Recent comments

  • 8 Truths From a Mystery Shopper You Must Read Before You Get Started   13 years 47 weeks ago

    Oh Boy! That one sounds like a Nigerian Scam. First thing to understand is to never subect your personal checking account information to opportunities where it can be used against you. By cashing a check, you leave a paper trail to be copied again and used to drain your funds from that account. All they need is your NAME and ACCOUNT NUMBER from your bank. Because many business checking accounts are automated, eyes from a flesh & blood person may not be used to process paper checks (or until it's too late).

    One company that protects your personal & financial info is PayPal, but again - avoid disclosing your SS# to them, too. They do not need it, especially if you do not transfer more than $500 every month as it does NOT surpass levels for tax reporting requirements. Read IRS Publications for yourself and note down which ones they are so that you can produce them to ANY REQUESTER. Federal Law requires disclosure of your SS# OR Taxpayer ID# when applying for a State Issued Driver's License, Registering a Motor Vehicle, Tax Reporting Requirements, and Child Welfare Programs. The Patriot Act does NOT have a requirement to disclose your SS#, either. So, if a Bank has a sign up stating such disclosure is manditory "Under The Patriot Act," then ask to see what part that bank employee is referring to. If they cannot produce such a document, BE NICE TO THEM and offer your Name and Contact Phone Number to that Bank Employee (or President) and request them to contact their Legal Department regarding the LAW that compells you to release such personal information to open an account with them. Ask them nicely to have their attorney contact you.

    Many times, their own attorneys will advise them to either stay away from you OR open a NON-Interest Bearing account for you. ID Theft usually involves having the Victim's SS# to hijack their bank accounts. By keeping your SS# out of the bank account, the ID Thief will be blocked from access because the information they used WILL NOT MATCH UP! Banks are required to match up ALL information including Identifying Numbers before processing a transaction that involves changing any of that info over to the ID Thief's info.

    Secondly, being reimbursed for CASH RECEIPTS is not taxable OR reportable for tax purposes. If the company paying you believes it is, then politely request their Legal Department to contact you with the IRS PUBLICATION NOTICES (they are numbered!) requiring such reporting practices. If the Company says they "Called the IRS" and was told over the phone what the policies are, then ask for the Tax Law they are referring to. The answer should start with a Title Number, Chapter number, Section number followed by entries down to the sub-paragraph level. Then go to the Public Library and locate that law to properly comply with it. (Hint! They will not have it nor will the IRS Agent know anything about it because they rely on Tax Attorneys to point the law out to them 100% of the time.)

    Back to the SCAM... If you are hurting for money, you are best to stay away from mystery shopping because you will be too easily tempted by anything that screams "Easy Money." Even if you think you are doing something for your church, you can be easy prey. The Devil put priority on infilterating the Church.

    Know your laws! Abide by them. Ignorance is no excuse, and if you think it is - you'll subject yourself to being made a "Ward Of The Court" and Heaven help you if it goes beyond to being made a "Ward of the state!" That implies the use of a Correctional Facility. Do the Nigerian scammers care about that? NO! They know they are outside of our jurisdiction and feel they are hurting no one because they cannot put a face to the Victims of their Scams. Really! Try a YouTube Search on interviewing Nigerian Scammers investigations.

    To make a long story shorter, start re-reading the article from the beginning and soak it all in. Relax! Read it again. If you are not taking notes, then walk away from this whole thing. You are NOT Learning!!!!!

  • After Your Wedding, Say Yes to Selling the Dress   13 years 47 weeks ago

    This is a great article. People usually act surprise if for some reason the topic strays to my wedding dress and I mention that I sold it. However, I got my dream dress from Craigslist (and it fit perfectly without alteration) for a fraction of what I would have paid for it new ($1400 vs $4000+). I couldn't have worn a Monique Lhullier without someone else being willing to sell it to me, and I know I had a stroke of luck. So I feel like I paid it forward when I sold it to a girl for $800.
    Also, keep in mind that not only will my hypothetical daughter not want to wear it, but that lace deteriorates and without careful attention will probably be unwearable in 30+ years.

