Nothing is Neutral

Nothing in the universe is neutral. It either costs or it contributes.
- Stewart Emery –

This curious quote surfaced in a book I read a while ago and I wrote it down to keep and ponder because it struck me as being incorrect, to the extreme. I don’t know who Mr. Emery is/was or the context in which this statement was made, so my comments could very likely be way off. As a stand alone statement on the workings of the universe it made me think first, curiously, of my front lawn. It was the first example I thought of that both costs me money but also contributes to the value of my house. When I plant a garden again this spring it will cost me money in seeds and starter plants and watering; but it will contribute by giving me exercise and eventually harvested food. Thinking of the woods around me, and the give and take of nature in general, the only way I could agree with the quote is if it read “It both costs and it contributes.”

Recent Carnivals

This latest batch of carnivals The Buck List has participated in offer posts about how to find employment, the effects of inflation and how to save money on groceries, among dozens of other topics. Take the time to check them out and thank you to the hosts for including my posts.

Carnival of Internships, Careers, & Employment

Carnival of Financial Planning

Festival of Frugality

Save Money on Meds

I know several people taking medications on a regular basis. They have an enlarged this, or an inflamed that; a weak part here, or something else that has already given out. I know one very nice lady that has had a heart attack and refuses to take anything for it. She has decided that God will tend to what He needs to, if He is willing.

Most of us, if we live long enough, will eventually have to face the prospect of taking drugs to regulate our bodily functions or to alleviate our symptoms.

The frugal question is: How do you get the highest quality drugs you need for the lowest price? One option is to purchase what you need using the internet. Begin your search with The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Formed in 1904, their mission statement says “The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy is the independent, international, and impartial association that assists its member boards and jurisdictions in developing, implementing, and enforcing uniform standards for the purpose of protecting the public health.” They offer, through the VIPPS section their site, 16 recommended internet pharmacies such as Caremark and Walgreens, as well as sites NOT recommended. When deciding on an internet pharmacy good customer support is a must. Also check for insurance participation and if you can buy in bulk.

Depending on your age and insurance coverage the AARP Medicare Prescription Drug Plans might have some options worth your exploration.

Another idea, if you need drugs to treat a temporary illness, is to ask your doctor for free samples.

Take a Stroll Down Money Aisle

Have you ever wondered why there is not a site like Lending Tree that offers investments, rather than loans? Me either, but there is one: Money Aisle.

They offer to provide you the best rates for CD’s and savings accounts by using their “free test drive” feature. Choose a CD or savings option, the amount you want to invest, and your location. Banks registered with the site (all FDIC members) then bid to offer the highest rate to you in a real time display. If you want to accept the offer, register with Money Aisle. They also have a CD laddering option.

While I was testing out the site there were 71 to 94 banks involved in the bidding process. I used my location in Iowa for all my variations. Over the course of four days the best offers I received were as follows:

2.40% APY for $1,000 savings.

2.51% APY for $5,000 savings.

$1,000 3 month CD got me a no bid as being too low of a deposit. They suggested I start at $2,500, so I did.

1.26% APY for $2,500 3 month CD.

2.10% APY for $2,500 12 month CD.

2.80% APY for $5,000 12 month CD.

How do these rates compare to your local bank or other online options you know of? Are they competitive?

What is Self-Esteem?

I am rereading a book by Barbara J. Winter titled “Making A Living Without A Job.” It is about how to find what you really want to do and then making a living doing it. The following quote from her book is her definition of self-esteem.

“So what is self-esteem anyway? It is not self-confidence, with which it is often confused. The difference between the two, it seems to me, is this: you can’t fake self-esteem, for it is, quite simply, the high regard that you have for yourself. It begins to grow the moment that you give up wanting to be someone else and respect your own talents and temperament.”

Recent Carnivals

The Buck List participated in the following carnivals recently. Check them out for some good articles on everything from gardening tips to retirement planning.

