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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 Why We Put the Flag at Half-Staff

By: Jess | November 12, 2009 | Category: General

American FlagDriving around town this week you may have noticed that flags were flown at half-staff, a message from President Obama to honor the soldiers who were killed in the shootings at Fort Hood.

When I was growing up, I learned that flags were flown at half-staff in the wake of a tragedy or a period of mourning in the country. So whenever, I see the flags at half-staff, I always try to figure out what happened. I never realized there were certain protocols that governed flying the flag.

When a flag is flown at half-staff it is usually a directive given by the President for how the executive branch will fly the flag. However, it's not a mandate and no one is forced to fly the flag a certain way just because the President is. Local communities, schools and agencies can decide for themselves if they will fly their flags at half-staff to recognize the death of an employee or student.

These are three of the more interesting facts I found about flying a flag at half-staff:
  • On Memorial Day, the flag is at half-staff until noon and then raised to the top of the pole until sunset.
  • Flags are flown at half-staff for 30 days after the death of the president or former president.
  • When flying a flag at half-staff, it should be raised to the top of the staff and then lowered to half-staff.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: american   flag   half_staff   jess  

 

Entry bubble Saving Money on Home Heating

By: Jess | November 05, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

FurnaceWe've already changed the clocks and soon that winter chill is going to start creeping into the air (unless maybe you live in Florida, in which case, I'm a little jealous).

Winter usually means a spike in the cost of your energy bills from having to run the heat. But if you're looking to keep costs low this year, and really who isn't, the Federal Trade Commission's Weathering the High Cost of Heating Your Home offers several tips that will help you save money this winter.

Check out some of the suggestions:

  • Check drafty areas of the house (like the attic and basement) to be sure they are properly insulated to not let heat escape.
  • Look into installing a programmable thermostat that can keep your home at a cooler temperature when you're not there, and turn it up an hour before you get home.
  • Vaccum air vents, heaters and radiators regularly to prevent blocked airflow.
  • Seal any flues in your fireplace if you don't use it.
  • Close the doors to rooms that don't get used frequently.

What are your best tips for saving money on heating costs in the winter? Share them in the comments.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: heating   jess   money   savings  

 

Entry bubble Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend

By: Jess | October 29, 2009 | Category: General

ClockHere's a big reminder if you don't have it on your calendar yet.

Don't forget to change your clocks this weekend!

Starting on Sunday at 2 a.m. Daylight Saving Time will end (for the places that observe it) and we'll all need to set our clocks back one hour.

Personally I love the extra hour of sleep, but hate the shorter days that come with switching back to standard time. I'm also not always the best at remembering to change the clocks. I usually remember at the last minute Saturday night. Forgetting to change your clocks can cause mild chaos for some people, like a friend of mine who went the whole day without remembering to switch her clocks and almost ended up being late for work the following Monday. (This was in the spring, when we were supposed to spring our clocks ahead an hour.)

Curious as to why this whole Daylight Saving Time and changing clocks thing even exists? National Geographic did a nice job explaining the history of DST.

Have you ever forgotten to change your clocks? Feel free to share your stories in the comments.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: changing_clocks   daylight_saving_time   jess   sleep   time  

 

Entry bubble Vegetarian Awareness Month

By: Jess | October 22, 2009 | Category: Health

Fruits and vegetablesI know to many Americans the thought of living without meat seems practically impossible. But there's an entire group of people in the country who do it and love it. Vegetarianism has many forms, from the super flexible flexitarian, who eats meat on occasion, to the extremely strict vegan, who doesn't buy any product that was tested on animals or contains any animal products.

The North American Vegetarian Society dubbed October as Vegetarian Awareness Month to teach people some of the benefits of not eating meat. Don't worry, the group isn't trying to convert you. It just wants to show you that it's possible to go a day, a week or even a month without eating meat and still have plenty of yummy and healthy options.

Personally, I consider myself a flexitarian. I only eat meat if it's served to me or if I'm at a restaurant and the vegetarian options aren't that great. Or on that rare occasion when I just want a turkey sandwich. For me it wasn't a big moment when I realized eating meat was wrong, or anything like that. Touching raw meat in the kitchen just kind of grosses me out.

So in honor of Vegetarian Awareness Month, I present you with a challenge. Check out some of the great vegetarian resources from USA.gov and explore some vegetarian recipes and lifecycle information available. Pick a recipe and try it. You might be surprised to find that a diet based in fruits, vegetables and healthy grains tastes better than you expected.

Do you consider yourself a vegetarian? 

| Post a Comment | View Comments [14] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: awareness   diet   eating   jess   vegetables   vegetarian  

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