Main | Next page »
 

Entry bubble Get Ready For Black Friday

By: Ginger | November 20, 2009 | Category: Money

Ginger in her Black Friday commando gearMy Black Friday shopping expedition last year was a little intense. I can understand that my Black Friday commando-camouflage could seem a little odd and possibly raise some eyebrows, but really? Apparently, some folks find a woman shopping in a mall with branches taped to her head to be a little threatening, but being tackled by a mall security guard and forced into a straight-jacket seemed a little extreme! Well, I have learned my lesson and I won’t be doing that anymore!

From now on, I will stick to more acceptable methods for preparing for Black Friday. Because of the economic downturn, a lot of stores and other businesses are really offering significant savings to draw in shoppers the day after Thanksgiving. A lot of experts recommend that you do your homework when shopping this holiday to get the most for your money. Know your budget and do research ahead of time to find the best prices. You may even want to plan to get to some stores early. Some stores offer early bird specials and extra discounts to folks that get there first.

Here are some resources that I found that have some useful shopping tips and offer information on some great Black Friday deals:

Note: For those of you who are concerned that I am crazy… I didn’t actually go to the mall in that get up. Well, I did play out that scenario in my head and it was pretty funny, but I am, more or less, sane. Just ask my good friend Harvey. LOL!

| Post a Comment | View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: black_friday   gifts   ginger   purchases   savings   shopping  

 

Entry bubble Donating to charity

By: Jess | November 19, 2009 | Category: Money

checkbookIf you have a little extra change in your pockets after you've finished all your holiday shopping, you might want to consider donating it to your favorite charity. Last year, charities made $307.65 billion from contributions, according to the Giving USA Foundation.

But before you write that check, do a little research to make sure the charity is legitimate.

The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance pulled together five important questions you should ask before donating.

1. Is the charity trustworthy?
2. How will your donation be used?
3. Is the donation tax deductible?
4. Is your donation useful to the charity?
5. Are you feeling pressured to donate?

These questions should help you determine if your money is going to a legitimate charity that will put it to good use to fund programs that you believe in.

If you're curious about how to list different donations for tax purposes, check out these tips. 

| Post a Comment | View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: charity   donation   giving   jess  

 

Entry bubble Hang On to your Old Cell Phones...(At least for a little bit!)

By: Colleen | November 18, 2009 | Category: Money

Colleen's Words to the Wise:

Unless it's broken, keep your old cell phone - at least until you are eligible for a new one.

I learned this the hard way last week. My cell phone stopped recognizing the charger. (After talking to many people who have had the same problem, I think they actually design phones with this flaw on purpose as a money-making scheme...cynical, me?) I took it to the store for them to have a look and my fear was confirmed, "Yup. It's broken."

After asking what I could do from this point, they told me I'd need a new phone and began looking up my contract history. Turns out my contract isn't due for renewal until July, and therefore I'd have to pay full retail price for a new phone. This did not sit well with me, especially since my broken phone wasn't even a year old, and hadn't been dropped in a toilet or anything that I'd done to my past fully functional phones.

After getting into a bit of a tizz, they told me if I had an old phone that was operational, they could reactivate it for me for a small fee. I moved recently, and while cleaning things out I distinctly remember getting rid of a few old cell phones. I couldn't remember if I had kept one or not, but crossed my fingers and went home to check.

I dug through some still yet to be unpacked boxes (don't judge) and miracle of miracles...I still had an old phone! I went back to the store, had it activated, and am once again in communication with the rest of the world. I do miss my Harry Kalas calling the final out of the 2008 World Series ringtone, but I'll live.

So, save yourself two trips to the cell phone store and your money. Keep an old phone around just in case.

For the really old phones that are ready to get the heave-ho, I know there are charities that collect them for reuse. Do you know of any?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [6] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: broken   cell_phone   contract  

 

Entry bubble Holiday Air Travel

By: Joanne | November 17, 2009 | Category: Travel

man in an airport talking to customs agents I can’t believe it, but holiday travel time is here already! My family is off to Grandy’s house this year, and luckily her house is just a car ride away. Many, many of you will be flying to your Thanksgiving destinations next week, and if you haven’t been in an airport lately, I recommend you prepare yourself before you leave the house.

There are so many rules and regulations for flyers now.  The rules are in place to keep us safe, but they certainly do make a trip to the airport more complicated.

Before you leave the house, be sure to check airport delays, and also check with your airline about the status of your flight.

Bringing a special dish for the thanksgiving table? Be sure to pack it right, or it won’t be allowed on the flight. Want to get through the security line faster? TSA tells you how to pack to have an easy trip through the airport security checkpoint.

And then there are the rules for traveling with liquids, and the list of things that you’re not allowed to pack in your carry-on bag.

As Jacob says, leave your hand grenades at home.

I hope you have an easy, safe trip this Thanksgiving, but if you have problems along the way, you can always file a complaint.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [2] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: air   airport   fly   joanne   thanksgiving   travel  

 

Entry bubble 2012: The End of the World Myth

By: Jake | November 16, 2009 | Category: Health

EarthRecent emails, calls and web chats coming into the National Contact Center (NCC) have me thinking about the R.E.M. song, "It's The End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)." Of course most of the people sending these inquiries don't feel fine about the idea of the apocalypse.

If you are not aware, the ancient Mayan "Long Count" calendar ends in December 2012 and according to some Mayan and popular myths, the end of this calendar marks the end of the world. There are many books out now that explore the way the world could end and the John Cusack movie 2012's plot plays out doomsday and a government plan to get people to safety.

Most inquiries the NCC receives allude to this movie and people want to know if the government has identified a credible threat in 2012 and if so, are there any plans to avoid it? I looked around and actually found that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has a whole website devoted to the 2012 topic. There, NASA explains why the various doomsday scenarios are not scientifically feasible and, when asked about the claims of the pending doomsday, they specifically state:

"For any claims of disaster or dramatic changes in 2012, where is the science? Where is the evidence? There is none, and for all the fictional assertions, whether they are made in books, movies, documentaries or over the Internet, we cannot change that simple fact. There is no credible evidence for any of the assertions made in support of unusual events taking place in December 2012."

Read over the NASA Doomsday webpage. Do you agree with NASA about 2012?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [6] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: 2012   apocolypse   doomsday   mayan_calendar  

Main | Next page »