Chaotic Calm

See The World for just a few Hundred Bucks** Introducing Virtual Reality

2015-10-25T14:49:00.000-05:00

The Samsung Gear VR retails for around $199. But can be found on various sites like E-Bay and Amazon for much less.

You're not out of the woods yet, as you will still need a Samsung V6, or Samsung Edge Smart Phone to go with your peripheral device. Prices range from 500$ - 600$

So why spend up to 800$ on this junk? Well because it's far from junk. This is by far the cheapest route to go to experience fully immersive virtual reality. Photo and Video apps will put you right in the middle of places from around the globe.

Ever wanted to visit Time Square? Ever wanted to be inside of your favorite video game? Well with the Samsung Gear VR you can do just that.

There are new and exciting Virtual Reality Experiences being uploaded to the Oculus Rift store every day of the week. This is the main menu experience that gets you from point A to point B. And is kind of like your Home Base once behind the Goggles. Most Apps are completely free and also have detailed reviews and also give a general comfort level to Users. Virtual Reality is so immersive that sometimes seeing yourself moving inside VR when you are actually not moving in Real Life, can cause some people to feel slightly nauseated.

If you already have the Samsung Galaxy S6 or the Edge, then Virtual reality is a no-brainer for you.

If not then you are Under $1,000 away from experiencing things you would never be able to otherwise.

Amazing Digital 360 degree rendered photos by amazing digital artists from all over the world, viewed from inside the GEAR, is enough to make the purchase worth it. As all these photos are free to view and are updated monthly. I have been looking through them for a couple weeks now and have yet to come close to seeing them all. With roughly 50 of them saved in my favorites list for quick retrieval later.

Titans of Space, a digital representation of our Solar system, gives you a real view of what the sun looks like in relation to the Earth and other planets from the view of space. And what the largest sun in our Galaxy looks like in relation to our sun. Dwarfing it as it is roughtly 1.7million times larger. A breath taking experience to say the least. Completely free to download in the Oculus Rift store.

Check out some people below giving it a try for the first time. Do some research and check it out. Either way Virtual Reality is surely the next big thing in Entertainment for years to come.

You Can Qualify for a Checking Account

2011-03-18T10:34:00.001-05:00

Image via Wikipedia Are you on a fixed income and find it impossible to handle the fees associated with a checking account. God forbid you ever accidently bounce a check and then try to recoup your loses. In reality, you know that if you could actual afford one life would be so much easier. In some states you can qualify for a checking account if your income is low. In all states, there is a banking product call second chance banking for those that have a severe blow to their credit. Life can be unkind to us sometimes and everyone deserves a second chance. Many people with great credit have been displaced from their jobs, and well you can get behind. There is no reason this setback should haunt you forever. It doesn't seem fair that those that are struggling always get charged more fees than those that can afford to pay them. Let's look at some of the way that you can qualify for a checking account again.

     A Lifeline Checking Account

     Sometimes all you need is just a little help to get back on the right track. A Lifeline Checking account can help you get there. They account are great for when funds are tight. Lifeline Checking accounts often time require a no to low monthly balance and a no to low maintenance fee. If there is a monthly service fee, then usually the rates are around $3.00 per month. ATM fees are usually waived with this type of an account. This ability to open up a Lifeline Checking account is the law in seven states, and the law determines the terms and conditions of these accounts, not the bank. You have access to these accounts in Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. If you don't live in one of these states try to find a bank with free checking.

     A Second Chance Checking Account

     A Second Chance Checking account is basically a second chance at acquiring a checking account for those burdened with a bad banking history. These banks don't usually run your name through the chexsystem to find out your banking history. Usually the fees associated with this type of account run around $10.00 a month. You can get a debit card with your account. Some will offer checks, but most will not. This will keep you from writing ones with insufficient funds. Many times people get a bad banking history due to trying to pay bills and then they try to get the funds into the account before the check hits. Even though recent federal regulations have put a halt to enormous overdraft fees, you will still incur a charge for insufficient funds. Not have checks will prevent you from making this mistake. Here is a free list of banking institutions from every state that offers second chance banking.
Once you establish a good banking history, then you can go back and seek traditional banking products and services.

Take Care of Pets When You are Broke

2011-02-02T11:28:00.001-06:00

If you are a pet owner you know how difficult it is to take care of pets when you are broke. Feeding ourselves and our families is hard enough as it is, much less keeping a roof over everyone's head. Many of us pet owners know that are animals can be just as precious to us, and we want the best for them, but our families have to come first. Well it doesn't have to be that way. Plenty of people get pets when life is going good, and they feel like they can be responsible pet owners. However, life takes many turns and they can find themselves in a position that they never intended on being in. How do we get through these trying times and still keep our pets healthy and happy, after all, sometimes they are our best friends.

I ran across this interesting site based out of Georgia that offers help to the residents there. They are a food bank organization for animals. How cool is that! They also provide a National Listed for other states in which they have found aid. Here is the link. I will be searching for other sites in other states and I will add to this post as I find them.

