Crowd Sprout is a site that allows users to create or join groups to purchase the same item and decrease the prices.
Because I buy so many store brands I don’t know if this one is for me. Buy a $4.95 per month membership with Select Coupon Program and you can order $25 worth of your favorite coupons to be mailed to you.
Check out About U for a wide variety of free online courses sent to you by email.
If I was having money problems (and thank God I’m not at this moment!) I would be tempted to look further into using Thrive.
Spare Ground helps you to “make the most of your space.” Rent or look to use everything from parking spaces to unused gardens to spare rooms.
I would be really interested to hear from anyone who has tried Qassia and what your experience has been.
Saturday
Friday
Can You Make a Living Without a Job?
I just finished reading very useful and informative book by Barbara J. Winter entitled How to Make a Living Without a Job.
The Authors Background
She describes how she went from a flustered English Lit teacher to founding her own training and publication firm. Moving to California in the mid-seventies and immersing herself in the Human Potential Movement resulted in her observation that no matter what program her fellow students studied, if their self-esteem was raised they wanted to be self employed.
Why Become Joyfully Jobless?
A brief history of self-employment in America points out the how the Industrial Revolution changed the ratio of 9 in 10 Americans working for themselves to 9 in 10 today working for someone else. Many of us commit a third of our time to doing something we don’t care about. Being self employed is about how to make a life, not just a living. She calls it being “Joyfully Jobless.”
During her workshops she found many common reasons people wanted to be self employed included wanting more control over their lives, their work was no longer challenging, wanting to pursue their dreams, and wanting to find something beyond just making money doing a job they dislike. She states most people just stumble into the work they do and eventually become unhappy with what they do for a living. Sound familiar? She relates staying in a job you hate to victims of spousal abuse that refuse to leave the abuser. She calls being in a job you dislike dysfunctional behavior and “a hideous form of self-sabotage.”
How to Begin
She starts with the foundation to becoming self employed; working on your self esteem. “Self employment is the child of self-discovery and self-esteem.” She offers multiple questions to ask yourself and checklists concerning the health of your self esteem. Some of these can be eye opening.
Figuring out your goals is another early priority, along with assessing your skills. She points out some of the biggest obstacles to becoming self employed can be the people around you, who don’t have any experience with it and are fearful.
One entire chapter is devoted to Multiple Profit Centers, explaining how the concept works. She gives many examples of personal service businesses that have been successful for others.
The One Hundred Dollar Test
My favorite idea she presents is the $100 test, which she borrowed from Phil Lant. It goes like this: consider your money making idea and ask yourself if you will stick with it until you receive $100 from it. After your first $100, decide if you want to continue with it. If it took too long to earn it and you can’t figure out how to speed it up, or you got bored, that is your signal to move on to your next idea.
Is It Worth The Read?
While the book has a copyright date of 1993 I did not notice any glaring information that dated it. At a few points I found myself skimming because I had already done what she was writing about. She gives so many examples of other peoples success stories that I finally gave up reading every single one of them because I was anxious to get on to her next idea. If you find yourself dreaming about becoming self employed one of the first things to do is wake up and find a copy of this book.
The Authors Background
She describes how she went from a flustered English Lit teacher to founding her own training and publication firm. Moving to California in the mid-seventies and immersing herself in the Human Potential Movement resulted in her observation that no matter what program her fellow students studied, if their self-esteem was raised they wanted to be self employed.
Why Become Joyfully Jobless?
A brief history of self-employment in America points out the how the Industrial Revolution changed the ratio of 9 in 10 Americans working for themselves to 9 in 10 today working for someone else. Many of us commit a third of our time to doing something we don’t care about. Being self employed is about how to make a life, not just a living. She calls it being “Joyfully Jobless.”
During her workshops she found many common reasons people wanted to be self employed included wanting more control over their lives, their work was no longer challenging, wanting to pursue their dreams, and wanting to find something beyond just making money doing a job they dislike. She states most people just stumble into the work they do and eventually become unhappy with what they do for a living. Sound familiar? She relates staying in a job you hate to victims of spousal abuse that refuse to leave the abuser. She calls being in a job you dislike dysfunctional behavior and “a hideous form of self-sabotage.”
How to Begin
She starts with the foundation to becoming self employed; working on your self esteem. “Self employment is the child of self-discovery and self-esteem.” She offers multiple questions to ask yourself and checklists concerning the health of your self esteem. Some of these can be eye opening.
Figuring out your goals is another early priority, along with assessing your skills. She points out some of the biggest obstacles to becoming self employed can be the people around you, who don’t have any experience with it and are fearful.
One entire chapter is devoted to Multiple Profit Centers, explaining how the concept works. She gives many examples of personal service businesses that have been successful for others.
