Weekly Roundup

The winner of the recent $60 gift certificate giveaway from CSN Stores was Tammy L. Thanks to everyone who participated and keep your eyes open for future giveaways.

Pandora is an internet radio site created by the Music Genome Project. To start things off type in a band or artist you like and they play not only that music but other songs that are musically related. Pretty cool!

With cooler weather moving in it’s time to dust off and fire up the slow cooker. If you need some inspiration visit Crock Pot and find some new recipes.

You could either use the following site for the services they provide or as a possible money making opportunity. Home and Pet Sitters offers professional pet and home sitting services. Begin your search by entering your postal ZIP code, or register with the site to advertise your sitting services.

I almost had to laugh recently because it seems as if I only have doom and gloom articles to choose from to include here. There is a very pervasive pessimistic outlook of the future held by people these days; it’s really starting to remind me of the 1970’s. Here is another cheerful article for you, this one warning about the retirement disaster ahead.

One of the first sites I check every morning before starting my day is Intellicast, to find out what kind of weather I can expect. Enter your location and bookmark the result for instant local weather reporting, and up to date satellite and radar images.

Some recent personal finance posts I enjoyed reading.

I liked this post about giving your stuff away.

This post asks how far would you go to seek employment. Make sure to read the comments, too.

Weekly Reminder – A reminder of a useful article you might have missed.
Here is a piece I wrote about the two best ways to deal with telemarketers.

Have a good weekend!

Bucks Guide to Cheap Entertainment

This is the sixth installment of the “Bucks Guide” series, which consists of previous posts grouped into topical guides. When I read other blogs I like I’m sure there is older content I might want to read, but usually I don’t have the time to dig through the archives. This is my attempt at making subject matter easier to find here. To that end here is:

Bucks Guide to Cheap Entertainment

Use Your Library

20 Ideas to Keep the Kids Busy This Summer

Cheap Summer Fun Ideas

Best Free Movie and TV Sites

Sports Events on the Cheap

Ten Ways to Save Money by Staying Home

Ten Outdoor Ideas to Keep the Kids Busy This Winter

Nine Ways to Find Cheap or Free Performances

The following sites and their descriptions appeared at other places on The Buck List:

Festivals can help you find a festival by searching for locations, performers, music and even vendors.

Visit State Fair Dates to find when state fairs all over the U.S. will be held, as well as links to their web pages.

Check out the search option at Free Night of Theater to find a show near you.

I have highlighted video sites in the past, but Channels describes itself as the first DVR for web video, and includes an index of over 150,000 shows. And it’s free.

Clicker is a database of “more than 450,000 episodes, from over 6,000 shows, from over 1,200 networks, tens of thousands of movies, and 50,000 music videos from 20,000 artists.”

YoYo Games claims to be “the world’s largest user generated game site with over 25,000 games.” Register with them and make your own games and play what others have created, all for free.

Like crossword puzzles? Hundreds are available in varying degrees of difficulty for free at Crosswordsite. Play on the site or print them off.

Use Many Books to download free eBooks for your iPad, smartphone or eBook reader. As of this writing they say they have 27,288 eBooks available, all free.

If you are looking for a good deal on tickets or are looking to sell some check out StubHub, where you can buy and sell concert, sports, theater and Broadway tickets.

SnagFilms “is committed to finding the world‘s most compelling documentaries, whether from established heavyweights or first-time filmmakers, and making them available to the wide audience these titles deserve.” This free site has a library of over 850 films.

TicketZoom claims to be one of the largest resale event ticket companies in the world. If you need tickets for sports, concert or theater events make sure to check out the site, where they say you can save up to 50% on tickets.

Its Your Turn offers over 80 online games and variations, all for free.

The mission of Blip TV is to “make independent Web shows sustainable. We provide services to more than 50,000 independently produced Web shows. More than 44,000 show creators use blip.tv every day to manage their online and offline presence.” Click around the site for some interesting, and sometimes very strange shows.

MUBI is “not just about discovering wonderful new cinema or classic masterpieces. It’s also about discussing and sharing these discoveries, which makes us like a small coffee shop.” There are plenty of big and obscure films to check out on this site.