What about the pets that have medical problems? Paying for veterinary services can be very expensive. In searching for some information about this subject, I ran across another list of useful services. This list even has a list of organizations that we help you with canine specific needs. I hope this helps you in your quest for finding food and health care for your little friends. If you know of any other sites that would be helpful to our reader, please list them in the comment box and I will add it to this post.

Find the Help You Missed

2011-02-01T17:56:00.000-06:00

Image via Wikipedia I thought that my second post of the year should be a review with links to the past posts that provide aid in the event that you have missed anything. I am hoping sometime this year to be able to make a site map so that you can easily find something specific that just might apply for you. To recap all of the benefits that are available here is a list for your convenience. Hopefully, during 2011, I will find many more services that will help you to get by in these hard times.

No One Knows Where I Have Been
Here is a Wonderful Site for People Helping People
A Person with a Heart of Gold
Need a Car, but Can't Afford One
You've got the Car, but Can't Afford the Gas
Phone Service is no Longer a Luxury
Are Heating and Cooling Cost Getting You Down
Are You Finding Yourself Hungry Lately
Help with the Water Bill is Harder to Find
How to Afford a Memorable Christmas - The Ornaments
An Affordable Christmas - The Wrapping Paper
Beautiful Gifts without Sticker Shock
More Inexpensive Christmas Ideas
Fireplace Pleasers without the Price
The After Christmas Sale
A Decade that Changed Us Forever
If You Need Help Now Dial 211
An Abscessed Tooth Can KILL You
Free College Education for Senior Citizens
Could You Use Some Free Surgery or Meds?
Are You Facing Foreclosure
Is Your Birthday Approaching?
Remodel on a Shoestring Budget
Save Money at the Grocery Store!!!
Free Legal Aid is Available
Are You a Single Mom in Need of Help?
Make Some Easy Cash at Home
Scrap Soup: An Awesome Money Saver
Low Cost to Free Travel Ideas
Free and Addictive Way to Give
Need Some Costly Repairs to Your Home: Grants Are Available
Adaptive Housing Grants for Veterans
Are You an Unemployed Senior Citizen Who Needs Work
So the Bank Will Not Loan You Money to Finance Your Dream?
How to Get a Free Eye Exam and Glasses
Happy Thanksgiving to You
Articles for You
My Christmas Present to You: A New Job
Free Tax - Preparation and Assistance for Low-Income, Elderly, and The Military

These articles can direct you to places that really can provide help. Please look into them and take advantage of them. I wrote the article about getting help for home repairs and had a family member get over $7,000 dollars in free work from the government that she desperately needed, so I know that help is out there without having to go through all of the red tape. My Christmas Present to You: A New Job is a real place were you can write and make money. You don't have to wait to get lucky and have someone hire you. If you have got the drive, you can make your own money without having to depend on anyone else ever again. I am between jobs in the medical field. I made great money. It is hard to get a job right now. Writing online is something that no one can take from me or stop me from doing. Getting a paycheck from google is a wonderful feeling, a sense of independence, but it requires a lot of typing and research. Look into these things, they do not cost you a dime. I have read about a lady that had nothing and used the internet at the public library to learn how and do this. Where there is a will, there is a way, so don't give up. May this year be better a better year for us all.

Free Tax - Preparation and Assistance for Low-income, Elderly, and The Military

2011-01-09T13:34:00.004-06:00

If you need some free tax help and you are low to moderated income, elderly, disabled, or you are limited in speaking the English language then there is help for you. VITA, the Acronym for volunteer income tax assistance, is an organization that can help you with free preparation of your income tax return. As far as income limits are the IRS website states an income of $49,000.00 or less, however, VITA's website state that they helped over 3 million taxpayers with incomes less than $22,000. These volunteers are trained and certified by the IRS. To find a VITA volunteer in your area click here.

Another program that offers free tax advice and basic preparation for the elderly focusing on those that are 60 and older is the TCE program. This program is known as Tax Counseling for the Elderly. This people are volunteers made up of mostly retired people associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants for this service. Part of the sponsored program via the IRS, the AARP has several sites set up all over the nation to assist low to moderate income with tax preparation, but their focus is geared toward those 60 and older. To find free tax help and information about the AARP service call 1-888-227-7669 or visit their website. For more information on TCE call 1-800-829-1040.

For those in the military and your families there is free tax help available for you as well. The military has their own division of VITA as well as the Armed Force Tax Council (AFTC). This counsel handles the tax returns of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. The military can receive free tax preparations within their respective installations. These agencies know how to handle specific tax issues indigenous to the military. Find more information about these services here.

When receiving assistance for free tax preparation, advice, filing or any other service be sure to bring all form of documents with you as you would anytime that you are getting your return filed. Also, make sure that you have your bank routing number available for electronic direct deposits. If you know of any other source for free tax assistance, please feel free to drop a line in the comment box below.

P.S. Learn How to Slash Your Taxes Now!

