Recession Proof

Stimulus Allocates Billions for Job-Training Opportunities

stephley — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:17:06 -0700

By John Rossheim, Monster Senior Contributing Writer

With tens of millions of people unemployed or underemployed, and with blue-chip industries from automotive to banking in distress, the US workforce sorely needs help. So the new funding for job training provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is a well-timed boon to American workers.

“The [federal] workforce system will play a vital role in America’s economic recovery by assisting workers who are facing unprecedented challenges to retool their skills and reestablish themselves in viable career paths,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis in a statement.

While ARRA money for training won’t by itself put millions back to work, it is a substantial boost to local and state programs that receive federal backing.

“New funding for workforce training and development is about $4 billion -- a huge amount,” says Julian Alssid, executive director of the Workforce Strategy Center, a workforce development think tank in New York City. “The stimulus money is being pushed out very rapidly.”

The major ARRA provisions that will beef up training include:

$1.25 billion for dislocated adult workers, such as those laid off or who have received advanced notice of a factory closing.
$1.2 billion for dislocated youth workers.
$500 million in state grants for employment services, mainly for low-income adults.
$500 million to fund training for sustainable energy jobs.
Funding for workforce training is seen as more than a stopgap. “The public is investing in the worker,” says Chris Stiehl, a consultant who has researched the Workforce Investment Act since it was enacted in 1998. “We’re now going to be able to reach out and train more people and make them more competitive in the workforce.”

Dislocated Workers

The key to connecting with the new training money is local One-Stop Career Centers, the federal government’s network of more than 3,000 employment-help offices. “If job seekers want to take full advantage of ARRA, they need to be prepared when they arrive at a One-Stop,” Alssid says. “They should get a handle on what good jobs are available in the region, look at what economic development agencies are doing, and think about their own job skills and how they are transferable.”

Alssid gives an example of how workers can use stimulus funding to make the transition from a career in a depressed industry. “Suppose a woman in suburban Cleveland loses her job as a manufacturing technician,” he says. “She might go to the Lake County One-Stop Career Center and be referred to a technical training program in allied health at Lakeland Community College, say, to become a radiologic technologist. She could earn the college’s computed tomography certificate with both coursework and clinical experience.”

Alssid says a One-Stop can give you a voucher to pay for college education. “Think of them as a resource to provide dollars for your retraining,” he says. With the extra stimulus dollars available, “this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Help for Workers Young and Older

ARRA money for job training singles out two demographic groups: young people just entering the workforce and older workers having difficulty finding or keeping a job.

The youth-oriented funding concentrates on preparing future workers and helping them enter the workforce.

“Our department is getting $17 million in stimulus money for the Youth Ready summer program,” says Mary Ellen Messner, director of Youth Ready Chicago, an internship and job-training program of the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services. “About 24,000 young people have already applied. We’ll be able to fund 7,300 additional people with the ARRA money. They’ll learn about career opportunities by participating in activities like job shadowing.” Interested people ages 14 to 24 can call the program or apply online.

ARRA is also making available additional funding for low-income workers age 55 and up. The Senior Community Service Employment Program offers training and placement in part-time service jobs at public agencies and nonprofits. Older workers should also check with their local One-Stop Career Centers about training opportunities.

To learn more about federally funded training opportunities in your area or to contact a specific program, consult your state’s Workforce Investment Act plans or department of labor.

Stimulus Act Benefits for the Unemployed

stephley — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:50:28 -0700

from monster.com
By Margot Carmichael Lester, Monster Contributing Writer

A number of provisions to help the unemployed are included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and here’s a list of some of the major benefits. Offerings vary greatly by state, so check with your local unemployment office to find out what exactly is available to you.

Increased Unemployment Benefits

The ARRA funds a new temporary Federal Additional Compensation program that suggests states up the unemployment benefit $25 per week for the period beginning February 22, 2009. States also may extend the number of weeks benefits are available from 13 to 20.

“Today, the average length of unemployment is 22 weeks,” says Brad Lazarus, principal at financial planning company Omega Advisors LLC in Chicago. “This extension adds up to thousands of dollars for out-of-work Americans who otherwise would receive nothing after the 13-week mark.”

