Money Life Debt

Beware of Automotive Places like Sears!!!

2009-07-01T11:58:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to talk about my recent experience with Sears Automotive. I needed new brakes for my truck. I knew this because you could hear some scrubbing and feel some shaking when you were stopping. It had just started, but I know all too well, the sooner you take care of something like this the better. Well, I have a credit card at Sears and they offer free break inspections at their shops. So I took it in and came out with an estimation of like $425. They said I needed new rotors and brake pads in the front and that the back drums needed resurfacing. So I was like Whoa...$425. I realize some of you people out there might not blink an eye at this or be like I used to be. I would rationalize ..well its gotta be done and they are the pros, they know what needs to be done. And sometimes we as people can just be plain lazy and say, well I have the car here now. So I might as well let them do it. Why should we have to worry about a big retailer like Sears trying to "take us for a ride" and to just squeeze money out of us? Well, now I have proof that we will just as quick as any other shop.

I decided to see if my cousin would help me change the brakes out. Its one of the easier jobs to do on a vehicle. So we pulled the front tires off and saw that the pads needed replacing--no problem those can run as low as $14.99! We took the rotors off and thought that we could just have them resurfaced rather than replaced like Sears had said.--by the way--I have the estimate printout listing everything that they said I needed.-- Well we went to O' Reilly's Auto parts and they determined that one could be turned(only $10) and one had to be replaced. So we did that and went home and replaced that the front brakes, rotors, and tires correctly. Then we went to the back tires to check things out. We took those tires off and the drum covers and determined that the pads and the drums were fine. They needed nothing done at this time. Unlike what Sears stated. Can you believe that?

Drum roll please........ I only spent $100.57 for parts and labor----I saved $325.00! And just as important I relearned a valuable lesson..be wary of places that can easily take your money. Dont be afraid to get a second estimate or find a friend or a relative that can either do the work or that you can help do the work and pay alot less and still not have to worry that things were fixed incorrectly!

Corn and Beans!

2009-06-28T19:38:00.003-04:00

Today I decided to pick an ear of sweet corn and some of my snap beans. I have never grown and eaten anything from a garden, so I was a little apprehensive to say the least. Then I jumped online to see how you can tell if they actually ready and how the best way is to prepare them. The corn was the biggest available, but it may have still been just a wee bit small. I decided to give them both a try since everything seemed fine. I found online that you can just throw the corn, husk and all, in the microwave and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. I put the beans in a bowl of water and heated them for about 8 minutes or so. Added a little salt and some butter to the final product, and guess what? It was delicious! The corn kernels were just a bit small--but everything tasted great. I added pictures and included a picture of my largest pumpkin to date. Two of them are about this size--about the size of a softball or a little bigger! Wow, if everything dies from here on out, today's bounty made having the garden worthwhile. Plus the satisfaction of watching it grow has been fun too!

RIP--Gone Too Soon!

2009-06-26T22:56:00.004-04:00

I just wanted to say rest in peace to Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, and David Carradine. The first three really played a part in my life. As a kid, I idolized Michael and at the age of 8 I would do my best MJ moves at the drop of a hat or when his songs played. Although we grow up with out much--and definitely never had the latest style or fad---my brother and especially I had to have a Michael Jackson t shirt and we eventually got the parachute pants. I dont think we ever got the jacket or glove! Things every kid had to have!

I remember Farrah from one of my favorite shows--Charlie's Angels. I remember naming her as a celebrity crush at a young age--prompted by a school project. I dont think I really had one--but I remember her being very pretty in her younger days.

Ed McMahon was Johnny Carson's sidekick for years. I loved The Tonight Show growing up and I know Ed and Johnny had me laughing many times. I watched Star Search -which he hosted. And I know I wished many times he would show up at my door with Publishers Clearing House!!

I dont remember David Carradine as much from his older stuff--although Im sure I watched him since I used to love to watch the Kung Fu shows as a kid. I know he was good in Kill Bill!

I know that you can find fault with all of these people. I know I can too! But this is to honor the good things they did in their lives! Every person has faults and none of them are exceptions to having faults or even bad things in their lives. I tend to hold on to the memories of positive aspects of a person!

Harris Teeter Doubles Coupons up to $1.98

2009-06-25T23:25:00.003-04:00

I picked up a few things from Harris Teeter and saved a ton. Several items were free and some for next to nothing. If you are lucky enough to live by one, this week is a good one to save some money. Deal Seeking Mom can let you in on a few of the deals. Good luck!

Garden Update

2009-06-24T10:53:00.007-04:00

Well these pictures are about a week old now, but look how much the garden has taken off. Some are actually starting to show some vegetables. Beans, corn, and pumpkins are showing. Also, the cantaloupe, potatoes, peppers, and others seem to be growing fine right now. I am kinda just growing the garden for fun. I mean it would be great to actually be able to eat and give away some of the things I have grown. I have my doubts if they will actually grow to maturity since I have never really done this before. So I will believe it when I see it! If anything, I can take a sense of success with the level the garden is at now. I mean, I don't know how square foot gardening makes it. Everything seems to be growing so well right now--the pumpkin vines are everywhere and everything seems to have grown so much "together". I wonder if they will allow each other to continue to grow.

I sold it on Craigslist !!

2009-06-17T22:20:00.002-04:00

Has anybody noticed how resourceful and how many people seem to be using Craigslist? I sold my Jeep Grand Cherokee last week on there. This week I was able to find something for a very good deal. I downsized into a vehicle two years older than my Jeep. The two transactions went very smooth.There seems to be a ton of activity on there daily. I know because I have been surfing it quite a bit lately. Its not just limited to cars and trucks. Name it and you can probably find it or sell it in there. Check it out!

NC Zoo

2009-06-14T11:05:00.004-04:00

We are fortunate to live about 20 to 25 minutes away from our state zoo. A zoo is a great place to visit for the family and it doesnt cost that much money if you plan your meals accordingly.My son, who is 3 now, has been asking me about going since I mentioned it a few weeks ago. We have taken him a couple of times before and taken pictures from those visits. However, I guess now he is getting to the point were he can remember things first hand. This past Monday we decided to go. We also took my nephew, Blake, who is five. He had spent the night the night before. That was also a first--Ryan's first sleepover! You should have seen how happy and excited he was for the sleepover. Plus, the next day was probably better for him to have a friend to share it with.We made sure to take some snacks and bottled water and juice bags and the camera--gotta have that! The zoo has a North American side to visit and an African side to visit. There is alot of walking, but there are plenty of benches to take a break and places to stop along the way. This year the zoo features some new baby giraffes! They even built a new deck from which you can feed the giraffes. Right now it is free to feed them, so we ventured in for a look. I think due to poor planning --no one was able to actually feed them. The deck is just built into the natural habitat enclosure, which is probably 3 or 4 football fields long. Of course, all 4 or 5 giraffes were on the other end of the enclosure along with the ostriches and the zebras. Dont get me wrong, you can see the animals from several different points around the enclosure, but you can only feed them from that one spot. I just couldnt see paying to feed the animals if you can not actually do that and the kids couldnt get the thrill of them being so close.

All in all, it was a good day. It was a little hot but we managed that fine too. It was definitely a hit with the kids. I definitely recommend the NC Zoo and hitting your local zoo to save money and still have a nice day out. A Daycation!

The Garden is Growing!

2009-06-02T22:39:00.005-04:00

Well, being the novice gardener that I am, I am glad to say that my garden is still growing. We are at about a month and a half of growing. I started everything from seeds, so to me that they even sprouted was an accomplishment. My fear is that they will not continue to grow and produce or that they will die altogether.

Harris Teeter Triple Coupons

2009-05-30T12:13:00.004-04:00

Well, I headed back to Harris Teeter several times to stock up. I could not resist the free deals. Above is a picture from my second trip. I also went back again, not pictured, and saved a ton of money. All together for these trips I spent $18.82! And I saved $37.19 in Vic store sales, and I saved $130.86 with coupons! That gives me a grand total of $168.05 in savings!

If you add these trips with my first trip I saved a total of $226.69 and only spent $19.44!

Walmart Sale on Pepsi Products

2009-05-28T22:39:00.002-04:00

We like both Pepsi and Coke in our household. So whenever we can get a deal on any one of the two, we try to take advantage. Pepsi is on sale this week at Walmart for $2.48 a piece! There is a $1 off a Pepsi product 12 pack at Target on their website. Well, Walmart accepts competitor's coupons. So today I bought 10 packs of Pepsi, as you can see above for $1.48 a piece. Regular price usually runs $4.99 to $5.99 and sales rarely come down to $2.50 anymore---mostly hovering at $3.00. So anyway if you go by the $5.99 price__depending on what store you go to-- 10 would come to $59.90. I bought 10 at $1.48 a piece for a total 0f $14.80 plus tax! I saved $45.10 if you by this scenario!

Walmart Deal on Razors

2009-05-28T22:14:00.003-04:00

Bic Soleil--used coupon for $3 off-- price was$4.64-- total $1.64 plus tax

Shick Quattro-coupon for $4 off-- price was $5.94($1 off sale)--total $1.94 plus tax

Wow, This Stuff Really Works!! Harris Teeter Triple Coupons

2009-05-27T22:00:00.006-04:00

Last night I found that Tara at Deal Seeking Mom had posted about the grocery store, Harris Teeter's, upcoming triple coupon week. She referenced another new site to me who had an extensive list of match ups by Jenny at Southern Savers. So I gathered a list from her site and I grabbed my coupons to start finding and matching up the deals. As you can see in the picture above, I was able to buy alot of stuff for only 62 cents--that was sales tax! I saved $45.55 in coupons and $13.09 in Vic store savings for a grand total of $58.64 saved!!! Some of the products I would not normally buy because of the higher prices. Or some products,I would normally buy the store brand, but they are all things that we will use. I must say that I would have even bought more, but the store limits you to twenty coupons and I used all twenty! I plan on making another trip, maybe tomorrow. Also, I just tried to buy items that I could get for free. There are tons of items that you can get at significant discounts.

The Biggest Loser

2009-05-20T13:06:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to say congratulations to the winner of this year's show "The Biggest Loser". Helen from Sterling Heights, Michigan at 48 years of age became the winner by losing 140 pounds. Yes there were others to lose more weight, but she lost the biggest weight percentage of her body weight.The show is really inspirational! It makes me happy to see these people "want it" so bad, and its great to see them actually achieve their goals.
I have never weighed a huge amount of weight myself. But I did get up to 230 pounds a couple of years ago. That was alot for me, and it was really starting to show on me and my belly. I am currently hovering at 200 pounds! When I was in high school so many years ago, I was always super skinny.I think I was around 155 to 165 pounds and I was the same height I am today at 6 feet. I eventually had the mindset that I needed to get bigger, stronger, and more muscular. I hit the gym on a regular basis and lifted weights and played basketball and would do tons of cardio. Then a few years ago when our son came along, I found that I had almost completely cut the going to the gym out and had become huge on eating fast food. The job I had, delivering furniture out of state, entailed a fast pace. I basically didnt have time to eat healthy. We ate as cheap as possible too in order to save money. So lots of times we ate off the dollar menu at McDonalds and I would bring a cooler full of drinks to help save money again. You would think that carrying that furniture would help keep the weight off and it probably did some. But I never grew up wanting to be a truck driver and alot of it got old. Although I like to travel and see new places, I like to be at home too. I wanted to see my son grow up and help him along the way. Well, eventually I stopped doing the trucking thing.

I saw that all the years of trying to get "bigger" and then the time driving a truck and not eating healthy or exercising led to a chubby Jamey. I decided to cut out alot of the junk food and start to get back to the gym. I had almost sworn off eating out--to save money and to help watch my waistline. I think I look better thinner , and my years of trying to gain weight have reversed. Now I needed to lose some pounds! I did too, almost 30 pounds over a period of maybe a year and a half. I lost 20 pounds pretty quick, and that was really gratifying when people noticed. The other weight has been a little slower coming off. I think I want to lose another 10 pounds or so. That would put me at 190 pounds. I think I need to tighten back up on my diet. Diet is crucial to weight loss!

Congratulations again to Helen and all of the other participants in the show! Bob and Jillian, the personal trainers, do a great job motivating the participants to accomplish their goals. You can see it really is life changing!

Craigslist

2009-05-14T22:15:00.003-04:00

Have you ever sold anything on Craigslist? How about gotten anything for free? I have found myself using the site quite a bit this year. Really before this year, I hadn't even been on the site. I had used Ebay tons in the past, and searched for items on it even more. I find that Craigslist has become very useful for a variety of reasons. You can buy and sell items, get or give away free items, and even find a job. The things you can do here goes on and on!

I decided to sell an item last week. It was a kitchen table that I had found! That's right, found! I didn't pay a dime for it. I know some people may turn their nose up at this. I live more in the country than in the city. Since we do not have city services, you would have to pay extra for someone to pick up your trash through an independent service. It's new to me! I lived in the city all my life. So rather than pay for the service, I just get rid of our trash when I go out somewhere. Any dumpster will do, and we really do not create that much trash. So one day I stopped at a dumpster to throw a bag away and I happened to see a kitchen table laying to the side. It was in two pieces-the base and the top. I took a look at it and decided to put it in my jeep. I just cleaned it up and I used my sander on the wooden top. The base was a black, faux iron and the top had a natural wood finish. I just lightly sanded over the top and it looked great! I didnt even put a clear coat of polyurethane or anything. I listed it on Craigslist for $35 just to get it to "move". It was definitely worth even more- even without chairs. A lady asked me if I would take $25 through an email response. I was like sure, why not, I didnt have any money in it. I must admit I was a little wary of how the actual transaction would go.I mean a stranger is coming to your house and you dont know them or if they will just hand the money over and go--lol. She said she would come on Saturday morning and pick it up. Her husband actually came at about 10 am and picked it up and paid with no problem. Well one glitch, I guess his wife didnt tell him there were no chairs. Once he confirmed with her on the phone, he paid and I helped him load it up. That was it! It was simple and great! $25 isn't a huge sum, but its nothing to complain about! One more side note, my brother actually bought a used car through the site. He is very happy with his Honda now! So you can see, Craigslist can be very useful and you just might make some extra cash by using the site. Can you sell some of your personal belongings around the house?

Kmart and Target Savings!

2009-05-07T20:42:00.003-04:00

Today I ran across a deal on Deal Seeking Moms site and a new site to me, We Don't Pay Retail(a name I like--clever!). They had a coupon for a dollar off any 12 pack of any coke product. Soft drinks are definitely a vice around here at my house! I am sorry to say that the coupon has been taken down or has reached it's limit. There was some controversy whether the coupon was actually legit. I had to say that I was a little worried about if I could use them. But I decided that I am with one of the commenter's on the post--I believe Suzanne--Isn't it up to the manufacturer to limit how many coupons it is letting out on its products? She says it best, so check out her comment.