My Christmas Present to You: A New Job

2010-12-28T10:41:00.001-06:00

Image by kawanet via Flickr If you are unemployed and can't find a job right now, then my Christmas present to you is a job of your own. If you have a computer or access to one then you can be employed today. You can go to many sites and write online. You can not get rich quick and it takes lots of hard work, but it is very doable. I started this blog along time ago, then I start another one that has some authority. After that, I started writing for Info Barrel to make money. You can click on the link and sign up. This is a great place to write, especially for the days that I draw a blank on what to writer about. When you write for them you get 75% of Google Adsense. It is also possible to make a constant 90% every month with them too.

Here is how you do it. Go to Google Adsense and sign up for an account. It is not complicated and it is completely free. There you will get a publishers ID. It will be the number located at the top upper right corner when you log in. It will say something like pub-xxxxxxxxxxxxx. Next, if you want to you can sign up for blogger and start a blog. It is free. If you can't think of anything to write about, while you are in the monetize section of blogger sign up for an Amazon ID. Make a blog selling Amazon products. You can get a link inside of your dashboard to put up product picks on your page and make money.
You go and add your Google publisher ID to each and every site you sign up at such as the bookmarking sites that I have listed below. Add your Amazon ID as well. There are other affiliate program that you can sign up for other than just these. Listed below are some social bookmarking sites that share adsense revenue with you listed below. All you have to do is bookmark something that you have written or something that someone else has written to make money off of the clicked ads on the page. What you do is copy and paste the URL to what you want to bookmark, change the title, put it in a category, add some tags, and write a little description of what the article is talking about. Hit submit and you are done. Sit back and wait to make the earnings on them while you sleep. Here are some bookmarking sites that you can join. If you link through me, I will get a percentage of their money not yours. You don't have to link through me, if you don't want to. This is not a pyramid scheme. You can just go to their website and sign up if you like. But work hard, and you will have an income.

Google Adsense Share Sites

Xomba - 50/50
SheToldMe - You get 100%
Infopirate - 80/20
Karmalynx 60/40, but you can increase this up to 80/20.
Page360 - You get 100 %
Seekyt - You get 70%
Mashbite - You get 80%

This is not difficult to do, and I will be adding more sites to this page as I investigate them. Check back often. For those that already have a blogger account of any other blog account, you should use social bookmarking site to increase your backlinks. I hope you had a Merry Christmas!

Articles for You

2010-11-23T08:44:00.001-06:00

This website is my favorite, but it is not the only place that I blog or write articles. If you like what I have to offer you, then I thought that I would put a link to my other blog and articles that I have written this month so that you can find them on the net. I hope that you will find them useful and entertaining:

Blog

A Senior Citizen Guide for College
My Look My Life

Articles:

Happy Thanksgiving to You

2010-11-23T07:55:00.000-06:00

Image via Wikipedia     Thanksgiving is just a little more than a few days away. Everyone is rushing around trying to get everything ready for that special day. This is a time to spend with our family and friends, and have good food and good company. Most of all, it is a time to be thankful, and to appreciate what we do have, even if it is not much.
     I am thankful for many things this year even though life has rendered it's disappointment in the last 12 months. I am thankful that my children are healthy and alive. I am thankful for the air that I breathe and the ground underneath of my foot. I am thankful if any of these articles has reached out and helped anyone that has read them for that is my wish. I hope that I can continue to find sites that will help those in need, for the Lord knows, there has been times when I needed help myself. I am sure that there will be more. For those that have struggled before, but not now, always remember where you came from. For those that never have, remember that you never really know what cards that life can deal you and how easily circumstances can change.
     If you know of someone who is spending this holiday alone, don't forget about them. Offer them in your home and in your hearts and share this holiday with them. If you are fortunate to help a family in need, then do so. You can always drop a turkey in a styrofoam cooler on someones front porch anonymously and make their day. Fill your hearts with love this holiday and God Bless You all. Happy Thanksgiving!

Another Thanksgiving Article from Me: What do I have to be Thankful for this Year?

How to Get a Free Eye Exam and Glasses

2010-11-10T13:12:00.001-06:00

Image via Wikipedia Do you need an eye exam and new glasses, but you just can't afford it? During this economy hard times have hit many people, and if your job has dried up, then so did your insurance. Many people try to put off dealing with health issues when they are struggling, but in the long run doing this can cost more. Good vision is necessary for everyone in order to function in life. Just simply not having glasses that you need can literally cause headaches. Not only are eye exams important for determining visual acuity, but it is also necessary in diagnosis diseases related to the eyes, and it is an important tool for screening for diabetes and high blood pressure. Well that is all good and fine, but if you can't afford it so what. I can tell you how to get a free eye exam and glasses for you or your children in this post.

