♪ >> In 1985, the representatives who were on the Banking committee said every credit card should be burned because they could foresee that within the next five, six, seven, eight years that this was going to become totally an unhandle-able situation and that has occurred Bill Terrell> Today on the Caravan, working our way out of debt.

Also a promising career opportunity.

>> There are a number, a good number of career possibilities in health and fitness, now and definitely more so in the future.

Bill> Hi,and welcome to this edition of the Job Man Caravan.

I'm Bill Terrell, those features and much more for you this week.

We have Toliver's Mane Event in Columbia, South Carolina, where a little later we'll be talking with some of the people here.

But first, on to the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., and the special doll show.

(indiscernible conversations) >> You have to be extra nice to your grandma.

(indiscernible conversations) >> Extra nice.

♪ Patricia Bennett> Today there are dolls available which look like us.

But this variety, unfortunately, is available only in limited areas.

This doll show and sale in Washington, D.C. is one of just a few held throughout the country, Melinda Saunders> So I found there's a need to bring all of these doll artists and promoters and collectors together to see the wide array of talent that we have among us.

These artists of Afro American artists, and the features that they bring out represent our features.

Because if you look on any of these tables, you'll see a doll that resembles someone that you know or someone that you grew up with, or an older person that you knew somewhere along the way.

Bennett> There were antique dolls in perfect shape.

Rag doll of every sort, and dolls all dressed up in garb, representative of the motherland.

And the doll that's almost six years old now is Baby Whitney.

Mel and Loretta Whitfield brought Baby Whitney to life.

Melvin Whitfield> So we want to integrate two things.

One with African history and the African American experience.

And so what we did, we use what is called the guava doll, which is a circular disc, and then on top of that, features of a black child, are superimposed.

There's a noted African art historian in New York, a sister named Rosalind Jeffries, and she was instrumental in developing this doll's face, because what we attempted to do, rather than say that black is beautiful, we wanted to show it.

And we wanted the world to be proud about it.

So we integrated an African doll with expressions of African American children.

We went to the extent of rooting the hair in so it's washable.

The majority of the dolls here on the market today cannot be washed.

It is very straight and very fine hair.

Once it gets near water or soap, it shrinks and the kid can never comb it out again.

The other thing that we did, we developed flexible joints on our dolls' arms and legs because in testing the dolls out, the first thing to pop those is the arm or the leg.

We wanted a product that would last for several years.

So out of that, we came up with the name Baby Whitney for Whitty Kids.

And out of that we developed a wedding, a wedding platinum series.

We developed African designs specifically based on the countries that we imported and had fabrics designed for our dolls, because we wanted to show history that is past a history that is contemporary and experiences which are occurring in African-American settings.

Bennett> We want dolls that look like our beautiful children, that's evident by our turnout at this show and sale.

Melinda Saunders has made this an annual event in Washington, D.C. she hopes more people throughout the country will get involved, allowing these capable artists to market their talents while we reap the wonderful benefits for the Caravan in our nation's capital, I'm Patricia Bennett.

Melvin> She's not for everybody.

She's only for people who love themselves.

("The Greatest Gift of All" Whitney Houston) ♪ ♪ ♪ Bill> You're watching the "Job Man Caravan", where we know that it's very important that our young people feel good about themselves.

A little later in the program, working yourself out of debt.

A few weeks ago on the caravan, it was very disturbing to find out that so many of our young people fear the violence that surrounds them.

Here at Tolliver's Main Event in Columbia, South Carolina, we ask some of the people here what they felt can and should be done to protect our young people from the violence that surrounds them.

Barber> We, as residents in the community, have to make certain that we work together to keep the violence out our community and, help each other as parents to help raise children in the community.

We have to step forward, put our self on the line, our lives on the line and say, this is not going to happen in our community.

>> First of all, I think we as parents need to get control of our kids' activities after school and on weekends.

We need to, get involved in community development further things for the kids to do.

Barber> Basically, I think what we need to do is get some kind of community activities that involve our youth afterschool and on weekends, because we have a lot of our young are here that are 17, 18, 19, And so forth that think they have the minds of adults, and they perform like babies.

>> I think our males have to take a stand forward and get out in the community and tell our young ones where they are wrong and show them that we got to be better examples.

