Productivity

• Check out one of my earlier posts Save Hundreds with Open Source Software for a list of open source applications with short descriptions of their functions and links to the websites for free downloads. These are not free trials but completely free programs that stay free and upgrade for free.
• Google Calendar is a handy online calendar that can send alerts to you by email or pop-up reminders. The program allows you to share your calendar with friends and family who also use Google Calendar so you can coordinate schedules with each other.

Computer Protection

• ZoneAlarm Free Firewall can filter all traffic in and out of your computer. The most secure setting will warn you of even legitimate access to the internet and of every attempt by a program installed on your computer to access the internet to check for updates, etc.
• ZoneAlarm Spy Blocker Toolbar protects you from spyware while surfing the net.
• McAfee SiteAdvisor warns you of bad sites and has profiles for each tested site with details on downloads, spam email count, and user reviews. It also shows the safety rating for web search results with a small icon next to each link: green for safe, red for unsafe, yellow for caution, and gray for untested (you can submit a test request for gray sites).
  

Communication

• Skype allows you to make free computer to computer video and voice calls, and calls to phones for a small charge. We use the free computer to computer calls to talk to our overseas relatives
• If you use Hotmail, you can also use Windows Live Messenger for voice and video chat sessions with your contacts. You can also send mobile text messages to contacts in your address book.
• Gmail is my favorite free web based email program because, not only does it give you ever increasing storage (6.76 GBs as of this writing and counting), but it lets you forward your email to a desktop email client such as Outlook or Thunderbird. If you access your mail online, it has a nice filtering tool to help you sort your mail and also has a built in chat program, Google Talk, that allows you to chat with your online contacts without having to download anything.

Entertainment

• Hulu has an ever growing collection of new and old television programs and movies which you can watch for free online with a very reasonable amount of advertisements. The commercial breaks are shorter than you would have to sit through (15 or 30 secs) when watching a show on TV. For some newer shows, only the last 5 or 6 episodes are available, but there are also full seasons and full series of episodes for some shows.
• Network channels all have websites that let you watch the last 5 or 6 episodes of their current shows online. Here is a list of links to the home pages:
  • NBC
  • ABC
  • FOX
  • ABC Family
  • Sci Fi
• SHOUTcast is a free internet radio site that has a large selection of genres and stations and good sound quality.
• Joost is a player that allows you to watch thousands of TV shows and movies on your computer.

Reference

• Wikipedia. If you’ve performed a web search on the net, you’ve probably already stumbled across Wikipedia, which is a free, open encyclopedia that anyone can edit. It may or may not be 100% accurate, but it is convenient and has a great collection of articles and images on just about any topic, person or place including cities, actors and operas. Wikipedia is available in English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Portuguese, Dutch and Italian. (Time Saving Tip: To search for something straight from your Google toolbar or search, just type the keyword and the word “wiki”, i.e. “horse wiki” and the link to the entry will most likely show up first in your search result.)
• High Beam Encyclopedia is a collation of articles from Britannica, Oxford University Press, Columbia Encyclopedia as well as other published newspaper and magazine articles.
• Google Translate provides fair (though not the greatest) translations for 23 languages. It can translate typed/pasted in sections or entire webpages. This allows you to make use of websites you otherwise might not understand or save you time where you already know the language but take longer to read. It also has a dictionary for looking up words from those 23 languages.
• Reference.com has links to a host of reference tools including atlases, almanacs, a dictionary, thesaurus, literature and more. (Time Saving Tip: To look up a definition of a word, for example, “antithesis”, type “definition antithesis” in your search window. To look up synonyms (thesaurus) of the word “simile”, type “synonym simile”, and the search results will link you to the page of the entry.)
• The Gutenberg Project is a digital library of works that have fallen into public domain through expired copyright. The library includes fiction and non-fiction literature, audiobooks, sheet music and more.
• Google Calculator is a handy tool that lets you type in a formula or question in your search window and it will calculate and show you the answer. For example: type “1+5″ in your search bar and it will give you “1 + 5 = 6″. It can multiply, divide, add, subtract as well as calculate units of measurement such as miles, kilometers, megabytes, grams, degrees, pi, currency exchange rates and much more. Check out this great Google Calculator Demo at the Learn Google Search blog.

Free Downloads

• Download.com has a large collection of safe, free and trusted software downloads with editor and user reviews.
• Softpedia also has a large collection of downloads.
• Mozilla, home of the Firefox browser has a large number of great open source software including web browsers, html editors, email and calendar programs. Be sure to also check out the list of Mozilla-Based Applications which include other interesting and useful programs.
• Firefox Browser Add-ons: If there is a function you wish your Firefox browser could perform, chances are someone has already had the same thought and created an add-on for it.
• Google Pack includes the following (you can select which items you want):
  • Google Earth: a map program that lets you look at satellite, terrain and street level images. Includes driving directions and businesses
  • Norton Security Scan for viruses
  • Google Desktop to help organize your files, pictures and web history
  • Mozilla Firefox Browser with Google Toolbar
  • Adobe Reader
  • Skype
  • Star Office word processing, spread sheet, presentation and other office programs
  • Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer (helps block pop-ups)
  • Spyware Doctor (starter edition)
  • Picasa for editing and organizing your photos
  • Google Photos Screensaver to create slideshows with your photos
  • Google Talk for chatting online or by voice and sharing files
  • Real Player for playing media and transferring music to iPods or other players

Shopping

• Amazon.com is our favorite shopping site for almost everything we can’t get at our local grocery and drug stores. The Free Super Saver Shipping for orders over $25 allows you to spend your money on things rather than shipping charges. We also have the Chase Amazon Visa Card that gives us 3 points for every dollar spent at Amazon.com and 1 point everywhere else, and a $25 gift certificate when we reach 2,500 points.
• We occasionally shop at Overstock.com when the price is considerably less than can be had from Amazon. In our experience, their service is just as good, if not better, than Amazon’s due to the online customer service chat and faster shipping time, because Amazon’s free shipping takes an additional 4-5 business days before leaving their warehouse. They offer flat $2.95 shipping on all orders, and cheaper media shipping for 1 or 2 media item (books, music and DVDs).

Related Posts

• Save Hundreds with Open Source Software
• The Frugal Literate’s Guide to Affordable Reading
• Public Domain Music: Music You Already Own
  

Related posts:

• June 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Welcome MSN Money Central Smart Spending Readers!
• Under the Weather – Recommended Reading
• Festival of Frugality #140: The Frugal Quotes Edition
• Ludwig & Wolfgang

Originally posted 2008-05-26 12:33:47.

A few weeks ago, I haplessly picked up a nasty trojan horse virus on my laptop running Windows XP. Because I had AVG Anti-Virus (Free Edition) installed, one of the most highly lauded free anti-virus programs out there, I thought that I was safe from the evils of the cyberworld, but I was wrong.

As soon as the computer was infected, I ran AVG’s full computer scan twice. The first time, it detected and removed 4 trojans, but it couldn’t remove the root of the problem. This trojan horse virus either tampered with AVG and prevented it from removing it, or AVG was simply not effective enough to deal with it in the first place.

This nasty bug did the following to my computer:

• When I tried to perform an internet search, regardless of search engine — Google, Yahoo, MSN — every link I clicked on opened a new window to a questionable site.
• Internet Explorer wouldn’t start at all so I couldn’t run a Windows OneCare online scan.
• System Restore wouldn’t work.
• I ran a program called Ad-Aware but it froze the scan after it started detecting threats so that the scanner couldn’t remove the malware. When the scan started, I could see that it had detected 12 threats, then the scanner froze and finished showing 0 threats.
• It wouldn’t allow me to access any anti-virus or malware sites to download removal programs or to run online scans. When I tried to access those sites, I received a “Server is Unavailable” message.

How to Disinfect a Virus Infected Computer

After hours of searching and working around this virus to try to get rid of it, I succeeded with the help of the following sites/programs, in the following order and run multiple times.

1. Download.com
   Because this site is not strictly an anti-virus/malware site, I was able to access it to search for and download anti-malware programs.
2. Malwarebytes Anti Malware
   This program was able to detect and remove the virus where other programs failed.
3. Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool
   If you have Internet Explorer 7, this program may have come installed with it and run once a month. Download the tool from the site and run it as often as you need or want to.
4. Avast Anti-virus
   This program can run a virus scan when booting the computer so the trojan horse virus can’t start. It has automatic update so it can keep your virus database up to date.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 until you’re sure the computer is clean. It wouldn’t hurt to run a couple of other free online scans to make sure.

Over the course of 12 hours, I ran about 16 different scans, after which I could finally declare my computer a malware-free zone. It was a harrowing experience and taught me an important lesson — that there is no such thing as too much security these days when it comes to computer health. And as with human health, prevention is the best medicine. Here is a list of anti-virus,  malware and security tools available for free that I have used in the past or heard good things about.

Free Online Virus Scanners

• Kaspersky Free Online Scanner
• Windows Live OneCare Free PC Safety Scan

Free Anti-Virus, Malware and Firewall Software

• Avast Anti-virus
• Malwarebytes Anti Malware
• Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool
• ZoneAlarm Free Firewall
• Comodo Firewall + AntiVirus for Windows
• Spyware Doctor
• Lavasoft Ad-Aware 2008 Free

Free Web Safety Advisors

These safety browser plug-ins warn you when you are about to enter a known bad site – spam, viruses, scams, etc.

• Web of Trust
• McAfee SiteAdvisor

There are many other free internet security programs out there, but these are ones I have had personal experience with (except for Comodo, but it seems to have a good reputation).

Related posts:

• Wall Street Journal Giveaway Winner and Carnivals of the Week
• Warm Weather Food Safety Tips
• Resisting the Urge to Splurge
• The Life Stages of a Dish Sponge
• Welcome MSN Money Central Smart Spending Readers!

Software

• Open Office
  The Open Office Suite is similar to the Microsoft Office Suite. There is a word processor (Writer), spreadsheet (Calc), drawing (Draw), database (Base), presentation (Impress). There’s even a math program for doing math calculations, but I don’t really understand or have much need for it. You have a choice of installing all the programs or just the ones that you need – i.e. we just use Writer, Calc and Draw. While Open Office is not quite as fancy and aesthetically pleasing as the Microsoft programs, they are more than capable of most everyday and business tasks. We use the Calc program for accounting and taxes, Draw for drafting patterns for our dog clothing designs, and Writer for letters, invoices, coupons, etc.
• Thunderbird
  For email, I recommend Thunderbird, which is a great alternative to the Microsoft Outlook email program. Like Outlook, it has filtering, junk mail control, etc. You can install the calendar add-on Lightning if you need/want it. The Sunbird calendar program is also available as a separate program if you don’t use Thunderbird or prefer not to use add-ons.
• Foxit
  Foxit is a pdf reader similar to Adobe Acrobat Reader with annotation features such as highlighting, drawing graphics and typing text, and conversion to plain text.
• Filezilla
  Filezilla is a nice and easy to use FTP program. I use it for working on my Zen Cart and Wordpress sites, which is much easier than uploading through my webhosting browser ftp.
• The GIMP
  The GIMP is a graphics program and a Photoshop alternative of sorts. This program isn’t as advanced as Photoshop, but is probably competent enough for the average casual user for basic photo touch-ups or graphics. (We use Adobe Photshop Elements for our business graphics and photos.)