     VSP is a leader in eye care products and services and the company has provided services to over 580,000 low-income uninsured children free of charge. Sight for Students is a VSP charity that provides these services. Click on the link to find out more information about their services. Their Eyes of Hope Program offers refurbished eyeglasses worldwide. They also operate 3 mobile units that tour the country and provide free eye exams to those in need. You will need to look on their websites calender of events to find out if they are in an area near you. You will need to provide proof of eligibility in order to recieve these services. They also partner with VSP doctors nationwide, and globally. These services are for children and adults.
     Eye Care America is another place that you can go to see if you qualify for free eye care. You qualify if you are 65 and older and have not recieved eyecare in 3 or more years. If you have Medicare the doctors will waive co-payments. Those without insurance will not be charged. You will recieve a free eye exam and a years worth of free service related to any eye disease that is discovered during this exam. Also those persons of any age that have a predetermined risk of developing glaucoma can recieve a free glaucoma exam if they are uninsured. The doctor may provide treatment deemed necessary during this exam. Eyeglasses are not provided.
     Vision USA is another organization that provides basic eye health and vision services free of charge to low-incomed unisured children and adults. To be eligible you must be uninsured, be a U.S. citizen, meet poverty quidelines, and have not been to a eye doctor in at least 2 years. If you qualify you will be matched with a volunteer doctor and recieve eye care and glasses. Contact lens are not available through this service.
     Discounted services are also available to everyone at America's Best. You can get an eye exam and 2 pair of glasses for only $69.00. Now that is a deal. They offer regular priced exams for just $45.00. They also have an Eyecare Club that if you join and pay $99.00, you get three years worth of eye exams at that cost.
     You can do a free vision test online at EyeExamOnline. It is a quick and relatively easy exam to take. You will need to be at least 1 meter or about 39 inches away from the computer screen to complete the test. I did it and it was right on the money. It detected my astigmatism and vision problems in both eyes. This is a great test and it is free, so check it out today.
     The last thing that you can do is check the Sunday paper. They usually have coupons for free or discounted services at many popular eye care providers. They can afford to do this in order to make you a possible future customer, so what your newspapers. Sometime you can get vouchers for discounts for Wal-mart vision care centers in the paper too. If I left any out please drop me a comment and let me know. We are all in this together.

Image via Wikipedia

So the Bank Will Not Loan You Money to Finance Your Dream?

2010-10-13T11:19:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia     Do you have a business that could really grow, if you could just get your hands on the financing? Or do you have a dream that you have always wanted to pursue, but you didn't have any rich relatives or friends that could put up the capital necessary to kick start your dream. If you find the bank will not loan you money to finance your dream, then you are not alone. Banks always have the power and prerogative to approve or deny the very crucial capital needed by all of us from time to time. With the dawn of a new age of economic decline, you and I are tapping into some very resourceful and innovated ways to acquire that much needed cash, and at the same time, we are taking some of that power back. If you have a good idea, or are very talented, and have a solid business plan, there just may be a new way to accomplish this accrual of dinero!
     There are companies that created new ways to finance your dreams outside of the banking arena. Some of this financing requires payback by rewards, by repayment, and some by a small stake in the company that you are creating. Some that require a piece of the pie, also plan for an exit strategy after you have become established and successful. Some are peer-to-peer lenders that can actually get you a better interest rate, and provide you with the option of just paying off debt instead of finance a company. Some philanthropist provide micro-loans for small business which has yielded them a 98% pay back rate. With a little searching, you can find many of these companies online. Here a few sites that I have found that seem very lucrative for financing your dreams.
     One of the largest funding platform around these day is a company called Kickstarter. On this site creative ideas can become a reality in a very short period of time. This all-or-nothing platform can provide funding for writers, film-makers, singers, songwriters, actors, artist, designers, illustrators, curators, performers, explorers, and entrepreneurs to bring their dreams into reality. Basically how this works is you create a starting page with a plan and a funding amount and a time limit to reach it up to 90 days. It is an all or nothing concept in that if you do not meet your goal amount, then you get no money. Those visiting the site pledge money for the cause, and if the goal is met, then the exchange of money goes through Amazon. Those receiving the money usually grant rewards for so much donated. An example of this would be if someone gets a record deal, then they may send those who donated a $1,000.00 a cd, and so forth! The great thing about this site is that the money doesn't have to be paid back, and the the borrower owns the rights to their property or ideas.
     Another company that is making wave for computer geeks to finance their latest designs is Techstars. This is an innovative site that not only will provide up to $18,000.00 in funding, but also 3 months of training in your choice of Boston, Seattle, and New York City. They will provide all sorts of perks, as well as advice, mentoring, connections, legal service, hosting, and even a wonderful place to work. They require a small stake in your company but it is worth it. Out of the 600+ companies that apply only 10 are excepted into each program. You are still eligible to apply for consideration until 11/21/2010. So make your way to their site and check it out before the deadline is up!
     Then their is Y Combinator. These guys will fund selected companies twice a year. They average capital they supply is around $18,000.00 and they usually fund 30 or so companies. They require you to relocate to Silicon Valley for 3 months training of intense training. All they require for this love is 2-10% stock in your company. They occasionally look outside of the technology world for companies to finance, so if you are serious check out their website for all details.
    There are still many other sites similar to the above mentioned. You may also want to check out sites such as Prosper, Virgin Money, and Go 4 Funding. Some of these are peer-to-peer lending, the latter is more for investors and business owners. Happy searching and I hope you find a funding site today.