COBRA Changes

There are two significant changes to COBRA health benefits in the economic stimulus package. One is a new COBRA subsidy, available to individuals who were covered under their prior employer’s health insurance plan and were involuntarily terminated from employment on or after September 1, 2008.

“Eligible individuals will now only be required to pay 35 percent of the COBRA premium under their prior employer’s health plan instead of the full amount,” says Timothy Tracy, Jr., vice president of Gerard B. Tracy Associates, an employee benefits consultancy in Westport, Connecticut. “This subsidy will terminate once the individual becomes eligible under another group health plan or at the end of the nine-month subsidy period.”

Another change allows qualified beneficiaries to elect coverage under a second special election period (the first being when they separated from their jobs), which skirts HIPAA's pre-existing condition exclusion rules for gaps in coverage lasting more than 63 days.

“This is good news for people with a chronic medical condition who may have had to let their COBRA lapse, or couldn't elect at all due to cost,” says Kelly Mason, a consultant with Workable Solutions, an Orlando, Florida-based COBRA administrator. “Ordinarily, these people could potentially find that their new health plan won't cover their existing health problems until a period of time matching the length of their gap in coverage has passed.”

Assistance for Older Workers

Older workers may benefit from an additional $120 million earmarked for the Senior Community Service Employment Program. The program helps unemployed, low-income workers aged 55-plus get training. This is primarily through paid community service assignments for jobs in their communities, according to Cynthia Metzler, president/CEO of Experience Works, an Arlington, Virginia-based organization that provides job training to older workers in 30 states and Puerto Rico.

“As of February 2009, 1.7 million workers age 55 or older were unemployed and looking for work,” Metzler says. “This figure doesn’t include older workers who have become discouraged and dropped out of the labor market. The additional funding will create more training opportunities for these workers, which will help them qualify for some of the 3.5 million jobs expected to be saved or created over the next two years as a result of ARRA.”

Part-Time Work

Nationally, 8.6 million workers reported working less than full-time for economic reasons, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet prior to the ARRA’s passage, unemployed workers in 28 states who were looking for part-time work were not eligible for unemployment benefits.

“Under the Act, states qualify for federal dollars if they modernize their unemployment compensation systems, and one of the ways to qualify is to make workers looking for part-time work eligible for benefits,” explains Beth Shulman, senior analyst for the Russell Sage Foundation and author of The Betrayal of Work: How Low-Wage Jobs Fail 30 Million Americans. “Many [states] are reforming their part-time eligibility requirements.”

A Tax Break

The Act also creates a tax break for unemployed workers, exempting the first $2,400 of their 2009 unemployment benefits from taxation. Previously, the entire amount received could be taxed.

“This may not seem like a lot, but if a person is receiving unemployment benefits for a short period of time, this will result not only in a financial boost at the time he or she receives the benefits, but at tax time as well,” says Tim Davis, an attorney with The Lawrence Firm LSC in Covington, Kentucky. “Even if a person receives unemployment benefits for a long duration, this still puts more money into their pockets, because the first part of his or her benefits is tax-free.”

Fashion Tip #3: Preperation Shopping for a Vacation

FashionWithoutGuilt — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:03:03 -0700

This is the time of year when the Travel Bug hits. Planning the Annual summer getaways are in full force. We all knowing the state of the economy, going on a vacation is a sacrifice let alone having to shop for it. Here are some tips to get the Vacation Worthy Wardrobe.

Take inventory of what you already have

Going through your closet and making an assessment of what stays and what goes is a great place for a foundation. You never want to duplicate purchase the same item or style. With doing this you can see what your important items are to purchase.

Make a Shopping List

After knowing what you are going to keep and get rid of, it's time to shop. Creating a list will put in front of you what needs to be bought. This can prevent you from making a impulse buy. Knowing what you need can keep you in focus of your shopping goal and keep from overspending.

Pack Smart

Now that you have all your items for your trip, it's time to make sure you pack smart. Now that airlines are restricting the amount of on-board luggage per passenger, pack accordingly. I know as women we would love to pack our whole summer wardrobe, it's not possible. Again, make a list of items that are essentials for your vacation and after those are packed, you can start with the special extras. (As I like to call them the "just in case" items).

