Wise Bread

EcoUsable Ech2o Stainless Steel Filtered Water Bottle GIVEAWAY!

Lynn Truong — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:51:46 +0000

I feel the same way about plastic water bottles as Andrea (read her Bottled Water, Bottled Hype series), and many others who feel that it's disturbing that over 60 million plastic water bottles go into landfills every day. Even more disturbing are images like this one, showing the The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

It's a stew of trash floating in the Pacific that's twice the size of Texas, floating between California and Hawaii.

The impact of our actions is clear and striking. We can each do our small part in relieving the problem.

EcoUsable is here to help with that! They've created the Ech2o, the world's first stainless steel filtered water bottle. Um..it's a stainless steel water bottle...with a filter inside it!! Get great-tasting, filtered water, anytime, anywhere! Drink from tap water, streams, rivers, lakes, and pools -- everything but salt water.

The filter not only reduces unpleasant taste, odor, chlorine, sand, and sediment, but also toxic chemicals, detergents, pesticides, and other harmful industrial and agricultural wastes. The 25 oz. bottles remove pollutants for up to 100 gallons, which lasts the average person about a year. Each bottle uses 304 food grade stainless steel that is non-leaching, BPA-free, reusable and lightweight!

Save money. Save the planet. It's that simple.

To get you started, EcoUsable sent us three Ech2o filtered water bottles to give away to our Wise Bread readers. To enter, leave a comment about ways to reduce your plastic use. Drawing ends on July 20. Only open to U.S. residents aged 18 and over, void where prohibited. Only one entry per person will be counted.

Permalink | 72 comments | Lynn Truong's blog | Channel: Green Living

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Big changes or small changes?

Philip Brewer — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:27:53 +0000

By Philip Brewer

There are two ways to make a major change in your life. One is to make a series of small changes--this month you might brown-bag your lunch one day a week; next month you might go for a short walk every day. The other is to make all your changes at once--cook all your own meals, exercise daily, and turn your hobby into a business. Either way can produce permanent changes for the better.

There are a lot of advocates for the strategy of making small changes one at a time. Practice one good habit regularly, and soon enough it will be a comfortable part of your life. A year's worth of such improvements can bring you to a very different place than where you started. All it takes is a willingness to try, persistence, and a little patience.

I think, though, that the strategy of making big changes has its place. I see it as being appropriate when big changes are urgently needed, and especially when big changes are inevitable.

Piggyback on inevitable change

Sometimes your life is simply going to change--you're going away to school, you're changing jobs, you're moving, you're getting married or divorced, your child is being born or going away to college. Times like these, many things about your life are going to change anyway--why not be strategic about it?

When you have to make a whole new schedule anyway, you have a natural opportunity to make big changes. Such a thing is always stressful, and the natural response to stress is to seek comfort and familiarity. Use that to your benefit.

Take a few minutes to think about the things that give you comfort and pleasure--and then think of which of those things are good for you. Make a list of comforts that are healthy and cheap--phone calls with old friends, long walks in the evening, visiting the library, reading the Sunday paper.

Then, when you make a new schedule to suit your new circumstances, go ahead and make an ideal schedule--include all the stuff you know you should do and leave out all the stuff that you know you shouldn't do--but be sure to include an abundance of things from your list of comforts. (The birth of a new baby or starting a new job might seem to leave little or no time for simple comforts, but you can almost surely make time for some by leaving out the things you want to quit doing.)

Will it work? Maybe not. Maybe it won't work at all, and you'll have to go the slow route, taking small steps. But if you try the experiment when your schedule is all up in the air anyway, I think it's at least safe--you're not likely to end up further from where you want to be than you started. You're not even likely to lose any time that might have been spent adding one small habit--it's probably silly to try to make one more small change when you're already in the midst of major changes.

If you're not in the midst of major changes, it's more of an open question--because then you are losing time that might be spent making small changes. It could still work--people make big changes in their life all the time, even if many try and fail. If you want to make big changes, and if you've never tried--or haven't tried in a long time--it may be an experiment worth trying.

If not, small changes are another way to get where you're going. Not even a slow way, necessarily. Small changes can add up fast.

Permalink | 2 comments | Philip Brewer's blog | Channel: General Tips

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Budgeting for Your Next Vacation: Yaycations

Nora Dunn — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:49:41 +0000

By Nora Dunn

Travel Muse has a fun tool that combines the drudgery of finding money in a budget with the instantaneous gratification of discovering how your budgeting sacrifices will pay off.

It is their Yaycations Calculator, and it is a free and fun way to become inspired.

Simply go through the exercise of “finding money” as guided in the calculator, and you would be surprised at what you can save. Heck – I’m a money-wise full-time traveler, and apparently even I can stand to save a few bucks.

I will admit that although principle of the exercise is good, the calculator itself is very general and there is no room for customizing expenses or finding less traditional ways to save money. It is simply intended to be a quick way to make you realize that you could go on vacation – sooner than you thought.

Once you have the magic number of dollars that you can save (by, for example, drinking less coffee, buying fewer shoes, and cutting back on groceries), now you can see where that money will take you.

Choose from an assortment of travel styles (such as family, cuisine, museums, nature, mountains, amusement parks, beaches, etc), select your departure city, and marvel at the places you can go that fit into your newly acquired travel budget.

Although it may not help you plan your finances, the Yaycations Calculator could give you a few cool vacation ideas, and might just give you the incentive to start planning for your next trip now.

Permalink | 2 comments | Nora Dunn's blog | Channel: Art and Leisure, Budgeting, Lifestyle

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How to be the best customer

Torley Wong — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:26:18 +0000

By Torley Wong

We've no shortage of "How to do good customer service" articles designed to be applied from the company's side. But what about customers? We need each other to thrive, and whether you're in front of the sales desk or behind, we're all humans. An obvious point worth remembering because just about anyone who's worked in customer relations has tales of customers who weren't just dissatisfied, they were abusive jerks. And there's never, ever a good reason to heap hurt on someone else — such wasteful emotions clog reasonable complaints.

As someone who's both answered thousands of issues in varying roles (and created documentation to support it) and has bought products from a variety of companies ranging from the monolithic to 1-person operations, here's what I've learned. It's biased towards smaller companies since it's easier to enact change with them, but can apply wherever you'll be listened to.

Document everything

If a frontline agent isn't doing a service to their company by being rude to you, get their name. Consider recording your calls (be aware of obtaining consent; companies will often say on the line they're recording you for training purposes!). Tagging the emails they send you. And so on. Create a history if you're routinely being wronged.

If you need to bring bad behavior to a supervisor's attention, don't present your case as "I hate ALL OF YOU IN THIS COMPANY". Rather, if it's a specific problem with an individual, you're willing to go beyond and point out you generally like doing business with people who work here, with an exception. It'll be their word against this troublesome employee's, but if you have evidence, they can't cover it up. (And if it's numerous people or the general mindset of a company that has you irked, yeah, you should take your business elsewhere.)

In an age of electronic surveillance, taped support calls gone wrong have become a way to escalate problems when a company doesn't listen and a consumer feels helpless, so they amplify it through The Consumerist or one of many comedy sites.

Related, Wise Bread has a Consumer Affairs category you'll want to check out, including Paul Michael's sucky experience with a Dyson vacuum cleaner.

I don't recommend going out of your way to destroy a company, but use documented proof to substantiate the poor treatment you've gotten, which will hopefully help management solve the problem, and possibly thank you for getting their attention, as a result.

Learn to file effective bug reports

A surprising second point? Not so much when you realize it's a finer level of documentation. Observe the connections: while "bug report" is most commonly associated with computer software and electronics, the key importance is being able to show someone else how you arrived at a problem via a series of steps they can follow. If it sounds similar to giving driving directions, that's exactly true. And it's important in any sort of conflict resolution.

If you buy an app and discover bugs, sending bug reports (via the developer's preferred channel) will help them make it more stable, and hence, better. Bug reports don't have to be boring text instructions. Especially when you need to show visual elements, consider using a video recording tool like TechSmith's Jing (free basic version, I love it) to make video bug reports and narrate what's happening — show stuff as-it-is!