Browsers

• Firefox
  I think this browser has surpassed Internet Explorer in popularity by now and you’ve probably either heard of it or already use it. We have been using Firefox for almost 4 years now and it is our primary browser. It is much faster than IE, and while I have found that it’s not as fast as SeaMonkey or Opera, the number of available add-ons enable you to customize it is so many ways that the convenience surpasses the downside of slightly slower (but still very decent) browsing speed.
  
• SeaMonkey (Mozilla)
  SeaMonkey is an all-in-one internet suite that comes with browser, HTML editor, mail and news client and chat applications, and other web development tools. As mentioned above, I have found the SeaMonkey browser to be faster than Firefox. The main reason I downloaded SeaMonkey was because I had need of a good WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) HTML editor, and the SeaMonkey one has worked very well for the occasional webpage design. I’ve also used the mail client in the past and found it quite decent.
• Opera
  I downloaded Opera mainly for webmastering purposes to make sure all my websites are displaying properly. A lot of people have said that Opera is the fastest browser, but I’ve found it to be about the same as, if not a little slower, than SeaMonkey. It’s a very nice-looking browser however, with a very convenient “speed-dial” page for quick access of your frequent online haunts.

Web Development

• WordPress
  This is the php program I use to manage this site. You can pretty much see for yourself what it does, but I will add that it is a wonderfully clever and very easy to use program. There are scores of plug-ins you can install to add additional functions and features. Download it for free at WordPress.org.
• Zen Cart
  I use the Zen Cart php shopping cart for our Franga Designs website where we sell pet clothing and costumes. As with WordPress, there are hundreds of modules you can install to add additional features to your store.
• OsCommerce
  OsCommerce is another php shopping cart script similar to Zen Cart. I personally like Zen Cart better and found it to be less buggy than osCommerce. However, there are many people who use osCommerce.

Operating Systems

• Ubuntu
  Ubuntu is a linux-based operating system that comes with pretty much anything you need: web browsers, office applications, instant messaging, games, media players and graphics applications. There are a myriad other applications that you can easily install through the control panel. To a non-linux user, it may look a little foreign at first and take some getting used to, but it works just as well as Windows and best of all it’s free. Just go to the Ubuntu website to download it or you can request a free CD to be sent to you completely free of charge.

For the most part, we still use Windows XP as it came free and pre-installed with our current computer, but we have an Ubuntu CD on hand for when Windows acts up, which inevitably happens once in a while, so we can still handle our business affairs.

A good place to start looking for free software is Softpedia where you can search for, download and try various types of programs (some are free, but some are not). I highly recommend that you always do a little research on the web to find out more about a program before downloading and installing it.

For more information on open source and free software:
GNU Operating System
Open Source Iniative

Related posts:

• My Favorite Money and Time Saving Websites
• Best Free Anti-Virus & Anti-Malware Solutions and How to Disinfect a Virus Infected Computer
• 101 Ways to Save Money in Your Everyday Life
• March 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Covering Cardboard Cartons: The Simple Suitcase (Storage Box)

My suggestions are divided into the following subsections:

• Summer Hobbies – activities with lasting benefits and meaning
  
• Summer Studies – develop skills that will be useful in life
  
• Summer To-Do’s – a few ways to get your life or home in order
  
• Summer Fitness – ways to keep cool and stay fit
  
• Summer Pet Bonding – make your pet happy and you healthy

Summer Hobbies

Here are some ideas for catching up on tasks that may have been neglected during the year.

• Write in your journal
  Write about your past year, what’s on your mind, who and what you like and dislike, your daydreams, anything. In future years you will be glad you did it and also amused by your younger self. You think you will always remember what happened when, but as time goes by, memories do fade and become forgotten. (Trust me, I’m speaking from experience and I’m not yet 30 and have a memory better than most.)
• Make a family video
  Go around the house and take a video of your family going about its regular business. You will be glad for the memories one day.
• Scrapbook
  Organize family photos, report cards, birthday cards, artwork, concert programs and other keepsakes from the past year into a scrapbook.
• Reading
  Reading (even fun fiction) can help improve your mind, vocabulary, grammar and writing skills. If you go to the library, you can read in an air-conditioned environment without having to pay for the air-conditioning or the books.

Summer Studies

Yes, summer should be fun, but there’s no reason it can’t be both fun and productive.

• Learn a new language
  The benefits of learning languages are endless. Learning a new language can help you to:
  • Get ahead in your career
  • Make new friends from different parts of the world. When you show an interest in someone’s language or culture, they are often appreciative and take an interest in you in return.
  • Improve your English (or first language)
• Learn to play a musical instrument
  Music enhances the mind in many ways. Studies have shown that children who study music at an early age do better in school than those who don’t. Aside from that, it is also just plain fun.
• Learn to sew
  Sewing is a very useful skill to have regardless of your gender. You can learn to mend clothes, make your own clothes and other things for your house, which can save you a lot of money. Older and more skilled children can even make their own clothes for the coming school year. Check out one of our earlier articles for more info: Save Money by Sewing Your Own Clothes.
• Take a computer class
  Learn to type properly, use a spreadsheet or database, design websites, make presentations, etc. Most jobs these days involve computer use, so knowing as much as you can about computers might help you get a higher salary.

Summer To-Do’s

A few suggestions for improving life at home and getting ahead on the coming year.

• Get a head start on your Christmas shopping
  This could save you time and money because you can shop at your leisure and take advantage of summer sales. Leaving your shopping to the last minute usually costs more because you are up against a deadline and usually have fewer options.
• Sort through your stuff
  Go through your clothes and things and prune out those you no longer want or need. You could donate the things you no longer need or hold a garage or yard sale and make some money to put into your college or retirement savings.
• Re-arrange your room or home
  Re-arranging your room or home can have a positive impact on your life. A change can be uplifting and produce an overall feeling of well-being and accomplishment, renew your energy and increase productivity.
• Clean out your computer
  Ideally you would do this several times a year, but if you use the internet and download a lot of things, it’s a good idea to clean out your computer on a regular basis. If there are programs you don’t use, uninstall them. If there are files that you no longer need, delete them. Clean your registry if you’ve had the computer for a while. Keeping your hard drive from getting too full will extend its life.

Summer Fitness

A few suggestions for staying cool and healthy this summer.

• Mall Walking
  Walking in an indoor, air-conditioned mall is a great way to get exercise away from the heat and smog, and you can also save on sunscreen. You can even window-shop during your walks, but if you think you might get too tempted, leave your money and credit card at home.
• Swimming in an indoor pool
  Swimming is another low-impact exercise (safer than running) which increases endurance, muscle and cardiovascular strength. Try to swim in an indoor pool whenever possible or wait until early evening to avoid sunburn.
• Ice Skating
  Not only does it let you get away from the heat, but it’s a good low-impact and aerobic exercise which will help strengthen your bones and cardiovascular system. Taking some lessons and learning to skate properly can be worth the money.

Summer Pet Bonding

If you have a pet, spend some quality time together. Not only will you make your pet very happy, he/she will help make you healthier. (How Pets Help People)

• Take your dog to obedience school
  Obedience school is good for socializing and teaching discipline. There is nothing wrong with repeating obedience school for fun and refreshing both your memories.
• Teach your dog new tricks
  There are lots of fun tricks you can teach your dog: beg, spin (in both directions), roll, speak, catch a ball or frisbee, etc. You can also teach your dog to be helpful around the house: closing the door or brining you something you dropped. Dogs enjoy feeling helpful and learning new things can keep mature dogs’ minds sharp.
• Take your dog for long evening strolls or hikes
  If going hiking, be sure to take another person along, bring lots of water and plastic bags, and make sure your dog’s feet are protected from rough terrain. For your dog’s and other hikers’ safety, never let him off-leash on a hiking trail.
• Enter your dog in a 4th of July costume contest
  Make a fun costume for your dog and enter a costume contest or parade. (Sorry, for the self-promotion, but if you don’t want to make your own costume, check out some of our patriotic dog clothing and costumes at Franga Designs.)

Well, I hope some of these suggestions prove helpful in making your summer both fun and productive. Vas-y t’amuser!

Related posts:

• June 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Under the Weather – Recommended Reading
• No-Air Conditioning Summer Part 1 – How It Started: No-Heat Winters
• Language Lesson ~ Frugality is a Virtue
• Frugal Thermodymics Part I: Limiting Sources of Heat in the Home

Originally posted 2008-06-09 05:28:43.

One of the great things about modern technology is its ability to implant clocks wherever and whenever possible. The disadvantage of this, however, is that we now have more clocks than ever to reset twice a year (with the exception of the lucky few who reside in areas that don’t participate in this ritual.)

So I thought I’d put together a little list of things and appliances around your home or office that may need checking and/or resetting:

• Regular clocks around the house (that is, clocks that exist for the sole purpose of being clocks) – bedrooms, guest bedroom, mantel clocks, kitchen wall clock, living room, family room, rec room, etc.
• Wrist Watches
• Cell Phones (may only require turning off and turning back on)
• Oven & Microwave
• Televisions
• DVD Players/DVRs/VCRs
• Computers (in case your automatic update hasn’t kicked in) & Printers
• Phones & Answering Machines
• Fax & Copy Machines
• Postage Meters
• Digital Cameras & Camcorders
• Pagers
• iPods
• Radios/CD Players
• Car Stereos
• Sprinklers (if you’re particular about watering your lawn before sunrise)
• The Pen that’s also a Clock (because ’sometimes when you’re writing, you don’t always know the exact time.’)

Well, that’s all I can think of, and I’m sure there must be more, but these ought to keep you busy for a while.

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• It Never Hurts to Ask: Getting Late Fees Removed

Originally posted 2008-03-09 00:05:57.

