Consumer Reports' Happy Refrigerating Tips:

1. Clean the compressor coils every few months or so. (The coils typically are at the bottom of the appliance, though on some older models they are behind the box and on some built-ins they are behind a grille at the top of the unit.)
2. Keep gaskets on the refrigerator and freezer doors clean with mild detergent and water, not bleach. This will ensure a good seal and prevent wasted energy.
3. Check the gasket seal by closing the doors on a dollar bill; replace the gasket if the bill falls out or can be easily removed without opening the door.
4. Be sure the refrigerator is level; if not, the door might not close properly. Most refrigerators have adjustable feet or casters.
5. Before you open the door to retrieve items, decide what you want. Every time you open the door, up to 30 percent of the cooled air can escape.
6. To maximize the storage life of your food and use the least energy, keep the refrigerator temperature at 36º to 38º F and the freezer at no colder than 0º to 5º F.
7. Try to keep the refrigerator compartments full to limit temperature fluctuations.
8. If you have a choice of location when remodeling your kitchen, keep the refrigerator away from direct sunlight and heat sources.

For more information and tips about your fridge, check out this blog post.

Protecting your investment: Refrigerators [Consumer Reports]
(Photo: Meggito )

Fonolo [Official Site]

Camp Millionaire
Ages 10-12, $279-$300, Santa Barbara, CA, 5 days
YoungBiz Smart Start To Money Camp
Ages 13-18, $100-$300, Sarasota, FL, 3 days.
Camp Challenge
Ages 10-14, $350, Westfield, NC, 1 week.
Young Americans Center for Financial Education
Grades 4-5, $185, Denver, CO, 1 week.

It's obvious that schools not teaching how to be a savvy consumer isn't working so hot.

Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh, My Portfolio Is in the Gutter [WSJ]

1. You can get pretty much any book at the library: A book habit can be expensive. Even second hand books can add up if you read a lot. Even the smallest library can access inter-library loan, Worldcat, OCLC and other library loan services to get you even the most obscure and out of print material.
2. Yes, we have movies: Many libraries charge a nominal (1-2 dollar) fee for renting recent or "popular" titles. It's something of a controversy in the profession, one side arguing all library services should be free, the other saying "We're not a video store!". I tend to fall on the side of free for all. In any case, the fee is often far less than what you'd pay for a rental at a chain video store, and the fees to to cover costs of processing and growing the video collection. If you're looking for a rare film, perhaps older or on an obscure format (Betamax tapes are out there still) libraries can save you a ton compared to buying it on Ebay.
3. Kids Activities: Any library worth it's salt offers a summer reading program for kids. Often with prizes, programs and events all summer long. Libraries also offer storytimes, arts and crafts, computer classes, movie nights and reading clubs for kids of all ages.
4. Save Money and maybe your life!: Libraries offer seminars in home buying, estate planning and even purchasing electronics and other big-ticket items. Libraries also offer free blood pressure screenings, programs about weight loss and exercise.
5. Make new friends: Library book clubs and book discussion groups are great ways to meet people. Some libraries even offer "mingling" events for single patrons.
6. Find a new job!: I can't tell you how many times local employers have come in asking to post job listings or drop off materials about open positions. Many libraries offer resume writing workshops, computer training and even job fairs. College and University library job fairs are often open to the public.
7. Libraries listen to consumers!: We like to call them patrons, but we really do listen. Do you want a storytime for kids after 5pm? Ask for it! Want more books about home finance or budgeting? Just ask! Libraries often go to great pains to suss out what the community wants, letting us know directly is great. The complaint or suggestion of a patron carries a lot of weight with library directors and boards, so you are being heard.

(Photo: Getty)

#1: Build it before you need it
#2: You must make a deposit before you have the right to withdraw
#3: Give more than you receive
#4: Be open and genuine
#5: Follow up and stay in touch
#6: The devil is in the details
#7: Your network doesn't end with your contact

Using these principles, the writer had two job offers within a week of being fired. Within two weeks he had settled on one of them — ending up with a promotion from a better company despite the hard economic times.

His take: developing a solid network offers wonderful job security.

What's your take?

Network Your Way to Job Security [Get Rich Slowly]

— FREE MONEY FINANCE

1. Fees and More Fees

On any given month, you might pay a late payment fee, overlimit fee, cash advance fee, balance transfer fee, foreign exchange fee, bill payment fee, Western Union fee, and whatever else your lender can devise. Not to mention monthly and annual fees.

2. Tricks to Make You Pay Late

These come in many varieties. If you’re late you’ll pay a hefty fee and your interest rate may go up. Check each statement carefully and pay your bill as soon as it arrives.