Check out Fashion Tip #2 on Going Green Fashion. This is a great way to learn to what to do with those old clothes while still helping the environment.

Fashion Tip #2: Going Green Fashion

FashionWithoutGuilt — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:59:36 -0700

Going Green Fashion. Eco-Friendly is definitely the way to go. It's affordable and you will always be helping out the environment. Recycling your clothing, shopping at thrift stores, and reselling your old items are to SAVE GREEN!!!

Here are some tips and ways to Go Green.

Recycling/Swapping Clothing

It's time for spring cleaning and what better way to get rid of old clothing and start a new, than selling or recycling what you already have. Once you go through your closet and assess what stays and what goes, its time to decide what's next?

There are some great clothes swapping sites like Rehash, MyFashionSwap, and SwapStyle that provide you with a community of others with items that they would like to trade. (My Fashion Swap is still under construction but please sign up for the notification so you know when the site goes live).

Reselling Your Clothing Online

Another way to stay green and make some extra money is to sell your gently used clothes.
A site called Ecrater is a free marketplace to sell your items and create your own online store.
I am creating a store soon on Ecrater.com so I will keep you posted.

Thrifty Shopping

Shopping secondhand is a great way save money and get new items for your wardrobe. Stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army are great starting points for your quest of thrifting smart. Goodwill also has a online auction site that features items for sale.

Check out Fashion Tip #1 on Budgeting and Happy Going Green.

Fashion Tip #1: Monday Extended

FashionWithoutGuilt — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:57:25 -0700

As I mentioned in Fashion Tip Monday, budgeting can help control the impulse buys. Money and Style go hand in hand. No Finances, No Fashion it's that simple. Budget being the topic of conversation, I am going to share some tips and programs that will help make sense of your money.

Having to tighten up on our wallets are now the norm. Making conscious decisions on what we buy and how we spend has become a science. As women we have a chromosome within our body that is filled with the gene SPEND MONEY. It's just in our nature. But we can control how much and where we spend.

Creating a budget, where do you start.

1. Paying the priorities are first. Expenses First, Luxury later.

2. After the main bills are taken care of, you can start to see what is left over and plan for your luxuries.

Listed below are some programs that are great to help budget and control finances.

Mint - The free, automatic, online way to manage your money is here!
ElectricCheckBook - The fast and easy way to manage your checking, savings or credit card accounts
Money2Manage -Lets you easily and efficiently manage your personal finances
WalletProof -Walletproof is a quick and easy to use tool that enables you to track your spending and set monthly budgets for yourself
Buxfer - Track shared expenses, split bills, and debts. Transfer money online and settle IOUs with friends/roommates.
Rudder - Rudder is the only product that looks forward and determines how much you can spend today and still pay all your bills.
Obopay - Use any mobile phone to get, send, or spend money. Text message, use your phone’s Internet browser, or download Obopay onto your phone.
TextHog - Track your expenses online. Text your way to the bank.

I hope this is a help and Happy Budgeting.

Fashion Tip #1: Monday

FashionWithoutGuilt — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:54:14 -0700

Fashion Tip: Monday is a new section that I am starting within my site. Every Monday there will be a new fashion tip to start your week off right.

Fashion Tip #1:

Before you spending a dollar, you need a budget in place. Last year I took a Dave Ramsey Financial class, teaching budgeting and how every dollar should have a name. Since 2008 I have had a budget in place. And GOD has it helped. I have a nice amount of money in savings and I am still able to buy what I want. Budgeting is the best way to control impulse buys. Putting aside a designated amount of money every pay period creates control over your finances. Some of the impulse to shop will be minimized if you know that there is money to spend. Priorities first and luxury later.

If any of you have any great tips to share, send them to info@fashionwithoutguilt.com and they will be featured on the site.

Thanks and Happy Shopping.