Related Reading:

Bucks Guide to Frugal Traveling

How to Avoid Crisis Living

I suppose the first step to avoiding crisis living is to define what it is. From observing people I have known who either live this way all of the time or go through seemingly endless crisis cycles it is to be in a state of self-perpetuating trauma. Usually a lack of money is involved along with a lack of preparedness. While most of us go through periods when money is tight and we have to spend it suddenly, such as when the car breaks down or the washer takes a dump, it is because we have foreseen the possibility of sudden expenses or of less money coming in and have prepared for it by establishing an emergency fund. Or maybe you have learned to fix some things yourself, or you have a side skill that can bring in some extra cash. Whatever the scenario, excluding what is truly catastrophic, such as a major illness or the death of a bread winner, it can usually be handled by being prepared. Even the drastic examples of illness and death can be somewhat alleviated by carrying the appropriate insurance, but the point of this is to address avoidable crisis living and not the unavoidable tragedies that can befall us.

Maybe an example is in order to underline my point. The following is based on the actual experiences of some people I know. A couple buys some new furniture for their apartment at one of those no interest until X amount of time stores. They didn’t really need new furniture, but decided they deserved it because they had never had any before. Next they get a large income tax return and decide to treat themselves to a new computer and TV. Everything is going well and they feel pretty good about themselves, until the car breaks down. They have no money to fix it so it sits. She is able to get rides to work but he can’t and his work eventually lets him go for poor attendance. With only half of their normal income now coming in they start to fall behind on their bills. Their bank is eating them alive with overdraft fees. Not wanting to get evicted or have the utilities turned off they decide to take out some payday loans. They can’t pay off the new furniture in time and get hit with the full interest amount. There are new payday loans to pay off the old ones. The cable is turned off because of nonpayment so the new TV and computer sit useless. The stress of all of this turmoil is putting a strain on their relationship and has left them exhausted and depressed. They are fully caught up in crisis living.

The point of including the above example is to illustrate how a couple of bad decisions snowballed into a financial disaster. Because they did not establish an emergency fund with the tax return and did not adequately distinguish between needs and wants everything came crashing down.

While there will always be plenty of unforeseen little disasters that sneak up on us one of the best precautions we can take is to realize they are always lurking, ready to pounce. It has been my experience that you will never get to a point in your life when bad things stop happening to you. It is how prepared you are to handle them that makes all the difference.

Related Reading:

Four Leading Causes of Overspending

What Financial Advice Would You Give to Future Generations?

Does a Financial Education Matter?

Weekly Roundup

Don’t forget to enter the $60 gift certificate giveaway before Monday, October 25th. See the post below for details or click here.

H2ouse was created specifically as a water conservation site for California, but it offers plenty of good water saving tips for the average homeowner anywhere.

All You is the website companion to the women’s magazine of the same title. The site offers recipes, health information, shopping strategies, coupons, hair and beauty ideas and fashion tips.

I thought this article on how to restore the American Dream was an interesting read for these gloomy times.

“Since 1971, CSPI has been a strong advocate for nutrition and health, food safety, alcohol policy, and sound science.” Visit the site to learn more, and while there make sure to check out the Consumer Toolkit section.


Some recent personal finance posts I enjoyed reading.

I like this one entitled Technologies I Live Without and Save Big.

Here are 5 tips to avoid cell phone bill shock.

Weekly Reminder – A reminder of a useful article you might have missed. A while back I studied four cities across the U.S. to find out if you could really find good free stuff on Craigslist. The results? Click to find out!

Free Applesauce

This past week my wife and I made and canned applesauce from four boxes of apples our son-in-law gave us, which he got for free. That amounted to an end result of 18 quarts to eat over the winter. We cored then boiled the apples in water, strained out the skins, added some sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon and then canned the sauce.

We had not canned anything for a few years so it was fun little project to undertake. If you don’t have access to free apples you could visit an orchard and pick your own for what is usually a nominal fee per bushel. Visit All About Apples to find an orchard near you.

$60 Gift Certificate Giveaway

Once again The Buck List is offering a $60 gift certificate to one lucky reader this month that could be applied to anything from nightstands to swing sets. Just leave a comment below along with a way for me to contact you and I will choose at random one lucky reader to win a $60 gift certificate from CSN Stores, which is also valid at any of their other online stores. The winner will be notified when the giveaway ends on October 25th. If you win be aware there could be shipping charges and if you will be ordering from a Canadian address international fees could apply for certain products. Make sure to check that out when you are choosing your product.

Good Luck!