Well before we went to the gym today, Ryan and I went to Walmart to mainly check the current price of Coke's(not on sale--Pepsi is right now--we are not picky on those two brands) and to pick up trash bags. I still had the $10 off Aveeno Products coupon that I found out about through The Thrifty Mama from a couple of weeks ago. I previously posted that I tried to use them at Target and that I had no luck. Today at Walmart I decided to try to use them again. I found three small lotions for $2.97 each. I must say that ,of course,I could have bought what I really wanted in the Aveeno Brand and just saved $10. However, I am really more about getting things for free and saving as much money as I can. So along with some bottled water, trash bags, and some oatmeal for Ryan(that he at 3 so persistently reminded me that we needed once we pulled into the parking lot. And I never once told him that I was going to buy it or put the idea in his head. He just came up with it on his own--hilarious right?)So anyway along with these items we were able to get the 3 lotions for free. Alright!

After the gym we went to Kmart and then to Target. Kmart had a better deal on Pepsi again. However, I had one more $10 off coupon for Aveeno products that I decided to use. That's all we were going to buy, and the cashier rang them up and they took the coupon off for me. The same type of lotion that I bought at Walmart was priced at $3.19 each here. They took a whole $10 off and left me with part of the tax. 22 Cents! That is all I paid! Great right? Plus I tried to ask 2 different women when they thought they might have the double coupons again in Greensboro and they said they didn't know.

Then we went to Target. I was mainly browsing. I tried to find at the front kiosks one of the coupons mentioned one of the sites I look at--they said you could get like $5 off a $20 purchase. I couldnt find that. Anyways, I found that they had Coke products on sale for $3 each. Usually around here, the best deal you can find is $2.50 for a 12 pack. I must add that you dont see that very often anymore either--although Pepsi is $2.75 a 12 pack at Walmart right now or the other day when I bought some. So $3 isn't bad, just not the killer sale I was hoping to find! I decided to go ahead and buy 4 and I used 4 of the $1 off coupons that I had. So that brought them down to 4 for $8 or $2 each or about 17 cent a piece. Again great, especially compared to if you bought them at 5 to 6 dollars a piece(which I almost never do--will do without first)! I didnt have any problem with the coupons either!

Manny Ramirez-Los Angeles Dodger

2009-05-07T20:27:00.002-04:00

One of baseballs so called stars, who recently signed a huge contract, has been found guilty of substance abuse through the league's drug testing. He was suspended for a total of 50 games! He will lose 7 million of his 25 million dollar contract. Of course, he said that he was prescribed something by his doctor called HCG that he didn't know was a banned substance in the MLB. I am not really trying to judge him. However, I didn't make the rules! If they ban steroids, then why can't these top players stay away from the juice? I really dont care if they legalize steroids. I am not saying it sets a good example for today's youth, because it doesn't. I mean all the top players and the highest paid players are taking them--also Alex Rodriguez. Don't make it a "hush, hush" issue behind closed doors that players are still secretly doping. Or do extensive testing ..say tomorrow.. to weed all the roid heads out. How is it fair to award the cheaters with millions and millions of dollars? Level the playing field once and for all!

Saturday Update

2009-05-02T13:43:00.002-04:00

We wrapped up Furniture Market last week! Made a little money, but now I am technically unemployed again. I have been trying to make connections--and I have made a few- to start a small business. I will share more about that at a later time. I have been working with my container garden. I am really lost in knowing what to do! Am I under watering or over watering? Some of the plants are really starting to take off--which is really exciting. I designated one container as my son's and Ryan really likes that. Plus we water the plants and check on their progress together. I have been disappointed that some of the plants dont seem to be taking off at all-maybe its too early?? I dont know! Outside the pumpkins, corn, beans, and melons are sprouting like crazy in its raised bed. In containers outside the lettuce has taken off. The flowers and peppers inside and outside seem not to be doing much. But the beans inside seem to take off really well. Again exciting, but when and how do I transplant? I mean I have looked on the Net but I dont know what I am doing(lol). Also, I am happy to report that one of my crepe myrtles that I bought last year at a huge discount and planted has really blossomed this spring. I was worried that they might be dead. I planted one other one, but the jury is still out on whether that one will grow or not. Last year I also made a flower bed from landscaping stones I brought from our old house. The other day I started a new flower bed on the other side of the porch. I think landscaping is fun--I am not sure why-lol! Also I think every home looks better with some yard work and landscaping. Ryan had a soccer game this morning. He looks sharp in his all black, but being one of the youngest--just turned 3--maybe I should have waited a year or two. He talks a good game, but on the field he and alot of the other kids are easily distracted. I hate to say it but our coach doesnt seem very motivated to actually coach--except for his own girl of course. At least make it fun! I am just hoping that in a few years he will be ahead of the game.

Furniture Capital of the World

2009-04-25T10:08:00.002-04:00

High Point, NC has long billed itself as the furniture capital of the world. In the past, the city and many surrounding cities built alot of furniture. Among the cities are Thomasville and Lexington--very popular names in the furniture business. Well, something that grew and maintains somewhat today is what we call Furniture Market. They have two markets a year, one in April and one in October. The market has been known to pull around 80,000 people to a city that only boasts about 95,000 to 100,000 residents. People come from all over the world and definitely from all over the U.S. There are buyers and sellers from many companies big and small. Also, twice a year they have premarkets that bring in people before the actual markets start. This of course brings a ton of money to our area. They are other furniture markets held around the country, but we are told that we are consistently the largest and best.

Well, it is that time of the year for the spring market. People have been gradually arriving in the area. The economy has been slowing the last few markets down and alot of the manufacturers and stores around here have either gone out of business or shipped themselves overseas. That's not to say that alot of companies are not left. Although the manufacturers are leaving, many businesses still house the furniture here and ship it out through the country. Of course, with that many people arriving in town the local restaurants and hotels see a huge increase in business.

I have been lucky enough to have a connection to a restaurant that I worked at for many years. I started there when I was 18! I have done every job imaginable there from waiting tables, cooking, bartending and even a stint as the manager.The place is called Austin's Steakhouse. Well, many times they ask me to come back and work the markets which ends being about 10 to 12 days of night shifts. The place is only a couple of miles away from the hustle and bustle of the downtown market activity. Lots of times I have made great money. I remember one market making about $200 to $250 a night-awesome!! Most years you can count on $100 a night. The last couple of markets have been much lower- $37, $27, $68, and last night I made $105 waiting tables. We still have about a week to go, so maybe things will be more consistent. Either way, I am just happy to be seeing some money come my way.

Container Garden

2009-04-21T16:02:00.006-04:00

I bought a bunch of seeds, some fertilizer, and the container in the last picture all on sale at Kmart.I then recycled some older containers(some not shown here) to start the seeds off in, and I made a wooden frame to start some of the vegetables off. I hope to start a good mix of flowers and vegetables here. It looks like I am off to a decent start! As you can see, some of the seeds are already beginning to sprout. I have always enjoyed doing yard work and some landscaping. I have planted flowers many times and a couple of trees and bushes with pretty good success. I posted about trying cucumbers last year. They didn't do well at all. I have often thought about trying a garden, and I thought this would be an easy way to start one. By the way, the plant in the middle is one I have had for many years.I actually have three in my house right now. My mom used to have these in her house. I like them and they always remind me of her. She even planted a garden a couple of times and did pretty well. But about the plant, it is so easy to start a new plant from a clipping off of the original plant. You can just clip a piece off and pretty much stick it in some dirt and it will start growing. I decided to try and start two more! Maybe I will hang these on the front porch! If you guys have any tips on what I should be doing for my container garden, I will gladly listen. I will need all the advice I can get!

No Great Deals--but Still Got Some Free Items!!

2009-04-17T22:48:00.004-04:00

I guess I got pumped up from the great Purex deal--by the way I heard that they stopped the promo(I got lucky on that one!!). So I was reading The Thrifty Mama , and saw all these great deals at Target and something to look into at Walgreens and CVS. So Ryan and I made a day of it, along with our trip to the gym. We then hit Hardees for a burger--only because I had a BOGO free Little Thickburger. That cost about $2.50! Then we drove across the street to see the Paul Blart-Mall Cop movie at the $1 movie theatre.By the way, it was a little corny, but great for only a dollar! It cost a $1!! Ryan was free! I am going to just post my comment on Thrifty Mama's site--some of it kinda shorthand, because it seemed to be a long post...Here that is:

Ok --my experience today in Target--I saw all these great deals, and thought, hey, I have to try. I most wanted to get the Aveeno products. Ok, so I signed up and I got the 3 coupons fine--I figured out that if you hit the back button on your browser, you could actually print them a second time. At Target--only found small tubes of lotion for $2.99 each---grabbed 3.Cashier tried to scan--computer wouldnt let her do something--she called supervisor over, and he said since they werent the "ageless" they couldnt do it. Ok, so I went to another Target--didnt even have anything for that cheap!
Axe trial size--grabbed 2. Got those for free.
Printed salad ones.No Super Targets here-some food--but no salad--
Printed one coupon for the mac bowls on the target coupons--coupon.com must have taken the coupon off for the mac.Didnt get that.
Dry Idea was on sale for $2--bought 2 for my girlfriend(free)--hope she will use it
Hersheys Bliss--nothing marked down--both stores were $3.56, so I didnt buy that
Wanted fruit snacks--looked by register--couldnt find them

Sorry for the long comment--just wanted to say alot of that must be regional-I only came away with 2 deoderants and two trial body washes. But I saved $9.68 there.

Then at CVS I bought the SOBE Lifewater --4 of them for only 6 cents. I combined the stores BOGO together with the manufacturer coupon of BOGO. I saved $5.96 there!

CVS Savings--Free Again!!

2009-04-16T19:32:00.004-04:00

Thanks to DealSeekingMom.com I ran across this deal. You can go on Coupons.com and see if the coupon is available in your area. On the site you should look for a coupon that has Purex for Buy One, Get One Free(BOGO) up to a $7 value. You can print two by pushing the back button on your browser after you print the first one. Then you can go to CVS, which is currently running its' own BOGO at its' stores. I technically got all four items, valued at $6.99 each for a total savings of $27.96, for FREE!! The only catch was that I had to pay the tax on the items. It came to a grand total of 94 cents!! That's what I call a great deal!

I want to note a couple of things. I didnt even know you could double up the BOGO store and manufacturer deals like this. And I must admit, that I was a little worried if it was actually going to work. Everything went smooth though, and I came out feeling great! Also, I am usually one of those people that have to stick to one name brand for washing powders. I have always used Gain . However, when items are free like this, how can you not try other products? One other thing I noticed is that to me the bottles seem small. But as you can see on the picture, two of them will do 32 loads and the other two will do 24 loads. Its all about saving money and when it comes free--trust me, I can't complain!!

Entrepreneur Corner--Bob Parsons- The Man Behind GoDaddy.com

2009-04-16T18:57:00.005-04:00

Have you seen the commercials? GoDaddy's most known ones usually appear on Super Bowl Day. Sexual inuendo and appeal, celebrity, and sports are used to promote a site that mainly registers new domain names. We all have seen that! But do you know anything about the man behind the successful business/website?

The man seems to have been an over achiever all of his life.Here is some info about him from his own blog.Bob Parsons is the CEO and Founder of The Go Daddy Group, Inc. Parsons joined the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and received the Combat Action Ribbon, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and a Purple Heart Medal. Upon his return, Parsons enrolled in the University of Baltimore where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant.

A serial entrepreneur, Parsons’ first endeavor was Parsons Technology, a software company he started in his basement in 1984, after teaching himself how to write computer programs. After creating the company’s initial software, MoneyCounts and Personal Tax Edge, Parsons used direct mail marketing to sell these and subsequent products.

When Parsons Technology was sold to Intuit, Inc. in 1994 for $64 million dollars, the company had nearly 1,000 employees, $100 million in annual revenue and three million customers. At the time, Parsons Technology sold more than 100 products, was releasing a new product or significant product upgrade every six days, and was sending more than six million pieces of direct marketing mail each month.

In 1997, Parsons started Jomax Technologies, using funds from the sale of Parsons Technology. He renamed the company Go Daddy in 1999, and in 2000, Go Daddy became an ICANN-accredited domain name registrar.To read more click here.

Also, Bob has built his company through sponsoring celebrities and having commercial endorsements in racing like Danica Patrick. Also in Nascar, GoDaddy has been sponsoring Dale Earnhardt, Jr and his driver Brad Keselowski in cup races and in the Nationwide series.

Interestingly, Bob has 16 rules that he has followed since he was a humble youth through to his huge success today.Here are the first six. Click on this link to read the rest.

1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone.
I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."

2. Never give up.
Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.

3. When you’re ready to quit, you’re closer than you think.
There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."

4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be.
Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, "Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat you."

5. Focus on what you want to have happen.
Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."

6. Take things a day at a time.
No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.

The New Tourney Town--Greensboro Coliseum Rakes in Millions

2009-04-14T21:44:00.002-04:00

The city of Greensboro, centrally located in North Carolina, has something to be proud of. First of all, the Gate City is located about an hour and half each way from the state's two biggest cities. Charlotte is on one side and our state capital ,Raleigh,is located towards the eastern side. Greensboro still has a long way to go before it catches the likes of these two big cities in population and prestige. However, one way Greensboro is carving its' own identity is with its coliseum. The city is lucky to have had the foresight nearly 50 years ago to conceive this complex and actually implement the idea. Tim Rice, in our Greensboro News & Record, reported that the coliseum has drawn in hundreds of millions of dollars to our area.

The city hosted the Women's ACC Tournament recently and then hosted the first two rounds of the Men's NCAA Tournament. Those two events filled our town's hotel's and restaurant's and the total economic impact was estimated at $23 to $25 million. Attendance records were set for both events. The women's tourney mark was set at 73,187 and the men had the highest attendance of any 1st and 2nd round site at 62,711. Rice is hoping along with the rest of us that we earn the title of "Tourney Town".

Basketball has been great, but the coliseum has pulled in big numbers in the music area as well. Concerts like Bon Jovi,The Eagles, The Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen, and an upcoming sold out Taylor Swift have come or are still coming and people are showing up in droves. Also, Greensboro landed the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships that will bring in thousands from around the country and should yield an estimated $30 million impact. The coliseum has been hosting 750 to 850 events a year, and the city thinks we can still do better.

The city has an approved swim center through a bond referendum that should be started in the near future, and it will possibly be located on the coliseum property. Also, the proposed ACC Hall of Champions might be built on the site. $2 million has already been awarded by the state for this project.

As you can see, Greensboro, has done a good job in promoting itself through the help of the coliseum. But I ask, what will it take to be great? What will it take to have Greensboro mentioned in the same breath as other large cities across our nation? It takes leadership and planning! We have to build on what we have done but not stop there. When the economy rebounds, Greensboro might be able to position itself to make a charge. The coliseum can only help!

