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New Credit Card Laws Are Now In Effect: Six Ways You Can Save Money And Six Pitfalls To Watch Out For
Love them or hate them, credit cards are part of our lives. In the U.S. there are about 700 million credit cards, about two for each American, charging an average interest rate of 13.5 percent. And a lot of us have been fed up with high fees and unfair practices that cost us big. A new law could bring a lot of changes in your credit card bills. It’s called the Credit Card Act of 2009, but most provisions didn’t take effect until February 22nd, 2010.
First the good news: the law fixes some of the credit card industry’s most annoying and costly practices. The bad news: there are loopholes and ways for companies to charge you more. More detailed information is available from the Federal Reserve but here’s the rundown:
Six Ways You’ll Save Money With The New Credit Card Law
1. No more universal default
Universal default was the long-hated practice of the credit card company raising your interest rate if you were late in paying a completely unrelated account with another creditor. That’s gone.
2. Your interest rates won’t go up too fast
Under the new law, promotional interest rates are required to last at least six months for existing accounts. For new accounts, your interest rate will stay the same for the first year.
3. Fees are restricted
Those costly over-the-limit fees are prohibited now – so if you’re over the limit, your transaction will simply be declined, unless you agree to opt in to a setup that allows you to go over the limit and pay the extra fees. And credit card companies cannot charge you a fee for making a payment whether through mail, phone or electronically. (Although note they can still charge you for making a payment with the help of a live customer service rep.)
4. Higher-interest balances get paid first
Suppose you have a credit card with multiple balances at different interest rates. Under the old rules, your payments would be applied to the lower rate balances first – leaving the higher-rate balances to accrue lots of costly interest charges over time. No more. Now, your payments will go toward the balance with the higher interest first, which means you pay down the debt faster, with less total interest.
5. Billing statements will have more information and more advance notice
From now on, your credit card statements will have a lot of information that could save your money. You’ll be informed of penalties for late payments. And you’ll be told just how long it will take you to pay off your balance if you only make the minimum payment, so you can plan to pay off your balance faster and save interest. Also, your credit card company has to mail your bill at least 21 days before the due date and give 45 days’ notice of changes in your APR (annual percentage rate), fees, and other terms of your agreement.
6. Safeguards for people under 21
Credit card companies used to market themselves aggressively to college students, encouraging young adults to rack up debt and take a long time (and a lot of interest) to pay it off. Under the new law, consumers under 21 will need proof of their own sufficient income, or they’ll have to get a cosigner.
Six Loopholes That Could Cost You Under The New Credit Card Law
1. You could still pay high interest rates and fees
The new law does not put a cap on interest rates and fees – so buyer beware. Shop around for a low-interest rate card. Try a site such as bankrate.com to find better deals.
2. Your interest rate can rise for future purchases
Although the new law prohibits rate increases on your existing balances, your credit card company can raise rates on future purchases. The new rate can apply to all purchases that are made 14 days after the company sends you a notice of the increase. So you need to read your bills carefully, and stop using your card if you don’t want to pay the new interest rate on purchases.
3. Watch out for more kinds of fees
With all these new restrictions in place, credit card companies are creatively inventing new ways to make money. A lot more companies are charging annual fees for their cards now, or adding fees such as a charge for a paper statement.
4. Variable rates are still allowed
These provisions allow your credit card company to base their rate on the prime rate or other indicators that go up and down. Right now, these indexes are pretty low due to the recession, but watch for your rates to rise when the economy improves.
5. Credit card companies can close your account or lower your limit without notice
For most other changes, issuers have to give you at least 45 days notice. But there are two big exceptions: the company can close your account or lower your credit limit without notifying you first. If it happens, call the company and ask them for an explanation.
6. Be careful about deferred interest plans
You know those ads that entice you to buy furniture or appliances with no interest? Be careful. The new laws continue to allow these arrangements – and remember that if you don’t pay off the whole balance on time, you can be charged interest all the way back to the purchase date.
Photo courtesy of Flickr
Tax Tips For A Bigger Refund On Your 2009 Return
By now, you’ve probably received your W-2’s and all the other forms you need to start working on your tax return for 2009. But did you know that, even though we’re in the new year, there are still things you can do to maximize your refund, or at least minimize your tax bill? Here are three tips to help you save at tax time.
