Breaking Even

Online Fundraising Follow-up

You may remember about a month ago I wrote about my friend Susan's relatives that were going through a hard time financially. I asked:

Is there a site that someone in need could turn to online to help in this desperate situation? And to turn it around, how do people in not-so-desperate circumstances know that their money is actually going to their selected family/charity? 

I got some great responses back.

Cherie suggested using some of Paypal's features to put it on a blog or website.

John (and Sarah too) suggested Kiva.org as a worldwide donation option for those wanting to make a difference.

Jenny suggested her favorite site, Modestneeds.org. A person in need can apply for "grants" which users of the site can contribute points towards funding.

And Craig at BudgetPulse suggested I check out SmartyPig, which has a way that you can not only create accounts people can donate to but also has widgets you can stick on your website, blog, Facebook page, etc. I actually found it the most intuitive and flexible of the sites suggested. I sent the information to Susan a few days later.

I finally got to catch up with her this weekend. Interestingly, her family (the mother of one of the members of the couple) is not comfortable doing this.

Susan and I philosophized that there could be a few reasons for this:

1) The mother is uncomfortable with the internet being used to raise money.
2) The mother is not wanting to come to terms with the situation.

Meanwhile Susan is wondering how many community suppers and other fundraisers her family has the energy to organize and how much money she can contribute monthly to the cause. It's too bad that the mother is not keen on this; it seems that Smartypig would be the easy way to go.

Is it just my extroverted nature that makes me comfortable with this? If it was you in the situation, would you be uncomfortable if your family raised money for you online?

In the meantime, I'll keep you posted if Susan's family changes her mind. She doesn't seem to think this is a done deal so we'll see.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts on the subject. I love that there are smart people commenting on this blog!

Spend $20 On June 20 For Your Local Economy

We all know buying local keeps money where it has a greater impact and helps small businesses but how often do you think about your purchases?

Spend $20 on June 20 is a concept to raise awareness of what we can do in our own local economies. Our local Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce has been promoting this heavily but I was able to find other locations in North Carolina and New York.

Some area businesses like Cadillac Mountain Sports are having some great promotions to celebrate. Sadly, I'm headed out of town today but I'm putting $20 worth of Hancock County gasoline in my tank before I do.

So please throw down some money locally and let's see what kind of purchasing power we really have.

You Tell Me: Legitimate Online Fundraising

So I got an email today from my friend Susan asking if I knew anything about online fundraising for people in need. Here's the scenario:

My cousin recently gave birth to her first child 11 months early which is scary, but what's even scarier is that there are lots of health complications, her job isn't great, if she doesn't go back to work in 2 weeks (they've been with the kid in intensive care for a few weeks now) she loses her health insurance, her husband's job got "downsized" and they're almost finished building their house that her husband designed and built with his parent's help. They've been married 1 year. So...their bills are stacking up, they may lose their house soon, and all of us in the family are feeling mighty helpless about the whole thing. How to help? Like many situations, money would solve a lot.

She remembers reading something in Time magazine about websites where people post their situations and are able to raise money from them. Meanwhile, I feel like I heard something on NPR awhile back in regards to doing this for military families. For example, if a family needed a washer and dryer, you could donate some amount of money to help them with their purchase. On these websites, you could read about the situations, and give what you could.

I know some of you know about these websites: which are legit, how they work, etc.

So I wanted to put the question out there. Is there a site that someone like Susan's cousin could turn to online to help in this desperate situation? And how do people in not-so-desperate circumstances know that their money is actually going to their selected family/charity? 

Which Is Better, Buying Salvage or Buying Concious?

So if it's one thing my good friends know about me is I'm a socially concious shopper. I let myself eat fast food exactly twice a year (usually when I'm in the process of moving). I buy local whenever I can, which I'm trying to do as I start my business as well. And when I do have to buy something not-so-local, I try to make the socially or environmentally concious choice.

Case in point: The other day, I needed to buy toothpaste. Now I am a religious user of Tom's Of Maine. They are a 'local' company. They are socially and environmentally concious. They treat their employees well. I want to support that.

Meanwhile I was at one of my favorite salvage store and I saw a tube of Crest Pro-Health for $0.69. So I bought it.
 
Now here's my question: Is it better to buy socially and environmentally concious products new? Or is it better to buy things that would otherwise go in a landfill? 
 
Pros To Buying Salvage
- Saving things from prematurely going into a landfill.
- Less expensive.

Pros To Buying Products with A Concience
- Supporting good companies.
- Products can often be healthier and/or safer.
 
What I'm wondering though is what is inherently better. I can't seem to find a good source online one way or the other, but I'm probably not searching the right keywords. What do you think?

How To Get Me To Help You Out: Part Two

I tell you, one "Dear Sir" email and I am inspired to write two blog posts! (You can read Part I here.)

People seem to want me to do favors for them lately. I was noticing I've been receptive to some but not all people. It got me to thinking why.

There are clearly a few more ways you can get someone to help you out. In this post, I am going to use the example of Alexis. Now Alexis is pretty rocking in her own right. First of all she's cute and a snappy dresser. She's also into social media and blogging, has beagles, and lives in San Fran with her probably very cool husband. (Ok so I'm a little jealous but we're now internet friends so I can move beyond it.) Ok now on to finishing my thoughts from yesterday. (Oh and why am I starting at number 4? Because 1,2, and 3 were in yesterday's post)

4) Make it personal, and genuine. If you want me to care about you, why don't you care a little about me? Mention something I said or where I might have met you to help jog my memory. Being personal, especially on the internet, is completely disarming. Professional sales people are fake-personal all the time by using your name in conversation as they sell you something. But go a little bit beyond that and I am putty in your hands.

So onto my Alexis example. I could tell when she wrote me she had at least looked at my blog and was willing to engage in some conversation with me. Alexis wrote to me last year to ask for a review on the book Financial Infidelity. She was super polite about it, and wrote me this year to ask about reviewing another book for a different author.

Her emails, while short, felt engaging and personal. They weren't splattered with logos for the latest and greatest new website I should write about and the tone didn't feel overly pitch-y. It felt like a friend was writing me to see if I would be interested in a copy of a book. Yup, she's good, and I'm totally reviewing the book she sent me.

5) Be flattering, but only if you mean it. Yeah, fake flattery will blow up in your face (because people can smell that a mile away) but real flattery will get you everywhere, at least with me. Like my writing style? Appreciated reading about such-and-such topic? Let me know. My ears perk right up at that stuff.
 
6) Say thanks. If I did do something nice, follow up with a thank you e-mail. Or even a tweet. Just acknowledge the fact that I did you a favor. You noticed and appreciated what I did? I'm feeling even better about you and the possibility of granting future favors!

So yes, you too can get me (and most any other logical person) to do a favor for you if you follow this general guidelines. Has anyone used these "tricks" on you only to have you become putty in their hands?
 

How To Get Me To Help You Out: Part One

Yesterday, I got an e-mail about a possible blog sponsorship opportunity. This is not a huge deal; bloggers get these almost everyday, sort of like if you have an e-mail address, you get wire transfer offers from unknown Nigerian relations.

Anyway back to this link exchange offer. Top of the letter: Dear Sir...

Whoa there, cowboy! You didn't even click twice to get to my contact info and bio? Even just notice my girly headshot or the fact my name is Nicole? Delete.

Rewind to a month ago when one of my friends was having some kind of employment fiasco and telling me about it.

Friend: Well I told her to call the Department of Labor to verify it.

Me: So you told her to call a bottomless crazy huge government agency, essentially resigning her to an afternoon of being put on hold and transferred around the office?

Friend: Well, I have a contact there that I've been dealing with.

Me: Did you give her the direct extension and your contact's name?

Friend: (long pause) No...hmmm. I will now though!

Okay two unrelated situations but the same basic idea. Someone wanted someone else to do them a favor. The favor does not happen. Why?

We usually have to think that people are pretty reasonable and want to help you out. Here are a few things you can do to get someone to be more likely to do a favor for you:

1) Make it easy for me. What a letter of recommendation? Ask nicely. Give me a generous deadline and a copy of your resume. You want to show the person doing the favor that you are doing the legwork and allowing them to simply finish the job and get the credit. And who doesn't like that?

2) Do your homework. Know what you need for me, and what you have to give. I do not want to link to "three casino websites". Give me the URLs. Tell me if you want link or an ad on my site in return. Tell me how much you want to pay me (money conversations are awkward enough; I don't want to initiate it!)

3) It's not all about you. I gave a talk today to our local Rotary about promotion online and the cardinal sin of making it all about you. It really isn't and if you give someone that impression, good luck getting a worthwhile working relationship. Approach it in a way that's not just a favor to you but will help the other person out too.

Tomorrow, Part II and a fabulous example of someone who knows how to ask for a favor so well, I think she should do a class on it.

Week O Insurance: Real Benefits

This week it's Mission Health Insurance in my life. I've got to navigate this before my current job ends so this week, it's the Week O Insurance at Breaking Even. More posts about this fascinating topic in the coming days!

The premise of the nonprofit Real Benefits: one third of all American to qualify for public assistance haven't signed up. Create a web database that simplifies government paperwork and make it easy to enroll.

To grow their nonprofit. Real Benefits (with its five employees) needed access to capital. It became beneficial for the company to go from being a nonprofit to a for-profit company going after the big guys like hospitals and school districts. They charge a user fee and in turn, hospitals can use the database to, say, get more Medicaid reimbursements than they'd otherwise get. I think in theory, the database ends up paying for itself after finding a just a few of these claims.

The argument about this (and Time magazine's stance) is that this is shift good for everyone. As a consumer, I could go into hospital emergency room has Real Benefits and if I qualify for Medicaid, my emergency room bill may be much less.

