Tip Hero

Finding Volunteer Opportunities

2009-07-05T15:21:00+00:00

I was laid off a few months ago and have not had much luck finding a new job. I know that with the economic disaster non-profits are really hurting financially, so instead of letting myself wallow in self pity, I am looking at this time as an opportunity to get involved with volunteering something I didnt' have time for when I was working full-time.

I figure this is a win win win, i've added experience and character to my resume, it has kept me from going crazy while unemployed, and at the same time I am helping out programs in need of my time and skills. Turning my period of unemployment into a positive.

Here are some of the sites that I have found helpful for tracking down volunteer opportunities:

1)VolunteerMatch.org

2)SmartVolunteer.org

3)Serve.gov/

4)Idealist.org

5)Volunteer Solutions

I have found that I have gotten back much more than I gave and that I really have enjoyed my time volunteering, the people I've met and the sense of value that I have gained during an otherwise dark period. Hope this helps.

Homepage photo credit: FirstBaptistNashville

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Safe Way to Clean Diamonds

2009-07-05T14:01:00+00:00

My engagement ring needs constant cleaning but was scared to clean it myself, worried that I would ruin it. I found this easy solution from Lucky Magazine to gently and safely clean my ring:

Mix 1 drop of Method dish detergent (I get mine at Target) with a 1/4 cup of warm water. Gently scrub with a soft bristled toothbrush and then rinse jewelry with warm water.

works like a charm

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10 Surprising Uses for Vodka

2009-07-02T17:57:00+00:00

Got Vodka? Then you've got more than just something to mix with tonic water: You've got a Swiss Army knife of home remedies. Check out the list below that we gathered from theDailyGreen.com's "10 Weird Uses for Vodka":

1. Treat Poison Ivy - "To avoid the uncomfortable reaction, immediately pour vodka on skin that has come into contact with poison ivy, and the alcohol will wash away the itchy culprit, urushiol oil."

2. Kill Odor-Causing Bacteria - "You can keep your clothes smelling fresher with vodka....Simply spritz your duds with the stuff, then hang to dry." Apparently, Vodka doesn't leave a scent of its own.

3. Shine Your Chrome, Glass and Porcelain Fixtures - "Moisten a soft, clean cloth with vodka, then apply a little elbow grease."

4. Keep Flowers Fresh Longer - "Add a few drops of vodka and a teaspoon of sugar to the water in your flower vase."

5. Insect Repellent - "Pour a little of the saucy spirit in a spray bottle and squirt on the little buggers, or yourself as a repellent."

6. Disinfect and Alleviate Jellyfish Stings - "For vegetarians and others who don't travel with meat tenderizer."

7. For Shinier, Healthier Hair - "Add a jigger of vodka to a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo."

8. Get Rid of Mold - "Try filling a recycled spray bottle with some bottom-shelf vodka....Spritz on, then let sit for 15 minutes. Scrub away with an old toothbrush."

9. Natural Aches & Pains Remedy - This one's a bit more complicated to describe (and involves Lavender), so we suggest clicking through to read the recipe for this concoction (slide # 10).

10. Relieve a Toothache - "try swishing a shot of vodka over the affected area. It can help disinfect, and should numb some of the pain in your gums."

Do you know of any other ways to use Vodka? Share with the Tip Hero community below by leaving a comment. And thanks for being a Tip Hero!

10 Weird Uses for Vodka (TheDailyGreen.com)

Homepage photo credit: geishaboy500

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Container Gardening for Small Spaces

2009-07-02T17:57:00+00:00

I just saw this great idea for a container garden by Suzanne Forsling for the Juneau Empire in her article How does your garden grow? She came up with a very clever and economical solution for gardening in a small, difficult environment by using rain gutters as planters.

She attached three "rows" of gutters to the side of her house. First, she drilled a few holes in the bottom of the gutters for drainage (although am wondering if you could just hang them at a slight angle and let the water run out the end....), then filled with halfway with Miracle Grow Garden Soil and dirt and planted the seeds, in this case, rows of lettuce, French breakfast radish, Swiss chard, beets and turnips.

Resulting in perfect garden rows, relatively safe from weeds and garden pests and rodents. A brilliant idea for urban lots where you don't have a lot of space for gardening.

Such a brilliant idea, excited to try it out on my own city lot!

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Photo credit: Suzanne Forsling

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Got Any Ideas for an Inexpensive 4th of July Party?

2009-07-02T12:28:00+00:00

How do you celebrate the 4th of July without breaking the bank? What do you do to keep food and entertainment costs down -- particularly when planning a party for a big group?

Share your money-saving 4th of July party tips with your fellow Tip Heroes by posting a comment below. And thanks for being a Tip Hero!

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When is it Worth it to Pay for an Extended Warranty?