The One Hundred Dollar Test
My favorite idea she presents is the $100 test, which she borrowed from Phil Lant. It goes like this: consider your money making idea and ask yourself if you will stick with it until you receive $100 from it. After your first $100, decide if you want to continue with it. If it took too long to earn it and you can’t figure out how to speed it up, or you got bored, that is your signal to move on to your next idea.
Is It Worth The Read?
While the book has a copyright date of 1993 I did not notice any glaring information that dated it. At a few points I found myself skimming because I had already done what she was writing about. She gives so many examples of other peoples success stories that I finally gave up reading every single one of them because I was anxious to get on to her next idea. If you find yourself dreaming about becoming self employed one of the first things to do is wake up and find a copy of this book.
Wednesday
10 Free Barter & Swap Sites
During the current economic climate people are rediscovering the advantages of bartering and swapping. Using items they have or skills they can offer in exchange for what they need can be a great money saving option.
My most recent bartering experience was with my buddy to till my garden. When he was done we gave him a package of steaks from our freezer. We were able to plant our garden and he got a nice meal. If what you are looking to barter or trade for is not available from friends and family here are some online options you can try.
Craigslist has a section devoted exclusively to bartering. Just post what you are looking for and what you have to exchange.
Swap Treasures – Swap, barter, buy, and sell goods and services.
U-Exchange – Barter services and items and trade everything from houses to motorcycles.
Favor Pals – Swap services with others. If you know what you want but not what to give they offer a “hints list” of ideas.
UISwap – Buy, sell, trade, barter and swap…with live chat.
Swap At Home - Post items you don’t want anymore for coupons then use the coupons to get items you want.
Trade Attic – Register with them to buy, sell and trade your stuff.
Barter Quest - Post what you have and what you want and they will try to match you with others.
Swap Online – This site is purely for trading and bartering your services and items.
Labor Trader – Buy, sell or trade local services.
Related Posts:
Do It Yourself Clubs
Offer Your Services for Barter or Cash
My most recent bartering experience was with my buddy to till my garden. When he was done we gave him a package of steaks from our freezer. We were able to plant our garden and he got a nice meal. If what you are looking to barter or trade for is not available from friends and family here are some online options you can try.
Craigslist has a section devoted exclusively to bartering. Just post what you are looking for and what you have to exchange.
Swap Treasures – Swap, barter, buy, and sell goods and services.
U-Exchange – Barter services and items and trade everything from houses to motorcycles.
Favor Pals – Swap services with others. If you know what you want but not what to give they offer a “hints list” of ideas.
UISwap – Buy, sell, trade, barter and swap…with live chat.
Swap At Home - Post items you don’t want anymore for coupons then use the coupons to get items you want.
Trade Attic – Register with them to buy, sell and trade your stuff.
Barter Quest - Post what you have and what you want and they will try to match you with others.
Swap Online – This site is purely for trading and bartering your services and items.
Labor Trader – Buy, sell or trade local services.
Related Posts:
Do It Yourself Clubs
Offer Your Services for Barter or Cash
Monday
Remember The Cost of Freedom
“Let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Saturday
Weekly Roundup
The Buck List participated in the 65th Edition of the Money Hacks Carnival. Check it out for articles on banking, debt, jobs, saving money and investing. Thanks to the host for including my post.
Wise Bread has a fun little post on 25 Places to Look for Spare Change.
If you are interested in starting a home party business check out this list compiled by Dane Carlson of 160+ Party Plan Businesses.
Search for free books at Free Book Quest. For more options check out 10 Great Resources For Free Books.
Visit Handyman USA with your do-it-yourself questions, or if you are looking for a contractor in your area.
Wise Bread has a fun little post on 25 Places to Look for Spare Change.
If you are interested in starting a home party business check out this list compiled by Dane Carlson of 160+ Party Plan Businesses.
Search for free books at Free Book Quest. For more options check out 10 Great Resources For Free Books.
Visit Handyman USA with your do-it-yourself questions, or if you are looking for a contractor in your area.
Friday
Six Great Gardening Websites
My wife and I have been gardening together for a few years now and every season we learn a bit more about it. The small vegetable garden in back under the big oak tree is our guaranteed annual producer of frustration and joy. Being partly shaded, only so many things will grow there well. We have decided this year to give up the peppers altogether, but will continue with tomatoes, zucchini and green beans.
We began gardening before most people had a personal computer, so a few hand me down Jerry Baker pamphlets and a generic gardening book from a garage sale got us started, along with advice given by those with more experience. Today there are so many online resources that it is hard to decide where to start. To that end I have put together a few personal favorites that could be beneficial for both those just getting started and the old green thumbed pros.
Mother Earth News – If you have never visited this HAS to be your first stop. If you have you already know why.
ATTRA.org – Make sure to check out their Soils & Compost and Organic Farming sections for some fantastic advice and downloadable PDF articles.
The Dollar Stretcher has compiled a large index on gardening articles.
Sharing Sustainable Solutions – Start with the collection of articles in their food section and then take some time to explore the rest of the site.