Okay here's the thing though. Since as a consumer I don't know this information from the start, I can't be using the system to make decisions for myself. Most people I know that don't have insurance really put off going to the doctor until things get really bad.

I understand why Real Benefits how to do this but I wonder is there an affordable way to get this information into the hands of consumers so they can make better decisions? I'd like to think so, though not sure how.

Lasagna Gardening: Gardening For Those Of Us Who Kill Chia Pets

When my friend Paul posted this idea on his Facebook page last week and I thought it was pretty brilliant.

Lasagna gardening isn't growing ingredients for lasagna  but an easy growing technique that Paul's wife Lorena has successfully implemented. (Those thick noodles are tough to grow! Ha!)

As someone who screwed up her Chia herb garden this winter (seriously), I'm all for easy gardening that works!

The interesting thing about lasagna gardening is while you can do it in a lasagna pan, you can pretty much do it in any container or bed that you want to grow things in. What results is a super productive garden.

I called up Lorena on the phone and by the end of our conversation I was a convert. She started doing this last year, not even digging any beds but sticking her first layer right on the ground.

Basic Concept

Layer 1- Newspaper or cardboard
According to Lorena, this is great to do on a rainy day, as the wet newspapers conform to the shape of the ground.

Layer 2- Something brown- hay or peat moss
Lorena recommends hay. Peat moss  can be problematic; it blows around, doesn't mix well, it's not a sustainable resource and, you have to hand mix it. Embrace the relative laziness of lasagna gardening and try hay.

Layer 3- Something green- Grass clippings and/or seaweed
Lorena gets free stuff from her neighbor.

Layer 4- Kitchen compost waste

Layer 5- The plants you want to grow and some premixed compost
Lorena puts seeds in ground with organic compost that she gets at a local feed store. She says it works so much better then the regular stuff and worth the extra cash.

Layer 6- Mulch*
You probably don't have to do this but Lorena mulched everything with grass clippings.

Her initial bed last year was about eight inches high and she's said now it's compacted to ground level. She'll be adding more layers this year to thicken it. Lasagna gardening provides "a nice, aerated canvas to work with" and is "really fun and productive". This sentiment is won me over "Emptying bags is all I did!"

(An aside: A ten minute conversation with Lorena and I got a process, tips, and good quotes. All interviews should be so easy!)

So despite my small space, I'm going to give lasagna gardening a shot in a couple containers. It sounds like this will be more fun (and ultimately more successful) then my previous attempts.

More about lasagna gardening at ThriftyFun...

Image from ThriftyFun

Too Cute Tuesday: Seed Infused Paper

Spring has sprung here like most everywhere else in the Northern Hemisphere. Spring and Maine means snowstorms with 6 inches of snow or less, a fine layer of dust on everything, and eventually, if we wait long enough, flowers.

This week, we've combined the hassle of papermaking with the springness of seeds. Write a lovely note to your favorite person on one of these papers for a recyclable gift that's also quite timely. This week's idea is from Thrifty Fun (via Dorrie) and this month's Better Homes And Gardens (via Nicole's company breakroom).

Tonight we were joined by Sue, who promises to be a regular. That's right, we've hooked another!

Materials
Shredded paper, soaking in water in a bowl
Blender or food processor
Newspaper
Spoon
Screen, preferably two pieces
A shallow tub of water
Sponge
Seeds
*Bill Nye's papermaking kit

  Cocktail of the day: Monaco (Grenadine syrup, pour beer on top, fruity perfection)

1. Have your good-natured friend shred and soak paper for an entire day. Spread newspaper on your work surface. You will thank yourself later.

2. Put the pulp in a blender or food processor with lots of water. Note: Too much colored paper or newspaper will make your pulp really gray. Just something to think about.

3. Pour the pulp into the shallow tub of water over one of your screens. Lift the screen gently out of the water. Sprinkle the seeds on top of the pulp.

4. Using the other screen on top, push the excess water out of the pulp. Blot with sponge to absorb even more water.

5. Place on newspaper to dry.

6. Turn your non-crafting friend into a virtual papermaking machine. Have her magically come up with our own ideas for upcoming Tuesdays. Realize that seed infused paper is transformational.

7. Cleanup. Find pulp everywhere even after you've cleaned up. Realize that making a mess this part of the fun.

So cute!

*Not necessary but does come with shapes (called dreckles, there is a whole vocabulary that comes with this kit!) that you can shape your paper into.

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How Poor Are You? Part II

About four years ago, I did some volunteer work at a local food pantry. My job is interviewing prospective users of the pantry which included an in-depth discussion of the budget and finances. I remember one day having to look up the federal poverty rate and having epiphany that I was below it.

That's right, I could have not only been using the food pantry I volunteered at but I could have also taken advantage of some of these programs I had been talking to people about.

I thought it would be interesting to look up some of the programs I used to know well to see who would qualify for them now. Yesterday, I tackled food and health programs and today I'm talking housing.

Circuit Breaker Program
Paying 20% or more of your income on rent? Maine's Circuit Breaker program may be able to help you out. Click here if you want to read the whole post I wrote about it or download the application. (Just a heads up: You have to apply by May 1st.) Not in Maine? Check to see if your state has something like this.

Heating Assistance
LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistnce program) is regulated by states and some programs are even decided at the local level so it's hard to give some hard figures for who qualifies. Your local town office is a good place to start and a full list of contact people by state can be found here.

Low Income Housing
There are three seperate programs from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Basically, these programs seem to be for people who spend more then 30% of their income on housing. Of course, the HUD site is ginourmous but if you click on your state, you'll see opportunities for homeowners (money for home repairs, home buying classes, etc.) and for renters (directory of substidized apartments, help with utility bills, etc.).

What I thought was going to be purely curiosity research turned into an exercise of realizing my good fortune. I am glad that these programs exist for those who qualify, and I do hope if you're reading this and you find out you qualify for these programs that you pursue it. Because trust me, most of us have been there.*

*I've been thinking about people who work the system and I've certainly run across them in my travels. Once a woman and her mother interviewed with my friend and I seperately at the food pantry, each claiming the same children as dependents so they could get more vouchers. Right after this happened (I was furious having been lied to), a woman came in whose husband was in the hospital. She so clearly did not want to be there but didn't know what else to do. And you know what? I realized that helping that one person was worth losing a few vouchers to scammers. . .

Read How Poor Are You? Part I...

Technology In Education: A Discussion With Jim Burke

Holy Technology! week continues...

One of the most technological people I know is someone who is actually doing a lot with education. Jim Burke is the Western Maine MLTI Mentor/Coach, a position he's held for the past 4 years. He blogs about technology and education at Learning In Maine. Previous to that he was a district-wide technology integrator for 2 years. And prior to that, he was in the trenches a classroom teacher for 32 years in the Oxford Hills School District.

Jim lives in the village of West Paris, within walking distance to the general store. He two grown daughters; Jessica, a physician in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and Melissa, a stable manager at Iron Spring Farms in Pennsylvania. When not immersed in technology, he enjoy gardening, community theater, carpentry, fishing, and being a jack-of-all-trades at my local church.

I continue to be interested in education and to think about how technology is changing it.

Your blog Learning In Maine really tackles technology in education in such a community way that I don't often run into online. How much time do you spend keeping it going? 
I think community is important, Nicole, and physical community has certainly taken a hit during my lifetime. I'm not sure online communities replace that, but they seem to be what is available and  certainly do open up the world in ways that I couldn't have imagined 20 years ago.  The concept of the LIM blog was to have a place where many writers would share their thoughts and suggestions on learning, with a focus on Maine.  While passionate writers like yourself and several others have made wonderful contributions, I've been hoping many more would jump in.  Be that as it may, I've certainly enjoyed testing my own ideas and finding connections with so many others. 

I think you would agree that to grow a site, you have to  post often. I average about a post a day.  Sometimes that translates into several a day.  Sometimes when very busy with other work, I might miss several days.  Nevertheless, it is important to try to keep it current.  Again, the idea is to connect people with what is happening statewide and beyond.

What's one technology that teachers you work with seem to be really embracing? 
I firmly believe that a tool used by busy teachers needs to be simple and user-friendly.  There are many of them out there!  When the tool gets in the way of learning, then it should be reconsidered.  Many teachers are now using wikis to open an online presence.  Many are using  online web 2.0 apps such as Voicethread.  I encourage the use of Google apps even though many schools still block those sites.Teachers are pragmatic . . . they'll use tools that they can depend on.

If you could make every teacher and student try something out, technologywise, something that you think would change their lives, what would it be?
Gosh, Nicole, there are so many possibilities.  There are some extremely powerful tools on the MLTI laptops, such as GarageBand, Sketch-Up Pro, and iMovie.  As far as online tools, my personal favorite at this moment is the Ning make-your-own social network.  I think it could be a "killer-app" for the classroom!  I certainly would be making use of it if I were still a classroom teacher.

Some older teachers must be reluctant to use technology in their classrooms. What are some ways you help them come around?
There has to be a good reason to use a new technology.  It has to serve a purpose, be dependable and engage the teacher and students.  Like just about anything else in education, it is important to connect at a personal level.  In my work with teachers, that is what I try to do.

What do you see as the next big thing in technology and education?
I'm not much of a prognosticator, Nicole.  Lots of magic out there.  I see incredible developments almost every day.  I see the multi-touch tablet notebook/netbook to have great possibilities.  Imagine being able to sculpt the screen.  Seems to me that adds a whole new level of participation.  The semantic web, what some call web 3.0, will certainly take us to a new level as well.

