We all love the wind in our hair and the sound of cylinders at our beck and call.  But what happens when our morning commute hits a snag and we get a flat tire, or we get rear ended by that guy on his cell phone?  Make sure you’re prepared by doing the following:

1. Make sure your insurance information is in your car.
   1. It’s important to have this proof of insurance handy to exchange insurance info with the other party, or if you end up speaking to the cops about the situation.
2. Know how to change a tire
   1. You can wait on roadside assistance, but if you know how to put on the spare you can be on your way in no-time.
3. Keep an accident/emergency kit in your trunk
   1. This includes jumper cables, flares, a first aid kit, a flashlight, a disposable camera, paper and pen to write down accident details, plus some.  This ensures that you have everything needed when you first respond to a situation.  You can make your own, or purchase a pre-made kit.
   2. Honestly, if your car breaks down, or if due to some disaster you have to walk, you don’t want to be doing this in your work heels.  Keep a pair of tennies and socks in your trunk, along with a jacket if you have to hoof it for a bit.  If you decide to stay in your vehicle, make sure that you have a blanket to keep you warm.  Always include bottled water and some snacks in case it might be awhile before you get home.
4. Have an emergency hammer.
   1. Keep this hammer in the interior of your car, mounted or stored in an easily accessible place.  An emergency hammer is what you need if you ever cannot open the car door and need to break a window to get out.  These often also have a sharp edge to cut seatbelts, and some even have needles to burst airbags, built in flashlights, and a whistle to signal for help.

Hopefully you will never have to use any of your emergency equipment, but just in case, you’ll be sure to be prepared!

by Megan Matt

Joining a non-profit board is an excellent way to improve your leadership skills, learn about organizational management and to meet people in your community who might help you professionally. And, contrary to popular belief, non-profit boards are not just for the retired and the super rich. Eager to tap into the next generation, non-profits are dying to have motivated young people join them.

Many boards have expectations that their members will bring financial contributions, and some have set amounts. However, if you are short on cash, don’t let that deter you. If you have a wide social or professional network, you might be surprised at how easy fundraising can be.

If you are uncertain about your ability to fundraise, you can also look for a non-profit that is in line with your professional background. Such an organization might be happy to accept your skills and expertise in lieu of cash. This is what happened in my case where, as an educational consultant, my teaching background was more valuable to the educational non-profit I joined than any monetary contribution would be.

If you are interested in finding a non-profit board in your area, check out: boardnetusa.org, idealist.org, or the volunteer center in your local community. Organizations such as The Junior League are also a great way to find volunteer opportunities.

Megan Matt is an educational consultant and owner of Megan Matt’s Teachable Moments (www.teach-mom.com). An expert in the field of early childhood education, she provides workshops on parenting topics and supports individual families and their caregivers to improve educational quality at home.

by Harrine Freeman

1. Direct deposit: Cashing checks at a check-cashing store costs on average anywhere from 1% to 5% of the amount of the check. Use direct deposit for free.

2. Education. Go back to school or take training classes to expand your skills at your current job to get a promotion or salary increase. Then create a savings account, plan for retirement, pay down debts and/or pay for necessary expenses.

3. Budget. If you are in debt, stop using your credit cards and pay with cash. Create a budget for yourself to determine your total monthly expenses and your total monthly income. Reevaluate your spending habits, reduce your expenses and plans or cancel them (cable, phone, cell phone, Internet, etc.). Shop at discount stores or outlets, use coupons, carpool, etc.

4. Savings. You should have enough saved to cover 3 to 6 months of your bill payments. Try opening a high interest online savings account such as http://www.emigrantdirect.com/ or http://www.ing.com/, which earns you on average 4% to 5% interest.

5. Seek Help. Go to the library or do research online for various ways to reduce expenses, gain new skills, and shop on a budget. Some great websites are www.budgetdial.com and www.stretcher.com.

Harrine Freeman is the CEO of H.E. Freeman Enterprises, a credit repair and personal finance services company. She is a member of the American Association of Daily Money Managers, a credit repair expert and the author of, “How to Get Out of Debt: Get an ‘A’ Credit Rating for Free Using the System I’ve Used Successfully with Thousands of Clients.” For more information visit http://www.hefreemanenterprises.com/.

 by Terra Wellington

Are you or someone you know a workaholic? You would be surprised to know that many of us are hardworking addicts – addicted to work. Employers generally support it. Families can fall apart because of it. But in the long run, working too much to justify productivity and efficiency might only be at the expense of your health and happiness.

Here are ways to avoid the work-all-the-time addiction:

• Prioritize – Make sure you are spending your work time on priorities, otherwise your day lengthens. Reorganize priorities as the day progresses.

• Truly Unwind Everyday – Dedicate daily time to unwinding, whether it be meditation, breathing exercises, prayer, yoga, couch potato TV watching, or some other recreational or restorative activity. DO NOT TURN THIS TIME INTO WORK.

• Balance Your Time – Take inventory of your time. You should have time for healthy friend and family relationships, physical exercise and good nutrition, a spiritual practice and service opportunities, and occasions for creative projects and ongoing education.

Terra Wellington is a wellness lifestyle expert who regularly contributes on television and radio programs about healthy living choices. More at http://www.terrawellington.com.

Did You Get the Memo that Green is the New Black? by Aaron Gessner

So/Ho’s (Small Offices/Home Offices) can tap into the “Green Movement” by following some of these tips.