Make Money From Medical Tests

All over the world drug companies, universities, hospitals and clinics are looking for both healthy people and those with specific health problems who are willing to participate in medical studies. There are short and long term opportunities available for those who are looking to get paid to take part in clinical and medical tests and drug trials. You can help to advance research and make some side cash at the same time. To find tests and trials near you try searching Craigslist, college bulletin boards and newsletters, the internet and newspaper ads. The following are a few resources to get you started.

Just Another Lab Rat – This is a good site to start with to learn more about the clinical research process, including where the clinics are, what the qualifications are, what the various phases mean and what it's like to do a study.

Guinea Pigs Get Paid – Another great site to learn more about and locate medical trials, paid clinical trials and various other research studies. They offer an extensive FAQ section as well as a clinic finder.

Bio Trax –This site bills itself as “the most comprehensive, information, advisory service for Healthy Volunteers wishing to participate in medical trials, clinical trials, drug trials and paid medical research.” I found out they ask you to register and pay a membership fee, which I would not do. I included the site anyway because it does contain some useful free information.

Clinical Connection – You can use this site to search for clinical trials as well as use their message board to discuss health, illnesses, medicine, and clinical trials.

CIRCARE – This is the website for “a human rights organization dedicated to the protection of human subjects in research and medical treatment.” Check out the news and information sections for loads of links to everything from lawsuits to books on bioethics.

Related Reading:

Make Money with Focus Groups

How to Find Free or Cheap Health Care

Save Money on Meds

Frugal Lessons From The Past: Economy in the Home

History can provide some of the best lessons to help us figure out solutions to today’s problems.

Concerning finances, thrift, frugality and simple living there are tried and true bedrock principals that we should never forget.

This post is part of a series that focuses on some of those principals by going to source materials for inspiration.

The following is taken from Book Two of The People’s Home Library, published in 1920 and written by Mrs. Alice Gitchell Kirk.

“It is interesting to watch the wonderful strides of today in producing wealth, but it is of at least equal importance how this money is spent; and the home is the center for the consumption of this wealth. It has been said by students of Home Economics that the greatest financial losses come through the home. If this be true, then women should begin to have a better understanding of the practice of economy in the home. First, they should help and encourage in every way to increase the income; and second, to lessen the expenditures. It is not always what we earn, but how that is spent that insures the best economy and results in perfect, or nearly perfect, household management. At the present time the difficulty with the housekeeper is not so much that she has lack of income, as that she does not always spend wisely.”

Related Reading:

Frugal Lessons From The Past: Hillard Green

Weekly Roundup

Apparently the Weekly Roundup is a popular feature of The Buck List, as more and more readers are sending me sites they think should be included. I don’t put together the Weekly Roundup as any kind of an affiliate or paid to post group of sites that I am hoping to make money from, but rather it is a weekly gathering of what I think are interesting and possibly useful sites for you, the reader.

While I usually pick the majority of sites to include from my weekly reading and surfing, this week for the first time almost every site included here was recommended by readers. Thanks, and keep ‘em coming!

First off, a little self promotion is in order. I found out a simple living forum has linked to me and is sending some traffic my way. Their forums are full of great ideas and advice, which you can check out here.

Mother Earth has compiled a very worthwhile article packed full of links entitled Live on Less!

Here is a list of 10 items you should donate instead ditching.

This article offers seven reasons for why used cars can be the way to go.

Did you know you could refinance an auto loan?

Some recent personal finance posts I enjoyed reading.

I can’t really tell if we are getting all of the facts about this story, but it makes for an intriguing read, including the opinions in the comments section. Check out The Squatters Who "Reclaimed" Their Foreclosed Home.

This post makes the point that investing is not about beliefs.

Weekly Reminder – A reminder of a useful article you might have missed. Here is an article about why you should write your will…NOW!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Frugal Recipe: Poppy's Chili

First, let me address the name of the recipe. I was given the nickname “Poppy” by my wife when our kids were little and they have called me that ever since. I have never been Dad, Father, Daddy, Pops or Papa, but always Poppy, still to this day.

As for the recipe, I am not going to give many measurements, only a list of ingredients that I use. Chili has so many variables, twists and turns it can take that any one recipe can only skim the surface of possibilities. Some like it hot, some not. So back off the hot ingredients or pour them on, because in my opinion it’s all good.

By the way, October is National Chili Month, so get on it!

