Wise Bread

Special Price for Wise Bread Readers at SoupBase.Com!

Myscha Theriault — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:56:13 +0000

Love to create restaurant quality food at home? Looking for an inside track to how the professionals pull it off? David Sievers at SoupBase.Com is stepping up to help. Read on.

Those of you who caught my recent post regarding Seafood on the Cheap will already be somewhat familiar with SoupBase.Com. They sell among other cool things, the Minor's brand professional flavoring bases made by parent company Nestle. Ready for the discount details?

The discount code is SEAFOODBLOG .
It apparently needs to be entered on the first page of the checkout, prior to anything else.
It's good for a 15 percent discount on any order over twenty-five dollars.
This code is good until midnight, February 8th, 2009.
If you have any problems or questions, the folks at SoupBase.Com want to give it their personal attention. In fact, David requested I provide their stateside number: 1-800-827-8328.
Also, if browsing offline is your thing, you can request a pdf catalog via return email.

A few of the neat tidbits about the Minor's flavoring bases? They are one hundred percent natural paste-style concentrates of freshly cooked meat, poultry, seafood or vegetables. They contain no artificial ingrdients, chemical preservatives or color. Most contain less than one gram of fat per serving, and they have up to half the salt of bouillon cubes, depending on the type of base.

One teaspoon per cup of boiling water is the recommended mixing ratio. And the cost? The data I received on the chicken stock was nineteen cents a cup, way less than canned or boxed stock. So if making your own doesn't appeal to you, or even if you stick to the seafood and clam stocks alone, the savings is significant. Free recipes for the Minor's bases are available here. For other ways to cut down on cooking costs, check out these articles on poultry and meat suggestions. Happy saving!

Permalink | 2 comments | Myscha Theriault's blog | Channel: Coupons

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Back to Reality: Coming Down after the Holidays

Sarah Winfrey — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:55:41 +0000

By Sarah Winfrey

Whatever holidays you celebrate in November, December, and January, they're over now. The special food is eaten and the decorations are probably back in their boxes. The new year has come, though whether you see it with hope or fear is up to you. My point is, in most of the western world, January is a month of coming down. We spend November and December gearing up, getting ready, anticipating days off from work, travel, good food, and good times with people we love. Then January hits, and that's all over. Not only that, but the bills for all that hope and anticipation start arriving and we go back to our normal daily routine. It's no wonder if we sometimes look up and ask if the holidays really meant anything after all.

Seasons of letdown are difficult for the human spirit. They just are. There's not any way around that. But there are ways to lessen the impact of a letdown, any letdown, has on you.

Life Cycles

The truth is, our lives cycle and recycle all the time, though we don't often notice because we're too busy experiencing the feelings of wherever we are in the cycle. On every level--personal, professional, spiritual, financial, emotional--we are constantly going through ups and downs. We cycle as individuals, as family groups, as business groups, as friends, as a culture, as a country, and as a world. It's no wonder the patterns are hard to notice, what with all these cycles intersecting and influencing each other. But the cycles are true.

Sometimes, just knowing that we're at a particular part of the cycle makes being there easier. It's almost a relief to say, "It's January, and I'm on the downward side of the holiday season cycle. It's normal for me to feel tired, a little overwhelmed with everyday life coming back at me, and even a little sad. This will pass." While it can be hard to deeply embrace the truth that statements like these offer, there's some comfort in acknowledging, at least cognitively, that they are true.

Take Some Space

Take advantage of the lull in planned activities that often comes on the downward side of a cycle (like January) and even of any restricted financial resources you might have from your celebrating, find a quiet place, and hole up for a while. Part of what causes the downward side of the cycle is the onslaught of sights and sounds and people and experience that comes with the upside. Our minds get overstimulated, whether we're aware of it or not, and after a while they can't continue processing so much input without some rest. So taking some quiet time to meditate, journal, or read a good book helps our tired, taxed minds and puts us on the road to getting out of the downward part of the cycle.

Getting some personal space can also help us cement memories of the good times we've just had. Writing a memory down, looking through pictures, or even replaying something special in our minds cues our brains to remember it. And when we remember good times, it's easier to feel contented in the present.