Don't assume a company's quality assurance will find all bugs. It's true they should do rigorous testing to deliver a robust end result, but the fact is there are far more variations of possible computer systems than they'll ever be able to try inhouse. Customers who whine about problems they're aware of instead of spending the same time to step up and communicate aren't useful.

Many companies give discounts and free products for being an exceptional bug reporter, including beta tests. Don't expect entitlement and be familiar with the company's culture beforehand — some, like Picnik who I'm helping test their Show feature, are much more amendable to personal contact with customers than others. After all, continue to communicate. Loyalty never gets old, and if a product is going to serve you for months and years, having a close bond means you'll be taken seriously. Not all customers are the same and you do want to be the best, yes?

Plus, after you've gained an understanding, you can teach other customers how to file bug reports, too, empowering their experiences.

Don't bitch about what's out of an employee or company's control

Focus on actionables. What can be done.

For instance, if your Internet Service Provider goes offline because someone drove their car into a tree, knocking down power lines and cutting off your connection, it's uncalled for to ring the ISP up on a cellphone and scream "FIX IT NOW YOU @#$%ING IDIOTS!" They can't — that's likely the electric company's responsibility. All your insults serve is demonstrate is what a jerk you are. Better approach: call and ask for a status update: "What's going on and when can you expect it to be fixed?" Learn instead of accuse. Simple.

Yes, professionals should have backups and contingency plans. But notice how there's no such guarantee as 100% uptime in the industry. Be forgiving of occasional mistakes, and they will be forgiving of yours. Continue to make suggestions where a company can improve their service: you may not get a personal response depending on volume, but if I really enjoyed my stay at a hotel, I send in the comment card.

Another example of fruitless bitching: you're calling a human in billing about technical issues you have with a website. They cheerfully mention they'll escalate your details to the engineers (who aren't on the phones since they're heads-down programming) and suggest you take the initiative by posting on the company's forums. But you continue to gripe to the billing agent about it. They can be sympathetic, but your words are being wasted and you're tying up time that could be spent on another customer's actionable problems. Make it a priority to learn about what goes where so urges you have to connect will be effective.

When in doubt, ask questions — for emphasis, learn instead of accuse. You have every right to remind a company if they haven't been responsive (like I did for Acronis True Image 2009). But don't point fingers. The blame game is played by losing attitudes which are too much talk, not enough walk. If someone is just, they'll admit fault. And for all you CS reps reading this: unfortunately, while a rare minority, there are customers who have mental illness and need to see a professional. Don't be their doctor. And never, ever tolerate abuse. It works both ways.

When you're treated right, be vocally appreciative

Perhaps this should've been #1. But I wanted to see if you noticed.

Customer service reps endure more abuse than they should have to. Like I said, no one deserves abuse. On the flipside, I've hardly ever felt productive, friendly workers get sufficient customer praise to inspire them each day and keep going!

This is why I'm doing my part: every time I believe I've been treated exceptionally, I directly send a testimonial. I also often use Twitter and my personal blog to get the word out about awesome products that are made by awesome people. Word-of-mouth is especially important to small companies that can use all the earnest marketing they can get to thrive. Like what I wrote about bug reporting earlier, some savvy companies keep track of "key influencers" and may offer you goodies. These are mutually beneficial: the company's product adds value to your life, you help support them in ways beyond paying money.

In the service industry, this also applies to eating out. You're a restaurant's customer. Received lovely, attentive service? Then generously tip waitstaff who've given you consistently excellent treatment. Actions have consequences and you're frugal, not chintzy.

Customer service is an ecosystem: an honest, friendly worker who gets berated and hears no good words is going to be very confused, and even frustrated about why they even bother to go above and beyond. So pay attention to what makes you smile.

What is a supercustomer?

A supercustomer is not necessarily someone who throws a lot of cash at a company, although that can be part of their makeup. I use "supercustomer" to describe those — the best! — who go beyond the call of customer duty (intriguing way of looking at it, hmm?) and don't just routinely consume, they actively participate in improving the people & products of the businesses they enjoy.

The Internet has opened up many opportunities, from the trusted reviews of Amazon Vine to the "People-Powered Customer Service" (as redundant as that may seem, we need to be reminded in an era of voice mail and faceless megacorps) of Get Satisfaction.

Old ways of putting a wall between the people who use the products and those who make them are stupid and dying, because in the end, we're all humans who want to be happy.

So be the best customer you can be!

Permalink | 1 comment | Torley Wong's blog | Channel: Consumer Affairs, Shopping

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Best Deals For Friday 7/3/09

Lynn Truong — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:28:39 +0000

By Lynn Truong

Today's Wise Buy: Hitachi 1TB SATA Hard Drive w/ Black X Dock $79.99
1TB! 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s. Use coupon code and mail-in rebate. (via dealnews)

1. Stream All Michael Jackson Music and Videos FREE
Sony Music's MyPlay.com is allowing streaming of all Michael Jackson music and videos for free. Unlike other websites, there are no replay restrictions, time limits, or commerical interruptions.

2. 1,200 Digital Prints FREE
Get 600 4x6 and 600 5x7 prints for signing up as a new customer at ArtsCow. Check out over 15 different more services that offer free prints too! (via dealnews)

3. Mandoline Slicer, Peeler & Hand Guard 3pc. Set FREE +5 s/h
Today only. Get the Stafford Worldwide Ceramic Peeler, Mandoline Slicer & Hand Guard FREE. Retail price for this is $60! Pay only $5 shipping and handling. (via dealnews)

4. The Children's Place Monster Sale: Up to 80% off
The Children's Place cuts up to 80% off kids' clothing, shoes, and accessories during its Monster Sale. Use coupon code NEXTJ78 for an additional 10% off. Shipping is $5 per order. Get the faux-layered bow sweater (pictured) for just $2.99! (via dealnews)

5. Old Navy Summer Sale: Up to 50% off
Old Navy cuts up to 50% off a large selection of summer styles for men, women, and kids during its online-only Summer Sale. Shipping starts at $7. Get their Women's Smocked Jersey Cami (pictured) for $6.99. (via Dealnews)

6. Aeropostale Clearance Sale: Up to 70% off
Aeropostale cuts up to 70% off select items in its clearance section. Men's graphic tees start at just $5! (via dealnews)

7. 60% off Asics Shoes and Apparel
6pm cuts 60% off almost 300 styles of Asics men's, women's, and kids' shoes and apparel. Prices start at just $10 for apprel and $16 for shoes. Get the Onitsuka Tiger (pictured) for just $32, down from $80. (via dealnews)

8. Calvin Klein Hooded Belted Jacket $35.97
Save $164 (82% off!) at Wilson's Leather. 100% polyester. Features a full-zip front with snap-tab overlay, stand-up collar, and removable hood. Use coupon code 5011 at checkout for 20% off and free shipping.

Making Home Affordable expanded again - borrowers allowed to refinance loans up to 125 percent of value

Xin Lu — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:04:56 +0000

By Xin Lu

When the Obama administration first announced the details of the Making Home Affordable program in March, the guidelines for the refinance portion stated that the loan refinanced cannot be more than 105% of the value of the home. Now a new expansion of the program allows the loan to value ratio to be up to 125%. Will this help consumers or just worsen the situation?

This is actually the second expansion of the mortgage plan since March. The first expansion allowed people with second mortgages to modify or get rid of their second loans. Here are some examples of what this new change means for borrowers.

Example 1:

Original home value: $600,000
Current loan amount: $480,000
Current home value: $450,000
Loan to value ratio: 106.7%

In this example the borrower would not have been able to qualify for the original plan since the current loan to value ratio is above 105%, but the new change allows this borrower to apply.

Example 2:

Original home value: $500,000
Curent loan amount: $480,000
Current home value: $380,000
Loan to value ratio: 126.3%

In this example the borrower still would not be able to qualify for the refinance program since the drop in home value made the loan amount to be above 125% of the value of the home.

Some changes have occured in the mortgage market since March. First, the 30 year fixed mortgage interest rate has risen by almost a whole percentage point. Additionally, appraisal rules have been tightened so it is possible that appraisals would come in lower than expected. Since the Making Home Affordable Refinance plan does not help borrowers pay any fees on the refinance it may not be worthwhile to go through the process if your mortgage rate is not significantly higher than the market rate.