My thanks to the carnival hosts for including my posts.

Carnival of Homesteading – St Patrick’s Day Edition

Boomers & Seniors: News You Can Use

Recession Obsession – Second Edition

Road to Financial Independence

Find A Job - Part Three

This is the third and final (for now) part of this series. If you missed the first two make sure you check out Part One and Part Two.

The last figures I read indicated unemployment at over 8%. While many people would find it hard to replace their current pay grade and benefits at a new job, when you are forced out sometimes you have to take what is available just to continue paying the bills.

As with all of the previous sites listed here I have searched each of the following for my location here in Iowa, and there were jobs listed on 3 out of the 5.

SnagAJob – They claim they are “the #1 source for hourly and part-time jobs, we connect job seekers with more than 100,000 active job listings from top employers across the country.” You can register with them and receive job email alerts. When I searched for my area the results came back with 168 openings, within a 20 mile radius, for mostly restaurant and retail jobs.

USA Jobs – The official job site of the United States Federal Government. Create an account, look for a job, get informed. My local search returned 29 positions, none of which I was qualified for.

US Census – They say recruiting has mostly ended, but it might still be worth a try for your area. Searching for my area led to a frustrating 10 minutes and no job listings.

Vault – A little higher end site, but maybe still worth a search. They say they are “the indispensable provider of information and solutions for professionals and students who are pursuing and managing high-potential careers.” A search for my area produced nothing.

Yahoo Hot Jobs – This one is a little more like it. The best out of this batch for variety and number of jobs listed, at least for my area. 299 jobs listed, from retail to engineering to management.

Have you been looking for a job? Tried any of these sites? How did it go?

Federal Frugality?

Federal frugality is a rather sad oxymoron, and has been for quite a few years. While they might not practice what they preach, the advice they offer on various websites can still be pretty solid. Considering the amount of overlap of efforts at the federal level the following sites are probably just the tip of the iceberg of what they offer, but these were the three floating around in my favorites.

FCIC – They offer consumer information on cars, food, money, travel and everything in between. You can order the booklets they offer by mail or from their site. Quite a few are free and many are available as pdf versions for download. Check out their blog, GovGab, during your visit.

FTC – The Consumer Protection part of this site gives tips on how to avoid fraud and deception when buying almost anything, while surfing the internet, while considering charitable giving, and on and on. Make sure you visit “The Mall” to meet wacky FTC characters such as T-Bone, Mama Toni and Ovenry Man.

U.S. DOE – Here you can find all kinds of energy and money saving ideas and tips for your home and vehicle, and what the current tax credits are for energy efficient improvements to your home. Check out the Energy Savers Booklet available for download while you are there.

And An Enormous Debt To Boot!

I came across the following quote a few days ago and it made me think of several administrations of the past, and the path the current one is on as well.

"We are spending more money than we have ever spent before and it does not work. I want to see this country prosperous. I want to see people get a job. We have never made good on our promises. I say after eight years of this administration we have just as much unemployment as when we started and an enormous debt to boot."

FDR’s Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Morgenthau, Jr. in 1939.

Such simple concepts as spend less than you earn and stay out of debt has been ignored for a long time by many on both the personal and federal level. Here in Iowa our budget by law must be balanced. Think that idea will ever fly in Congress?

Carnivals!

The Buck List participated in five separate but equally interesting and informative carnivals recently. Take the time to check out many well written articles from across the personal finance spectrum.

The Carnival of Personal Development

Festival of Frugality

Money Hacks Carnival

Carnival of Making Real Money

Personal Finance News Carnival

Thank you to the hosts for taking the time to put together such quality carnivals, and for including my Buck List contributions.

10 Great Resources For Free Books

I was researching some local history recently when I came across several references to a book from 1880 that looked like it would be an excellent resource for me to use. Thinking I might find a copy at the state historical library I searched Google first for any additional information I could find. On the first page of my search results was a link to Google Book Search, where all 1,067 pages of this obscure, regional history book had been scanned and was available to download for free.

