Volume 7 - Issue 1 Fall 2011/Winter 2012 - Credit.org · budgeting and using credit wisely, the more likely you are to make sound financial decisions in these areas. In addition,

Volume 7 - Issue 1 Fall 2011/Winter 2012

You can contact SPRINGBOARD® by mail, phone, fax or email; we are always here to help.

Mail: SPRINGBOARD®Nonprofit Consumer Credit ManagementP.O. Box 5438Riverside, CA 92517-5438

Phone: 1-877-Wise-Plan (1.877.947.3752)E-mail: [email protected]: 1.951.781.8027Website: www.credit.org

13-20

Nonprofit Consumer Credit Management

Planting for a Good Financial Harvest

A seasoned gardener will tell you that fall is the ideal time to plant a variety of vegeta-bles, plants and flowers. Planning and preparation combined with cooler weather andanticipated rainfall pave the way for a bountiful harvest of fresh vegetables and breath-taking plants and flowers to behold. Similarly, your financial future will mostly likelyreflect your planning and preparation, and the seeds you have sown. Your financialfuture is directly linked to the decisions you make today. For example, the more youincrease your knowledge and understanding of important money matters such asbudgeting and using credit wisely, the more likely you are to make sound financialdecisions in these areas. In addition, making a regular habit of saving for unexpectedemergencies, such as car repairs or even a temporary loss of income, will reduce yourdependence on credit cards or other costly loan products. Conversely, failing to planfor your future, live within an established budget, or relying on credit cards to maintainyour lifestyle can be considered bad seeds that will only lead to financial hardshipdown the road. Make a decision today to plant good seeds when it comes to yourfinancial future. Involve your children too, as research shows that most adults who aresuccessful in managing their money were introduced to important financial conceptsat an early age. As with most situations in life, you will only yield what you have sown.Endeavor to be a good steward of your finances so that you can enjoy a good finan-cial harvest.

Across the nation, Springboard offers personal financial education and assistance withcredit counseling, housing counseling, debt and money management through educa-tional programs and confidential counseling. Springboard also offers free educationalseminars and materials to help consumers better manage their personal finances.Please visit the "Resources" section of our website at www.credit.org, or for thosewithout internet access, please call us at 1-800-449-9818, ext. 7820 for printed copiesof our educational materials.

Todd Emerson, President and Chief Executive Officer

From the Editor’s Desk: What Children Need to Know

I'm concerned that we don't teach our children enoughabout money before we send them off into the world. Butwhat should we be teaching them?

They need to understand compound interest. Youngstersshould learn that money earning interest will grow all byitself. Once it's saved and goes to work, it grows all by itself.

Compound interest also has a negative side. That'sbecause for every dollar you borrowed you have to payback that dollar plus interest. So instead of working for you,time and compound interest work against you.

Young people also need to learn about 'delayed gratifica-tion'. One way to demonstrate this for youngsters is to helpthem save for a video game or skateboard.

Kids need to learn how to read bank, brokerage and otherfinancial statements. It isn't that hard if you go about it onepiece at a time. For instance, children should learn how toread a bank statement to see their deposits and with-drawals. When they're older they can learn how to read acredit or debit card statement.

They also need to understand the basics of economics.Teach them about the 'law of supply and demand'. Whendemand is greater than supply, prices will go up. When theopposite is true, prices will decline. Knowing that can helpyou buy the right item at the right time.

It's also good to keep supply and demand in mind whenyou're planning a career path. Some fields have too manyworkers chasing a few jobs. But, others seem to be chroni-cally short of qualified people.

The second economic rule for our children to learn is called'opportunity cost'. It means that often when you choose onething that you automatically eliminate another choice. Forinstance, when Junior spends his allowance on a videogame, he can't spend it on a new skateboard.

That'll play out as an adult often. Everything from choosingone car over another, to the choice of a career path.

IINN TTHHIISS IISSSSUUEE

3 Turn Your Hobby into Extra Income

5 Cooking with Love

8 How to Get College Financial Aid

9 My Story:Professional andIndustry Reading on a Budget

10 The February Freeze

12 Expect a “Value Add”

14 Attention to Details

17 An UnplannedRetirement

19 Making Feathered Friends

20 One Drop at a Time

23 Gardening for the Beginner

27 Buying New Wheels on the Web

29 How to MinimizeFuneral Costs

31 Readers’ Tips

Springboard and The Dollar Stretcher do not assume responsibility for advice given. All advice should be weighedagainst your own abilities and circumstances and applied accordingly. It is up to the reader to determine if advice issafe and suitable for his own situation. Produced for Springboard by The Dollar Stretcher, P.O. Box 14160, Bradenton,Fl 34280. Copyright 2012 Dollar Stretcher, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dollar Stretcher Page 2

How to make extra money from your hobby

Turning Your Hobby into Extra Incomeby Teena M. Stewart

l iving better...for less Page 3

Many of us have hobbies weenjoy and these breaks fromroutine can be very relaxing.

But hobbies can also be a great sourceof additional income.

Sports - When my husband told me hewas thinking of becoming a baseballofficial, I was skeptical as to whether hewould have the discipline and focus tolearn all those rules and enjoy doing it.He has since proven me wrong,excelling at officiating in baseball andseveral other sports. In fact, his extraincome helped support us after I lost myfull-time job. Many of us enjoy watchingsports on TV and are natural armchairofficials, calling the game as we see it. Ifyou know a sport well and feel youwould enjoy officiating, you can actuallymake money at it whether the game isbasketball, football, baseball, soccer, orsomething else. No matter what condi-tion the economy is in, people alwaysplay sports, and the teams need paidofficials. You wil l have to study upo n t h e r u l e s a n d t h e n p a s s a competency test. To get started, visit nfhs.arbitersports.com.

Consider giving sports lessons. If youare an expert tennis player, skier orgolfer, advertise your services for one-on-one coaching sessions. I know oneyoung man whose hobby is competitivewater skiing and snow skiing. In hisspare time, he teaches skiing lessons.He’s also worked at summer camps.

Arts and Crafts - Arts and crafts are agreat way to unwind. Having participat-ed in arts and crafts shows, I canassure you that it is easier to spendmore than you make because you maykeep sinking money into supplies.However, you can make extra money ifyou reign in your costs and go for the“bird in hand” approach. Listen to thefeedback regarding your work and bewilling to tweak it in order to meetdemand. For instance, if folks wantsomething you’ve made in a slightlydifferent style or color, be willing to docommission work but guard your sup-plies spending. I have made every-thing from custom jewelry for people tohand-painted mini-wheelbarrows andartwork. Unless you know the personwell, ask for a down payment andcharge slightly more for customorders.