Gardening 101-Grow 100 lbs. of Potatoes in 4 Square Feet

2009-04-12T10:45:00.004-04:00

I always have enjoyed working out in the yard. I like to landscape, mow, trim bushes, and to plant and grow flowers. The flowers have always turned out pretty well and with not a lot of effort. It's amazing what a little color and curb appeal can do for a home as well. Along this same line, I have often thought about growing a few vegetables. A small garden, nothing too big.Being raised in the city, gardens are not as common.However, my mom had done one before. Also, when I was a child my next door neighbors--considerably older(The Cannon's)-- They had a garden that I remember my brother and I taking an interest in. Anyway last year I decided to buy a few cucumber plants from the local Lowes. I planted them in a flower bed, in a corner kind of by themselves. They seemed to start out really well. The vines seemed to take off within a matter of weeks. I gave them some Miracle Grow and plenty of water. After a while, you could see little flowers emerge. My girlfriend's mom told me that when you see them that the cucumbers should be coming next. Shortly thereafter, I did see a couple of cucumbers growing. It was exciting! I mean you just put a few plants in the dirt and,voila, up comes something you grew and could eat. It never happened though because for some reason they started to wilt and to die off. I think we got a lot of rain at one point. Could that be why, too much water?? Either way, that was my first try at gardening and it didn't work out too well. Does anybody have any tips on what a novice could grow?

Well, I haven't given completely up on the idea of growing something. Now times are desperate and it would be great to save a few more dollars and to get more healthy choices in our kitchen. Anyway, that brings me to why I wrote about this topic. Yesterday, I was surfing the Internet and ran across LifeHacker's website. The site had a great post on how to grow potatoes. It seems easy for a novice like me, and something that I might try.

Excerpt:
Potatoes seem like the kind of plant you'd need a substantial garden for—the kind your grandparents had, right? Actually, tubers aren't all that picky, and you can harvest a whole lot from almost any yard. Check out the rest of the story here. This was submitted to the site by a Jason Fitzpatrick. However, he referenced the info from another source, The Seattle Times, here.

CVS--A Coupon Adventure;All Free!!

2009-04-08T22:38:00.004-04:00

I am still watching our spending and trying to save money when possible. I look at other coupon blogs and see where the deals are at. They will tell you the store, the sale price, and where to look for the coupons. There just happens to be a CVS right by the gym I work out at, so it is convenient to stop in. You can see the five items I bought tonight. As the title says, all free! How about them apples!

Pringles--88 cents on sale a piece(reg $1.99) ---I had a buy 2, get a $1 off coupon=76 cents total

Colgate Toothpaste--$2.99--CVS gave $2 ECB's(like $2 coupon on next purchase)75 cents coupon= 24 cents total

Shick Int Razors(for girlfriend)--$9.99 a piece--BOGO also Buy One Get One Free--1 coupon for $4 off each one- $1.99 total price

I had some ECB's left from a previous visit- I used six dollars worth of ECB's to pay and I still have $5 worth ECB's left---using those CVS credits brought my total to zero! How about that, not too bad for a dad! If you haven't noticed, razors can cost you an arm and a leg these days so I am always looking for great deals on them(as you can see, this was one of them).

Lil Rascals-Future David Beckham!

2009-04-08T22:31:00.006-04:00

Tonight after hitting the gym, Ryan and I headed out to his third soccer practice. He had his first game ever this past Saturday. Today was the first time we have practiced outside, because for the last two weeks it has rained on practice day. It was still cool tonight, but I bundled him up and practice went great.

13 Innovative Ways to Stimulate the Economy

2009-04-08T12:40:00.002-04:00

Aol Story Here is some food for thought in new ways to stimulate the economy that I read on AOL.

Brainstorming for a Better Economy
Politicians and policy wonks have been working overtime to come up with ways to stimulate the economy. But many of their best ideas -- from investing in infrastructure, to cutting taxes, to bailing out banks -- seem pretty stale by now.

T.Boone Pickens-- Part 2-- The Energy Plan

2009-04-07T18:14:00.002-04:00

Mr. Pickens has an energy plan that he has been promoting since the last presidential election in the USA. This is a man who has made billions. He has also given away millions of dollars in his lifetime to various charities and his Alma mater. Indeed, he is a man that should be listened to. Lately he has been promoting alternative energy sources such as his favorite, natural gas. Its his choice for America's future as a fuel choice. He promotes starting with the countries transportation systems like buses and garbage trucks. He also likes electric/hybrid, ethanol, and solar power as options. He makes a valid point in asking about where the source of electricity comes from, noting that it is not cheap to produce. Other interesting points of note in the book is dealing with water. As with oil, water is also finite. An estimate is that roughly 75% of the Earth is water. Only 1% of that is deemed drinkable! Lots of countries have scarcity issues as well as clean water issues. We have even seen drought issues here in the United States recently. We all know that wars have been fought over oil, and he claims that wars of the next century could be fought over water. He states that water will get more valuable and that its prices will go up. As populations increase, so does the problem with water.Next up we need to think of energy sources such as wind power. Pickens built the largest wind farm in the Texas Panhandle. Wind is a clean energy source, its readily available, domestic, and a renewable natural resource. Wind power does not create any pollution! The one downside is the way they look. The turbines themselves can be 330 feet tall to the hub-the center of the blades from the ground. Then you can add another 150 feet or more from the hub to the tips of the blades. One can be the equivalent in size of a 48 story building. All of the above mentioned topics are a part of The Pickens Plan. As you can see, I will not be going into too much detail, but here are some of the main points of his plan.

Pickens thinks that the number one priority is to have leadership whose mandate is to make reducing America's reliance on foreign oil our number one national priority. The cost to do business with other countries when buying their oil could undermine the U.S.'s position as a superpower. Basically, we are at their mercy in situations like this. He also says that developing alternative fuels is not about cleaning up the environment. For him, alternative energy will help America achieve it's national energy security. He is pushing in his plan wind power as the solution for our current energy woes. Government needs to subsidize wind and solar power in his opinion. Wind can generate 20% of U.S. electricity in less than ten years. If we take much longer, like 2030, our country could be bankrupt. One 3- megawatt wind turbine can produce the same amount of energy in a year as 12,000 barrels of imported oil. Wind and solar corridors could generate 20 to 40% of the nation's electricity. He believes we should be pushing natural gas next and then clean coal. Natural gas, again, should be used for our transportation systems.Also, he recommends stepping up Nuclear Power to a new level. He says that our federal government has to push this plan. They can't just stand back or let the usual slow bureaucratic way of doing things stop us or slow us down from creating some alternatives. We all know that the federal government has a way of bringing great plans to a screeching halt. We have to remember that these new energies will produce new jobs and revitalize towns and the United States as a whole. Job growth , a larger tax base,then leading to housing construction--all will be results of pushing this plan.Do we need to wait until the situation is dire?Pickens has a plan ;at least we should give it or something like it a chance.Do people have to suffer through price gouging and inflation and death in wars before we will do something? Can America stand strong and lead the nation and the world again into a new era?

UNC rolls to title, rips Spartans 89-72

2009-04-07T00:32:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to the Carolina Tarheels! They came out firing on all cylinders in the first half and put Michigan State away easily. UNC scored at will and used a variety of players to do so. Ty Lawson scored 21 points and had 8 steals to lead the Heels. He was awarded the player of the game award. Tyler Hansbrough and Wayne Ellington had great games as well. Coach Roy Williams lead a Carolina team to a national title game win two times in five years. Can you say, show me the money! Plus he will be hailed as one of the best college coaches ever in the game. Michigan's economy is in the pits and many had said if the Spartans won that it could help boost their economy. Seems a little too much to hope for! However, there was a record crowd of over 72,000 and that had to help the economy some in that area. Back to the Tarheels...I'm not sure what Carolina will look like next year with the graduation of Hansbrough. You have to think that Lawson, Ellington, Deon Thompson, and Danny Green might try to head off to the NBA with Tyler after winning all that college ball has to offer. We could hope that they all would return to try for a repeat!It's only a game but for the team it has been an incredible year!

Entrepreneur Corner--T. Boone Pickens

2009-04-06T13:45:00.007-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I finished reading a book about a famous Texan named T. Boone Pickens. He is a self made billionaire and the title of the book is "The First Billion is the Hardest". Can you imagine? And I thought the first $50,000(or less) was the hardest! Anyway, if you like to learn and want to find some insight to a man that has made billions, you might want to read about this man and his story.He is after all the 117th richest person in America! I had never really heard of him until around the presidential election when he was running commercials in support of his new energy plan for America. I will post about that plan specifically in the next posting. Isn't it so great in this country to know that their is so much money to go around? I mean their are literally dozens of billionaires now that I and I imagine others that have never heard of them. That's on top of the multimillionaires and millionaires.

Pickens, in his 80's, is still at it. He's amassed a fortune over the years in many different ways. He started in oil founding an oil company that would later become Mesa Petroleum. He expanded by acquiring other oil companies. This led him into mergers and acquisitions. Later in life, he started BP Capital Management and he is currently the chair of a couple of hedge funds. He has also acquired rights to a lot of water in Texas, acknowledging that water is limited and that one day a premium price will be charged to get it. He also has interests in natural gas. He formed another company in 1997,Pickens Fuel Corp, and promotes natural gas as the best alternative fuel for vehicles. Right now he is concentrating on powering the country's transportation systems. He sees it as cleaner-burning and a major plus is that it reduces foreign oil consumption. The company was aptly renamed Clean Energy in 2001. The company now owns and runs natural gas fueling stations from British Columbia to the Mexican border.

Although it was great to see what a man can accomplish, I enjoyed reading about the man behind the companies. His grandma taught him the value of a dollar and he tries to be frugal in his life and in his businesses. He has even resoled the same pair of penny loafers since 1957. Also in the book, he tries to pass on some lessons. One is that you should always think like an owner. You have to remember that shareholders of a company are the real owners of a company. You must remember that management, and that includes CEO's, are just employees. He noted that he had found that top execs in oil companies had spent their entire working lives at one company. They avoided what in Pickens mind is the difference between success and failure. That is taking risks! He thinks that too many execs are more concerned with the 4 P's than with making profits for shareholders. The 4 P's are pay, perks, power, and prestige. He also makes the point that an owner or a CEO that doesn't own a significant amount of stock in his own company or the one he runs, does not represent their company well. How can others believe in a company if the owner or CEO doesn't?

Their are many lessons in this book for entrepreneurs. The first lesson he offers up is one I have heard before. A big deal takes just as much time as a little deal! Of course if you have never put together any "deals" before, it makes it harder to start big in my opinion. He says to do what you know best. If you have worked at a car lot all of your life, then try to start a small used car lot for example. Entrepreneurs put their money at risk. Only with risk will the greatest jobs and profits come! As a business owner you need to surround yourself with employees smarter than you in all areas of the company. Just like a sports team you need varied ages, backgrounds, and experience to make your biz well rounded. You need some rookies and some veterans! You need a mix of skills, each with their own strength. Pickens notes that a team comprised of only all- stars rarely shines. As an owner you need to lead but also listen! Developing a rapport with employees will be in your best interest.A leader encourages teamwork and keeps people focused on the future.

In life Mr. Pickens has something for us to think about too. He talks about depression and its four main triggers. They are losing a job, moving out of your home, divorce, and the death of a family member or a close friend. He also says many great things about maintaining health. He says, as we should all know, that no amount of money, success, or fame can raise a body from a bed or turn fat into muscle. He determined a number of years ago that he would recommit himself to physical fitness. He says that Arnold Schwarzenegger once said that weights in a gym never care about how rich or famous you are. Only constant and aggressive exercise can keep a human being young and fit. He says that exercise increases stamina and concentration. That means you will be able to get a lot more done and have more energy. In his 80's, I was surprised to find that it seems like his workouts are tougher than the ones I have been putting myself through lately. He has a personal trainer that really pushes him! Incredible right?--more fit than most half his age. He also that the way to live your life is with engagement,involvement, and constant action.He even gave Mesa employees , his first company,YMCA memberships. Later he would build a company gym. He believes in corporate wellness programs. He says that these programs have paid for themselves in health care savings in three years. He says that you should build team spirit by coaching your players to work together. He notes that everyone is a player and that no one is a superstar. He likens the workplace to football and he is the coach. He says that you don't manage, you should lead. People tend to follow your lead if you set a good example. You need to show loyalty and pay your employees well. Give them the best equipment and the best working environment. In the end, you will get rewarded with a low employee turnover rate.

As you can see their is a lot to learn from this man. As mentioned earlier, he is still working and earning money in his 80's. At this point, he shows no signs of slowing down either. He is now pushing another "big deal" potentially worth millions to his own bottom line, The Pickens Plan. I read in an interview, I believe in Fortune Magazine, that many say he just pushing his own agenda. What I like is that he didn't back away from it. He readily admitted that he would earn money if America could switch to alternative energy sources. However, he says, and I tend to agree, so what? The plan is ultimately in the best interest of our country. If he makes money, so what! Trust me someone is going to make money no matter if you use his plan or someone else's. At this point, don't we agree that something needs to be done to protect America and lessen its dependency on foreign oil and offer new alternative methods to creating energy?At least he is offering up a plan--I dont see our federal government stepping up yet now or when Mr. Bush was president!.... Mr. Boone's Energy Plan will be discussed in the next post!

How Bout Them Heels??

2009-04-04T23:42:00.003-04:00

UNC defeats Villanova 83 - 69! Next up in the finals, Carolina will take on Michigan State. This is it baby! Carolina Tarheels-- Monday night!

In other news, Ryan played in his first soccer game today! Although the weather climbed into the 70's about 4 or 5 today, the Lil Rascals played at 11am when it was about 60 degrees. The wind was blowing viciously and with a chill that probably made it feel like 45 degrees. These were 3 and 4 year olds--Ryan will be 3 Tuesday--, so the moments of brilliance were minimal. That's OK though, it was fun! If only we could keep distractions like the playground invisible!! The kids were cool in all black!! And I ,as the dad, got to break in the new samsung camcorder. Next we grabbed some lunch, and headed to his birthday party! It was a small family party themed with Batman. Man does this little boy always rack up! I can remember many birthdays not getting one gift!

Weekend Plans--Soccer & Birthdays

2009-04-03T15:44:00.004-04:00

Saturday Heather and I will be taking Ryan to his first soccer game at 11 and at 2 we will be having his birthday party. He will actually be 3 on April 7th and coincidentally I will be 35 on April 11th(too old-lol). We are super excited about the game, although it will probably be chaotic at best!Its all about fun at this age! The weather here tomorrow is supposed to be in the 70's. That will be great since we have been getting alot of rain lately. His first two practices were held indoors because of the rain. Then tomorrow night Carolina takes on Villanova in the second game of the Final Four. You know I will be glued in front of a TV then! Go heels!!

Sunday we were thinking about taking him to an Easter Egg hunt. This will be his first time doing that. I know he would love it! I just think there might be too many kids there-yikes!

What Can we expect for our Kids?

2009-04-03T15:10:00.003-04:00

Earlier this week J.D. over at Get Rich Slowly ran a guest post of Chett Daniel's regarding the world of personal finance through the eyes of a 4th grader. There was a lot of discussion on his site about the level of financial knowledge students currently have, and what should be done to change it. Check out the original post at Get Rich Slowly ,"What 4th Graders Know". Chett then left a followup post on his own site 5k5k , a site that I like because it combines two of my favorite subjects--Health and Wealth( By the way should that be the name of my next site--TriadHealthandWealth??--I want to combine fitness and wealth uniquely.)

Chett's follow up post can be found here! He also found two great videos on kids consumerism on YouTube. I am going to post the first one here on my site. It is all very interesting! Hope you find it interesting as well!