Changing Due Dates – Your bill will not be due on the same day every month.

Early Due Dates – Bills may be due just a few days after you receive them.

Weekend Due Dates – If your due date is on the weekend and your payment arrives on the date, it
won’t be processed until Monday and you’ll be considered late.

Morning Due Times –Your payment may be due at 9am on the due date, not 5pm.

3. Approved Overlimit Charges

If a purchase puts you over your limit, your credit card company will approve the charge then hit you with an overlimit fee and maybe even raise your interest rate. Keep careful track of your balance and know that even approved charges may put you overlimit.

4. Universal Default

Pay Card A on time but pay late to Card B (or anything else monitored by your credit score) and your interest rate on Card A may jump!

5. “Any Time For Any Reason” Changes

Most contracts include this ominous phrase. It means just what it says – they can increase your interest rate on a whim. Teaser Rates That Don’t Stick – An introductory 0% interest rate can jump to 30% with a late payment or if you go overlimit. Don’t bank on keeping that 0% rate for the entire promotional period.

6. Retroactive Application of Higher Interest Rates

To make things worse, if your interest rate increases, they can apply the higher interest rate to the entire existing balance, not just to new charges.

7. Allocation of Payments

If you end up with two or more different interest rates, they will apply your payments to the balance with the lower interest rate first. The rest of your balance will continue to generate high interest charges until the low-rate balance is entirely paid off.

8. Tricky Interest Calculations

For some cards, you can pay interest on purchases from previous cycles. This is known as double cycle billing. Look for a card that uses the “Average Daily Balance” interest calculation method.

9. Credit “Protection”

Services like this may sound good, but they’re usually useless. The fee for the service likely exceeds the minimum payments it would cover if you became sick or lost your job. Avoid add-on products like this.

10. Binding Mandatory Arbitration (BMA)

This provision requires that you resolve any conflict with an arbitrator selected by the lender, which means you give up your right to take the credit card company to court.

Scan your contract and terms and conditions to see if they apply to you. Don't worry, if you try really really hard, it's possible to understand your credit contract's language...oops, that's trick number 11, not writing contracts in plain English.

[via AFFIL]
(Photo: Ben Popken)

Here's what VISA says should happen when you present an unsigned card:

1) The merchant will ask for your government ID.
2) You will be asked to sign the card. If you sign it, the signature on the card will be compared to the signature on the government ID. If you refuse, the card will not be accepted.

Here's VISA's official statement on "See ID":

Some customers write “See ID” or “Ask for ID” in the signature panel, thinking that this is a deterrent against fraud or forgery; that is, if their signature is not on the card, a fraudster will not be able to forge it. In reality, criminals don’t take the time to practice signatures: they use cards as quickly as possible after a theft and prior to the accounts being blocked. They are actually counting on you not to look at the back of the card and compare signatures—they may even have access to counterfeit identification with a signature in their own handwriting. “See ID” or “Ask for ID” is not a valid substitute for a signature. The customer must sign the card in your presence, as stated above.

Most merchants don't follow this policy, but some (most notoriously— the U.S. Postal Service), are quite strict.

2) The Maximum Liability For Unauthorized Use Of A Credit Card* Is $50 According To Federal Law
The Fair Credit Billing Act protects you from suffering damages due to unauthorized use of your credit card. If you report a lost or stolen card before anyone uses it, you are not responsible for any charges. If you do not report it before an unauthorized use you are liable for a maximum of $50.

(*Credit cards only. Debit cards and ATM cards are covered under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, and your liability depends on how quickly you report the loss. Unlike credit cards, debit and ATM cards can have unlimited liability in certain circumstances.)

3) Merchants Cannot Require You To Present ID, Unless Your Card Is Unsigned
Some consumers enjoy it when a clerk asks to see their ID. Others do not. In some states, it's actually illegal for a store to record any additional information (such as an address or drivers license number) as a condition of processing a credit card transaction (unless the address is needed for shipping, of course.) For some reason this is always a hotly debated topic, so we'll go right to VISA for the answer:

Although Visa rules do not preclude merchants from asking for cardholder ID, merchants cannot make an ID a condition of acceptance. Therefore, merchants cannot refuse to complete a purchase transaction because a cardholder refuses to provide ID. Visa believes merchants should not ask for ID as part of their regular card acceptance procedures. Laws in several states also make it illegal for merchants to write a cardholder’s personal information, such as an address or phone number, on a sales receipt.

We think that's pretty clear. Don't want to show your ID? Don't.

4) Merchants Cannot Require A Minimum Transaction Amount
It's a violation of the credit card company's merchant agreement to refuse a transaction because it is below the "minumum."