1. TAKE CREDIT FOR HELPING HAITI
If you are one of the millions who donated to Haiti earthquake relief, you don’t have to wait until next year to get a tax break. A special tax provision signed into law in January allows taxpayers to claim a charitable contribution deduction on their 2009 taxes for donations to Haiti relief organizations from Jan. 11 to March 1, 2010. The provision includes contributions made via text message – just keep your phone bill to meet the IRS’ record-keeping requirements. Of course, if you prefer, you can deduct the contributions on your 2010 taxes instead, if that’s better for you. More info here: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom
2. FUND YOUR IRA THIS YEAR, CLAIM IT FOR LAST YEAR
You have until the tax-filing deadline of April 15 to contribute to your IRA for 2009. You can invest up to $5,000 to your IRA for the 2009 tax year and for 2010, or $6,000 if you’re 50 or older. Your contributions will reduce your taxable income. Also, when you invest in a traditional IRA, your earnings can potentially grow on a tax-deferred basis. More info here: http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics
3. BUY A HOME, CLAIM A TAX CREDIT
Two types of home buyers qualify for a tax credit on their 2009 returns:
"First-time" home buyers (defined as those who haven’t owned a primary residence for three years prior to the purchase) can receive are eligible for a tax credit of up to $8,000. This credit is available for home buyers who purchased a home from Jan. 1, 2009, to April 30, 2010.
"Move-up" home buyers who have owned their primary residence for five consecutive years out of the last eight can receive a credit of up to $6,500. This credit is limited to homes purchased after Nov. 6 and on or before April 30, 2010.
To qualify for either credit, you must enter into a binding contract by April 30, 2010, and settle on the purchase by June 30, 2010. If you claim this credit on your 2009 return, you must use a paper return (no electronic filing) and attach a copy of your settlement statement showing all parties’ names and signatures, the property address, the contract sales price, and the date of purchase. In most cases, your settlement statement is your properly executed Form HUD-1, Settlement Statement. To claim the credit, use IRS form 5405: http://www.irs.gov
Photo courtesy of Flickr
6 Ways To Get Organized For Less
Count me among the organizationally challenged. I’m one of those people who stares at a blank set of file folders, wondering how to label them. I scratch my head wondering where to stash that adorable picnic basket that I love, but only use once or twice a year in my temperamental Northeast Corridor climate. I just don’t have that organizing gene.
So you may wonder what I’m doing advising you how to get organized. Well, it’s precisely because I feel your pain. Natural-born neatniks don’t understand just how challenging this is, or what’s involved. Me, I’ve had to learn the hard way – and I don’t have money to pay a professional organizer, useful though it would be. Here, some fabulous easy, free and cheap ways to organize yourself. I’ve actually done these things, and believe me, if I can do it, you can, too.
1. A KEY ORGANIZING TIP
Do you go through the same frantic search for your keys every morning before you leave the house? I used to do that. I would come home in the evenings, and being tired and distracted, would just drop my keys down wherever…the kitchen table, my bedroom, or even leave them in a coat pocket. Then the next morning I would waste 5 or ten minutes and make myself late for work because I couldn’t find my keys.
Why aggravate yourself like that? Get a cheap rack with hooks, a cork board with hooks, or even just plastic stick-up hooks if you don’t have the time to drill holes. Check the dollar store, home stores and hardware stores and this will cost you less than $10 unless you really want a fancy-looking item.
Put the hooks on the wall right inside your front door. Then, train yourself to hang the keys up right away when you come home. It probably will take several days of reminding yourself, but once you’re in the habit, you’ll never scramble for your keys again. Seriously, this one tip has hugely reduced my stress level.
2. PAY BILLS AND KEEP RECORDS ONLINE
Clutter is usually a major issue when you’re disorganized. One great way to cut clutter is to reduce the amount of paper that piles up. I used to have stacks of paper bills, and the pile just grew. Now, I save bills only until it’s time to pay them. I keep each bill in its original envelope after opening it, and mark the amount and due date on the outside of the envelope; the bills are sorted in due date order.
I keep all the bills in a desk drawer, but you could always keep them somewhere else – just as long as it’s a place that you’ll remember. Then I go online to my bank account, pay the bills, and then I just throw the paper bills away. If I need to pull up records later, I can go online with the bank or with each company (for example, you can go online to check your phone account, mortgage, etc.). You can do this with many receipts as well – anything you’ve bought online, there’s a receipt online or in your email.