Soil and Health Library – The Agriculture Library section has a large collection of online books on farming, gardening and soil fertility, among other topics.
My Garden Guide – In addition to their plant encyclopedia, tutorials and guides they offer a blog called The Daily Dirt.
If you don’t have the space for a garden look into community gardening.
Do you have a large enough space to produce more than what you can eat, can, freeze or give away? Consider the advice offered by Growing For Market.
Are you are unable to or not interested in gardening but would still like to enjoy fresh organic food? Check out Local Harvest to locate products in your area.
Finally, check your phone book or search online for your local cooperative extension office for additional gardening information and soil analysis.
We began gardening before most people had a personal computer, so a few hand me down Jerry Baker pamphlets and a generic gardening book from a garage sale got us started, along with advice given by those with more experience. Today there are so many online resources that it is hard to decide where to start. To that end I have put together a few personal favorites that could be beneficial for both those just getting started and the old green thumbed pros.
Mother Earth News – If you have never visited this HAS to be your first stop. If you have you already know why.
ATTRA.org – Make sure to check out their Soils & Compost and Organic Farming sections for some fantastic advice and downloadable PDF articles.
The Dollar Stretcher has compiled a large index on gardening articles.
Sharing Sustainable Solutions – Start with the collection of articles in their food section and then take some time to explore the rest of the site.
Soil and Health Library – The Agriculture Library section has a large collection of online books on farming, gardening and soil fertility, among other topics.
My Garden Guide – In addition to their plant encyclopedia, tutorials and guides they offer a blog called The Daily Dirt.
If you don’t have the space for a garden look into community gardening.
Do you have a large enough space to produce more than what you can eat, can, freeze or give away? Consider the advice offered by Growing For Market.
Are you are unable to or not interested in gardening but would still like to enjoy fresh organic food? Check out Local Harvest to locate products in your area.
Finally, check your phone book or search online for your local cooperative extension office for additional gardening information and soil analysis.
Wednesday
Sell Your Stuff Online - Some Other Options
While eBay, Amazon and Craigslist all have individual strengths they bring to the online selling experience, there ARE other options to selling your stuff online. In no particular order here are a few other sites to try.
4 Sale 4 Now – You decide on a fair initial price to list your item at and decide how large of a discount you will allow during the buying process. Their listing fee is $2 and the final sale fee is 4% of the sale.
Alibris – Another option to sell your books, music, movies, etc. Their basic program, for sellers listing fewer than 1,000 items monthly, charges $1 per item sold, 15% commission and a $19.99 annual fee, but no monthly fees.
CeX – This site has predetermined what they will pay for games, DVD’s, electronics and other items. Search for what you have for sale and see what they will pay for it.
Oodle – Post ads for free for the items you have for sale and Oodle distributes it to hundreds of other classifieds sites.
The CD Exchange – Sell your CD’s and DVD’s on this site. Type in what you have and they will send you a quote. If it amounts to over $25 they will pay S & H.
Wherehouse - Sell them your CD’s, DVD’s and games. Type in the title of what you have to find out what they are paying.
Wigix – List your stuff for sale for free with no fees for items below $25.
New Era Antiques – Have any old electronics sitting around, or wondering what that radio from Aunt Mary is worth? Give NEA a try.
Related Posts:
Selling on Craigslist
Sell Your Books
Sell Your CDs & DVDs
4 Sale 4 Now – You decide on a fair initial price to list your item at and decide how large of a discount you will allow during the buying process. Their listing fee is $2 and the final sale fee is 4% of the sale.
Alibris – Another option to sell your books, music, movies, etc. Their basic program, for sellers listing fewer than 1,000 items monthly, charges $1 per item sold, 15% commission and a $19.99 annual fee, but no monthly fees.
CeX – This site has predetermined what they will pay for games, DVD’s, electronics and other items. Search for what you have for sale and see what they will pay for it.
Oodle – Post ads for free for the items you have for sale and Oodle distributes it to hundreds of other classifieds sites.
The CD Exchange – Sell your CD’s and DVD’s on this site. Type in what you have and they will send you a quote. If it amounts to over $25 they will pay S & H.
Wherehouse - Sell them your CD’s, DVD’s and games. Type in the title of what you have to find out what they are paying.
Wigix – List your stuff for sale for free with no fees for items below $25.
New Era Antiques – Have any old electronics sitting around, or wondering what that radio from Aunt Mary is worth? Give NEA a try.
Related Posts:
Selling on Craigslist
Sell Your Books
Sell Your CDs & DVDs
Monday
Are You Working or Playing?
“Success is when you don’t know if you’re working or you’re playing.”
Warren Beaty
When I first read that quote I thought of Beatys mischievous smile, and could picture him saying it. I am not at the point he was when he said it, but I’m working on it. Blogging, writing, selling things online and freelancing are currently how I make my money, and I am enjoying the chance to be able to pursue what I enjoy. Even if I don’t reach the point where the line between working and playing is erased, I have enjoyed trying.