Organizing and Cleaning - Believe itor not, some people like to clean andorganize in their spare time. Are you anatural organizer? Do you like to tidyand clean? Your affinity for order andcleanliness can help others whilebringing in extra income. Susan, afriend of mine, hires out her services togive order to garages, offices, and liv-ing spaces. Many people find it wellworth the money to be rid of the clutter.One woman I heard of turned her joy ofbrowsing through rubbish into a full-time business. She does estate clean-ing, helping ready houses for sale. She

cont. on pg. 4...

Hobby cont...


sorts through accumulated junk inattics, basements, and living spaces.Those who hire her ask her to handletheir estate sales, or give her permis-sion to haul it all off after they havepicked out what they want. Leftoverssometimes yield collectibles and itemsshe can resell in addition to the moneyshe has already made while cleaning.

Seasonal Decorator - We all love thelook of a festive house, especially dur-ing the holidays. However, decoratinga home can be overwhelming, espe-cially to those who work full time orwho may not be able to physicallymanage the duties that come with dec-orating. If you have a natural flair fordecorating, make it pay by offeringyour services. Many people would loveto have you. Offer to either work fromthe supplies and decorations theyalready have on hand, or ask that theyprovide you with a budget for purchas-ing supplies and have them pay youper job or by the hour. Target affluentpeople or busy professionals. Makesure to have photos of your decoratingexpertise and referrals from those whohave seen your work.

Personal Chef - Do you love to cook?Offer your cooking abilities to thosewho don’t like to cook or who don’thave time. It can be as simple as com-ing in to cook dinner a few days aweek or precooking prepared mealsand bringing them prepackaged to

those who order them. Be aware that ifyou do decide to opt for sellingprepackaged meals, it’s best to getyour kitchen licensed. Check with yourlocal health department to determinetheir regulations. Often it is as simpleas just a few alterations.

What can be better than doing whatyou love for pay? With a little extramarketing, it can be just the addedfinancial boost you need.

Teena Stewart is a published author, artist,and ministry leader. She and her husband,Jeff, operate Java Journey, a Christian cof-fee shop ministry in Hickory, North Carolinajavajourney.org.

cont. on pg. 6...

Valentine’s Day is coming up. There are some funthings that you can make from your kitchen thatare also inexpensive to let those you care about

know that you are thinking of them. It really isn’t abouthow much you spend, but doing something to let some-one know that they are special. You might even want tomake a couple of these ideas!

1. Try heart-shaped rolls or bread. This is very inexpensive and isn’t too hard. Buy frozen dough ifyou don’t want to make your own dough or don’thave the time. You can shape a portion of doughinto a heart or make a braid first and then shape itinto a heart. Brighten up their lunch by making asandwich from a heart-shaped roll for your specialvalentine.

2. Serve red fruit or vegetables. Some examples youcan use are strawberries, raspberries, watermelon,beets, tomatoes, red pepper, or red leaf lettuce.

3. Make a huge cookie out of cookie dough. If youchoose sugar cookie dough, frost it after it is cookedand write a message. Another choice could be alarge snicker doodle cookie and color the sugar redor pink. Making a chocolate chip cookie would alsotaste great, but instead of mixing the chocolatechips in the dough, use them to write a message tosomeone you love.

4. They’ll love heart-shaped tortillas or quesadillas.Make your own tortillas or use some from the store.All you need to do is make a pattern out of paperand then cut the dough or tort i l la around the pattern.

5. Who doesn’t love dip and chips? Make a heart withhummus, guacamole, or a cheese ball. Put chips,


Affordable Valentines’ treats from your kitchen

Cooking with Loveby Marianne Giullian

tortilla chips, or crackers around it continuing theheart shape. You can also do this with veggies and dip.

6. Cook a double chicken breast. It is basically shapedlike a heart. You can fill it with stuffing or ham andcheese and coat it with breadcrumbs on the outside.Parmesan chicken would also look nice in redspaghetti sauce.

7. Make a pizza just the way your sweetheart likes it.Use pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon, greenpeppers, or one of their favorite toppings to write amessage before cooking. You can also make thepizza in the shape of a heart.

8. Make a cookie bouquet from sugar cookies. Frostthe cookies and use sprinkles or write messages onthe cookies if you want. Make suckers and use themto make a bouquet if you don’t want to use cookies.

9. Make heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast and putwhipped cream and strawberries on top. Make afried egg and cut it into the shape of a heart. Makean arrow out of bacon and put it through yourpancake or egg. Add hash browns and you have awonderful breakfast to start the day.

10. Make big Rice Krispies® kisses. Make the regularrecipe for Rice Krispies® treats and then shape theminto big kisses (like Hershey’s® kisses) by using agreased funnel.

11. Make a fruit tart with strawberries or raspberries ontop.

12. Try mint brownies. Make a batch of brownies and letthem cool. Make some frosting flavored with mint

Cooking cont...


cont. on pg. 7...

Cooking cont...

and color it pink or red. Put chocolate frosting ontop. Very rich and very yummy!

13. Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with redjam or jelly or a grilled cheese sandwich. Cut it intothe shape of a heart. Try doing the same for ahamburger or cheeseburger.

14. Make thumbprint cookies with strawberry or raspberry jam inside.

15. Use the Jell-O® recipe for jigglers and cut intoshapes after they are set. Use red or pink Jell-O®.

16. Make a pound cake and cut into a heart. Serve withwhipped cream, strawberry sauce and strawberriesor raspberry sauce and raspberries. Make a regularcake and frost it and write a message on top withcandy or frosting. Use sprinkles made just forValentine’s Day to add color.

17. Make a strawberry or rhubarb pie.

18. Whatever you choose to make, find a way to addsome red or pink to it or find a way to shape it like aheart or to write a message on it to say “I Love You”or “Be Mine” to your special valentine.

There are so many ways to show someone you care.Making something from your kitchen also shows thatyou care enough to take the time to do something forsomeone. With these simple ideas, you can warm anyheart on Valentine’s Day!

Marianne Giullian is a stay-at-home mom. She has five kids,and they live on one income. She enjoys reading, cooking,and writing. For other articles and ideas on frugal living, go toher website at Spendwise.org.


1. Assume you’re eligible. Don’t ruleyourself out because of income oracademics. And don’t rule out a college because you think it’s tooexpensive. The higher the cost, themore aid you may receive.

2. Don’t wait to be accepted to a college to apply for aid. The coffersmay be empty by spring.

3. Get application forms as soon aspossible. You’ll need the 2012-2013federal FAFSA form. (The onlineversion is available starting January1, 2012. Paper versions should befreely available in late December bycalling 800-433-3243.) You may alsoneed to complete the Col legeBoard’s 2012-2013 CSS PROFILEapplication, state aid forms, andforms provided by the colleges.

4. Know the deadlines and be sureto meet each one. Many collegeshave different deadlines for differentforms. Some may be due in earlyJanuary, though most are due midJanuary-March.

5. Figure out your “expected familycontribution.” Use worksheets infinancial aid guidebooks to calculate(before you apply) what the collegeswill estimate you can afford to pay. Besure to get up-to-date information asthe rules and formulas change every year.