3. FILE IT EASY
There are still some records you’ll need to keep on paper, such as contracts, copies of your insurance policies, tax records, and some other things. For a complete list and explanation, check out this handy guide courtesy of Uncle Sam:
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/money/keeprecords/keeprecords.htm
If you don’t have time or skills to organize good files, here’s an easy solution that worked for me. Buy a portable, accordion-style expanding file case with pre-printed category labels and presto, an instant filing system! My file case came already labeled with categories like "automobile", "insurance", "medical", and "taxes". I just take my records and drop them into the proper slots. I found my file case at Wal-Mart but you could try Target, Staples, Office Max, and other places.
4. KEEP A CALENDAR AND TASK LIST
Very often, disorganized people not only clutter up their stuff, they also clutter up their minds because they don’t keep good track of their appointments or their ‘to do" list. I’m definitely one of those people. So I’ve always had to rely on writing everything down – or keeping track on the computer. Use whichever method is easiest. I like technology, so I now keep everything on my computer and it syncs to my smartphone. Or you can go low-tech and just buy a cheap paper planner. Get one that’s small enough to fit in your pocket or purse, so you will always have it with you. Also see tip #5 (below) to find out how to print your own planner for free.
5. PLAN IT AND PRINT IT FOR FREE
You already have a computer, now make it work for you. You might be surprised to learn that popular software already comes with many pre-designed forms, lists, calendars and planners that you can simply fill in and print out.
Microsoft Word
In MS Word 2007, open Word, click the button at top left, then "new", then "lists" from the template choices, then "home". You’ll find an amazing array of pre-formatted lists to help organize your life. Lots of To Do lists, chore lists and grocery lists to choose from. Also try "planners" from the template lists and you’ll see all kinds of printable schedule and task planners.
Microsoft Excel
In MS Excel 2007, use the same procedure as described above for Word: open Word, click the button at top left, then "new", then "lists" or "planners". You’ll find many different designs and choices, just pick the ones that you find easiest to use.
Apple Numbers
In Apple iWork Numbers, you can choose from many different forms, calculators and planners. One unique offering is a home inventory planner that allows you to drag and drop photos of your home and possessions.
6. RE-USE IT
While you could buy lots of fancy, attractive organizers, bins and storage systems, it’s not really necessary. I keep my scented body lotions and powders in a former Easter basket (minus the fake green grass, of course). Use shoebox lids upside down in drawers to create compartments for different items. Ice cube trays are nice for small things.
Dean writes, "Having a clear mind and organized home can save you a lot of money because you will realize how much stuff you have and how much stuff you just don’t need. In other words, maybe a messy house may be costing you money you don’t even realize."
Photo Credit via Flickr
Create a Diet and Fitness Plan For Free With These Online Tools
Ah yes…we’re in the peak of diet season, that lovely time when we vow we will finally get in shape, once and for all. But it’s so easy to get snowed under a blizzard of books, all claiming to offer the perfect slimming solution. Which one to choose? And most of those books are pretty unrealistic anyway. If I really had the time or money to buy and cook all those gourmet diet meals, and do all those complicated workouts, I’d be doing it already. I’m looking for something realistic – a diet and fitness plan that I enjoy and is easy and cheap to do.
So off I went, scouring the net for something suitable. It was harder than I thought. Most of the good online diet planners or software cost money, and I insisted on a price of zero. But I did finally find a couple of good sites, where, if you invest a little time, you’ll have a diet filled with all your favorite foods – a diet you’ll more likely stick to. Here are my top picks:
WEBMD FOOD AND FITNESS PLANNER
WebMD is a leading and trustworthy site for health information. Chances are you looked up your kid’s latest illness here, but did you know they offer lots of great nutrition and fitness help? Get started with their Healthy Eating and Diet page: WebMD Healthy Eating and Diet They have a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator, a diet evaluator, healthy recipes, and best of all, a Food & Fitness Planner: WebMD Food & Fitness Planner
You’ll need to enter your gender, height, current weight, age, activity level, and weight loss goals. Then the planner will calculate what your goal weight range should be, your ideal fitness activity level, and how many daily calories you need in order to achieve that goal. Then the real fun begins. You can add foods to your plan; just enter the name in the search box on the site. For example, enter "apple" and you’ll see a long list that includes fresh apple, applesauce, etc. Choose whichever one you actually want to have on your menu, and the site will add the corresponding calories and nutritional counts to your personal plan. Keep doing this until you have a full day’s worth of meals and snacks. You can tweak it to make sure you meet your goals.
