“Free Stuff” Archive

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Is it possible the government has your money?

The California State Controller recently spoke at a seminar I attended. His main focus was the economic status of the state (bleak) but he tried to end on a happy note by reminding everyone to check the California unclaimed property website.

Huh?

I scribbled the info on the back of my napkin but didn’t expect to win the lotto of unclaimed property. No one owes me money right?

Wrong.

Unbeknownst to me, I was involved in a class action lawsuit against a former employer. Employees weren’t given breaks as required by law and the company was required to reimburse employees for the lost time. I only worked for the company 3 months as a summer job ten years ago but… I’m $111 richer.

Check for unclaimed property on your state’s website. There might be some money out there you didn’t know about. Let me know if you find something!

*Note: Women, if you are married, check you married AND maiden name. My unclaimed property was under my maiden name.

Posted by Beks on November 11, 2009 at 5:00 AM in Free Stuff, Good Info | 13 Comments »
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Picks and Pans…

We all buy things we love AND things we hate. Maybe you need to be warned about the carpet shampooer that eats rugs or maybe you need to know about a great grocery dinner deal.

Here are some things that really stuck out to me this week:

PICKS:
Lose It! by FitNow, Inc.
Unfortunately this iTunes application is limited for use on iPhones or iTouch iPods but the good news is… its’ FREE. This application/program is great at helping you monitor portions and nutritional content of nearly everything you eat. It has a huge reference library of restaurant nutritional information and of everyday items from the grocery store. Users simply enter their height/weight information, the types of nutritional content they want to monitor, and their weight loss goals. While I don’t need to lose weight, this program is valuable to me since I want to monitor my fat, protein, and fiber intake for my marathon training. Diabetics can also benefit since this program monitors carbohydrates and sugars. I am now more aware of what I’m eating and how I can make small changes to my eating habits to make a healthier me.

PANS:
Sun Block by Target
I’m a HUGE fan of Target brand products. I like them just as much, if not more, than the name brands. Plus, the cost savings helps stretch my miniscule budget. Unfortunately, I was less than impressed with their sun block. We took this sun block with us on our beach camping vacation and quickly discovered it was a waste of money. Our first clue should have been its label ‘water resistant’ and not ‘waterproof’ like the other sun block products. It washed off at the slightest sweat and did not hold up at all to a quick dip in the ocean. If you plan on not swimming or sweating, it’s great. I don’t know about you, but when I wear sun block… I’m in the sun. And, the sun is hot. In heat, I sweat… er… ‘glow’. I’m fairly certain that’s normal. Sorry Target, head back to the drawing board.

What are your picks and pans this week?

Posted by Beks on July 27, 2009 at 5:00 AM in Free Stuff, Good Info, Living Frugal, Picks and Pans, Saving Money, Spending Money | 3 Comments »
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Health and Finances…

A reader posed the question, ‘What does health and exercise have to do with finances?’

In short? A lot!

A few benefits of exercising (tip of the iceburg)?
Reduced blood pressure
Reduced feelings of depression and anxiety
Helps to control weight
Helps to build and maintain healthy joints, muscles, and bones
Reduced risk of diabetes

What do these have to do with finances?
Have you had to pay for doctors and medication recently?!? Ouch!! Also, exercise helps you sleep, puts you in a better mood, helps your self confidence, and gives you energy – all very important things in the work world where your paycheck comes from! Plus, people with a BMI of less than 22 get sick less often and miss less work.

I’ve been fortunate to have been physically active and healthy for most of my life. Running a marathon is just another way to push myself and stay active. Sure my sore legged walk makes Frankenstein look like a graceful ballerina but it’s important to encourage you to gain control in your finances AND in your health – they are closely connected.

Tomorrow is Saturday, take a walk with your dog, play with your kids, or ride your bike. Take a break from staring at that checkbook and balancing numbers to get some fresh air.

It’s good for you.

Some free sites to help you out?

www.Mapmyride.com
I use this site to calculate mileage and read elevation changes on my bike rides/runs.

www.Mypyramid.gov
This free site helps to guide you on better eating habits.

I’m warning you… these sites can be ADDICTIVE!!

What is your favorite FREE health related site?

Posted by Beks on June 26, 2009 at 5:00 AM in About Me, Free Stuff, General Debt, Good Info, Life Experiences, Spending Money, Ways I Save Money | 2 Comments »
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Resume Help…

My husband is applying for a position at a local government agency. His current position in construction is unstable and he’s trying to be proactive.

The poor guy has never had to look for a job before – his reputation as a hard worker has always earned him employment without even an application. Writing a resume is difficult.

I’m trying to help him but I realize that what I want to write, ‘Good looking, hard working, smart, sweet man’ probably won’t land him the position… and it might be hard to fill a 8 ½” x 11” sheet of paper with 7 words. Sure I could add more like, ‘beautiful olive skin that tans in the sunshine, huggable arms, and a perfect husband’ but somehow, I don’t think that’s the ‘more’ his resume needs.

Unfortunately we’re under a time crunch (the resume is due tomorrow) but for those seeking employment and need resume help, DON’T PAY SOMEONE TO WRITE YOUR RESUME FOR YOU! If you attend college, seek the advice of a job counselor. For those not in college, check the offerings of your local community. Nearly every city in San Diego County offers job and resume assistance free of charge. Not only can these organizations help you with your resume, they often have a good idea of where jobs in your field may be opening.