Finally, it is unclear how successful the Making Home Affordable program is right now since it has been only a few months and there is no official published data on the total effects yet. I think the fact that they are constantly loosening the guidelines is not a good sign. Additionally, it seems foolish to allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to continue refinancing debt that they know is bigger than the underlying collateral. This is worse than 100% financing because it is 125% financing. However, if this encourages borrowers to stay away from default, then I guess it is good for the lender.

What do you think? Will this new expansion help you get a lower rate on your mortgage or do you think this program will worsen the current situation?

Permalink | 13 comments | Xin Lu's blog | Channel: Personal Finance, Consumer Affairs, Real Estate and Housing

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DIY Plastic Surgery: This Is Not A Hoax.

Paul Michael — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:58:55 +0000

By Paul Michael

I do a lot of research on the Internet for information about home-made solutions to everyday problems. In fact, I'll be posting one soon that covers recipes for home-made car wax, air freshener and even glue. But on my travels, I discovered a horrifying fact - in these tough economic times, people out there are taking medical matters into their own hands. DIY plastic surgery is on the rise.

Around two years ago, a reliable English paper called Metro reported the outbreak of DIY plastic surgery. The obsession with celebrity culture, and media pressure that make everyone feel bad if they don't look amazing, was leading people to take matters into their own hands. It did not go well.

"In the worst case, a man gave himself a nose job with a chisel and replaced the cartilage he removed with a chicken bone," according to consultant psychiatrist Dr David Veale. "Others have cut their stomachs in DIY tummy tucks, and used glue to try to pin back their ears."

Ouch! It seems more like a story that would appear in the National Enquirer, but unfortunately it's true. That was two years ago, and sadly, things have not improved. A lack of self-confidence and a rise in BDD (body dysmorphic disorder) continues to make people long for the plastic surgeon's knife. And with people suffering from a lack of money and no access to credit, they are becoming desperate. DIY plastic surgery, as horrific as it sounds, continues to gather momentum.

In late 2008, news broke of Hang Mioku, a Korean woman who became so obsessed with plastic surgery that she injected COOKING OIL into her own face.

Her face became so grotesquely large that she was called "standing fan" by children in her neighbourhood - due to her large face and small body. And it would seem that even Hang can now see the damage she has done; she now says that she would simply like her original face back.

Last month, WCCO's Esme Murphy told the story of a woman who injected herself with silicone to save money on plastic surgery.

"I really thought that I was getting a bargain and I really didn't do my homework like I should have," said the woman who did not want to be identified. Her lips and left cheek are disfigured from silicone she self-injected. She was trying to make her upper lip fuller and fill acne scars. A year and a half ago, another doctor had given her silicone injections. That treatment went well but it wasn't cheap. It was $2700 for a series of three treatment. So she turned to the Internet and found a site advertising silicone for $10."

As you can see, the results are awful. She will be disfigured for life unless she pays for a certified plastic surgeon to try and reverse the results.

"Initially I thought I did a good job," said the unfortunate mom from the Twin Cities. However, within a day her lips and cheek were disfigured. "Its very frightening, its very embarrassing having to be in public," she said.

There is even a Technorati page devoted to DIY Plastic Surgery gone wrong, which you can check out yourself here.

And now, which may be even worse, more "legitimate" ways to do the treatment yourself are reaching the market.

For $129 and up, you can buy a hand-held personal laser to remove blotches and smooth out wrinkles. And the REJUVAWAND costs $159 and uses two infra-red wavelengths of laser energy to promises to give similar results to the more expensive Botox and microdermabrasion treatments. Does it work? Doctors say it's too weak a laser to do any damage, but in effect you're wasting a lot of money on an almost useless product.

You can also buy a DIY chemical peel. Dr Denese's Triple AHA/BHA at-home fizzing facial peel promises the same results as a beauty salon treatment at a fraction of the cost. But is it ever a good idea to put these kinds of chemicals on your skin with no medical supervision?

Perhaps the most harmless DIY solution I found was the CoCo "nose job" device, which will give you Cleopatra's Nose! To be honest, it just looks like a strong clothes peg.

"CoCo - Beautiful New Look of Nose is available at discerning stores in Japan, Korea and Taiwan from only $7.50. Why spend more on expensive plastic surgery and fancy doctors when you can just 'do it yourself'?"

With the average rhinoplasty procedure costing roughly $5000, what do you think the chances are that a $7.50 product could do the same job? Exactly.

Look, I'm no doctor, but I would like to summarize by saying please, please don't take the frugal option on this and attempt to do it yourself. There is no substitute for medical training and your body is too important to mess with by yourself. There are very few shortcuts to a better body, but plastic surgery is one of them...and it comes with a hefty price. Be prepared to pay it, or you may end paying significantly more to reverse your own home-made medical mistakes. Or worse, pay for it for the rest of your life with horrible disfigurements, bad health and chronic pain.

Permalink | 9 comments | Paul Michael's blog | Channel: Frugal Living, Consumer Affairs, DIY

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Summer Freebies and Bargains for Kids

Carrie Kirby — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:39:03 +0000

By Carrie Kirby

Summer vacation can be expensive for families with children. If the kids are not enrolled in camp programs which are in their own right pricey, the empty hours can weigh heavily and lead to an excess of wallet-emptying entertainment. Here are some things that kids can do this summer for free or for cheap:

Free bowling. The AMF chain of bowling alleys offers a kids club granting children two free games EVERY DAY all summer long. You sign up through your local alley (the Web site lists locations in 33 states), and individual locations may have rules and caveats like specific hours when free games can be played. The freebies can't be used by large groups like day care outings.
Free movies and free or discounted books: On Frugalista, my new blog about Chicago-area bargains, I outlined the a number of free and cheap summer movie series for kids as well as the summer reading programs at major bookstores and libraries (the store programs usually give kids a free book or at least a discount; the library programs offer varying goodies). Most of these programs are available nationally or you can find the same at your local theaters, stores and libraries.
Cheap museums and zoos. If you have multiple kids and the whole summer to kill, it can be worth it to invest in a pass to a local kids' museum. But if you live in an area with lots of museums like I do, you'll want to buy a pass that gets you into multiple places. In this post I share the secret ticket that gets you into the most places for the lowest price. An even cheaper strategy than the above is to stick to museum and zoo free days -- check the Web site of your local -- or to latch onto other families that have memberships and can bring guests (reciprocity is nice!).
You all know about using your local library, which usually has the added advantage of free air conditioning, but newer parents may not realize that most urban and suburban park districts offer low-cost or free activities too. In our neighborhood, teen-aged park employees bring a "fun truck" to the local playground once a week with a slip and slide and other delights.
Fairs. You won't get off scott-free at the state or county fair; in fact you'll shell out for entrance, overpriced ice cream and corn, and ride tickets, and maybe even parking. But there are lots of things to keep little ones busy most of the day for free, like looking at animals and watching animal shows, and the costs pale in comparison to an amusement park. Speaking of which ...
Amusement park discounts. Six Flags and its ilk are never cheap, but there are ways to pay less. If you live nearby and your kids are old enough to be dropped off, a season pass for them can really pay for itself pretty easily. Even if you're going for one day, check the park's Web site and do a little Googling for promotions; right now Six Flags tickets are buy-one-get-one online; you also often see discounts on soda cans, at fast-food restaurants, and the like.
Mix in a bit of the always free.We're taking advantage of many of the above programs intermittently during the summer, but I unabashedly admit that my kids' regular summer days include a lot of less-structured free activities. Playing in the backyard, visiting local playgrounds, sitting on the porch watching for the ice cream man (OK that will cost me a few bucks if he actually shows up but he hardly EVER drives down our street), hitting rummage sales with mom (now that my oldest is 5, giving her $2-4 at a rummage sale will keep her happily absorbed in bargain-hunting while I do my own shopping), playing with neighbors and friends, and reading (she's been devouring The Boxcar Children mysteries) have been the prime activities so far. Oh, and even a little work beyond the normal "pick up your toys": Now that the 5-year-old understands that money can get her toys at rummage sales, she's become a willing weed bounty hunter in the backyard.