Scavenger nation: How to save money and skip a full-time job

2009-04-03T14:33:00.002-04:00

This article was written by Vanessa Richardson on Walletpop. I thought it was interesting and showed a radical way to save money and to provide food for thought.

That's what Kristan Lawson and Anneli Rufus do -- they routinely burrow through dumpsters and piles of stuff left on sidewalks. The couple, married for 20 years and living in the Bay Area, write books to pay the bills (and put a roof over their heads for they do own a house), but their full-time job is scavenging. ...One Man's Trash

Ramit Sethi's "I Will Teach You to be Rich"

2009-04-03T12:30:00.003-04:00

Mr. Sethi just wrote and released the book , I Will Teach You to be Rich. He is a recent Stanford graduate and lives in the San Franscisco area. I haven't read the book, but I have read good things about it on site's like J.Money's site, Budgets Are Sexy. Anyway, since I read about the book I decided to check out his website. He posted a funny video about being frugal. I don't see anything wrong with being frugal, but some people say that being frugal is not a good thing. Either way, you can get a good laugh from the video. Here's the link... Frugal Video. I couldn't figure out how to post it directly on my page, but maybe that's the way he wanted it!

Chinese Electric Cars Coming to Costco and Wal-Mart

2009-03-31T23:51:00.007-04:00

Here's an interesting story via Digg.com. The CEO of GS Motors — Kathleen Ligocki — told the Hybrid Cars website that she thinks the US will follow in Mexico’s footsteps. GS Motors sold 4,000 China-made vehicles in Mexico last year at…Costco and Wal-Mart.

read more digg story

Fire Rips Through Homeless Camp Leaving Dozens The Same

2009-03-31T23:42:00.005-04:00

Officials are investigating a fire that ripped through a homeless camp along the Feather River in Sutter County.

read more digg story

Daily Show: Auto Crisis Turns Obama into Car Salesman

2009-03-31T23:41:00.005-04:00

Sure, he doesn't have a checkered suit. Sure, he doesn't have a "Crazy," a "Fast," or a "Bucks" appended to the front of his name. Sure, he's actually the president. But Barack Obama can have you behind the wheel of your very own certified pre-owned Sebring faster and cheaper than the best of them.

read more digg story

America's 10 Healthiest Fast-Food Restaurants

2009-03-31T23:29:00.003-04:00

Here's an article I ran across on Digg.com! I try to avoid fast food, but sometimes it is nearly impossible. Plus, admittedly, some of it can taste pretty good! Well this story tries to give you some insight into the fast food places with healthier options.

Eating out invariably raises a number of tricky questions: sit down or drive through? Burgers or pizza? Thin or stuffed crust? Choosing one over the other could mean saving hundreds of calories in a single meal, up to 50 pounds of flab in the course of a year, and countless health woes over the course of a lifetime. Here are the top 10.

read more digg story

Bank of America Credit Card

2009-03-31T21:56:00.004-04:00

Last week I received a letter stating that my credit limit would be reduced by $400 for going over one of my other cards limits.I know! I know! I have too many credit cards. I looked at my free credit report, courtesy of Experian for the negative action against me. My credit report was the same as always. All accounts were current and stated "never late, pays as agreed". With a closer look, I found that my Orchard Bank card had gone over the credit limit by less than a hundred dollars because of an issue with their accepting a payment on time(of course I was near the limit). I had called them as soon as I saw it and I called the company. The rep with customer service took the late charge off. I then made a payment with her and I promptly closed my account. I had that account for several years and they never increased my limit or cut my interest rate at all. But even in my credit report now it still shows as pays as agreed and never late because I didn't go no where close to 30 days late. A few days at most! But on my report it shows your highest balance and your credit limit. I guess this is where Bank of America got its grounds to decrease my limit.

Well I was a little mad at first. I have been working on my credit for a while now. I know that as long as you are not using the card, the more you have available credit, the better your credit score usually will be. I haven't used any of my B of America credit cards in a while. I cut them up over a year ago. Several months back they had sent me letters for my 3 cards stating that if I didn't respond back to them in a certain amount of time, they would raise my interest rates. My rates were already hovering around 15%. I thought enough is enough, and I sent three letters stating that I didn't agree with a rate hike--I have never done anything like this before! In fairness to B of A, I think it was the first time a letter was sent that was written large enough to know that a rate hike was coming.They said the rate would stay the same as long as I didn't use the cards again. So they are still open!

This brings me to a new issue that I had thought about posting about before. I am still unemployed, since the beginning of December . I need advice! I have worked so long and hard on building up my credit. However if you looked at my debt, you could see that I am pretty much to my limit on every card. I have a decent credit score, I just need income. Then I would be able to start paying them off again rather than using them to live on. My girlfriend's income is helping us to get by right now. Right now there is no debt snowball, we just pay the minimum! My girlfriend's credit is better than mine now. I helped establish her credit and we would continue to pay on her two cards. Well here is the question. Should I stop paying on my cards? I know the first step should be to call all of the credit card companies and see if they will work with me. I'm pretty sure they will laugh when I ask for 3 to 6 months of a deferment of payments. I have seen Dave Ramsey answer many questions telling the caller that they need to pay their rent or mortgage first and the utilities and worry about putting food on the table. Its still hard to "let go" of paying on the cards, because of ruining the infamous credit score. How will I ever buy a house? Dave says you don't need a score to buy a house. Basically he claims that cash is king! I do agree that it would be great to live only on cash. How many years will that take? I don't have a TV show, or have anyone to fall back on. Dave doesn't say not to ever pay them back, but to start when you can. I don't see us living on cash alone for a while. Plus about that credit score--they will ruin your credit for seven years. Usually seven years from your last activity--so if you pay them back in 3 years, you can still count on your credit being bad for seven years past that date. If you don't pay in full, you can guarantee that they will keep recycling your debt around way past that seven years to different creditors. All in an attempt to reclaim that original debt. It's all a mess I put myself in! What should I do??

Channel 8 -Deal or Dud?

2009-03-31T21:32:00.003-04:00

The local news runs a segment called deal or dud. They take different products and try to test them to determine if they work. Have you ever had to throw out vegetables or fruit only after a few days because they have begun to rot? Well tonight they tested the green bags that claim to extend the shelf life of vegetables. There are many different brands of bags out now. They tested their bags over a month's time at a local farmer's market. They actually worked! Lettuce and tomatoes lasted the whole 30 days.

Next they tested the razor sharpener. I was interested in this one because the price of replacement blades have sky rocketed recently. I haven't been able to find a good electric razor that gives me a good , clean shave like a Gillette Mach 3(although I have only tried a few!) Any ideas or suggestions would be great. Anyway, three different people tried out this product. One girl and two guys determined that this one was a dud. One guy suggested that drying the razor would extend the blade's life more than the blade sharpener.

The Peticure was next. Its the product that claims that it is the humane way to cut your pet's nails. I was a curious about this one too because I do cut our dogs nails from time to time. My dogs are usually pretty good with the regular dog nail clippers. However, there is nothing worse than accidentally going too far and having them jump or yelp in pain. The news team went to a veterinarian for this test. He determined in his opinion that it worked great for cats and was a dud for dogs. Darn, I guess I'm out of luck on this one and the razor sharpener!

Harris Teeter Triple Coupons

2009-03-31T21:20:00.005-04:00

Thanks to running across several coupon blogs, I had started to try using coupons. I blogged about my experience at a couple of grocery stores and a drugstore. This past week the grocery store Harris Teeter was running a triple coupon promo. I made sure I worked a stop into my routine to see if I could save some money. I have to say again that I don't know if all the stores in this chain are so expensive, but I know that some of the prices are a lot higher at this one than at Walmart. However, if you really look hard, you can still find some deals. I coupled a few of my tripled coupons with the store Vic card savings and a couple of buy one , get one free deals. I ended up spending $25.00. I saved altogether $23.00! Not too bad, almost half!

Fountain of Youth

2009-03-30T12:34:00.004-04:00

Guess what? I found it! The answer to your youth! How can you add years to your life and gain a more youthful appearance? Of course, it doesn't come in the form of a pill or a glass of water from a spring far, far away. And I'm not selling snake oil or any other useless product. The answer is simple, yet it will never come easily. You have to change your lifestyle and your way of thinking. The answer.... exercise and diet. That's right, its not complicated or a product that will cost you thousands of dollars.

Think about it..Is their a person you haven't seen in a while, and when you do see them again they look great. They decided to lose some weight and voila, they shaved several years or more off of their face and body. I was watching the Biggest Loser the other week. I love the show and the transformations the people go through. It changes lives and its great to see them achieving their goals and dreams. On one of the last couple of shows, the trainer Bob comments on one the contestants dramatic weight loss since she had left the show. She comes in and he says, "Wow, look at you, you look at least ten years younger". Well he says something very similar to that anyway. Its amazing right? We all know that exercise and lifestyle changes can have dramatic effects on your waistline and add years to your life. Exercise, the fountain of youth, can actually shave years off of your life and give you a fresher look and a more youthful appearance.

Just decide to do it! Take small steps! Start slow... exercise a couple of times a week for 30 minutes to an hour. A combination of lifting weights and doing some kind of cardio are going to give you the best results. Remember, don't do diets! Make lifestyle changes. You don't have to change everything overnight with such huge changes that you could never stick to. Remember it took you probably years to get fat, and you can't expect to lose it overnight. Decide that you will stop eating at fast food places and that you will add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. These are just a couple of small changes. Several months down the road you can get stricter if you chose..cut out soft drinks and sweets, etc. Get a workout partner, and you guys can help each other out and keep each other focused and motivated. Until they make that pill or magical bottle of water(oh yeah, or plastic surgery)... exercise, and watching what you eat, not smoking, and limiting your drinking are the only proven ways of maintaining your youth. Thank God...the fountain of youth has been discovered..lol !

Suze Orman- Are Weight and Your Wallet Connected?

2009-03-29T23:40:00.004-04:00

I ran across an article by Jorge Cruise in the USA Weekend, an insert in the local newspaper. He covered the financial author and TV Host's opinion in the tips for everyday life section. She says, "Health is related to Wealth". I have to say that this is what two of my biggest goals are about, to get more physically fit (lower body fat percentage) and to get out of debt and increase my wealth ( get money-lol). She says that as your debt goes up, that the weight can too! She goes as far as to say that having self control, by avoiding McDonald's and Taco Bell and running up discretionary spending, is a key to happiness. Suze says you need to keep track of your spending and your eating. Then you can accurately assess where you need to cut back.

UNC Wins!!!

2009-03-29T23:28:00.003-04:00

Just a short note--I know not everyone cares about sports and wants to continually here about the Tarheels. I just want to say great job to the team and Coach Roy Williams for returning to the Final Four. The games will be held in Detroit next week! I was surprised how easily they shut down Oklahoma today.Good luck next week Tarheels!!

$150 Million Dollar Home For Sale!!

2009-03-29T22:51:00.003-04:00

Aaron Spelling ,Hollywood producer of hit shows such as "Charlie's Angels," ''Dynasty" and "Beverly Hills 90210", built a huge mansion in California. It is right down the street from the likes of Hugh Hefner. He passed away in 2006 and his widow, Candy Spelling, has put the mega estate up for sale. The price tag is a mere $150 million! She has decided to downsize to a $49 million dollar 2 story condo. Really? Imagine that! After close to three years, she finally decided that it was time for a change. I have to say that I would love to live in a million dollar home. Mostly I have found myself dreaming of living in a $400,000 to $700,000 home. Also, maybe I dreamt of a vacation home.Hell, right now I have been wishing to find a $30,000 to $50,000 house to start small in the real estate game. I don't think ever in my wildest dreams have I thought of living in a mansion of these proportions or that price tag. You can see the behemoth below! The picture is courtesy of the AP.

84 Year old's Birthday Gift Comes Via Craigslist

2009-03-27T14:02:00.006-04:00

The News & Record ran this story where a woman decided to run an ad on Craigslist for her mother. Her ad said, " Come Give Granny a Ride on Your Hog". She decided to do this for her 84 year old Mom's birthday. She wanted to do something different for her Mom, and a guy actually answered. He said he saw the ad and it touched him because his mom had passed away from cancer. So he drove 65 miles on his Harley to give her a ride. It turns out that this would probably be June Pearce's last birthday. She had lung cancer herself.Her doctor informed her that their was nothing more they could do for her own cancer back in September.

Ron Borowski arrived to a timid woman to give the ride. She was like no way! With some help from her daughters they talked her into it, and granny got on the bike. Her daughter said she created a great memory and her husband said he hoped his wife could hang on longer with the experience of this all.Imagine that, all this came together through Craigslist!

Hawaii Governor Announces Bid by "Tweet"

2009-03-27T13:43:00.005-04:00

Democratic Rep Neil Abercrombie announced that he will run for Governor of Hawaii next year on his campaign Web site and on the micro-blogging platform Twitter. This was run by the Associated Press in our local Greensboro News & Record. Not bad for a 70 year old, right? Well I am sure he didn't specifically say, "Hey, we must use Twitter!" Someone in his camp must have known of the new power of social sites. Some people will attest to the fact that the President was elected through the help of Facebook and one its 25 year old founders.

Carolina Tarheels

2009-03-26T14:10:00.003-04:00

The UNC team has made it into the sweet 16 again this year under the great coaching of Roy Williams. They play tomorrow night against a very good Gonzaga team. We wouldnt have been here without the play of Ty Lawson--he scored 21 of his 23 points in the second half of the last game. I'm looking forward to watching tomorrow! Go Heels!

Facebook and Myspace

2009-03-26T14:00:00.003-04:00

What social applications do you use? I recently signed up for Facebook and Myspace. I posted some pictures and posted that I have a blog.On Facebook I connected with two old friends that I might not have spoken to without the use of this technology. These are two sites that you can use to meet up with friends, exchange photos, and network, etc. There are tons of other sites out there like Tweeter--I have signed up for it, but have yet to use it. Tweeter is becoming huge with celebrity endorsements from people like Ashton Kutcher, P Diddy, and Ellen. Its also a good way to mini blog and have people follow you and your blog. Look for me on these sites! Thanks, RyansDad aka Jamey Jarrett

DIY- Replace the Subfloor

2009-03-24T20:29:00.003-04:00

Well I spent today replacing part of my son's bedroom floor. The water heater located near his room had sprung a leak about a month or so ago. It turns out a hose needed replacing and it had been leaking for quite some time. The area affected was about 46 inches by 48 inches. It was near his closet and we had avoided walking on it. We removed the items in the floor a while ago because besides the carpet holding it up, I think you literally would have stepped through the sub floor. I picked up the replacement sub floor yesterday at Lowe's hardware for almost $17. I had screws left from previous home projects and my saws and a shop vac. The hardest part was removing the old floor. Once that was clear it was smooth sailing. I laid the new floor in and commenced to screwing the floor down to the floor joists. I just placed the carpet I had cut and pulled over right back into place. Of course its not perfect, but I did pretty well for a first timer. More importantly, you can now walk on the floor and use the closet once again with no worries.