Warren Beaty
When I first read that quote I thought of Beatys mischievous smile, and could picture him saying it. I am not at the point he was when he said it, but I’m working on it. Blogging, writing, selling things online and freelancing are currently how I make my money, and I am enjoying the chance to be able to pursue what I enjoy. Even if I don’t reach the point where the line between working and playing is erased, I have enjoyed trying.
Saturday
Weekly Roundup
The Buck List participated in two carnivals recently. Check out the Carnival of Family Life: In Praise of Mom Edition and The 177th Festival of Frugality for articles on cooking, finance, health, frugal tips and more. Thanks to the hosts for including my posts.
Check out how to stop junk mail, email and phone calls.
Read the interesting answers this post entitled Have You Learned to Be More Self-sufficient?
I liked this article on The Power of a Hundred Bucks.
Blink List lets you save and share links and view what others have saved.
Garage Sale Hunter is a free site to list your garage sale or view others in your area.
Check out how to stop junk mail, email and phone calls.
Read the interesting answers this post entitled Have You Learned to Be More Self-sufficient?
I liked this article on The Power of a Hundred Bucks.
Blink List lets you save and share links and view what others have saved.
Garage Sale Hunter is a free site to list your garage sale or view others in your area.
Friday
Nine Ways to Find a Job or Work at Home
There seems to be no end to work from home or employment sites. Whether you are currently between jobs or looking for a way to make some extra money on the side there are a lot of websites to help with your hunt. This is a subject I have found myself writing quite a bit about on The Buck List, so make sure to go back and read my previous posts. Start with the first one I wrote, and how to find seasonal work. Check out how to offer your services for barter or cash, as well as My Find a Job series consisting of Part One, Part Two, and Part Three. I wrote about some work from home ideas, as well as 10 Interesting Ways to Make Some Side Cash.
On to the newest batch:
Workstir – Register for a free account, fill out your profile and they will send an email whenever there is a new job posted in your area, or a daily summary of listings. They also provide a rating system to recognize good work.
Great Green Careers - As you might be able to guess from the website name they specialize in finding jobs in the energy and environment sectors, skilled trades and the transportation field. Create an account and post your resume.
Short Task - You decide what tasks you want to work on and when. What are the tasks? They describe them as “something as simple as arranging information, researching an article, posting a link to a website, filling out a form, or making a phone call. The list of tasks you can do on Short Task is almost endless.”
My First Paycheck – Created by a teenager and her older brother, this site offers job listings, advice and other resources for kids looking for employment.
Laid Off Camp – They state simply that they exist “as a resource for anyone without a full-time job.” The site offers advice, a job board, and a wiki as well as where Laid Off Camps are being held and how to organize you own.
Crazy Hot Job – They list ONE job per day, but it is a “crazy hot job.”
Rat Race Rebellion – They provide a sizeable list of screened work at home job leads, as well as advice and resources. It’s worth bookmarking and spending some time looking around.
Home-Based Working Moms – They are a “professional association and online community of parents who work at home and those who would like to.” A nice networking resource, too.
Work-At-Home Success – Another good site to explore if you want to work at home. Offers short, to the point advice and work from home ideas and resources.
On to the newest batch:
Workstir – Register for a free account, fill out your profile and they will send an email whenever there is a new job posted in your area, or a daily summary of listings. They also provide a rating system to recognize good work.
Great Green Careers - As you might be able to guess from the website name they specialize in finding jobs in the energy and environment sectors, skilled trades and the transportation field. Create an account and post your resume.
Short Task - You decide what tasks you want to work on and when. What are the tasks? They describe them as “something as simple as arranging information, researching an article, posting a link to a website, filling out a form, or making a phone call. The list of tasks you can do on Short Task is almost endless.”
My First Paycheck – Created by a teenager and her older brother, this site offers job listings, advice and other resources for kids looking for employment.
Laid Off Camp – They state simply that they exist “as a resource for anyone without a full-time job.” The site offers advice, a job board, and a wiki as well as where Laid Off Camps are being held and how to organize you own.
Crazy Hot Job – They list ONE job per day, but it is a “crazy hot job.”
Rat Race Rebellion – They provide a sizeable list of screened work at home job leads, as well as advice and resources. It’s worth bookmarking and spending some time looking around.
Home-Based Working Moms – They are a “professional association and online community of parents who work at home and those who would like to.” A nice networking resource, too.
Work-At-Home Success – Another good site to explore if you want to work at home. Offers short, to the point advice and work from home ideas and resources.