6. Maximize your aid eligibility.Freshman year aid awards are


8 tools that can unearth college financial aid

How to Get College Financial Aidby Kalman A. Chany

based in part on income for the taxyear ending December 31 of thestudent’s senior year in high school.Consider also making appropriateadjustments to your assets, debts,and retirement provisions before youapply.

7. Follow instructions carefully onthe application forms. Commonmistakes that can disqualify yourapplications are forgetting to signthem, leaving lines blank, and usingthe wrong academic year’s versionof the forms.

8. Do your income tax forms early. Tomeet early aid application deadlines,you may need to do a draft version ofyour 2011 income tax return withestimated numbers.

Kalman A. Chany is the author of Paying ForCollege Without Going Broke: 2012 Edition(Random House / Princeton Review).

F o r m o r e a b o u t t h e b o o k , v i s i t randomhouse.com/pr incetonrev iew/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375427411

Keeping up with your profession

My Story: Professional and Industry Reading on a Budgetcontributed by Tamara Wilhite

When you work in a niche indus-try or ever-changing profes-sion, remaining in touch with

the industry is essential. Medical profes-sionals need to know about new lawsand medical advances. Legal profes-sionals must know about current caselaw and pending legal changes.Technology and engineering profession-als need to know about new technicalstandards, advancing technologies, andthe l ega l imp l i ca t i ons o f bo th .Remaining up to date seems to requiresubscriptions to many professional pub-lications that cost hundreds of dollars ayear, attending expensive seminars, ordownloading individual standards andwhite papers that are costly due to theirrelatively low demand. However, thereare ways to reduce the cost of profes-sional and industrial publication andinformation sources.

~ Are you a member of a professionals o c i e t y ? T h e o r g a n i z a t i o n ’ s magazine is often included in theannual membership fee or availablefor a slightly higher cost.

~ Many legal and accounting industrypublications are available throughlocal libraries, since they are so frequently referenced.

~ Private company libraries and theirstacks of industry magazines aredecl in ing in number. However, co rpo ra te access to i ndus t r y

standards, profess ional whi tepapers, and job-related publicationsare often available to employees.Don’t pay for a subscription whenyour company may already haveaccess to the information online forthose who demonstrate a need for it.

~ Software vendors offer free whitepapers and online courses for usersof their software. Research freeclasses for software customersbefore you pay for training.

~ Industry standards such as the IEEE,ASME and ANSI cost money toaccess. However, a very detailedsynopsis is available on standards’organization’s websites in mostcases.

Before you spend hundreds of dollars tobuy the standards document, look it upon the owning organization’s website.

My Story is a regular feature of The DollarStretcher. If you have information that canhelp others save time or money, please sendit to: My Story c/o The Dollar Stretcher, POBox 14160, Bradenton FL 34280.


Frugal families across the nation are takingtheir dollar stretching further. For themonth of February, the plan is to spend

nothing. There will be no discretionary spendingat all. That means eating all meals at home orpacking a lunch, finding free entertainment orgoing without, and no trips to the mall or latenight online shopping sprees.

February is the perfect month for a spendingfreeze. With only 28 days, it will seem to fly by.By this time, the holiday bills are paid. Vacationdays are months away. A one-month spendingfreeze is a good way to see just how frugal youcan be. However, it is a big commitment andtakes some planning. The whole family needs tobe on board to make it work.

The first step in a spending freeze is to stock upyour pantry and freezer. Another crucial step ismeal planning. You don’t want to make ithalfway through the month and find out that youare out of flour or some other staple. Keep yourcosts low by buying on sale, using coupons, andstocking up when products are at their lowestprice point.

Next, decide in advance what you do need topay: monthly bills, weekly gas for transportation,sudden illnesses or trips to the doctor, and per-haps $10 or so for fresh milk and produce. Youcan rely on canned or frozen vegetables, but itis good to have some fresh fruit as well.

This goes way beyond being frugal.Instead of budgeting andspending less, you arespending nothing. You

Could you go a whole month without any discretionary spending?

The February Freezeby Chantal King


cont. on pg. 11...

need a whole new mindset. Ifsomeone needs a gift, get cre-ative. Anything handmade isappreciated far more than yetanother scented cand le ,although it is easy and fun tomake your own candles.

What if a pipe clogs or yourwater heater goes out? Checkwith the Chamber of Commerceto see if your city has a barter-ing system. Often, you canbarter your skills for somethingyou need. Even if there isn’t anestablished system, you couldask your handy neighbor to helpin return for babysitting his threekids or doing his taxes for free.

What if the weather outside isfrightful, and you’re stuckinside with nothing to do?Devise some old-fashionedways of passing the time. Tryboard games, charades, eat-ing s’mores around the fire-place, or a rousing game ofcards. You could watch oldhome movies or dust off thefamily photo albums. Have apicnic in the living room ormake a fort out of blankets inthe dining room.

You could invite friends orfamily over for a cost-freepotluck or just desserts. Curlup with a good book from thelibrary, or watch a free movie.Libraries often have freeguest speakers or presenta-tions. You can also check outthe local happenings for freemusic concerts or plays put onin your child’s school.

Perhaps committing to awhole month of no spending istoo daunting. Could your fam-ily do it for a week? Howabout two weeks? Or maybeyou could do a pantry chal-lenge and only eat what youhave on hand. Another chal-lenge would be to only paycash, using no credit cards fora month.

February Freeze cont...


When you successfully complete your chal-lenge, you will discover exactly how muchyou can save in a few short weeks. Yourhome will be less cluttered, because you’renot rushing out to buy something new. Youwill be more conscious of your spending andcut way down on impulse buys. If you don’tneed it, don’t buy it.

You will find that it is easier to live on less.You’ll get creative instead of always reachingfor your wallet. A bonus is that you’ll get con-trol of your spending. Your mindset willchange as well. You once asked, “What am Idepriving myself of?” Now, you’ll ask, “Whatcan I use that I already have?”

So take the challenge, either this February oranytime you feel the need to go on a spend-ing freeze. You’ll be surprised at the unex-pected bonuses. You’ll have more time withyour family, eating together, sending less tothe landfill, and getting creative with what youalready have. Even though I hate cold weath-er, I’m ready for a February freeze.

In case you’ve missed it, the U.S.economy is mired in a protractedrecession. Dozens of national chains

have filed for Chapter 11, and somehave curtailed expansion efforts whileothers have retrenched, laid off workers,and held on for dear life. Yet despite thebad business climate, some companieshave not only survived, but also they’vegained market share, built loyal cus-tomer bases, and thrived. How did theydo it? Easy! Every successful businessgoes the extra mile, ensuring each cus-tomer is not only satisfied, but pleasant-ly surprised as well. So what’s in all thisfor a savvy consumer? The answer isplenty!