Our churches are going to have to get involved, our schools, the neighborhood itself.

>> We got to get control.

We got to show them the way.

We got to stand up and start doing things the right way, and in turn, our children will see this and follow in line.

>> In order to get rid of the problems of drug and violence, I believe that it's going to take an effort from the home first, that we've got to let our children know the importance of not to deal with drugs.

And from there, we, the next step will be go to church, get our young folk involved in church activities that will take up some of the time that they have to go out and do various things.

Bill> Some very good and thought provoking responses on the Caravan.

And now working our way out of debt and bettering our financial situation.

Patricia Bennett> For years now, some of us have had that things are going to get better attitude, an attitude, which has prompted us to buy now, hoping we'll be able to pay later, but all too soon, later is now and our pockets still aren't overflowing.

Instead, the economy has experienced a significant downturn and we're left with yesterday's and today's bills.

Mary Wilson> The 90s, unfortunately, will be probably the decade of debt.

We as consumers are totally overloaded with choices that we made in the late 70s and through the 80s.

We're talking about $704 billion right now in consumer credit debt.

Bennett> Ms Wilson says this does not include mortgage debt.

So how do we get out from under, according to Ms Wilson, first, take a good look at your financial situation.

Wilson> This is by sitting down writing out in black and white, every single person that you owe, the amount that you owe, and approximately how much the monthly payments are running.

This will give you a better idea, and I think many consumers that I talk with are very surprised.

Like Mary, I was 28 thousand or 38 thousand, or 48 thousand dollars in debt when they were assuming the debt was maybe 15 or 16 thousand.

So finding out where you are, is the number one process.

Bennett> Where do you go from there?

Wilson> What are our living expenses?

House payment or rent?

Utilities, groceries, gas, car insurance, taxes on vehicles.

Where are we on a personal level, on a living, on a day to day basis, getting that information down.

Then once we get A, which is a consumer debt, along with B, which is your a living expense, we measure that against C, which is the income.

This is where the problem comes in.

Not enough income to cover both those obligations.

Bennett> So what does a person do when they don't have enough income to cover the obligations?

Wilson> It's time then to do a complete assessment of a situation.

Do we have creditors that can take reduced or lowered payments?

What can we do with the living expense to reduce the overall month to month or day to day expenses?

Bennett> Today, most financial experts will tell you to get rid of as much credit card debt as possible.

Paying up to 21% interest on credit card charges is wreaking havoc on your budget.

And if you've got several cards, get rid of most of them.

Having fewer credit cards will mean less temptation, and your credit picture will actually look better.

Wilson> In 1985, the representatives who were on the banking committee said every credit card should be burned because they could foresee that within the next five, six, seven, eight years, that this was going to become totally an unhandle-able situation and that has occurred.

I would suggest to people, number one, they need to start eliminating their credit debt.

As one representative said, hold the credit card up to the mirror beside your face and say, who is in control here?

You know, make a realistic thing here.

Is the plastic in control or you?

Obviously with $704 billion worth of consumer debt, the credit cards have taken over control.

So being able to stop, look at a situation, make some decisions, start eliminating cards because it's not paying off debt when you pay minimum payments for approximately 3 or 4 months and then turn right back around and use the credit card again, the balance is right back where it was, with interest rate at 21.9%, and you're only paying a very minimum, say, 3% of that debt.

Then half of the payments you're making is interest, and the only the other half is going against the principle.

This is why the debt is not coming down any whatsoever.

It's like a revolving door.

Bennett> Credit has gotten a lot of us into trouble.

We are stretched beyond our financial limits, as indicated by the increased number of bankruptcies.

But bankruptcy should be the absolute last option.

If possible, try to work something out with your creditors.

Wilson> Creditors will work with consumers.

I have been with consumer credit counseling now for 13 years.

I have had very few creditors who said, no, Mary, we can't do this, we won't do this.

But it has to be a workable plan.

This is where the problem comes in.

When you start making promises like "Yes, sir.

No sir" "I can work with you at X number of dollars."

You proceed with this for a month or two, and because the plan is not well laid out, then suddenly you're saying I can't pay again this month, then they have problems because you've made promises and commitments in the past.

If you sit down, do the assessment with the credit obligation, do your analysis of your financial on your living expense basis, then come up with I have X number of creditors.