Overall, it’s a great site but they unfortunately don’t give you the ability to plan more than one day at a time, so you’ll have to repeat the process to create different menus for different days, and that can be tedious.
U.S. GOVERNMENT MY PYRAMID TRACKER
You might remember that the USDA, with some fanfare, introduced the nutritional pyramid a while back. The various food groups (grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat & beans) are depicted as sections of the pyramid, with a set of stairs along one side of the pyramid to indicate the need for exercise. I’m not sure I ever fully grasped the concept. But anyway, the government’s site also happens to have an excellent online menu planner called My Pyramid Tracker: My Pyramid Tracker
As with the WebMD site, you search for the foods you would like to add to your plan. Your chosen menus will be compared to your ideal daily nutritional goals. The cool thing with this site is that you can do full-week menus pretty painlessly. You can duplicate a day’s menus to additional days, edit as desired, and print out a copy to take with you everywhere.
The downside of this site is you can’t adjust your goals too well. After you input your height, weight, age and activity level, the program gives you a calorie goal that may not be what you want. For example, my plan told me I should eat 1800 calories a day to lose weight, which I thought was a little too high. So I had to just enter daily meal plans that totaled the 1500 calories that I thought I should have, and the program told me my calorie count came up short, but I just ignored that.
NATIONAL HEART LUNG AND BLOOD INSTITUTE INTERACTIVE MENU PLANNER
Okay, this one doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the WebMD or MyPyramid sites. But if you don’t have the patience and just want to spit out a quicker and more simple diet menu, this planner is for you: Interactive Menu Planner
This site operates through simple drop-down menus where you choose from several pre-determined options. For example, you choose a desired level of 1200, 1400, 1600, 1800 or 2000 calories per day. You choose from a set list of fruits, vegetables, milk, grains, meats, beverages and fats. Presto, you have a plan! As with WebMD, you can only plan one day’s worth of meals at a shot.
DIET BITES: FREE ONLINE DIET PLANS AND RECIPES
Maybe you just don’t care to have a personalized diet and fitness plan at all; you’d rather just look up your ideal weight, find a canned plan and be done with it. Diet Bites is a site that offers a lot of free information, recipes, and online tools such as ideal weight charts and lists of calorie counts in various popular fast foods: Diet Bites
This site is not especially well organized or pretty to look at, but it’s free and has a lot of good resources and articles for dieters. My eyes really got opened at the calorie counts listed for various Starbucks beverages: Starbucks Beverage Calorie Counts
Photo Courtesy of Flickr
Want Free Starbucks – Submit Your Best Money Saving Tip
This contest is simple. Just submit your best money saving tip in the comments below or via email and the person with the best tip will win a bunch of Starbucks coffee.
Here are some example money saving tip:
"This one is huge, throw out your TV. So simple yet it will save you hundreds of dollars a year not to mention all that free time. What is hundreds of hours of free time worth to you?"
About the Starbucks coffee
Starbucks just expanded its packaged coffee portfolio sold in grocery stores and is generously offering 2 free bags of Starbucks Coffee to the winner of this contest. For people who want to try a new blend but don’t want to commit to a larger size, there’s a new 5-ounce package size, and for those who have a favorite
Starbucks coffee they already enjoy, the new 20-ounce size offers great value, penciling out to approximately 25 cents per cup! As an added bonus, to reward loyal Starbucks grocery shoppers, most coffee packages will include an offer for a free Tall (12-fluid ounce) brewed coffee at Starbucks locations when customers bring in their empty bag.
This is the sample set I received from Starbucks.
To enter for a chance to win a free 20-ounce and 5-ounce bag of Starbucks premium coffee please read the instructions below.
- Leave a comment or email us at info@mrcheapstuff.com with your best money saving tip.
- We will select the person with the best money saving tip and Starbucks will ship the products to you directly.
- The winner will receive an email at the end of the contest to collect their shipping information so the products can be mailed to you.
- Entries can be submitted until Friday, January 29th, 11:59PM ET.
- This contest is open to anyone in the 50 States.
The winner will receive these two Free bags of Starbucks Coffee.
Thank you to Starbucks for sponsoring this contest on Mr. Cheap Stuff.