Are You an Unemployed Senior Citizen Who Needs Work

2010-10-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylife     Wouldn't it be nice if everyone could retire with a hefty savings put back for the golden years. That was once part of the American dream, but due to the economic upheaval, for most, that is a dream of the past. People live longer than they use to, and are healthier, and more active these days. So if you are in the lower income bracket, and you are 55 or over, where do you turn to re-enter the work force.
     There is a program out there to reintegrate you back into the work force. This program in known as the SCSEP. SCSEP stands for the Senior Community Service Employment Program. It is a program offered by Experience Works and is funded by Title V of the Older Americans Act, and by state and local grants. It is available to senior citizens that are 55 or older, unemployed, and their total family income is not more than 125% of the federal poverty guidelines.
     What exactly does this program offer individuals? Seniors are provided training, counseling, and job assignments in faith-based and community organization prior to returning to the workforce. Those involved in this program may be placed at eligible agencies where they can receive around 20 hours per week at minimum wage, while learning new skill and improving existing skills. Their are many benefits that can be obtained through this program. So if you are a senior citizen and would like to get back into the job market, this is one program that deserves a second look.

Adaptive Housing Grants for Veterans

2010-10-02T09:03:00.001-05:00

Image via Wikipedia If you are a veteran the US Department of Veteran Affairs has available a Special Adaptive Housing Program to remodel your home to make it accessible for you. Veterans and service members who have service acquired disabilities may be qualified to receive a grant for construction ,or for the remodel of their existing residence to meet their special needs. This grant is designed to provide a barrier-free living environment in order for the recipients to enjoy an independent lifestyle that they may not otherwise be capable of acquiring due to disability encumbered during their service.

There are 2 grant facts sheet that provide
all the specifics of these grants.
1. Grant Fact Sheet A
2. Grant Fact Sheet B
The VA website has all of the forms, phone numbers, and information available and easy
to locate. The site is complete with videos of the possible construction and improvements.

Need Some Costly Repairs to Your Home: Grants Are Available

2010-10-01T09:26:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia     Are you in the low-income bracket and struggling? Trying to just keep food on the table, transportation, and a place to live can be a nightmare. It is interesting that some Americans that never truly understood what actual struggling means have gotten a recent wakeup call during this economy.  You can truly work hard and still get nowhere. It is frustrating isn't it. You find many people that just don't care when your luck is down. When it turns around, you should not forget these times. They will make you a stronger and wiser person. There is real help available. I do not write these things just for the sake of filling space on this page. You can get these repairs done. If you truly need them they are available. I have a family member that right now is in the mist of several crews coming in an evaluating the repairs on their home, to make the necessary repairs and make them energy efficient.
     In their home there are quite a few repairs that need to be done. They are probably not going to get them all, but I can tell you that they do have new central and heating unit installed, and that their home as had the necessary repairs to make it energy efficient. They have went without heating and air for over 2 years now. Yeah they had the window unit air conditioners that never cooled the home and only ran up the electric bill. They burnt kerosine in the winter and cut wood to keep warm. This is now one aspect of their complicated life that is over. They are not lazy and work where they can, and this is those hard earn tax dollars finally coming back to real people that have paid into the system. As the repairs continue, I will try to keep you updated.
     Here are some sites to get you going on the right path to recieve aid. Use this link Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Programs - CPD - HUD if you live inside the city, and use this link USDA Rural Development-RD Home if you live outside the city. You can get repairs on things such as heating and air, well and septic tank, and roof repair. There are other service available, so make a list, write down everything that you can think of that doesn't work, and you will be prepared when they arrive to make their assessment. I hope this helps some of you out there. Keep your head up and hang in there.

Free and Addictive Way to Give

2010-09-22T18:33:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia I often write articles here on how to get things and services at a discount, or for free. I hope someone has benefited from this site in one way or another. However, it is better to give than to recieve. At least, that is what my mom always told me. Just the other day I found a cool site that will enable you to donate food just by playing an addictive game. It is such a win-win situation. You got to try it.
There is this site that has actually been around since 2007. You can go to it and answer simple questions. For every question that you answer correctly 10 grains of rice is donated to the United Nations World Food Programme by the website! This is free to do. You do not have to fill out any forms or register. All that you have to do is answer the questions. I just played and I got enough answers correct that the website donated 2400 grains today because of me. The subject matter that the questions are picked from include English, Math, Algebra, Chemistry, Geography, Foreign Language, and identification of famous works of art. The money to buy the rice is paid for by the advertisers. For it, you get smarter. It will jog your memory thats for sure. Go to http://www.freerice.com/ and do something good today. This is such a simple way to give, and I promise you, this will become an addictive pastime for you to improve your grammer. Pakistan and Haiti need your help today so go online and play.

Low Cost to Free Travel Ideas

2010-09-10T12:52:00.002-05:00

Image via Wikipedia Have you never been able to afford to travel? Are you just out of high school and want to see the world before college? Are there circumstances in your life that are bringing you down and you just want to get away? There is a way to accomplish this without breaking the bank. A colleague of mine once told me about this girl that he met while traveling in Peru. Her name is Julie and she has practically travelled the world. She has a new website, but is not up and running yet. When it becomes available, I will provide a link. She has worked her way from country to country staying in hostels and picking up odd jobs along the way. She is a fascinating young lady. If she can do it, so can you.

