Bonus Earth Day Post

Now that you've shrunk your bills (see previous post) check out this free book download from Grist.org. Register with Grist for free and get tips on how to live green every day (because, as we've said time and again, living greener usually means living cheaper too).

Not only will you get the free e-book, but you will also be registered for a free trip to Bonnaroo '09!

[Photo by SouthernPixel]

Bill Shrinkage

Shrink your bills! Not by wading into a cold pool with them, but with BillShrink.com

Enter a few generic details about yourself and your cell phone or credit card bill, and they offer alternatives that save you money. For instance, I plugged in info about my rewards credit card, and they offered me 32 alternative credit cards that would save me more money/give me greater rewards.

Found the link in an MSNBC article about saving $1K on your cell phone bill; check that out here.

[Photo by 99 James Nguyen]

Where to Hide Your Money

In these tough times, you are probably holding onto any money you can get and/or still have. AOL has a list of some crazy places to hide money (actually, some make sense to me), though it seems the best idea is to stuff it in your bra like this woman did -- it could save your life.

And check out this post for the worst places to hide money (especially if you live in a crack-addled neighborhood). [via Bloggingstocks.com]

Why not play with those bills before you hide them? Check out how to at the Origami Resource Center.

[Photo by nathangibbs]

Quick Tip: 6 Things to Stop Buying to Save Money

From Yahoo! comes a quick list of things you don't really need to buy that will help save your pocketbook (and the planet):

1. Air fresheners
2. Bottled water
3. Dryer sheets
4. DVDs and books
5. Trash bags
6. Wrapping paper

Odds are, as a reader of this blog, you have already cut one or more of these things out of your budget -- perhaps more! And if someone gives you a hard time about buying less, tell them it's not your fault that the economy is in the toilet.

Paranoia is Healthy

Just in case you didn't have enough to worry about, now it seems you have to be especially worried that "ATM skimmers" aren't stealing your PIN and taking what little money you have left.

According to Consumerist.com, here are some tell-tale signs to look for:

• Slots that don't fit (and can be removed!)
• Multiple mirrors - one could be hiding a camera that records your PIN
• Strange ATM error messages
• Trouble inserting or removing your card
• The ATM looks different from the other ATMs around it
• Dummy brochure boxes with hidden cameras on them

Read full article here (especially if you live in New York City).


[Photo by ohad*]

Mythbusting the Stimulus

Don't be expecting one of these in the mail.

A timely article clearing up some confusion about the Obama administration's stimulus plan courtesy Kiplinger.com. They list 7 Misconceptions, but I am guessing the most pressing for the readers of this blog are:

#1: You will not get the stimulus in the form of a check, but rather in the form of tax withholding adjustments (a little more take-home pay). (You can also watch a short video explaining this benefit here.)

Of course, that's if you are fortunate enough to still have a job. If not, read #5 and #6 about COBRA benefits (talk to your employer, not the government, about having to pay only 35% of the cost and the length of that perk). And read #7 about the number of weeks you can receive unemployment payments.

Read the full article here. [via Yahoo! Finance]
[Photo by Bright_Star]

Dine-n-Dash

Gastronomic e-newsletter TastingTable today offers a run down of daily (relative) deals at various NYC eateries. Get sloppy with BBQ and beer at Hill Country on Mondays, or BYOB to Alto in Midtown.
So if you somehow still have the cash to go out to eat, check it out here.

Picture = 1K Words

In case you haven't heard enough words explaining the Global Financial Mess (or you haven't listened to the NPR programs on the subject, no matter how many times we tell you to) check out the entries at GOOD magazine's contest to create an infographic on Making Sense of the Financial Mess. The winner is here and you can see all the entries here.

Vulture Alert - Otto Tootsi Plohound (Shoes)

This one is for the ladies:
walking past Otto Tootsie Plohound (which always sounded like an 80s synth-pop collective to me) I noticed that all shoes were going for $29.99 a pair, with two pairs going for $50.
So, ladies, if you have some money squirreled away and need/want some fancy-shmancy shoes, now is the time.
According to New York magazine online, the store is closed (and it looked dark at 10:30 this morning), but there were still shoes on display and those mark-down signs in the windows.

[Photo by Lip Kee]

Recession Education from This American Life

Check out a slightly different take on the recession from the good people at This American Life: Scenes From a Recession
(It's not all about the money or evil bankers like this one or these two.)