January Joy: Try These Post-Holiday Strategies For Savings
Cold or dreary weather, holiday pounds to lose, post-Christmas doldrums…what is there to like about January? The savings. Smart Mr. Cheap Stuff readers know this month is an excellent time for finding bargains. If you’ve been following our previous advice then you’ve held off on your post-holiday shopping because there weren’t as many markdowns in late December. So bundle up and get ready to shop now! Try these seven strategies for January savings:
-Don’t re-gift it, re-sell it. If you received unwanted items for Christmas and you couldn’t return them, unload them on eBay or Craigslist and pocket some cash. Or donate the cash to a worthy charity and keep records for next year’s taxes.
-Try Target this month. They started a new sales promotion called The Great Save. It’s primarily an in-store event (although some items are also available online) and the idea is to feature various products priced as low as you would pay in a warehouse club such as Costco or BJ’s, but without membership fees or ID cards. The Great Save runs through February 21st at about 1,000 of Target’s 1,740 stores. All of the featured items are located in one central area of the store so they will be easy to find. Items range from bulk-packaged stuff such as paper towels, to designer brand fashion and accessories.
-Get crafty. All those holiday craft and decorating supplies are on clearance now at your favorite hobby and fabric stores. Stock up on fabrics, ribbon, silk flowers, baskets and more, plus wrapping supplies as well. Score big savings and store them away for next time. Or start some new craft projects to keep you busy during the winter.
-Snack up. Give yourself (or others) a gift of a delicious holiday basket or gourmet candy and other treats, marked down cheap. Try stores such as Crate and Barrel, Williams Sonoma, or Amazon.
-Fix it. With the holidays over you may have more time on your hands, especially if you live in a climate where it’s too cold to do much outside. Look for tools on clearance this month; try our online coupons for Tool King and Ace Hardware or visit your local Home Depot or Lowe’s, and catch up on all your home projects this winter.
-Scoop up holiday-packaged items. Things like body lotion, soap and candy are specially packaged in Christmas-themed boxes and wrappers; in January the prices are slashed just because of the holiday packaging even though they are the same products on the inside.
-Scent it. Prices are slashed at stores such as Bath and Body Works and Yankee Candle, so now is a great time to stock up on your favorite scents. Prices likely will be cheapest for holiday and winter scents such as bayberry.
Photo courtesy of Flickr
Money-Saving Resolutions To Make For 2010
According to several polls, saving money is one of the top ten most popular New Year’s resolutions. Have you made your financial resolutions for 2010 yet? If not, here are eight great ideas for you to save money this year.
Double Duty Resolutions
You can save money by carrying out some of the other most popular resolutions:
-Lose weight. Eat less, you’ll see lower grocery bills. Additionally, don’t eat out as much; home-cooked food is cheaper and healthier, and it’s easier to control portion sizes.
-Get organized. How often have you ended up buying an item all over again because you couldn’t find it in your house? Or paid late fees because you lost a bill? That’s happened to me. Develop a system to keep everything in its place. Try this site for lots of helpful free organizing tips.
Fly Lady
- Stop smoking. At around $4 a pack, a pack-a-day smoker would save $1460 in this year. Add to that, cheaper life insurance, better overall health and perhaps lower doctor bills. If you still can’t quit, at least consider switching to a generic brand, and save yourself over $350 a year.
-Get fit. It will cut your medical bills, and possibly other associated expenses. For example, if you’re in shape, you can walk more places instead of driving your car everywhere. You need not join an expensive gym; walking or running will get you in shape. If the weather’s bad, try mall walking. And you can equip your home gym for under $100, according to Consumer Reports:
Other Great Ways You Can Resolve to Save in the New Year
-Take up a new hobby or activity. A lot of folks head to the mall when bored, and end up spending money needlessly. If that happens to you, do something else cheap or free. Visit the library. See your friends or family. Head to a public park.
- Save on insurance. If you haven’t reviewed your policies in a while, you may be surprised at how much you can save. Check with your agent to see if you can scale back your coverage, or combine policies to get a discount. Make sure you’re getting all the savings you are entitled to, such as safe driving discounts.
-Manage your finances. You can try: www.mint.com, which tracks all of your accounts in one place and offers budgeting tips. If you prefer using spreadsheets, check out Microsoft Excel’s many free and excellent budget worksheets that are available as standard templates. I used one of them to create my monthly spending plan. (in Excel 2007, click “new” and then “budget” from the list of template types).