VISA says:

Imposing minimum or maximum purchase amounts in order to accept a Visa card transaction is a violation of the Visa rules.

Mastercard says:

A Merchant must not require, or indicate that it requires, a minimum or maximum Transaction amount to accept a valid and properly presented Card

5) Merchants Cannot Charge A Surcharge For Using A Credit Card, However, They Can Offer A "Cash Discount"
You may have noticed that gas stations are starting to offer a different, higher price for credit cards. This isn't technically allowed— unless it is marketed as a "cash discount." In other words, if you fill up your car and find that you've been charged more than advertised because you paid with a credit card — that's not allowed. If, however, you decide to pay with cash because you saw an advertised "cash discount" to the "regular price" — that's ok. A subtle distinction, but an important one.

(There is something called a "convenience fee" that some institutions are allowed to charge if they do not typically accept credit cards in their normal course of business. The example VISA gives is a utility company where the customary way is to pay by mail or in person. The rules for charging this fee are somewhat complicated and there are loopholes, etc.)

6) Many Credit Cards Have Programs That Will Automatically Double The Manufacturer's Warranty And Other Excellent Benefits
We get a lot of complaints that can be easily solved by the complainee's credit card company. We've helped readers get laptops replaced out of warranty, and helped them get their money back when Best Buy sold them a box full of bathroom tile instead of a hard drive. Your card may come with extended warranty protection, 90 day accidental damage protection that includes vandalism, rental car insurance, road side assistance, baggage insurance, and return protection. You should be aware of what benefits your credit or debit card offers so that you remember to use them when you need them.

7) Merchants Are Not Allowed To Make You Give Up Your Right To A Chargeback
You might see a receipt that has suspicious-looking waiver stating that you're agreeing to give up your right to issue a chargeback against the merchant for any reason, no matter what, period. These waivers are the result of some crafty entrepreneurs selling sales-receipt paper with the waiver printed on it, claiming that it helps protect the merchant. It's all nonsense and it isn't allowed. If you see it, you should report the merchant.

8) Merchants Are Not Allowed To Place A Hold For The Estimated Tip
Because so many consumers have instant access to their account information, merchants aren't allowed to place an "authorization" for an estimated tip. For example, if you go to dinner and the bill is $100 and you pay with a credit card, the restaurant might be tempted to "authorize" your card for $120—a 20% tip. If you choose to leave a 15% tip and then check your balance — it will appear that you have been overcharged. This apparently results in lots of angry customers, so the practice has been forbidden in VISA's merchant agreement.

9) If Merchants Suspect You Of Fraud They Are Supposed To Call With A "Code 10"
If a merchant is suspicious of you, they are supposed to make a "Code 10" call. They are instructed to take your card, call in, and say “I have a Code 10 authorization request." They will then be asked a series of questions that can be discreetly answered with either yes or no. The merchant bank will then authorize or deny the card. They are not supposed to threaten to call the police or try to detain you. Mastercard says that if the police need to be involved, the "Code 10" operator will call the police while the clerk waits on hold.

10) If Merchants Break These Rules, You Can Report Them To The Credit Card Company
Here's Mastercard's Merchant Violation form. To report merchant violations to VISA, they ask that you report them to the financial institution that issued you your Visa card. You should be able to find the number your on Visa statement or on the back of your card.

(Photo: Maulleigh )

I recently got a new debit card, and decided on the bright pink "hello kitty" card design. It was the only thing that stood out in the catalog over the American flags and bald eagles. I got it primarily because it was pretty, but I have also noticed that it will almost always draw a comment (or beady-eyed stare) from a clerk or passerby, and is a wonderful conversation starter... I admit I am less apt to produce it in certain situations, primarily because I don't want to explain myself, or in particularly masculine circles of friends. It comes down to my own homophobic insecurities, which I am attempting to cash in on, as they have otherwise proven useless, and as I am reluctant to expose the pretty pink kitten in my wallet.

This, of course, will not work if you actually like Hello Kitty. What works for you?

Reader Scott is jubilant over the huge discount he got from Sprint:

Took advantage of the upcoming launch of AT&T’S iPhone 3G to squeeze a lower rate out of Sprint PCS. I’ve had to endure a decrease in Sprint service at the same price for the past year (crappy reception, slow network, can no longer send pix via SMS (thanks, a’holes)), so I told them I was switching to iPhone.

They gave me a whopping 25% (TWENTY-FIVE percent!!!) discount on my voice plan, zero discount on data plan. No mention of a contract extension whatsoever.

Give them a call and see if they can hear you now.