A credit card, when used wisely and responsibly, brings you a number of benefits and can save you money. And so does a library card. The public library is one of your most useful resources for saving money. With a library card, which you can obtain for free, you have almost limitless access to a variety of services and materials such as:

• Books – Fiction
  Especially good for people who read a lot but usually only read books once.
• Books – Non-Fiction
  Books on careers and jobs, writing resumes and cover letters, learning computer software and programming, accounting and taxes, starting your own business, etc.
• Foreign Language Books
  Fiction and non-fiction in foreign languages prevalent in your community. Many California libraries carry books in Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Arabic and Vietnamese.
• Audio Books
  Classic, children’s and contemporary literature on CD or Audio, including new releases and popular titles.
• Music
  Classical, contemporary, film soundtracks, international music, etc. CDs that you can check out just like a book.
• Movies
  Most libraries have movies (DVD and VHS) that you can rent for $1 or $2 and let you keep for a week.
• Magazines
  There’s usually a good selection of general and special interest publications to choose from including titles like: People, Time, Newsweek, National Geographic, Better Homes & Gardens, The Family Handyman, and even young adult magazines such as Seventeen. Instead of paying for a subscription, you can read current magazines at the library and some libraries will let you check out back issues to take home to read.
• Newspapers
  Current editions including local and national newspapers such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, etc. can be read in the library.
• Computers
  Free computer access for word processing or internet use. Instead of paying for computer use at Internet Cafes, you are usually allowed 1 hour of free use per day and more if there are not other users waiting.
• Online services
  You can access online databases of periodicals and articles and educational websites from within the library or your home computer. Many libraries offer online access to e-books, audio books, and music that you can download and read or listen to on your computer.

Continue reading for information on other useful services provided by your library and tips for responsible library use.

Other services provided or sponsored by your public library:

• Reserving Materials
  If your library location doesn’t have something you need, you can request the same item from another location. When it arrives at your local library, they will contact you by phone or email to let you know it is ready for you to pick up. This service is almost always free and you are only charged a small fee ($.50 or $1.00) if you fail to pick it up within a reasonable amount of time.
• Renewing Materials
  Most loan periods are 3 or 4 weeks, depending on the library. Unless there are other users waiting on the same items, you can often renew your materials for up to 2 more times. Libraries make it very easy for you to renew items these days with online or automated phone renewals.
• Special Events
  Some public libraries host guest lectures and performances by professionals in various fields such as writing, music, history, etc.
• Used Book Sales
  If you like to collect books, library used book sales are one of the best sources for expanding your personal library or collection. You can often find new, like new, or vintage and antique books for very good prices. Most hardcovers sell for $1.00, trade paperbacks for $0.50, and paperbacks for $0.25.

A few tips for borrowing materials from the library:

• If you tend to forget due dates, set up a reminder on your computer email program, Google Calendar or cell phone to to either renew or return your borrowed materials a few days before the due date. Some libraries have email notification systems that can send you email reminders too.
• The online account access is a very convenient feature. If you can’t make it to the library by the due date, just log on, check all the items due and hit the renew button. It’s a good idea to do this a few days before the due date in case some of the items are not renewable.
• Don’t let anyone else use your card.
• If you’re concerned about the cleanliness of the materials, use a paper towel and some rubbing alcohol to wipe the surfaces before using them.
• If you’re applying for a library card, bring ID and proof of address such as a utility bill addressed to you if your current address doesn’t match the one on your ID.

Some people don’t like to use the library because you sometimes have to wait a while to read new releases. But in the big scheme of things, is it really so bad to wait a few weeks or months to read that new novel? A little patience can save you a lot of money.

To see how much money your library can save you, go to your local library’s website and look for a page called the “Library Value Calculator”. Enter in the number of books you read per month and any other services you could be using there and see how much you can save.

After all, if you think about it, you have actually already paid for these services by paying your taxes, so you might as well use them.

Related posts:

• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #20
• Free e-Book, Audiobook, Video & Music Download and Online Resources From Your Local Library
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• Resources

With numerous “How to Save Gas” tips all over the internet, such as this one on WikiHow: How to Save Money on Gas, I figured I wouldn’t do one here because they can be easily found elsewhere. So this post won’t be about the most common suggestion such as: Unload all unnecessary weight, leave early, drive slower, etc., but rather on how you can use tools provided by Google Maps to save you gas and time.

With gas prices constantly rising and the economy as it is, we can’t go wrong saving even tiny bits of money and gas here and there. Even if we shave off only .1 mile on a daily trip, it will add up to something.

Google Maps has been getting fancier and fancier with satellite images, trip planners with multiple destinations, re-route tools to discover shorter routes and more. Many of you probably already know about this, but it is possible that some do not, so I thought I would do an in-depth guide on how to use Google Maps to help you plan and re-route trips, be they long or short distance.

This is a rather long guide (mostly due to the number of images), so here is a table of contents of the sections contained in this post:

• How Google Maps Can Help You Save Gas and Time
• How to Re-Route Trips on Google Maps
• Driving Directions and Route Options
• Traffic Conditions
• Satellite Image Street Views
• Foreign Travel
• Fun Stuff & Research
  • Photos and Wikipedia
  • What does your house look like from the sky?

How Google Maps Can Help You Save Gas and Time

• Re-routing drives for daily errands, trips to the grocery store, to your kids’ schools, church, the bank, post office or homes of friends and family.
• Planning routes with multiple destinations to consolidate your trips.
• Avoiding left turns, which according to UPS (UPS Delivers Gas Saving Tip), saves gas because it prevents waiting in traffic.
• Satellite images of street views can show you what unfamiliar destinations look like so you can know what to expect, which side of the road your destination is on, which lane you should be driving in and prevent you from wasting time by getting lost.
• Traffic conditions look-up for live traffic or a specific day and time can help you plan your departure time and estimate driving time.

How to Re-Route Trips on Google Maps

The re-route tool can help you save gas by planning the most efficient route for your drive.

1. Enter in your starting and ending locations. You can type an address or the name of the location. It helps to include the city and state.
2. The site will generate a map with a route.
3. To the right is a map with the route marked with a blue line.

   Tips: To shift the map, place the cursor on the map and a hand tool will appear. Simply drag the map to center your area of interest on the screen. You can also click on the small arrow on the bottom right-hand corner of the map. A small square box will pop up showing the current are. Click and drag the blue box to shift the map. If you use your scroll button, the map will zoom in (up) and out (down).

   

4. To the left are driving directions, distance and estimated travel time.
5. Don’t take for granted that the default route shown is the shortest option.
6. Place your cursor somewhere on the route.
7. A small circle will appear under your cursor.

   

8. Click on the circle and drag to another street.

   

9. As you drag the route to different streets, a small text box pops up to show you the driving distance and estimated travel time of this new route.

   

10. Release the cursor and the directions to the left will update with a new route, distance and travel time.

    

11. One-way streets
    When you try to re-route a trip where there are one-way streets, Google Maps will take them into consideration and show the closet alternative. If you insist on driving on a certain one-way street (keep dragging to the same street), it will map out a route for you.
    

Driving Directions and Route Options

1. Method of travel: Driving, public transportation, or walking (Walk when at all possible. This is good for your health and wallet!) For public transit, the directions show the fare compared to the driving cost for the trip. How cool is that?!

   

2. Check the box if you wish to avoid driving on highways.
3. Click on this link if you need reverse directions to get back from Point B to Point A.
4. Click on the camera icon to see a satellite image of that location. Also works if you click the numbered link before each direction.

   

5. Click the plus “+” or minus “-” to show or hide the driving directions.
6. Click on the small blue arrow to expand the map (make it full-screen width) and hide the directions panel on the left. Click again to bring back the directions.
7. Click the “X” to delete the location. Will let you enter a new one.
8. Click the “Edit” link to edit your location.
9. Click to add a destination to your trip.

   Click and drag the new destination to re-order your route.

   

10. Click on the “km” or “miles” links to change to change distance calculations to kilometers or miles.

Traffic Conditions

The Traffic tool can show you live traffic conditions on freeways as well as estimated traffic conditions for specific times on any day of the week (estimated based on past conditions). Simply click on the “Traffic” button and a window will pop up. If the bold text reads “Live traffic” and you wish to see a specified time and day, click on the change link to enter your choice.

Tip: You may need to shift the map to see the highways.

The colored lines on the freeways correspond to the color guide in the Traffic box. A red line means the traffic is between 10 and 25 MPH, a red line means 25 to 45, etc.

Satellite Image Street Views

Click on “Street View” and a little yellow man will appear on the map. Click and drag the little yellow man to a location you would like to view.

Click on the arrows to advance in the specified direction. You can go straight to following the road or make turns to see the surrounding street view.

Tip: If your map does not show the “Street View” button, use this link: Google Maps Street View

Foreign Travel

Google Maps is available for many foreign countries. Below is an example for a trip from Tokyo, Japan to Kochi, Japan. Because Japan is primarily a public transportation/walking country – very few people drive there, but rather take taxis and trains, and Kochi is an island separate from mainland Japan, the trip directions includes directions for walking, bus, train and plane as well as the cost of transportation fares for the trip in the local currency.

Fun Stuff and Research

Photos and Wikipedia

Click on the “More” button for an options to show photos and Wikipedia entries on landmarks and places.

Click on a photo thumbnail for a larger view.

Click on the Wikipedia icon for an excerpt from the Wikipedia entry on the landmark. Includes a link to the full article.

What does your house look like from the sky?

For me, this is mostly a fun thing to find and look at my house and seek how it looks from above, but it could conceivably come in handy too. Wondering if your roof is missing any tiles? Take a look on Google Maps!

Related posts:

• July 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Google Search
• Our Fourpence Worth has moved. Please update your feed readers.
• Privacy Policy
• Welcome MSN Money Central Smart Spending Readers!

Originally posted 2008-07-24 12:25:05.

I will be the first to admit that I LOVE television and movies. I have been an avid TV-watcher since I was a kid. To this day, I can still remember the schedule for my favorite show, a cartoon called Doraemon, when I was 6 years old and living in Japan – Friday nights at 7:00 on Channel 10. Despite being a pretty intelligent kid — I read a lot and got good grades — I loved television. Some of my favorite shows as a kid (now living in the States) were Flipper, Lassie, Saved By the Bell, Full House, Growing Pains, I Love Lucy, etc.

I haven’t changed a bit as far as this area of my personality is concerned (as a matter of fact, I have passed my love for video entertainment on to my dog), but can proudly say that I have survived since 2001 without cable. For some reason, our TV doesn’t work without paying for cable. We don’t get any local channels and antennae don’t work — don’t ask me why. But for almost 8 years, my appetite for video entertainment has been sated solely by DVDs. Luckily, I am one of those people who can watch the same movie over and over (even more than once in the same day) and still enjoy it, so we haven’t gone broke feeding my addiction.

Then last year, I learned about this marvelous site called Hulu, a network approved video hosting site for watching free TV shows and movies online, and I have to say, life has vastly improved — not that I wasn’t happy before, I’m just even happier. I was now able to watch shows that I’d only vaguely heard or read about such as House, and have discovered an array of new shows that I had never even heard of that have come on air since 2001.

Free and Legal Online Videos

Since then, I have learned a lot about where, when and how to watch TV shows online and thought I’d put together a list/guide of websites for those of you who are considering cutting off cable, because you can live without cable these days and still be able to watch all your favorite television shows and keep up with local, national and international news.