Addicted to thrift or consignment shops? Indulge while staying online: Goodwill.com

tdsollog — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:17:34 -0700

For those of us "addicted" to thrift/ consignment shops, I have used the online (auction) version of one of my favorite thrift stores: Goodwill! The "brick and mortar" stores are all of the East Coast of the US. But, you can shop an of them online:

http://www.shopgoodwill.com

Also, your sales go toward a "Good Turn" for the needy in the local communities!
http://www.goodwill.com

25 Ways to Save Money (from WebMd and Good Housekeeping)

tdsollog — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 06:11:05 -0700

25 Ways to Save Money

WebMD Commentary from "Good Housekeeping" MagazineBy Stephanie Nelson & Lisa Goff
http://women.webmd.com/features/25-ways-save-money?ecd=wnl_wmh_030909

Lots of small savings can add up big. These easy penny-pinching tricks let you preserve more of your paycheck.

Food and Drug Items
1. Shop the ethnic-food aisles. Spices, rice, and other staples are sometimes half the price of similar name-brand items at the supermarket.

2. Ask how a particular promotion works. For example, a "10 for $10" sale may not require that you purchase 10 items; you might be able to buy only what you need and still get the reduced price. (Use a coupon, and you just might end up paying nothing.)

3. Sign up for store loyalty cards. You'll get generous coupons for products that you tend to buy regularly.

4. Feeling high-tech? Try downloading online coupons onto your grocer's loyalty card. At shortcuts.com, you choose the coupons, add them to an account tied to the loyalty program, and redeem them when you show the cashier your card.

5. Visit grocery stores' Websites to find valuable savings coupons that you can print and take with you when you go shopping. When it's not prohibited, combine coupons issued by the store and those offered by the manufacturer for the same item.

6. Ask whether the store matches the advertised prices of its nearby competitors. If so, save time by bringing in other stores' flyers, and then get all of your savings in one place. And if the store accepts its competitors' coupons, bring those in with you, too.

7. Take advantage of savings programs from drugstore and discount chains. When you combine drugstores' automatic-rebate programs with their coupons and sales, you can occasionally wind up getting certain items for free. In some cases, you can even receive money back! For the latest national-drugstore bargains, visit couponmom.com.

Fuel Costs
8. Whenever possible, gas up your car at superstore fuel centers, where the average cost per gallon tends to be lower than at local service stations. Some superstores offer fuel discounts based on your grocery tab. And search for stations that will charge less if you pay cash. For the lowest gasoline prices in your area, visit the gasbuddy.com site.

9. Keep tires inflated to the proper pressure; that will improve your gas mileage by about 3 percent or so (check the sticker on the driver-side door for your car's correct tire pressure). And try to chuck all the junk from the trunk: An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle reduces mpg by about 2 percent. Driving with the air-conditioning on can increase your gasoline consumption up to 11 percent, too. Unless it's unbearably hot, roll down the windows, or apply solar film to the inside of them so the car's interior stays cool.

10. Snip your home's summer cooling bills. You can probably save 1 percent on your electric bill for every degree you set the AC thermostat above 72 degrees. Year-round, you can slice off another 1 to 2 percent by unplugging major electronics when you're not using them. "Unplug one fax, one computer monitor, and one TV, and you could save more than $70 a year," says Brad Stroh, CEO of bills.com, a consumer-finance Website in San Mateo, CA.

Online Goodies
11. Snap up deals from grocers' online photo centers. The per-print cost is often low (starting at about nine cents a photo); uploading from home is remarkably easy; and you can pick up the pictures in the store, eliminating any expensive shipping costs. Sign up for your store's e-mail newsletter, and you'll receive coupons and special offers, such as free prints for new customers or free enlargements.

12. Look for "grab bag" specials on brand-name bathing suits for your kids. The retailer picks out the color and style; you reap savings of 50 percent or more. Swimoutlet.com offers great service and selection. The Speedo Website (speedousa.com) has good grab bag savings, too; recently a $36 girl's Splice Tankini was on sale for $21.60.

13. Sign up for free samples of health and beauty products online. You can order them at sites such as freeflys.com, mysavings.com, startsampling.com, and Wal-Mart's instoresnow.walmart.com. You may need to answer a few questions, but you generally won't have to pay for shipping. And at these sites, you won't be put on spam lists.