  • 5 Myths About Car Insurance   13 years 47 weeks ago

    Consumer credit scores are now being used frequently to better determine auto insurance rates. These scores have proven to be more effective in predicting future claims experience than some of the traditional criteria mentioned in the article.

    If you score reflects responsible use of credit, you may also enjoy more affordable rates on auto coverage, and homeowners insurance also.

  • How to Answer 23 of the Most Common Interview Questions   13 years 47 weeks ago

    It really good tips to handle the questions that relate with previous boss. But, I think, with a lot of tips from a lot of books or website, maybe the HR or User during interview have already known about answer that came from website tips.. IMHO

  • 5 Free Handy Coupon Apps — Don’t Leave Home Without One   13 years 47 weeks ago

    Really great article. Totally true, what you say of traditional coupons.

    Thanks, Paul!
    Anthony, from Ibotta.

  • Want to Watch Tons of Movies for Free? Go VHS.   13 years 47 weeks ago

    I see lots of VHS movies being given away on Freecycle.

  • Take One More Thing Seriously   13 years 47 weeks ago

    These are all really great ides for someone looking to enrich their life in some way. I took a painting and design class in college, and it's always stuck with me as a way to feel creative and expand my thinking. I used to write poetry, but using paints and a blank canvas to just do whatever I want is a lot more fulfilling and satisfying.

  • 20 Free Ways to Show You Care   13 years 47 weeks ago

    These are all really good ideas. I like the love letter. Even if you say it everyday to each other, there's something so special about taking the time to write down how you feel, and having the other person seeing those feelings in writing. There's nothing quite like seeing thoughtful and heart felt feelings in black and white.

  • 10 Lifesaving Skills Everyone Should Know   13 years 47 weeks ago

    Great article. One correction: It is important to note that all AEDs have instructions on them and many will actually talk you through the process of using one. A person does NOT need to be trained before using an AED. By telling people they need training before using an AED, people may assume they are not qualified to help save a life in an emergency situation.

  • Want to Watch Tons of Movies for Free? Go VHS.   13 years 47 weeks ago

    The trick now, of course, is finding a VHS player for free, since the three we had all gave up the ghost! Which made me wonder about those conspiracy theories we heard...

  • Make Your Computer Faster Instead of Buying a New One   13 years 47 weeks ago

    Thank you for the effort of sharing this helpful information to us. Many of us are actually having problems with a slow PC and we need this. Currently I'm using Regcure: regcurelicensekeycode.com for cleaning my PC's registry, but I want to try out what you mentioned here, the Ccleaner since I heard a lot about. I already downloaded it from here. I'll just post another comment if all is fine with this registry cleaner. Thank you soo much Carlos Portocarrero for this helpful post

  • Ask the Readers: What Expensive Purchases Have You Made That Saved You Money?   13 years 47 weeks ago

    The two I can think of are our vacuum sealer and our dishwasher. We're a small household but I love to buy meat in family packs at a large discount. We bring it home, repackage in smaller portions and freeze. Our dishwasher is a drawer version - it uses less water saving money.

  • Save on School Expenses Without Ruining Your Kid's Childhood   13 years 47 weeks ago

    We have four kids in public schools. we have found that expenses for them for extra-curricular activities have gone DOWN the older they get.

    Swimming, baseball, soccer, volleyball, dance, gymnastics, basketball etc. etc. in the elementary/middle school years are NEVER covered by schools, except a few sports for a few weeks. Any sort of select club or sport or music is all parent-pay. Once our kids hit high school (we have two now) we've found expenses have gone down as our kids have made certain sports/activities in high school.

    swim team in high school -- basically FREE except team gear. no monthly club swimming payment. Band in high school -- Free, small fees related to shoes. Basketball-- free shooting lessons/clinics/weight training. Dance -- who has time when band practices are three evenings a week? In mid-size to large towns, if kids want to make teams in high school, the parents have most likely been spending a small fortune on lessons & club sports.