Will we become enslaved by technology or empowered by it?
This question occupies my thoughts perhaps more than it should.  Perhaps it is because of my age, but I have a love/hate relationship with technology. Where is it taking us?  I think we all need to keep asking questions and not just accept blindly what comes down the road. Neil Postman explained better than I can in "Informing Ourselves to Death" http://www.frostbytes.com/~jimf/informing.html and Jason Ohler gives us some sub-questions to ask http://www.jasonohler.com/resources/handouts.cfm.

Good For The World: Send Some Love To A Soldier

I first "met" Roger Keene (AKA Roddy) via email through my job at the newspaper. Roddy is a CPL in the US Army, but is ready to pin on the rank of SGT any day now. He is currently stationed in Fob Kalsu, in Iraq.  He had left a comment on our newspaper website and was trying to organize people to send care packages to troops. I was impressed by his above and beyond dedication to his project and I wanted to let more people know about it.

How and why did you decide to take on matching stateside civilians to deployed soldiers?
I have been stationed in the Phillippines, Korea and Japan in my Marine Corps years and I really know what letters from home mean to people. There is a lot of media attention paid to the military actions here (in Iraq) and in Afghanistan and, as expected, it is not all positive. I know a lot of Americans feel proud that we are going to such lengths and at times going there with such a personal expense.

I just wanted to cut the filter of the middle man and hear directly from those people that support the Americans that work so hard every day. It's good to hear from "home", from the states and from people that are aware that we are here I guess.

Since we last talked, what kind of response have you gotten? Too much, too little?
The resopnse has been overwhelming!! My wife and I have dedicated many long hours to making certain the soldiers I work with are recieving some sort of mail. My wife continued sending addresses well after my deployment as e-mail requests have popped up.

Does sending a package to a soldier really make a difference?
I think so, I mean it does to me. I saw a package this week from the VFW in Harrington. I know absolutely no one there, but they sent me stationary to write home, some hard candies that I handed out and I'll tell you this... I smiled the whole time I was handing out candy. Then I went home and wrote my wife on stationary that was all nice.

Yes it helps a lot, but I am not really looking for packages and free stuff... I simply put this together in order to allow my peers here to hear from Mainers and other good people and get postcards from Acadia, hometown newspapers etc. Just something to say that someone thought of us and cares.

If I'm interested in sending a soldier a package this, how do I get ahold of you?
I am giving out my e-mail address and responding (or my wife is responding to be honest) as soon as we can.

I'm stuck on what to send. What are some great things to put in a package that I wouldn't necessarily think of?
Baby wipes, beef jerky, and letter or postcards to send home I think are the best. If I'm on a 20-60 hour mission and I get hungry, slim jims and beef jerky are the best thing ever. I like to write so postcards and stationary are also great.

What are some other ways we on the homefront can help?
There are so many organizations out there asking for stuff to help with. These are great organizations, but just let me say this. Contact your local VFW or Auxiliary. Find out who from your community is out here with us and just send a hello, a newspaper or something simple and inexpensive. It's about knowing people care. Do that and I bet you make somebody's week a whole lot better!!

When do you come home? What's the first thing you want to do when you get there?
I promised after I let my little girl beat me up I would buy her a fun hat and I promised my wife that we would ride the motorcycle through Acadia. I am going to rent a log cabin on the water and just sit back for a minute and take in the "home" that I have been missing.

So if you want, send Roddy an email and he'll hook you up, or check out your local military organizations. Because sending a package (mine was around $20) is the least we can do!

Some tips from the US Postal Service...

Ask And You Shall Recieve

I had taken over the french press in our company breakroom after the employee who owned it left. I made my coffee many days a week and it was a happy frugal little ritual.

Last week, it broke. Ugh.

I looked at a few local discount stores (which seemed to have everything but a french press) and was about to buy a new one at the fancy kitchen store down the street when I went into the breakroom to get my lunch.

"Did you find a french press yet?" one of my coworkers asked.

"Nope, but I'm going to go get one today!" I said. Then someone else piped in.

"Oh, I have an extra one if you want it. I'll bring it by, I never use it anyway!"

Then that same day, my friend G was mentioning how she needed a phone and asked a friend of hers if he had an extra one. And he did.

So twice in less then 8 hours, the belief  "ask and you shall recieve" was proven. Maybe when we need something we should all ask around first, not just on Craigslist but among family, friends, and colleagues. And now we live in a society where it's becoming socially acceptable to do that!

Have you asked for something recently and actually got it? Do share!

Too Cute Tuesday: Crazy Stuff With Plastic Bags

There's all these warnings about playing with plastic bags but we're getting wild here on Too Cute Tuesday and playing with them.

I was talking to Sam about what we could make and she said something to the effect of "Well, we've got a lot of plastic bags." When life hands you lemons, right?

Did you know with six plastic bags, parchment paper, and an iron, you can turn your extra bags into a nice waterproof-y fabric that you can do all kinds of crazy stuff with. We're not rocket scientists but tonight, it's all about fusion...well, that and enchiladas.

Materials:
Plastic bags (the thinner crappy kind works best)
Parchment or regular paper
Scissors
Iron

Cocktail of the Day: Kahlua!

1. Cut the bottoms and handles off your plastic bags.About six bags gives a good amount of coverage.

2. Pour yourself some homemade kahlua. Ahhh.

3. Preheat your iron on the "rayon" setting. In case you don't iron your rayon articles of clothing regularly, that's just a really low setting.

4. Put the bags between sheets of regular or parchment paper. Iron. Yes, it'll smell like it's melting because it is. (Sarah says it smells like an autoclave, you know, if that means anything to you.)This process is called fusion when you do it on purpose. Warning: Be sure if you have small animals you keep them away from hot items as they seem to be naturally drawn to them.

5.Be patient, the ironing process on low is a little slow.

6. After you have your plastic fabric, you can do lots of different things. The Too Cute Tuesday folks sure diversified:

Nicole made a little pouch for her digital camera by sewing up two sides of the fabric.

Sam made a small purse and incorporated a heart design from one of the bags.

Sarah cut strips and weaved the strips into a bag.

Recycling is a beautiful thing, isn't it?

Really love Too Cute Tuesday? Maybe you should join our Facebook group where we post extra photos, a preview the upcoming week's craft, and more!

Fashion Forward Friday: Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap

Every Friday, I tackle an affordable idea of fashion or style in a fun segment I call Fashion Forward Friday.

That's right, I'm about to blog about soap. But since personal care falls in the realm of being fashionable and stylish, I figure I'm allowed. Now let me preach to you...

I bought some Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap initially to go on a camping trip (wash me and my dishes with one bottle? Yes please!). I ended up, of course, with a mostly full bottle when I got back so I stuck it in my shower.

This $5 has been working for me since August and I'd like to make multiple cases for this lovely product:

1) Certified fair trade an organic. That's always good because normally there's all kinds of crazy stuff in your cosmetics.

2) Multi-use. This product has 18 uses according to the bottle including pet wash, mouthwash, body cleanser, foot soak, dish detergent and dentures. (Yeah, I know, I finally write something for you denture wearers out there! About time I'm sure.)

3) Clean minty smell. If this doesn't wake you up in the morning, I don't know what will.

4) Good for boys and girls. You don't have to put up with her girly flowery stuff or his boy musky stuff. One bottle for everyone!

5) A little goes a long way. I've had my bottle since August and yes, I do take regular showers. A dab will do you in this case.

6) Fun writing on the bottle. Read Biblical verses while you're hanging out in the shower. You know, because why not?

So if you are looking for a natural cleaner that'll leave you smelling nice at a great price, may I recommend this little bottle of fantasticness. Want to know more? Check out Dr. Bronner's website.

Happy Friday! Did I mention you smell fantastic today?

Other Fashion Forward Friday posts:
Fondue Makes For Cheap And Easy Entertainment
Finding Workable Vintage

Too Cute Tuesday: Record Bowls

This week, Too Cute Tuesday is getting hot. That's right: this week's craft involves an oven! And it involves my very small apartment which means things got toasty.

No doubt you have old records lying around from back in the day but if you don't, that's what eBay is for.

Materials:

Bowls (for shaping)
Oven safe container
Oven
Record
Oven mits

1. Have your friends over for dinner and attempt to bake bread as a way to preheat the oven.

2. Realize that you still suck at baking bread but have friends who are too nice to harrass you about it.

3. Put the record on top of the oven safe container. It will take only a few moments for the record to begin to warp (have droopy sides). Oven temp for this: Between 250 and 350 degrees F.

4. Take the record out of the oven and put it in a bowl to shape. Ideally have nesting bowls so you can put the record in one and put a slightly smaller bowl inside the record. Hold the bowls in place while the record cools again.

5. Do this as many times as necessary to get your desired product. Let the record cool into the final shape.

Some ideas for you to make from melted records:
Trays, napkin holders, envelopes, bowls

Watch out not to burn your fingers!

Aren't you crafty?

Note: Want to follow TCT every week? We now have a Facebook page! That Dorrie has such good ideas! 

How To Get Things Done Fast

I was talking to my friend Randy yesterday and he mentioned this book he was reading about being super productive. "What's it called?" I asked. "How To Get Things Done Fast." I would have never picked out a book like this in a million years; I'd rather get things done well then fast plus the whole thing sounds really gimicky, at least at first glance.

The basic idea is that initially (usually in a few seperate sessions) you write down everything that is preoccupying you and eventually empty your brain. After having things down on paper, you divide things logically into tasks and projects. Things that take less then two minutes, you do right away and you organize everything else in order of importance.

Randy realized that all the ideas he had been thinking of over and over that seemed really kind of random and unrelated were actually all working towards the larger goal of making money back to pay his student loans.

The idea of emptying your mind and working everyday with a clean slate allows you to (apparently) be superproductive. And organizing ideas as they happen takes discipline but keeps you from mentally spinning your wheels about the same old stuff.