Family Fun
14. Zap exorbitant vacation costs by swapping homes with another family. It's not too late in the season to make a trade. Home-exchange networks charge $65 to $229 for listing your home in an online directory. You'll find huge selections in the United States and abroad on intervac.com, homelink.org, homeexchange.com, and Vacation Rentals By Owner (vrbo.com). The Intervac site refunds its $95 annual membership fee if you don't get an exchange arranged within a year of signing up. Only In America Home Exchange (exchangehomesoia.com) is exactly what it sounds like and has no membership fee. Also free: asking friends or friends of friends if they're interested in a vacation switcheroo. You might even be able to swap automobiles and save yourself the cost of a car rental.

15. Try an urban vacation. Maybe Chicago or Philadelphia aren't the first places that come to mind when you think of a summer trip. But consider this: While prices at the beach and resorts spike in summer, business travel slumps - so many big-city tourist bureaus offer bargains, especially on weekends. Subway passes make transportation inexpensive and easy. And 11 metropolises (including New York City and Seattle) have passes that will admit you to attractions at up to 50 percent off the full-price ticket (cost: $34 to $247; citypass.com).

16. Buy an Entertainment Book of discount coupons; 150 areas have them (entertainment.com). In early summer, these guides sell for their lowest price of the year (about $10 per book). You can buy a book for the city you're visiting to receive "buy one, get one free" coupons for restaurants, museums, and other attractions. Once you register at the site, you can get 50 percent off hotels, discounts on rental cars, a 5 percent coupon for American Airlines, and rebates. You can also print out coupons for attractions in other cities.

17. Check out the popular travel-destination Websites like frommers.com and fodors.com for excellent insider tips on how to get discounted rates at popular attractions or to find out about free events. For example, entering San Diego at the Frommer's site and selecting "Free Attractions" recently turned up several museums with free admission one Tuesday per month.

18. Hire a personal camp counselor. Join forces with a few other local families and pay a responsible high school student or two to care for all your children during the day. The kids will enjoy many of the same types of activities as at a local day camp - tennis, hiking, swimming, crafts - at less than half the cost.

Flights and Hotels
19. Register with "fare watcher" services at the major travel search engines, like expedia.com and travelocity.com. You'll be alerted when the price drops for the ticket you want. Most sites let you select a flexible-date option to help find the lowest prices for flights.

20. Look for weekend Web deals on airlines' sites to take advantage of rock-bottom last-minute fares. Yapta.com may even get you money back if a fare has dropped since you bought the ticket.

21. Get indirect savings on travel spending. The Website upromise.com lets you earn free money in a college-savings account by booking travel. You can also earn 1 to 8 percent of your spending on hotels, car rentals, airlines, restaurants, and vacation packages.

22. Score a deal on the price of airport parking at the site longtermparking.com. You may snag a coupon to cut your cost in half.

23. When booking a hotel room, don't forget to ask about any freebies. Breakfast, parking, Internet access, or airport shuttle service included in the price of lodging can mean big savings for families.

24. Try using bidding sites such as biddingfortravel.com to stay for the lowest price.

25. Save on hotel parking charges by checking nearby parking-garage options ahead of time. You could avoid paying $25 or so per day for valet parking just by using the garage across the street.

Originally published on July 11, 2008

2 Thrifty Tips

Beachwalker — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:18:42 -0800

Shop Around...

Since pharmacies may charge widely different prices for
the same medicine, call several. When taking a drug for
a long time, also consider calling mail-order pharmacies,
which often charge lower prices.

Shipping Books:

If you are mailing a book to someone (as a gift, for
instance) and you aren't pressed for time, you can
request that it be sent via "book rate mail." This
shipping method is one of the cheapest available,
typically $2.00 or less for a standard-sized hard
cover book. The down side is that you never know how
long it will take to be delivered, although a reason-
able time frame is 1-2 weeks.

*****

Make Your Own Lemon Scented Cleaner

Beachwalker — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:45:07 -0800

Clean your glass shower: To clean the glass in your shower
easily, apply lemon juice to the glass with a sponge. Then,
take newspaper and wipe the lemon juice off the glass. It
will be clean and sparkle with no scrubbing! -