charity

10 frugal things to try before you die (updated)

Well, I say frugal but some of these cross that line from frugality into something less honorable. But hey, live a little. We all have to try new things sometimes. And they’ll all save you a little money, a little time or a little frustration.

Continue reading "10 frugal things to try before you die (updated)"

Permalink | 19 comments

Ask the readers: What charities do you give to?

My last post on giving made me think a bit about... well, giving. My train of thought, fortunately, is easy to track.

I give a good deal of money to charity every year, enough so that the monetary amount actually affects my tax returns (in a good way). I was just thinking about all of the places that I give to, and since some people started posting other charities in the last blog post, I thought I'd just out and out ask: who do you give to?

Because I'm really dig critters, be they fuzzy or bald, small or huge, I give to the following organizations on a regular basis:

Continue reading "Ask the readers: What charities do you give to?"

Permalink | 8 comments

Giving is Better Than Blogging... or IS it?

Giving is better than receiving. I do sincerely believe this, as much as I like receiving. And I do like getting stuff.

You know that old saying about giving a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day... but teach him how to fish, and he'll end up going to cooking school and opening a swanky restaurant downtown that you won't be able to get reservations to, despite the fact that you taught him, in painstaking detail, how to tie flies when he was down and out?

Continue reading "Giving is Better Than Blogging... or IS it?"

Permalink | 5 comments

Writing for Money on the Interwebs

A while back, a girlfriend of mine forced me to watch a chick flick that she felt I would find inspiring. It was called The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio.

Now, I think Julianne Moore is a good actress (and I have a thing for redheads) so this didn't take that much arm-twisting. And it wasn't an altogether bad movie. But what I remember most, rather than actual plot or characters, is the idea that people used to be able to make money writing jingles and entering them in national contests.

Continue reading "Writing for Money on the Interwebs"

Permalink | 6 comments

The $100 laptop...for sale to the public?

Fancy a brand new hand-cranked laptop for a few hundred bucks? Well, it may just happen. It seems plans are afoot to offer the $100 laptop for sale to the general public, and not just the poor children of the world.

Continue reading "The $100 laptop...for sale to the public?"

Permalink | 3 comments

Free pancakes! At IHOP! On Tuesday!

Mark your calendars! Tuesday, February 20th is National Pancake Day at your local IHOP. From 7AM to 10PM, participating IHOP locations are giving away free buttermilk shortstacks.

That’s right – free! My local IHOP actually had a sign that mentioned all-you-can-eat pancakes, but I can't verify that other locations are going to be doing the same thing.

Continue reading "Free pancakes! At IHOP! On Tuesday!"

Permalink | 1 comment

Charitable giving - get a receipt

Here's hoping that I get this right - according to the IRS and NPR, new provisions are going into effect next year that will change the requirements for receiving a deduction on your taxes for charitable donations. The story that I heard on the radio referred most to donations to religious institutions, but it probably relates to other giving as well.

Continue reading "Charitable giving - get a receipt"

Permalink | 3 comments

Micro-donations for Darfur

Even with limited funds, you can make a difference in the lives of people far worse off than you. Micro-donations enable us to give what we can. Even as little as $1.

One issue that fires me up is the mass killing and raping currently happening in the Darfur conflict. I can't believe it's 2006 and there is genocide in the world, and nobody seems to care about it. Humanity's apathy saddens and amazes me.

We can help by giving what we can and spreading the word.

Continue reading "Micro-donations for Darfur"

Permalink | 3 comments