1) Stop creating “e-waste”! Over 350 million ink cartridges are dumped into landfills per year in America. Get your ink cartridges refilled at a refill cartridge store like Cartridge World; the price is about half of a new one and consumer reports show that the quality is just as good or better.

2) I know you may think the new LED (Light-emitting diodes) light bulbs are too expensive, don’t last as long and make your skin look icky, but they could reduce national energy consumption by 29 percent by 2025 for a total savings of $125 billion, according to the Department of Energy. Also, the more consumers buy them the faster the quality will go up and the prices come down. Or, if you decide to replace your regular incandescent light bulb to a compact fluorescent light bulb, you can save up to $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, if every U.S. household replaced just one regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb, it would prevent 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, the equivalent of taking 7.5 million cars off the road.

3) Avoid business trips. Invest in videoconferencing software or products such as Proximity to get face to face with your clients without dragging your “carbon footprint” all over the world. The initial invest may seem costly but over time you will save money by avoiding costly travel, hotel and restaurant costs from business trips. Calculate your “carbon footprint” and the amount you can save by cutting down your business travel at http://www.mycarbonfootprint.eu/carboncalculator_about_en.asp. The results will astonish you!

4) “Common Cents say, tune in or turn off.” Why does your television need to be on in the other room if no one is there to watch it? Save money and conserve energy by turning off electronic equipment when you are finished using it.

5) All work and no play make Johnnie very cranky. With all the money you’ve saved from these tips, and the reassurance you have from doing your part to save the environment, go walk down to the local ice cream parlor and treat yourself to a cone.

Sources:

http://www.proximity.com/home.asp

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june05/led_6-13.html

http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/light_bulbs.htm

http://www.mycarbonfootprint.eu/carboncalculator_about_en.asp

http://blogs.pcworld.com/tipsandtweaks/archives/004706.html

http://www.trustedreviews.com/printers/review/2007/04/21/The-Inkjet-Investigation/p1

Aaron Gessner is a freelance writer based out of Chicago, Illinois

We are all familiar with Meals on Wheels, a great service that provides prepared meals to seniors and people in need all around the county. There’s another demographic that often doesn’t cook for themselves, and that is YPWs. You may have good intentions, but a full day at work coupled with a lack of planning often leads you to the takeout menu drawer in the kitchen. So what are other dine-in options for young professionals on the go?

1. Full service meal delivery
   1. These people make it and deliver, so all you worry about is setting the oven.

i. http://www.anniesedibles.com/

ii. http://www.wallysfoodco.com/cart/top.php

1. Full service meal preparation
   1. These people make it, either in an industrial kitchen or your own home, and you can pick up or simply open the fridge for a delectable dinner. Sometimes they will also go shopping for you, selecting the best ingredients for a fresh, healthy meal.

i. http://www.bigcitychefs.com/index.htm

ii. http://www.thyme-works.com/meal-service.html

1. They prep, you cook
   1. They slice the onions, season the chicken and pre-measure all of the ingredients. You simply bring it home and cook by number. A quick and easy way to have a homemade meal everyday.

i. http://www.slicedtomatoes.ca/

ii. http://www.souskitchen.com/catalog/index.php

1. They plan, you prep, you cook
   1. These are services to help you get organized. They tell you what meals to cook during the week, and they provide you with a grocery list to go shopping. For those with the gift of time, but not the gift of planning.

i. http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/package/0,21861,1626111-1179919,00.html

Most of the links are for services local to a particular area, but you can easily do a search for services in other regions. Some companies will even ship overnight nationwide. The prices for all of these services vary. Only you can put a price on convenience and eating a healthy (possibly organic) meal with no preservatives. So hopefully you can find something to fit your budget; some services offer to split the meals so you can go in on it with a friend.

On July 4^th, 1776, the United States of America adopted the Declaration of Independence. And yes, we’ve commemorated the day with fireworks displays since 1777!  So go BBQ some ribs, hot dogs or veggie burgers with your closest friends and family and be sure to teach Uncle Joe the true lyrics of The Star-Spangled Banner (“It’s ramparts, Uncle Joe, ramparts”).  Additionally, show your patriotism and help your country through volunteering, donating to aid organizations, or simply flying the American flag.  Enjoy!

Running late to work, to class, back home?  Constantly putting the pedal to the metal?  Here are some tips on how to counteract your excessive gas use, save a few bucks at the pump, and help the environment: 

1. Use alternative transportation (Click here for SF).  Carpool, Bike, Take the Bus, Walk!
2. Run errands at one time versus going back and forth
3. Chill on the air conditioning
4. Be smart about driving:
   1. Start and stop gradually.  No 0-60 in 60 seconds ya’ll.
   2. Drive the speed limit, not only are you obeying the law, but you’re actually getting better gas mileage.
   3. Clean out your trunk.  Getting rid of excess weight increases fuel economy too!

Check out these and more fuel saving tips at www.fueleconomy.gov.  They also have pretty cool links to find the stations with the cheapest gas in your area.

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Check out what the outsiders have to say about being a Gen Y-er.  Generation Y is from 1978 to 1990 so I guess I just made the cut.  It sounds pretty bad at first, but then they bring in the good stuff…..  You know you like us

Gen Y Myths Debunked
“Are young employees really the slackers, whiners and praise-junkies they’re made out to be? Here’s what the experts have to say.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19070239/

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