Life in the Boro-Computer Woes

2009-03-23T19:23:00.004-04:00

Well I have been struck with the computer blues. My computer had been acting up, and today I got confirmation from the Best Buy Geek Squad that my motherboard was shot. Well, great news right? I should just replace it now I think. I must admit that I have felt lost the past few days without my computer. Its my lifeline to check and pay bills. There's been no email of course, no job searching, and no networking. Most of all, I think I have become somewhat addicted to blogging. So I have missed it and the outlet it gives me. Here I am at the public library! I am debating on purchasing a new computer--its sooo expensive. I have to stretch money right now, so its not really a smart choice to buy one--but I want one!

I had a job interview today with a former employer. They called me in! I got all dressed up and had gotten excited at the prospect of making money again. During the "interview" they were like, " We will have to look into some things, and we will let you know." Wait a second, didn't you call me? You need someone, and I need a job! What's going on?

My son Ryan starts soccer Wednesday. We are really excited about that-except that you do have to spend money if you want your child to participate. Along with the entry fee, you have to have the right gear. Today I had to break down and buy cleats, shorts, and shin guards,etc. Hes had a soccer goal for like a year now, and is pretty good shooting goals. I hope he enjoys the whole soccer practice Wednesday--it will be totally different than what he is used to. Plus, he will be on a 3 and 4 year old team. He wont be 3 until next month, so I am sure he will be among the smaller players.

Anyway, things happen for a reason right? Things will work out as far as income and the computer. Soccer will be fun for sure!

President Obama Picks UNC to Win it All !!

2009-03-19T12:06:00.003-04:00

Have you filled out your brackets yet for the upcoming NCAA basketball tournament? Well, a lot of people have, including our own President. I caught the story on ESPN while I was on the treadmill yesterday. He showed us all of his picks to win up to the finals where it came down to my Tarheels! I hope they can pull it off! Duke coach, Coach K with a smile on his face, said that Obama should stick to fixing the economy!Carolina's 1st round game is being played today at the Greensboro Coliseum at 2:45. I heard they were staying nearby at The Grandover Resort- a very ritzy place for a school that is only an hour away in Chapel Hill. The area is pumped up for the Tarheels, as I heard fans were at the practice yesterday to cheer them on(on TV it looked like the fans thought the practice was a game). Restaurants and hotels are riding the wave to the bank! Good luck Heels!!

Night out on the Town for Free!

2009-03-19T11:21:00.005-04:00

Last night Ryan(my son) and I went to the Central Library Branch in downtown Greensboro. I heard that they were offering a class on SEO-search engine optimization. The class started at 7 and lasted until about 8:15. This was my first time ever to a Greensboro library. I grew up in nearby High Point, so I had always gone there or to college libraries. We didnt have alot of time to explore, but it seemed like a very nice clean place with many resources. There were many computers, a book store, very nice meeting rooms, obviously books , clean restrooms, helpful librarians, and of course books.

I called earlier in the day to confirm that they were having the class. They confirmed and let me know that you could park in the parking deck. We didnt have to pay by the way-I guess if you are there after a certain time, you dont have to pay.Also, the library stamps your ticket if you are there under like an hour. So Ryan and I planned a trip to the gym, and immediately went to the class afterwards. The class ended up having about 40 or so people show up.Some had laptops in tow and some took notes like me. There were a variety of people there-young and old, men and women, and even a guy with a kid(lol-me).Ryan was surprisingly good! I packed snacks to keep him busy and later a lady gave him a paper to color on(Thanks)I had thought about bringing a coloring book, but that was would be just to much to keep up with. The SEO class was led by Sam Kanakanui and Robert Moses. They said they would be videotaping the talk and posting the video and other info to their website.

I will not go into the details of the talk. I will say that most of what they talked about can be found on google or other sources on the web or even from a good book from the library. It was still nice to be able to see a room full of web designers, business owners, and bloggers interested in how to further their exploits on the web. Although it didn't really happen, I thought there might be a chance to network and meet like minded people.All in all, I found that it was a worthwhile experience. The two speakers were full of knowledge, it was free, and it was a chance to get out of the house and do something.It goes to show that there are things to do and resources to learn from in Greensboro. Also, after the presentation, I went ahead and got a library card for any potential future trips.

Jon Stewart vs Jim Cramer---Investing Gone Wrong

2009-03-18T15:50:00.004-04:00

I am just seeing these clips today, and I thought many others should take a look. I ran across a new blog today-BudgetsareSexy.com. He ran a post about this topic-The video is pretty much self explanatory. Although comical in how Stewart rips into Cramer, there are some things to think about here. Many people have been hurt financially! You might laugh(like I did), but you also might learn something(like I did) as well!

That was the buildup video I found on YouTube.Com, and here is the actual interview that they did together! The second video, courtesy of Comedy Central is not edited, so if you are offended by foul language-Please do not watch it!!! I tried to find the clean version, but I had trouble finding it. These videos show two guys that are promoting their shows through their "public fight". There is still alot of truth there, and Stewart slams him for his and CNBC's lack of decency in standing up for people like Stewart's own 75 year old mother!

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 3

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Cafe owner thrives with no-pricing policy

2009-03-18T12:21:00.003-04:00

Here's a new way of doing things as a business owner! I found this article after searching on Digg.com!Enjoy!

Cafe owner Sam Lippert has come up with an innovative way to cope with the recession: He's done away with pricing and simply asks customers to pay what they want.

read more digg story

Too Fat to Work Family say £22000 Is Not Enough Benefit Cash

2009-03-18T11:54:00.003-04:00

Have you tried the network Digg.com? Its a cool site! You pick stories that you like--Digg--and you can --Bury-- stories, images, etc that you dont like. Here's a "funny" story I ran across. It seems the family has lost their marbles! The dad definitely still looks capable of working--but looks can be deceiving. The story is set overseas. However, you might see where this could lead to an issue here in America.

A family of four with a combined weight of 83 stone (1162 pounds) say they are "too fat to work".

read more digg story

CVS & Target Savings

2009-03-16T22:13:00.003-04:00

Let me start by saying that I didnt intend to ever post this much about coupons and shopping. However, the main goal of me doing this blog is to write about my journey and thoughts and life. Being debt free is one of my top goals. If you are ever going to be free, you have to become very frugal. I think couponing fits in here, that is if you are truly saving money. I think I am, and it can be exciting to know that there are ways to really save some money out there in the world.

Let me point out that I , the Dad, usually do all of the shopping for our family of three and our three dogs(we have two pointer mixes and one miniature daschund). I usually do our shopping for groceries and toiletries(if necessary) about once a week to a week and a half(if we can stretch it that long)at Walmart. They are usually fairly cheap and everything is in one place. So you get to knock it all out at once. We spend app. $100 a week. I kept up with our receipts last year and figured out that we spent this amount which figures out to be $5200 a year. That amount is fairly good. But when you hear that others have bigger families and spend less, you have to wonder if you can do better for your family.Also, I like the idea of just going to one place, but when trying to use coupons I have made sure that the places are near where I need to go anyways.

In the above picture you can see the items I bought at CVS and Target this evening. At CVS I bought these items and spent the following:

Two Right Guard Deodorants- Each were $2.99 a piece(normally at Walmart I spend $1- $2)--However I had a coupon for $1 off two-CVS gave $4.00 extra bucks back
Xtra Washing detergent---on sale for $1.99 (Any comments?--Ive never used it before--we mainly use Gain powder
Glade Air Freshener- buy one $1.89- had buy one , get one free coupon(Not that great of a deal-saw later at Target for 99 cents each)-- oh well
Colgate toothpaste was $2.99-CVS gave $2.99 Extra Bucks--so free

I also had a CVS Extra Bucks coupon for $3 which I used--My total came to $9.14 I received $8.00 back in Extra Buck coupons----essentially I spent $1.14 if you look at it like the other coupon bloggers do.Heres one of the problems I have with couponing...if I qualify my order here with the coupons received back, you cant count the coupons received back towards your next order , right?

I plan on using all of the $8.00 extra bucks coupons plus a $4 off manufacturer coupon off purchasing some razors next. By the way, have you seen the price of RAZORS lately? The refill cartridge prices are ridiculous! Makes a guy want to grow a beard! I think I read somewhere that razor prices are tied in with the price of petroleum.

I went to work out and then I decided to go to Target. I had been hearing how you could save $5 each on Huggies diapers with a coupon. I printed two( I really needed 3) of those coupons off of Coupons.com. A great deal had been running at CVS, but I "missed" that one. Plus, I saw the specific kind it called for were too small for my son.Let me note here that Ryan will be 3 on April 7th and he does great with potty training here at home. He goes when he needs to with no problems, and he wears underwear while home. When he naps or goes to sleep at night or when we leave the house, we will put a pull up or a diaper on him--whichever we have. I try to get him to tell me if has to use the potty when we are out, and he usually will.

Anyway here is what I bought at Target:

2 Huggies wipes-- $5.99 each --had the 2 $5 off coupons(diapers were too small for him)- I wish I could give them credit, but on one blog I read in the comments that the coupons would ring up on any Huggies product--so I tried it and sure enough, the computer took them
2 Goodlife 3lb cat food-on sale for $3.99 each, normally$4.49-- used 2 $3 manufacturer coupons-oh yeah I dont have cats, but my girlfriend said that dogs would eat it, and sure enough Bailey liked it---saved total of $17 there

So with tax I spent $5.31 --That's right only 99 cents each item and $1.35 in tax ! The trick is you need to catch the items you want or need on sale(checking your fliers is the easiest way) and add your coupons in. That is were you can save the big money!

Book Review-The Top 10 Distinctions between Millionaires and the MIddle Class by Keith Cameron Smith

2009-03-16T14:28:00.003-04:00

This is a small , tiny 112 page book! It is well written with some very valid points! Who can't love a book that is useful and that gets right to the point? Since it is so short, I am not really going to review the book for you technically. I am going to list the 10 distinctions he wants to emphasize that are different between the rich or the middle class. They are essentially the chapter titles as well. You can glean a good bit of insight and info from the 10 points themselves. So here they are:

Millionaires ask themselves empowering questions. Middle-class people ask themselves disempowering questions.
Millionaires focus on increasing their net worth. The middle class focuses on increasing its paychecks.
Millionaires have multiple sources of income. The middle class has only one or two.
Millionaires believe they must be generous. The middle class believes it can't afford to give.
Millionaires work for profits. The middle class works for wages.
Millionaires continually learn and grow. The middle class thinks learning ended with school.
Millionaires take calculated risks. The middle class is afraid to take risks.
Millionaires embrace change. The middle class is threatened by change.
Millionaires talk about ideas. The middle class talks about things and other people.
Millionaires think long term. The middle class thinks short-term.

Carolina Tarheels

2009-03-15T21:30:00.002-04:00

Well my beloved Tarheels lost in the ACC tournament yesterday to Florida State! Then FSU faced the Duke Blue Devils today in the finals. Duke won easily, hitting a ton of threes.

On a better note, Tyler Hansbrough secured another 1st team All American spot. Thats four years of being the best in the country. Can you say...show me the money? Also, Ty Lawson was named ACC player of the year. By the way, he had to sit out the ACC tourney with a hurt toe. The biggest news of the day is that Carolina received a number one seeding in the upcoming NCAA tournament. They will get to play in Greensboro to start in the East Division. That , of course, is a huge advantage for them. I hope they play well! Go UNC!!!

Salad Anyone??

2009-03-15T20:47:00.002-04:00

This is just a random little post about salad! How can you save money, eat healthier, and only have to cut the vegetables once? I usually make a large salad that I throw in a large glass bowl with a press down lid. I know salads and vegetables in general are good for you, and maybe a year or two ago I realized I was not eating that many vegetables or fruit anymore. We decided to put together more cooked meals with vegetables included. I tried to bring more fresh veggies and fruit into our home as well!

When our son came along we made sure that when it was time for table food, we supplied lots of choices for him. Of course with baby food he had many choices of vegetables and fruit, so we just wanted to continue on when he made the transition to table food. He eats a lot of things that I don't even like-bananas and strawberries,etc! So we made a conscious choice to buy fresh fruits and bagged steamable vegetables. I also started buying cucumbers(my fav), Roma tomatoes, peppers, and a lettuce mix for my salads. I also like almonds, sunflower seeds, bacon bits, and apple pieces on it. Surprisingly, my son likes vegetables and fruit and pretty much anything you put in front of him.

We got a set of bowls for Christmas, and I got the idea to start making my salad only like once a week. You can knock out cutting all the vegetables and just throw everything into the bowl and then just sit the bowl in the refrigerator. Then throughout the week, whenever you want a salad, its ready. You just throw some on a plate or a bowl and its ready! Voila! I find that the vegetables keep a little longer this way too. In the past, things would start to brown! Also it very convenient this way for feeding my son Ryan. To help keep his meals somewhat healthy and easy and convenient, a salad is already prepared if needed. So there you go! This is an idea to help enable you not to waste time, waste money, and keep you and your children's meals healthier!

Iraqi Reporter who threw shoes receives 3 Years!

2009-03-13T00:11:00.003-04:00

By HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press Writer Hamza Hendawi, Associated Press Writer – Thu Mar 12, 5:27 pm ET
BAGHDAD – A court convicted an Iraqi journalist of assault Thursday for hurling his shoes at George W. Bush and sentenced him to three years in prison, prompting an outburst from his family and calls for his release from Iraqis who consider him an icon for a nation decimated by war.

Muntadhar al-Zeidi, 30, defiantly shouted, "Long Live Iraq!" when the sentence was imposed, according to defense lawyers. Some of his relatives collapsed and had to be helped out of the courthouse. Others were forcibly removed by guards after shouting "Down with Bush!"

This story ran on the Internet tonight and earlier on CNN and I just had to run a clip of it on my site.Can you believe he was facing up to 15 years? .. for something along the lines of assault against a foreign leader! In his country it is considered a nasty insult to throw shoes at someone. Not to make too light of the situation,but wouldnt you think many people here in this country would love to throw shoes at him? I am not saying the man didnt deserve punishment.But the way the U.S. media played the scene over and over again, it was quite comical!

Bernie Madoff Sentenced

2009-03-12T23:37:00.002-04:00

A 70 year old Bernard Madoff will live in his new home the size of a small walk in closet. A man accustomed to the finest life has to offer will be giving up his $7.5 million dollar E. Manhattan penthouse. Now he will reside in a jail cell and presumably in prison at a later time. His lawyer had the nerve to ask the judge to let him continue to live at home under house arrest as the courtroom burst into laughter. The man took billions of dollars from people and left some broke and unsure of their futures. Some were ready for retirement or counting on their investment to retire later. Many people want his neck, and I believe rightfully so!

He was once the chairman of the NASDAQ Exchange! If you cant trust him, who can you trust? He offered his apology- " I am deeply sorry and ashamed". He went on to say that he was the sole person responsible for this mess. People question that and want whoever else that might be involved to have their day in court. People from Steven Spielberg and Kevin Bacon to Florida retirees and many Jewish(trusted Bernie because he was Jewish) lost money!The scheme wiped out people's life savings, ruined charities and foundations, and apparently pushed at least two investors to commit suicide. Someone suggested jail wasn't punishment enough and that he should be stoned to death! I don't know much, and I was hoping maybe you would be able to help comment on what lesson we could take from this! The one lesson I see is that you have to diversify your portfolio and not have all your money sunk into one area. And one day when I have money, I will remember that!