Pros of Online Video Viewing

• You can watch what you want when you want
  • New episodes are usually available for about a month
  • Some canceled shows make 1 or 2 seasons available for free online viewing
• You can catch up on episodes you missed from current and past seasons
• Commercial breaks are shorter than on television — most are 15 or 30 seconds
• You can pause, rewind or fast forward during play so you can visit the facilities or fetch more popcorn
• You can watch your favorite episodes again and again as long as it’s still online
• Most sites have a notification system where you can have alerts sent to your email when new episodes of your favorite shows are posted
• It’s free!

Cons of Online Video Viewing

I haven’t really come across any except that my computer screen isn’t as big as our TV. But you might be able to circumvent that by connecting your computer to your TV if you are technologically savvy.

Some shows don’t release new episodes until 8 days after the original TV broadcast, but you still get one new episode a week, just one week behind the TV watchers. But as long as you have a decent internet connection, you shouldn’t have many problems.

Websites for Watching Free TV Episodes and Movies

There are a couple of different types of websites that offer free video viewing. One is the Network sites, the official homepages of the television studios or channels. These sites have official pages for each of their shows with information and interactive material such as photo galleries, games and forums for their fans. The other is the online video service sites which host video content from various networks.

The official network sites seem to offer more HD videos (see Technical Requirements below) than the online video services, which mostly offer Standard-Res or HQ (360p or 480p) videos.

Online Video Service Sites

These sites have current and new episodes as well as offer more back episodes of previous seasons and canceled shows than the network sites do.

• Hulu
  • Hosts videos from over 100 content providers including FOX, NBC Universal, MGM, Sony Pictures Television, Warner Bros. and more.
  • Offers free full movies, full episodes, clips from films and TV shows, news, talk shows, and more.
  • Includes past episodes and seasons not available on the network sites.
  • Past seasons of current, older and canceled shows include: Arrested Development, New Amsterdam, The Journeyman, The Riches, Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, The O.C., One Tree Hill
  • My favorite shows on Hulu: House, Bones, Crusoe, Burn Notice, Battlestar Galactica, Life, Monk, Psych, The Office, 24
• TV.com
  • Many of the videos on this site are streamed from Hulu, but it also offers videos from CBS which aren’t available on Hulu.
  • The CBS site is sometimes a little slow, so I watch CBS shows here.
  • Offers quite a few shows in HD quality video.
  • What I watch on TV.com: NCIS
• Fancast
  • This site also streams a lot of videos from Hulu, but also has episodes not available on Hulu. For example, it has the pilot episode of Psych which isn’t on Hulu.
  • What I watch on Fancast: Friends
• Joost
  • Originally a download desktop player service, Joost recently launched an online viewing service; however I find the search function could be improved.
  • Content from from CBS, Showtime, HBO, TheWB.
• Sling
  • Still in beta, this site streams videos from Hulu as well as CBS and others.
• TidalTV
  • Still in beta, this site offers a large selection of TV channels including Animal Planet, National Geographic, Wall Street Journal, The Travel Channel,  and lots more.
  • Selection is vast, but video quality isn’t quite as high as other sites.

Official TV Network/Channel Sites

Entertainment

• FOX
  • Home of 24, Bones, House, Fringe
  • Offers HD quality video
• NBC
  • Home of The Office, Crusoe,  Life, My Own Worst Enemy, 30 Rock, Heroes and many more
  • Offers HD quality video
• USA
  • Home of Burn Notice, Monk, Psych and The Starter Wife
• CBS
  • Home of NCIS, CSI, Numb3rs, How I Met Your Mother
  • Offers HD quality video
• ABC
  • Home of Desperate Housewives, Lost (which I saw for the first time last night), Pushing Daisies, Grey’s Anatomy (which I’ve not yet seen but seems popular)
  • Offers HD quality video
• Sci Fi
  • Home of Battlestar Galactica, Eureka, Sanctuary
  • Includes enhanced episodes with commentary by the film makers
• FX
  • Home of Damages, Nip/Tuck (which I’ve not seen)
• TheWB
  • Show include Chuck, One Tree Hill, The O.C., Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Smallville, Gilmore Girls, Firefly and many more
  • I’ve watched 1st season episodes of Chuck here, which aren’t available on Hulu or other sites.
  • Still in beta
  • Has more commercials than the other sites
  • Cycles through seasons of shows so you can watch them in order
• The CW Network
  • A joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS with a target audience of women between age 18-34
  • Shows include 90210, Privileged, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, Superatural, Smallville and more
• ABC Family
  • Shows include 7th Heaven, Greek, Gilmore Girls and more
  • Also has a couple of full length movies
• TV Land
  • Classic TV such as The Andy Griffiths Show, The Beverly Hilbillies, etc.
  • This site seems to rotate available shows and episodes and advises bookmarking the above page and checking back frequently to see what’s on.

Educational

Shows and video clips on all things educational – history, animals, environment, science and more.

• The History Channel
  • A vast collection of full episodes and video clips on an array of historical subjects including American History, Military History, famous speeches
  • Shows include Ancient Discoveries, Cities of the Underworld, Moster Quest and more
• National Geographic
  • Videos on a variety of subjects: Animals, Environment, Science & Space, Travel & Culture, Specials and News
  • My dog especially enjoyed the clip on Arctic Hares
• The Discovery Channel
  • Full episodes of 2 shows and clips from scores of others on a variety of topics including animals, current events, environment, archaeology, technology and more
• Animal Planet
  • Full episodes of shows including Untamed and Uncut, Pet Planet and Living with the Wolfman
  • Scores of other videos on all things animal-related: wild and domestics, informational and political
• PBS
  • Current events, history, arts, cooking and more
  • Includes shows such as Frontline, NOVA, NerdTV, WIRED Science, Julia Child and more
• HGTV
  • Home and garden channel with shows on home decorating, improvement, buying and selling
• The Food Network
  • Including shows such as 30 Minute Meals, Ace of Cakes and more

News

Local, National and International News, Politics, Economy, Personal Finance, Technology, and more

• CNN
• MSNBC
• BBC
• C-SPAN
• Wall Street Journal

Technical Requirements

Video Quality

You need a decent internet connection (preferably DSL or Cable and faster). There are various video quality levels available and you have an option depending on your internet connection.

• Standard Resolution: 360p — 1,000Kbps or higher
• Hi-Res/High Quality (HQ): 480p — 1,500Kbps or higher
• High Definition (HD): 720p — 3,500Kbps or higher

Computer Requirements

• Internet Explorer 6.0 or above, Firefox 1.5 or above, or Safari 2.0 or above
• JavaScript and Cookies must also be enabled
• Adobe Flash Player 9.0 or above
• Microsoft Windows XP SP2, Microsoft Windows Vista, Macintosh OS X, or Linux

Related posts:

• Wall Street Journal Giveaway Winner and Carnivals of the Week
• Friday Fun: Meme Me! 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Me (Penelope Pince)
• My Favorite Money and Time Saving Websites
• Feeling Sorry for the Little Guy in the Battle Between Brick-and-Mortar and Online Shopping
• Watch “Sandra’s Money Saving Meals” and “The Dave Ramsey Show” Videos Free on Hulu

Originally posted 2009-01-26 06:00:33.

Still a very active person, my Grandpa ‘putters’ quite a bit. He spends a lot of time on his computer, managing his finances, staying in touch with friends, and working on genealogy. A mainstay in his office has been his old computer – he’s had it for 8 years. It’s old, really old. I’ve fixed some things for him a couple of times, and it’s close to heading to the museum. It doesn’t even write to a CD, still has a 3.5″ disk drive. The monitor is about 13 inches big.

He knows that there are better, faster, easier to use computers out there, but as the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” He’s content to use his old machine, even if it takes ten minutes to start, chugs along through some of the more difficult tasks it has, and needs the occasional upgrade or repair.

Be satisfied with what you have

I’ve written about this previously, but it’s very easy to become jealous of things that your friends or co-workers have. Sometimes it seems like everyone else has something you can’t afford, and it become easy to fall into the trap of wanting, which easily leads to the even bigger trap of spending beyond your means, or debt.

Learn Basic Repair Skills

My grandpa doesn’t do much of the repairs around the house anymore, but he does a very good job of finding people who do a very good job for a low price. While ideally it’s best to learn how to fix some basic things on your own, if there are some things you can’t do, finding a reliable local repairman can lengthen the life of your products.

Purchase Quality Products

Sometimes the cheapest option isn’t always the best. Quality is an important consideration to research when making any kind of a major purchase. Technology has advanced so rapidly that it’s possible for any one to start producing almost any different kind of product. The bargain brand of TV at Wal-Mart may perform the same task as a higher-end Sony or Samsung TV, but they length of time the product will work and the quality of the user-experience may differ greatly. It’s important, though, to save for these purchases.

The Point: Frugality isn’t all about buying the cheapest product or not spending money, but spending it wisely on products that will last a long time. Purchasing a high-quality product and learning to maintain it yourself can save you quite a bit of money in the long run.

* * *

This post is part of the “Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, or Do Without” Series

Part 1 – Bible Money Matters: “Use It Up”

Part 2 – The Dough Roller: “Wear It Out”

Part 3 – Pecuniarities: “Make It Do”

Part 4 – StretchyDollar: “or Do Without”

Thank you for reading!

Related posts:

• Pay Bills Online and Save
• Shipping via USPS? Mail Your Packages Before May 12th
• The Frugal Art
• Motivating Children to Practice Music (Part 3)
• Pecuniary Links ~ August 2009 #1

Even though science has always been one of my favorite subjects, I am frequently surprised at how even the most basic principles taught in high school have proven useful to everyday life, household management and health issues. Of late, because heat is the primary financial drain in summer, the laws of thermodynamics are very much on my mind. These laws are very simple concepts dealing with heat and its natural tendencies which is helpful in figuring out how to stay cool while using our resources efficiently.

Limiting Sources of Heat in the Home

The first thing to understand is that heat is a form of energy, it is often produced as a byproduct of other processes. The heat of summer, for example, is the byproduct of nuclear reactions in the sun. And while we unfortunately cannot control that particular source of heat (except by insulating our homes and drawing the curtains shut), we can improve our situation by limiting other means of heat production. Following are just a few of the possible sources of heat in your home which you may choose to regulate.