One organization that will provide you with accommodations and meals in exchange for 5-7 hours of work a day is WWOOF. You have to save up the money to get to your destination and back, but you can arrange your length of stay free of charge and see the country that you are in while you are there. You can work locally in the US or internationally. You can get there, work, site see, and line up another place to see nearby through CouchSurfing. Go to their website a register, then you can start networking to find your next couch to lay your head on and for how long. You can network couch to couch as you cross the countryside.
Volunteer through the UN website. There are 140 countries that you can visit while doing something worthwhile. They even provide insurance. Just check their terms of service and sign up today. You can also volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and help build homes here and abroad. Habitat for Humanity International runs the Global Village Work Trips program and has affiliates in over 90 countries. Budget travel bloggers should check out Passports With Purpose where they can use their readership to help out a worth cause. You can also do walking tours in throughout Europe at http://www.hfholidays.co.uk/about-us/work-us . Some other places are, of course, the extremes, join the Army or the Peace Corp.

Scrap Soup: An Awesome Money Saver

2010-09-01T10:55:00.002-05:00

Image via Wikipedia So you don't like leftovers? Well I can tell you a way to jazz them up that the whole family will love. I live on a tight budget these days, and every penny counts. I clip coupons on a regular basis and proud of it. I do not plan on sacrificing on quality and sometimes I can be brand specific. Face it guys, not all brands are equal. So I buy what I like when it is on sale and I have a coupon for it. I shop at about 5 different stores and pharmacies that are within a 5 mile radius. I still have the same quality and specific foods that I have always enjoyed. Thanks to my frugal grandmother, I have learned to enjoy those same foods for one extra day free. She taught me how to make a scrap soup with all those leftovers. Not only do I provide my family with a free meal, I also don't have cook. Well I do have to warm supper up. This meal has turned out to be my families favorite meal of the week. Sometimes I have winners and sometimes I have losers, but no two are ever alike.

Here is how to begin. Invest in some Ziploc or Glad freezer bags. I usually use the quart size freezer bags, but depending on the size of your family, you can go bigger. Here is another money saving tip. My grandmother always washed them out and reuse them again. Anyway, when dinner is over, you can take the leftovers and place them in the freezer bag. You can chop or shred any meat that may be left and drained any vegetables before placing them in your bag. Expel any remaining air out of the bag and place it in the freezer. Repeat this every night until the bag is full. On the weekend, empty the bag of food into a large pot or crock-pot and add stock. I usually go by what I have placed in the bag. You can use chicken broth, beef broth, or cream of mushroom. Sometimes you may need to add some veg-all, tomatoes, rice or noodles. Spice it up! Use your imagination and you will be amazed at what you can come up with.

Make Some Easy Cash At Home

2010-07-30T11:30:00.002-05:00

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I thought I would post about this other site I am on because I am enjoying it so much. I write this blog because I am passionate about the subject and because I am one of those people that have been here. I have had my ups and downs in the financial world and life has not always been kind to me. So hopefully someone out there can get some real benefits from some of the sites I list on here. I have another blog for senior citizens free educational information. I was happy to learn that seniors can go to school for free in some states because the older you get the more wisdom you have and you are usually better off in life than those starting out. This is a good time to follow dreams that maybe you had to put on the back burner due to raising a family and providing for them. Besides this is the time in our life when we really know who we are. Senior citizens have a lot to offer in experience and life lessons well learned.
To the point now, if you don't have any work right now or want some extra money then try out this site at Info Barrel . If you are a blogger you will definitely want to check it out. If you do go there this is my link referral ID Jacqueline P. Warlick. If you would like to check out anything that I have written, then just put my members name pwarlick in search. After that, click on member and you will see my Icon. Just click it. I write about certain subjects on here, but I can write about anything on their website. I love it. There is a place on your account to list your google adsense ID so you get paid at 75% of what they make on ads. You can also promote it at She Told Me . This is a social bookmarking site where you can write scoops about and link to your blog post while earning a 100% adsense revenue. It is projected to surpass e-how and some like it better than hubpages. Anyway, I am not trying to sell you on anything, but if you are unemployed and like to write you should check it out. You can also check out Amazon Mechanical Turks, however I don't make much money on it. But as for the other, I think that you would really enjoy this site. If any of you are on here write me back or leave a comment and let me know how you like it.

Are You a Single Mom in Need of Help?