I have a sticky note on my Google homepage for those exact thoughts during the day (library books due January 27, pay cell phone bill) but I think a great cleaning out of my brain and an organizing of these thoughts would be pretty fantastic. Despite seeming organized and carefree, I actually spend a lot of time spinning my wheels mentally about money and other matters as I keep revisiting thoughts.

So the book is "How To Get Things Done Fast" by David Allen if you are interested but if you want to dip your toe into the pond of this organizational system before diving in:

Visit David Allen's website...
Do some David Allen brain cleaning out exercises...

How To Get Money From People You Don't Know

One of my extracurricular activities that keeps me out of trouble is being on the board of a local nonprofit. My normal fuction is going to meetings and saying obvious things.

A few weeks ago, however, the ante was upped. A packet arrived with a list of businesses to solicit donations from and their contact information. I panicked. I am not good at asking people for money... I have a hard time even asking people who owe me money for money!

But I had to deal and here's what I've learned about asking people you don't know to give you money.

Get background information on the person or business.
Having a name of who you can talk to at a business and information about the person/business can give you a little bit of an edge in this uncomfortbale situation. Has he given money before? Does she prefer email to phone calls?  Has the business recently changed ownership? These are all good things to know. Ask around in your social circle or email your friend the supernetworker and get at least some of the information ahead if you can. I asked a few ad reps at the newspaper I work for, so helpful.

Go in person if you can.
I have too many businesses to do this with but I can tell the ones I visited in person had a lot harder time saying no then ones I called. Looking like the nice wholesome person that I am also didn't seem to hurt.

Be clear.
In the first sentence, I give my name and the organization I volunteer for. This way, they know I'm not trying to sell them anything and they can start thinking about the organization and how/if they want to give. Using their brainpower to figure this out rather than figure out who I am is a step in the right direction.

Be brief.
Small business owners don't have a lot of time and respecting that is key.

Be kind, even if they say no.
Sure, money is tight now and some poeple can't give. That said, if you're a jerkface about them saying no, you are not only representing yourself but the organization. They may not remember your name but they'll remember who you were representing the next go around. Being kind and gracious to all is only beneficial to your good karma but to the organization you represent...because you never know.

All in all, this hasn't been the terrible experience I thought. One place I called gave $100 without batting an eye. "That's a really special organization" the woman said when I went to pick up the money. And doing this little uncomfortable exercise in some ways made me realize just how much it was.

Shameless Promotion: The Zonked Sunday Night Edition

My Saturdays have become full in the last few weeks, which is good from the standpoint that I am making more money and in general growing my little business. On the other hand, by Sunday I am completely exhausted and ready for my day of rest.

And if you're wondering why the heck bloggers like myself do lists of cool links about once a weekish, check this out. It pretty much explains the logic, and I did write it so I think it's good!

At Breaking Even

This week, I participated in the Carnival of Personal Finance hosted by CleverDude. (And if you are wondering what the heck carnivals are check out this post.)

Some Great Links

For those of you like me who need their protein, it's getting harder to find cheap sources isn't it? (Not to mention that eating a lot of meat is not good for our planet either.) Enter imitation crab meat, which you can actually do a ton with. (via Wisebread)

Hard times give people new insights. Blunt Money lets us in a little on her personal life and reminds us that in life's difficulties are opportunities. At least, I hope so...

Could you live without spending any money for a year? This guy is trying to. I'm not hardcore thrifty enough to ever try anything like this but it's always interesting to live vicariously through people who are. (from Give Me Back My Five Bucks)

On the same note, these people are eating on $1 a day. (from Portland Psst!)

And I feel let in on a big secret: how you know Sam's Club pricing is as low as it'll go. And it's not even complicated or hard to remember. (from Spending Less 101)

This woman is living one of those crazy exciting lives those with dogs and cherished kitchen gadgets can only dream of (that would be me folks). I'd like to travel more but could I ever travel this much? The adventures and costs of full time travel. (from Wisebread)

Free Stuff

Suze Orman's latest book- Oprah's queen of personal finance. I'm not a huge fan (something about her I can't quite put my finger on) but, hey, if it'll help you make better financial decisions in 2009, that's great? (from BudgetsAreSexy)

Vowed to manage your money better in the new year? Quicken is now free but so is Mint.com. (from Mrs. Micah)

Ordering your credit reports yearly is a good idea, and free. And how to do it online. (from CleverDude)

Weight loss podcasts that could keep you motivated. My fat-looking Wii will only do so much for that I suppose! (from No Credit Needed)

Captain Obvious Links
Common sense, sure, but some links to back up the statements.

Library use is going up.

United States living standards still among best in the world.

Walking like a penguin will help you walk on ice. (Check out the animation...hilarious!)

Greyhound has lowered their fares to get people to travel.

People who are in jail for embezelling will try to get rid of anything they have of worth rather then have it get taken by the government.

Happy Sunday! And if you have any good links, feel free to let me know about them. I'm always on the lookout!

Friends Helping Friends Free: Karma Money

After a brief hiatus, the five part mini-series about how friends can help friends for free continues. On the surface, it's a common sense series of posts but a concept I think a lot of us need to be reminded of, especially single folks who have families far away like myself. My point: we need to rely on each other now more than ever!

How many times have you bought a friend a coffee or had a coworker lend you a stamp? I've done it plenty of times but also have been the recipient of the good fortune of others.

I have this theory on karma money that everyone seems to get a kick out of:

Anything less then $10 between friends is karma money. If you lend it, you are likely to get the money back in the future and vice versa.

While I've never done a formal investigation, I don't think this policy has lost me any significant amount of money. That said, I think that while this would work great with my regular friends I see often, and a very small way I can show them how much I appreciate them. (Thoughful types notice these kind of things, I certainly do!) That said, we all have those people in our lives for who this would not work, and that's fine. Karma money is just that: a general guideline that we can use to help each other out.

So do offer to spring for a coffee or pay your friend's library fine if you can and you're there. The good we put in the world comes back to us, and a lot more quickly when it's a small act of kindness for a friend.

I'm also curious: Do you already have a similar rule to this in your life? If so, what's your karma amount?

Read Part One of the Friends Helping Friends Free Series: Trading Favors...
Read Part Two of the Friends Helping Friends Free Series: Swap Your Stuff...

Friends Help Friends Free: Trading Favors

I've decided to do a five part mini-series about how friends can help friends for free. On the surface, it's a common sense series of posts but a concept I think a lot of us need to be reminded of, especially single folks who have families far away like myself. My point: we need to rely on each other now more than ever! 

My friend Dorrie really wants to paint her bathroom and was trying to convince me to put the project on Too Cute Tuesday. Since I was thinking that may be as interesting as watching paint dry (well, since it would be that), I told her  that I'd help her this weekend. She seemed pretty excited, but a slightly off paint color is putting off our plans until next weekend.

It can be really overwhelming to hold down a job (and possibly a second job), have hobbies and friends, be supportive of family, and maintain a household. You certainly can't do it alone, and even when you have other people to help, it's still hard.

So here's the thing I've been thinking about. As Americans, we have this underlying value of self-reliance to the point where asking for help is the last thing we will do. Buy why? If you can't hire help or do it yourself, are you just supposed to not do a task? That seems kind of ridicuous!

Being a good friend means in part getting excited about painting. And to be honest, it's easy to get excited to help good friends. Dorrie has fed and let my dog out around dinnertime countless times these last couple months when I've had to work late or couldn't make it home in time, which means so much to me. And your friends you help out are just as happy to reciprocate for you.

So hopefully I've gotten you excited about asking for help from friends in completing some of your tasks, especially at the start of the new year. Some guidelines:

1. Be specific about what you want. If you want people to help you move, have boxes and tape ready. When they show up, tell people what to do. "If you could pack all the dishes in the kitchen and wipe out the cupboards after, that would be great." Nothing feels as inconsiderate as making your buddies stand around on their day off. And don't feel like you're being bossy, telling people what's going on is helpful and done in a friendly tone comes off just fine.

2. Provide food. If someone is giving up a day or even an afternoon to give you a hand, don't leave them wondering when they'll eat next. Some of us have blood sugar issues, some of us just need some additional not-so-alturistic motivation.

3. Have an end-point to the task. Quitting time can be when the pizzas get there or at 6 p.m. Signing on to help someone for an indefinite period of time can feel a little overwhelming to your free help so give them a heads up as to what you are thinking.

4. Be gracious but don't apologize the whole time. Say thanks is nice but continuously apologizing the the chaos or thanking over and over can be a little annoying. Your friends don't want you to grovel. (If they did, you'd know it.) Know your buddies are there to help you because they want to be, say thanks once and follow up after the task is finished with a thank you email or phone call if you really want to.

5. Make it fun. My friends S and S bought this house two years ago from someone who was really into 1970s style wallpaper. Their style is more contemporary country (not to mention aging wallpaper is not pretty regardless of style preferences) but getting rid of all that wallpaper was an overwhelming project to undertake. To jump start their efforts, they had a "stripping party", sending out scandalous-looking invitations and inviting us all to come over for pizza, beer, and stripping wallpaper. We all smelled like vinegar but with beer and cranking tunes, it was an almost fun way to spend an afternoon. So if you've got a big project, make it a party!

6. Be the first to jump in when a friend asks for help. Reply all to that group email and ask what time you should be there. And if your friend is a little shy but you know they could use a hand with a task, make a concrete offer: "I'm going to come by Sunday afternoon and we are going totake everything you need to to the recycling center." Helping each other works in both directions. (That said, if you have helped people before and they never seem able to help you, feel free to make yourself less available.)

Remember your friends are a resource and a gift but not indentured servants. That said, a resource untapped is just a waste. Let's help each other out!