Focus on the Present

Most likely, the tasks in front of us are not as loathesome as they seem when we're coming off a fun, exciting season like the holidays. Once we have memories cemented, the best thing we can do at the bottom part of a cycle is to focus on what is in front of us without longing for what we just had. Those times were good, maybe extremely, excessively good, but they aren't what's in front of us right now. In these January moments, we have tasks that need doing and people who need caring for. Focusing on these allows us to find contentment in our lives because we're not wishing for or straining towards something that isn't true in the present.

Actually focusing like this can be difficult, especially when we're so close to what was exciting. The key is to develop what I call a Meditation Mind. In meditation, practitioners are asked to focus and relax. When they find their minds wandering, they are asked to simply recall themselves to the focus. This kind of mindset can also serve well in focusing on the present, If you find your mind wandering, simply bring it back to the task at hand. Repeated practice allows our minds to attain focus easier and hold it longer.

Whether you're down or not after the holidays, I hope these thoughts and tips help you out whenver you're in the downward part of a cycle. Is there anything else you do when you're in that place? Let me know in the comments.

Permalink | 2 comments | Sarah Winfrey's blog | Channel: General Tips

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For Women Traveling to India: A Book Review and Free Copy Contest!

Myscha Theriault — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:58:24 +0000

By Myscha Theriault

Looking for an informative travel read? Need some hot tips to make your next trip flow smoothly? Hoping for something that addresses your unique needs as a member of the O.G.C? (Official Girlfriends Club) Help is on the way.

The latest in the Wanderlust and Lipstick collection, this title by Beth Whitman provides loads of tips for women who will be navigating the subcontinent solo. Bonus? Many of her tips are applicable to travelers in general and can be used in numerous developing countries. She covers such issues as working around festival schedules when booking tickets and accommodations, how to avoid harassment in movie theaters and tips and hacks for dealing with India's vast train system. She even covers some of the inside scoop on the emerging health care system in India via some of the women she met there, including Wise Bread's own Amy Scher. Wanna grab a sneak peek at some of the hot tips you'll find in this book?

Not only will you want to carry your own TP in India, but your own disposable tote bags for it as well. Since the waste water infrastructure often can't handle the extra bulk, you'll frequently need to put your used toilet tissue in a knotted bag and toss it later if a waste receptacle is not available.
Use the overwhelming number of people vying for your business to your advantage. This is your chance to get the absolutely best price possible. Basically, bargain your ass off.
Find a quiet retreat that is not your hotel room. The hustle and bustle of India can be overwhelming. While it's perfectly understandable to need a reprieve, nobody wants to spend their whole trip alone in the hotel room. Consider a temple, park or university library.

Beth Whitman is also the author of Wanderlust and Lipstick: The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo, founder of the Wanderlust and Lipstick web site, and a blogger for the Seattle Post Intelligencer. She's also a kick butt tour guide. Can't wait check out this title for yourself? Here's a link. To enter the contest, simply post a comment sharing a funny travel anecdote, a trip you've been dreaming of taking, or a hot tip for life on the road. The deadline is January 13th, at 9:00 a.m. EST.

Permalink | 6 comments | Myscha Theriault's blog | Channel: Art and Leisure, Freebies

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Inside the shady world of cheap iTunes gift cards

Torley Wong — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:04:08 +0000

By Torley Wong

It all started so innocently: I recently purchased an iPod Nano as an Xmas present, and also wanted to include the gift of music. A casual search on eBay led to attention-alarming auctions shouting at me, tantalizing me with the possibility of getting iTunes gift cards for CHEAP! How cheap? Apparently, if I shelled out US$5-8 dollars, I could get a "guide" with info telling me where to purchase these cards for up to "80% Off!!", one listing yelled. Yet another auction cautioned me while hawking its own ware, "How to NOT get scammed w itunes gift card code auctions". What was going on here?

I had to admit, the in-your-face attitude and numerous typographical errors turned me off — and I'm too thrifty to plunk down a few bucks to be told what URL to type in. (Nevermind the fact that some of these discount cards are listed on eBay… duh, how obvious.) So I did the most natural next thing: a Google search, and soon dove deeper into the dubiousness.