2010-07-26T14:27:00.000-05:00

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If you find yourself in the position of trying to raise a child on your own, then you know how difficult life can be and how frustrating the simple things can be when you don't have enough money. If you are a single mom that in itself makes it much harder. When you see a single father you think oh this must be a great man raising his children by himself, and then a lot of us assume the mom must be unfit. With single women we are viewed as having baggage. The stigma is so unfair for both sexes. Either way if you are a single mom there are resources out there they can make your life easier. You can go to http://www.singlemotherhelp.org/ and visit their website and fill out an application for grants and assistance or you can give them call at 1-888-774-7282. They have an online portal that will direct you to over 20,000 grants available to you. They have resources that will direct you to financial assistance as well as government aid. They can direct you to section 8 housing or rental assistance,transportation assistance,child care assistance,WIC/food stamps, and debt relief. They steer you towards educational scholarships and well as creating home business ideas. Another good site packed with resources can be found at http://www.singlemom.com/. They list lots of great resources from paying for childcare to getting prescriptions filled to financial advice. They have a financial gifting program where you can read hardship stories and donate money to moms. They also have a Donate/Swap forum where clothes can be found or swapped as well as a housing forum for sharing homes. Some other great sites are http://www.singlemomfinancialhelp.com/ and http://www.singlemotherassistance.net/. I hope these are helpful and if you know of some other helpful sites please a comment.

Free Legal Aid is Available

2010-06-09T10:43:00.001-05:00

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If you have ever been in the unfortunate predicament of being arrested, you know that if you cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed to you. However, if you need to pursue a legal matter and meet the federal poverty guidelines services may be provided to you pro bono. The phrase pro bono publico is derived from the Latin meaning "for the public good". Pro bono services are provided by lawyers to individual with low-income and also because of their belief in a certain cause. Pro bono programs and legal aid are also available for senior citizens, the disabled, victims of domestic violence, and the military that can fall outside these income requirements. Legal aid can provide information as well as advice on litigation and serve as an appellate advocacy. There are many resources for legal aid and pro bono services that can be found on the Internet. For more information go to the American Bar Association public resource page where you will find numerous links to educate you on these services.

Under ethical rules, the ABA recommends that US attorneys donate 50 hours per year to pro bono services. Larger law firms often fall short of this quota. For about 40% of the legal cases that occur each year for the low-income only 20% are met. In 2007, Stanford Law School students founded Building a Better Legal Profession . This website provides information for future lawyers about various law firms and also about their pro bono participation. This, in affect, has encouraged larger firms to increase their participation in pro bono programs.

Listed are some sites that can guide you to lawyers that provide pro bono services:

For a consumers guide to legal aid for self help go to http://www.lawhelp.org/ .

Save Money at the Grocery Store!!!

2010-05-26T08:23:00.000-05:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

     I know that we all have heard of couponing to save money. It may have been that you have tried this, and it is a tedious time consuming process. I have tried it many times in the past and said what is the use. I watched a story on the news last year where a woman got $276.00 in groceries and only spent a penny, and I realized that there must be an easier way. Determined to find it, I searched the Internet and found many coupons, but that only added to many more little pieces of paper to go through. This year, I attended the Southern Women's Show in Raleigh, NC. where I met Coupon Queeny and most certainly got an education.
     Effective couponing is an art form. You need some organization and I am not talking about one of those little envelope sized holders either. You need a 5 Star Mead Zippered Binder. When you go to her website she has you tube videos that show the binder that she uses. I purchased one from her show in Raleigh. You can go to Staples and find the baseball card plastic folders to put your coupons in and the dividers for categorizing the products so you want have to search. I would get this before I started to clip if I were you. Next, you need to start purchasing the Sunday paper and get a subscription to All You magazine. I have not done this part yet, but I religiously get the paper. Coupon Queeny recommends that you get one for each member of your house so you can maximize saving when stockpiling. After this you need to get the savers cards and sales papers when you visit the grocery stores. You are just about ready to begin.
     You can get educated on the art of couponing at the Couponing 101 website. This site not only teaches you the lingo of coupons, but also it teaches you how to maximize your savings at Walgreens and CVS. These are two places that I would have never shopped to save money before, but they have been the stores that I have gotten things the cheapest or free. I am talking about name brand products. These and many other sites also match the right coupons to the right sales ,at the right stores, and at the right time for you. I cut my grocery bill by $68.00 last week and I have only been at this for three weeks now. The first week I start out with seeing what I could get for free and now I have begun stockpiling my groceries. I am actually purchasing things that in the past was out of my price range.
     As I said before, you should get educated and give it a try. I am addicted to this process. It is my one small way of sticking back to the system that overcharges on most things in life.

Remodel on a Shoestring Budget

2010-03-13T10:18:00.000-06:00

Image by Nemo's great uncle via Flickr

Do you need to make repairs on your home that you simply cannot afford? I remember as a single mother so many things that I left in disrepair due to the fact that I simply could not afford to fix them. There are two great places you can turn to right now to get you on your way to inexpensively remodeling, repairing, and redecorating your abode. The first place I would venture to is http://www.craigslist.com/. If you have not been to this site you have truly missed out. Not only can you get items that you want and need deeply discounted, you can also find amazing things for free. Just last week I was showing a young man this site, and low and behold someone was giving away a entire double-wide for free. The kitchen had fire damage, but other than that this was a pretty decent looking home. The recipient had to remove it from the site within seven days. This was well worth it for someone who needed a home. That is not the first time that I have seen a home on there for free. You will find junk on there too, but alot of people want to keep things out of the landfill and will post items for that purpose. I have found another place in the last 2 weeks that I have fell in love with, the Habitat Restore. Habitat ReStores accepts donated building materials, appliances, and furniture and resales them for a fraction of the cost. Some Metro ReStores offer coupons and some have pickup services for donated goods. You can go to www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx to find a location near you. There are approximately 600 stores located throughout the US and Canada. Go check one out today and check back often to find what you are looking for. All proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity.