Tomorrow: My Theory Of "Karma Money"

Too Cute Tuesday: Cardboard Christmas Tree

The following is a guest post from my friend Renee Johnson. Her and her husband Chris Roberts run an organic dog biscuit company called Barkwheats which I'm profiling this week. A couple days after our interview, Renee sent me this idea which she thought was "too cute" and perfect for my weekly craft. Chris as usual had some fun one liners which I included in quotes. Merry Almost Christmas!

Chris and I decided not to have a "real" Christmas tree this year for a few reasons... financial, space, DOGS, etc... so he found this alternative online: http://www.thecardboardtree.com. He took it one step further and decided not to buy it but make his own instead.

Materials:
Leftover cardboard box (enough for two identical tree cutouts)
Blade (to cut through cardboard)
Scissors (to trim and cut paper)
Pretty paper (This paper from Asian World Imports which has a store in Blue Hill and a website asianworldimports.com. "You can always search the Green Pages to find the best from Coop America Approved vendors." Or you can use recycled Christmas wrap.)
Glue gun

Cocktail of the day: "Cocktail recco...  during the winter we like hot buttered rum...mmmmm"

1. Take a big cardboard box and draw out a tree shape. Then cut it out, and use the cutout to trace the same shape on another big piece of cardboard. Cut that one out so you have two cutouts. 

2. Make some hot buttered rum. You're done with using sharp objects (though do remember to enjoy in moderation as you will be operating a glue gun).

3. Cut a slit in the middle of one piece from the bottom to the middle, and then on the other from the top down to the middle, so they could slide inside each other.

4. Cover both cutouts with pretty paper (in this case "hand made and fair traded paper (of course)" from Thailand but you could also use leftover Christmas wrap). Glue keeps paper secure.

5. Fit the two pieces together. Decorate the tree if you like and surround the base with pinecones. Voila!

Secret Millionaire: What Do You Think?

I watched Secret Millionaire on Fox last night. Sounds like a guilty confession, doesn't it? Well, it did involve mooching off my friend Jen's cable television (and convincing my friend C to watch it too since he was staying over there) but I did it. And I loved every minute of it.

(Aside: My taste for "bad" television is well documented. My favorite thing to watch is infomercials at 2 am. Whenever I can't sleep, I make myself a toast with peanut butter and watch an infomercial. The more ridiculous the product, the better. Heaven.)

So when I saw the preview to this show, I knew I wanted to watch it. The premise is simple: Rich people get plopped in poor America for a week. They have to live on minimum wage and at the end of the week, they give $100,000 or more of their own money to someone or something they deem worthy.

C and I both agreed on certain aspects of the show. First of all, a week is not very long, and one show not a long enough time to portray it. There was lots of oversimplification.

But then came the question of how to help people in need. Is writing a check and leaving really helpful? Is it difficult enough to really impact these millionaires for the longterm? Should the money be used to set up programs?

As you remember from earlier this week, it is almost a proven fact that when given money we don't earn, most of us are likely to blow at least part of it. Think about what you did with the stimulus check you got this year (or even cash you got as a gift). Now multiply that by thousands. It certainly begs the question...

I was thinking that along with the gift of a check from a millionaire, each recipient should also get face time with a financial planner to help them make good decisions with new found cash. C thought what they spend the cash on should be more regulated (this much in savings, etc.). I thought that in the end, the decision should be up to people getting the money but that they should have the tools they need to make good decisions. 

But it's no coincidence to me that this show is coming out now, at a point when charitable giving is at a low and people need to be reminded that despite cutbacks to their budgets 1) someone's holiday season will be worse then theirs and 2) that we all can give something, even if it's not $100,000. In short, a simple message, some voyeristic rich people watching, and the warm fuzzies for half an hour. Cha-Ching.

So I want to know, if you saw it or read about it or even are just thinking about it now, what did you think of the show? How do you think is an effective way to help people less fortunate then yourself? And why can an almost 40 year old woman with five children have a better body then I ever will? Ok, maybe don't answer that last one...

The Baltimore Sun (where the first millionaire lives for real) discusses Secret Millionaire...

Image from realitytvmagazine.com

The Christmas Shop Local Challenge

It's Cheaper and Easier Then I Thought

Early this Christmas season, I decided that I was going to buy all my gifts locally for several reasons.

1) My family owns a small business. (I do too!) It would seem at least a little hypocritical to not support others in my same situation.
2) My Best Buy fiasco clearly illustrates what it can be like to do with the corporation.
3) Living in the community that is heavily dependent on summer tourism, the least I can do is help support the businesses that serve year-round residents like myself. I appreciate not have to drive half an hour to buy milk, or a cashmere sweater for that matter. (Milk happens a little more often in my world.)

I was a little worried about how shopping local this was going to go. Should I buy my brother-in-law that gadget I saw an online gift guide? Will I be able to find the perfect gift for my mother in some small specialty shops?

I realize that two things have happen for me to have success at buying local: I had to be flexible (what! no, insert-specific-item here in purple?!?) and also actually visit storessee what they had. (And as a personal finance blogger who almost never goes shopping, some of these people would never have seen me otherwise.)

I was pleasantly surprised at the selection of items, the reasonable prices, and the friendliness of salespeople who were genuinely appreciative of my business.

Here are a few moments I relished as I finished up my Christmas shopping today:

• reading through funny children's books to find the funniest on
• laughing with some fellow drug store shoppers at the now available Clapper Plus
• running into a potential friend I met last week wearing a really fun hat
• finding a really great book/gift store that has all kinds of things that I'd go back for (I know, I am not buying books at the moment but I can dream, right?)

All in all, there is no long mall drudgery or battling crowds to buy my Christmas gifts, which made spending money oddly relaxing for me. As a bonus, I actually got to know my community a little bit better and still stayed within budget.

So whether you are completely finished with your Christmas shopping or have yet to start, I urge you to consider a local purchase as your next purchase.

Some good reasons (economic or otherwise) to buy local...
Something to inspire you to shop at a local bookstore...

How I Saved A Non-Profit $150 This Year (And You Can Too)

So I'm on this board for a regional domestic violence advocacy group. I often wonder why I'm on it, in part because I don't have a lot of fundraising clout/rich friends and in part because I don't have a lot of ideas about these sort of things. I figure the people who are in the thick of the programs are the experts who know way more then I do.

But I noticed a few months ago that I was getting a lot of mailings: copies of the minutes, financial statements, etc. in the mail. I noticed they were the same information that was sent out over email to the board members on a regular basis.

I emailed the director, asking her if she ever thought about having people opt into recieving notifications by email. I figured this would save some money. She's since put out the invitation to get information by email only.

I did a quick calculation at our monthly meeting tonight and if just ten of the board members opted to recieve information by email, the organization would save $150 in postage per year. Can you imagine if you let others like our donors or volunteers also did this?

My little idea was apparently useful. And yours are too!

Here's what I'm thinking: there is no doubt that a lot of us will not be able to be as generous this year financially as we'd like to be. Non-profits are onto this and expecting to see less financial giving this year as a result. A lose lose? Not quite.

In lieu of giving money, perhaps as a volunteer you can help your favorite nonprofit find ways that they can save money off their bottom line. It's worth a shot and if the organization is actually willing to make some changes, there is no reason why they shouldn't listen to you. There might be something really obvious that only you can see.

Link Roundup: Fortune Cookie Edition

I am a keeper of those fortune cookie fortunes, if only to remind me of universal truths and because I think they are so gosh darn cute. I have a few posted by my desk and some links to share so I thought I'd combine the two.

Be mischevious and you'll never be lonesome.
Wisebread has an awesome guide about doing your own Halloween makeup. Even if you don't get around to sewing a costume, you can at least do crazy makeup. Warning: this post has sound when you open it. 

The world is ready to recieve talent with open arms.
Almost Frugal has some serious talent for making homemade gift bags. And stay tuned for a series of holiday craft posts from Kelly and other crafty bloggers (myself included).

You will have good luck and overcome many hardships.
Sadly, I missed Blogger Action Day on October 15 due to the sheer bad timing of my vacation. A lot of bloggers did take part though, and Wisebread's entry about poverty fighting superheroes was fantastic. There are also links in the post if you want to get involved with helping others (and possibly yourself) overcome some hardships.

The joyful energy of the day will have a positive effect on you.
Sense to Save sees the positive sides of this recession, mainly the fact that it's putting into question some American values that aren't the best. Could agree more, Kacie.

Your mentality is alert, practical, and analytical.
A Dollar A Day posted a Declaration of Financial Independence posted on her bank ING's website (called We, The Savers).  I feel like printing out and posting it, even if it's from a bank.

Smile when you are ready.
I have this one framed, typed up in a large font. Since I've been in kind of a funk lately, one of my coworkers suggested today I get a mantra. Something to recite whenever I'm scared or nervous about life that'll calm me. I was wracking my brain all day for one and when I started writing this post, I remembered my framed copy of this phrase was once in a fortune cookie. I think I refound my mantra. I love happy coincidences!

So may good fortune find you tonight, and check out some of these great articles that "spoke" to me if you want some good reading.

Photo from Wikipedia

Too Cute Tuesday: Recycled Paper

When I was a kid, I wanted to do two things in my life:
1) Be a writer.
2) Save the world from environmental destruction.

Both dreams were encouraged by my family: notepads, pens, and books for Dream One and various environmental and science-y gifts for Dream Two. I got environmental test kits, books about saving the environment, and craft projects where I could reuse objects and make new things.

I had a kit to make recycled paper which I loved. The whole thing originally involved ruining a blender, messing up the family basement, and drenching a bunch of towels but I came up with some nice recycled paper. In my stage of being too cool for crafting which coincided with a series of moves, the kit disappeared. Bummer.