• Electronics
  Computers, televisions, lights and other electronics emit high quantities of heat. Turn them off when they are not absolutely necessary. Unplug appliances and stereos that still draw electricity when not in use (the ones with glowing lights or numbers). Limit cooking and cleaning activities (especially ironing or using the dryer) to the cooler hours of the day.
• Human Metabolic Activity
  “Calorie” is simply another word for “heat.” You constantly produce heat in the process of respiration. Therefore, strenuous activity and indoor exercise can really warm up your home. You can avoid this by exercising outdoors or elsewhere. For the weight conscious, drinking lots of cold water can raise your metabolism while literally flushing a good deal of body heat out of the house. Also note: metabolic activity produces water vapor in addition to heat which increases the humidity of your house (see below) so that is another reason to work out elsewhere or at night.
• Pet Metabolic Activity
  Pets such as cats and dogs have higher metabolic rates than people. A medium sized dog can noticeably heat up a small room. For your own good as well as the good of your pets (to avoid heat stroke) discourage them from being too active during the hottest hours.
• Trash & Food
  Decomposing matter generate heat from bacterial and  fungal respiration. This means that it would be to your advantage to take out the kitchen trash more often than usual and throw away unwanted or spoiling food sooner rather than later. Germs, mold and other microbes burn calories just like you and your pets. So logically, the fewer “little housemates” you have, the cooler you’ll be.
• Humidity
  Water vapor is the gratest contributer to the greenhouse effect. A humid house with sunlight streaming through the windows will easily reach tropical temperatures. I strongly suggest ventilating well after showers, fixing leaks, not having too many fish tanks or house plants, avoiding indoor exercise, and getting a dehumidifier if necessary.

While some of the means mentioned above may seem so insignificant that most people may feel inclined to dismiss them, I believe that many small factors can make a notable change. And the proof is that we are enjoying a fine day at home in the Mojave Desert with full sun, no breeze, and being no poorer for it.

Related posts:

• Frugal Thermodymics Part II: A Simple Cooling System
• No-Air Conditioning Summer Part 2 – How We Stayed Cool Without A/C
• No-Air Conditioning Summer Part 1 – How It Started: No-Heat Winters
• Fast & Frugal Recipe: Super Easy Taco Salad
• Fast & Frugal Recipe: Vegetable & Rice Teriyaki Bowl

As I’ve mentioned before, I am a big fan of Amazon.com, which is the first place I check when I need to buy anything — household things, dry groceries, personal care items, craft supplies, carpentry tools and — my favorite things to shop for — movies. If you are also an Amazon shopper, you may know that they are currently holding a big DVD sale.

Being a an avid movie watcher, I naturally took advantage of the sale and bought a couple of DVDs, one of which was Music and Lyrics for $6.49 becuase Hugh Grant is one of my favorite actors. I thought I’d gotten a pretty good deal at $6.49 until a few days later when I discovered an Amazon price history tracker called CamelCamelCamel.

Out of curiosity, I looked up the movies I had just ordered to see how much I had saved. To my slightly unpleasant surprise, I saw that while I did get The Jane Austen Book Club at the lowest price it’s been at in 5 months ($10.49), I actually got Music and Lyrics at the highest it’s been in the same time frame. It would appear that Amazon raised the price of this DVD and threw it in with the Sale DVDs in the hopes of making customers think that they were getting a better deal, when in actuality this item had been priced at $4.99, $5.49 and $5.99 at different points between last November and the end of April.

Despite this little deception, Amazon is still my favorite place to shop because its prices are still competitive. But I have learned my lesson about doing my research to make sure the item they say is on sale really is.

CamelCamelCamel Amazon Price History Tracker

CamelCamelCamel is a site that allows you to check the price history of products sold at Amazon. It shows you a history of price changes, the lowest, highest and average price for that product, as well as a graph for visual comparison.

How to Track Amazon Prices with CamelCamelCamel

1. Sign up for an account (free).
2. Start searching for products you want or import a wish list of items you want to track.
3. Enter a price under “I wish to be notified when the price is ___ or less.”
4. You’ll receive an email when the price falls to or below your set price.

You can subscribe to an RSS feed that will alert you when the price of a product you are tracking falls below the parameters you have set.

Click on the image to view full size

CamelCamelCamel Firefox Add-on

As it’s a bit of a hassle to have to go to the CamelCamelCamel site to check every product you’re looking at (I find that this site’s search function is a little slow), so they have a handy little Firefox add-on that lets you view an item’s price history right on the Amazon product page. You need to first install the Greasemonkey add-on from the Firefox site which will then enable you to run the Amazon price tracking script.

Click on the image to view full size

I’m very wary of installing plug-ins and scripts because having too many slows down my browsing speed, but I’ve tried this script on both my computers and neither seems to be slower for having it, and it makes it much easier to see if it’s the right time to buy something or if an item “on sale” really is on sale. The add-on also puts a “track this product” button on the Amazon page so you can start tracking it without having to search for it on the CamelCamelCamel site.

Good bargain hunting!

Related posts:

• Finance Blog Carnivals of Late
• Falling Off Your Financial Horse: If You’ve Never Fallen Off a Horse, You Just Haven’t Ridden Enough
• Our Favorite Sources for Affordable Fabrics
• Save on Groceries, Auto Repair, Movie Tickets, Dining, Travel, Recreation and More with the Entertainment Book: Currently 50% Off
• Fast & Frugal Recipe: Super Easy Pizza

The origin of the fraudulent solicitations I received were very different in nature — a crafts product testing club, an automobile warranty service and a “Title Compliance Board” — but they all had two things in common: they wanted me to pay hundreds of dollars for things they will never deliver or for something I could get myself for about $5 (my property deed), and they came in very convincing looking packages.

So I thought I’d christen this Identity Protection and Fraud Prevention Week here at Pecuniarities and follow-up my last 2 posts:

• Beware of Fake IRS (Internal Revenue Service) Phishing Email Scams
• A Few Tips for Protecting Your Identity Should You Lose Your Wallet

with a compilation of links information on fraud prevention.

I’ve spent the majority of this week working on this list where you will find almost 100 links to online resources provided and recommended by the government to teach you how to protect yourself from the rampant greed of the physical- and cyber-world. Topics covered include how to recognize, avoid, report and recover from scams and frauds of all sorts.

Click on the Table of Contents link below for a preview of the topics covered in this list.

If you don’t have the time to go through all this information right now, be sure and bookmark this page so you can refer to it should the need arise. And please share this page with your friends and family!

Table of Contents (click to view/hide)

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Related posts:

• March 1st-7th is National Consumer Protection Week!
• Pecuniarities News: Top 100 Finance Blogs, MSN Smart Spending, FrugalFocus and Consumer Safety
• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #16
• Friday Fun: Meme Me! 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Me (Penelope Pince)
• Beware of Fake IRS (Internal Revenue Service) Phishing Email Scams

Vehicle registration renewal time is not one of my favorite times of the year – especially every 2 years when we lucky residents of the great State of California must submit to smog tests (well, obviously not we, the people, but our dear vehicles). Not only is it a hassle, but an annoying expense – $50-60 for a test, or $30 if you’re very lucky and live in an area where you can get discounts (more on the below) – and not without a little stress and worry about failing and wondering if you can afford the repairs.

But the California DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) has done an admirable job in trying to make this painful process a little less so by providing relevant and helpful information on their website and letting you renew your vehicle registration and driver’s license online along with a variety of other helpful resources.

Reasons I love online DMV Renewals

• No need to pay postage
• No need to write a check
• Option to pay by electronic bank withdrawal or Credit Card
• There is no credit card processing charge (at least for California DMV, very rare for government sites) – so this is even better if you use a Cash Back or Rewards Credit Card that earns you money or points!
• No need to assemble and mail smog and insurance documents
• You receive your new license or registration quickly (I received mine in about a week) because it cuts down mail time by half
• No risk of your renewal documents getting lost in the mail and having to pay a late fee

Other DMV Online Services

I didn’t even know about many of these until I visited the site today. I got these from the California DMV; services available may vary from state to state, but in general, I would think the most used services like address change, driver license and vehicle registration renewals at least should be available by now in all states.

• Online change of address
• Notice of transfer and liability
• Order special interest and personalized plates
• Schedule DMV appointments online for faster service if you need to go in person
• Vehicle registration fee calculator
• Mobile home registration
• Link to voter registration
• Link to pay traffic citations for your county

Smog Test & Repair Resources (for California residents)

The DMV also provides a website http://smogcheck.ca.gov wth helpful resources for those who need to undergo smog test including:

• Search for test and repair stations in your area including those that participate in financial assistance programs
• Information regarding financial assistance should you fail the test and need to repair your car
• Information about buying your car from you if your car cannot be or is not worth repairing

Discount Coupons for Saving on Smog Tests

Check out SmogTips.com for discount coupons for stations in your area (may not be available everywhere). When we lived in L.A., we were able to find a coupon for a station near our apartment that reduced tlibhe cost of our smog test from $60 to around $25. Unfortunately, where we live now, there are no discounts, and the gas it would take to drive a participating station 40-50 miles away would negate any savings there.

So check there first to see if you can find a coupon for test and repair in your area before going. It could save you a good bit of money.

Related posts:

• Short Term vs. Long Term Savings with Bulk Buying
• Insurance Matters: The Cost of Complacency
• Introduction to “Our Fourpence Worth” Blog
• Mandatory Sterilization Laws Would Increase Pet Abandonment and Animal Control (Taxpayer) Costs
• California Fires: Should We Have to Pay for the Choices of Others?

Yes, I know I’m a little late in the game. Having seen references to Twitter all over the web in recent months, I finally decided to check it out and signed up this past Sunday. Twitter is a great, easy and fun way to interact with people – specifically for me, personal finance bloggers and blog readers.

What is Twitter

Basically, Twitter is a social networking website, but much simpler than Facebook or MySpace. You simply log-in to your account and type in your 140 character (or less) update to tell your friends and family what you are up to, what’s going on in your life, what you are thinking/doing/reading/watching/etc.

You begin by “following” other people – friends, family, classmates, etc. – subscribing to their updates. You interact by typing updates of yourself, and reading and replying to your friends’ updates. Eventually people will start following you. (Read to the end for a list of useful Twitter Tools and Tips.)

How Twitter Relates to Our Fourpence Worth

There is a great network of personal finance bloggers on Twitter. By following them, I can:

• Get to know my fellow personal finance and frugal living bloggers
• Know when new blog posts are published
• Discover new blogs
• Keep up with what other personal finance bloggers are writing about
• Keep abreast of personal finance blogosphere happenings – blog carnivals, group writing projects, blog networks, etc.
• Find interesting things to share with my readers [you]

Follow Me on Twitter!

I’d like to invite you to follow me on Twitter. It’s an easy way for me to get to know you, my readers, find out what’s on your mind, and hopefully be able to make this blog more useful to you by writing about topics that interest you.

My Twitter Page:
http://twitter.com/PenelopePince

Twitter Tools and Tips

Since I”m new at Twittering and these following resources have been useful to me, if you’re new – or even if you’re not new – maybe they’ll be useful to you too.