Wednesday
Eight Useful and Free Phone Apps
Sometime in the 1980’s some friends and I were hanging out at a local park when another friend showed up with a “mobile phone.” He had a construction business and thought he needed it. None of us had ever seen one and didn’t think it was a real phone, but more of a walkie-talkie. He offered to let a couple of us try it, quickly, because it cost money every time you made a call. I punched in my home phone number and, amazingly, my wife answered. When I told her I was calling from the park on a mobile phone she figured I was calling from a pay phone and teasing her.
What a difference 20 some years makes. According to the ITU at the end of 2008 there were “over 4 billion mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide.” Along with the explosion of cell phone users has come the development of a myriad of ways to use a cell phone. The following are a few I have come across recently. Back at the park in the 80’s if someone had told us phones would soon be able to do all of these things we would have laughed and figured they had been watching too many Star Trek reruns.
Skype – Download their free software to your computer or phone and you can make calls, instant message and make video calls to other Skype users for free. Additional features are available with a pay as you go plan or a subscription.
Bare Site – This site makes mobile browsing easier by stripping unneeded content from websites. They are webbased, rather than browserbased, so there is no download or installation required.
Trap Call – They offer a blocked call unmasking service. When you reject a blocked or restricted call it is sent to Trap Calls servers, unmasked and sent back to you so you know who is calling. They offer several other plans that provide more options starting from $2.95 to $24.95 per month.
Spoof Card – The same company that provides Trap Call also offers Spoof Card, an app to alter your caller ID, phone number, and even change your voice. Their plans range from $10 for 60 minutes up to $80 for 480 minutes.
Google Voice – According to Google, “Google Voice is a service that gives you one number for all your phones, voicemail that is easy as email, and many enhanced calling features like call blocking and screening, voicemail transcripts, call conferencing, international calls, and more. Google Voice is currently available for GrandCentral users only, but will be open to new users soon.” Enter your email address and they will send you an invitation when they are up and running.
Get Human – Okay, it’s not really a phone application, but it can be very useful. This site is a long list of how to bypass phone systems and talk to a live person. At the time of this writing there are 959 businesses listed.
rminder – Sign up for a free account and you can send and receive up to eight voicemail reminder messages. Plans range from $3 per month for 15 reminders
up to $9 per month for 60 reminders.
Slydial – Want to leave a message for someone but you are not in the mood or don’t have the time to risk actually talking to them? This one is for you. Call Slydial, enter the mobile number you want to leave a message with and they connect you directly to their voicemail. They offer a free, ad-supported plan or several ad free plans you can subscribe to at $2.95 per month, $29.95 per year or a pay per use of ten cents.
Bonus sites: Try Contact Help as another resource if you are looking for hard to find company customer service information. If you want to block your phone number from telemarketers don’t forget the National Do Not Call Registry.
What a difference 20 some years makes. According to the ITU at the end of 2008 there were “over 4 billion mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide.” Along with the explosion of cell phone users has come the development of a myriad of ways to use a cell phone. The following are a few I have come across recently. Back at the park in the 80’s if someone had told us phones would soon be able to do all of these things we would have laughed and figured they had been watching too many Star Trek reruns.
Skype – Download their free software to your computer or phone and you can make calls, instant message and make video calls to other Skype users for free. Additional features are available with a pay as you go plan or a subscription.
Bare Site – This site makes mobile browsing easier by stripping unneeded content from websites. They are webbased, rather than browserbased, so there is no download or installation required.
Trap Call – They offer a blocked call unmasking service. When you reject a blocked or restricted call it is sent to Trap Calls servers, unmasked and sent back to you so you know who is calling. They offer several other plans that provide more options starting from $2.95 to $24.95 per month.
Spoof Card – The same company that provides Trap Call also offers Spoof Card, an app to alter your caller ID, phone number, and even change your voice. Their plans range from $10 for 60 minutes up to $80 for 480 minutes.
Google Voice – According to Google, “Google Voice is a service that gives you one number for all your phones, voicemail that is easy as email, and many enhanced calling features like call blocking and screening, voicemail transcripts, call conferencing, international calls, and more. Google Voice is currently available for GrandCentral users only, but will be open to new users soon.” Enter your email address and they will send you an invitation when they are up and running.
Get Human – Okay, it’s not really a phone application, but it can be very useful. This site is a long list of how to bypass phone systems and talk to a live person. At the time of this writing there are 959 businesses listed.
rminder – Sign up for a free account and you can send and receive up to eight voicemail reminder messages. Plans range from $3 per month for 15 reminders
up to $9 per month for 60 reminders.
Slydial – Want to leave a message for someone but you are not in the mood or don’t have the time to risk actually talking to them? This one is for you. Call Slydial, enter the mobile number you want to leave a message with and they connect you directly to their voicemail. They offer a free, ad-supported plan or several ad free plans you can subscribe to at $2.95 per month, $29.95 per year or a pay per use of ten cents.
Bonus sites: Try Contact Help as another resource if you are looking for hard to find company customer service information. If you want to block your phone number from telemarketers don’t forget the National Do Not Call Registry.