The good news is I think I've come up with an easier (and less messy) method based on the kit and my life experience. Finally something to do with all the paper waiting to be recycled in my basement! (I apologize for a lack of photos; the digital camera is still in the process of being replaced.)

Materials:
a small section of screen (you can buy about a yard of it cut at your local hardware store for less then $2)
blender
bucket
water
paper (I recommend 1:2 newspaper, regular paper ratio. Used at least a few bits of colored paper to make things interesting. Remember to use every piece of paper on both sides first before recylcing it!)
scissors and/or paper shredder
old towels
sponge

Coffee with a kick (insert Irish creme, coffee brandy, etc. here)

1. The day before you craft, go to the hardware store and confidently acquire any screen you don't have. If you've been doing Too Cute Tuesday for awhile, the folks at your neighborhood store should know you by now and may ask what you are up to. (Note get hard screen, which is easier to work with though a soft screen works in a pinch or if you accidentally order the wrong kind like I did.)

2. Get home and shred paper while doing something mindless, like watching a television show or listening to the radio. You can use your hands, scissors, a paper shredder, or a combination of both. You want your paper pieces to be small. Put the pieces in a bucket.

3. Add water to the bucket until it is lightly covering the pieces of paper. Put somewhere where a child, animal, or clumsy adult can't knock it over and let it sit for a few hours or overnight. (This is an optional step but allows your blender to work less hard later in addition to helping get some of the ink out of the paper you are using.)

4. Day 2: You are ready to craft! Brew some coffee (though if after 6 pm, perhaps a decaf would make more sense).

5. Gather supplies you need in a central location near a water source while the coffee is being made.

6. Add Irish creme or coffee brandy to your coffee. As the nights get cooler, your little warm cocktail will help you relax... and craft!

7. Put paper from bucket into blender. A slotted spoon will help the transfer. See the grey water? Your paper will be less grey from the soaking.

8. Put fresh water in the blender with your paper and blend. It'll look disgusting but that's how you know it's right.

9. Put an old towel down with your screen on top. Spoon your paper sludge evenly onto the screen surface. Put more screen on top and blot with sponge, wringing out the water periodically. You want to get your pulp as flat as possible; don't worry about smooth edges. (Note, you will go through an insane amount of towels if you aren't so good at letting the water drain from the pulp before spreading it on the screen.)

9a. Dealing with all this cold wet paper, allow yourself to warm yourself up with coffee beverage. Ah.

10. Once much of the excess water is off, transfer the "paper" from the screen onto a dry towel someplace where it can dry safely.

11. Repeat for as many sheets of paper as you like. Let paper dry overnight.

12. Day 3: Once paper is dry, you can trim the edges with scissors.

A multi-day project, sure. A little water logged definitely but that's what the coffee with a kick is for! The whole thing is, however, pretty low tech and a great thing to do with kids so they understand what is means to recycle paper. Plus you can send pretty notes to your friends on your fancy paper while you drink your Irish Coffee. Talk about warm wishes!

Happy crafting, especially if it's for the earth.

The following is a guest post from J. at Budgets are Sexy. He's a funny guy, the kind you even want to be internet friends with. Check out his blog or better yet, subscribe so you don't miss a single post.

Man, thank goodness I didn't shell out those 10G's I was planning on sending to Obama! haha .... j/k of course. But seriously, i had no idea you couldn't write them off. I bet you used to be able to, but like always, someone (or a bunch of someones) ruined it for all of us.

It's surely not the end of the world, and def. shouldn't be one of the top reasons to donate to a cause, but it did get me thinking. Esp. considering i was just about to donate for the first time ever to a campaign! (can you guess whose?) I would have just slapped it right into my "contributions" folder at home, an added it to next year's tax #'s.

I guess it's good that I subscribe to Money Magazine then ;) Their brief, and to the point, write up on this caught my eager eyes on my daily commute in this morning. It was titled, "Funding Your Candidate" (June, pg23) and shared 3 things to keep in mind:

1. You can give only so much.
There are actually caps on how much you can donate - imagine that! Here are the limits each person can donate for 2008 (they are adjusted every 2 years for inflation):

• $2,300 per candidate, per primary
• $2,300 per candidate, per general election
• $28,500 to a national party
• $10,000 per state or local party
• $5,000 per political action committee (PAC)
• UNLIMITED donations to a 527 - some sort of candidate lobby group...maybe this is why i hear of people donating $100,000 here, $200,000 there?

2. Your info will go public.
W-O-W, never saw that one coming! (i'm being serious there...although to some of you it will probably come across sarcastic. haha) Apparently there were some reforms after Watergate, and every time you make a contribution, you ALSO have to provide the following:

• your name
• your job
• your employer
• your address

Now, if your total donations are UNDER $200, then your info will just stay w/ the campaign. BUT, and a very interesting one indeed, if your contributions go OVER $200, your info then gets forwarded to the FEC, who then posts it on their website - FEC.gov !!! And then there is ANOTHER then, where it THEN gets picked up by sites like OpenSecrets.org, and FundRace.org who put them in searchable databases! Please excuse another one - W-O-W!

3. No Federal tax deductions for any contribution.
We already covered this one, but Money does a good job of pointing another option out for those deductible-hungry citizens. And that is to donate the said money to a charity that your candidate supports. This way, you help them out, the charity out, and yourself out ;)

So, what will i be doing with this new found information? I'm gonna donate directly to my man Obama. As I've mentioned, I've never once done so in my lifetime, and since my budget only allows for amounts UNDER $200, I won't have to get freaked out about my info all over the net.

Have You Joined The June Blood Drive?

There are still a couple of weeks to get in on the June Blood Drive Giveaway.

Apparently, I psychicly predicted that this month is National Blood Donors Day (which was June 14). Trent at The Simple Dollar has also encouraged people to give blood as a frugal and concrete way to help the flood victims in this country. And if you enter my blood drive on this blog, you could win a book. It's a win-win. So comment on this post after giveing blood (honor system folks!) and you'll be entered to win.

I'm coodinating a shared ride to the blood donation place next week so I'll be practicing what I preach real soon. So do enter the June Blood Drive Giveaway!

See where your closest Red Cross is here..
Read a story about blood donations making a difference here...

Why I Love Life Without Television

This was originally my guest post on Bible Money Matters. I had quite a day (which I'll probably get into explaining tomorrow) so forgive me for reusing; I figured since it would be new to Breaking Even, Inc. readers that you wouldn't mind. Happy Friday!

 

“Did you watch American Idol?”

 

“Hey about that guy on the Today Show this morning?”

 

“When’s the game on tonight?”

 

When you start paying attention, it is amazing to find how many conversations rely on television. You only start noticing when you don’t have it.

 

I’ve only had cable television for two years of the last ten. I am now in a period sans television.

 

You wouldn’t know it talking to me. I follow enough news and celebrity gossip online to know what’s going on. I am only sometimes completely out of the loop.

 

“Why don’t you just get cable?” people have asked me.

 

I’ve found there are several reasons (some monetary but mostly personal health-related) to not have cable.

 

1)      I save the money I would pay on a cable bill. The two years I did have cable, it was included in my rent. I find that I can find better ways to spend $60 or more a month. . . like high speed internet.

2)      I save money on electricity to run the television. Sure there is a television that we have to watch movies but not running the television means one less electronic device is running.

3)      If you do have a favorite show, there are plenty of ways to watch it without having cable. You can watch many shows online. You can also rent or buy the DVD of a season of your favorite program. You can borrow from you local library or a friend for free. You can have it all, without commercials, which brings me to…

4)      I’m not constantly seeing commercials that make me want to buy things. While I can’t prove this, I bet people who don’t watch commercials buy less.

5)      Television leads to higher incidence of obesity and depression.  When I had cable, I was headed towards both as I ended up watching hours of it every day.

6)      I have more time to do other things. I walk the dog, I blog, I read… There are so many things in life that I do that not watching television seems like a very small thing to not do.

7)      I have less negative energy in my life. I don’t know if it’s less electromagnetic waves or less reality television but I feel like I have less negativity in my life.

 

All this said, it is clear that I don’t have the willpower to turn off my television. If you can watch an hour or two a day and then turn it off, more power to you. If you can watch television and still do what you need and want to do, good for you. I am not disciplined in that way. And I think maybe at least a few other people aren’t either.

 

No matter what, I know that having at least one no television night is doable by everyone. As kids my family had it. We ate dinner and played games usually. It was kind of fun, since we were purposely not turning the television. My mom usually made a special snack. I highly recommend it for anyone. If you live alone, make it the night you have friends over for a potluck dinner. When I lived alone, having my friends over one night a week forced me to socialize initially but after a few weeks, I was looking forward to Wednesday nights and the happiness that only real people can provide.

 

If you do want to watch less television, 43Folders has some great tips. Actually, I’d recommend anyone who thinks television is too big a part in their lives to skim the article because it’s pretty interesting.

 

So here’s to more money in your pocket and a happier life being less controlled by a box. I'd rather sit outside if I'm going to sit on my butt! 

 

Image from http://www.hoardedordinaries.wordpress.com/

June Blood Drive

You may remember a few months ago that I gave blood at the Red Cross and thought the whole thing was a pretty good use of my time. This month alone, I've gotten two phone calls and one postcard from the Red Cross asking for another donation.

I remember my Dad getting a lot of phone calls for blood donations because he was AB negative, which is fairly rare. But I do know the Red Cross needs blood of all types all the time. In light of recent events and due to the drop in blood donations during the critical summer months, I thought I'd launch a challenge with this blog: The June Blood Drive.

The goal is 50 pints of blood for the Red Cross by the end of June. Can you give a pint? 