Gate City: The Oracle of Omaha

2009-03-12T12:29:00.003-04:00

I wanted to write something about Warren Buffet -The Oracle of Omaha-- for some time now. You cant say too much bad about the guy! He has been the richest man in the world over numerous years, and he currently ranks number two I believe! His net worth is in the billions. He seems to remain somewhat down to Earth- he drives himself, he lives in the same house he has had for like 40 years, and married to his wife for about as long. He recently decided that he would start to give away big quantities of his money to charities that he and his partners, Bill and Melinda Gates, deem appropriate.There are many more reasons I will not list right now.

There is just one problem that I have with him that surfaced in the last couple of days. He now thinks that he can tell the President of the U.S. what he should be doing. Mr Buffet, please don't be so self serving!! He said that the President should concentrate on getting the economy fixed before trying to fix other problems too. He said not to juggle to many things so that you can get our economy going again. You know, maybe Warren is right and his advice is spot on. After all you should listen to a man with this much wisdom and that has become so wealthy. He must be somewhat smart, he got this far right? My problem with it all is this: when did Warren Buffet start giving public advice, spread through journalism, to the President? It all seems a little self serving... Haven't you made enough money?? Or are you truly now worried about the common man? I didn't know that Warren was a politician now! Did he ever openly condemn Mr. Bush and his policies?

I still am very impressed with Mr. Buffet and all he has accomplished. Rightfully so, if I was losing $25 billion at a time and lost my top spot as worlds richest, I might have to call the president out too. But just maybe he could have handled the matter privately and not so poignantly pointed his finger at a man and an administration that are seemingly trying their best right now!

Also check this post out at Gate City that inspired me to go ahead and write my posting .Check out this piece at the following site:Gate City: The Oracle at Omaha

Part 2- Lowes Grocery-- Coupon Deals

2009-03-11T22:28:00.006-04:00

As posted yesterday, I have decided to give shopping with coupons a chance. Yesterday I saved $41.00 by shopping at Harris Teeter. I spent $51.00, so I saved nearly half! They double coupons, with a limit of 20, up to a value of 99 cents. This afternoon, after I left the gym, I decided to go to Lowes and try my luck again. They have the same policy as H.T. on doubling coupons. I have shopped at Lowes very few times if ever that I can remember. Anyway, I had to get their store card so I could save even more money. The nice customer service lady told me that after we finished shopping, the cashier would be able to give us a card. I normally would not shop this often. Normally I would go to Walmart every week to a week and a half to grocery shop and pick up any needed personal items or dog food as necessary.The Lowes trip was just to test out using coupons.

Well here are the results: I was able to save $15.68!
$2.55--regular coupons
$2.55--double amount
$10.58-reward card savings
I only spent $21.77!

I did pretty well again. I still spent a little extra time in there because I am
a rookie and I didn't have a "true" coupon organizer. I actually think the
register didn't credit me $1.25 off of one item--that's OK, I didn't catch it
until I was home. Plus they gave me something called greenpoints-184 of
them. Tomorrow I might try a couple of other places.

Outsourcing

2009-03-11T22:03:00.002-04:00

Jobs have been outsourced for several years now from America to other countries. It has struck many states such as North Carolina very hard in certain areas. Manufacturing jobs and furniture companies have felt the effects the hardest. Furniture manufacturers are becoming almost obsolete. Great furniture cities like Thomasville and Lexington and High Point have become almost like ghost towns. Large factories have been shuttered or have just become storage warehouses. Thousands have lost their jobs! India, China, and Vietnam , plus many more countries are benefiting--going as far to train their employees to speak English. Call center jobs have gone abroad. There has been shows revealing how high paying and exclusive those jobs are considered. What about US citizens? The latest injustice.. a lower wage job like a fast food drive thru worker has been outsourced--how ridiculous!! America needs its jobs! I don't have anything against other countries and their citizens prospering, but someone needs to do something about this epidemic. When you pull up to a McDonald's drive thru and order from someone in India--hasn't this gone too far?Business owners outsourcing these jobs argue that they can spend less on labor by going that route. Its all about profit.. and that is the American way--or is it? How is it American capitalism when the jobs are in another country? Profit is great and great profits should be made, but not at the expense of our American workers. Profit can still be made by leaving jobs in the USA! I think that we should band together and call or petition the politicians to do something about it. The president or congress needs to put legislation in place which makes it against the law to outsource or at least limits it somehow.

Dave Ramsey-Real Estate Rebounding!

2009-03-11T14:57:00.002-04:00

I caught some of Dave's show last night. He brought up some interesting points last night about how the media influences people in the way they react towards life and the economy. Now he didnt have a drawn out conversation about it. At first he was talking about real estate- he said that the statistics are there to prove that the real estate market is rebounding. There are exceptions where the bubble was really blown or the areas of the country are really suffering. California, Florida, Michigan(namely Detroit), Phoenix, and Las Vegas were the named exceptions. The good news is that for the rest of the country, the market is coming back.

I have felt for a long time ,and others might agree, that the media influences how the American people react in certain times. Now some people and journalists will argue, and I agree to an extent, that they are just reporting the news. They are doing their job and there is no way that they could accept responsibility for something as life changing as our current recession! But I have to counter when someone continually yells " Fire" Fire" for example, even if there is no fire, someone and undoubtedly most people are going to run. If all you ever hear is that we are in a recession, people are going to stop spending their money out of fear! If you-ie-the government-- let gas prices rise to hugely inflated prices, people are going have less money to spend and travel less. Yes the real estate bubbles and the excessive use of credit contributed to the recession, the media is not all to blame. That's not what I am saying! The market had to "adjust" at some point. Unfortunately it had to happen in my life time! You know, I was content to see the market never tank, but that's not how it works obviously!

I was happy that someone in a position with so many viewers such as Mr. Ramsey took a stand. He basically agreed that the media can influence our country positively and negatively. He said that the proof is there concerning the rebound of the real estate market. Less new homes are being built and homes are still selling, but just at a slower rate. That info infers that supply and demand are in effect and that eventually the inventory of available homes will be limited and that will lead to more growth. He directly stated that if reporters could report on the positives as well as the negatives, people might be able to see that the country is not going down in a ball of flames!

The naysayers may say...Dave is out to make money for himself in his show, books, and programs. I say let him! Because he is sending a message and it seems to really help people turn their lives around. At the same time, it is helping the country. There are lessons , if you read between the lines, of how to run our country as well. Could you imagine if our country was run debt free? That we were not indebted to other countries?I am glad that he is not afraid to take a stand on an issue like I have mentioned. I know that the recession, again, is not all the fault of TV and journalists but please at least open your ear to the power of their messages!

Harris Teeter--Can coupons save money?

2009-03-10T22:31:00.004-04:00

We as a family have cut out coupons by the dozen with the intentions of using them. However, it seems like we have only managed to use a coupon here and there. It just seems like so much work between gathering the coupons, cutting them out, and the extra time spent at the grocery store. Lately I have seen the news story on a family on living on $1500 a year. They had a blog but for whatever reason it was taken down before I got a chance to get any ideas from her site.
I started to look around the Internet trying to find ideas on ways to save money. I thought that we were doing pretty well by only spending about $5200 a year-$100 a week. However, I ran across numerous coupon sites and blogs where people were living on less than me--one lady says $800 a year --Jane4girls---and I decided that I should at least try to save more money.

My problem with the food coupons themselves are that there seems to be plenty for the fluff items like chips, snacks, and just stuff we don't buy. I try to shop frugally all the time(but without coupons) and I try to stay somewhat healthy. All packaged foods seem to be bad for you, so it is hard to stay away from all "bad" things. The coupons don't cover things like chicken and meat. But I decided that I was going to go shopping and make the effort to see if I could save money by using coupons.

I found online what North Carolina stores double coupons. The only two in North Carolina close by me are Harris Teeter and Lowes grocery stores. Next I gathered all the coupons from the last three months of Sunday newspapers. I proceeded to cut them out spread over a two day period. That was a lot of work in itself and I was already wondering if it was worth it. I just kept reminding myself that if I continued using coupons in the future that I would have much less to cut out. That is if I didnt let them pile up like before! We separated them into piles. I found later that it would be much easier if I had a coupon organizer.

Today after I left the gym, I planned a trip to Harris Teeter to shop. Before we moved here, I used to shop for groceries at this store all the time. When we moved here, where it is much more rural, I found that shopping at Walmart was much more convenient. Harris Teeter has a Vic store card program that I had used before, and I still had my card. Plus they double up to 20 coupons that are 99 cents or less. Let me say that this being my first time trying to really coupon shop, this trip was time consuming! Again, you really need an organizer.

I saved $40.94 between the Vic store card and the ten coupons I ended up using--they doubled 8 of them. I paid $51.08 for about 31 items! That sounds great! I wanted to use more, but I found that the prices seemed really high. I do most of our shopping, so I had a general idea of what I pay for things at Walmart. All in all, $40 sounds great and some items I bought really were a bargain. But I know on some of the things I bought the prices were a little higher that what I might normally pay. This store was slightly out of my way, so I may not make all this effort at this store again. I might try Lowes grocery because they double and see what their prices look like. We will see if Walmart keeps my business and if I stick with coupons!

Donald Trump Facing Adversity

2009-03-10T22:22:00.003-04:00

This is in relation to the last posting. Mr. Trump has risen from the ashes before and built his fortune and fame even higher with the success of numerous real estate projects, books, and his TV show The Apprentice. But it seems like a billionaire like Trump cant even beat the economic recession we are going through. His casinos have filed bankruptcy and a Baja, Mexico resort with his name on it has gone belly up. Many people are out of their deposits and investment dollars to the tune of $32 million. I know its an investment, but shouldn't the people receive some kind of compensation back?

Donald Trump - Celebrity Apprentice

2009-03-10T21:30:00.003-04:00

I have found myself tuning in to the Apprentice lately. The second show aired Sunday night in the new celebrity edition of Trump's series. In the first episode comedian Andrew "Dice" Clay was fired and Scott Hamilton-the Olympic gold metal figure skater- was fired on the second. I must say that I was a huge fan of the show when it started. I wanted insight into how Mr. Trump became successful. Combine the premise of a show based around entrepreneurship and making money, and I had to see it.

I had read several Trump books and I was a fan of his to begin with. I even went to see the first season Apprentice winner, Bill Rancic, speak at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem. There were probably 800 to 1000 people there and news crews. He had a book signing afterward in the bookstore, so I ran with my cousin to stand in line with about 300 other people at the campus bookstore. I bought his book and got his autograph that night. Although The Donald earned alot of money through real estate and Bill won the competition and had a little business success on his own in business and real estate, the biggest thing I learned from them both was the power of promoting yourself! Trump says it in his books, and the two of them proved through the show that the power of promotion in TV is powerful. It sells those books, doesnt it??

However, I found that I had lost touch with the show and had not watched that often the last couple of seasons. To me it had become stale and I wasnt learning that much about business.No less, I have tuned in again and the zany celebrities may be able to keep me watching. Its more about entertainment and less about business these days, but you might be able to learn a thing or two. Cupcakes and celebrity connections and a superhero and Zappos.com marketing campaign may or may not relate to the real world. You can decide! Tom Green, Herschel Walker, Dennis Rodman, Jesse James,Brian McKnight, and Clint Black are left on the men's side. The women are Brande Roderick, Annie Dukes, among others. We will see if the show can hang on!

Fitness--A Government Affair??

2009-03-09T20:47:00.003-04:00

I wanted to post this little survey conducted in the parade circular that comes in the local paper. I think personally that people should try to get healthy and exercise. However, how does the government fit into the obesity problem plaguing America?

The question is... Should the government pass laws to fight obesity?

66% voted Yes ... "Obesity has become a severe public health threat, and we need to combat it as we would any other epidemic. As a nurse, I see how obesity is costing
us billions and detracting from quality of life."

34% voted No ... "Do you really want some bureaucrat in Washington telling you how much
you should weigh or what size pants you should wear? I think not."

What do you think??

Red Box $1 Movie Rental

2009-03-09T13:07:00.003-04:00

There is a company out called Red Box that rents DVD's. They set up red vending machine type "boxes" in retailers like Walmart, Harris Teetor, and KMart. They let you rent a movie for a dollar a night. If you return the movie on time the next day--that's all you pay-- $1! You can keep it as long as you want at a dollar a day until 30 days passes. Then at that point,you have "bought" the DVD. I have used this service several times now. I found that it is easy to sign up and easy to use. You must swipe your credit card or debit card for payment before the movie is given to you. The selection is numerous, but you can find that there are only a few current titles at a time--or new releases. They send confirmations and receipts to your email along with new release info. The only real drawback I have seen is one time the machine at one store was jammed. Therefore, no one could rent or return the movie that night--someone called the 1 800 number and they said that people would not be charged extra. Sounds like they have good customer service, although I have not had any first hand experience with that.

Right now Red Box is running a free rental special. Check the rules out at this link http://www.redbox.com/Help/Signup.aspx ! Red Box offers a good service for those of us out here trying to save some money and gives us insight into an innovative business idea! So check them out and get your free movie!

My Rant--- Family Business!

2009-03-09T12:15:00.004-04:00

I just want to say that I wish my mom or dad would have started a business. They would have been able to set me up in a "cush" job making a great salary.A salary that I would not otherwise be able to make anywhere else--with regards to my age and my lack of education! My hours would be lenient because dad would understand that I had some things to attend to. Maybe if we were really affluent Mom and Dad could give me a company car or just give me enough income to buy top notch vehicles on a whim for myself, my spouse, and my kids They could build me a house, give me a house, or let me have the huge down payment I need.Then I could trade up every few years to bigger and better. They might let me have my own company credit card so I could spend lavishly on dinners every night and just be able to write them off. Yes I might work long hours and be on call and in servitude to my parents, but my twice a year vacations could keep me and my mouth in check! Places like Las Vegas, New York City, and Orlando could definitely keep me at peace. Plus, I could blow more money on gambling than my relatives make in a month and still have tons of cash available!

You could go on and on with examples of how some families take care of their immediate loved ones. Really I don't see anything wrong with it, I just wanted to play devils advocate!Although, I have to admit that I am a bit jealous. You hear about sons and daughters involvement in family owned business from the big corporations to the small, locally owned biz.You have to wonder how well those kids would be doing if mommy and daddy did not take care of them. I will be the first to admit that if I ever get the chance I will definitely put my family to work and pay them well. It doesn't matter if you graduated from high school and you have a two year college degree or any degree for that matter. It doesn't help to get bitter either. That will not improve your situation, you have to remember that the best jobs are held out to immediate family only. The sons and daughters jealousy would not allow their parents to bring you into the fold anyway.