Several minutes later, I collected numerous pages pointing to iOffer, sort of like eBay, but a rockier road in terms of usability. Searching for "itunes 200" yielded numerous matches for $200 gift cards as low as $38. Alas, that seller was on vacation, so I had to settle for a $47 one. I placed an offer and watched the screen anxiously, refreshing the page and also checking my email. I noticed this seller was quite an inconsistent replier, attending to the newest offers bidding on his quantity of 50+ cards while not getting to first-come offers until much later. At last, I was served up an invoice, and PayPal'ed it through. A few minutes later, I received an email with the code. Terse, cryptic, and from a Chinese email address, it read:

Hi , here is the code .
$200
[CODE REMOVED]
pls use it asap.
and pls leave me a feedback.
thanks!

Too good to be true? I pondered. Why the urgency to use it? Only one way to find out. After I refreshed the page again and noticed the hotbed of activity piling up, I mused "They must really want their music!" and booted up the iTunes Store myself. I plunked in the code, and without hesitation, it was credited. My account balance now stood at $200.00, and as any music fan would naturally do, I began snapping up tracks.

But is there a darker side to this? Some would say yes. Feeling ethically conflicted, my curiosity got the better of me and I dug deeper. More info-nuggets were just a google away, such as:

US iTunes gift certificates bought with stolen cards
People on Ebay are selling itunes gift cards for %40 off? – Interesting behind-the-scenes report.

For a brief moment, my pupils dilated as wide as Dramatic Lemur's. Was I now linked to criminal activity? I don't want to be a knowing participant in the cycle of identity theft and fraud. Alas, it's hard to say.

I contacted over a dozen of these gift card bulk sellers. A few replied with unhelpful or cryptic answers. I chalked part of it up to their non-native English (a disproportionate amount claim to be Chinese or Eastern European), and the other part up to wanting to keep a tight lid on their profitable secrets. The most "comprehensive" response I got, after asking "How did you get such a great deal on these iTunes gift cards?", was:

Hi, I bought it from my friend . hehe
its price is realy low .
if you like, you can buy from me and then selll it on ebay.
I saw they sell about $100 for $200 card on ebay
hehe
thanks!

No shortage of "hehe" in the responses I received, that's for sure. Like the myths behind virtual gold farming, they add color to the tales, but that's where my trail went cold. Wherever there's riches, you can count on not just greed to be present, but bizarre human behavior.

Returning to eBay, I scoured around some more. I rummaged through the gift card auctions, and was hard-pressed to find any as popular or as below-expected-price as iTunes. I even found some big names that went substantially above their value, like this $530 winning bid on a $500 Amazon.com gift card. (What's the point?) But iTunes ones can be consistently, suspiciously found for much lower. Since the majority of these sales are digital codes, not actual cards (as one seller made sure to remind me he couldn't send the card), a physical object isn't necessary to use them. Which makes them harder to trace.

What's Apple's gospel word on this? None. Apple's Gift Card FAQ says nothing about the matter yet, but it's been happening for years. This has been bubbling beneath the surface and hasn't gotten broader attention. There's been articles about iTunes phishing, but that's not the same as the underground gift card/code phenomenon.

This is especially ambiguous because we can't rule out that there is a legit channel for these cards, or that they're so affordable for another, non-criminal reason which isn't understood by all parties involved. True, the factors I mentioned above make them look very shady. And even if you don't have a tight budget which strangles luxuries like music, the goal is always to buy low… so how low is too low? Branding someone as a crook just because they don't speak fluent English is unfair, considering that they may've genuinely gotten the codes from an associate and are genuinely unaware if it's unlawful. I'll understand if Apple gets in touch with me about my account, as they apparently have with some others, and in the meantime, I'll continue to use my store credit — and ethically, look for better ways to reward the artists directly. (Which is a discussion for another time.)

The moral of the story: from "it fell off the back of a truck" to gift codes in cyberspace, there can be more than meets the eye when it comes to an unbelievable deal.

Permalink | 7 comments | Torley Wong's blog | Channel: Shopping

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The Real Value of Forever Stamps

Linsey Knerl — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:27:08 +0000

By Linsey Knerl

I’m horribly unorganized to the untrained eye. I’m a “stacker”, which means that while I know the general vicinity of any given piece of paper, it must be culled from a heaping pile of similarly-group items before I can use it. It’s my own method of organization, one that gives my husband the heebie-jeebies. It’s also the reason that just recently I’ve vowed to forever and always purchase the forever stamps.