To let me know you've donated, comment on the blog or email nicole @breakingeveninc.com and let me know that you have. If you want to take a picture of your "I Donated Blood" sticker or you showing Oreos in your mouth moments afterward to prove your story, go for it. I could always use cool blog art! I trust in your honesty because what sick person would lie about a blood donation?

The prize is a book I picked up in Boston, pre-windshield incident. "Nickeled and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By In America". It's a fascinating read (I'm half way through in two days) and interesting from both a personal finance and anthropological perspective.

Ready, set, give! Contest ends June 30.

Book Review: Eat, Pray, Love (Well, So Far)

You Too Can Petition The Universe

I really dragged out attempting to read "Eat, Pray, Love". Sarah sent it to me when she sent "Helping Me Help Myself" but I could get psyched up for it. 1) New York Times Bestseller means it's too popular. I mean, do I only read things because other people say it's good? 2) Author photo, pretty and blonde, what is this "everything" she needs to search for in life? and 3) The title, the minimalist cover, the spiritual journey, all felt too Oprah to me. (And by too Oprah, I mean in a kind of preachy, commercially spiritual kind of way. I don't actively dislike Oprah but she's not exactly my favorite, probably in part because she's insanely popular).

It was either read or do yard work this afternoon so I picked up "Eat, Pray, Love" and an hour later, I already love it.

First of all, painful divorce then torrid affair that ends in heart break. I can kind of relate. Throwing up every morning because something in your life isn't right? I've been there. And her little stories, funny, warm, and completely relatable. And since I've been passively seeking to improve my spiritual life for the last few months, and since the book is seeming to start with the "pray" part, I feel something translatable to my life. 

One part I wanted to share was where our author is in a car traveling with a friend. She is wishing she could write a petition to God for something specific to happen in her life (here: her husband signing the divorce papers so she doesn't have to spend a year in court). She says she feels like she can't do this because she feels she should just have faith in God that it all works out.

"Where did you get the idea you aren't allowed to petition the universe with prayer? You are part of this universe, Liz. You're a constituent- you have every entitlement to participate in the actions of the universe, and to let your feelings be known. So put your opinion out there. Make your case. Believe me- it will at least be taken into consideration."

"Really?" All this was news to me.

So she writes her petition. Dear God, please do this, here are some reasons you should, thanks.

I read it to Iva, and she nodded her approval.

"I would sign that," she said.

I handed the petition over to her with a pen but she was too busy driving so she said, "No let's say that I did just sign it. I signed it with my heart."

"Thank you, Iva. I appreciate your support."

"No, who else would sign it?" she asked.

"My family. My mother and father. My sister."

"OK, they just did. Consider their names added. I actually felt them sign it. They're on the list now. OK- who else would sign it? Start naming names."

So they go on to list people who would sign it. People living and dead who hate conflict, friends, relatives, movie stars, politicians, historical figures. They come up with quite a list.

It makes you realize your desires not only effect you but many other people as well. (Your desires, attitude, financial state can also be thought of this way.) Prayer doesn't have to be this passive activity but something you can actively feel you are doing by defining what you want as well as why you want it to the universe. You can also think of who would support you and why. As someone who does not like to feel like I'm letting too many things happen to me, this kind of prayer feels oddly empowering.

So petition away. Maybe God can help you reach a spiritual, emotional, or even financial goal if you petition him.  And if spirituality is something that interests you, give "Eat, Pray, Love" a try.

5 Tips On How To Waste Less Energy

A Salute To Earth Week

Today, it's all about energy use, or lack of use more specifically, and how you can cut back on energy use painlessly and save cash. This will give me a chance to use that list of links I've collected and get your ideas.

When I was a little girl, I used to turn off lights in the house. I had just read the book "50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save The Earth" and that was my take home message: little things can add up to a lot. Turning off a light in a room no one was using seemed simple, so I began doing it. There was some complaining that I turned off the lights on people when they were still in the room but when the electric bill came in, the critics were silenced.

"You saved us $75 in electricity this month!" my mom told me. And here all I wanted to do was save the Earth! When I found out you could save money, too, there was no stopping me.

Here are a few quick fixes for you:

1) Try not to use your clothes dryer. It's quite a little energy hog. My friend Susan told me if you turn on your dryer and look at your electric meter, it's nuts. And I believe her. Plus I found from Idealbite that the average dryer costs $135/year to run. Try a rack or the clothesline. As The Maine Life mentioned earlier this week, National Hanging Out Day is April 19!

2) Set up your computer for success. The Simple Dollar had a great post this week about how you can set up your computer to use less energy. Savings by doing all these things add up to $350 and prevent three and a half tons of CO2 emissions.

3) Phantom loads on electronics should be curbed. They result from things that are plugged in but not being used and can also be avoided by unpluging unused electronics or buying a powerstrip that turns itself off (see Idealbite if the latter is of interest). The amount of energy used by phantom loads is estimated to be about 75% by Efficiency Maine. So take 75% of your electric bill and that's what you could potentially save!

4) Get a programmable thermostat. It's going to sound so nerdy but I asked for a programmable thermostat for Christmas. I have often forgotten to turn down the heat as I leave the house in the winter so having something do it for me makes so much sense. Sure it's $50 but you can save $150 a year and that's with last year's energy prices. This could also work for those who live in places where air conditioning is more a problem.

5) Take a look at your hot water tank. If you turn down the temperature just a couple degrees on the hot water tank (will you really notice the difference betweek 130 degrees F and 120 degrees F?) and insulate your hot water pipes with foam. I couldn't find an amount on how much this would save but it's probably worth the 5-10 minutes it takes (and $5 in foam for the pipes).

In my travels, I also found a neat Virtual Energy Audit you can do in your own home. I haven't taken it yet but it takes 30 minutes and an electric bill to complete. It can target specific ways you can save money at your home. You can also usually borrow meters from your local library and test the electricity used in your devices yourself. (I'm thinking a kid or a certain scientific-minded boyfriend would love this little experiment.)

There's plenty of ways to painlessly save energy and money; kick it off this Earth Week!

Picture from http://www.darnnews.blogspot.com 

How Is This A Green Product?

A Salute To Earth Week

Whenever I think of certifications or guarentees, I tend to that scene from "Tommy Boy" when in a longish and crazy tirade, he explains that a company-issued guarentee is just a "guarenteed piece of..." Clearly, I'm a little skeptical of certifications.

Smart Money had a good post last week about how to really tell a green product. A few things to keep in mind.

1) Do your homework about the company. Greenbiz allows you to search their site, though a search for Target left a lot of "target" entries, too.

2) Decode the label. Consumer Reports has a search tool where you can decode your own label. Also some certifications are worth more than others. Smart Money breaks down the green certifications that acutally mean something including EnergyStar, Fair Trade Certified, and USDA Organic. Ideal Bite also has some tips related to other green certifications. (Though I would recommend searching by specific product type you are looking for; they have lots of recommendations and some are quite affordable.)

3) Not everything is obvious. I found out last night that the enchillada sauce I bought was made by Unilever. Meanwhile, the Master Logger Certification program is a highly successful program you probably have never heard of. Green certified loggers perform sustainable wood harvesting and are regularly evaluated to maintain certification. There are likely programs like this in most any industry.

While you may not want to conduct a research project every time you buy something, it is certainly worth doing occasionally to see what's out there. Try buying green products if you can, especially in the coming week. If you find something interesting, please comment so we can all learn something new!

Photo: A northern Maine scene as captured by the blog author.

Your Complete Guide To Composting

Salute To Earth Week

This weekend, a compost was started in the backyard. So far, it doesn't stink. Of course, it's only three days old.

Composting is basically a natural process of decay that you can use to eliminate trash and create useable soil for your gardening projects. Decay will happen whether you make it happen or not but there are things you can do to help speed up the process. Composting has the added benefit of saving me money because our local trash service charges by the bag and since thirty percent of most household trash is compostable, it makes sense to at least attempt. My mom bought us a compost bin (it's big and black and has a locking lid) for Christmas and now that spring has come, it is set up in the back yard next to our tiny wood shed.   

If composting interests you, you don't need a fancy compost bin to try it out. The Savy Gardener tells you how. if you live in Maine, you should take advantage of the free services of your local UMaine Cooperative Extension (most other states have similar services so check it out). The CO has all kinds of free information about how to do anything remotely hands-on in relation to flora and fauna.

The one thing I may recommend you purchase is a composting pail. Not only will you not want to go out to your pile everytime you've found something compostable (unless you are easily excited), you will also not appreciate your organic matter decaying early in your kitchen. The special compost pails also have filters in them to keep them from smelling. (You could also just try a container you already have first and if you find it smelly, get the pail.) 

Since I have been worried that this somehow won't work for me, I am keeping this article today about how to kick-start a compost that is happening too slowly in reserve just in case.

If you are still unconvinced, you should check out the list of things you can compost. Fur, Kleenex, tea bags... I took the list and distilled it into a one page list I could post on the fridge near our pail. You can download it below if you want a one page list as well.

Like with other projects I've done, I'll keep you posted on the progress of this one.

Download what_can_you_compost.doc

Buying Local

A Salute To Earth Week

Yesterday, I spent the day at the Comic Arts Laugh Festival in Belfast, Maine which is about a 45 minute drive. More specifically, I watched a bunch of independent movies.

We got to the theater and the sign said “Independent Movies- 4 hours”. “Can you handle this?” I asked Sean, indicating the sign. He said he could so we bought tickets ($4 each), only to be refunded a few minutes later.

“It’s going to be free.” said Mike, the Festival organizer. “We don’t mind paying!” I said, and meant it. Sean and I were in the process of buying a large popcorn and a drink. Mike handed Sean the money back and I took the refund and handed it to the concession lady in a bizarre exchange of funds. So far, “today is my treat” had only come out to $6.50 and the gas to come to Belfast.