Ingredients:

One pound ground hamburger, cooked (I have also used venison, cubed beef and pork as well as kielbasa and smoked sausage)

One onion, diced

One green pepper, diced

Garlic cloves, pressed

Tomato juice

Fresh tomatoes, diced (or canned if fresh are not available)

Chili beans

Tomato paste

Green chilies

Salsa

Beef broth

Crushed red pepper

Coriander

Jalapeno peppers

Cumin

Cilantro

Oregano

Celery seed

Cayenne

White pepper

Mustard

Worcestershire sauce

Steak sauce

Chili powder

Paprika

Tabasco

Black pepper

Basil

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large pot, simmer for a few hours and serve with crackers or your favorite kind of bread. Top with shredded cheese if desired.

Related Reading:

Famous Chili Recipes

International Chili Society

Chili Appreciation Society International, Inc.

How to Fight a Credit Card Interest Rate Change

The following is a guest post by Mirsad Hasic, the editor of Think Credit Cards, a consumer oriented site about credit card debt relief.

Often, the interest rates a particular credit card offers is the make or break component whether or not you can dig yourself out of debt. When your credit card balance never goes down, reversing a difficult debt situation becomes downright impossible.

Then again, you do not even need to be completely weighted down with debt in order to deal with the issue of high interest rates. Such rates are never worth putting up with regardless of your current financial situation. So, when you are dealing with a credit card offering high interest rates, you need to take steps to correct the situation.

Often, people will sign on with credit cards that provide very fair interest rates. The problem is that the rates will change as time progresses. In some cases, a zero interest or very low interest introductory rate will be offered to entice people into the fold. Once the introductory rate expires, the interest rate will spike upwards. This can also occur when you miss a payment or are late with a payment.

So, you find yourself in a scenario where your interest rates have gone upwards. What can you do? Well, you could pay the inflated interest rates and see the credit card company walk away with your hard earned money. Or, you can take a few effective steps to get your credit card company to lower your interest rates.

Order a Copy of Your Current Credit Rating

When you have a good credit rating, it is a lot easier to find a credit card with a solid and inexpensive credit rate. If the credit card company has raised your interest rate for reasons outside your current good credit rating, then you should inform the credit card company that you wish a lower rate. If your rate is not lowered, you can always explore the options of transferring the debt to a card with lower rates. But, what happens when your credit rating is already a poor one? Are there any options available to you? Honestly, there are always options available.

Not Using the Card

The first step is always to call the credit card company and ask about receiving a lower interest rate. Those that are turned down or given a hard time about lowering the interest rate can then take the step of not using the card anymore. You could inform the credit card company and that you will no longer be charging any items with the card. This could stimulate account managers to lower the rate. The fear here will be that once your balance reaches zero, you will no longer use the card. As such, cutting the interest rate on your card can act as a self-preservation tool for their business.

Keep in mind if you receive a notice of an increased interest rate, you have to be prepared to stop using the card when you wish to avoid paying higher interest rates. If the interest rate increase goes into effect and you use the card, you have legally agreed to the interest rate. Now, that does not mean you will not be able to have the rate lowered at some point in the future. But, it can prove to be a lot harder once you have committed yourself to the new rate increase - whether you meant to agree with it or not. Be wary of these results as they can often make or break your ability to get the better out of any rate decrease negotiations.

Making Contact

Rarely will you see a major decrease in your interest rate if you call the 1-800 customer service number on the back of your credit card. The reason is that the person answering the call is usually not authorized to lower interest rates. That means you might be required to speak with a manager on the phone. In some instances, a discussion over the situation with a manager could lead to the lowering of the interest rates in an expedient manner.

You may also wish to write a letter to an account manager informing the individual of your lack of appreciation about the credit interest rates. You could ask for a lowering of the rate and inform the manager of your lack of desire to use the card any further. Issuing a formal letter shows you are serious and could move the proverbial ball into your court.

Do Not Undermine Your Own Cause

It is equally important to understand the steps you should not take as well as those you should take. At the core of this is to NEVER act unprofessionally. Yelling, being belligerent, using foul language, and - worst of all - taking a threatening tone will not solve the problem. On the contrary, such an attitude will make things far worse. It could even get you into legal trouble. The credit card companies don't mind working with someone who is rational. Irrational or over the top behavior usual will harm your cause. As such, this type of immature behavior needs to be avoided at all costs!