I owe X number of dollars to and get a feasible amount to each one.

When I say feasible, it is not feasible to say, "I can only pay you $10 on a $2,000 credit card."

Bennett> The challenge is to do the best with what you've got.

But if ends still are not meeting, finding additional sources of income may be necessary.

Essie Perkins turned her love of hats into a moneymaking venture.

Essie Perkins> I started in 87 as a hobby.

The reason I started at the time was because I was getting ready for a special occasion, church, and I had searched all over looking for something that was going to make me make a statement, and I could find it.

So I said, well, I know what I'm going to design and make my own.

Bennett> This is my favorite color.

Perkins> Yeah, that's pretty.

You know what, Pat?

you're going to like how look.

When you see it, you're going to say, Oh, I got to call Essie.

Tell Essie, how well I look.

I didn't know I can look that good.

Bennett> Ms. Perkins says it can take her from 1 to 3 hours to complete a hat, but no two are the same.

A customer can request a particular design or allow Ms Perkins' creativity to take charge.

Perkins> This is my first year full time.

I just retired this June and now I'm going full time.

I am also selling hats to my second location in Maryland.

Bennett> Hats by Essie came into being because Ms Perkins believes you should Perkins> Try anything that you think will be something that you might enjoy doing, because you might have a hidden talent there and talent there and do not know it.

So try give it a go.

Bennett> Another source of income might be a part time job.

Some businesses known to hire part timers include retail establishments, grocery stores, and fast food restaurants.

An age old practice which could save money is bartering.

In certain parts of the country, bartering is again getting popular.

It's a system whereby money is not exchanged, but services or items are.

Farihah Bakr> Everybody has something to offer.

We all are blessed with certain skills and certain talents, you know, certain services and goods that we can provide each other, you know, and we can do this without having to deal with money at all.

Bennett> Farihah has been bothering for many years now.

Bakr> When my children were small, especially when I, used to trade babysitting services, you know, for other things, you know, whatever it might be like, maybe a basket of fruit, you know, or the groceries for this week.

Bennett> Farihah says most of the bartering she does is with friends.

Bakr> Amongst us, you know, we know that all of our needs are being taken care of.

You know, somebody may bake bread, another person may be a seamstress.

Somebody else does carpentry work, you know, somebody else has different skills, you know, that they are that they are providing.

♪ Bennett> Maybe you can set up a bartering system in your neighborhood.

A good way to start, have a swap party, plan to get together for your friends and neighbors, where you trade what you don't need for what you do need.

Another hurdle is learning to spend more wisely by taking care of what you have our cars, for example.

Gerald Lancaster saved saves money by keeping his cars well maintained and doing most of the maintenance and minor repairs himself, changing oil, for example.

He showed me how simple the process is.

Lancaster> ...you want to get here and see that you got enough room from your body to here to take to get underneath your car.

So if you don't have enough room, you need to get you a jack and ... so you can get up underneath it.

So once you do that, then you'll be able to see.

Make sure your car is blocked.

Make sure your car is not rolling.

Block the car of the front and your back and make sure you car don't roll back when you jack the car up.

And then after that you get and you're ready to go to see with you oil changing.

So you go in, you want to take your oil plug loose first and then your oil out and let it run until it come all the way completely out.

And then you go to your filter.

If you realize your filter got oil in it.

So you want to take that loose and then let that drain out.

Bennett> Now do you need to change your filter when you do your oil too?

Lancaster> Yes.

Bennett> So that's something else you need to have on hand is that filter.

Lancaster> Your filter after you complete all the steps you got to go through in drainage.

And make sure you have your oil pan here to catch that that oil come out.

and then after you get through that, then you go back to the same that you put it back on, put your plug back in first for your...for your..., then you put your oil filter back on and then you come in, you come back up here, then you want to open up to here.

This is your place in here.

This is where you going to put your oil in here.

This is near the top.

Most your engine's is on top.

Most of some of them are on the side.

A front wheel drive going to be on the front of you right here.

The fresh oil in.

So you got your oil, your fresh oil.

Make sure your oil go back in the same not trying to find no other place but that unit.

If you don't know ask someone where your oil goes at.

Don't try to find it.

So you place the oil here and we normally when you check your manual.

If your manual book say four, you four put in it.