This reintroduction to Google Book Search was a pleasant surprise, and was a reminder of several other sites that offer “free books.” The following are a great way to save money on buying books; they are easily searchable and take up negligible room on your computer if they are available to download. These sites give you access to an amazing number of resources you might not be able to find anywhere else.

Bartleby – A vast collection of reference, verse, fiction and nonfiction. As of this writing one of the featured books is Gray’s Anatomy of the Human Body including all 1,247 color engravings.

Bibliomania – They have over 2,000 texts available, including fiction, poetry, short stories, drama, interviews and articles.

Books-On-Line – 51,198 books are listed on this directory. Along with a large offering of fiction and non-fiction books they have links to 499 movie scripts.

California Digital Library – Many universities and historical libraries around the country are offering digitized libraries to the general public. I included this one as a good example of what you could find. Don’t forget to check federal sites, too, such as the Library of Congress.

Google Book Search – I have found some kind of reference to every book I have searched for on this site. If they don’t have the text for you to read online or a PDF copy for you to download there is usually a link to buy or borrow what you are looking for.

Many Books – With 24 different download formats to choose from and 23,259 ebooks offered for free, this could be your best option if you like to use a PDA, iPhone or eBook reader.

Project Gutenberg – This Grand Daddy of ebooks seems to have been around forever. Starting with the Declaration of Independence in 1971 on a Xerox mainframe, they encourage anybody and everybody to contribute. You never know what you will find here.

Soil and Health Library – While searching for a book long out of print I discovered this site. Their digitized library subjects include agriculture, health, Personal Sovereignty and Spiritual Freedom.

SurLaLune – This little collection offers over 40 ebooks of fairy tales and folklore anthologies for free. They also have a nice collection of over 1,500 illustrations.

The Universal Digital Library – Their goal in nothing less than to digitize all books. They currently have 48 million titles indexed and operate 50 scanning centers around the world.

As a bonus I have included my Secret Library Tip for you to find free hardcopy books at your local library.

10 Interesting Ways to Make Some Side Cash

These days many of us are VERY interested in finding supplemental income. Poking around in my “Post Ideas” folder produced this list of 10 interesting possibilities to make some side cash.

ChaCha – Like researching and answering all kinds of questions? Register to become a ChaCha Guide. Their FAQ page states Guides make $3 to $9 per hour and have no scheduled commitments of time.

ClickNWork – Register and give them your skills and experience and they will try to match you with the appropriate work. Current opportunities can be found here.

CrossLoop – Are you good at helping people with computer trouble? Wish you could get paid to do it? Get a free account, create a profile and become a Helper.

SpareFoot – Do you have some extra storage space around the place? If so, you might be able to rent it out using this site. You can list (and look) for free.

Mechanical Turk – Their FAQ page explains it best: “Amazon Mechanical Turk is based on the idea that there are still many things that human beings can do much more effectively than computers, such as identifying objects in a photo or video, performing data de-duplication, transcribing audio recordings, or researching data details.” Sign up, find interesting tasks and get paid.

RedesignMe – Create an account and brainstorm about products and services. If participating companies like your ideas you are rewarded by their point system, called RDMs. Earn enough and you can buy products from their online shop. Okay, so it’s not cash, but they do offer gift cards.

RentACoder – Are you a programmer? Register for free then locate and bid on coding projects. They get 15% of the final bid.

Talpa Creative – They describe themselves as “a selective community that offers users a place to be inspired and to be heard. By providing stimulating resources, creative techniques, and motivational challenges, talpacreative.com encourages members to generate dynamic, non-scripted television ideas and get paid for it.”
You have to send in two ideas a month to keep your membership.

UpDown – Sign up for free, build a portfolio with virtual money and try to beat the S&P 500. All members that beat the S&P 500 earn money, with the top monthly performer earning $500.

