Get Involved with Your Community

There are almost endless opportunities to become an active volunteer in your community. In addition to doing a good deed for someone else, you gain the opportunity to meet new people, learn new skills, enhance your resume, and alleviate the boredom of sitting home! Here are five places where your help is needed:

Scouting – Girl and Boy Scout troops are always looking for volunteers. Whether you just want to offer an extra hand at major events, or enlist as a leader / co-leader, there is sure to be a spot for you in one of these organizations. You can teach life skills, explore new hobbies, participate in outdoor activities, and much more. Keep in mind, though, that you will be required to take training classes and, most likely, have a background check conducted before you can supervise the scouts.

Big Brothers Big Sisters – Share your interests and hobbies with a child who could use a great role model. All you need to commit to is one hour per week, and you need to be comfortable working one-on-one with your little brother or sister. You can read about the program and apply online. Then, you’ll receive an interview and, ultimately, be matched with a child who needs you. 

Hospital Volunteering – Odds are your local hospital is always looking for an extra set of hands. Depending on your interests, you can help out in a variety of ways. For example, if you love kids, you can assist in the pediatric ward, spending time with patients, monitoring the playroom, etc. Alternatively, you could help organize publicity efforts in the blood bank, deliver flowers and gifts to patients, or assist in the cafeteria. In addition to the sense of pride you’ll get from volunteering, hospitals may also offer volunteers discount CPR / First Aid certification, free meals during volunteer hours, letters of recommendation, and other incentives.

Senior Center / Nursing Home – Volunteering with the elderly is a great way to give back, and you’re likely to gain some gems of wisdowm from the individuals you spend time with. Volunteer activities with this group vary widely, so you are sure to find something that suits your time / interests. You can perform music, read, do crafts, play a game, take a walk, or even just sit and chat with a few new friends.

Parks and Trails – If nature is your passion, consider local trail restoration groups. You’ll make friends who share your interests, and have a great excuse to get outside. These teams clean up litter, trim stray branches, fill in ditches, etc. to make trails safe for visitors. Some groups also participate in surveys of local wildlife, community education, and other activities that may be of interest to you.

Safe Deposit Boxes

At some point in your life, you are likely to possess something valuable that absolutely cannot be lost or damaged. It may be important paperwork, a family heirloom, expensive jewelry, etc. Whatever the item, you will need a secure place to store it where it willb e safe from robbery, fire, flood, and other potential destruction. One such location is a safe deposit box, which you can rent from your bank.

Specific bank policies on safe deposit boxes vary, but prices and fees are fairly common. A small safe deposit box will likely cost you $15 to $20 per year to rent. Medium-sized boxes start around $40 per year, and larger boxes can cost up to $500 annually. Additionally, you may be charged a key deposit fee. At many banks, these expenses can be automatically deducted from your accounts, so keeping your box is a relatively hands-off process.

Once you’ve got a safe deposit box, you need to decide what goes inside. For starters, you should keep paperwork that cannot be easily recovered. This includes original birth certificates, titles, mortgages, wills, stocks, and bonds. You should also use the box for any valuables that are irreplaceable, such as old / expensive jewelry, important collections (like stamps), or family artifacts and photos.

Of course, there are things that should not go in your safe deposit box. Since you will not always have ready access to the box, you want to avoid leaving passports, social security cards, medical information, etc. inside. Remember, banks close and you will not be able to gain entry to your safe deposit box after hours. For this same reason, you should keep copies of any important papers you put in the box.

It is a good idea to make a list and take pictures of items left in your safe deposit box should there ever be a problem. Obviously, safe deposit boxes are intended to be completely secure. However, it is always best to plan for the worst. Despite being resistant to fire, flood, etc., emergencies do happen. In extremely rare instances, it is even possible that someone could illegally gain entry to your box. Another, more common, scenario is someone giving their spouse access, and then going through a messy split.

Items in your safe deposit box are not FDIC insured like accounts. Unless a bank has done something negligent, they are not responsible for losses you suffer in the event of an emergency. However, most homeowner’s and renter’s insurance will cover safe deposit box items up to a certain value. Alternatively, you can purchase additional coverage just for these important items.

Play Games for Charity

Looking for a quick break at work?  Need a short respite from studying?  Before you spend another minute harvesting your Farmville crops, consider these online games that donate money to charity.  Not only will you get your break, and possibly learn something new, but you will also be helping to save the world one click at a time!

Charitii

This crossword-style game stands out among other charity games because it lets you choose your cause from five worthy charities.  Donations come from supporters who in turn get ads on the site.  As you play the word game, the skill level adjusts to become harder or easier.  There are 100 difficulty levels to read, so the game is great for continued playing. 