Quality: Near my home is a family-owned hardware store that’s been inbusiness for 50 years. Its prices aresomewhat high, but the quality of every-thing is top drawer. U.S. manufacturedtools, hardware, and fasteners keepcustomers coming back. In a recentmagazine article, the owner revealed hethreatened to dump his hardware suppli-er if it continued delivering Chinese-made screws, because the quality of thesteel was so poor. He got what he want-ed. As a consumer, would you ratherhave fairly priced high quality merchan-dise or junk you’ll end up replacingevery few years? The business has oneother loyalty building tactic; it will stayopen past regular closing hours for cus-tomers with emergencies. Will the bigbox home improvement stores do that?

Baker’s Dozen: To prevent unscrupu-lous bakers from cheating illiterateFrench peasants, Napoleon decreedthat bakers selling 11 rolls as 12 wouldbe deprived of a hand. To protect them-selves from dismemberment, Frenchbakers began adding an extra roll to 12,and the concept of the “baker’s dozen”was born. At bakeries, like the StarlightBakery in Syracuse, NY, that traditioncontinues. And despite being located ina rundown neighborhood, suburbancustomers still flock to the place. Is thebakery losing money? Well, I couldn’tsay. After all, it’s only been in businesssince 1891. So would you prefer 12 rollsor 13? Geez, that’s a toughie!

I do something similar when selling fire-wood. Customers receive bundles ofkindling with their order. Most firewooddealers neglect this extra touch, butmany of mine are middle-aged womenwith few tools, so it’s a welcome bonus.Other than the time it takes to gather thestuff, it costs me nothing and it’s alwaysappreciated. As a buyer, constantly seekout the perks. If you find them, you’velocated an entrepreneur hungry for yourbusiness. The funny thing is that Icharge top dollar but I’m sold out everyyear while my competitors usually havecarryover. I enjoy giving my customersspecial treatment. And if a vendor and acustomer get beyond the money part ofa transaction, it’s referred to as a “rela-tionship.” I provide one other element ofadded value as well, and it’s service.

cont. on pg. 13...

Could you get more from the stores you shop at?

Expect a “Value Add”by Rich Finzer



Service: At Florida-based Publixsupermarkets, attendants are alwaysavailable to carry groceries to a cus-tomer’s car, and the “lot boys” are for-bidden from accepting tips. It’s a freeservice. Can you guess the name ofthe most successful grocery chain inFlorida? I perform the equivalent whendelivering wood. Many suppliers simplydump the stuff in a customer’s drive-way, but not me. I unload and stack itwherever a customer asks, because Iview customer service as quality inmotion.

Discounts: As an additional incentive, Ioffer a discount to buyers if they driveout and load the wood themselves. Theyget a break from my normal prices, andI don’t have to load/unload/stack thewood upon delivery. I’m happy, the cus-tomer saves money, and my competi-tors continue losing accounts to me. I doless work and my customers benefit.Nobody loses in that equation.

Custom Orders: Many businessescharge extra for anything out of the ordi-nary, but not me. If a customer wants aspecific length of cordwood to accom-modate their firebox door, I’m glad toprovide it at no additional charge. If theywant smaller/larger chunks, that’s finetoo. A face cord of wood is a volumemeasurement, so they either receivemore small pieces or fewer large ones.What difference does it make? My cus-tomers decide precisely what they want,

and I make sure they get it. If any busi-ness starts to nickel and dime you withancillary charges for minor modifica-tions, dump them. They don’t deserveyour trade, and you don’t need thehassle.

Do the Unexpected: Years ago, whiledelivering an order, I was approachedby two neighbors from across the street.Each wanted two face cords but neitherhad room for that much. So I suggested,“Well, why not buy three and split thethird one?” Both were delightedbecause nobody will deliver a half facecord. I didn’t either. I delivered a thirdone and unloaded half in each guy’sgarage. There was no extra cost to me.I gained two new customers by thinkingcreatively. As a consumer, seek out ven-dors willing to accommodate the occa-sional special request because theywant your business.

Admittedly, a firewood business is not abakery, hardware store, or grocerychain, but my point is true for all of them.As a business operator, do the littleextras and profit from your competitor’sinattention. Incorporate value-add-strategies into your business model,keep your customers satisfied, andwatch your profits grow. Keep in mindthat a businessman without happy cus-tomers has plenty of free time on hishands. The relationship between anyenterprise and its clients should bemutually beneficial.

Value Add cont...

You could reduce your food bill by over $500!

Attention to Detailsby Joanne Guidoccio


Last spring, my mother sold herhouse and moved into a retire-ment home. I helped with a num-

ber of tasks, among them cleaning outthe refrigerator and chest freezer. As Icleaned out both appliances, I discov-ered that very few items needed to bethrown out. In fact, our friends andneighbors benefited as I distributedmany carefully wrapped and well-pre-served food items. My mother’s meticu-lous attention to details had definitelypaid off. Here are some of her tips:

~ Carefully position all food items inthe fridge. Eggs, dairy products,sandwich meats, leftovers, andcakes should be s tored on them i d d l e a n d t o p s h e l v e s . T h ecompartments on the inside of thedoor are the warmest part of the

fridge and are intended for drinks,mustard, relish and other productsthat require light refrigeration. Thecoldest point is the bottom shelf andthe drawers used for vegetables.Place your fresh meat and fish here;this will prevent them from drippingonto other foods.

~ Map out where you want to store certain groups of food in the chestfreezer. Tape this map to the side ofthe freezer and refer to it often. Thiswill save you time and frustration asyou hunt for specific food items.Keep frequently used frozen items,like breakfast foods and juices, in thefreezer’s door.

~ Place recently purchased itemsbehind items that are already there.

cont. on pg. 15...

Th i s w i l l ensu re t ha t you a reconsuming foods pr ior to the i r expiration dates and help reduce theamount o f food that has to bediscarded. Clearly label all freezerpackages. Include the name of theitem and the date you are placing itin the f reezer. Use a penc i l orcrayon; ink and felt-tip pen markscan easily fade and smudge. Placeyour older frozen goods toward thetop of your freezer. Check freezingguidelines and try to use up thefood i tems wi th in three to s ixmonths.

~ Wrap and store your food carefully.Rewrap any meat, fish, poultry, andco ld cu ts t ha t come i n f l imsywrapping, especially if you will bestoring them for a few days.

~ I f you are us ing p last ic bags,squeeze out as much air as possibleand ensure tha t the bags a rep roper l y sea led . Wi th p las t i c containers, match the size of thecontainer as closely as possible tothe contents. If there is too muchspace at the top of the container,spoilage and freezer burn can result.I f you do no t leave su f f i c ien t headroom, the lid could pop off the container or the container could splitopen.

~ Prevent foul odors from forming andspreading. Clean the fridge andchest freezer regularly. While thefridge could easily be done in lessthan an hour, you may need a fewhours or an entire afternoon to properly clean out the chest freezer.