2009-06-25T11:31:00+00:00

Many manufacturers and retailers offer "extended warranties" that allow you to extend the life of a warranty, providing additional protection for a purchase should the product break down and not perform like it's supposed to. But knowing when it makes sense to pay for the extended warranty and when to say "no thanks" can be tricky and agonizing.

So when do you, if ever, pay for an extended warranty? Have you ever had an experience where something went wrong and you regretted not having paid for one? Or how about a situation where you had and were glad you did?

Share with the Tip Hero community below by posting a comment. And thanks for being a Tip Hero!

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10 Ways to Reuse Plastic Grocery Bags

2009-06-22T16:37:00+00:00

Plastic grocery bags have a number of properties that make them ideal for a variety of reuses. They're free and disposable. They're strong, and more or less waterproof. They collapse small enough to fit into a side compartment in my pocketbook, or in my back pocket. When I use multiple bags for storage, the bag collapses down to accommodate the bag contents with no air space, making them space efficient. They have loop handles that are easy to tie. Loops can also be used to hang the bag from a nail. Here are a few ideas.

1. Sock-box sorter. I keep all unmatched socks that come through the laundry in one box. To save time finding matches, I have grouped the socks by type (white athletic, colored etc.) and keep them in individual bags. This helps me find matches quicker.

2. Short-term freezer bags. Because grocery bags sometimes have small holes in the bottom, I used them to store food for a month or less. Usually this will be surplus pies I want to freeze. I bag them and twist-tie the bag to one side, then I repeat with a second bag, with the twist-tie on the opposite side, thus making a more air-tight storage.

3. Snack carrier. If a kid needs to take a snack to school for his class, I usually send it on a sturdy paper plate, resting in the bottom of a grocery bag. I tie the bag off so that the snack balances if held by the bag loops. Kids can take these on the bus, and nothing needs to be returned home. If I'm taking a pie to a friend, I carry it the same way.

4. Packing material.

5. Small trash can liners (this one is obvious). I also use them for a car trash bags.

6. Quilt-project container. Sometimes I have more than one quilt in progress. Finished squares and the fabric that goes with this project get stored together in a bag.

7. Vacuum-cleaner attachments holder. These items were scattered on the floor in the corner of my back hall until one day I pounded a nail, put the attachments in a bag, and hung them up. I also store things in my attic the same way.

8. Personal CD player carrier. If I'm doing light housework, and don't want to annoy other family members with my music, I put the CD in a portable player, put the player in a grocery bag, then tuck the top of the bag inside the waistband of my pants, far enough down so that the CD player is close to my hip, and so it doesn't slip out. If I'm hiking and want something more secure, I might tie it to a belt loop.

9. Deposit-can carrier. If I go for a walk, I stick a couple plastic bags in my pocket. If I see deposit cans and bottles, I pick them up as I walk. If my bag is full and I am a long way from home, I stash the bag in the brush (I live on a rural road) and pick it up when I drive by in my car sometime.

10. Tote bag. If I'm going out I toss some fruit, snacks and a bottle of water in a bag. Another bag might have my CD player, some CDs, and spare batteries. I also have some in my car for yard-saling, to keep together the small items I find.

Photo credit: swanksalot

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3 Great Tips For Reducing Food Waste

2009-06-19T20:15:00+00:00

When I throw out the trash I realize how much money I actually lose with food that's gone bad. But I'm not alone. According to one study, nearly 12% of the food we buy eventually ends up in the trash.

Here are some tips that can help you reduce the amount of food you throw out.

1. Rotate the Items in Your Refrigerator and Cupboard.

I have a very bad habit of shoving the items in my fridge to the back to make room for my newly purchased groceries. What this does is increases the chance that the older items in the fridge will not be eaten in time and have to be thrown out.

I've now tried to rotate my refrigerator items, moving the newly bought items to the back and the older items to the front. In this way the old items get consumed first reducing waste. The same thing now applies to my cupboards.

2. Set the Refrigerator to the Proper Temperature.

Sometimes I have to throw away milk that has soured. It appears that the temperature of my refrigerator may have something to do with it.

According to the US Department of Agriculture the temperature of your refrigerator should be less than 40F. Anything above this allows bacteria to grow rapidly resulting in food spoilage and possible food poisoning.

The problem, as I realized, is that the control in the back of the refrigerator does not correlate closely with the fridge temperature. In order to determine the correct temperature of your refrigerator you need a refrigerator thermometer. These can usually be purchased for less than $10.

In my opinion its well worth the cost.

3. Consider an Ice Chest to Carry Home Groceries

Another clue to why my milk sometimes spoils prematurely is that I often make several errands in addition to my supermarket stop.

Once you take items from the supermarket refrigerator case the temperature of the product frequently rises above 40F, the point at which bacteria start multiplying.

According to the US Department of Agriculture you should keep such products at temperatures above 40F for no more than 2 hours.

If you have a long supermarket trip, long ride home, or make several errands you're grocery items could hover above 40F for several hours.

