the card system. Debt accumulates and increases via interest and penalties when the consumer does not pay the company for the money they have spent. According to the 2019 Experian Consumer Credit Review, on average, Americans carry $6,194 in credit card debt. Some common causes of debt include lack of an emergency fund, medical expenses, divorce, and most-importantly, overspending. The major downfall to credit cards is that you may end up spending money that you don’t have and can’t afford to pay back, accumulate debt, and then have to face debt collectors, and possibly damaging your credit score. Debt is not uncommon, in fact, it’s quite common amongst those who make large financial decisions and need to take out loans for them. However, your financial success depends on if you have a thought-out plan to pay it back or not.

Of course, deciding to open up a credit card is your choice based on your own finances. However, it is wise to acknowledge if you have a steady income, and to plan out your expenses so that you don’t spend more than you can afford. If you take the time to understand your level of financial responsibility and considering the trade-offs associated, it won’t be difficult to know when, and if you’re ready for a credit card. 

Works Cited

About the authors: Erin is a credit cards expert and studies writer at NerdWallet. Her work has been featured by USA Today. “How to Build Credit.” NerdWallet, www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/how-to-build-credit.

“Debit or Credit Card – What's the Difference?” Education First Federal Credit Union, www.educationfirstfcu.org/Resources/Learn/Financial-Education/Articles/Credit-Credit-Cards/Debit-or-Credit-Card-What-s-the-Difference.

“What Causes Credit Debt? The 5 Leading Causes of Credit Card Debt...” Americor, 14 Apr. 2020, americor.com/the-5-leading-causes-of-credit-card-debt/.

White, Alexandria. “Alaskans Carry the Highest Credit Card Balance-Here's the Average Credit Card Balance in Every State.” CNBC, CNBC, 8 July 2021, www.cnbc.com/select/average-credit-card-balance-by-state/.

Is Multitasking Beneficial to your Work Ethic?

 Is Multitasking Beneficial to Your Work Ethic?

Charles Albert

You’ve probably heard of multitasking or maybe you've been guilty of multitasking yourself. Take for example, a couple homework assignments. I bet there’s points in time where you think that your work will be done faster if you choose to tackle 2 assignments at once. You may think that it’s helpful but in reality it really isn’t and there’s evidence to prove that multitasking is not beneficial in any way to your work ethic.

Some people claim that they are adept at multitasking and claim they have a skill for it which is not true. A study at Stanford University found out that heavy multitaskers were actually worse at multitasking than those who like to do things one at a time. Multitasking is very distracting and it reduces competency because your brain is designed to work on things one at a time, and when you try to do multiple things at once, your brain lacks the ability to do it coherently

Multitasking literally slows your brain down when you try to do it, it is called “task switch cost”, which is the negative effect that comes from switching from task to task. It happens because the increased mental demand that is related to going from one task to another causes us to slow down. Changing our focus also keeps us from relying on our brain’s “autopilot” which frees up more brain power, but switching from one task to another makes us slow down considerably.

You also tend to make more mistakes when you multitask. A study showed multiple things that happen when you multitask, that being minor spelling errors when typing (thank god for autocorrect), more mistakes in your homework causing you to do it over again, and adults are more likely to make mistakes when driving, and students also have lower GPAs.

Now, there is a way to be efficient at working without multitasking. You can delegate your tasks to take specific amounts of time that way you complete them in a set amount of time and there would be no need to even think about multitasking. You can also give yourself breaks in between work so that way you can recollect yourself. A common workplace task that helps with this is checking email. Studies have shown that the average professional spends about 23 percent of their day emailing.

So next time you think about multitasking, think about the trade-offs that come with multitasking, and the opportunity cost of wasting that time, especially now that you know the advantages and disadvantages of multitasking.

Works Cited

Bradberry, Travis. “Multitasking Damages Your Brain And Career, New Studies Suggest.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 20 Jan. 2015, www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2014/10/08/multitasking-damages-your-brain-and-career-new-studies-suggest/?sh=5c74d3dd56ee.

Cherry, Kendra. “Cognitive and Productive Costs of Multitasking.” Verywell Mind, www.verywellmind.com/multitasking-2795003.

“To Multitask or Not to Multitask: USC Online.” USC MAPP Online, 12 Mar. 2020, appliedpsychologydegree.usc.edu/blog/to-multitask-or-not-to-multitask/.