Is Your Birthday Approaching?

2010-02-25T13:43:00.000-06:00

Image by Jarosław Pocztarski via Flickr

A friend of mines husbands birthday is this Sunday, and I was telling her about all the places that he could get a free treat on his special day. I decided to send out a little post about it for those who are not aware that there are free perks out there for your birthday. The best site that I have found for this is at www.heyitsfree.net/birthday/. There you will find a updated large list of freebies for your birthday including everything from a free meal to circus tickets. There are a lot of wonderful sites out there covering this subject and you should explore them as well. This is just updated so well that I had to mention it. Any time you go to this sites always read the comments. Readers always suggest more sites that offer free things and they will also share information on those that are listed.

Are You Facing Foreclosure

2010-02-25T09:10:00.001-06:00

If you are facing foreclosure and you know that it is only a matter of time then here is an idea for you. You can buy land in a gated community and get a camper. You can find used campers online, some as little as a 1,000.00 and land as little as 3,000. If you got that kind of money laying around then you would probably just pay your mortgage, but if you don't and you are about to clean out your 401k for a no win situation, this is an alternative. I am in the process of selling my home and moving to such a community. We got our land in trade for working on someone’s house. We have bought 2 campers for 3,500.00 and they are paid for and our living expenses have dropped from 3,000.00 a month to just the utilities which come up to $200.00 a month. We are going to work for the next 3 years to pay cash for our next house. This community has campers, cottages, and million dollar homes. It has it's on police department, grocery store and even a golf course and swimming pools. Everyone is friendly no matter which side of the site you are on. There are plenty of financial and Blog websites that recommends this alternative as a wise solution to simplify ones lifestyle and finances, but this is one article that I am not going to just Blog about, but I am going to do first hand research. My fiancé has been working on our place for the last 3 years and I am in the process of selling my home and relocating there, but I can promise you that every time I go for a visit my stress level goes to zero and I find my self glued to the outdoors, I can't even imagine making what I make with no bills attached, I am so excited, I can't hardly wait. If you have tried this, leave me a comment with any advice you can give. It would be appreciated. For more information on secrets that you can use to defend your home against foreclosure check out this site.

Could You Use Some Free Surgery or Meds?

2010-02-09T02:53:00.000-06:00

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I once met a lady at the hospital that told me because of her medical conditions that she could not get insurance. She said that she had even been on the Montel show about it. I having lots of coverage pondered about how that would feel, being in the ER with no coverage. This is an issue that alot of people face and it terrified me. Here is a suggestion for you if you have no way to get coverage. You can go to http://www.centerwatch.com/ and look up clinical trials for your medical conditions. If you get accepted into one in your area you could get free medical care for the duration of the trial. Not only could you receive excellent care, but you could possibly be getting a jump start on new up and coming therapies, but you could also be a part of valuable research that can change the outcome for millions of patients. If you get into Phase IV of a trial, you could receive care for years. While you are on their website, look under patient notification and you can put your email address down and check up to 24 medical conditions that affect you. When a trial becomes available in your area, they will notify you via e-mail. You can also go to http://www.clinicaltrails.gov/ to see their listings. There are inclusion/exclusion criteria that you have to meet to be accepted. You will also need the approval of your family doctor. Go to http://clinicalstudies.info.nih.gov/ and type in the keywords: healthy and normal. This site studies mental health issues and uses healthy individuals for their research. They also compensate you for your time. If you volunteer for clinical studies for money then you should make sure that they are governed by the FDA. They set strict guideline for these studies. Whether it be for money or medication you are helping advance medical treatment and considering there are risk involved this is a very honorable quest. Good luck on your journey.

Free College Education for Senior Citizen

2010-01-31T23:46:00.002-06:00

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Did you know that if you are 60 or older, you may qualify for a free or reduced rate for tuition at your local campus. Senior citizens can attend most colleges free of charge or a reduced rate depending on seating availability. You have to meet the requirements of the college and pay fees,book and educational related expenses. Some colleges only allow you to audit the classes , whereas others are credit based only. I am currently working on another blog specific to this post. I am researching all campuses in each state and I hope to provide you with a comprehensive list of these campuses complete with contact information, My new blog is at http://www.senioredu.blogspot.com/. I hope it provides all the information you need to get started today. College is not only good for the mind, but it is food for the soul. It is a good way to remain active and productive after retirement. So please consider calling your local college campus and inquire in financial aid as to your eligibility. Also, ask your local tax advisor about the Lifetime Learning Credit that is available.

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