FreeRice

FreeRice is a vocabulary game that provides rice to the UN World Food Programme for every correct answer you get.  Like Charitii, the levels change as you answer questions right or wrong.  You can also choose specific subjects for vocabulary, like geography or chemistry, and even change the language.  This makes FreeRice great for anyone who needs to brush up on their German or practice for the GRE.   To date, FreeRice has donated more than 80 billion grains of rice around the world.

FreePoverty

FreePoverty is a geography game that asks you to locate important places on a world map.  The closer you are to the correct location, the greater the donation made.  At FreePoverty, donations are in the form of clean water to countries in need.

Games That Give

Games That Give is sponsored by several well-known companies including Pepsi, Dominos, Starbucks, and Quaker.  The site features more than 25 popular flash games, most of which you will recognize. For each game of blackjack, snake, sudoku, crazy taxi, etc., the site donates money to the charity of your choice.  All of the charities are fairly well known and include UNICEF, Ronald McDonald House, United Way, and the American Heart Association.  Signing up for an account allows you to track your donations and gain a place on the leaderboard.

Making Iced Tea

Grabbing a bottle of iced tea can seem like a great idea on a hot summer day. After all, it’s healthier than soda, right? Well, that depends on the kind of tea you grab. Some brands load their iced drinks with sugar, which also means excess calories. In fact, some brands of iced tea can pack more than 200 calories into one bottle. That’s pretty impressive when you consider that plain, black tea has zero calories to start with.

A better alternative to sugary bottled tea is to brew your own iced tea at home. In doing so, you can experiment with flavors and limit, or even eliminate, the extra sugar. Plus, you’ll only end up spending around 50 cents or less per cup!

Let’s start with a basic formula for making iced tea. While there are countless recipes available online, the basic process is the same.

Start with two cups of boiling water.

Add 6-7 tea bags (or an equivalent amount of loose-leaf tea) and steep. How long you steep the tea depends on the type you are using, but it should be listed on the package. Generally, you wont need more than 2-4 minutes.

After steeping, add enough water to make two quarts of iced tea.
 Search Amazon.com for iced tea
Then, refrigerate until it’s nice and cold. That’s it!

Once you have the basic method down, you can experiment with flavors and extra ingredients. Remember, there are several kinds of tea and each possess unique benefits. You can also mix various flavors / types to create the perfect blend. For example, I have mixed black chai tea with green tea for a milder chai taste. Adding fresh fruit to your iced tea can also add a burst of flavor. You can also try adding spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, etc. If you must sweeten your tea, consider your options. Artificial sweeteners eliminate calories, but there are mixed opinions on them. Honey goes great with tea and is healthier than processed sugar. You can also add sweetened juice to your tea. There are endless possibilities!

New Places to Find a Job

Finding a job in today’s economy can be a difficult prospect. You can spend hours tirelessly searching Monster.com and blindly submitting resumes to recruiters. However, there are other ways to find job openings that are often overlooked. Whether you’re looking for entry level work or a management position, it is important to use all available resources and connections. Here are three ways you can improve your job search by networking both online and off.

Check Industry Forums

Forums are not just places to share ideas or gossip. Forums related to specific industries (like gaming or marketing) are also great for a job hunt. Members often post open positions on forums where they know knowledgable professionals will be posting. Plus, a forum provides a place for you to “sell yourself” to prospective employers. You can post your credentials and the job you are looking for. Don’t forget to check forums of real world recruiting events as well. You may find out about job fairs, trade shows, etc. where you can pitch your resume.

Join Professional Organizations

Most professions today offer some sort of networking organization to assist with professional development. These are also great places to find a job. You can browse organization websites, communicate with fellow members, attend networking events, etc. You should also look for local Young Professionals groups. These are great for making friends, participating in social activities, and, of course, finding a job.

Use Social Networking Sites

Believe it or not, you really can find job listings on Facebook and Twitter. To start your social networking job hunt, find the profiles of companies you are interested in working for. Often, recruiters will post openings on these pages. You should also keep an eye out for ads on Facebook, which may include job offers. As for twitter, there are special sites devoted to finding job posts. Considering how many professionals use Twitter, it’s not surprising that they tweet job openings.

Turn Your Hobby into a Job

Everyone has something they are passionate about. Whether it is biking, reading, or collecting stamps, we all have hobbies. Turning your hobby into a job is a great way to multitask having fun with making money. While not all hobbies can become full-time careers, many offer ways to earn extra spending cash part-time. Here are five hobbies that can make you money:

If you’re passionate about hiking…

You can look into a full-time job as a park ranger. Park rangers have a wide range of duties from conservation to fire prevention to community education. Becoming a ranger usually requires formal training, but requirements vary depending on the size and status of the park. Rangers can be hired seasonally or year-round and may receive free housing on park grounds.