Details cont...


cont. on pg. 16...

a family of four wastes an average of$590 per year on thrown out food. Thisadds up to approximately $43 billion ofwaste each year. The same year,another study conducted by theUniversity of Arizona reported thatAmerican households waste fourteenpercent of the food they purchase eachyear. Fifteen percent of this wasteincludes unopened products that arewithin their expiration dates. This isdefinitely food for thought.


Details cont...

Start by removing all food items, discarding any questionable items.Add two tablespoons of baking sodato one quart of warm water. Carefullyscrub the interior, including theshelves, doors and the gasket liningthe door. Create another mixtureusing one tablespoon of unscentedliquid bleach and a gallon of warmwater. Scrub, using this mixture, todisinfect all surfaces. Leave thefreezer open for 15 minutes. Openthe windows in the room and point afan toward the freezer. Check for anylingering odors.

These simple changes in food storagepractices can significantly reduce foodwaste in our homes and communities.In 2010, the U.S. Bureau of AppliedResearch in Anthropology reported that

Retirement is a word I’ve tried topurge from my vocabulary. Fewpeople really know what it

means anymore. Instead, I like to thinkof retirement as being a stage in lifewhere you get to choose what youwant to do, when you want to do it,and with whom. It can also be thattime when you attain financial inde-pendence and no longer intend orneed to earn an income to supportyour lifestyle.

Sometimes, however, “early retirement”can throw us a curve ball before we’reprepared for it or ready to becomefinancially independent. This oftencomes in the form of a job layoff, termi-nation, or health issues that require weno longer work for an income.

Here are some action steps for anunexpected early retirement:

1. Immediately become aware of yourmonthly expenses. If you don’t trackexpenses, now would be a good timeto go back over the last 12 months ofexpenditures and set up a cash flowtracking program like Mint.com orQuickBooksOnline.com.

2. Create a spending plan for the next12 months. Don’t forget to includesavings for large purchases (cars,repairs, travel, Christmas, etc.) as apart of your annual expenses. Makesure you reduce or eliminate past

expenses related to your work lifeand add expenses that come as apart of retirement, like increasedtravel or health care.

3. Estimate your sources of income.Include Social Security, employerpensions or severance packages,and your personal investments. Forpersonal investments, use an incomeestimate of 4% of the principal. One million in investments will give you$40,000 a year in income.

4. Ma tch you r es t ima ted annua lr e t i r e m e n t i n c o m e w i t h y o u r spending plan expenses. I f theexpenses exceed your income, begindeciding where you can cut yourspending. It is often helpful to enrollanother person to help with ideas onreducing expenses. This is an areawhere we all have “blinders” on, andothers can suggest creative costsav ings we would never havethought of ourselves.

5. Don’t give up on finding part-timeemp loyment . There a re many opportunities to create some incomein retirement, and even a little payc h e c k c a n g o a l o n g w a y t o preserving your investment savings.Check your ego at the door; this isnot the time to let false pride keepyou from taking a part-time job that’sless “professional” than what you’vebeen doing.

What to do if you’re suddenly retired

An Unplanned Retirement by Rick Kahler


cont. on pg. 18...

Unplanned Retirement cont...

6. C o n s i d e r r e d u c i n g m o n t h l yexpenses by us ing sav ings or investments to pay off debts like carloans or credit card bills. Often yourbest investment is paying off debt.This can be especially true whenyour savings is earning 0.5% andyour credit card is charging you 15%on the outstanding balance.

7. Consider downsizing by selling yourhouse. This can be an especiallygood move if you have enoughequity to pay cash for somethingsmaller or at least end up with nomortgage or a smaller mortgage payment.

8. For couples, talk seriously aboutwhat both of you want, separatelyand together, in the next few years.Bra ins torm creat ive ways l i ke volunteering at state parks, forexample, to carry out retirementplans inexpensively.

9. Take time to deal with the emotionals i d e , i n c l u d i n g a n g e r , f e a r ,depression, etc. I t ’s especial lyimportant to surround yourself withsupportive friends and family and totalk about what’s going on.

Unexpected retirement can be a life-changing blow, both emotionally andfinancially. Coping with it will requireresiliency, courage, persistence, cre-ativity, and support. You’ll be most suc-

cessful when you take advantage ofnot just your financial resources, butall the resources at your disposal.

Rick Kahler, Certified Financial Planner®,MS, ChFC, CCIM, founded KahlerFinancial Group, and became SouthDakota’s first fee-only financial planner in1983. In 2009, Wealth Manager namedKahler Financial Group as the largestfinancial planning firm in a seven-statearea. A pioneer in the evolution of integrat-ing financial psychology with traditionalfinancial planning profession, Rick is co-founder and co-facilitator of the five-dayintensive Healing Money Issues Workshopoffered by Onsite Workshops of Nashville,Tennessee. He is one of only a handful ofplanners nationwide who partner with pro-fessional coaches and financial therapiststo deliver financial coaching and therapy tohis clients. Visit KahlerFinancial.comtoday!


One way to overcome the winterboredom that often sets in aboutFebruary is to become actively

involved in celebrating National BirdFeeding month. If you already feed thebirds, use this month to find ways toincrease the variety of feathered visitorsyou have. Take time in February toincrease your knowledge of the birds inyour area, their feeding habits, their pre-ferred diet, and housing or nestinghabits. If you aren’t currently feed-ing the birds around your home,begin doing so this month. Youwill be rewarded for your kindnessin numerous ways.

In February, it is too cold toengage in a lot of outdoor activitieswith your children.As a fun, afford-able family activity,you can make bird feeders together.There are numerous websites that havesuet recipes that you can make athome. There are several very simpleand inexpensive feeders you can makefor seed-eating birds. You can let yourchildren spread peanut butter on a stalebagel. Sprinkle wild birdseed on top ofthe peanut butter and hang the bagel ina protected area, such as under theeave of a porch. You can also make sim-ilar feeders by spreading peanut butteron pinecones and sprinkling seeds onthem. Tie a ribbon or string on the top ofthe pinecone and hang it from a treelimb.

You can look up bird types online, bor-row a book from your local library, or fora small amount of money, invest in abird identification book. Identifying thebirds at your feeder and learning abouttheir feeding and nesting habits is veryeducational. Children can make a gameout of counting the different types ofbirds they see or seeing who can spotwhich type of bird first. They will quickly

learn which birds arrive at the feedersearly in the morning and which

birds eat the latest in theevening. They can learn whichbirds are ground feeders and

which like suet. They can beentertained and amused bythe antics of birds like the

nuthatch whilethey admire theb e a u t y o f t h e

cardinals, blue jays, andwoodpeckers.