Posted by Beks on June 16, 2009 at 5:00 AM in Free Stuff, Good Info, Living Frugal, work | 14 Comments »
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An interesting party idea…

My husband decided to throw a ‘redneck party’. We live in a back country part of San Diego and our city is often made fun of thanks to the prevalence of confederate flags and livestock. Realistically, my husband thought it would be funny to dress in overalls and drink homemade beer with all his friends.

As we started working through the details, I couldn’t help but wonder… maybe rednecks have it right. Here is how we have prepared so far and the current expenses:

I threw together an online invitation for our friends (free):

It’s time to round up yer cousin and yer sister from their mobile home… we’re havin’ our first annual REDNECK PARTY!!

Why?

Because if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!

What shall you wear?

Guys: Pull your overalls out of the closet and throw on a wife beater tank top or your favorite Nascar t-shirt. Mullets, farmer tans, and confederate flags are strongly encouraged. Teeth are optional. Don’t forget your Skoal can.

Gals: Throw on your finest Walmart duds, tube tops, and platform flip flops with those Daisy dukes. Apply sparkly blue eye shadow liberally.

What should you bring?

Beverages: Pabst Blue Ribbon and Boxed/Jug wine.

Food: Moonpies, Cheese Puffs, Pork & Beans, Pigs in a Blanket, Fried Spam, Baked Beans, Spray Cheese, Potato Salad, etc.

Who will serenade us?

Hank Williams Jr., Merle Haggard, Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ACDC, and Gretchen Wilson.

There may be some games, there may be a redneck Olympian torch lighting ceremony, there may be prizes… but I can’t give it all away now can I?!?

So, hop in your 1987 Toyota Tercel and git over here!

We borrowed some used hubcaps from the local tire store to play games with and use for decorations (free).
We are wearing our own clothes (circa 1980 – also free).
We borrowed a wheel barrow from our neighbor for wheelbarrow races (free).
We pulled an old rope from the garage for the lasso competition (free).
We are borrowing new toilet seats from my husband’s plumbing company to play redneck horseshoes (free).
We rented country CD classics like Gretchen Wilson, Confederate Railroad, Kris Kristopherson, and Merle Haggard from the library (free).

So far, our expenses are zero! Perhaps we should rename the party ‘Working toward our debt free goal and having fun at the same time’. I’ll be sure to toss some pictures up here next Monday after the party.

Any ideas on cheap gatherings? How about additional games for our redneck party?

Posted by Beks on June 15, 2009 at 5:00 AM in Free Stuff, Life Experiences, Living Frugal, Parties, Saving Money | 21 Comments »
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My Free Weekend…

I spent this Sunday like I spend most Sunday’s – at my parents’ house. We barbeque and play games with my nieces and nephews. These Sunday’s have always been a joy… until the invention of the Wii.

What happened to the good ol’ days of Nintendo and Sega glassy eyed kids? Now they are dancing, singing, and playing instruments. It’s as if the Wii transformed our family into a modern day Brady Bunch band. Ugh.

I rented the Sonic vs. Mario Summer Olympics game from the library. I’m pretty sure I would have expelled less energy actually competing IN the Olympics. Real swimming isn’t nearly as difficult as Wii swimming. Trust me… I can’t use my arms today.

And with the invention of Rock Band, I can’t just sing Aerosmith, I have to sing Aerosmith AND play a guitar. My voice has joined my arms in the ‘not usable’ category.

I think these games were secretly invented by parents who would like to temporarily disable their children. You can’t talk back after losing your voice to Paramore – or maybe that’s just me.

I wish I could say my nieces and nephews suffered from the same painful muscle strain I have today but… I had so much fun playing that I didn’t exactly let them play. When they started crying about the unfairness of it all, I could only say, ‘Back off shorty! Aunti Beks has to finish the last rift of Salt N Pepa so she can win a new tour bus for the band.’

The best things in life are free.

Posted by Beks on June 1, 2009 at 5:00 AM in About Me, Free Stuff, Life Experiences, Living Frugal | 6 Comments »
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The Cost of Free Furniture…

I’ve been lamenting to my husband about our need for new couches. I tell him we need new, bigger, couches for seating space but really it’s because…

I hate our couches and I think they are ugly.

This week, my husband did what good husbands do – he attempted to solve my dilemma of ‘seating space’. He came home with a behemoth of a recliner and said, ‘Look honey! More seats!! Can you believe someone was going to throw this away?!’

I bit my tongue before a ‘Yes’ slipped out. Instead, I said ‘Wow hon, it’s… wow.’

‘And they have TWO! I’m picking the other one up tomorrow. How awesome is that?! Seats!!’

He happily jumped in the chair and reclined, a big grin spreading across his face.

How could I be mad or ungrateful? He solved my ‘seating dilemma’. Sure I have an ugly blue giant in my living room (err… soon to be two), but I’ve learned to take his efforts for what they are. That ugly chair is a monument to the fact that my husband listens to me and he’s doing his best to make my life easier… without spending a dime.

I’m going to stop whining about the sofas for a while. Who cares about sofas when I have a man like that?

Posted by Beks on May 22, 2009 at 5:00 AM in Free Stuff, General Personal Finance, Home Ownership, Keeping Motivated, Life Experiences, Living Frugal, Money & Relationships, Saving Money | 15 Comments »
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