-Always shop with coupons. Before you buy anything online, check Mr. Cheap Stuff coupons and save at many popular online retailers.
http://www.mrcheapstuff.com/stores/
Photo courtesy of Flickr
10 Cheap Ways To Start Enjoying The New Year
So, you’ve blown the budget on Christmas presents or New Year’s eve celebrations…or maybe money’s been tight all year long. What to do now that 2010 is here and you’re pinching pennies but still want to have fun? Here are some free or cheap ways to have fun as the new decade begins.
1. In the southern U.S., it’s a tradition in many households to eat blackeyed peas and greens. It’s supposed to bring you luck and wealth; the blackeyed peas represent coins and the greens (such as collard or mustard greens) represent paper money. Both ingredients are very cheap. There’s a traditional recipe called Hoppin’ John to cook up the peas. Serve with the greens; if you can’t find collard greens, you could substitute spinach if needed.
2. In many Asian cultures, homes are cleaned spotless and gifts are exchanged on New Year’s Day. As they say "Clean house, clear mind". When you do house cleaning you will probably realize you have too much stuff to begin with. This should help you break the habit of always trying to buy more "stuff". Try this site for free cleaning tips.
3. Make a family time capsule. Have your children gather pictures, awards, small toys and other things that they like. Ask them write little notes to themselves to read in the future. Set a future New Year’s Day date to open the time capsule.
4. Learn how to say "Happy New Year" in different languages. Try the free language learning website Live Mocha to start your language learning journey. Live Mocha is almost a free online version of the popular Rosetta Stone software program.
5. Head out shopping – the best bargains actually weren’t right after Christmas. During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, a lot of people are shopping with their gift cards, so some retailers kept their prices higher to maximize profits. The real markdowns come in January, so you can score some fantastically cheap deals, especially on fall and winter clothes.
6. Enjoy a holiday movie before it leaves the theaters. To save money on tickets, go to a matinee (weekends) or afternoon showing (weeknights). Skip the overpriced concessions.
7. Plan an affordable vacation. January is a great month to score cheap travel deals; head out to a warm climate or ski vacation and save 50% compared to December prices.
8. Head to your local library or book shop. Many of them offer free lectures and book discussion groups.
9. Redecorate without spending money. Pack up and donate knick knacks, holiday decorations and even furniture that you aren’t using; keep records for next year’s tax deductions. Rearrange what’s left, and scour your closets for unused pictures, curtains, towels and bedspreads to replace what you have and change up your home’s look.
10. Remember our troops. Now that the holidays are over, it’s a great time to keep the support going with a care package. Our service members always can use items that are important but not necessarily expensive, such as toothpaste. The U.S. government has a list of groups which will connect you with soldiers in need.
Dean adds:
11. Throw your TV out the window! Just think about how much hours of TV you watched in 2009. I bet that is a really large number. Now think about all the other enjoyable and rewarding things you could have done with your time.
Every New Year’s we realize how fast the year has come and gone. I can’t think of one of the most simple and rewarding ways to help make this year your most enjoyable and productive year ever.
Learn more about the benefits of not having a TV.
12. Take up a new activity. If you decided to cut your cable TV then you will have time to take up a new activity. This year I want to learn photography, study Japanese language, run the Honolulu Marathon and do more volunteer work.
What do you want to do with all your extra time?
Photo Credit via Flickr
Unemployed? Ten Tips For Job-Hunting During The Holidays
Sure, you need a job. But you figure nobody is hiring during the holidays, so why not just relax until after New Year’s? Granted, you’re not likely to get hired in December; in fact, it’s the lowest month of the year for hiring, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, January is the best month of the year for hiring, and if you haven’t laid the groundwork for a job offer, you could get left out in the cold. So this is not the time to zone out on eggnog. Try our ten tips for job-hunting during the holidays.
1. Now is a great time for schmoozing. Along with seeing family and friends, the holidays provide an excellent reason to reconnect with acquaintances and people in your business network. Go to every suitable holiday party and event. If you belong to any professional or business organizations, attend their holiday functions or happy hours. While you’re catching up and wishing them a Happy New Year, you can mention your job search and make pitch (just keep it brief).
2. Greetings…cards, that is. Send them to hiring managers and key business contacts. If it’s getting too late to mail them, drop them off in person and that will also give you an excuse to say hi. If necessary, send an e-card with a personal note.
3. Ask Santa for a spiffy new look. If you want to be hiring-worthy and your wallet is empty, ask for gift cards/certificates to clothing stores and hair salons so you’ll be well-groomed to look impressive on interviews.