If you set up a bird feedingarea that you can viewfrom a window, you will

have created the perfectplace for personal relaxation. Whetheryou start your day or end your daywatching the birds, you will find it to bea tranquil time for you. At almost anygiven time of day, you can pause whatyou are doing and spend a fewmoments being mesmerized by the flur-ry of activity at your feeders. We allneed to set aside a portion of each dayfor physical relaxation and mental rest.


A fun, frugal, entertaining way to brighten a gray February day

Making Feathered Friendsby Veronica Hunsucker

cont. on pg. 20...

Creating an area near a window pro-vides the perfect place for entertainingrelaxation. February tends to be adepressing month for many people. Thecolorful feathered friends at a feederoutside of your window can certainlybrighten any day, especially a grayFebruary day.

Bird Feeding Tips:

~ Once you begin feeding the birds,continue feeding the birds.

~ Hang your feeders in an area wherebirds can enjoy the feeder whileprotected from the winter elements,such as a cold rain, snow, or chillywind.

~ Provide a variety of food to attractvarious types of birds.

~ Keep feeders clean.

~ A birdbath is a welcome addition to abird feeding area.

~ Place your feeders where the birdsa r e as sa fe as poss i b l e f r ompredators, such as cats that mightlurk unseen in bushes near the feeders.

Feathered Friends cont... A little water can be quite expensive

One Drop at a Timeby Debra L. Karplus, MS

Don’t underestimate the potentialdamage from water problems athome. What begins unexpect-

edly as a few drops can quickly growinto buckets. Your roof, gutters, bath-rooms, kitchen and basement aresome of the main trouble areas when itcomes to pricey water problems athome; you need to watch, listen, andbe proactive when you detect drips orleaks. Never ignore water issuesbecause they don’t go away by them-selves and usually worsen over time.Procrastination can ultimately cost youbig bucks.

Avoid water problems outside yourhome.

Water from outside needs to stay out-side. Protect the outside of your homeby maintaining your gutters. Thatmeans cleaning them from fallenleaves and from fallen seeds and budsand “helicopters,” as the kids call them,from maple trees, at least once yearly.Clogged gutters can ultimately causeparts of your roof to rot from the stand-ing water. Also, clear areas arounddownspouts and use gutter splash

cont. on pg. 21...



cont. on pg. 22...

blocks, which cost less than $10 each,to direct rainwater away from yourhouse. Never keep standing water,including uncovered containers, outsideas it can attract mosquitoes, which carrydisease and can cause serious illness.

In the past few years, many house-holds have been using rain barrelsattached to the downspout of their gut-ters to store and use rain water for thelawn and garden. These speciallydesigned barrels are an innovative wayto save on water usage while beingrespectful of natural resources and ofthe environment, and can be pur-chased for less than $100 at manyhome improvement stores. Or you canmake your own for even less.

Divert water away from the house foun-dation. One way to reduce basementflooding is to build up the soil aroundyour house, each spring and fall, mak-ing sure the soil slopes downwardaway from the house. This also mayeliminate rodents from sneaking intoyour house. You probably can get thesoil from your garden or yard withoutspending a penny.

Maintain your indoor plumbing andstop the drop in every inside spot.

Leaky faucets need to be fixed. Thatdripping sound coming from the bath-room may lull you into a blissful sleepeach night, but your next water bill willbe a wake-up call to fix running toiletsand leaky sinks. Your toilet should besilent within approximately two minutesafter you flush. If not, fix or replacewhatever part in the tank that isn’tworking properly.

Inspect for leaks in drains. The pipeunder the sink, especially the elbow,should be completely dry and the cup-board it’s in should show no signs ofwater stains or leakage. Tighten anyloose pipes with a pipe wrench.

Watch for drips where caulking hasfailed. Simple preventive maintenancein the bathroom and kitchen can savemoney. Caulk around the tub and sinksas needed. Caulked areas that becomewet need re-caulking periodically.

In the bathroom sink and tub, use astrainer over the drain to keep hair from

One Drop cont...

frost each year, turn off outside spig-ots from the source and drain thepipes to prevent them from freezingand bursting. Additionally, whenyou’ll be away for a long time, espe-cially in winter, turn off the mainwater source and drain pipes.

Perform a regular roof inspection.After a rain or snowfall, especially aheavy one, check your attic and ceil-ings for standing water or stains.Roofs don’t last forever and improp-erly installed roof flashing can causelittle or big leaks. On very windydays, shingles can blow off yourroof. Check your yard for shingles;they may be yours.

Water is a natural resource we oftentake for granted. We are lucky tohave water and benefit from its manyuses, but unwanted water can wreakhavoc on your house and your prop-erty. Preventative maintenance canhelp dry things stay dry and saveyou dollars.

One Drop cont...


getting into the plumbing; buy one fromthe plumbing department in any homeimprovement center or discount storefor less than $10. To clear out stubbornlittle food scraps, coffee grounds, andnasty smells from kitchen drains, pourboiling water with a bit of bleach downstainless steel sinks.

Watch for hydrostatic pressure leaks inwalls that result from clogged exteriordrains. Walls become saturated andwater seeps into the basement throughcracks and joints. This can cause waterdamage in the basement.

Preventative maintenance is the key tokeeping your basement dry and yourpipes intact. Purchase a good sumppump to do its magic after it rains whenthe grass and soil are saturated. Makesure it’s working when you go away onvacation. Sump pumps last severalyears, but not forever.

Remember to perform seasonalweather-related tasks.

Prevent burst water pipes. Drainpipes when needed. Before the first

Want to reduce your grocery bill? Start a garden!

Gardening for the Beginner

living better...for less Page 23

There is evidence that food prices will only contin-ue to rise. Many people may be turning to gar-dening to grow edibles that don’t come with the

same price tag as the grocery store. I am inexperi-enced with this myself, but I continue to experimentand learn. What advice do experienced gardenershave for those just starting out with a garden? What isthe best way to start frugally? Continue to keep it costeffective and not become overwhelmed by the work itcan take?Brandy

Know What Grows Well in Your Area

I gardened for years, spending very little money onfood during summers and putting up food for winters. Ittakes some planning, but it is not difficult to accom-plish.

Decide what to plant. Find out what kind of soil youhave and what grows well in your area. The local col-lege agricultural extension station will be happy to helpyou or you can look online.

Seeds are the cheapest way to start a garden. In dis-count stores, you can buy them for as little as 10 centsper packet. You should generally start your seedsabout six to eight weeks before you expect to plantthem outdoors. You need a bright area for growing.

Consider planting natural pest controllers like garlic,onions and marigolds around your garden. These canalso be started from seeds.

After removing grass and weeds from the garden area,work compost and organic fertilizer into your soil. Layold newspapers between rows (mark what you planted

cont. on pg. 24...

Gardening cont...


in each row) and weigh them down with fresh grassclippings. This costs nothing and saves a lot of workduring the summer when it’s hot and you won’t want tobe weeding. In the fall, just leave it there and it willenrich your garden for the following spring.

