Keep Your Social Security Number Safe

  

sundesigns (sxc.hu)

Keep your Social Security number’s last four digits secret. You are only legally required to give out your Social Security number (SSN) when

Five Ways to Save $20,000 a Year

mokra (sxc.hu)

Nearly all of the talk these days about economizing focuses on how to get what we want but pay less for it. It’s all about how to get more for less.

For those of us who are longtime advocates of the “simple living” movement, it seems as if most Americans are missing what could be the golden

PURÉE AWAY

topfer (sxc.hu)

Don’t throw away that wilted produce.  Instead make purées and put it in small individual freezer bags.  Place in your freezer to add to meals later.  This will improve the nutritious value of your meals.

Let’s Have a Garage Sale!

Keys to a Successful Garage Sale

izzi73 (sxc.hu)

A successful garage sale can convert your clutter into cash. An unsuccessful garage sale, on the other hand, can be a frustrating waste of a weekend. How to increase the odds that your sale will go well…

AVOID THE BIG MISTAKES

These missteps could doom your garage sale…

Colleges are More Willing to Negotiate Costs

muresan113 (sxc.hu)

Their thinking is that they would rather negotiate than lose a student. Even if you get financing help, you still can negotiate remaining out-of-pocket costs based on comparing expenses at other schools that have accepted the student. Be forthright — say where else he/she has been accepted and explain the cost differences. Reducing out-of-pocket costs by 10% to 20% will save you thousands of dollars over four years.

Jerry Slavonia, founder and CEO, Campus Explorer, Santa Monica, California, whose 7,400-school database is designed to help students find their best college matches. www.campusexplorer.com

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Top Ten Misconceptions About Fuel Economy

beer (sxc.hu)

• You have to drive a small car to get good fuel economy.

Advanced technologies like hybrid drivetrains, diesel engines, direct fuel injection, turbocharging, advanced transmissions, low rolling resistance tires and aerodynamic designs are allowing standard-sized vehicles to be very fuel efficient. For the 2010 model year, five of the top ten most efficient vehicles are

Credit Card “Protection Plans” Are Not Worth the Cost

Lotus Head (www.pixelpusher.co.za)

These plans from credit card issuers, which promise to pay all or a portion of your credit card bill if you become disabled, lose your job or die, are especially popular during this time of high unemployment and mounting debts — but there are many loopholes. The plan may not kick in if you lose your job for performance reasons… if you are disabled but can do some other kind of work… or if you have other disability coverage. The monthly fee ranges from 35 cents to 99 cents per $100 of debt.

Better: Build up an emergency fund or purchase extra life insurance.

 Sandy Shore, senior counselor at Nova-debt, a nonprofit credit-counseling agency in Freehold, New Jersey. www.novadebt.org.

Overcoming the Urge to Splurge

ahylton (sxc.hu)

Shop till you drop may sound fun and funny — but compulsive overspending is no joke.

Warning signs: Hiding purchases from family… spending money when you swore you wouldn’t… falling into debt.

 To rein in spending…

Want to Sell Online?

cienpies (sxc.hu)

eBay, Craigslist or Amazon?

ou have items to sell online, but you’re not sure which site to use — eBay… Craigslist… or Amazon.com. Where to sell your items…

Organic Cosmetics

lilieks (sxc.hu)

An “organic” label on cosmetics can mean different things, or nothing at all, since the term is not regulated for cosmetics or other personal care products, such as lip balms, soaps, and lotions. Much, of course, is pure marketing hype. As shown in independent testing, “organic” cosmetics may contain the same synthetic ingredients present in conventional ones.

The USDA’s National Organic Program was not developed for personal care products,

Safe Eating at Home

qute (sxc.hu)

How you handle food matters. With enough warmth, moisture, and nutrients, one bacterium that divides every half hour can produce 17 million progeny in 12 hours.

Putting food in the refrigerator or freezer stops most bacteria from growing. Exceptions: Listeria (typically found in lunch meats, hot dogs, and unpasteurized soft cheese) and Yersinia enterocolitica (typically found in undercooked pork and unpasteurized milk) grow at refrigerator temperatures.

Rules for Leftovers

2 Hours — 2 Inches — 4 Days

Cutting Citrus into Segments

1. 

   abcdz2000 (sxc.hu)

   Using a sharp knife, cut about a half-inch slice off each end so that the fruit can stand on end.

2. Slice off strips of the peel, pith, and outer membrane, working from top to bottom around the fruit.
3. Working over a bowl, cut between the inner membranes to separate out the segments.
4. If the recipe calls for juice, squeeze the cut-off top and bottom and the leftover inner membranes.

Considering a Layaway Purchase?

ldigital (sxc.hu)

Last year at this time, Sears and Kmart helped consumers rediscover the old-fashioned concept of the layaway purchase, in which shoppers make periodic payments to a special account to save up for big-ticket goods and take them home only after they’re paid for in full.

With so many Americans still struggling financially and reeling under credit-card debt 

Do Hand Sanitizers Work?

kkiser (sxc.hu)

Fighting the Flu: Do Hand Sanitizers Work?

By Christopher Wanjek

 LiveScience.com

27 October 2009

Hand washing with ordinary soap and water is the most effective way to remove germs. But when you’re on the go, alcohol-based hand sanitizers are

How to Pick Fresh Fruits

Lockstockb (sxc.hu)

Watermelon
Choose a firm, symmetrical fruit free of bruises, cuts and dents.  Pick it up.  The watermelon should be heavy for its size.  Turn it over.  There should be a creamy yellow spot where it sat on the ground and ripened.
The National Watermelon Promotion Board

Mangos
First, look at the stem.  If the stem looks like it is sitting up on a hill, that is an immature mango that will not ripen.  The stem should look like it is sitting in a little valley.  Second, never, ever leave your mango in the open air to ripen.  It will most likely shrivel before it ever ripens.  Cover the mango with a newspaper on your counter.  When it smells like a tropical paradise, it is ready to be enjoyed.
San Diego Union Tribune

Papayas
Ripe papayas should be as soft as a ripe peach, with more yellow than green in the skin.  (Mexican papayas may remain mostly green even when fully ripe.)  Most papayas are sold firm-ripe and need to be ripened further.  Avoid bruised or shriveled papayas and those showing signs of mold or other deterioration.  Ripen firm papayas at room temperature in a loosely closed paper bag.  Refrigerate ripe fruit in a plastic or paper bag for up to 3 days.
Sunset Magazine

(Note:  Still under construction.  Will be adding more fruits)

 

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