Monday
Who Is Rich?
“Who is rich? He who rejoices in what he has.”
The Talmud
My wife and I have loved to shop antique shops and flea markets for years. When I lost my job almost two years ago we decided to put a moratorium on pleasure shopping as one of our first spending reductions. We enjoy changing around the décor of our house using our little collections, and the moratorium meant digging deeper in the boxes of stuff we had in the basement. We have enjoyed rediscovering these things we already had as a wonderful substitute to buying more.
The Talmud
My wife and I have loved to shop antique shops and flea markets for years. When I lost my job almost two years ago we decided to put a moratorium on pleasure shopping as one of our first spending reductions. We enjoy changing around the décor of our house using our little collections, and the moratorium meant digging deeper in the boxes of stuff we had in the basement. We have enjoyed rediscovering these things we already had as a wonderful substitute to buying more.
Saturday
Weekly Roundup
Have some old electronics you need to recycle? Check out My Bone Yard. Another option is Gazelle.
Another way to get rid of your stuff is to just set it out on the curb. Mike Morone of New York is promoting sort of a national Curb Day to be held on May 16th.
If you are interested in foraging for edible weeds, or just enjoy a good story, take some time to visit a blog by Dr. Peter Gail, Doc Weed’s Doin’s.
Have you been thinking about taking vocal or music lessons or finding someone to teach your child? Check out Take Lessons.
It’s finally time for us gardeners to start getting our hands dirty. Before you plant read this article on tips for better garden soil.
Have a great weekend and Happy Mothers Day to all you moms!
Another way to get rid of your stuff is to just set it out on the curb. Mike Morone of New York is promoting sort of a national Curb Day to be held on May 16th.
If you are interested in foraging for edible weeds, or just enjoy a good story, take some time to visit a blog by Dr. Peter Gail, Doc Weed’s Doin’s.
Have you been thinking about taking vocal or music lessons or finding someone to teach your child? Check out Take Lessons.
It’s finally time for us gardeners to start getting our hands dirty. Before you plant read this article on tips for better garden soil.
Have a great weekend and Happy Mothers Day to all you moms!
Friday
20 Ideas To Keep The Kids Busy This Summer
It’s that time of the year again: the lilacs are blooming, bees are buzzing and parents of school age children are wondering “What are we going to do to keep the kids busy all summer?” The first few weeks usually take care of themselves while the kids are decompressing from school and are content to eat, sleep and play video games. Eventually you will hear those words that every parent dreads, “I’m bored.” Don’t be caught unprepared when it comes; if they pick up the scent of parental befuddlement they become relentlessly bored.
Most kids, once they learn how, love to swim. Buy them a season pass at the city pool.
If there is a theme park near you ask if they offer seasonal passes.
Buy them a cheap package of squirt guns rather than water balloons. The guns will get dropped and stepped on and break but are easier to pick up at the end of the day than a hundred bits of balloon pieces.
Most public libraries offer free reading programs with incentives and prizes.
The YMCA has offered wonderful, wholesome programs for years, as have the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the 4-H.
Take them to the local roller skating rink. Kids will skate for hours at a time.
Tour a public garden.
Watch for when the circus comes around.
Summer camp is another option. The American Camp Association is a great resource to learn what camp is and where to find them in your area.
Senior care centers love to have children visit their residents, and the old folks like it, too. Call one close to you and ask about arrangements.
The local zoo and aquarium are always favorites. The purchase of a membership could get you free or reduced rates to over 160 zoos and aquariums across the country that participate in the reciprocity program. That can be a great money saver if you are planning on traveling with the kids this summer.
Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA are excellent programs for kids any time of the year.
Go fishing.
Take them to your local museum. While they might roll their eyes at first, once there they almost always end up enjoying the experience.
Have a picnic at your local park and spend the rest of the day there. Pack a few outdoor toys for them and a good book for you.
If your town is large enough to have a parks department find out if they offer programs for children. Also check with your county and state park departments.
Take them on a long walk or bike ride along a trail, or a hike in the woods.
Check out Family Corner for craft ideas and projects.
Most kids, once they learn how, love to swim. Buy them a season pass at the city pool.
If there is a theme park near you ask if they offer seasonal passes.
Buy them a cheap package of squirt guns rather than water balloons. The guns will get dropped and stepped on and break but are easier to pick up at the end of the day than a hundred bits of balloon pieces.
Most public libraries offer free reading programs with incentives and prizes.
The YMCA has offered wonderful, wholesome programs for years, as have the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the 4-H.
Take them to the local roller skating rink. Kids will skate for hours at a time.
Tour a public garden.
Watch for when the circus comes around.
Summer camp is another option. The American Camp Association is a great resource to learn what camp is and where to find them in your area.
Senior care centers love to have children visit their residents, and the old folks like it, too. Call one close to you and ask about arrangements.