If your area has small critters like rabbits, you mayneed to fence the garden with chicken wire. You mayfind this free on a site like Craigslist or Freecycle, butif you have to buy it, do so.

Consider the water needs of your garden and how youwill get water there if needed. Make sure your gardenis in the sunniest part of your yard. Harvest and enjoy!Barbara in CT

Visit Your Local Library

Get to the library and see if you can find any garden-ing books, particularly ones by Jerry Baker. His booksare filled with old-time hints and how-to’s. You will alsofind a great selection of other authors. We began asmall garden when we were young and grew a perime-ter garden around our lawn with mainly salad thingsand herbs. We soon progressed to a full garden wherewe grew all of our veggies. We canned and froze ourproduce and that was a learning process as well.Thank goodness for those how-to books! Maren

Avoid Overwhelm

If you want to start gardening to save grocery money,start small. Pick foods that you know you will eat forcertain. During the first year, only get a few plants thatyou can put in a small garden and mulch! It’s better tostart small and wish you had done more than to do too

cont. on pg. 25...

Gardening cont...


much and not want to garden ever again. I started witha 5’x8’ garden about 20 years ago. I now have a 9’x24’garden, a 2’x24’ garden along a fence, a plan forspring, summer and fall crops, and many pots of smallplants like lettuce, spinach and herbs. By building a lit-tle each year, I grow accustomed to caring for every-thing in a way that is very economical and satisfying,but not overwhelming.Anne

Nothing’s Easier Than a Container Garden

For the beginning gardener, nothing could be easierthan a container garden. We once raised multiples ofvegetables, all in five-gallon buckets we received freefrom bakeries in our area.

Drill holes in each side of the bucket about an inch upfrom the bottom. Fill them with dried leaves, straw, orraked-up chips to about halfway and then fill to the topwith potting soil or good garden dirt. Plant your seedsas directed on the packet. Water more frequently thana garden in the ground, and you can have all that wedid. We grew lettuce and spinach. We grew corn in bigblue tubs from Wal-Mart, drilled with holes and filled thesame way. We grew pole beans in the blue tubs, usingbamboo tripods for the beans to climb. We also grewpotatoes in the tubs! Also, we grew peppers, carrots,squash, tomatoes, cucumbers (use tomato cages andthey will hang down perfectly), eggplant, and herbs, allon our big deck. We ate fabulously from our garden!Shirli

Network with Gardeners

Network with gardeners. Find out which of your friendsgarden or find local people who garden, and talk to

cont. on pg. 26...

Gardening cont...

them. Any serious gardener will have a lot of seeds,and most will be very happy to share with you.They’ll be a great source of information on what willand won’t grow in your area, and have experience-based tips about how to get the most from your gar-den. Don’t be shy. I’ve never met a gardener whowasn’t thrilled at being asked for his opinion andadvice.

Second, buy seeds rather than seedlings if possible.If you buy early, there’s no reason you should haveto buy seedlings at the nursery. If you do buyseedlings, it is still cheaper than the grocery store,but much cheaper if you start from seed.

Check out Square Foot Gardening by MelBartholomew from your library or inter-library loan,and read it until you understand the basics. It is aform of intensive gardening, which will increase youryield while simultaneously decreasing your work-load.Vince



How would you like to purchaseyour next vehicle without leavingyour home? What if you could

get the exact features you desire, thebest interest rate available, and havedealers outbidding each other to get youthe lowest possible price? What ifunpleasant haggling and the disquietingfeeling of getting rooked at car dealer-ships were a thing of the past?

All this is possible through the Internet.Our family just purchased a new van byusing our computer. We didn’t have toleave home until we went to test-driveand pick up our new wheels. It was asimple matter to sign papers and finalizethe deal.

It started when our eleven-year-old carstarted breaking down frequently. Weassessed our needs and decided that avan would meet our requirements. I gotthree free copies of our current creditreport by calling 1-800-685-1111. It isfully automated and takes about 15 min-utes. To check or correct your score:

~ Equifax, 800-685-1111, Equifax.com~ Experian, 888-397-3742, Experian.com~ TransUnion, 800-888-4213, Transunion.com

Don’t be tricked by similar websites orphone numbers where you must pay toget this information. You are entitled toat least one free credit report a year, orif you have been denied a loan or cred-it. Knowing where you stand can help

tremendously in procuring financing at areasonable rate. If you notice any incon-sistencies or errors, write or call thelender to get it corrected. If you closeany credit card accounts, make surethey note that it was closed “by cus-tomer request.”

Now that you have your credit scorestraight, you can begin researching yourvehicle. Here are some helpful sites:

~ Edmunds.com~ Autobytel.com ~ KBB.com (Kelly Blue Book)~ Carfax.com~ Bankrate.com

You can choose used or new. We beganby researching used vans, but discov-ered that with the employee pricing,incentives, and a $2,000 rebate, it wasactually cheaper to buy new. The KellyBlue Book site also lets you compare

cont. on pg. 28...

Avoid the hassle and save a bundle!

Buying New Wheels on the Webby Shari Smith


New Wheels cont...

Before signing any financing contract,there are some questions you shouldask. Is it a simple interest loan? Bewareof “add-on interest” or the rule of ’78.That means the interest is piled on atthe beginning so the creditor is sure ofcollecting the maximum amount even ifyou pre-pay the loan.

That leads to the next question. Isthere a pre-payment penalty? To avoidinterest, you can make additional pay-ments or add a little to each month’scheck. Make sure before signing thatyou won’t be penalized if you choose todo so.

If you do not want your credit scorechecked while you are test-driving avehicle, but the salesperson still wantsyour driver’s license, photo-copy it andblack out your driver’s license number.Write on the copy “No credit checksauthorized.”

More consumers are buying or leasingvehicles through the Internet. Manydealers have salespeople that dealexclusively with leads from websites.Smart buyers are doing their homeworkfirst instead of relying on dealers to bestraight with them.

I enjoyed the process of researchingand purchasing a new vehicle primarilythrough the Internet. I would recom-mend this process. Your next car is onlya few clicks away!

models by price, features, make, dealer-ships, and many other factors. You cancheck out your estimated trade-in value,compare financing rates, and even com-pare auto insurance rates.

Once you have narrowed down themake and model, you can get free pricequotes in your local area. Two excellentsites are:

~ KeepItLocal.com ~ CarsHQ.net

When you have a few quotes, you cancontact your local dealers directlythrough e-mail or by phone. They willwork hard to get the exact vehicle youwant with the features you need and inthe color you choose. If they know thatother dealers are “wooing” you, they willbend over backwards to beat the price.

After three days of e-mails, we had itdown to two dealers, one local and one ina neighboring state. The out-of-statedealer was willing to drive the vehicle tous at no charge and he was about $1,000cheaper. As I was heading out the door, alocal dealer called with an even sweeterdeal. They promised to match or beattheir price, as well as get us the bestinterest rate and trade-in value.