Permalink | 4 comments | Carrie Kirby's blog | Channel: Art and Leisure

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Best Deals For Thursday 7/2/09

Paul Michael — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:38:25 +0000

By Paul Michael

Today's WISEBUY. AMERICAN EAGLE Up To 70% Off Plus FREE s/h on 3 or more items (dealnews)
American Eagle Outfitters cuts up to 70% off items in its clearance section. Plus, orders of three or more items receive free shipping.

1. FREE Caribou Coffee Medium Wild Cooler
You can get a printable coupon for a free medium Wild Cooler at Caribou Coffee when you approve the Wild Up Application on Facebook. Once you add the application you can take one of your Facebook photos and add some wild accessories to it. When you are finished with your picture you can print out the coupon (your crazy pic will print above the coupon).

2. FREE Sample Of Dove Calming Night Body Wash
Dove Calming Night Body Wash has a unique formula and calming fragrance leaves you feeling pampered, relaxed and ready for sleep. Complete the form & submit for your FREE sample.

3. FREE - Two Free Admission Weekends For Over 100 National Parks
Still looking for summer vacation inspiration? America’s Best Idea – the national parks – gets even better this summer with fee-free weekends at more than 100 national parks that usually charge entrance fees. Mark your calendars for fee-free weekends this summer: July 18-19, 2009, August 15-16, 2009.

4. FREE SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetener with Fiber - Sample
Sample includes two (2) packets of SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener with Fiber. Now using Splenda® is twice as good. Each packet gives you the great sweet taste you want and a little boost of fiber.

5. Six-Inch Digital Picture Frame With 3 Additional Photo Openings - $29.99 + FREE s/h
128 MB Internal Memory. Stores up to 149 Photos internally. Exclusive Multi-opening Jackson Collection Frame.

6. Save 56% On SHAM-EASE Ultra Absorbant Towels - Just $12.99 for 10, FREE s/h
These super absorbent shammys use special multi layered technology to pick up and hold 27 times more than an ordinary paper towel. I deal for kitchens, batrooms, drying pets and soaking up spills like nothing else. 10 piece set includes 4 jumbo orange (20 x 23.5") 3 extra large yellow and 3 extra large blue (15 x 15") which are great for your garage, boat etc.

7. Crocs Outlet Sale - Up To 75% Off, Plus FREE s/h with Code JULY4 (dealnews)
Crocs.com continues to take up to 75% off select men's, women's, and kids' Crocs and flip-flops. Plus, coupon code "July4" yields free shipping with no minimum required.

8. HUGE OAKLEY SALE - Up To 78% Off Women's Sunglasses. Pay $6.95 s/h (dealnews)
6pm.com cuts 63% to 78% off a selection of Oakley women's sunglasses, with all prices reduced to $29.95. Pay $6.95 for shipping. Deal ends today.

9. Seven Sookie Stackhouse Novels (Now the True Blood HBO series) Only $28.97 + Free s/h
Dead Until Dark Is Now The HBO Original Series True Blood. This boxed set includes: Dead Until Dark, Living Dead in Dallas, Club Dead, Dead to the World, Dead as a Doornail, Definitely Dead, All Together Dead.

10. Mr. Clean Auto-Dry Carwashing System - $7.99 Inc. S/H (today only)
Spot-Free clean and shine with no need to hand dry. Motor Trend Approved. Spot-free results guaranteed. Dry Rinse Polymer sheets water off your car for fast drying and leaves no residue behind.

Wine Tastings: Finding Cheap Wine That You Like

WC Porter — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:26:50 +0000

By WC Porter

Say you want to have yourself a drink—whether it's because work has been rough or the kids have been especially bad—without spending a ton of money. You'll find tons of advice on how to save money on booze. From BYOBs to specific recommendations for wine.

Let's say you've moved on from the days of buying dirt-cheap 30-packs of beer and want to be a little classy. So you decide to get some wine.

Let's be honest: most of us browse for wine at a restaurant (or at the liquor store) and don't have a clue. Then there is the waiter, who is just trying to be helpful: The 2001 Bordeaux is just fabulous!

It may be fabulous but you just might not like it.

There are also tons of books out there listing cheap wine that has already been through exhaustive testing and tasting from wine experts. Books like The Wine Trials, which a friend gave me and is very helpful but still doesn't do the trick.

The problem with wine is that it's a very fickle beast. You may find a bottle of wine to be really fantastic and tasty (official wine-expert terms, fyi), while critics and experts think it's trash. Does it matter? Nope.* If you like it, that's all that counts—it'll still get you just as buzzed as the fancy, expensive stuff.

The only real way (and the best way) to find cheap wine that you know you'll like is to taste as many as you can without spending a lot of money. That's where wine tastings come into play.

I just attended my first one a couple of weeks ago and here's how they all basically work:

You get a glass and a menu
A person who knows all the wineries' wines runs through the selection
You're told to taste them from sweetest to not so sweet
You get a certain number of picks for free (we got six)
You get a pour and you smell the wine
You take a sip
You figure out if you like it or not
You repeat
You feel very happy

Some people spit the wine out into a spittoon (do NOT mistake your glass for that!) but most people just drink it. I've only been to a few, but the whole thing is a lot of fun.

I'm no expert, but here are my tips to getting the most out of the experience:

Take notes: they'll give you a pencil and that menu of options—rank the wines and put stars next to the ones you really like. Something so you'll remember because after six types of wines they'll start to look the same on paper.
Talk about it: you'll see your language start to get very weird when you're talking about how wines taste—that's OK. Sometimes a word someone else uses ("Blustery") will make sense to you and describe the wine perfectly. Write it down.
Ask questions: the people working there love to talk about this stuff, so ask away.
Go to a bunch of wineries at a time: Hit up three or four wineries in a day and you'll have tasted 18 different types of wine—plenty of choices to find something you like and want to buy without busting the bank.

Wine isn't for everyone—but that's mostly because people are intimidated by what they don't know. Wineries are the perfect antidote: you'll have a chance to taste a bunch of different wines and figure out what you like and don't like. Forget about what the experts say—follow your instincts and your taste buds.

They'll lead you to the wines that taste good without breaking the bank.

P.S. If you really want to learn more about wine, check out Wine Library TV, run by the infamous Gary Vaynerchuk—he's all about bringing wine to the people.

* There's a raging debate about this in the wine community. Should you care? Not really.

Permalink | 5 comments | WC Porter's blog | Channel: Frugal Living, Food and Drink

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Best of Personal Finance: C'mon In, The Water's Fine Edition

Andrea Dickson — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:40:35 +0000

By Andrea Dickson

Happy Canada Day! What, you've never heard of Canada Day? That's because I just made it up. Canada's not even a place; I just made that up, too. Where was I? Oh, yes. Independence Day, that one. Wow, it's almost here, which means that summer is getting close to being half over. That makes me sad, does it make you sad? Good, now read these linked articles and feel better. At least there are people out there who know more about finance than you do, and that is good.

Heh, Canada Day. I kill me!

Bible Money Matters gives advice on how to sell a home in a lousy economy, which is to say, THIS economy.
Brip Blap considers the psychology of fearing money.
Dumb Little Man looks at gym membership from a new angle, and no, doesn't recommend starting a gym at home or jogging around your local park.
Frugal Dad and Bargaineering look at ways to survive being laid off, which is pretty much what you are doing right now, but it never hurts to have more advice.
Squawkfox, which I swear is the hardest blog name to type, EVER, gives you eight sneaky ways to locate online savings when shopping, and none of them involve not actually shopping.
Envelope budgeting: you may have heard of it, but do you ever wonder if you could really use it as an effective method for managing money? 20-Something Finance says you can.
No Credit Needed is going to branch out into writing about something other than not needing credit, such as not needing to wear pants.
Moolanomy, which is the second-hardest blog name to type, recommends using a TracFone (prepaid minutes) in order to save money on your monthly cell bill.
The Wisdom Journal offers a few ways to calm the heck down, which is good for people who are emotional spenders.