Do not overflow it.

Bennett> So is it better to have a little less than too much?

Lancaster> Always less to have less.

Never want to get too much because you got pressure, and pressure can cause your engine really to get overheated.

And also may cause some problems, such as blowing out from your valve cover gasket and then you will not realize it, if you did.

And so,... about six months down the line if your car starts acting up as far as it's overheating.

Say check your oil and you say, oil, in it, but you realize that you put too much and the car already overheated it's going to throw everything back out again.

Bennett> Okay.

So, you just put the oil in there, making sure you got the right amount.

Lancaster> Right, and when you get through with that make sure your car's on a level like this one here is.

So when you place oil back in your car, or whatever your book manual tell you to do, clean your stick off real good.

Real goo clean your stick off with your rag, excuse my hand then you see if the sign says full right on the line here I don't know if you can see it, Bennett> Yeah.

Lancaster> Then you want to go back here, facing the car.

And so he's back down here.

Make sure it goes all the way down.

all the way down, then come back up and then look at it.

Then it says full.

Bennett> It's really a simple process.

Lancaster> Yes.

Yeah.

Very simple process.

Save a lot of money, by doing it yourself.

Bennett> Changing the oil in your car is a simple process.

But of course, you need to know your car to do the job right, and you'll need some basic tools and even in these tight times, we must learn to pay ourselves first.

Establishing a savings account is a must for all of us.

Experts tell us we need to have an amount equal to a minimum of three months living expenses in our savings.

Wilson> As a rule of thumb, a person needs to look at least 10% of their gross income per month.

That is, before any taxes or anything come out at least 10%.

Now, Mary, how can I take 10% of my income and put it aside?

Starting very gradually and starting with the first step, which would be crawling, I will suggest that a person put aside 1% of that paycheck.

The next paycheck, attempt to put aside 2%, the next paycheck to put aside 3%, and so forth.

Getting into some positive habits, payroll deduction is always good.

A lot of people, if you don't touch it and don't see it, you might let it stay a little longer.

Bennett> Robert Squirewell, takes financial planning seriously.

A young family man he's been saving for many years Squirewell> In terms of savings, things that I've done, automatic savings that come out of your paycheck, things that you don't see, are a great help, joining a credit union, investing in savings bonds, and investing in company stock plans, those things.

We have a tendency to live off of what we bring home, what we see.

If you never put your hands on it, then you won't have a problem with that.

Bennett> These difficult economic times seemingly will be with us for a while, but with or without times like these, suggestions from saving to bartering are good ideas.

For the Caravan, I'm Patricia Bennett.

♪ Terrell> Jim, I like that suggestion about bartering.

How about trading a nice full shot of you on the Job Man Caravan for this free haircut.

Jim> Not today, Bill.

Terrell> Oh oh!

I figured he'd say that.

While here at Tolliver's Mane Event, we asked some of the people how they are coping during these hard economic times and some suggestions for bettering their financial situation.

Barber #1> One of the things I have done as far first, cut back on expenses.

I have did an inventory of myself, and I looked at the things that I needed and things I didn't need.

one of the things I found that I really didn't need at this present time is charge cards.

I have several charge cards, but I have tore up all of them except one, a Master charge, and I only use that only on emergencies.

Barber #2> I think what we need to do is, stick with the basics.

I myself, who have never been one to, live a very extravagant life.

I have, somewhat try to live within my means.

What happens to a lot of us is that we will, make one paycheck and end up spending two.

Barber #3> Some of the things that we need to do is definitely stay out of these department stores, you know, cut back on these credit cards.

You know, it's not easy to deny yourself of something when you think that you rightfully deserve it.

But in anything, you know, you have to make some sacrifices along the way.

So those areas we must cut back on, you know, and try and save some money, if is no more than a dollar a day.

Terrell> We're thankful for those suggestions on the Caravan, where we now take a look at a possible career opportunity.

♪ Bennett> "Just do it", the commercials tell us, "Get fit" and more of us are.

But for many of us to get going and to keep going, we need motivators.

We need professional help.

And today, more and more careers in fitness are opening up.

Dr. Russel Pate> Virtually every adult, it's 99% of adults report that that they consider, exercise to be important to their health.

But we know that, an awful lot of those same people don't get much exercise.