What are forever stamps? For those who don’t know, they are first-class postage stamps that never decrease in their supposed value. If I buy them today at 42cents, they are good for first-class letters. If I keep them until the price of sending the letter goes up to 43cents, they are still good for first-class letters – no need to hunt down those pesky penny add-on stamps to legitimize my mailing.

Are they a good investment? There’s much debate to this topic. Financial experts claim that it’s an investment better made in something else (like canned goods, maybe?) I agree that postage stamps probably won’t be the next big investment vehicle; they only earn you something when you don’t use them, and then the price of postage goes up enough to justify buying scads of them in the first place. If you’re not a heavy mailer, you’ve really saved nothing.

But if you are a hopeless paper-collector (like myself), they may have a value above and beyond what can be measured by your annual postage budget. There is a certain “I did it again” factor that can be completely avoided by buying these puppies. Here’s how it works:

I am searching frantically for a stamp. Any stamp will do. (It doesn’t have to have Disney princesses or the latest wildlife habitat to tickle my fancy. It just has to be worth 42 cents.) The mail is arriving in 10-20 minutes, and since I’m located 6 miles from the nearest civilization, I’m hoping to find precious postage that will keep me from having to make the drive to town. (Back in the golden days, I could put an unstamped letter and pocket change right in the mailbox, and my postman would mail it for me.) After finding a crumpled-up sheet of stamps, I realize that I don’t know how much they are worth. They simply say “First-Class” but don’t have a monetary value printed on them. I head to the USPS website and do a search on their online store for a stamp that looks like mine, only to find that it is worth 41cents (or possibly even 40cents.) I continue rummaging through my files to find a 1cent stamp that I remember buying just a few months ago. Nothing.

Why o’ why didn’t I just buy forever stamps? (Or maybe you’re wondering why I don’t put my stamps in a special place where I can always find them.) Since it’s easier to change one purchasing habit than it is to reprogram my filing style, I have vowed to do just that. There is one catch:

Some post offices are reluctant to sell them. They won’t deny them to you. They just won’t offer them, either. Similar to other forms of cheap postage (like parcel post), they won’t suggestively sell this budget-friendly option. When I ask to buy a book of stamps, they whip out the beautifully-rendered holiday nutcracker stamps or my weakness, the Jim Henson Muppets series. I usually don’t even consider asking for “forever stamps.”

But all that will change. While many New Year’s Resolutions involve vows to eat less carbs, I’ll promise myself to always buy forever stamps. It will save a few pennies here and there, but it will also save some face. I’m investing in my self-esteem here.

Permalink | 14 comments | Linsey Knerl's blog | Channel: Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Life Hacks, Budgeting, General Tips, Investment

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Oprah's Best Life Week $250 Goodies Giveaway

Will Chen — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:57:56 +0000

By Will Chen

This week Oprah kicked off her "Best life Week" series featuring top experts who will help you start 2009 with renewed commitments to personal finance, wellness, health, spiritual insight and sexuality.

My favorite financial expert Suze Orman will be on the show this Thursday, January 8th, and she'll be doing a webcast with Oprah on Oprah.com at 8pm CST on January 15th.

The prize package

One Wise Bread reader will win this nifty gift package (approximate value $250):

“Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan” Signed by Suze Orman

The Oprah Store Logo PVC Tote: exclusive cream colored shoulder bag features an illustration of "the Oprah store."

Paper Mache Bowls - Dark Blue: hand made Paper Mache bowls made in South Africa by Wola Nani.

Travel Mug: double walled for temperature control and thumb ridge provides for extra grip.

Ilala Grass Basket with Lid – Large: handmade grass baskets from South Africa.

How to enter

Simply fill out this form (don't worry we will not share your information with spammers or advertisers) before January 31th, 2009. You must be a US resident and be 18 or older to enter. We will announce the winner here on February 1, 2009.

Click here to enter the contest.

Permalink | Comments | Will Chen's blog | Channel: Freebies

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Recession Journal Part I: 'Fast' Money in the '09

Jabulani Leffall — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:11:29 +0000

By Jabulani Leffall

The year 2008 is history in every sense of the word.