For Personal Finance Bloggers and Blog Readers

• A list of 118 Twitter Users Who Blog About Money (plus more under Comments)

Graphics

• Cute “Follow me on Twitter” graphics for your site, email signature, online profiles, etc.
• More cute Twitter Graphics and Icons (like the one above)

• Follow me on Twitter badges / logos / buttons (very artsy graphics)

For Bloggers

• Twitterfeed tells your followers about new blog posts using your RSS feed (requires OpenID)
• How to Use Twitter – Tips for Bloggers
• 9 Benefits of Twitter for Bloggers
• 7 Ways to Use Twitter to Promote Your Blog and Build Traffic
  
• The networking benefits of using Twitter
• 17 Ways You Can Use Twitter: A Guide for Beginners, Marketers and Business Owners
• 7 Ways to Use Microblogging Services for Traffic and Brand Exposure

URL Shorteners

Because each Twitter update is limited to 140 characters, you’ll want to use an URL shortener to save space.

• Tweeter Burner ties into your account and allows you to track how the links you share are doing (how many clicks)
• TinyURL seems to be the most commonly used URL shortener

More Twitter Tools & Apps

• Official Twitter Application Downloads Site
  
• Twitter Apps (Official Twitter Blog)
• Twitter Forge – Twittown
• Twitter Tool Box: 60+ Twitter Tools
• Twittermania: 140+ More Twitter Tools!

• Top 21 Twitter Tools and Help Websites

• Twitter Tools 2nd Edition

• Twitter Fan Wiki Apps
• Firefox add-ons for Twitter

Cool Stuff

• Twittervision – Shows you tweets being sent all over the world in real-time (ok, with a slight delay – less than a minute). I like the 3-D globe one that spins. It’s really fun to read all these tweets being sent all over the world in various languages.

Interesting Stuff

• Twitter as News-Wire

Related posts:

• Go on, cut that cable! Websites for Watching Free TV Full Episodes, Movies and News Online
• Carnival of Pecuniary Delights Giveaways: Cute Piggy Bank Magnet Prizes for Hosting and Submissions
• Money Hacks Carnival No. 26: Old Money Edition
• Favorite Christmas Memory
• Home is Where the Money Is

This first writing project deals with the circumstances, people and events in our past which have led to our present financial habits. I proposed this topic as the first of our group writing project as I had been planning to write something about our background and why we live the way we do.

We are one of those people who have a somewhat complicated history. In our first 25 years, we had lived in 3 different countries and called approximately 20 different places “home.” After several hours of attempting to put it all in prose, we have finally given up and decided to put our family financial history and relevant events in timeline format (and with authentic pictures), for your sake and ours.

A note before we begin: The time periods used to head each section are names of actual time periods from history; however, they are not all in correct historical order, but rather arranged to fit eras of our lives.

Pre-History

• 1978 July – Oakland, CA
  Mother, an art student from Taiwan, marries a young engineer and flight instructor from Japan whom she feels sorry for because he is poor and alone.

Ancient History

• 1979 March – San Francisco, CA
  Penelope arrives.
• 1980 November – San Francisco, CA
  Madoline arrives.
• 1978-1980
  Father cannot find decent work and receives gifts of money and private airplane (in hopes of stimulating flight instruction business) from our maternal grandmother.
• 1981-1987 – Tokyo, Japan
  Father moves family to Japan for better work opportunities. Father becomes a workaholic and makes a lot of money, buys himself computers and other gadgets but won’t give Mother money for food or clothes. Mother relies on grandparents for help and begins giving English lessons to neighborhood children after learning Japanese.
• 1987-1988 – Taiwan
  Father tells mother to leave and take us with her. Mother files for divorce and we are sent to live with various relatives in Taiwan while Mother works to build up a successful multi-level marketing business in Japan and Taiwan.

The Middle Ages

• 1988 July – Kauai, Hawaii
  Mother marries a spendthrift, workaphobe, and tax evader among other things disguised as a romantic gentleman in a ninja suit.
• 1988-1994 – Several locations on Oahu, Hawaii
  Mother continues to work at multi-level marketing business, Forever Living Products, bringing in as much as $10,000 per month for several years. Stepfather also helps by dressing up in business suits; however, the level and efficacy of his participation is questionable. 

  For the first we few years, we enjoy an idyllic childhood living in nice houses, one with a swimming pool, with a menagerie of pet cats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, mice, fish and birds. As we get older, our mother begins to share her worries about our stepfather’s shopaholicism. He goes through one expensive phase after another – chess (during which he buys several costly chess sets and strategy books), golf, motorcycles, guitar, etc. She is also constantly worrying about his tax debt and his refusal to do anything to remedy the situation.

• 1991 – 2000 – Family Business
  Staring around age 12 and 10, Madoline and I become partially responsible for helping to manage the family business, as Mother and Stepfather become the area General Managers and run the warehouse for product inventory. Our duties include helping customers (called distributors) with product purchases, explaining the various purposes of the products, taking orders, retrieving and carrying products to customers’ cars, monthly inventories, compiling and mailing monthly sales summaries to the main office. We continue to help out in this business till around part-way through college, at times running the business solely in Stepfather’s place in later years.
• 1994 December – Hawaii Kai, Hawaii
  Mother is diagnosed with stage 4 cancer with 6 months to live. She begins preparing a will, appoints Stepfather legal guardian, names a trustee to set up our trust funds for the life insurance policy left for our future and education – $100,000 each for our education, $500,000 for the purchase of a permanent residence. Knowing Stepfather’s spendthrift nature, she allots $100,000 for his personal use. One month prior to Mother’s passing, the trustee of Mother’s estate is changed to Stepfather.

Imperialism

The following take place in several more locations on Oahu, Hawaii each successively less expensive than the previous.

• 1995 October
  Mother passes away, Stepfather collects the life insurance and begins spending money immediately. He purchases a new car – on credit so as to retain the cash for investing – and ignores calls from lawyer to set up trust funds.
• 1995 November
  Stepfather meets a man called “Grandpa” who has the investment opportunity of a lifetime; give him $250,000 and he will receive $6 Million in 2 months. Stepfather gives “Grandpa” $250,000 – without our consent, of course.
• 1995 November – Early 1996
  In anticipation of millionairehood, Stepfather spends money as if already a millionaire – takes a party of 10 to the Superbowl (including airfare, hotel and $1,000 tickets), takes entire family of which he is the oldest of nine to Phantom of the Opera, hosts a presidential campaign in Hawaii, etc.

The Great Depression

• 1996 Spring
  “Grandpa” proves by all appearances to be a fraud, though Stepfather continues to hope and chant “Our ship will come in.” All $800,000 is gone, new car is repossessed despite Stepfather’s efforts to hide it a ten-minute walk from house. IRS comes calling for back taxes dating to the 1970’s. All that is left is a modest residual income which would be sufficient for us all to live on if he didn’t spend next month’s check before it arrived.
• 1996 Summer
  Stepfather pushes for me to go to college one year early. When I do not want to do so, he resorts to asking for charity from a classmate’s affluent father. (We are unaware of this until after graduation.)
• 1996 -1997
  Stepfather begins to use the word “frugal” in family discussions, a concept he manages to abide to in theory; in practice, he continues to purchase computers, surfboards, and miscellaneous useless things which are somehow supposed to make him rich.

The Age of Enlightenment

• 1997 May
  I graduate high school and win the Sterling Scholarship for Foreign Language and receive a check for $4,000. Because Stepfather needs money, I endorse the check to him.
• 1997-2002 – Higher Education
  Madoline drops out of high school 2 years early, and does one year of independent study by correspondence in order to save Stepfather $16,000 in tuition, and enrolls in college one year early. We graduate college (with honors ) with the aid of scholarships and the residual income left by our mother. Even though the income is enough to support our very modestly priced education, getting the money from Stepfather to pay our class fees and insurance is like pulling teeth.
• 2001-2002 – My First Job
  I enter the work force after graduating, my first job being a contract 9-month receptionist/secretary for our college’s admissions office. I earn $9.00 an hour and work 30 hours a week. It’s a great first job where I discover I have an affinity for administrative work and enjoy counting how much I make every minute as I work (15 cents per minutes ).

The Great Schism

• 2002 June
  At the time of Madoline’s graduation, we sever ties with Stepfather due to a number of irreconcilable differences. When Madoline graduates and my contract ends, we get full-time jobs together. By sharing a house and all our expenses, we are able to put away about $1,000 a month. After a year at this job, we decide to leave Hawaii and try our luck in California.
• 2002 July – 2003 January
  We hire an attorney to help us deal with Stepfather and manage to transfer Mother’s residual income to us. By this time, the business has dwindled and the income is reduced to about 10% of what it was when our mother was alive and developing the business.
• 2003 February – Tokyo, Japan
  Biological Father now decides he wants daughters again after almost 20 years because he finds himself $80,000 in credit card debt from eating out and buying expensive presents for his girlfriends, and suddenly realizes family is important. Unfortunately for him (and for us), we have long ago stopped considering him as our family. Also, he asks us to help pay his debts which does not sit well with us.

The Age of Discovery

• 2003 May – Our First Apartment
  We decide to try living in the Bay Area, where we had been born. Because we will use up almost all our savings on the move, we look for the most inexpensive place we could find. We find a tiny place on Craigslist – and by tiny I mean 240 sq. ft. – an apartment behind a couple’s garage that will let us arrange the rental over email and let us bring all our pets for $650 a month. (Right: Approx. 1/3 of our First Apartment)
  We pack up our things (3,000 lbs. worth of furniture including our piano which we have had since childhood and couldn’t part with, books and mementos of childhood and our mother) and pets – our 4-year old dog, 16-year old cat, and 22 mice. The apartment is so small that we barely had room left after moving all of our things in.
• 2003 May – Our First Car
  After a couple of scary and extremely uncomfortable experiences walking in our new neighborhood to run errands, we decide we need to buy a car asap. Knowing almost nothing about car shopping and credit, we get tricked into a 24% APR.
• 2003 June – Our First Real Frugal Experience
  Having used up all our savings on the move and down payment on the car, and our monthly check having been delayed, we have $100 in the bank. One night we dig through all of our things, pockets and purses for spare change to buy groceries. Even after our check arrives, we go about setting up our apartment as inexpensively as possible because the amount of the income is unpredictable and unreliable. We begin to find creative alternatives for thing we need.
• 2003 Summer & Fall – Our Second Apartment
  As we are still trying to figure out what we want to do, we temporarily apply for and get jobs as sandwich makers at Togo’s Eatery. After a month, the owners of Togo’s offer us managerial positions at a new upscale pizza shop they are opening in Fremont. The apartment turns out to be in violation of several California building codes, and gets extremely hot, with temperatures above 100 degrees on the hottest days. As we are about to start our new jobs in Fremont, we upgrade to a 400 sq. ft. studio apartment. 

  As limited space continues to be an issue, we go to Lowe’s and bring home a carload of lumber and build ourselves a freestanding 8′ x 6′ loft over our beds with for our computer, cushions and other diminutive furniture. This loft is disassembled for a future move, and later recycled into cabinets, this computer desk (with hand-carved feet shaped like horse hooves), a shipping supply cabinet and beds for our dog.

