Breaking Even, Inc.

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.