May 26th, 2012

I was looking for something inside our storage cabinet the other day and noticed how much textbooks and study materials my husband has accumulated while he worked on getting his degree. After using them for a quarter, they just ended up in that pile. What are we to do with these? He could not just hand them down to someone because they cost him a lot too. But I think sharing the cost would be more practical than just letting them rot in those boxes.

When he enrolls in his next class (he’s taking his master’s), I would suggest he just rent textbooks instead of buying them. Aside from the huge price difference, there are a lot of benefits to renting like having less junk later, for one, and minimizing our carbon footprints.

Rental shops are one-stop-shops too! We can browse through their huge selection and there’s a chance of finding all the textbooks we need in just one place – or web space! Renters are allowed to highlight text on the books, shipping is free both ways, and the rental periods may vary according to your terms (whether you take your classes in quarters, trimesters or semesters).

I just found one rental site that gives back, not just to Mother Nature by saving trees, but also to unfortunate kids with cleft lip or cleft palate – campusbookrentals.com

They have pledged to donate part of the rental fees that they earn to help at least 1000 kids with cleft lips. And by renting from them, we can help give these kids better lives too!

Going back to prices and savings, you’re welcome to check how much this book costs if you ordered it from, say, Barnes & Noble: Linne Ringsruds Clinical Laboratory Science/Mary-Louise-Turgeon
While you can rent it from campusbookrentals.com for a whole semester for just a little over 38 bucks, here’s a shortcut.

So if you are also in school right now and in need of textbooks, consider renting. You’ll help yourself (or your parents) save money, save trees, and make someone else’s life better too!

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March 31st, 2012

Posted by Arden Wallace

What is one of the best things about living in NYC? The stores that do same day delivery! When I have down time at work, I usually do a little internet shopping using our new york T1 connection at the office. My favorite place that does same day Manhattan delivery for free is definitely Sephora. It is awesome. You can be at work and think about a make up or hair product that you would like to have before you night out and walla- before you get home, what you ordered is at your doorstep. Other companies have fallen suit. I just wish that the grocery store would do the same thing. There is nothing that I hate more than grocery shopping in NYC. I never really get to get everything that I need. I usually order most things on Amazon, but even with my Prime account, I have to wait at least two days to get what I need. If I ever go into business on my own, I think I will start a grocery store with same day delivery that you can order and pay on-line.

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March 13th, 2012

Having children can be one of the most rewarding experiences that you will ever engage in throughout life. If you have kids, you most likely want to provide them with the best life that you possibly can. While you may be able to do that by working hard and being there for them, you also need to engage in some active planning to make sure that they’re taken care of no matter what happens.

Life Insurance

One way that you can ensure that your kids will always be taken care of is to buy life insurance. If you have a life insurance policy in place while you’re kids are still young, you will not have to worry about them being taken care of financially if you die. Find a cheap life insurance quote online or by checking with a local agent. While you always have the option of purchasing cash value life insurance, this may not always be practical when you’re on a limited budget. If you are on a tight budget while you have young children, you can always buy term insurance. Term insurance policies are cheap and they can provide you with good coverage.

College Savings

Getting a college education is becoming more expensive all the time. By the time your children are old enough to go to college, it may be so expensive that very few people will be able to afford it. In order to give your kids the best chance to succeed, you may want to start saving for college right away. As a parent, you have the option of setting up a college savings account. With a Coverdell education savings account or a college 529 plan, you can set aside money and invest it for your child’s education. The earnings from the investments are never taxed as long as the money is used for college.

Estate Planning

When planning the future for your kids, you should also make sure that you engage in estate planning. By engaging in estate planning, you will be able to determine what happens to your possessions and your kids when you pass away. If you have children that are still minors, you need to create a will so that you can name a legal guardian for them. This way, if you pass away, your kids will not have to go through the state system or go to a foster family. Instead, your kids will go exactly where you want them to go.

In addition to naming a guardian, you may also want to make sure that your kids inherit your assets when you pass away. In some cases, setting up a trust is the best approach to take. With a trust, you can turn your property over to a trustee who will watch over it for you until your kids are old enough to inherit it. At that point, your kids can inherit the property that you wanted them to have and start enjoying it. Creating a will or trust is not difficult and usually only takes a few minutes to complete.