Want to share a blog post with Wise Bread readers in the Best of Personal Finance posts? Recommend your article in the user forums.

Permalink | 6 comments | Andrea Dickson's blog | Channel: Personal Finance

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Save Some Cash With These 6 Clever Cleaning Hacks

Linsey Knerl — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:48:36 +0000

By Linsey Knerl

I’m a sucker for brand-name cleaning supplies, and while it’s no crime to be brand-loyal and use what works best for you and your family, often times there are shortcuts that can cut back on cleaning time – and out-of-pocket expenses. The July issue of All You Magazine had some of the most inspiring ways to get your cleaning jobs done for less. Here are my top picks, along with some additional ways to stretch that dollar!

1. Sanitize your Sponges

Synthetic sponges and kitchen cloths are super-convenient to have on hand, but we all know that after just a few uses, they can get a bit funky-smelling. Instead of throwing them out and buying new ones (a total waste of money), or just tossing them into the wash (which doesn’t always work,) why not use this clever tip from All You? Fill up your kitchen sink with hot water, add one cup of bleach, and toss those stinky things right in! Bacteria will be gone for good, leaving your sponges fresh-smelling again. (You’ll also have a shinier sink to show for it!)

2. Measure it

Are you using 2x or more concentrated detergent? Chances are good that the products you use today are twice as potent as the ones we used years ago. Pay careful attention to measure out only what you need to get your cleaning tasks done efficiently (read the label and the fill lines, first.) Not only are you saving money by avoiding unnecessary over-portioning, but you can save your clothes and other household surfaces from an early demise. Too much cleaner can be harmful!

3. Sweep it up

I know a trick for using that popular sweeping tool without buying the expensive refill cloths. Simply cut old polar fleece clothing into the same size and shape as your brand-name, disposable cleaning cloths, and use them to pick up all the dirt, lint, and hair that plagues your hard-surface flooring. Toss them in the wash to use again and again! (Another snazzy trick is to try used dryer sheets in the same way – only using them once for their new purpose, of course. Talk about getting extra miles out of your cleaning products!)

4. No shoes allowed

There is a very good reason to ask your family and guests to leave their shoes at the door. Not only does it guarantee that dirt and mud won’t get tracked throughout your home, but it can give your carpeting and hardwood floors an extra lease on life (less scratches, snags, and general wear-and-tear.) You’ll rest easy knowing that you’re also contributing to a healthier environment inside your home – the soles of your shoes can carry more icky germs than a typical toilet seat!

5. Pare down your Cleaning Arsenal

There really are one-size-fits-all cleaning products on the market, one of them being my personal favorite, Oxy Clean. The all-purpose cleaner is available at most any store, and it isn’t more than $4 or so for a 1.5 pound tub (I also reuse the empty containers to store clothespins, kids’ crayons, or random nails and bolts.) Advertised with having over 100 uses around the home, I’ve really only tried about 10 or so. I can say that the best use for the stuff is removing those “impossible” stains. (Recently my daughter sat on a melted blue crayon in the backseat of our car. After letting the colored wax cool and harden, I scraped most of it off with a knife, then dampened the area and sprinkled it with Oxy Clean. After working the product into the denim with an old toothbrush, I rinsed it in cool water and threw it in the wash. You can’t see any signs of the offending crayon!) Bottom line: If you find a versatile cleaning product that fills the needs of more than one routine, consolidate – don’t duplicate!

6. Get floors spotless with the power of steam

I’m a huge fan of the steaming floor cleaner. In fact, I’ve had several models in my lifetime (not because they wore out, but because I love trying new models!) A good steam-powered floor cleaner will leave your floors sanitized, squeaky-clean, and streak-free within minutes, and the best part is that they require no chemicals or additional product: just the pure ingredient of water! Investing in a $85 – 120 model may seem like a chunk of change, but when you factor in the cost of floor cleaners over the life of the steamer and consider how much safer and environmentally-friendly your new mop is, the cost is justifiable. Most mops also come with everything you need to do several rooms with a moment’s notice – including enough microfiber cleaning heads to get you started. There is no waste, and water is the cheapest cleaner we know of!

Ready to learn more clever tips for keeping your home clean on a dime (or less)? Check out the entire article in the July issue of All You magazine.

Permalink | 13 comments | Linsey Knerl's blog | Channel: Frugal Living, DIY, Green Living

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How To Write A Resume: 12 Steps To Your Next Job

Paul Michael — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:42:59 +0000

By Paul Michael

Self-promotion is not easy. Whether you're a high six-figure consultant, or earning $10 an hour in retail, you still have to talk about yourself in the right way. And one of the key ingredients of self-promotion is the resume. Nail it, and you get your foot in the door. Blow it, and you blow your chances at a better job, better career or even a better life.

As a professional advertising copywriter, I've been asked many, many times to help friends and relatives with their resumes. And while I don't claim to be an expert on resumes, I have helped a lot of people get jobs. So, I thought it was long overdue to share some of the things I've learned about writing resumes over the years, especially after writing an article on interview questions.

Now, I'm not promising that this article will guarantee you a new job. Obviously, your own experience and background is, at the end of the day, the deciding factor. But I can give you advice that will at least get you noticed for all the right reasons. Ready? Then let's begin.

1: Use a word processing program
Employ a program like Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, MS Works or even a professional design application (e.g. InDesign or Adobe Illustrator) to layout your resume. In the past, it was OK to use a typewriter or, in some cases, write it by hand, but no-one will take you seriously if you can't demonstrate basic computer skills. However, try and avoid a standard resume template.

Your resume should include:

contact information
an objective
employment history
education
a summary, including any other pertinent information or affiliations
references (it's permissible to say "references available on request")

Lay this out neatly in your own way, and your resume will not look like a carbon copy of everyone else's resume. Remember, you are selling YOU as an individual. Your resume, even the way it looks, is a reflection of who you are.

2: Use good (but not perfect) grammar
You don't need to go out of your way to make your resume read like an English term paper, but use good judgment. A resume is a professional document and should be treated in that way. Just as you wouldn't start a business letter with "Like hey dude, how's it going?" you shouldn't be as lax with your resume.

However, these are modern times and you can use a little conversational verbiage, coupled with a few grammatical rule-breakers. It's OK to end a sentence with a preposition, it's even OK to have a one or two word sentence. If you work in a very creative industry, you can break even more rules (I once saw a great resume that was written as a poem...but that was a huge exception to the rule). In general, make it respectful, polite and something you would be happy for your bank manager to read.

3. Practice the art of concision
Mark Twain once wrote "I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead." It's not easy to be concise, but a resume is an essential place to practice restraint. In these tough economic times, employers are inundated with hundreds of applicants for every one job opening. They don't have the time or inclination to read your life story over a five or six page resume. ONE PAGE is ideal, but it is acceptable to go to two pages. Any longer than that and you may as well mail your resume to the nearest paper recycling plant. Some of you may say that I could use a lesson in concision myself, but this blog gives me the luxury of limitless writing space and an audience that is looking to read, and be entertained as well as informed. An employer's time is valuable; the information is paramount.

4. Don't include pointless and obvious information
I have lost track of the number of times I have read about hobbies that include movies, reading, sports, eating out and spending time with family. While you're at it, why not put "breathing, sleeping a minimum of six hours per night, and eating three square meals per day." If you have something stellar as a hobby, and it has some relevance to the job, by all means put it down. But if you have nothing out of the ordinary to say, don't say it. Your collection of antique teapots may mean the world to you, but it won't to your average human resources manager in an accounting firm.

5. Never, ever lie
Don't ever be tempted to lie, or embellish your resume. The problem with lies is that they will catch up with you sooner or later. You will either be discovered before you are hired, or even worse, get found out when you're doing the job. Be honest and give the right dates, places, numbers and facts about previous employment. Don't make up education you don't have, and don't say you're a whiz on Photoshop when you can hardly even open your email.

6. Custom-build your resume
Every job is different; therefore, every resume should be different. When I talk about concision, it also applies to the kind of information you include, or don't, on your resume. If you have some great experience in marketing, you obviously push that on a resume for a marketing or advertising job. If you're applying to be a bartender, you may want to put a focus on something else. Tailor your resume to fit the job you're applying for.