Another way to turn a hiking hobby into a job is to work as a counselor, educator, or trail guide at a camp or park. The level of job intensity for this can range from leading nature hikes to supervising overnight backpacking trips. Jobs of this nature are also available through companies that organize public and private hiking groups.

From time to time environmental groups need people to survey or maintain trails. This means you earn cash just for taking a hike and making simple observations. You can also use your hiking experiences to contribute to hiking guides that may offer money for quality writing.

If you’re a gamer…

Programming your own game may be beyond the abilities of most hobbyist gamers, but there are other ways to earn cash from this hobby. Being an expert gamer means you are capable of writing quality guides. Whether these are published on a blog (with ad revenue) or submitted for publication, this can be a fun way to make some extra cash.

Another option is to become a beta tester for game companies. This often requires a presence in the gaming industry. In other words, you need to have an active voice in major forums and attend conventions. This type of networking can also land creative authors a job writing the storylines for video games.


If you’re a movie buff…

Sure, you could go to film school, but if you’re looking for a quicker way to make this hobby your job, there are some other great options out there. As with any hobby, you can always earn some extra cash by starting a blog. Publishing some great content online can open the door to other publishing opportunities. You may even be able to become a movie critic , whether for a local paper or a national publication.

If you’re obsessed with music…

There are several options for part-time music jobs even if you don’t plan to become a professional musician. Craigslist often lists openings for musicians to play gigs. You can also join a local community band / orchestra that plays small shows and parties, or look into pit orchestras at a nearby theater.

For those interested in listening to music but who don’t actually play, there are still ways to make some cash from your hobby. Craigslist and similar sites offer short-term work as promoters for musical events. You can also look into becoming a DJ or local radio host.


If you’re a foodie…

Who doesn’t love to eat? One great way to make money while chowing down on some delicious foods is to become a taste tester. Many major food corporations seek out testers to help them with quality control and product development. You can also start a blog, and potentially get hired by a local publication, to write food reviews. If your hobby extends to baking, consider selling your own treats or publishing a cookbook. You can also offer cooking lessons or be trained as a chef / pastry artist.

Five Unusual Hotels

Looking for an interesting getaway this summer?  Check out this article highlighting some of the most unusual vacation spots in the United States.  Whether you've got a weekend or a week to spend away, it's always fun to try something different like sleeping in an igloo or a tree house.

Get a Deal a Day

Woot!, one of the most famous Deal-a-Day sites was just bought by the online retail supergiant Amazon.com. This fun article from Mashable got me thinking about the other deal-a-day options out there.

For those unfamiliar with this phenomenon, many sites on the web offer consumers special offers with a “one deal per day” promotion. While such sites aim to entice impulse buyers, they can also be great places to find bargains…as long as you remember to only buy stuff you will actually use. Here are some of the best Deal-a-Day sites:

Woot! – The site that prompted this post offers random discounted products daily (often electronics). There are also spinoff sites from Woot! Showcasing wine, t-shirts, and children’s products.

Yugster – Yugster offers a limited number of a special discount item each day. Like Woot!, there are also special category deals like a daily watch and products that remain on the site until they sell out, whether they last an hour or a week.

Tanga – Like Woot! and Yugster, this site offers a deal a day in several different categories. One unique category is Tanga’s magazine daily deal, which offers discounted subscriptions. Also, Tanga’s t-shirt deals tend to be cheaper than Woot!. A major selling point of Tanga, though, is that is has a nice community as well. You can play games on the site, participate in discussion forums, add friends, and track other users’ activities.

Amazon.com – Online retail giant Amazon offers daily deals in all categories including  music, DVDs,and electronics.

Giveaway of the Day – This site offers a different free software title for download each day. Products offered are generally not available for free elsewhere and range from games to web editors to security tools.

Game Du Jour – This site offers a new PC game for a low price each day. You can download a free trial before you buy too!

Jewelry DOD – This site, as you probably figured out, has daily jewelry deals. When I wrote this, they had amethyst earrings for nearly 90% off.


Deal of the Day Tracker – This site is great at aggregating daily deals from all across the web. The product selection can be a bit overwhelming, but it saves you from having to check each deal website individually.

TodaysDOD – Siilar to Deal of the Day Tracker, this site has great visuals of all the products offered as well as user ratings of the products.