• 2003 September – Our First U-Haul
  To save money, we rent a 10′ U-Haul for our short distance move from Hayward to Fremont. It’s my first time driving a truck, which is quite scary, but when it’s all done, we can’t help but feel just a little bit proud that we’ve done it all ourselves (except for the piano).
• 2004 March – Our First Credit Cards
  Ever since the car loan fiasco, we have been trying to learn about credit. A regular customer of our pizza shop who works for Bank of America advises us to apply for a credit card. We apply for and get our first credit cards and begin building credit histories. Biological Father wants us to add him as an additional user. We say “no.”
• 2004 Tax Time – Our First Time Filing Self-Employment Tax
  Our first tax season is a disaster. I have no idea about where to start and what forms I need to fill out for the income from our mother’s business. I spend days reading the IRS website and countless forms and instructions. I finally figure it all out and mail out our return on April 15th.
• 2004 June – Our First Loan Paid Off
  We have been saving up to pay off our car loan early (23 months ahead of schedule).

The Dark Ages

• April 2004 – Los Angeles
  Our 16-year old cat is diagnosed with kidney disease in November 2003. He becomes seriously ill in February 2004 and needs constant and costly care. As our pizza shop job does not pay very well due to business problems, we decide to move to Los Angeles for more employment opportunities.
• April 2004 – Our Second U-Haul (Actually Budget Rent-a-Truck)
  Again, to save money, we rent a 15′ Budget Rent-a-Truck for the move from Fremont to Van Nuys. This time the experience has gotten old, and the time constraints to return the truck in 3 days is more than a little stressful. We load the truck and hire a Bay Area piano mover to put the piano in the truck on Day 1, make the 8-hour drive and check into the apartment on Day 2, unload the truck and hire a Los Angeles piano mover to unload the piano on Day 3, and return the truck before 9:00AM on Day 4. We swear then and there as we rub our sore backs that this is the last time we ever U-Haul it.
• 2004 Summer – 2005 Summer – The Lost Year
  Having lost our dog to an accident and our cat to kidney disease in early 2004, we suddenly find ourselves a little aimless. Where we used to be content to stay at home and read or watch DVDs, we now find ourselves restless. For a few months, we wander one shopping mall after another as soon as we get off work (a depressing sales job working for a bald man who shouts a lot), buy more clothes than we need, and are reluctant to go home to an empty apartment. 

  Then we decide to quit our jobs and enroll in some arts classes at the local community college, and re-settle into our frugal habits. We become so frugal that we literally don’t do anything or go anywhere except to the library and to the grocery store. We stop going out except to walk the malls for exercise and window shopping.

The Industrial Revolution

• 2005 July – Franga Designs
  One day, while shopping for a Star Trek Enterprise model for my cousin, I discover eBay. Thus begins Franga Designs, our dog and horse clothing and costuming business named after Mother, which later becomes an online store.
• 2005 October – House Hunting
  Madoline’s designs are an instant hit and we begin to receive many requests for custom designs. Our one-bedroom apartment (638 sq. ft.) is completely covered in fabric, patterns, sewing and photographic supplies that we barely have room to walk. We decide it is time to expand our work and living space, and after all the moving around, that it’s time to buy a house and settle somewhere permanently.
• 2005 November – Homeowners
  We find a charming 3-bedroom house with a nice yard in California City. We make an offer and escrow closes November 22, 2005. To celebrate being homeowners, we go to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (matinee), which to this day remains one of my favorites.

The Modern Era

We are still in the process of settling in our home; with our frugal and DIY mentality, it takes longer to get things done. So far we have replaced all the carpet in our house with our own homemade flooring made from plywood that we sawed into floorboards, built a wall-length and -height shelf for our books and fabrics, and fixed up second hand furniture.

We try to save money wherever we can and build up our savings. Having been privy to our stepfather and our biological father’s mistakes and our mother’s constant stress over finances, we are paranoid about spending and debt.

If you are interested in finding out more about us, please visit the More About Us page.

* * *

About the PF Bloggers Group Writing Project

The Personal Finance Bloggers Network currently consists of 8 active personal finance and frugal living blogs. The Group Writing Project is a monthly project wherein each blog will write a post on a pre-determined topic and publish it on the same day of each month. Be sure to visit the PF Bloggers Group Writing Project page for the others!

Related posts:

• Is “Simple Living” Just Another Term for “Giving Up?”
• Finance Blog Carnivals of Late
• Learning From Our Mistakes: Our First (Auto) Loan
• Closing Your Credit Cards Can Hurt Your FICO Score
• Warm Weather Food Safety Tips

I know everyone hates hearing these trite statements, but the reason they are so often repeated is because they are true. In fact, they are so basic they should be considered common sense. These principles work for both staying out of (and maybe even getting out of) debt.

The simple solutions to staying out of debt are:

• Spend less than you make
• Don’t waste money
• If your expenses are higher than your income
  • Cut back, and/or
  • Make more money

How to spend less than you make

Before you spend money on any treats for yourself, set aside what you need to pay your regular bills. If you aren’t able to keep from spending that money by only mentally setting it aside, try the following:

• Open a new bank account for your regular expenses (rent, utilities, etc.). Tip: Credit unions offer accounts without fees or minimum balances. Let’s call this account your “Expenses Account.”
• Add up all your bills and expenses at the beginning of each month and transfer that amount from your main account to your Expenses Account.
• If the bank or credit union issues you an ATM card and/or checks for that account, keep them in a safe place at home instead of carrying them in your wallet or purse.
• If you get paid every 2 weeks and your bills are due at the end of the month, try not to spend any money on luxuries with the first paycheck of the month. If your expenses are less than the amount of your paycheck, put all of that amount into your Expenses Account, plus a little extra padding just to be safe (to prevent overdraft charges in case you added wrong).
• After you have set aside all the money necessary to pay your bills, see how much you have left. Put as much into savings as possible, but if you feel like you need to treat yourself to a little something, do so at your own discretion.

How to not waste money

Money wasted is money you will never see again. And money is one of the easiest things to waste and justify (at least at the moment of the wasting). The easiest way to keep from wasting money is to ask yourself the simple, and again oft-repeated, question of “Do I really need to buy this [item]“? It is likely that 60% or more of the time, you will find that you really don’t need it after some thought. But if just asking yourself this question isn’t enough for you, try some or all of the following:

• When tempted with an impulse purchase, leave it and think about it a week later. Don’t go and look at the item, but just think about it. Looking at it might bring the impulse back. After a week, see if you still really want it. Chances are that you will no longer feel as strongly about it as you did before.
• When there is something you really want to buy, make a list of “Reasons why you need this item” and “Reasons why you should not buy this item”. Take a look at your reasons and see if they are good enough reasons to justify the expenditure.
• If you do need to buy something, spend some time to research the quality of what you buy. Many websites have consumer opinions on all sorts of products. If you do spend money, make sure you are spending it on something that will last you a good while. Don’t compromise your desire or need for something by settling for something cheap and of inferior quality that won’t last in usefulness or value.
• Think about the potential of that money. Check out my earlier article Prune Your Spending and Watch the Savings Grow and use the savings interest calculator to see how much a few dollars here and there can grow into a sizable nest egg in future years.

How to cut back on spending

If your expenses are higher than your income, then go through all your bills and see which ones you can do without or downgrade. Do you really need lightning speed internet on your personal computer? Do you really need 1000 minutes, internet and 200 text messages on your personal cell phone? Check out these previous articles I have written that deal with lowering expenses.

• Discerning Luxury from Necessity – This is a basic guide to get you started on figuring out what you need and don’t need
• 20 Minutes Can Save $180 & Tips for Receiving Better Customer Service – This is an article on how I saved some money just by contacting my ISP to ask about lower rates.
• Insurance Matters: The Cost of Complacency – The lesson I learned about assuming that my auto insurance company was still giving me the best rate after I relocated.
  

How to increase your income

There are many ways of increasing your income. It doesn’t have to be a major endeavor, but a little bit of extra money never hurts. Here are a just a few suggestions for what you can do to increase your income. Some are one-time solutions, and others are things that you can do continuously.

• Sell your stuff
  Go through your things and find some things you no longer need but are good enough to pass on. Hold a garage or yard sale, or offer them for sale on one of the many online trading sites. I know someone who always has to have the newest technology – computers, cell phones, MP3 Players, etc. I imagine he must have thousands of dollars’ worth of still good technology just sitting around his house.
• Sell your abilities
  Do you have a skill not possessed by everyone? If you speak a 2nd or 3rd language, play a musical instrument, or have some knowledge of a subject, you can tutor or teach from your home or create an informative website on to earn ad money. If you are good at crafts, fixing electronics, woodworking, minding children, or any other special skill, there are numerous ways to earn a little money here or there and you may even end up being a professional in a field you never considered seriously. Some people do not even know how to install software on their personal computers and will pay to have this common task done for them.
• Open a CafePress Store
  If you have photographic, artistic or graphics ability, open a CafePress shop. All you have to do is upload your images and create products with your artwork on them. Check out our store Mozartini, which we started in December 2007 and has begun to make more money each month. We love CafePress because once the artwork is up and products created, all you have to do is wait for the money to come it. CafePress takes care of customers, prints and ships the orders and sends you a check. I just love waking up in the morning and finding those “You’ve made a sale at CafePress” emails.
• Check out a few other suggestions by my fellow financial blogger, Jonathan from Master Your Card, who recently wrote a guest post for us: Five Ways to Make Some Extra Income on the Side.

Related posts:

• Welcome MSN Money Central Smart Spending Readers!
• June 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Resisting the Urge to Splurge
• Pecuniarities (Our Fourpence Worth) 1 Year Anniversary
• Under the Weather – Recommended Reading

Merriam-Webster defines the word “vacation” as “a respite or a time of respite from something”. Well, if that “something” from which one is taking a respite is “peace and quiet” then I would have to agree with the definer. Otherwise, gathering from my 2 recent “vacations” (one to Disneyland, one [working] vacation to Las Vegas from which I have just returned), vacation seems more like a respite from peace and quite to me.

Anyhow, I thought I would put together a pre-vacation checklist to help all you other poor vacationers prepare for your vacations, because if there is one thing I have learned, vacations are costly – and I am not just talking about transportation, lodging and amusements, but all the little everyday necessities – and the only way to travel frugally is to travel prepared. Also, the better prepared you are, the better the time you will have on your vacation; knowing that everything back home is taken care of and that you are prepared for most common travel mishaps will allow you to enjoy yourself to the utmost.