You can get mad and hold resentment of the situation that you were born into, and I must admit that letting go is hard at times! If you really want something and you want to make big money, work for yourself, and have a great lifestyle, you have to do it! That's right, its a cliche, you are never going to get rich working for the man! You are never going to get rich working for someone else! You are only going to make them richer! No matter how high your salary is, you have to remember that they are probably making 10 times that amount. They could not afford to pay you if they were not. So I ask you and myself, are you going to let your bitterness hold you back?

Defying the Economy

2009-03-09T11:59:00.002-04:00

This story ran in a local paper.It came out of Greeley, Colorado. The subtitle was.. Young Entrepreneurs find niches, forge their own success....

While the economy is suffering, it is the best time for innovation, progress and hard work. College students are finding they are graduating and not being able to find jobs. The alternative they have found is to embrace entrepreneurship and try opening businesses. Students usually have less to lose if they or their ideas fail. They are trying everything from opening bars, to painting homes, to web based businesses.

It is important to note that small business owners and their ideas will be what pushes the economy back to flourishing. Although college students have less risk to take, anyone of any age can and should think about doing something on their own!

Circuit City Closes!

2009-03-09T11:46:00.002-04:00

Many businesses are closing and many more are laying off employees by the thousands. The once dominant electronics retail chain officially closed this weekend and laid off 34,000 more workers. In my opinion, the store lost focus several years ago. Best Buy pretty much beat them in every category possible--namely prices! They couldnt even go out in style! They disappointed till the end by not actually offering real discounts. How do you mark up prices really high and then mark it back down, and still cant compete with others regular pricing? It was noted that the prices still were comparable and cheaper at places like Walmart. Other shoppers complained that the retailer sold junk and wouldnt offer refunds or back up their products with warranties. I guess it started and ended with overpricing and bad customer service!

UNC beats Duke

2009-03-09T11:38:00.002-04:00

Yesterday my Tarheels beat Duke in a close game in Chapel Hill. They won the ACC season title and are making plans to win the ACC Tournament next weekend. Also, they pretty much wrapped up a number one seed in the NCAA's brackets. Also of note, yesterday was senior day and seven seniors were honored including Tyler Hansbrough. Michael Jordan , yes theeee greatest player of all time played at Carolina, was in the stands to watch the game! Good luck Heels next week!!

Pimp this Bum.com

2009-03-08T23:59:00.004-04:00

I have to talk about an entrepreneurial adventure that's all over the news right now promoting the plight of the homeless. You have to give them credit for their unique website name, www.pimpthisbum.com. They are currently making a homeless man named Tim Edwards in Houston, Texas , the human face connected with the deliberately controversial name of the website. The website just hopes to bring this social problem to the forefront and address the problem. At the same time you can make donations to help Mr. Edwards. Some people claim that the website exploits Tim and other homeless, but others claim that the edgy tone is what makes the project succeed. I tend to agree with the second point!

High Point Police need new Headquarters

2009-03-08T23:51:00.002-04:00

The High Point Enterprise ran this story today.A study shows that the police headquarters is too small and has many design flaws I don't doubt the need to expand! However, I can two sides to it! First, is this project being brought forward at a good time? I mean is that what the city of High Point, NC needs most right now with the slump in the economy? .... On the other side though, maybe building this police station could help stimulate the local economy...maybe!

Lemony Snicket to sign books at local Barnes & Noble

2009-03-08T23:43:00.002-04:00

This a quick note to say that a prominent author behind the hugely popular children series " A Series of Unfortunate Events" will be in Greensboro. Lemony, a pseudonym for author Daniel Handler, at the bookstore located in the Friendly Center shopping center off of Friendly Ave. He is promoting a murder mystery he wrote called "The Composer is Dead". Not many prominent people come to this area, so I hope people show up and take advantage. Worth noting... He is only making two stops for signings at Barnes and Noble nationwide. One here and one in New York City!

Greensboro New & Record Article

2009-03-08T23:18:00.002-04:00

The Greensboro Coliseum has been privileged to host the women's ACC tournament the last couple of years. It has been great for our local economy. Hotels and restaurants have been among the main recipients of the fans money. We all know that in this economy, anyone should be happy to embrace the chance to make a dollar. We as a city need this tournament for years to come for the money, but also to build Greensboro's reputation as a place to come and host big events. Greensboro and the ACC officials' marketing plays a big part in how our city and the women's tournament is perceived.

ACC Reluctant to Acknowledge Lesbian Fans

This is the headline run in the Greensboro' paper in today's sports section. I think the headline speaks for itself, so I will not go that far in the topic. I am not saying that the ACC needs to market to specific groups--Officials claim to market to only basketball fans. However, the proof is out there that lesbians are indeed a growing market as fans and already stand as a large group within women's basketball circles. The WNBA has already acknowledged them in their advertising and marketing.

A quick thought.. When headlines like this run and officials in the tournaments will not acknowledge the diverse fan base, as noted in the news article by staff writer Robert Bell, do you not think that you run the chance of alienating that group and their much needed spending power?

Guilford County, NC Superintendent

2009-03-08T22:51:00.003-04:00

I want to post a few headlines and comments that I have read in today's Sunday editions of local newspapers: The Greensboro News & Record and The High Point Enterprise. I feel like the topics that I may mention that are regional stories can have impact in other areas of the country as well.

Maurice "Mo" Green has recently been appointed the Superintendent of the Guilford County School system. He does not come with the traditional pedigree of a school superintendent. Although he worked with the Charlotte/ Mecklenburg Schools, his formal training is as a lawyer. I am not here to knock him, his ideas to improve our schools, or his abilities.I hope he does well actually. I will just state some facts and make some comments.

Mr. Green's salary is set at $250,000 a year. He was also set to receive a set percent raise each year he held his position. This year he chose to not receive his raise which amounts to $7500 based, he says, on the overall state of our economy. He felt it would be in bad taste to take that raise at this time. It's a nice gesture, but I've just got say hmmm! My second topic that the N&R chose to run today is that Mo does not plan to raise the budget. He also has come to the conclusion that a reorganization is needed to improve the district's listening skills and responsiveness. He will implement something that the Charlotte area did--"learning communities" -- they allow quicker response times and better informs school system decision makers. Again...hmmm... has our $250,000 been well spent?

Trying to Save a Few Bucks!!

2009-03-07T22:55:00.002-05:00

Today I knew I was going to work out. Ryan went with me and he went to the kid care area. Then we went to the public library after that to return some books and to look for some new ones and to look at magazines.I am always interested in looking at new ideas on debt, and money, and entrepreneurship. Then we went to the bookstore so I could look at magazines. He likes to go there because they have a kids area and it has a train table. I like that I am exposing him to reading and he gets a chance to play with the trains, look at books, and sometimes play and interact with other kids. These three places are within a couple of miles of each other. I knew we would be gone for several hours, so I packed a couple of snacks for Ryan and a couple of apples and a bottle of water from our house.

I know that this doesn't sound that special or out of the ordinary. Here is my point. What can you do to be frugal and save a few dollars? I did three things right to help ensure that we didn't waste money needlessly. One, I consolidated several different stops into one trip. We don't live that close to the places we went today--maybe 20 minutes away. So we saved on gas by not driving excessively. Second, I brought a few healthy snacks along. Of course we would get hungry and thirsty while we were gone today. By bringing a few things along, we weren't tempted to stop at a fast food place and waste money we don't have. Third, I got a book from the library and looked there and at the bookstore for free. I took advantage of the public resources. Plus I got some needed exercise and my boy got to play and exercise too! Sometimes we go the grocery store while we are out or what ever else might need to be done. You can save money, you just have to have willpower and put some effort into trying!

I Found My Wallet

2009-03-06T20:41:00.003-05:00

I was reading another blog with a good posting. Check it out at the link! I had to comment on it and decided to post my little story on my site!
http://cashmoneylife.com/2009/03/06/lost-purse-wallet/

I have never had a wallet stolen, but I lost a wallet with about $500 to $700 of cash on the way to a vacation. We were driving to Disney World in Florida from North Carolina.I stopped at a gas station on the way down. About 30 to 45 minutes down the road, I realized I didnt have the wallet anymore! I decided to turn around and try to see if I left it at the gas station. I looked everywhere, and couldnt find it! We decided to pull up the on ramp exit back to the highway. Guess what? I saw money blowing across the road! I pulled over--and it was like an Easter Egg hunt--I was very lucky and found every dollar and my wallet. It turns out, I had set the wallet on top of my car and later drove off and it obviouly fell off on the on ramp. Needless to say I was estatic and we went on to enjoy a great vacation!

Enter a Contest

2009-03-06T13:57:00.003-05:00

Have you ever entered a contest? Better yet, have you entered and won? There has been a few times that I have entered a contest in my life. I can't ever remember winning anything though. Today I was surfing on the Internet and I ran across a contest by M&M's. It got me thinking that it couldn't hurt to enter a few. I mean, you cant win if you don't enter or try, right?? The following are a few that I entered--and man would it be great to win!! Plus, the Internet makes it very simple to enter a lot of contests!

Advil---$25,000 grand prize
Ford---2009 Ford F-150 & weekend with Toby Keith on tour
Disney---Celebrate @ Disney Parks giveaway--all expense paid vacation
Lysol--$1000 + cleaning products
Allure(entered my girlfriend)---$3000 worth of products
Ryan Seacrest & Shell--$50 gas card giveaway
Men.style.com---free Ipod

What will you do with your tax refund?

2009-03-05T22:28:00.003-05:00

I wanted to talk about how important a tax refund from the federal government can help you out on your way to being debt free. I know people who receive a refund and they go and think what can I buy first? There's nothing wrong with that if you are carrying no debt and you have an emergency fund in place. Flat screen TVs, new laptop computers, a new car, and whatever your heart desires! I want all of that stuff too! But I have to worry about $30000 worth of debt and regular bills like utilities, and without a job to boot! To be honest, it's hard not to say the hell with it and to hell with my credit score. My girlfriend has a good score! For me though, I have tried for too long and almost feel like I cant ruin my credit score and my timely bill paying ways.
It can be overwhelming! What to do? What to do? A guy like Dave Ramsey says that you need not worry about a credit score--from today forward you should only use cash and a debit card.

Back to the topic of getting a tax refund... Last year I paid off my 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee about 10 months earlier than the payoff date. That felt great! Usually your house payment is a person's highest bill followed by a car payment. My car payment was set up to be $355.41 for seven years. That's a loooong time in retrospect! What if I had been able to save or invest that money. I admit it though, I grew up poor. I wanted a nice car that would give me sense of pride and probably some self worth. I have had a ton of cars over the years, always trading up to nicer and more expensive ones! It seems crazy now! I hadn't known what it was like not to have a car payment for a long time. Now its been a full year since I paid it off, and trust me-I don't miss it. Also with our refund, we paid off our Sears credit card--it had like a $1200 balance. So you can see how a refund can help you out tremendously on paying your debt down.

In a way, although our combined income was low this past year and we didn't get far on our debt snowball, I had plans to pay off a few credit cards. It would give us that much more of a push to achieve our goals and to just lower our monthly bill payouts. When I lost my job, the plans for the refund had to change. One quick side note--My girlfriend doesn't mind chipping in and paying off debt. I have to say that we wouldn't have made it as a family the last few months if it was not for her and her willingness to not be stingy with her paycheck.Shes not as gung ho as I am about all of this frugalness! I had to compromise, and now I know I should. Not because we "needed" anything major with our refund, but its just nice to be able to spend some money here and there. So she took $300 to do with as she pleased. I have $300 too, but I have not really used that much of it. I am the one who actually pays the bills. I think I am good at stretching a dollar, and they need to be stretched now until I can find a job!------The new plans for this year's refund is just to stretch it as far as possible. I did pay an extra $200 each on the two cards that Heather, my girlfriend, has in her name. That was a small triumph, and I am hoping that will help boost her score even higher. She is now right at 700!

In conclusion, the tax refund can become useful in paying off debt, getting ahead, or provide a safety net. You can build or pad your emergency fund. If you carry no debt, and you definitely need something for your family like a car-then go buy it. There is nothing wrong with spending a little to help ease that pressure from the previous year of saving and being frugal and doing without. Life has to have some balance! You just need to be able to control yourself and commit to a new way of life in order to achieve your goals and wealth building. Dave Ramsey says, " Live like no one else, so later you can "live" like no one else" !

Turbo Tax- Free E file???

2009-03-05T12:27:00.003-05:00

Most of my life I have filed my own taxes. I first started with the 1040ez tax forms, where I filled them out on paper and filed them by mail. It was all very simple, since my income was low and I didn't have to do deductions. There was a couple of years recently when my income was higher that I went to someone to prepare my taxes for me. But for the most part, besides those two years, I have been using the Turbo Tax online version to prepare my taxes. I remember back when I first started, that using the software was actually free. And I remember saying to myself that they were going to get the users "hooked", and then start charging for their service. I think they charged fees last year, but definitely this year there are fees associated with using Turbo Tax. I think the catch is that you can actually use their software for free. The catch is when you want to actually file with the IRS. That's when they start to charge. Also if you decide to deposit your refund in your bank, they have another charge. At any rate, it still cost me around $100 to e file my taxes and to get the refund deposited directly in my checking account.They "get you" because you have already taken the effort to go through their whole process and you just want to get it over with by that point, so you go ahead and pay.What gets me is that if you to the federal governments IRS page to free tax preparer software, Turbo Tax is plainly listed as free. Besides the, lol, inconvenience of having to pay for their services , it has been great! The software is easy to use and it asks you tons of questions to figure out your deductions, how to file, and what refund you will receive or what amount you will owe the IRS. Plus it is able to import some information from previous years filings, so that you do not have to reenter that info. Now the dilemma! If they are charging, are they better than any other tax service out there?

UNC Tarheels

2009-03-04T23:44:00.003-05:00

Tonight my son and I watched Carolina beat Virginia Tech in their gym. It was a good game and Hansbrough finished with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Next they entertain the Duke Blue Devils in Chapel Hill on Sunday. I can't wait! Isn't YouTube the best? Check out this video, It's awesome!!

How to Build Credit--When You Have None!

2009-03-04T23:18:00.003-05:00

This is just a note to let you have some incite into how I built my girlfriends credit score up. She is a bit younger than me and we have been together for four years. She did not have any credit at all at that point. When we got serious in our relationship and as things progressed with us, I decided to do something about her credit. She ,of course, could have eventually gotten credit on her own just be applying for it. However, I think I read somewhere about an easier way. I have had a decent credit score for some years now(not always, I learned somewhat-lol) and have been very faithful in paying them on time. I just had too, too much debt that accumulated over time! Anyway, I added her as an authorized credit user on one of the cards that I had for a long time and that had a high credit limit. She received her own card and everything, but she never used it. That action alone established her with some credit history, and eventually she took on two more cards. I then took her name off of my account as a user. By the way, I don't want her to go on the path as a "bad debt" accumulator , so I hope that she will stop there. Right now we cant afford the debt we have! Neither one of rarely use our cards right now, but we hold on to them because of me not having a job.One of her credit card companies gives her monthly credit scores and she is right at a score of 700. Also with this years tax refund, I paid an extra $200 to her two cards--that already have low credit lines. The plan was to pay them off, but we need some of the money just to pay bills.Last year I paid off a card and the rest of my car loan. It was still gratifying to pay off that much on her credit cards and hopefully her score will jump up alot more! I cant see any reason why we cant get her score up into the 800's! Well, that's how I established her credit! You just have to remember to not be like me and let your debt get out of control. A cash advance here and one there and paying utilities, and insurance, and groceries on your cards will certainly add up--Trust me!!!