History in that it’s finally over and has been for several days as stated by “Capitan Obvious” who is standing over me as I bang this post out.

The swashbuckling officer of the conspicuous also wants me to point out that 2008 is history because of the dramatic political changing of the guard, bank failures and job losses of historic proportions the world over, unprecedented industry bailouts, volatile equity, debt and commodities corrections and the worst credit conditions in perhaps the last century.

So what’s next?

You’re decision, that’s what. What’s next is the choices you will make, how you will handle yourself, whether you’ll be resolved to resist predictably deviating from usually empty resolutions made about this time -- specifically involving your moolah.

Rather than the usual about face, 180-degree-turn most will claim to fulfill this year, why not do it gradually?

Let’s face it, you’re thinking losses and gains right now, correct? Weight loss and financial gain, perhaps in a different order but please keep it real, these are the two most common areas, the biggest rooms for improvement and renovation every 365-days.

Well, in that sense, the dietary master cleanse with the cayenne pepper and maple syrup that goes down so violently and emerges so odiously can just as easily be applied to the way you spend your money.

But instead of deliberating and doting on doing a drastic, detailed, (and apparently alliterative) debt-diet, why not just try fasting as you would with a master cleanse.

But instead of decaying food on the walls of intestines being flushed out, what’s being expunged here is the pain derived from manic-depressive spending, which can also leave you doubled over in agony. Spending like a maniac when times are good, feeling bad about spending like a maniac when times are bad?

We’ve all been there. The week in between paydays, the three days on three digits until payday, the two integers in the account, including the decimal point; the nail biting between tuition checks, the “wait-a-minute-mr.-post-man” swan song familiar to many an independent contractor looking for checks in the mail to put them out of their misery or into the misery of immediately seeing the whole check disappear.

What if you held, stored and did without for just one week or one two-week interval every month? Fast. That’s the solution. Just like the master cleanse, all you need is a calendar. Pick a ridiculously low financial threshold and an applicable time period. Test it, stay home, take public transport, avoid eating out, go shopping for clothes in your closet or for purging, or for altruistic purposes. Barnes & Noble your own damn book shelf for a change because you know you ain't read all them books. Go to sleep. Who actually losses money by sleeping more except a toll-booth operator with narcolepsy?

With food we are reminded that a diet is what we consume not what we don’t consume. With money it’s both.

Find a realistic comfort zone and try it, stick to it, clam up, tighten up, get fit, challenge yourself. Because while we all know spending habits die harder than Bruce Willis signing on for one too many a sequel, attitude in money management trumps aptitude every time. Don’t worry I’ll let you think about that last stanza. Who spends money thinking?

Permalink | 6 comments | Jabulani Leffall's blog | Channel: Personal Finance, Budgeting

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Making the Most of Imitation Crab Meat

Myscha Theriault — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:41:42 +0000

By Myscha Theriault

Ready to take this stuff from behind closed doors to center stage? Wanting a few more options for seafood on the cheap? This consistently affordable protein source has more flexibility than I could have ever dreamed. Read on to find out which recipes made my personal cut.

More formally known as surimi, imitation crab meat is what many people on a budget reach for when they are craving seafood. It's affordable, flexible and doesn't need to be cooked ahead of time. So how do you sex it up? Following are a few suggestions.

Appetizers and Snacks

The options in this category were almost overwhelming. When attempting to select the best of the best, I managed to narrow it down to less than twenty. Included in the snack and appetizer category are stuffed mushroom caps, a recipe or two for seafood nachos, chilled crab-stuffed veggies and cucumber canapes (delish, by the way – we tried them this weekend), sushi, regular and Vietnamese style fish ball appetizers, quesadillas, hot dip, party spread and stuffed jalapeños. A few others that made a rock star impression?

Savory seafood cheesecake appetizer.
Stuffed phyllo cups.
Unique crab flavored cheese ball rolled in sunflower kernels or your favorite chopped nuts.
Homemade crab rangoons.

With this many seriously grown up snack options, imitation crab meat is clearly seafood product that can hold its own.