7. Don't be shy about major successes
Be specific about your past and current achievements and accomplishments. Employers love facts that back up your story, so if you increased productivity in your department by 125%, don't by shy about saying so. If you tripled sales, let people know. If you were promoted in record time, make a note of it. This is the perfect time to blow your own trumpet.

8. Don't make assumptions
Although concision is vitally important, make sure you don't cut so much information that the employer becomes confused. For instance, you may know all too well what "Scrambunkle & Son" did as a company, but your future employer may not know them from Adam. And although you know what an acronym stands for, it may not be as famous as N.A.S.A., so spell it out once. Basically, be brief, but clarify important points.

9. Big words won't impress most people
I've seen a few resumes come across my desk that looked like a page from a Dickensian thesaurus. Sure, you may feel proud of yourself for using words like floccinaucinihilipilification (which is, for those of you not in the know, the "estimation of something as valueless"); but your average employer will appreciate it if your resume is not like reading War & Peace. There's no need to hide your intelligence, and again you should tailor it to the job, but use common sense. Write well, write clearly, write concisely, and write without trying to prove you're a smartass.

10. Good spelling is not optional
Speaking of writing well, this one is paramount: please, please double-check the spelling and then ask someone else to double-check it for you (they may catch something you've become blind to). And DO NOT proof it on-screen; print it out, it's much easier to catch errors that way. A typo in your resume is one huge fly in the ointment. It's the equivalent of turning up to an interview wearing a ketchup-stained t-shirt. Your resume is the first impression you will give to your interviewer; what do you think they will do with a resume that has not even been spell-checked? Yep, it's lining the cat's litter box.

11. Consistency is important
This is another exercise in putting your best foot forward. If you start each heading in 12pt Helvetica Bold Italic, do them all that way. If you italicize a heading, italicize them all. If the first section of your resume is indented, all of them should be. The age of email and instant messenger has made many of us lazy, but a resume is no place to be careless. And choose a readable font too, preferably a classic serif font like Times 11pt. With consistency, you make your resume easier to read. Without it, your potential future employer won't know what to make of the various formatting choices.

12. Don't be cheap with paper choices
This is one of the rare occasions that I will advise you to splurge. A beautifully formatted, perfectly spelled, amazingly concise resume is not going to look as impressive on crappy paper. Pop down to the local Kinkos and ask them to print out some copies on a good quality paper, perhaps one with a watermark or slight tint to it. Alternatively, buy some good paper and print it out yourself on your home-printer's highest setting. Either way, you will have something that looks and feels like a quality document worthy of consideration.

Those are my 12 steps to a good resume. I'm sure many professional resume writers can add to the list (and please, use the comments area for additional advice) but I believe this is an excellent list for anyone taking on the task of writing their own resume.

Next time, I'll give some advice on writing a cover letter. I don't see it as being as important as a resume because it's not always required. But when it is, you need to get that just right as well. Good luck.

Permalink | 6 comments | Paul Michael's blog | Channel: Career and Income, Life Hacks, Career Building, General Tips

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Best Deals For Wednesday 7/1/09

Paul Michael — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:54:32 +0000

By Paul Michael

Today's WISEBUY. Up to 76% Off ANNIE WOMEN'S SHOES at 6PM.com (dealnews)
6pm.com takes 71% to 76% off a collection of 543 styles of Annie women's footwear, with prices reduced to $12.95. Pay $6.95 for shipping.

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Say goodbye to sun spots and say hello to clear and even skin.

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G by Guess takes up to 50% off select items as part of its Summer Sale. Pay $7.95 for shipping.

6. Blue Hat Big Adventures 3-Piece Play Tent 61% Off - Only $28.99 + $2.95 s/h
Ideal for home, backyard, parks, parties, day care and more. Set includes a dome tent, tunnel tube and teepee.

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Price after $20 rebate. TomTom ONE S with Text to Speech combines ease of use, portability, touchscreen technology and an elegant, unmistakable new design. Drivers can enjoy the benefits of a TomTom ONE S immediately, thanks to TomTom''s award winning navigation software pre-installed on the unit.

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$5 off $25 which may be redeemed through July 25, 2009. Some exclusions apply, see coupon for details.

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Urban Green: Lessons from Cuba

Myscha Theriault — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:35:18 +0000

By Myscha Theriault

I recently saw a rather interesting documentary. The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil, takes a detailed look at how this tiny nation has dealt with a decades-long shut off from supplies the rest of us deem necessary, and in the process provides a blueprint for how larger countries might actually begin making some of the same transitions themselves, including a nation-wide organically grown food system. Ready for a peek at how they did it?

I have to say I'm impressed. As we sit and discuss with friends quite frequently how we think this country might deal with the severe energy crisis that has yet to hit, Cuba's been successfully dealing with one for years. In the process, they've also managed to achieve an organic agricultural production rate of eighty percent. On a dime. How have they done this? Well, I won't spoil the whole movie for you, but suffice it to say that when pesticide deliveries dried up after the fall of the Soviet Union, they had to figure it out in a hurry.

In instances where tractors and fuel weren't affordable, old timers were brought in to train the younger generation on the use of oxen and even to train the young oxen themselves. Water saving measures were implemented for irrigation through a concept called “food forests”, and rooftop city gardens were developed along with squatted garden plots on unused strips of available land. Larger farms from the older system were broken down into smaller private cooperatives which voluntarily contribute food to the needy. With an externally enforced energy crisis, Cuba was also forced to develop increased public transportation options virtually overnight. Again, I won't spoil the film for you, but I found their “camel” buses to be quite creative, along with their distribution of individual bicycles to those in need.

No matter what one's political opinions on the Cuba situation, I think we can all appreciate the tenacity and resilience it has taken to make these adjustments for the long haul and with little access to external support. Going almost completely organic with agriculture, and significantly independent when it comes to fuel is impressive. Doing it when most people barely have a pot to pee in is downright inspiring. I'm not saying that every measure Cuba has taken will be feasible for the United States. What I am saying is that Cuba has already dealt with an energy famine successfully. Why not take the opportunity to learn from our nearby neighbors who have actually pulled off a working model of how to deal with energy adversity?

At any rate, I found the film of note and recommend it to any of you who have the chance for a viewing. It's available on Amazon. A couple of other urban green posts are available on Wise Bread, including several city shopping bag options.

This post was written as a movie review, and to promote discussion on green transitions at the national level. I ask that we keep the comments focused on those things, rather than straying to the political conditions that caused this situation.

Permalink | 11 comments | Myscha Theriault's blog | Channel: Green Living

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Are the new home appraisal rules good for consumers?

Xin Lu — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:34:33 +0000

By Xin Lu

On May 1st a new set of home appraisal rules called the Home Valuation Code of Conduct was put into effect by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in order to distance realtors and mortgage brokers from appraisers. This was put in place because during the housing bubble appraisal fraud was rampant and some appraisers felt pressured by realtors and brokers to hit the desired numbers. How is this affecting consumers?

The biggest change in the Code is that loan officers, mortgage brokers, or real estate agents can no longer have any role in choosing appraisers. The lender is responsible for choosing the appraiser and following the Code if they want to sell the mortgage to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The lender could also accept an appraisal prepared for another lender if the other lender also followed the Code.

As a result of the new rule some lenders are outsourcing the selection of appraisers to appraisal management companies, and some say that this is increasing appraisal fees for consumers because these companies take a cut of an appraiser's fee. The appraiser has to increase his or her price accordingly to recoup the loss. Another critism is that these appraisal-management companies do not always choose local appraisers that know an area well. As a result some appraisals may be inaccurate.

Right now the National Association of Realtors does not like this rule very much and their chief economist Lawrence Yun said the following:"In the past month, stories of appraisal problems have been snowballing from across the country with many contracts falling through at the last moment." The NAR also sent legislators letters protesting this rule and it is also suggesting that regulators put an 18 months hold on the rule.