The local zoo and aquarium are always favorites. The purchase of a membership could get you free or reduced rates to over 160 zoos and aquariums across the country that participate in the reciprocity program. That can be a great money saver if you are planning on traveling with the kids this summer.
Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA are excellent programs for kids any time of the year.
Go fishing.
Take them to your local museum. While they might roll their eyes at first, once there they almost always end up enjoying the experience.
Have a picnic at your local park and spend the rest of the day there. Pack a few outdoor toys for them and a good book for you.
If your town is large enough to have a parks department find out if they offer programs for children. Also check with your county and state park departments.
Take them on a long walk or bike ride along a trail, or a hike in the woods.
Check out Family Corner for craft ideas and projects.
Wednesday
10 Tips on Finding The Great Morel
Here in Iowa the morel season is upon us. Along with fishing, hunting and gardening, foraging for morels is another way to help lower your grocery bill. You could also make some side cash selling them a farmers market or to your local grocery store.
North of us they grow on sandbars along rivers and west of here they pop up where there have been fires. I have found them during droughts and cold spells and in the pouring down rain, so you really never know for sure what kind of conditions and places they might be growing in. The following are ten general tips to help with your hunt.
- Make sure you know what you are looking for. Go out several times with someone with experience and check out websites and guidebooks on the subject. Picking and eating the wrong thing can be deadly.
- If you are not hunting public ground always get the owners permission.
- Soil temperature must be just right. Here in Iowa the ideal temps are between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Air temperature is also very important. In Iowa the ideal range is 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Check your local extension website for current soil and
air temps. - The soil you are hunting on should be damp, not dry or saturated.
- Look on woodland hills and slopes. Southern facing hills are preferred for early in the season because they get the most warmth.
- Search under trees that have died the previous year or two. Morels are attracted to the very fine decaying root system just below the surface. Most trees root systems are twice the diameter of their crowns, so don’t look only around the trunk.
- Look along small streams, close to the edge.
- Walk a grassy field next to a woodlot.
- Take a walking stick with you. They come in handy not only for those hills but also for pushing sticker bushes out of your way.
Some people like to use them in soups and casseroles, but I almost always just fry them up. To prepare cut them in half, dip in an egg and milk batter, then roll in flower or crushed crackers, and fry in butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Throw away any that are not hollow; they are false morels and can make you sick. If you want to save some for later cook them half through, lay them out on a cookie sheet and put it in your freezer. When they are frozen put them in a freezer bag and store for a special occasion later in the year.
The following are some morel websites that might be useful:
Morel Mushroom Evolution and Biology - Very interesting read. While there check out some of his other articles.
www.morels.com - They have message boards for each state that morels grow in.
Morel Mania – “The world's number one supplier of morel mushroom products.”
Morels and More – They offer tips and some morel products. While there your cursor turns into a morel with a big cheesy grin.
The Great Morel – This is an extensive site. Visit when you have time to stick around.
Do you have any tips or advice to add? Leave a comment!
Monday
When It Is Better To Spend Than To Save
“Life is something to be spent, not saved.”
D.H. Lawrence
That quote is a great reminder to get up off your stump and do something today, not tomorrow. When I read it the first things I thought of was someone parachuting for the first time or rafting a wild river. But it could also mean just turning off that television and going for a walk or taking some time off of work and taking the kids to a park. My spending today involved getting out of the house and going fishing with my neighbor again. It not only looked like a good day to go fishing, it was one.
D.H. Lawrence
That quote is a great reminder to get up off your stump and do something today, not tomorrow. When I read it the first things I thought of was someone parachuting for the first time or rafting a wild river. But it could also mean just turning off that television and going for a walk or taking some time off of work and taking the kids to a park. My spending today involved getting out of the house and going fishing with my neighbor again. It not only looked like a good day to go fishing, it was one.
Saturday
Weekly Roundup
The Buck List participated in one carnival last week, the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights #4. Check it out for articles on investing, retirement and frugal living, among many others. Thanks to the host for including my post.
If you suddenly died how would your family gain access to all of your online accounts? The Legacy Locker might have a solution to that scenario.
AARP put out a great list of 50 Thrifty Ideas.
I joined Spicypage recently. I haven’t really used it yet, but I will get around to it. Looks like it might be fun to use and a way to find a few more Buck List readers.
Suffering from writers block? Trying to come up with a subject for a paper or a blog post idea? Visit the Idea Generator for some inspiration.
If interested you can get a little background on me starting with this post. In the next two following it I describe what I did in the first few months after loosing my job of 18 years.
Finally, check out this collection of interesting Google sites, including Tip Jar.
Have a great weekend!
If you suddenly died how would your family gain access to all of your online accounts? The Legacy Locker might have a solution to that scenario.
AARP put out a great list of 50 Thrifty Ideas.
I joined Spicypage recently. I haven’t really used it yet, but I will get around to it. Looks like it might be fun to use and a way to find a few more Buck List readers.
