• MissingMoney.com: Search for lost money, jewelry, and property held by 40 states.
• Tax Refunds: That tax refund you expected but never received? The government still has it locked in a box sealed with a pretty bow. Call and (800) 829-4477 and claim it as your own.
• Treasury Hunt: $14 million worth of matured savings bonds gifted by grandparents lie waiting to be collected.
• Pensions: Did you slave for years in a factory and forget to collect your pension? Probably not, but if you did and the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation hasn't already knocked at your door, search through their database to see if you can finally retire.

Anyway, they asked her for some advice for people who have never ever made a budget. How do you get started?

Buy a school composition book, the kind with the black-and-white cover and lined pages inside. Then whenever a bill comes in, put it inside the book. Use one page for each month and list each bill, its due date and the amount - XYZ Company, the 17th, $23.89. When you pay each bill, check it off in the far right column with the date paid. This is totally NOT complicated, NOT time-consuming. It's amazing to me how many people just toss their bills in a drawer, pay them haphazardly and have no idea at any given time what they have and what they owe. Plus, the add-on fees for missing the due date on payments can get very expensive. This is absolutely the simplest way to ease into the budgeting, the next step being to actually plan ahead for bills you now can anticipate being due on certain dates each month, and eventually at different times of the year.

I Free Advice from a Frugal Family Thrift Counselor [Wise Bread]

Cap writes,

Back in January I received a new chair as a Christmas gift. For a short period of time, my butt was in heaven - it was one happy camper.

Now I m not a heavy person, but within a one month period, the seat cushion has somehow magically disappeared. Evaporated, per se. The only thing left behind is the groove of my beautiful behind.

Needless to say, when it comes to the welfare of my butt, I take immediate and prompt action! So, a few days later I called the customer service included with the warranty card, and told them my woes.

The CSR asked for the model number, my name and address.

Okay sir, we ll be sending you a new seat cushion. You ll receive it in about 7 to 10 business days.

Uh, okay. Thanks!

That was easy.

No proof of order, silly red tape, or transferring of calls. I m pleasantly surprised and confused.

Being the pessistimic person that I am, I now believed that I have been tricked and that the CSR was only pretend to be typing down my information.

Guess I ll find out in 7-10 business days.

We could be snarky and say let's see if the seat doesn't get pulled out from him in a week, but you know what? We have a feeling this one's going to be alright.

[StopBuyingCrap]