Bill Garber, the Director of Government and External Relations at the Appraisal Institute issued the following response to the NAR's complaints, "In a typical real estate transaction [such as a buyer seeking a loan], our clients are the lenders. Appraisers provide lenders with information that protects them from making questionable loans and investments and helps them minimize risk. However, that should not suggest a bias toward lower valuation. Appraisers reflect the market, and sometimes, the markets don.t act like we want them to or hope they will. Nonetheless, competent and professional appraisers understand this and develop credible estimates of value that ultimately ensure that lenders loan the proper amount, buyers don't pay too much and sellers get a fair price."

I think Bill Garber's response is right on the spot and lower appraisals are simply reflecting the market now. It is beneficial for consumers to get lower prices on homes, but I have also heard anecdotal stories of faulty appraisals where information such school districts and home size were wrong. It is very frustrating for home buyers and sellers when a low appraisal stops the loan process. If I were a home buyer in that situation I would probably check the appraisal report for errors first, because any factual errors can be reported to the lender. If the report seems to contain no errors then I would attempt to negotiate the price to be at the appraisal because I would not want to pay too much. I do not think that a low appraisal is the death of every single real estate transaction as long as everyone involved are willing to compromise.

In conclusion, I think it is a good thing if an honest and accurate appraisal shows you that you are willing paying too much for something. I think the new code does have some problems because it adds a layer of bureaucracy and pricing through appraisal management companies. However, this new process does remove a lot of bias in appraisals because it is a lot less likely that the appraiser chosen has a previous relationship with the real estate agent or mortgage broker involved in the deal. I am hoping that this reduces appraisal fraud by a great margin, and I think that is good for everyone involved in a real estate transaction.

What do you think of this new code? Have you faced difficulties in your real estate transactions lately due to appraisal issues?

Permalink | 20 comments | Xin Lu's blog | Channel: Personal Finance, Consumer Affairs, Real Estate and Housing

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Supermarket Angst Part III: How to Buy Better Poultry

Carrie Kirby — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:40:50 +0000

By Carrie Kirby

As I wrote in previous installments of my Supermarket Angst series, I've been using extra money in our grocery budget to improve the quality of the food I buy my family. Buying organic for produce with the highest danger of pesticide contamination was an easy choice, but I've found it difficult to know what's worth the extra money when buying animal products -- eggs and dairy products, for instance.

Today I'm tackling one of the most baffling buying categories, for me -- poultry. Unlike beef, where I know I want hormone- and antibiotic-free, I'm unclear on whether chickens and turkeys are given hormones and antibiotics to begin with. I've seen labels like "natural" and even "Amish" and "Kosher" on chicken -- do those mean it's healthier? And what about turkey? I don't think I've ever seen special labels on that, although I have heard about people spending big box on organic turkeys at Thanksgiving.

First of all, let's look at the most expensive category: organic poultry. Birds sold as organic must eat organic feed, which should in theory reduce the chance of pesticides building up in the meat that we eat. But according to a 2004 Business Week story, pesticides in meat is a much smaller health concern than pesticides on produce:

"While 47% of the produce sampled by the USDA in 2002 had detectable pesticide residues, only 16% of grains and 15% of meat tested did. Most of the residues found in meat (almost always in the fat) were from long-banned chemicals like DDT, which remain in the environment and is not a problem organic farming methods can solve."

That passage was enough to convince me not to worry about pesticides in my poultry. But is getting hormone-free birds another reason to buy organic? According to the United States Department of Agriculture's food labeling FAQ, no.

"Hormones are not allowed in raising hogs or poultry. Therefore, the claim "no hormones added" cannot be used on the labels of pork or poultry unless it is followed by a statement that says 'Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones.'"

However, the USDA does allow poultry producers to use the phrase “antibiotic-free.” As with beef and milk, antibiotic overuse in raising fowl is more of a public health concern than a worry for the consumer of the resulting food. The routine use of antibiotics when raising livestock, it is feared, can contribute to the creation of superbugs resistant to current antibiotic drugs.

After reading the USDA's sheet, I would feel comfortable skipping “organic” birds in favor of those labeled “antibiotic free.” Of course, at many stores you'd be lucky to find one or the other, so you might end up buying organic just to be sure you're not feeding the antibiotic problem.

What about “natural” or “all-natural” chickens? Can I count on those to be healthier than other birds? According to the USDA, all “natural” means is that it doesn't have added color or other artificial ingredients. Yegads, the idea of farmer's injecting their dead birds with color isn't even a problem I'd contemplated. But no, I'd say a bird labeled "natural" isn't worth much or any extra money.

Then of course, just like with eggs, there is the issue of how one's chicken dinner was treated while it was alive. This is mostly a matter of deciding between caged versus cage-free versus free-range birds, but it is possible to go beyond those labels, which I'll address in a minute. I wasn't even sure if the crowded cage conditions I'd heard about for laying hens also went on in the meat chicken industry. But this paper, found on PETA's Web site, makes the life of a broiler chicken sound even more miserable than that of a laying hen. The paper also touches on the miserable working conditions in the poultry industry, which are documented in plenty of places.

The short answer is yes, meat chickens are typically raised crowded into cages, and so buying something labeled “cage-free” or “free-range” would be a plus. But as with eggs, the meaning of these terms is pretty limited and by no means ensure that the bird you're eating had a good or even bearable life.

In fact, the unsettling reading from the link above has the effect – as I'm sure many things found on the PETA Web site do – of making one wonder if it's possible to eat meat at all without being complicit in the mistreatment of both animals and workers. After all, even a chicken labeled “free-range” may well suffer a slow painful trip through the slaughterhouse. I've never seen a “cruelty-free” label on a frozen chicken.

Of course, you might say that eating meat CAN'T be cruelty free because you have to kill the animal in order to eat it. But personally, I'm not a vegan or a vegetarian, and I'm not interested in becoming one. I'd just prefer if the animals I eat suffer as little as possible in the process of being turned into my dinner.

Ideally, I'd like to buy chickens who lived in a place like Polyface Farms, which I read about in Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. Polyface moves its chickens from one patch of pasture to another throughout the summer, using portable pens to ensure they always have access to their favorite greens (clover, apparently) and lots of juicy bugs, not to mention space to move and fresh air. But finding a supplier whose environment meets those standards takes more research than reading labels in Super Target (where I typically buy my antibiotic-free chicken on sale), and yes, it will cost me more too.

This site lists some farmers in all states that pasture their poultry like Polyface does. Apparently I could order whole chickens that have had pretty good lives, and are antibiotic-free, from one of these places for around $2.75 a pound. That's not bad when you compare it to the price of beef, of course, although a whole chicken contains a bunch of bones, skin and fat that we won't be eating. I could even order a meat share from a Community Supported Agriculture farm that would take care of all my egg, meat and poultry worries at the cost of around $5 a pound – that's my guess of the average cost of what they provide, which would probably be less for the chicken and more for the beef.

Considering that I often find beef and poultry at Super Target that meets SOME environmental, cruelty and health standards for $2-3 a pound, am I willing to sign up for a CSA where I'd pay around twice as much?

I'm seriously considering it. On top of ending my supermarket angst in one fell swoop, the idea of having my meat and egg shopping done for me every other week is a time-saving bonus.

The one thing I haven't had the chance to address here is turkey. Are turkeys caged and given antibiotics? Is there such a thing as a free-range or organic turkey?

I found one good article defining terms that label turkeys -- it basically says that yes, all the same terms that apply to chickens mean the same thing when applied to turkeys. The same limitations apply, too – a package of ground turkey labeled “free range” may have come from a bird allowed very limited access to an outdoor porch or pen while still enduring very crowded or otherwise unfavorable conditions.

So, as you might guess, the more I read about animal treatment on conventional farms, the more motivated I am to buy more-expensive products in dairy, eggs AND meats. Can my family maintain our $80-a-week grocery budget while getting all particular on animal products like this?

I'm not sure, but I think it may be possible. One tactic will involve limiting the meat in our diets. We currently eat meat about five times a week. If I order a $20-per-week meat CSA share, it will provide us with enough meat to eat about three times a week, judging from the list here. Add a vegetable CSA share for around $28 a week, and, at least through the Midwest growing season, I'd have the basics taken care of with around $30 to spend at the grocery store each week on milk, fruits and grains/packaged foods.