Suffering from writers block? Trying to come up with a subject for a paper or a blog post idea? Visit the Idea Generator for some inspiration.
If interested you can get a little background on me starting with this post. In the next two following it I describe what I did in the first few months after loosing my job of 18 years.
Finally, check out this collection of interesting Google sites, including Tip Jar.
Have a great weekend!
Friday
An Interview with Pinyo from Moolanomy
Pinyo is a thirty something personal finance blogger living in New York with his stay at home wife and small son. With English as a second language he began blogging to help improve his writing skills and to try to make “a little side-income.” One of his goals is to build a $1 million investment portfolio by 2017.
My opinion is he runs some of the best personal finance sites on the web. After asking Pinyo to include The Buck List on one of his sites (which he generously did) I asked if he would give a short interview. He agreed…
Buck: First, give us a little background on yourself.
Pinyo: Well, I am just a typical 30-something person. I have a wife and a son. I work full-time. The only thing that set me apart from most other 30-somthing is that I am also a blogger -- but blogging is becoming a common thing too. If you're interested in learning a bit more, I wrote a post about who I am and why I blog recently.
Buck: Tell us what Greatnexus is and the purpose behind it.
Pinyo: Greatnexus is a news reading site that brings together headlines from news sources, social media sites, discussion forums, blogs, and other content sites. The front page is focused on mainstream news and social media headlines. However, the rest of the site is organized into topical categories so that readers can drill down and focus on topics that they are interested in.
I started Greatnexus as a way for me to quickly stay on top of the personal finance and SEO niche. After a while, I decided to expand the number of topics and sites, and then made it public.
Buck: What inspired you to you to create Greatnexus when you are so busy with other projects?
Pinyo: I am a naturally curious type who likes to experiment and build things. I guess starting sites like Greatnexus and Personal Finance Buzz is just a way for me to satisfy that compulsion.
Buck: Out of everything you do, what do you think you have the greatest passion for and why?
Pinyo: If we limit this question to just my hobbies, the answer is working on my websites; especially Moolanomy Personal Finance. I think I like it so much because working on my sites allow me to do several things all at once: improve my technical and writing skills and knowledge, improve my finances (you can't help but learn more when you write about something almost everyday), increase and diversify my income (yes, I make a bit of money from these sites too), meet and network with different people, and help other people by sharing what I've learned.
Buck: Finally, can you tell us about any upcoming projects or what direction you will be heading in the future?
Pinyo: Right now, I don't have anything big and different in the works. I am just focusing on writing for my blogs and making incremental improvements on my sites. However, you never know.
Buck: Thanks Pinyo, and keep up the good work.
Pinyo: Well, Buck. Thank you for this interview and the opportunity to share my story with your readers.
My opinion is he runs some of the best personal finance sites on the web. After asking Pinyo to include The Buck List on one of his sites (which he generously did) I asked if he would give a short interview. He agreed…
Buck: First, give us a little background on yourself.
Pinyo: Well, I am just a typical 30-something person. I have a wife and a son. I work full-time. The only thing that set me apart from most other 30-somthing is that I am also a blogger -- but blogging is becoming a common thing too. If you're interested in learning a bit more, I wrote a post about who I am and why I blog recently.
Buck: Tell us what Greatnexus is and the purpose behind it.
Pinyo: Greatnexus is a news reading site that brings together headlines from news sources, social media sites, discussion forums, blogs, and other content sites. The front page is focused on mainstream news and social media headlines. However, the rest of the site is organized into topical categories so that readers can drill down and focus on topics that they are interested in.
I started Greatnexus as a way for me to quickly stay on top of the personal finance and SEO niche. After a while, I decided to expand the number of topics and sites, and then made it public.
Buck: What inspired you to you to create Greatnexus when you are so busy with other projects?
Pinyo: I am a naturally curious type who likes to experiment and build things. I guess starting sites like Greatnexus and Personal Finance Buzz is just a way for me to satisfy that compulsion.
Buck: Out of everything you do, what do you think you have the greatest passion for and why?
Pinyo: If we limit this question to just my hobbies, the answer is working on my websites; especially Moolanomy Personal Finance. I think I like it so much because working on my sites allow me to do several things all at once: improve my technical and writing skills and knowledge, improve my finances (you can't help but learn more when you write about something almost everyday), increase and diversify my income (yes, I make a bit of money from these sites too), meet and network with different people, and help other people by sharing what I've learned.
Buck: Finally, can you tell us about any upcoming projects or what direction you will be heading in the future?
Pinyo: Right now, I don't have anything big and different in the works. I am just focusing on writing for my blogs and making incremental improvements on my sites. However, you never know.
Buck: Thanks Pinyo, and keep up the good work.
Pinyo: Well, Buck. Thank you for this interview and the opportunity to share my story with your readers.
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