Main Events

Ready to bring this stuff center stage on the dinner plate? I found numerous options in both the side dish and entrée categories, including stuffed shells, quiche, spinach and seafood egg rolls, regular and Italian style crab cakes, lasagna roll ups, casseroles and seafood stuffing. Several others made the cut as well:

Seafood and artichoke orzo.
Fish balls, both curried and served up with Chinese cabbage.
Crab and couscous stuffed peppers.
Korean seafood and vegetable pancakes.
Seafood stuffed chicken breasts.

Also, since my love affair with potatoes is well documented, it should come as no surprise that a few potato based meals made the list as well. Here are a couple from Taste of Home and CD Kitchen.

Light Lunches

Salivating for something that celebrates the sea while sipping your pinot grigio? I'm happy to report that I had quite a bit of luck in this department as well. How about open faced seafood sandwiches on English muffins, hot toasted oven subs, a slaw, salad, ceviche or even a crab pizza? Also of note were this California wrap, Asian seafood tart and several soup ideas. Three of my favorites? A winter squash and crab bisque, cream of seafood and celery soup, and a cheesy corn and crab chowder, all of which would be great with some homemade batter bread.

Savory Breakfasts

There weren't a ton of options in this category, but these three unusual sounding ones did manage to float to the top of my internet radar.

Crab and cheddar waffles. (These should definitely take the breakfast for dinner concept to the next level.)
Creamy crab sauce on corn pancakes.
Seafood strata. (Great for a brunch buffet and coffee bar event.)

While I didn't run into recipes for them, I would think a seafood and horseradish crepe or Swiss cheese and surimi frittata would be easy enough to invent on one's own.

So there you have it. Four main categories with detailed suggestions on making the most of imitation crab meat. For those of you who have been craving more fish in your diet and wondering how to make it happen on a budget, I trust I've covered the concept in the last couple of articles. Got another great budget tip for imitation crab meat? Feel free to share below.

Permalink | 3 comments | Myscha Theriault's blog | Channel: Food and Drink

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The vicious Home Rental Scam – don’t get conned.

Paul Michael — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:17:04 +0000

By Paul Michael

It seems like new variations of the Nigerian 419 scam pop up every week. The one that caught my attention recently involved renting a home, and it’s a nasty trick that could take anyone by surprise. But if you know what to look for, you can avoid it.

I’ve been looking around for a home rental recently. There are several resources out there for home renters, but the first place I tried was Craigslist. It seemed like an easy way to cut out the middleman and deal directly with the family renting out their home.

One home that I found seemed way too good to be true. For $1200 a month inclusive, I could rent a beautiful 5-bedroom home with wooden floors, new appliances, a finished basement and even a whirlpool tub. That’s a whole lot more house then we have now, for a whole lot less than our current mortgage payment.

I emailed asking for details. I expected a reply saying “sorry, it’s $2200 a month, my bad,” but the reply I actually got was more than a little weird. The English used in the ad was perfect, clearly stripped from a different listing; the English in the email was broken and awkward. Here’s the reply:

Hello Dear,

Thanks for the email. I own the house and also want you to know that it was due to my transfer to (West Africa, Nigeria) that makes us to leave the house and also want to give it out for rent and looking for a responsible person and God fearing person who can take very good care of the house in our absence.we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean all the time and the person that will rent it to take it as if it were its own. So for now, We are here in West Africa and will be staying here for the next 4 years in our new house and also with the keys of the house for rent, we try to look for an agent that we can give this documents and the keys before we left but could not find, and we as well do not want our house to be used any how in our absence that is why we took it along with us. I and my Wife came over to Africa for a missionary work, so i hope you will promise us that you will take very good care of the house. So get back to me if you know you could take care of our house or perhaps experience you have in renting home. Hope you are okay with the price of $1200 per month and the security Deposit is $600.Get back to me for the rental application. You can go and view.

Here is my contact number: +2347058014164 or 0112347058014164

Alarm bells instantly started ringing in my head. What was with the “Hello Dear” opening line? Why the constant references to God and missionary work? And how come they still had the keys and no agent?

This all sounded like the classic Nigerian 419 scam, right down to the broken English and references to religion. So I did a quick search for the exact term “Craigslist Rental Scam Africa.” It turned up over 259,000 hits, including this one about the very same ad I had seen.