March 4th

2009-03-04T22:56:00.002-05:00

For those of you that might not know, I am currently unemployed and I am kind of a stay at home Dad right now. It's not what I want necessarily, but it is the situation I find myself in since my girlfriend is currently working and I am not. I keep my son Ryan Parker Jarrett, age 3 on April 7th, everyday and try to keep the house clean,job search,blog, and take care of the dogs,etc.
Today I am excited because Ryan and I went to sign him up for soccer at the local YMCA. He will play in the 3 and 4 year old age group. He will probably be the youngest kid out there since he will not technically be 3 for another month.At this age, it will all be just for fun and to introduce him to the sport. He has had a soccer goal since like 2 Christmases ago. You should see how good he already is scoring goals! I am excited for him and he is already looking forward to playing and making new friends!
After that we went to work out at our gym, The Rush. Well he goes to childcare, while I go work out!They have childcare with a two hour limit. It's nice to be able to take him with me and have the convenience of them watching him. He loves it too! He gets to slide, color, and play with other kids. I have been sticking with working out and I am usually up there 5 to 6 times a week! Still trying to get in shape!

Joe Montana - Greatest Quarterback Ever!

2009-03-04T22:24:00.006-05:00

I just wanted to post something about my favorite quarterback growing up. Joe Montana is arguably the greatest QB of all time!!

In Memory of our Mother Elaine/ & Granny Brisson

2009-03-04T12:26:00.003-05:00

This was a poem that I half wrote and pulled some from other sources. I put it together to read at my Mom's funeral. It definitely something fitting for my Granny as well. This is for both of their memories. I love them both!

God saw you getting tired, and a cure was not to be,
so He put His arms around you and whispered, "Come to me."
With tearful eyes we watched you, and saw you pass away,
and although we loved you dearly, we could not make you stay.
A golden heart stopped beating, hard working hands at rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us, He only takes the best!

I find an old photograph
and see your smile,
As I feel your presence again,
I am feeled with warmth,
and my heart remembers love.

I remember who you used to be,
the laughter we shared.
I ask the Lord for wisdom
that I might understand,
Just why the death of my Mom
was included in His plan.

I found there is:
No more sadness or sorrow.
No more heartache or pain.
No more Earthly hurt or harm
Because she's resting in God's arms.

And though we can't touch Mom again
till Earth and Heaven are one,
Know that everyone who met her,
especially her three sons,
Loved her very, very much!
We could never forget you!
Mom, I love and miss you!

Have You Lost a Loved One?

2009-03-04T11:04:00.002-05:00

My mom passed away in May 2003 at the age of 47 when I was only 29, and my grandma passed away last year-August 2008 at the age of 76. Those were the two most important women in my life, so to say that I missed them would be an understatement. My Dad's side of the family were never close to me or in my life until my Mom passed away. I also have two brothers, and without them I would not what to do with myself at times. I was really depressed and distraught after my Mom's death. It took a long time to get over that and to get readjusted to life. We did not always get along and I held major resentment against her for the way I felt she treated me at times. Not treating me with the love and support that I felt I needed. Honestly it felt like I was kept around sometimes just so she could keep receiving a welfare check on me, and when I was too old for her to receive the checks anymore, she didn't want me around. But she was still my M0m, and I loved her very much. My dad had been an alcoholic all of my life, and he married another woman before I was 4 or 5 and had more kids with her. My brother has always been closer to him. He even went to live with him for a few years when he was about 14 or 15. We would get to know each other a little better when my Mom passed away in 2003. I handled all the funeral arrangements. That was hard in itself! She died with no insurance and I had to scramble to pay for the costs of the funeral. Anyway, my Dad came to the funeral and then his brother came to my Mom's old house when I was trying to clean the place up and sell some things. My uncle owned his own business and I eventually would go to work for him. That meant seeing my Dad on a daily basis. By the way, Dad had stopped drinking for a couple of years. He still chain smoked and sipped on non alcoholic beer all day. Essentially still drinking, because it still has a very small amount of alcohol in them. None the less he was trying, and that impressed me all in itself. A year or so later though, he would be back to being a full time beer drinker. I had started to think that maybe God had some kind of plan for things working out this way. You know over the years I didn't think about him that much. I was not overly obsessed like I have seen some people are on talk shows, etc. with not having a parent in their life. When our paths crossed though, I found that I had started to have hope for him. Now that my Mom was gone, it wouldn't be so bad to have a Dad right? It of course would not work out.I think that it just reinforced some of the negative impressions I had of him and maybe gave me some new ones.
Back to my Mom. During that time I just tried to follow my Aunt and Uncle's advice. My Aunt told me that I would probably never fully get over it. She was right, if I hear an old song that Mom liked for example , it makes me think of her. The other advice they gave me was just to put myself into my work and to keep moving. Not dwell on it so much! That's what I did, I worked my butt off at their company for the next couple of years. Now I wonder if their advice was somewhat self serving as well, but regardless it helped get me past it. I made a lot of money at the time as well. Money has always been a big motivator for me, and I liked having it!
My grandma (granny) had always been like a second Mom to me, especially after my Mom passed. I have to admit that I was a little mad at her for various reasons after the funeral. Eventually I would come around and get over it! I loved her very much and she provided love, hugs, and support that I needed even as an adult. I always told her that she could live to be 100 when she would have various complaints about old age and being sick. But God took her when He was ready! I would love to still have her and my Mom here! But with Granny, at least she got to live a long life of 76! I love them both, and God bless them! Grandaddy is still alive, he just turned 81. He has never been that social towards the family.He has had his good days though at times. He himself coincidentally is an alcoholic to this day. He like to be social at beer joints--lol--from what I hear!
I just wanted to tell a little about myself and this topic is something that has greatly influenced my life. I know that many people out there have experienced loss in their life and have dealt with it in different ways. In my next posting I want to share something I wrote for my Mom at her funeral. Granny always loved it and said she wanted a copy of it. I never did give her one! Although I spoke at Granny's funeral, I didn't read this poem there. It is fitting for her as well, so I thought that I would honor both of them by posting the poem/ letter.

Fox News-Immigrants Environmentally Dangerous

2009-03-01T21:06:00.003-05:00

Let me start by saying that one of my biggest pet peeves is littering. I can not stand to see trash on the sides of our road, highways, or anywhere other than the dump or a trashcan. Littering is a huge issue in America that has spread to our lakes, rivers, and even our oceans.Can people not wait till they stop to throw the trash away properly? Well today while I was on the treadmill at the gym, Fox News had the nerve to run the story on T.V. that illegal immigrants are trashing our border and thus are creating an environmental hazard. Well, I must say that they are guilty of leaving tons of garbage at the border--as evidenced by the T.V. footage they showed to back up their statement. Don't get me wrong! I am not taking the side of the illegals to be here or the side of legal American citizens, etc. What I want to point out is that a lot of Americans are guilty of littering up our states, no different than any illegals. So if Fox wants to run a story, why can't they include what the people of this country are doing as well? Neither group's actions are any more environmentally hazardous than the other's. Let's all just stop the littering and pointing of the almighty finger!

UNC beats Ga Tech 104-74!! Hansbrough breaks record!

2009-02-28T17:29:00.002-05:00

All American Tyler Hansbrough had another double-double with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Also today he set the all time career free-throw record in the NCAA's . He has a total of 907 made as of today passing Dickie Hemric's record of 905 free-throws. The Tarheels are now 25-3 overall, and 11-3 in the ACC. The number 4 Tarheels were coming off an overtime loss to Maryland last week. Meanwhile, the super talented point guard Ty Lawson seemed to have limited his shooting today. It seemed that Ty and coach Roy Williams must have had a talk about the job of a point guard after he had only 2 assists last week. Today he had 11 assists and ran the team with great ease making the team better all around. Don't get me wrong Lawson is the best in the country at the point, and he deserves everything he gets. We definitely will need his scoring, but we need his assists high and his turnovers low as well. Great game! Next up are Virginia Tech on Wednesday and the season finale against Duke on Sunday in Chapel Hill.

Nascar- Redneck Sport or Marketing Phenomenom?

2009-02-27T18:34:00.002-05:00

Well , I have to be honest, I grew up hating Nascar and thinking it was just something that rednecks liked.The T.V. never stopped on a race around our house! Yes, I grew up here in North Carolina right around the heart of Nascar country. I did not know that I lived that close to the heart of things until probably a couple of years ago. Well in the last few years I have to admit that I have been coming around. I actually like Nascar racing now. I still can not sit and watch every lap, because admittedly that can still be found monotonous and boring. Everyone loves a wreck or something exciting right?

So what happened? What made me change my vehement stand on the sport? I have been thinking about it and I think it is due to Nascar's new approach to marketing and their rolling out of new drivers. The sport has become a force to be reckoned with under the guidance of Brian France and the France family. It is only second in terms of T.V. viewership to the NFL. That's pretty impressive and the average fan was found to have a lot of purchasing power with an average income of $80000. Sponsorship in Nascar is second to none and millions of dollars are passed through the sport in the form of advertising. Advertising ranges from commercials to driver appearances to the sponsorship decals on the cars themselves. As you can see Nascar has grown and changed its image. Professionals are drawn to the sport just as well as your average Joe. Surprisingly, women were found to comprise about 40% of the fan base. I have to say that must be due to the fact that the women enjoy fast cars and cute drivers.Plus for me personally, I like to see anything associated with large amounts of money and a fast lifestyle. I must say that I enjoy fast cars and race car driving in itself. However, shows like MTV and CMT cribs and the features on ESPN let us get a look into their personal lives and how they live. I know that it is not all fun with all of the drivers obligations. However, the millions of dollars that the top drivers are able to command through their contracts and commercial deals(among other ways) has got to help make you feel better. Plus dont forget about flying into a different town and racetrack each week and jumping into a race car and flying around the track at nearly 200 miles an hour! At the same time, most of the drivers seem to stay somewhat humble and just love to race.I definitely would love if my son could grow up to be a driver! At almost three, he is already all into it. He knows Dale Junior's name and number and loves to "race" around on his bike.

If you are interested in business and specifically marketing and advertising, you have to take notice of Nascar. You do not have to like the sport to be able to appreciate what they have been able to do. They have been able to transform die hard "haters" like me into admirers of the sport. Is it a redneck sport in the year 2009? I think not ,and I think that they have the potential to push Nascar more into the mainstream in years to come.

Tata Nano-- Company Releases $2500 Car

2009-02-27T17:12:00.006-05:00

The world's cheapest car is due out March 23, 2009.This car is being set for release in India and is being billed as "the people's car". They say that it will not be allowed in the U.S. because it would not pass our safety standards. Don't get me wrong, I am all for safety! However, don't you think that America could use a car like this or something very similar in price and design? Add a $1000 to the price tag and make it safe for our country's consumers! It tends to lead to the point of why can't the U.S. produce something along this price point? America's big three car companies and our government are too greedy to let something like this car sell! Sure it is not the biggest or best looking car! That's not the point and I am not saying not to keep offering the higher priced cars. Just give more options to the American people. It's bound to sell, especially now with whats happened with the economy and gas prices. Check out the accompanying You Tube video! I love the accompanying music in the video!

President Obama to Bring Troops Home

2009-02-27T15:58:00.002-05:00

Just a short note to let everyone know that the President has set a timetable to bring our US troops home from Iraq. He has set the date at September 2010. That is only 18 months away. I am not the one to say if it is the right thing to do or not. However, you have to wonder what the real motivation for our involvement in the war was for the Bush administration. Was it about terrorism and Osama Bin Laden or was it for control of oil?

Book Review-Isn't It Their turn to Pick up the Check? by Jeanne Fleming & Leonard Schwarz

2009-02-26T22:07:00.003-05:00

This is a book dealing with all of the trickiest money problems between family and friends- from serial borrowers to serious cheapskates. I just wanted to touch on one chapter. It had some content that I thought was interesting.
It's called Rich Brother, Poor Brother! According to sociologist Dalton Conley, children who grow up in the same home frequently wind up with very different incomes as adults. So how do you think we can have the same parents, spend our childhoods together, and still find ourselves in such different financial circumstances as adults? Well part of the answer lies in the fact that not every child is as ambitious, talented, or as smart as the next child. Some want to act and some want to be in business.
Here's where it gets interesting! According to Conley, often only nominally do we grow up in the same families and the same environments. ( I am not sure that I have ever thought of it this way.) One daughter may grow up having to work after school because Dad is struggling to get his business started. Yet by the time the younger sister reaches high school, Dad's business may be prospering and little sister's after-school life may include tutors who are helping her get into the best college possible. Or one son may grow with the financial and emotional security provided by a sound marriage, while his younger brother may have to live with the economic setbacks and emotional turmoil that occur when the parents divorce. And the examples could go on and on, and I am sure that you could think of a few as well.
In summary, Conley says that there are three factors that often lead to substantial disparities in the incomes of brothers and sisters. One is large social forces. The second is family-specific events. And the third factor is that parents treat their children differently when they raise them. For good reasons and bad, parents often invest more money and time in some children than in others.
Well , I will not go in to any more depth than that. However, the book in this chapter makes some interesting points, doesn't it?

Book Review-Dave Ramsey-The Total Money Makeover

2009-02-25T14:21:00.002-05:00

Dave Ramsey is a Christian man from Tennessee who has written several books on personal finance. He also has a radio talk show and a television show where he discusses personal finance. He has a system, that is a variation of many systems that I have read about before, that tells you how to become debt free. His method is pretty cut and dry, straightforward, and easy to follow. The most impressive thing to note s that it has worked for thousands of people. There are no easy ways, tricks, or schemes in the system he proposes. It comes down to hard work and determination. The following is the 7 baby steps plan he has put together! http://www.daveramsey.com/media/pdf/fpu_babysteps.pdf

Save a $1000 emergency fund
Debt Snowball-- write out all of your debt and start paying off the smallest debt owed first--continue on to the next lowest bill, repeat until all of your debt is paid off
Now Finish the emergency fund- save from 3 to 6 months of expenses
Invest 15% of your income for wealth building
Save for college for kids--Use ESA'S or 529's
Pay off mortgage!
Build Wealth and give some money away

to be continued

Book Review-The Martha Rules by Martha Stewart

2009-02-25T13:48:00.004-05:00

I just finished a book by Martha that she wrote after her release from prison. Martha and her team have built a large empire that makes a ton of money. We can definitely learn something from her and the following ten rules she feels are necessary to follow for business success.

What's passion got to do with it?
Ask yourself, What's the Big Idea?
Get a telescope, a wide angle lens, and a microscope
Teach so you can learn!
All dressed up and ready to grow!
Quality is everyday!
Build an A-team!
So the pie isn't perfect? Cut it into wedges.
Take risks, not chances!
Make it Beautiful!

to be continued