Zilok – Have stuff sitting around not currently being used, but you don’t want to sell it? Try renting it out. There will be a rental listing fee of ten cents per month starting in April. They also take a commission based on what you rent your items for.

How To Get Rich The Rockefeller Way

“The person who starts out simply with the idea of getting rich won’t succeed; you must have a larger ambition.”

John D. Rockefeller

I think what old John D. was getting at with this quote is you won’t succeed at making your millions until you want to create something of value using your passion and vision. The “larger ambition” is discovering what your passion really is and then creatively pursuing it. Once it is discovered and pursued it might make you rich as a consequence, but your first goal must be the discovery.

Are Thrift Shops Running Dry?

A few weeks ago I was at one of the larger local thrift shops in my city and everything looked normal on the main floor, mostly full of clothes. I headed downstairs and was shocked to find it almost empty. In the huge back room where they have always displayed furniture of all sorts were a few bed frames leaning against the wall, next to a rickety bookshelf and a ratty chair. I remembered this room being full of couches, chairs, kitchen table sets, end tables, desks, etc. for the last 20 years, at least. Not too long after that I stopped at a different shop and, again, there were plenty of clothes but hardly any furniture.

In the last few days I have been reading news reports about thrift shop sales going up while donations are decreasing. That did not make sense to me until I read this press release from the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops. Adele Meyer, Executive Director is quoted, “People who previously gave away clothing, household goods and furniture are seeking other ways to dispose of unwanted items during an economic pinch. Some donate merchandise to a Not For Profit thrift shop and take advantage of the tax deductions while helping a charity raise money. Others may choose to sell or consign merchandise at a local resale shop... turning their 'no longer needed' articles into CASH!"

Because of the current state of the economy people are taking items they might normally donate to a nonprofit thrift shop and are trying to sell it at resale and consignment shops. I would guess another reason for the donation slow down is people are holding onto and using items they would have normally donated because, again, of the economy. Both of the shops I wrote about above were nonprofit shops. Check out The Thrift Shopper to find charity-driven shops in your area.

Is this occurring in your area? Are you using consignment and resale shops to make some side money? Are you shopping more at thrift shops?

Recent Carnivals

The Buck List participated in three carnivals recently. Check them out; there is some good stuff to be found. My thanks to the to the carnival hosts for including my posts.

Carnival of Homesteading – Snow Fall Edition

Carnival of Everything Money: #4

Carnival of Personal Development

Don't Die Farting

Since I was a kid I have loved good quotes. They can seek out, summarize and encapsulate the essence of an idea.

Sometimes they spring forth as individual, self contained expressions, or they can be a part of a larger treatise that begs for a summary.

Case in point, one of my favorite Ben Franklin quotes:

“He that lives upon Hope, dies farting.”

Note he did not say “has hope” but “lives upon.” To live upon hope, rather than using your passion and taking action, produces nothing useful.

An example of how this quote applies to personal finance might be found in an encounter I had at a convenience store last week. It was early afternoon on a weekday and as I entered there was a shabbily dressed man that appeared to be in his sixties, leaning on the front counter scratching lottery tickets while the clerk watched. I got in line behind him to wait my turn. For the next several minutes he continued to order different tickets and scratch them off. It seemed this was a regular occurrence as the clerk and the man knew each other by first name and were very friendly. When he was finally done the clerk wished him better luck next time and he shuffled out the door.

I passed the man out front, standing there reexamining his purchase with a look of disappointment. As I got into my car he was still standing there, frowning at the little tickets that had let him down.

What does one take from this tiny slice of life? Is it possible he was a self made millionaire that dresses down and has a habit of buying lottery tickets? Sure. Or maybe it was his first time buying lottery tickets and he was just very friendly to the clerk, or he was buying them for a sick friend, or insert your theory here. You never know. But as I drove away I couldn’t help but remember old Bens interesting quote.