I went in to “crunch some numbers” andleft an hour later with a packet of signedpapers and a delivery date. We goteverything we wanted and more.

You don’t have to pay full retail for a beautiful funeral

How to Minimize Funeral Costsby Gail Rubin

Funerals are a huge expense in afamily budget and advance plan-ning can help reduce costs. When

you find out how expensive end-of-lifeevents can be, it’s a big motivator tosave where you can. Today a $6,000funeral, if you can get it, is a bargain.And there are many ways to cut costswithout looking cheap.

Costco and Other Wholesalers

“I got it at Costco” is one of my favoritephrases, as the wholesale giant is agreat source for quality products at lowprices. They’ve been in the business ofselling caskets, urns, and other funeralgoods through their website,Costco.com, since 2004. Retail giantWalmart got into the act when it addedcaskets and urns to its website,Walmart.com, in October 2009.

In addition to discounted funeral mer-chandise, consider the goods neededfor a reception: the platters of food, thepaper or plastic plates, cups, and uten-sils, coffee, tea, cases of sodas, etc.Costco is a one-stop shop for just aboutanything related to holding a party!There are plenty of other funeral mer-chandise discount retailers online, aswell.

Pre-Need Shopping Around

Shop around for the best prices onfuneral services and products before

someone dies. After someone haspassed, you are not in a position, emo-tionally or time-wise, to shop around.Meet with various local funeral homes toget their prices and a feel for how com-fortable you are with the people andtheir facilities. You will find an amazingvariation in costs, personalities, anddecor.

Cremation

If cremation does not interfere with yourreligious beliefs, cremation is among theleast expensive options for disposition,hence its growing popularity. Crematedremains do not need to be buried, soyou can eliminate the cost of buying aburial plot. If you skip embalming, view-ing, interment of cremains, and memori-al services through the funeral home, acremation can cost under $1,000.

Donating the Body

Giving your body to science for researchcosts nothing, but it usually requiresadvance arrangements. You contact alocal medical school, sign consentforms, place copies with your advancedirectives and wills, and arrange for themedical school to be notified when youdie.

First decide if organs and tissue or thewhole body will be donated, as thoseare two separate programs and proce-dures. Most medical schools only


cont. on pg. 30...

accept whole bodies, with the exceptionof corneal donations, which don’t affectthe rest of the body. Physical conditionof the body, not age, is the importantfactor in whole body donation.

As an alternative, check online for med-ical research and education programsthat facilitate full body donations to sci-ence at no cost to the family. Beware offraudulent providers. Look for organiza-tions affiliated with the AmericanAssociation of Tissue Banks (aatb.org).

Military and Veterans Benefits

Those who have served in the militaryand their spouses and minor age chil-dren are entitled to free gravesites andburials in national cemeteries. Veterans’death benefits include a cemetery plot,opening and closing of the grave, and amemorial stone. The family still needs toprovide a casket or urn and transporta-tion for burial. Most states have adepartment of veterans’ affairs that canhelp families obtain services.

Pre-Purchase a Burial Plot andCasket

If you plan to live out your days in thesame town and want to be buried in alocal cemetery, investing in a burial plotbefore you need it can result in savings.Real estate prices usually go up, notdown, and your final resting place is noexception.

Depending on the type of casketdesired, you can realize tremendoussavings by purchasing ahead of needfrom an outside provider. A plain pinebox made by a local woodworker can behalf the cost of a similar casket providedby a funeral home. The challenge, ofcourse, is where do you keep a casketbefore you need to use it?

The Funeral Rule is a federal law thatprotects consumer rights in regard tofuneral transactions. It states that afuneral provider may not charge a fee orrefuse to handle a casket you boughtelsewhere. In addition, a funeralprovider that offers cremations mustmake alternative cremation containersavailable, and you can even bring inyour own. More information regardingThe Funeral Rule is available atftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/funerals/coninfo.htm.

Gail Rubin is the author of the award-win-ning book A Good Goodbye: FuneralPlanning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die<agoodgoodbye.com> and The Family PlotBlog <thefamilyplot.wordpress.com>. She’s“knocking ‘em dead” with her talks, “FunnyFilms to Start Serious Funeral PlanningConversations” <agoodgoodbye.com/speaking-and-consulting/>


Funeral Costs cont...


Inexpensive Wall Art

You can buy cheap greeting cards withno words on the front and frame them.They look great with mats in frames. Imake mats with card stock paper. Youcan also buy them already made. I lookfor frames at yard sales, flea markets,and thrift stores. Also, they have cheapwooden ones at the local dollar store orat Walmart or K-Mart. The wooden onescan be spray painted whatever color youlike. One can of spray paint will paint alot of frames and some other acces-sories as well, and they will all match.Melissa

The 5 for $5 Dinner Challenge

My sister and I try to outdo each otherwith something we call "dollar store din-ners." The limit is $5 and it must feedour combined family of five. Frozenmeatballs with pasta and sauce withTexas toast and steamed broccoli is afavorite. Tuna casserole calls for cannedtuna, pasta, peas, mushroom soup andbread crumbs. Our pancake dinner usestwo of the small dollar-store pancakemixes, and we either buy nuts or driedcranberries/raisins as fillers or fruit piemix for a topper. It is absolutely amazingwhat you can get for five bucks at thelocal dollar store. Choices are more lim-ited than in a regular grocery store, butsometimes I think that is part of the fun,making something out of nothing! Ali K. in Mesa, AZ

Cheap Snack "Cups"

When serving children (or yourself)snacks during the day, here is an alter-native to expensive paper plates orusing dishes that require washing. I pur-chased a package of small recycled cof-fee filters for $2 (box of 200). Each filtermakes a nice "snack cup" for fruit, pret-zels, goldfish, nuts, or other small snackitems. You can even use the coffee filteras a wrap for a finger sandwich, hot dog,or other finger food. Young children likethe cup shape, and it contains the snackmuch better than a napkin or papertowel.Ann McM.

Learning from a Spendthrift Friend

I was just at a spendthrift friend's homeand noticed something that bearsrepeating. In the laundry room, I noticedthat she didn't measure her laundrysoap, bleach, or fabric softener. She justpoured until the dispensers were full. Inthe kitchen, she was making soup. Arecipe called for 1/2 cup of carrots. Shechopped up three carrots and threwthem in. At home, I discovered that onecarrot of equal size measured out to ahalf cup chopped!

A teaspoon here and a tablespoon thereover the course of a day, a week, amonth, or a year really adds up. Breakout those measuring utensils! Serena C. in Hamilton, OH

Readers’ Tips

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Volume 7 - Issue 1 Fall 2011/Winter 2012 - Credit.org · budgeting and using credit wisely, the more likely you are to make sound financial decisions in these areas. In addition,