Permalink | 6 comments | Carrie Kirby's blog | Channel: Food and Drink

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Spend or Save: The Fashion Edition

Sarah Winfrey — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:30:49 +0000

By Sarah Winfrey

Clothes shopping. Whether you love it or hate it, you have to do it. Whether you see salespeople as friends or enemies, you have to do it. Whether you spend too much, not enough, or you stand in the store for hours deliberating price vs. usefulness vs. desire, you have to do it.

The good news is, shopping for clothes doesn't have to be painful: not to your wallet, not to you schedule, and (most importantly) not to your poor, aching brain. Taking the simple step of deciding beforehand which sorts of items are worth the splurge and which ones you won't pay anything above rock-bottom for can take the aches and pains out of the most dreaded shopping trips. Check out the basic guidelines below and you'll be ready to attack that list.*

Spend

Shoes This one seems pretty straightforward to me: anything that has the potential to support your entire body weight for hours on end is worth some serious dough. Your feet are a valuable asset. Take care of them by buying shoes that are comfortable, cute, and offer all the support your foot needs. Now, I'm not against the occasional pair of cheap shoes just for fun (see "Trends" below), but for the most part, good foot care means quality shoes, and quality shoes cost money.

Work Clothes You're going to spend all day in them at least five days a week, probably for years to come. They ought to be comfortable, fit impeccably, and last, and there isn't any way to get these three characteristics in an item of clothing without paying more for it. Do yourself, your coworkers, and your job the honor, and purchase the best work clothes you can. You'll feel better for it and so will everyone around you. This holds true whether you wear suits, suspenders, or scrubs to work.

Most Basics and Layering Pieces This one is counterintuitive for a lot of people, but hear me out. Basics are items that you can wear in different seasons, no matter what the trends of the moment happen to be. You want them to last. But they're often also the pieces closest to your body, so they need to be soft and hold their shape. Sure, you can buy several $10 camisoles each season, but imagine having one or two that lasted a year or more. You'd save money, shopping time, and you wouldn't have to keep reinventing outfits around new pieces. Trust me, more expensive basics are worth every cent, even if you wince at the register.

Save

White Basics This is the one exception to my "spend more on basics" rule. White clothes simply don't last as long as darker ones. They invariably get stained: you spill your coffee trying to avoid a car accident, the dry cleaners has an "accident," or the two-year old sees your shirt as a canvas and not an item of clothing. However it happens, white items need replacing more often than other colors. Buy them as nice as you can, but budget to buy new ones at least twice a year.

Swimwear and Other Seasonal Attire Have you seen the prices on swimsuits lately? Seriously, that much money for that much fabric? And the crazy thing is, they're all on sale at the end of the summer, sometimes crazy on sale. The same goes for other seasonal clothing at the end of its most popular season. If you plan ahead, you get the good prices and then you have new clothes for next year before it even gets there. Also, you'll spend so little time, proportionately, in some seasonal gear that it isn't worth such a huge chunk of your budget.

Gear I use "gear" to refer to any clothing that you only wear for certain activities--like hiking gear, running gear, kayaking gear, etc. Before you say it, I know that this can be some of the most expensive clothing out there. But there's almost always a sale. In fact, every time I've wanted gear and I've waited for a sale, one has come around and I've saved large amounts of money. You might have to wait a while, particularly if your activity is currently in season, but the price cut is worth it in the end.

Trends If you're only going to be able to wear it for a season or two, it's not worth the big bucks. Worth purchasing? Probably, especially if you really love it. But not worth the same amount as something you'll wear year after year.

Somewhere In the Middle

Accessories I'm a pretty simple girl, and so my accessories tend to fall more into "Save" than "Spend," but that's not a hard and fast rule. If you see a purse that you know you'll use for years, spend a little more on it. If you're in Italy and you really want that scarf, splurge because you love it and it will last. When it comes to accessories, it's all about evaluating how useful the item will be with the wardrobe you currently have (not, note, the wardrobe you wish you had) and how much value it will add to your look.

Everyday Clothes This is an area where you'll probably find that you spend some and save some. If you're spending more on work clothes, make sure you don't cut yourself short by spending next to nothing on your non-work, lounge-around-the-house clothes. It's a balancing act here: what do you need, what do you want, and what works with your budget. But give yourself a chance and be willing to spend a little more than you might first want to on items that you love and will wear a lot.

"Going Out" Clothes These depend on the person. Where do you go out? Do you tend to follow the trends or have a few outfits that you rotate and recombine for years? Allot your money accordingly, spending more on items you'll wear more often and that are more comfortable and less on trendy items or jaunty accessories that only go with a few other things.

Enjoy your shopping trip, and let me know some of your "Spend," "Save," and "Somewhere In the Middle" items in the comments.

*Being a woman, most of my advice is for women. Guys, if you want to chime in in the comments, I'd love to hear when you spend and when you save on your clothes.

Permalink | 5 comments | Sarah Winfrey's blog | Channel: Shopping

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Do You Barter? -- Tell Us and Enter to win $10!

Linsey Knerl — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:35:37 +0000

By Linsey Knerl

It’s time for our weekly trivia question: Do you Barter? Have you ever traded services or goods without cash? What has been your experience?

Our own Philip Brewer mentioned bartering, among other options, in his recent "Opting out of the Money Economy". In fact, it is very likely that many of use will use barter sometime in our lifetime. Whether you do a straight trade with someone you know, or choose to use an official Barter currency (like trade credits, points, etc.) it's becoming more and more the "cool" thing to do. RecessionWire even gives you some basic tips in their Barter 101 tutorial, if you've no idea where to begin.

So, what do you think? Is bartering something you've tried and been successful at? Are you new to the game, or have you been doing it for years? What would you recommend to others just getting into the barter game? Your comment could win you a $10 prize!

Those of you who aren’t familiar with the “drill,” read below for full details:

Win a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate

We're doing two giveaways -- one $10 Amazon gift certificate for a random comment, and another one for a random tweet.

How to Enter:

Post your answer in the comments below, or
Tweet your answer. Include "@wisebread" in your tweet so we'll see it and count it.

If you're inspired to write a whole blog post, please link to it in the comments or tweet it.

At the end of the drawing, we'll update this post to include (and link to) all of your helpful responses.

Giveaway Rules:

Contest ends Wednesday, July 1st at 11:59pm CST. Winners will be announced July 2nd on the original post and via Twitter. Winners will also be contacted via email and Twitter Direct Message.
You can enter both drawings -- once by leaving a comment and once by tweeting.
Only tweets with "@wisebread" will be entered. (Otherwise, we won't see it.)

Good luck!

Permalink | 42 comments | Linsey Knerl's blog | Channel: Giveaways

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Can't Afford A Home Alarm System? You Probably Already Have One.

Paul Michael — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:50:10 +0000

By Paul Michael

Home alarm systems can be expensive. A basic alarm system can be hundreds of dollars. Move up to the home-monitoring systems of ADT and Brink's, and you're talking big money. Installation can cost over $1000, and the monthly monitoring fee can be upwards of $40 a month. But, chances are, you already own a pretty good alternative.

This tip was sent to me by my Mother-In-Law, which she found in a copy of a local workplace newsletter called "The Cherry Creek Leak." The advice was given by a neighborhood watch co-ordinator, and it is both simple and surprisingly effective.

Put your car keys beside your bed at night...
Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get into your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key chain fob. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the intruder won't stick around. After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there.

And then, another great tip...

Also, you can extend the distance your alarm will activate by holding the key fob under your chin making contact with your skin. Your body is a natural antenna and will help extend the length you can transmit the signal. Try it and see from a farther range with and without contact to your chin.

This is all great thinking! I have set off my own panic button a few times by accident and it is deafening. My VW Passat sounds like a foghorn on crack, and it causes no end of annoyed looks and stares. But if you're in trouble inside your own home, it will still scare away any would-be thief (or someone even worse). Of course, this is not going to work if you're not at home, but it is certainly a great way to give you a little peace of mind without spending any more money.

Permalink | 27 comments | Paul Michael's blog | Channel: Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Life Hacks, Cars and Transportation, Consumer Affairs, General Tips, Real Estate and Housing

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