4. Work on your resume. Make sure it’s concisely written and includes concrete examples of your accomplishments. Get it critiqued by someone with good business writing skills.
5. If you don’t have a professional online presence, do it now. Create a profile on Linkedin – www.linkedin.com. If appropriate to your industry (for example, marketing and sales), you might also want to create a professionally-oriented Facebook profile (no drunken party pics!) and/or or a Twitter account. You also might want to start a blog, which you can do for free at www.blogger.com. Keep the blog updated and don’t abandon it.
6. Update your research. Do some googling and check out websites that pertain to your field. You might find yourself reading a news story that mentions that a certain company is expanding, or just won a government contract. That’s your cue to contact the company long before they post want ads and get deluged by applicants.
7. Planning some holiday travel, for fun or family visits? See if you can combine the trip with a visit to potential employers in that area.
8. Give, as well as get. Create good karma by helping out other jobseekers and others in your business network. Send a good job lead to someone, make an introduction, write them a reference on LinkedIn, or even leave a glowing Facebook comment related to their professional expertise. People will remember you and some of them may return the favor and send a good job your way.
9. Pick up the phone. Have you been playing a lot of phone tag with hiring managers? Give them a try now. If they’re not on vacation for the holidays, they most likely will be in their offices since fewer meetings are scheduled this time of year.
10. Take a temp job. You’ll earn a little extra cash but you might also make some good contacts that could lead to a permanent position. Even if the temp job itself is not in your field, you might end up meeting clients or colleagues who will know of a good opening for you. It’s all about networking.
Photo courtesy of Flickr
A Mr. Cheap Stuff Christmas: How To Celebrate For Little Or Nothing
This has not been the merriest of years for many folks. But even if the recession is hitting you hard, that’s no reason to say "Bah, humbug." After all, the holidays aren’t all about spending money…right? And so, dear readers, we present our guide to enjoying the holidays no matter how tight your budget.
1. Hanukkah is early on the calendar this year, so it comes first on this list. One of the traditional parts of the holiday is to eat foods cooked in oil, and luckily, one of the most popular dishes is also very cheap to make. You don’t have to be Jewish to love latkes. They are freshly made, delicious potato pancakes. If you have the money, buy some applesauce to serve as the traditional accompaniment. Here’s a great recipe.
Latke Recipe
2. Whatever holiday you celebrate, you need not blow big bucks on food. If you’re broke, forget about the big dinner where the entire family eats on your dime. Do dinner for the immediate household and invite everyone else over for cookies. Or arrange a potluck.
3. Beautiful, lacy paper snowflakes are fun to make, and will decorate your home for nearly no cost (just pennies for some sheets of paper). Hang them on your tree, on your windows, or string them together for garlands. Here are a couple of sites to find printable snowflake patterns:
DavesSnowflakes.com
KindArt.com
4. You can print a nativity scene too. Use this printable nativity to make one.
5. Add a touch of fresh greenery from your yard – if you have evergreens or pine cones, bring some into your house to decorate with. If in a warmer climate, other foliage is fine.
6. No money for cards? Use email, naturally. I create my own e-cards with clip art or a favorite photo – but you could also try a company like Hallmark, where some cards are free and others are 99 cents.
Hallmark.com
7. If your gift budget is zero, there are a couple things to try. Arrange a swap meet, where you and your friends or relatives swap stuff you aren’t using. Or comb your kitchen and see if you have ingredients to make cookies, fudge or homemade bread as gifts. Another idea: use your computer’s built-in microphone and record yourself singing or reading stories – this is a nice choice for grandparents/grandkids especially.
8. Of course, there’s always the dollar store. It’s chock full of good and cheap gift items for everyone, and they have inexpensive cards and wrapping paper too. I’ve even seen DVD’s at the dollar store!
9. Kids love coloring books – you can find lots of really nice printable coloring books. These are not just generic coloring books – you have your choice of popular characters such as Barbie and Harry Potter. Print the pages on heavy paper, punch or cut holes and bind them together with ribbon or string.
Coloring-Book.info
10. Here’s a thrifty gift idea for adults: magazine subscriptions. You can find some amazing bargains on Amazon. For example, you can buy a year’s subscription to Cosmopolitan or Smart Money magazine for only five dollars, and there are many other choices.
Cosmopolitan Subscription
Smart Money Subscription
Photo Courtesy of Flickr
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