After a little more digging around, I found out that this scam has been around for years but is rapidly on the rise due to the rotten economy. Some people, like myself, are looking for a bigger house to rent until we can sell our smaller one. Other people want out of a big house payment, or have bad credit and can’t get a mortgage.

The Associated Press reports:

Because of tighter restrictions on financing for home buyers, many are renting instead. And the rising cost of gas is pulling people closer to work, transportation or schools. Jim Kight, past president of the Rental Housing Association of Greater Portland, says renters bidding for good homes have helped drive up rates at his rental properties as much as 15 percent from a year ago. "This rental market isn't hot; it's beyond that. It's steaming," Kight said. "The sad part is that this kind of market opens it up for these kinds of scams."

Regardless of the situation, the market has been flooded with people looking to rent a home; and when that happens, scammers come out of the woodwork.

The Scam

There are variations on the theme, but the basic premise is the same. Scammers will take a legitimate listing for a home, complete with pictures, and repost it on Craigslist for a lower price. This gets way more people to bite, people are eager to find a great house for a small payment.

The scammer usually replies with a story about quickly moving out of the country to work as a missionary. References to God and missionary work are supposed to instill a basic level of trust in the potential tenant; if it’s a man of God, he can’t be a bad guy, right?

The scammer will ask for a month’s rent and a deposit, plus a completed rental agreement. This, of course, is the key to stealing your identity. You may be asked to mail it to someone and the keys will be returned to you. Or, you may get a more sophisticated scammer who will give you a tour of a home first. In the latter case, the con artist may have actually rented the home for a month and plans on scamming many people in one or two days before disappearing.

You may think you’d be too smart to fall for one of these scams, but there are many people who have already fallen victim to this crime. It’s easy enough to dismiss someone speaking pidgin English and asking for money to be sent to Nigeria. 99% of us would spot it. But, what if it was someone with a greater grasp of English, who gave you a tour of the home and had all the right paperwork?

As 10 news reports:

“According to authorities, the scam has recently popped up because the type of locking system on most homes for sale needs an access card. However, the glut of available homes on the market has reduced the supply for the access cards, so many agents have been forced to use older systems.”

So now, the scammers don’t even need to rent the home themselves. They can gain access to a home for rent, and look like a legitimate landlord or agent. So what can you do? How do you know if the rental property is legit?

Unfortunately, this crime hasn’t appeared on the Craigslist sams page yet, but with enough media attention it should make the page soon enough. But a site called rentalscams.org has some great information, like the warning list below.I highly recommend checking it out if you’re in the market for a rental property.

There are commonalities with all rental scam emails. Below are some tips when dissecting a rental scam email.

   1. Does the email start out with Sir / Madam?
   2. Are there misspellings in the email?
   3. Are there character mistakes in the email? i.e Hello,my nameis Susie.
   4. Is there excessive capitalization?
   5. Does the email reference God, UK, Cashiers Check, Doctor, Nigeria, Reverend, etc.
   6. Is the email from a free email provider. i.e gmail, yahoo, aol, hotmail.
   7. Does the email refer to another person or agent?
   8. Does the email reference wanting to move in site unseen?

If the email has a majority of these commonalities, then the chances are very good it is a scammer. If you are unsure, it is best to not reply to the email.

Scammers aren’t just targeting tenants though. If you’re a homeowner planning on renting out your property, you may also be conned; a site called Fraud Guides offers the following sound advice.

Rental Scam Warning Signs

You are contacted via email regarding a property. You may have posted on Craigslist, for instance, so email is hardly unexpected.
Be on the lookout for poor grammar or comments that make no sense.
The request comes from outside the country. This may turn out to be a legitimate inquiry but once you know it originated from somewhere overseas proceed with caution.
There is a sense of urgency. If you feel pressured to act quickly because of some immediate need, be especially cautious. Scam artists count on decisions made in haste.
Third parties become involved. If the person wanting to rent your property needs to use a friend or someone else as an intermediary in order to pay, you should be at your own highest alert level. This is a common Nigerian Scam ploy.
You will be over-paid. This is one of the tricks these scam artists use to get money out of you. Normally, you would be the one receiving cash in a transaction. In this case, however, the check or money order is made out for more than you requested. Oops. Now they'll want you to wire the extra amount back to them. Once you do, they back out of the entire arrangement and days later you will find out that the check or money order was a forgery and you're stuck with the loss.