Be a Little Patient

You may not get a reversal of a high interest rate overnight. That is to be expected. So, have a little patience regarding the lowering of the interest rate. But, do not allow yourself to be strung along. If you come across a balance transfer offer that is more acceptable, you may wish to take it. Again, the goal here is to get rid of those high interest rates as effectively as possible. Patience is worthwhile in some instances but it also has its limits.

Related Reading:

Ten Free Online Personal Finance Courses

Facing Our Financial Problems

What We Buy Used Vs New

Weekly Roundup

There are several sites online that buy your old electronics, but NextWorth also offers a retail in-store trade or buy option. They have partnered with Target, where you simply take your old device in for an evaluation and if they want it you can apply the value to a new item in the store, receive a gift card or store credit. The online option offers a quote, free shipping and payment by check, Paypal, gift card or e-gift card mailed to you.

Getset “is an online tool that helps you decide which travel method to use to get to where you need to go.” Just enter the city you will be departing from and the city you are traveling to and the site will recommend flying, driving and bus options.

The good economic news never seems to end. Here are 8 things you’ll be paying more for soon.

The Popcorn Board “is a non-profit check-off organization funded by U.S. popcorn processors to raise awareness of popcorn as a versatile, whole-grain snack.” The site features a kids section, recipes, the Encyclopedia Popcornica as well as a Q&A entitled Ask Poppy.

Some recent personal finance posts I enjoyed reading.

I got really hungry reading about these top 10 business travel eats.

Here are some good tips on how to make the most of kids eat free dining.

Weekly Reminder – A reminder of a useful article you might have missed.

This is a fun little post that describes 10 ways to save money by staying home.

We are going to a family reunion campout this weekend so I had to post this roundup a day early. Have a great weekend!

What We Think We Want

Charles Caleb Colton wrote this about how to find what you really want.

“We are ruined, not by what we really want, but by what we think we do; therefore never go abroad in search of your wants; if they be real wants, they will come home in search of you; for he that buys what he does not want, will soon want what he cannot buy.”

The Pros and Cons of Buying Food at a Superstore

Shopping at superstores such as Sam’s Club or Costco for food has its advantages over the average grocery store for sure, as prices can be considerably lower for many items because of the collective buying model employed. But there are some pitfalls to be aware of as well.

Buying In Bulk

Pro: Buying bulk wholesale will get you a lot more toilet paper or green beans for your money than retail. If IBS is a problem all the extra toilet paper will serve as (somewhat) of a relief, but you really should make sure the green beans are not the cause.

Con: You don’t have storage space for all of that extra toilet paper or three years worth of canned green beans. It might also be hard for you to pass up that five gallon jar of pickles but you need to consider shelf life. And if you really like pickles that much.

Fewer Shopping Trips

Pro: You save gas money and shopping time. Plus, you are not subjected to shopping as often with the many strange looking people that seem to be attracted to such places.

Con: You are not subjected to the strange looking people. They can sometimes serve as an ego balm, because there is no way you look like all the rest of those shoppers. Right?

Buying Things Other Than Food

Pro: When you go grocery shopping why should you not be able to buy a recliner or a TV?

Con: I won’t insult your intelligence and assume you actually need me to explain this one to you. Besides, IBS and new furniture do not mix.

Related Reading:

Pumped Up Frugal Tips

The Older You Get the Better the Deals

Why a Weekly Menu Matters

Weekly Roundup

The online presence of the computer radio show Computer America offers helpful articles, a nice list of free software links as well as a streaming audio link to listen to their show.

Flit allows shoppers to enter a search using a term which in turn searches all of their favorite stores, which includes “more than 275 leading retail brands spanning 30-plus popular categories including fashion, home goods, jewelry, electronics, sports and gourmet foods.”

This article gives some good advice on how not to get ripped off on Craigslist.

Linda Gassenheimer is a TV and radio personality and author whose passion is food. Her website Dinner in Minutes offers a link to her columns, books, recipes and tips. Make sure you visit her blog, where most of her recipes reside.

Some recent personal finance posts I enjoyed reading.

You might be able to come up with some of your own ideas after reading this list of five items in nature with enormous finder fees.

This is an interesting take on the real reason you’re broke.

Weekly Reminder – A reminder of a useful article you might have missed. I wrote this post on how to enjoy sports events on the cheap.

Make it a great weekend!