What followed was a series of interesting films I wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

Sean’s favorite was the Mensher Brothers film “He’s My Dad.” (See the trailer here.) The trailer doesn’t do the movie justice; it is very funny and inappropriate. A girl knocks on the convict’s door (which we later find out is her father), and after a bizarre exchange he says something to the effect of “So you’re a minor knocking at my door and I’m a newly released convict wearing no pants (he’s in a bathrobe) and you want to come in? Sure, I don’t see the harm in that.” The dialogue was deadpan and the movie closed with an original score father/kid duet “He’s My Dad” that made us chuckle through the credits. “…a penitentiary grad, he’s my dad…”

“We wanted the audience to immediately know the girl was in no danger (referring to the beginning scene of the movie). That wouldn’t have been funny.” One of the brothers said after the showing. Oh, did I mention all the filmmakers were there?

My favorite movies were by House of Hugs Productions which is run by Julia Radochia. They were all funny and true to life and told an interesting story in a short amount of time. These are all features I really appreciate in a movie. “I Just Want To Eat My Sandwich” is her latest film that has gotten the most acclaim. This poor woman keeps trying to eat her sandwich in her windowless cubicle when people keep interrupting to ask her questions. As someone who eats at my desk so I can blog, I understand this. I get interrupted about work stuff almost constantly. To be honest, I really liked all of them. I may ask Julia about how to go about buying a DVD.

The festival closed with a movie called “Tire Tracks” about the burning rubber subculture in Deer Isle/Stonington, Maine. I guess it was featured in The New York Times before I started reading it. I’ve seen the tracks myself but I live half an hour away and had no idea of what it all really meant.

So what does this long post have to do with Earth Week? By providing support to small and local businesses (like a local festival at a local theater), you are help keeping money in your economy and you’re probably actually helping someone (or some people) make a living rather than padding some rich guy’s wallet. Also this means that theoretically less resources are being transported, which is always really hard on the planet. So buy local, not only things but entertainment. You’re helping keep it close to you by supporting it and helping the environment by using resources close at hand rather than trucking them in.

Homemade Cleaners

A Salute To Earth Week

Unless you live under a rock, it's pretty hard to miss the fact that Earth Day is coming up. (And if you do live under a rock, well, I guess it doesn't matter because clearly you are one with the Earth.) Some of you may know my tendency to recycle and the fact that I was once president of my high school's Environmental Club (lovingly called the Tree Club). I love the earth and this week, I want to tackle topics about loving the earth and saving money. Because I think you can do your part without buying a set of $300 bamboo sheets. Today's topic: homemade cleaners.

I read with fascination a post at The Simple Dollar about making laundry detergent. There's video to watch and you can really go through and understand the whole process before doing anything. Being Frugal and Make Stuff both have homemade cleaner recipes that seem to work well. Depending on what ingredients you use and if you have a membership to a warehouse club or not, you may spend equal or less money making your own cleaners versus buying them.

Meanwhile, Sean and I are still using a bunch of cleaners that came with the house and some I already had when I moved in. Due to having animals that lick the floor and an environmentalist (that's me) now living here, we are phasing out the chemical stuff that came with the house and phasing in natural cleaners I brought with me. I may make some at some point, should we ever run out. Though I'm doubting that'll happen for at least a year.

Please make sure when you are making cleaners that you understand possible chemical reactions that could happen. I know a someone who once cleaned a dorm fridge with bleach then ammonia, throwing the paper towels in the same garbage can. That produces noxious fumes, folks. And he was a chemistry major. Even if you mix them yourself, chemical reactions are still chemical reactions. Understand what you're doing before you become a mad scientist about it.

Look this coming week for other environmental and money saving posts!

Photo from http://www.blogs.move.com 

Volunteer Work With Zoey's Room

Good For Girls and Good For Me

Wherever I've lived, I always feel the need to get involved in some kind of volunteer work. In college, I tutored a high school kid. When I moved back home after college, I answered the domestic violence hotline a few times a month. On Vinalhaven, my job was all about coordinating community service. I mostly  do volunteer work related to education because it's something that I'm interested in.

Since I've moved to Ellsworth, I have been searching for my new volunteer opportunity. It is finally happening as of this week.

Zoey's Room is an online girl's technology community introduced to me by a friend Ally on Vinalhaven. She ended up starting a club there and the girls loved it. The website, only for girls 10-14 years old, teaches girls technology skills and gives them a chance to socialize. Online safety is stressed, there is the potential to learn a lot, and I've liked the "mentor"y relationship I had with the girls, especially since I don't get to work with kids a lot anymore.

I gave an info session to a couple hundred girls after which, eleven of them showed up to join the club. They are all so different from each other, leading me to believe even further that there is no such thing as a "typical" girl. They have a ton of energy and are itching to get started. We'll be meeting weekly until the end of the school year. It's pretty low pressure; the girls are all on their computers checking out the web site at their own pace. I'm just there to answer questions, help out when I can, and to get to know them better.

So I work a couple jobs, blog daily, and also like to take care of myself and other people. Why volunteer? I have a few reasons why volunteering is good for you in addition to being good for the world:

1) The less time available, the more critical it is to manage it. Maybe you are like me and given a lot of free time will waste it on gossipy magazines and too much snacking. Not to say a little of that is bad; it's just good to keep some things to a minimum.

2) It's a good way to meet people, for business and personal reasons. Whether you are in business or not, knowing more people helps you. For example, the more people who know I blog, the more will read it. I also could meet people who could potentially be really important for me in the business or friendship sense. And if you move to a new place, it's a pretty good way to make friends.

3) It puts things into perspective. Think you have issues? Nothing like looking at something from another point of view to help you see your situation more clearly… and probably make you feel better.

4) It's good for the world. The more good things you put into the world, the more you get back, right? At least that's what I've always thought.

5) Something new to learn and something new to do. And who doesn't like that?

So I'm looking forward to Monday afternoons with some new gals because I'm sure it'll be an experience of value.

Have you done any interesting volunteer work?

Image from: www.yourtownscable.com/zoeysroom 

Giving Blood: Not A Bad Deal

Last night, My friend Jessica was going to the big citay to give blood so I decided to go with her. The good ol' Red Cross can use all the donations they can get I figure.

So we gave our blood and got 1) A free movie rental, 2) a coupon for a free Personal Pan pizza from Pizza Hut (reminds me of the ol' BookIt Days), a rose (Valentine's Day marketing), and all the Oreos and Vitamin Water we could shove in our mouth in 15 minutes (there may have been other things but that was what was exciting to me).

About $7 worth of free stuff, snacks, and the possibility of saving a few lives? Not bad for a night's work. And other places you can apparently get more free stuff.

(On a less alturisitic note, there are those sell-your-plasma places. When I told my mother that I was going to go to one in college, she lectured me on the phone for an hour then three days later there was a check in my mailbox from her. I didn't need money that bad so I didn't push the issue with Mom but I've always wondered is, are those places really that bad?)

Next Time: What I did with that super-unexpected Superbowl cash. Hint: I took advice from all your comments...

Image above from: http://redcross-yorkpa.org/images/image001.jpg

New Year, New You

I don’t know if it’s the New Year approaching or the fact that new cameras and old friends seem to be out and about a lot more this month but something about December makes me long for some kind of change. It’s easy to get in a rut. So what’s a girl (or guy) on a budget to do?

I find there are a few things that have help me get excited about a new me in the upcoming year. Maybe a few of these can work for you. They are all instantaneous, meaning you can do them right away, as opposed to say, working out, which takes a few weeks to feel good about. Today, it’s all about instant gratification.

1. Get a haircut. Today, I got bangs and am toying with the idea of a boxed hair color (or possibly some of that glaze stuff) to tone up my natural color. A twenty dollar haircut and a ten dollar box of color may be all you need, too. Don’t like it? It’ll grow back! It’s not like you’re getting a tattoo or anything! Here’s a good link about choosing a box hair color. I also recommend bringing a friend to help select as they can see your hair better than you can and give you a much needed reality check (“No, Nicole, your hair will never look like hers.” is sometimes exactly what you need to hear).

2. Get a new accessory... or outfit for cheap. A thrift store or discount store can have something great that won’t break the bank, whether it’s a new scarf or a whole new outfit. A great place to find a fun New Year’s ensemble that no one else will be wearing! Find a store near you (and read what other people think about the store) here. Or, you know, check your Yellow pages.

3. Get a new lipstick… or have your way-too-eager friend do your makeup. Sometimes buying one trendy item to go with what you already have can inspire you do try new things. My hot pink lipstick last year really gave me a lift when I needed it. I’ve always wanted to learn how to look better with makeup and if you or your friends aren’t so gifted in this department and you’re interested in learning, check out Bobbi Brown’s site which includes videos of how to create make-up looks, like for me the elusive smoky eye.

4. Clean out your closet and get the clothes you keep tailored. Get rid of those old clothes holding you back (plus get a receipt when you donate them for your very own tax write-off!). If you don’t want to get rid of things right away, put them in a box for six months. If you can’t name what’s in there six months from now, you officially don’t miss them. Have a few nice pieces of clothing that could fit better? For a few dollars at the tailor, your clothes can fit you like a glove and become clothes you love. Here are some ideas about how to find a tailor.

5. Do something for someone else. Join a board of a local non-profit. Volunteer at a shelter. Do something for someone else. Nothing gets you out of a rut like getting out of yourself for a few minutes. It puts those couple extra pounds and a lack of smoky eye into perspective like nothing else. Volunteer Match will match you to a volunteer opportunity near you, or you can just ask around.

So make a change if you want, or even if you don’t want. Because we all need change. It’s a good thing and really the only way we can attempt to improve ourselves. Until next time, I rock my new bangs and all other chances I have to try something new.