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February 27th, 2012

Written by my friend Otis Buckley

In this technology based world, it is a no brainer, I suppose, for businesses to use television to send the viewers to their website for information. I am one of those who, because my computer sits open to the internet beside me as I watch television, will go to a site advertised on television to view the product or service. Just this past weekend, I reviewed www.satellitetv-hq.com and several other products and services including health and wellness, magazines, and an insurance company. I have found some great deals in the past just from having an inquiring mind and a computer with internet close by. And, while I was later than most purchasing it, I can now do all of that from my iPhone, which can be a lot of fun. Searching from your phone is so convenient that it can be a little addictive! It is no wonder, I am behind on my reading. I spend too much time playing with my cell phone! The most addictive part of it, though, is playing Words with Friends!

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January 27th, 2012

Guest post written by Rosalie Moss

One thing that I’ve wanted for so long is a little dressing area for me to use when I’m getting ready in the mornings. We don’t’ have a very large house, but we do have a little closet that’s spare that I’m finally going to turn into a little dressing room. Now, I don’t expect to be able to stick all my closet in there, but it’s big enough for a vanity and should hold most of my accessories.

When I was online looking up for some info on how exactly I could do that in such a small space, I ran across some info on Windows from Sears. That’s one thing that I’ve thought that we needed replaced in our household for a while now, so we’re going to use Sears to do that for us.

I found a nice little compact vanity to fit perfectly into the closet. Now I just need to make sure that I find adequate shelving units to fit all of my purses and other accessories. (My shoes are staying in the regular closet.)

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January 24th, 2012

Having our little girl made the hubby’s mind even busier. He’s one who has a lot of things in mind, all the time. He’s one whose mind goes fast forward, ten to twenty years ahead.

Now he is thinking of a lot of things that require huge capital. Like investing in real estate or a small business or switching jobs or saving up for a college fund. I hope he learns about the best merchant financing options before he makes the big decisions.

There’s nothing wrong with looking ahead and being prepared but I’m more into living in the present and ceasing the moment. Like if rather hold the baby and play with her while she’s little instead of spending time on the computer researching about what she’s gonna need ten years later. I mean, we don’t even know if we’d still be here by then.

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January 4th, 2012

The hubby was checking job listings again the other day. And he found quite a good number of openings at the location where he wishes to work. But the military is not something you can just leave behind, there are a lot of things to be considered. I’m surprised that there are now openings in his field; wonder if there are also the same opportunities for Veterinarian Jobs. The economy may really be picking up now. That’s a good thing. Wish when the hubby really decides that he wants to be civilian again, there will be a job waiting for him.

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December 29th, 2011

Out of sheer curiosity, I read about hydraulic power units and what they are used for. My understanding of these machines goes as far as… Well, they’re high-power machines. Despite the massive amount of information available on the internet, I failed to understand what these things are for. Well, I guess, it’s for a man’s brain to understand. Seemingly, all the information that my brain can retain now are baby-related stuff. Anyways, it doesn’t seem to be in my fate to be involved in a field with these kind of machinery.

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December 29th, 2011

Guest written by our friend Mason Abbott

I’m really glad that we have DVR with DIRECT TV¬, but I am beginning to regret putting The Grinch on it. I put it on there for our two-year-old son a few weeks ago because I thought it would be a good movie to get him and the rest of our family in the holiday spirit. However, I had no idea that our son would want to watch it over and over each day. I have had to limit him to watching it two times per day. I really do not like him watching much TV anyway, but the second the movie is over, he always yells, “Watch it again mommy?” I have thought about deleting it all together from the DVR, but I am afraid that he would have an epic melt down and I decided that I need to pick my battles with him and this is one that is just not worth the fight. It was not until lately that he has gotten into watching TV, but I think he really enjoys it. I have to be careful because it would be so easy to sit him in front of the TV and let him watch it all day so I could get some stuff done around the house.

 

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December 21st, 2011

In more or less than six months, I’m going to have to fit into a dress for a friend’s church wedding. This may be the first time after I have had a baby that I would have to dress up. I’m part of her entourage, and so is my baby. Aside from style, I now have to consider comfort and ability to move in a dress because I’m not only attending a party, but also taking care of a baby. But most of all, I have to have the right body for my dress.

I’m thinking about trying yoga to get in shape. It’s something that I can do quietly while the baby sleeps. How else do you expect me to start but to shop? I checked out some sites and found so many accessories. I don’t know which to purchase first. Yoga mats? Outfits? Maybe some thera bands? Instructional DVD? Geez! I wish I thought of this earlier so I would have given somebody a hint on what Christmas present to give me. J/K ;p

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