    So, in reality for us, spending has gone down as they get older when it comes to activities. AND -- a plus, the older the get, the more money kids can bring in. Our 16-yr old pays for a lot of his stuff on his own from his summer job lifeguarding.

  • Ask the Readers: What Expensive Purchases Have You Made That Saved You Money?   13 years 47 weeks ago

    We purchased a Cuisinart Food Processor 6 years ago-it's still going strong and I use it almost every day--make bread dough in it, hummus, chop veggies, make salad dressings, etc. etc. Saved us so much money because we eat out much less because our homemade food tastes gourmet and takes so little time to make!!

  • Kitchen Hacks: I Can Make This in That?   13 years 47 weeks ago

    Peppermint bark in silicone molds... what a great idea! I've been making it for the holidays for at least the last 20 years and I have never thought of doing this. I will be trying this for sure in December :)

  • 10 Ways to Get Rid of Stuff Frugally   13 years 47 weeks ago

    There is also swap.com for movies, games, books and kids' stuff.

  • 4 Cheap and Easy Homemade Mosquito Repellents   13 years 47 weeks ago

    Mosquitoes are everywhere, most of the time, our sleep will be disturb because of them. But we cannot blame them, they do it for the sake of survival. Thank you for this share. I hope I can use other ingredient so that it could produce another scent.

  • After Your Wedding, Say Yes to Selling the Dress   13 years 47 weeks ago

    I did not want to sell my dress, but I did not want to keep it either. What I ultimately decided was to donate it. The one organization that I found was Brides Against Breast Cancer. So it made me feel great that another bride would be able to re-use my beautiful dress and I helped a good organization out as well. Win-win-win!

  • The Best Secured Credit Cards   13 years 47 weeks ago

    Thanks for the advice. Just read somewhere else that Citi was horrible but I have been banking with them for years with no problems. Will go into a branch and see about a card.

  • 25 Ways to Make Money Today   13 years 47 weeks ago

    Well, too bad for you but where I live begging IS legal. And this list is not useless, it's pretty informative.

  • Free and Cheap Things to Do in Seattle   13 years 47 weeks ago

    You mentioned Pike Place Market as being a bit too expensive, but it's actually the BEST place in the city to buy fresh cut flowers. You can get a bouquet that will knock anyone's socks off for just 10 bucks or less!

  • Ask the Readers: What Expensive Purchases Have You Made That Saved You Money?   13 years 47 weeks ago

    My husband was a 2 pack a day smoker. At $300+ monthly for his habit, he was breaking my frugal budget. I bought an electric cigarette ($75.) & 2 months of nicotine flavorings ($25 each) for his birthday 3 months ago. These give the smoker the level of nicotine they desire, no stale smoke odors, and have a pleasent scent. Now he is able to "smoke" as much as he wants, and I have a great smelling home! Having saved our budget, we now have our holiday savings completed. (No debt going into 2013)We spend 10% each month of what we did before. NOW THATS SAVING!!!

  • What Americans Can Learn From How the Rest of the World Saves Energy   13 years 47 weeks ago

    I lived in Australia in '05 for 6 months and the flat we rented did not have a dishwasher, garbage disposal or a/c unit. Every house/apt had clotheslines. At the flat the lines extended out from the bldg. I realized how spoiled we are here. There were no free refills on drinks either. And you had to pay for the condiment pkgs. Quite an eye opener indeed.

  • Ask the Readers: What Expensive Purchases Have You Made That Saved You Money?   13 years 47 weeks ago

    We just purchased a "new" home that lowered our mortgage by more than $43,000--a savings of $270 per month!

  • 21 Disposable Products You Can Reuse   13 years 47 weeks ago

    when reusing plastic, make sure it's food safe. I'm pretty sure the containers they use for CDs are not food safe plastic...