In such cases it may make sense to to take a portable ice chest containing ice or gel packs to keep your items cold until you reach home.

Taking a few simple steps could help reduce the amount of food you throw out literally saving you hundreds of dollars each year.

Editor's Note: This tip was submitted by Charlie from the excellent Pay Less for Food blog which features many more excellent money-saving articles. I also highly recommend signing up for their RSS Feed.

Pay Less For Food also features more food storage tips in Food Tricks That Keep Your Hard Earned Money Out of the Trash

Photo credit: Trellina

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Does My Car Qualify for Cash for Clunkers?

2009-06-18T23:38:00+00:00

Congress just passed the "Cash for Clunkers" program which offers government incentives to trade-in older gas guzzlers for new more energy efficient vehicles. For your car or truck to qualify for the cash for clunkers government program it must meet the following criteria:

- Must have a combined MPG of 18 or less.*
- It must be in drivable condition.
- Manufactured in model year 1984 or later.
- Has been continuously insured consistent with State laws and registered to you for at least one year immediately prior to trade-in.

* Combined MPG is a blend of highway and city MPG. To determine your cars combined MPG you can look it up at: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

How Much Does My Clunker Qualify For:

Under the program owners could get vouchers starting at $3,500 if they trade-in a vehicle that gets 18 mpg or less for a new vehicle that gets 22 mpg or better. The incentive grows to $4,500 if they trade in their 18 mpg or less vehicle for a new vehicle that gets 10 or more mpg over their old vehicle.

When Does Cash for Clunkers Start:

It was just passed by Congress on June 18, 2009 and is headed to the White House for signature by the President. Once signed by the President it is estimated to take up to 30 days for the Department of Transportation to get the program up and running so we are looking at early August as a start date.

My parents have been waiting to take advantage of the new Cash for Clunkers legislation. They have a 1994 Chrysler LHS that they are looking to trade-in on a new car. Unfortunately, when we looked up the combined MPG for the LHS it came to 19, just 1 mpg over the requirement. ugh!!

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Tips on Credit Card Debt Settlements

2009-06-18T23:30:00+00:00

A recent article in the NY Times "Credit Bailout: Issuers Slashing Card Balances" highlighted a new development: banks becoming proactive in settling delinquent credit card balances. The article highlighted the story of Edward McClelland, a writer in Chicago, who proposed paying half of his $5,486 delinquent credit card balance. The bank representative immediately accepted the offer on the spot without checking with their supervisor.

The article went on to posit that banks are becoming much more proactive in settling delinquent credit card balances with bank representatives being able to make on the spot decisions on whether to accept a proposed settlement offer. Often now card companies are calling delinquent accounts and offering to discuss settlement terms, something that rarely happened in the past.

The 6 Month Mark

One interesting piece of information in the article caught my eye: "After a balance has been delinquent for six months, regulations require the card company to reduce the value of the debt on its books to zero" This is a critical point because central to the banking crisis is banks not wanting to mark-down assets because it lowers their stated capital. If their capital levels fall low enough, regulators force them to raise capital, most likely through selling equity which hurts existing shareholders, including bank management, because their existing shares are diluted.

Once banks are forced to mark down the value of a delinquent cardholder's debt to zero after six months they can increase their stated capital by settling with the cardholder. For example, if the cardholder and bank agree to accept $5,000 to settle a $10,000 debt, the bank can immediately increase its stated capital by $5,000. In the bank's eyes, recovering some money and raising capital through a settlement is much better than raising capital through a sale of equities and diluting all existing shareholders. In short, I would assume banks are highly motivated to accept a reasonable debt settlement offer from a cardholder after the magical six month mark. The alternative for the bank is to sell the debt to a collections agency for pennies on the dollar.

The Worse Off You Are...

The article also highlights the somewhat obvious: That those with few assets and no employment are the most likely to receive a debt settlement. Credit Card companies have two main tools to recoup unpaid debt: (1) They can put liens on your property and other assets and, (2) They can garnish your wages. If you have no assets, or you're underwater on your home and have no job, or you're self-employed, the bank is in a much weaker position and, as such, is more willing to forgive a larger part of the debt.

Bank Settlement Models

I would assume most banks are using models to determine which cardholders are eligible for debt settlements and how much debt they are willing to forgive. As mentioned above, these models take into account the amount of time a cardholder has been delinquent on his debt with six months being a key milestone. The model will also take into account your assets and employment and will also take into account the number of other credit card accounts you're delinquent on. These models most likely spit out the amount of debt a bank representative is able to approve on the spot.

My gut tells me that as credit card delinquencies grow, card companies will become even more aggressive in seeking debt settlements with cardholders because banks will be competing with one another to receive some of their money back on delinquent loans. It's far better to get 50 cents on the dollar through a debt settlement with the cardholder than sell the debt to a collections agency for 15 cents on the dollar.

Photo credit: Andres Rueda

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