And so, that says to me that, people sense the need for this there are many of them that are not quite sure how to deal with that need.

And, we feel that our students are prepared to help them.

Mark Backus> There are a number, a good number of career possibilities in health and fitness, now and definitely more so in the future, because the fitness boom is something that has taken hold and I don't foresee it's going to loosen up.

Bennett> Mark Backus is a fitness instructor for a corporation in Columbia, South Carolina.

Colonial Life Insurance has a comprehensive fitness program for its employees, including aerobics classes.

Throughout the country corporations are realizing the importance of fitness programs for employees.

Backus> Companies such as Colonial Life and Accident Insurance Company, which I work for also are getting definitely into the fitness craze.

They realize that it's a big boom to their business to keep their employees healthy and fit.

The opportunity for exercise physiologist to be employed, yet the opportunity for nutritionist to be employed aerobics instructors again, and also aerobic coordinators.

Bennett> The option to become a fitness professional is relatively new.

Up until recent years, training for these jobs has been rather haphazard.

But today one can major in fitness in college.

At the University of South Carolina, the majors come under the Department of Exercise Science.

Professor> There is, much increased demand for, professionally trained persons to deliver, those exercise programs, our undergraduate program in exercise science is, is designed to prepare those people, persons who can go into, really quite a wide range of settings and, evaluate persons with regard to their, their current physical activity and physical fitness and design, appropriate, safe and effective exercise programs for them.

Bennett> Fitness professionals are needed in many areas, both public and private, and you can make your own opportunity, like Wanda Bamberg.

♪ Just call her Wanda Woman.

Wanda Bamberg> Getting myself in shape, and then being able to share it, that's the whole mindset behind Wanda Woman.

Bennett> Wanda Bamberg, a Columbia, South Carolina native, is the co-owner operator of Wanda Woman dance and exercise studio in Washington, D.C. She began her fitness career over ten years ago.

She says she's always known what she wanted to do, to work for herself and to stay in shape.

Wanda believes Wonder Woman Studios has a special atmosphere.

Bamberg> Very special, I think, that's what keep from our members coming on a regular basis and keep them bringing all their friends to the studio.

Many, many times they tell us that it is the atmosphere.

It's the camaraderie of the members.

People enjoy the music.

♪ Bennett> Well, that's very obvious.

♪ Antoinette McLeod is Wanda's partner.

♪ McLeod> We try to promote the holistic approach to health and fitness.

It is not only on the physical plane, but it is also on the spiritual and the emotional plane as well.

So we try to pull it all together so you can look good outwardly, but you also have to look good and feel good on the inside about yourself.

We try to promote the ladies feeling good about themselves and doing and becoming the best that they can be.

♪ Bennett> Today, fitness is definitely in and the trend seems likely to continue, but a career as a fitness professional means more than being able to move to the groove.

You have to understand the human body so that the people who entrust their wellness to you aren't harmed by your lack of knowledge.

In Washington DC for the Caravan, I'm Patricia Bennett.

♪ ♪ Jim> > Bill, see if I did my usual.

Terrell> Good job.

I got only one complaint.

Jim> What's that?

Terrell> You cut my part too wide.

Jim> I'll do better next time.

Terrell> Please do.

Jim> Okay.

Terrell> I'm afraid that's all the time we have for this week's program.

Until next week, I'm Bill Terrell, on behalf of the staff of the Caravan, we love you and we thank you for joining us.

Another good job, Jim Jim> Thank you, Bill.

♪ Melvin Whitfield> The other thing that we did, we developed flexible joints on our doll arms and legs.

Because in testing the dolls out, the first thing to pop loose is the arm or the leg.

We wanted a product that would last for several years.

So out of that, we came up with the name Baby Whitney for Witty Kids.

Bennett> Paying up to 21% interest on credit card charges is wreaking havoc on your budget.

And if you've got several cards, get rid of most of them.

Having fewer credit cards will mean less temptation, and your credit picture will actually look better.

Wilson> In 1985, the representative who were on the banking committee said every credit card should be burned.

Bennett> Today, fitness is definitely in and the trend seems likely to continue.

But a career as a fitness professional means more than being able to move to the groove.

You have to understand the human body so that the people who entrust their wellness to you aren't harmed by your lack of knowledge.

♪