And yes, I am the extremest of Type A personalities, but admit it, sometimes it is handy to have someone who has the bases covered. You’ll certainly be glad to have one of us along when the unexpected happens because we’ve planned and prepared for it (or at least have given some thought to it beforehand so as not to be caught by surprise). This isn’t a list of what to pack (toothbrush, underwear, etc.) but rather more of a pre-departure to-do list to help prepare for your trip. I’m not saying you need to do everything suggested, but hopefully a few items will prove helpful or relevant to your circumstances.

Prevention is the best medicine

Just because you are on vacation, it doesn’t mean everyone else is. This goes for utility companies, burglars and your own plumbing and wiring. When you come home from vacation, you want to make sure you still have an intact home to come home to, and aren’t met with a mountain of additional expenses. Therefore before you leave, you might want to try some of the following:

(These checkboxes are check-able, so feel free to come back and use it.)

Home and Business

Travel Arrangements

Better to be Safe than Sorry

You never know what can happen on the road, and when it comes to health and safety, it is infinitely better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. Therefore,

Well, this may not have covered all the bases, as everyone has different situations, but hopefully this list proved helpful in some ways. Bon Voyage!

If you’re traveling with your pet, check out my next post, Guide to Safe and Smart Traveling with Pets,

Related posts:

• Welcome MSN Money Central Smart Spending Readers!
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #4
• June 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Guide to Safe and Smart Traveling with Pets
• Resources

Five Ways to Make Some Extra Income on the Side

Who couldn’t use a little extra money? Plenty of people are feeling a little strained with their finances, and if you feel as though you are on the verge of just barely squeaking by, then it might be time to bring in a little extra income.

Of course, if you can manage to rein your spending in a little you might be able to avoid going after some extra income, but if that’s not an option then give some of these suggestions a try.

• Get a Part-Time Job
  Part-time jobs can be a lot of fun. Find something in a field that you enjoy. If you love reading, get a job at a bookstore. If you adore being outside, take a weekend job assisting a landscaper. If you have to get a part-time job you should at least make sure that you’re doing something you enjoy while also making decent money. You may be surprised to discover that your current employer has regulations against full-time employees taking part-time jobs, so make sure you aren’t breaking any rules when you get your part-time job. Either that or keep quiet about it!
• Become a Freelancer
  You don’t have to go work on-site at a part-time job if you have a skill that you can make money with from home. Plenty of freelance contractors make a decent extra income doing something they love – writing, designing websites, or whatever – all while wearing their pajamas and bunny slippers. A couple of sites worth investigating are Elance and FreelanceSwitch.
• Get Popular Online
  If you can create a website that people want to visit regularly then you can potentially make some extra income by placing ads on your site. This is definitely something you can do in your spare time, but you shouldn’t expect to make a fortune from ad revenues if you can’t commit a great deal of time in developing and maintaining the site. Building up a passive income online takes time and dedication, so don’t expect to get rich overnight.
• Do Some Overtime
  If your current employer offers you the opportunity to do some overtime at a higher hourly rate then this can be a great way to bring in some extra income. This can be an especially good idea if you really do enjoy your job, and you don’t mind putting in a few extra hours.
• Invest
  This suggestion is a little tricky because not everyone has a knack for investing, nor do they have the capital to really put up a sizeable enough investment in order to get an impressive return. There are some people, however, who do indeed make a nice amount of income on the side playing the markets part time. If your need for extra income isn’t immediate then this may be something you should consider giving a try. Just be sure that you don’t invest any money that you can’t afford to lose, and don’t go in cold – educate yourself first.

Unless you need extra money each month just to cover your basic necessities, you have the opportunity to make some money on the side while actually having fun and learning a new skill. Don’t go for something you’ll be miserable with if you can instead choose to just spend less each month by cutting back on a few ‘luxury’ items. Working a job you hate is miserable enough, but when you’re working it in addition to a full-time job you’re bound to get really grumpy, really fast!

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Related posts:

• Simple Solutions to Staying Out of Debt
• How to De-worm a Difficult Horse
• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #12
• Two Natural and Economical Ways to Shed Dry Winter Skin
• Ways to Increase Physical Activity & Calorie Burn and Prevent Weight Gain in Your Daily Life

Clean with Rubbing Alcohol

Our favorite cleaner is isopropyl, which looks pretty in clear spray bottles around the house. It is not perfumed, does not leave toxic residue like other cleaners, and costs only $1 to $2 for a large bottle. We acquired the mentality of scrupulous sanitizing from singing teachers, some of whom insist upon spraying everything with Lysol before touching. Lysol, however, damages the skin and leaves you with toxic fingers while rubbing alcohol evaporates cleanly away. Only be aware that rubbing too hard with alcohol might remove a little paint or varnish.

Left: One of our handy all-purpose isopropyl alcohol spray bottles that we keep around the house.

A few things we regularly use rubbing alcohol to clean are:

• Library books before reading
• Pillowcases before going to bed (in case pets have used our pillows in our absence)
• Doorknobs
• Cosmetic containers and surfaces (where we keep and apply makeup)
• Closets where we store pillowcases, clothing, and towels
• Office equipment such as phones and computers
• Mirrors
• Washer and dryer openings that come into contact with dirty laundry before we take out our clean laundry

Exterminate with Rubbing Alcohol

Yet another use for the wonderful isopropyl is in killing unwelcome insects. Because we have pets, Penelope and I are very reluctant to use poisons. A squirt of alcohol, which can even reach a tiny bug on the ceiling, makes most insects drop dead (no squashed guts!). A spritz can also drop airborne flies and gnats. There are no worries of children or pets touching and ingesting insecticides, and even adults can reduce cancer risk by avoiding exposure to many household chemicals. For tougher insects, white vinegar is more effective and although it leaves a smell, is healthier for everyone except the bug. A spritz of vinegar is more effective than a fly swatter because the fly thinks it’s water and does not try to escape.

Dilute Cleaning Solutions

When necessary, we prefer name-brand cleaners such as Lysol or 409 as being safer and more effective than cheap alternatives with suspiciously jaunty names. These cleaning products are—as expected—rather expensive and the use of spray bottles very wasteful (a whole squirt to wipe one or two paw prints). Adding water to cleaners in spray bottles allow for spot cleaning or covering large areas with less waste. The amount of dilution depends on the intended use—weaker for kitchen and table, more potent for bathrooms and pet accidents.

Alternatives for Curtain Rods

Instead of using store-bought curtain rods, we sometimes hang curtains from evenly spaced nails over both arched and straight windows. 5 to 7 nails cost much less than the cheapest curtain rod and the result is very attractive. We paint the nail heads to match the walls and keep the grease from staining fabrics. Framing nails are best as they do not bend when pounded into hard wood. The curtains can be hung by loops, ribbon ties, or button holes. (More details will be given in a future article.)

 

Spaghetti as Long Matches

Instead of long matches which can only be used once, ignite spaghetti noodles from stove tops or regular lighters to light sunken down candles and other hard to reach things. The noodles can be used until they are too short. After each use, break off the completely burnt tips, leaving about a quarter inch of charred noodle to make it easier to light next time. Make sure to completely blow out the noodle after use. Some brands of pasta take longer to light.

Scented Light Bulbs as Votives

Instead of burning votive candles or melting scented wax in burners, rub softened scented wax onto light bulbs. When the lights are turned on, the heat from the bulbs will release the fragrance. Even energy saving bulbs get warm when in use. This saves you the expense of candles and tea lights as well as the risk of candle fires.

Paint Plain White for Easy Maintenance

We paint our floors and many pieces of furniture with non-tinted white paint, using the generic brand of our local hardware store. The reason for this is that we have rather large active dogs who naturally scratch, bang, and sometimes chew our house. And admittedly, we humans sometimes drag chairs or accidentally carry large objects into the walls. Using a color easily available, we touch up wear and tear with very little expense and trouble. Of course, our home doesn’t resemble a white void. We simply have to take extra care not to chip the colored things. Diluting paint with water makes repaired areas less conspicuous.

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• April 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #2
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• Festival of Frugality #152: Affected by Recession Edition
• 101 Ways to Save Money in Your Everyday Life

We are 2 sisters in our mid-late twenties who discovered the concept of frugality several years ago when we quit our full-time jobs in Hawaii where good employment is scarce, and moved to California in search of a way of life that would allow us to work for ourselves and hopefully pursue our interests in the arts instead of dishonest employers whose practices went against our personal and business ethics. Having spent all of our savings on our move, we found ourselves constantly trying to find imaginative and unconventional solutions in establishing our new home and way of life. Over the past few years, we have learned and figured out a great deal about making economies, and we it is our intention to share our ideas and solutions here in this blog.

Although we are not experts in these matters, we will also share a few things we have learned in regards to personal finance, home improvement and decoration, holistic pet care, and even a few favorite recipes for inexpensive and time-efficient meals.

And while work and frugality are important, so are wholesome entertainment and activities. We are avid readers with a particular interest in good children’s and young adult literature, and will therefore also share reviews and recommendations of favorite books for both children and adults. We will do the same for films, music and activities that we have found especially entertaining, educational, enlightening, worthy and contributive to a well-rounded life. These recommendations can be found under the “Hobbies” category.

Author Bios

Just a short introduction about each of us, our interests and specialties in regards to the topics we write about.

Madoline Hatter

I am a compulsive reader, musician, and a sort of artist. I provide the artistic work in the endeavors I undertake with my sister such as sewing, pattern drafting, painting, and computer graphics. I have a B.A. in Music – Voice. Subjects that interest me are classical music, music history, English literature, foreign languages, science, psychology, and animal training. In my free time I play the piano, sing, read about music history, and teach my dog tricks.

I also love a good novel especially if it is by Jane Austen or Charles Dickens. My favorite languages are English and German. I am currently learning French and have acquired a vocabulary about 10 words and mastered vague notions of grammar. My interest in linguistics has led to experiments in teaching dogs English. My dog Wolfie can sing a song in rhythm, but out of tune.

Penelope Pince

I am also a compulsive reader, musician, and a left-brained sort of artist. I have the dubious honor of being the “office manager” and “finance person” in all of our business and household affairs, my duties including but not limited to webmastering, customer service, bill paying, and the unhappiest of all, taxes. I hold a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies: Linguistics, German, French, Spanish & Chinese.

My interests lie in foreign languages (currently slowly learning Italian), classical & film music, computers, collecting foreign editions of Harry Potter books, and German games. I enjoy literature such as Jane Austen and contemporary authors such as Sophie Kinsella. In my spare time I can be found at the computer, piano, strangling a questionable tune out of the violin, watching movies, or being trampled by my dog Luwie.

To find out a even more about us, please visit the More About Us page.

Photos

Many of the excellent photographs displayed in our articles were taken by Petr Kratochvil who has generously released them into the public domain. To find out if an image was by Mr. Kratochvil, look for “Photo by Petr Kratochvil” in the image properties (mouseover the image in Internet Explorer or right-click on the image and select “properties”).

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