How to avoid Nigerian rental scams

Only deal with landlords or renters local to you.
Do not let someone pay more than you asked for.
Do a web search for the renter's name to see what comes up.
If the payment arrives in the form of a money order, inspect it carefully in case it's a counterfeit. Despite your best attempts to determine its authenticity, it may still turn out to be a forgery.
Do not let someone else use your name or Social Security number to buy a property, especially if they offer to pay you for using it.
Don't do anything until the money order or check clears the bank. You could be pressured to act sooner and you might even receive threats.
Don't give into anything. Nigerian scams depend on you sending money to someone before the money order clears the bank.

So whether you’re looking to rent a home, or rent out your home, you really need to keep your wits about you folks. Stay safe. Be vigilant. And if in doubt, back out.

Best Deals for Monday 1/5/09

Linsey Knerl — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:18:43 +0000

By Linsey Knerl

It’s the first day back to work for many, and that means another full year of earning and saving! Take advantage of these hot deals from around the web and get a jump-start on next year’s holiday gift-giving. (For even more tips on using web deals to stock Santa’s sleigh all year-round, see our review of Mary Hunt’s “Debt-Proof the Holidays: How to Have an All Cash Christmas”. )

Here are the best deals for January 5, 2009:

1. V-Touch 8GB MP3/MP4 Touch Screen with Camera only $68 plus free shipping– Buy.com is offering this personal media player at over 70% off retail price. The V-Touch also has additional features such as a voice recorder, FM Radio (with presets and internal recording), picture viewer, calendar and text reader functions.

2. Play the Kraft Instant Win Game for a Chance at over 43,000 free product prizes– This instant win game end on February 2nd, and winners will receive free product coupons valued up to $15. U.S. residents age 18 and over are eligible – enter up to 4 times a day! (Limit one prize per person.) Official rules link. (I won this on my very first try!)

3. Fisher-Price Laugh N’ Learn Table only $23.99 at Kohls.com – This table is an incredible deal on a toy that usually costs well over $30. Shipping is only 99 cents (or free for Kohl’s card holders.) Via Slick Deals

4. Complimentary Aveda Color Conserve Strengthening Treatment In-Store only– As seen in Oprah Magazine: Find the closest location to get your sample (offer ends June 30, 2009.) Sign up for the Birthday Club and get free Personal Blends Pure-fume or Body Care product offer (valued at $25) on your next birthday!

5. 40% off a single book purchase at Borders for Reward Members – This coupon is valid through tomorrow (1.6.09) only, but rewards membership is free to join. (Pick up a card at any participating Borders, Borders Express, or Waldenbooks.) Via Cheap Cheap Cheap.

6. Leapfrog Didj Gaming System only $44.99 at Amazon.com – This is 50% off the price of the system, and shipping is free. Several of the compatible games are over 40% off, as well. Via Baby Cheapskate.

7. Save 60% or more on Jewelry at Zales.com – Zales is having a sale online with 60% off select items starting at $23. They are also giving an additional 30% off their clearance merchandise, making the same $23 item (originally $59) only $16.32. Shipping starts at around $6. Discounts applied automatically when you add them to your cart, and offer is valid until January 11, 2009.

8. Free antibiotics with prescription from Stop and Shop – Beginning January 2nd and continuing through March 21, 2009, Stop and Shop will be offering customers a 14-day supply of most generic antibiotics for no charge with valid prescription.

9. Complimentary sample of Dunkin’ Dark Coffee – Look for the link on the righ-hand side. This offer requires you to fill out the brief form. (Be sure to enable pop-ups to get to the registration screen.) Offer should arrive in about 7 weeks. Limit one per household.

10. $20 off purchases of $75 or more at Office Depot – Click on the link through the home page to get your savings. Total must be $75 before tax and shipping (shipping should be free, anyway.) Also, if you buy two HP toners over $19, you get a free case of water. (Offer available on the paper main page.)

11. Complimentary Playtex BPA-Free Bottle with Drop-Ins – This comes in about 2-3 weeks, and is a full-size bottle with nipple and liner. This offer is available while supplies last and is limited to one per household.