Here's how you do it. Note: It really helps if you don't have a current contract, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try:

1. Call your current cellphone company.
   
2. Tell them you intend to cancel. You should be transferred to a retentions representative.
   
3. Say something like this:

   Hi, my name is ___________, I think I've been a good customer, but that iPhone looks really enticing, and I'm thinking about switching to AT&T.

   I'd like to stay with you, and I was wondering if there was any way you could _______ (throw me a discount, free text message package, something). Can you help me?

4. Stand firm and negotiate.

Some cellphone companies try to tack on a contract extension with a discount, so make sure they do not do this. Good luck!

(Photo: Steve Rhodes )

As far as the other policies go: AT&T and Verizon have similar pro-rating plans, (for each month that goes by they deduct $5 from the ETF) but Verizon starts discounting earlier than AT&T, according to Consumer Reports.

When you look at 1 year contracts, T-Mobile's plan looks a lot better. Their discounts beat both AT&T and Verizon after 6 months. Also, if you cancel T-Mobile in the final month of either a 2 year or a 1 year contract, you'll have to pay either $50 or your monthly fee — whichever is less.

Something to watch out for: T-Mobile's trial period is only 20 days, while AT&T and Verizon both give you 30 days.

T-Mobile announces pro-rating of termination fees [Consumer Reports]

(Photo: Ben Popken )

The new regulation doesn't apply to those passengers who claim to have forgotten their ID— so essentially you are barred from claiming that you have a constitutional right to refuse to show ID to get on a plane. Here's how the TSA explains it:

Beginning Saturday, June 21, 2008 passengers that willfully refuse to provide identification at security checkpoint will be denied access to the secure area of airports. This change will apply exclusively to individuals that simply refuse to provide any identification or assist transportation security officers in ascertaining their identity."

This new procedure will not affect passengers that may have misplaced, lost or otherwise do not have ID but are cooperative with officers. Cooperative passengers without ID may be subjected to additional screening protocols, including enhanced physical screening, enhanced carry-on and/or checked baggage screening, interviews with behavior detection or law enforcement officers and other measures.

It turns out that "and other measures" include questions about political party affiliation and other questionable invasions of privacy, according to David:

So you know how the new TSA regulations went into effect yesterday, where you can only fly without ID if you "cooperate" with the TSA? Well, it turns out you also have to take a test about your personal life. They call up a service to administer it, and the last question they asked was which political party am I registered under (I correctly answered "democrat" and they still let me on board).

Anyway the full story is that I had to go Florida for a funeral, and accidentally left my driver's license in my apartment in Manhattan. I made it through LaGuardia on Thursday the 19th in about 3 minutes, but when I tried to fly back through Fort Lauderdale Airport yesterday, it took about 45.

When I first approached security, I told the initial guard screening all passengers for ID that I had none. Instead of immediately calling the supervisor over like at LaGuardia, he paused and asked if I was sure I didn't have any ID on me, like a social security card or something. I said I only had a credit card, so he then radioed for the area supervisor. She arrived in just a few seconds. Her name was Brenda, and she very politely and apologetically informed me that things had changed, and that the TSA supervisor for the whole airport needed to handle this situation because of the new regulations.

Luckily I had arrived an hour early so had plenty of time. I chatted with Brenda while we waited for the main supervisor to arrive. I started to get a little nervous that I wouldn't be allowed on board, and Brenda repeatedly assured me it wouldn't be a problem — they just had a few additional steps to go through.

After about 15 minutes, the main supervisor, Laurie, arrived. Again, Laurie was exceedingly nice and professional, but seemed a little more concerned than Brenda. She asked if I was sure I didn't have photo ID, like a credit card with my picture on it, or even a CostCo card. I wound up going through my wallet in front of her to show that I didn't, and she pointed to various cards and receipts in it to ask if they were IDs. I wound up showing her everything to prove I was telling the truth. She repeatedly said they had no way of "verifying" that I was who I said I was, and that someone could have stolen my credit card and traveled under my name. I didn't want to mention that they shouldn't need to verify who I am, because I was afraid they could then say I wasn't cooperating and deny travel on that ground. In fact, I even mentioned several times that I wanted to fully cooperate with them because I was aware that was a component of the new regulation, and they assured me that I was.

Finally satisfied that I didn't have ID, Laurie took my boarding pass and went away. She came back a few minutes later having photocopied it, and also had an affidavit that she requested I sign. It asked for my name and address, and stated in small print at the bottom that I did not have to fill it out, but if I didn't I couldn't fly. It also said that if I choose to fill it out and then provided false info, I would be in violation of federal law.

After filling out the affidavit, Laurie called a service to verify my address. The service needed me to then correctly answer three questions about myself, which Laurie relayed to me. The first was my date of birth, the second was a previous address (which I only got right on my second try), and the third was "You are registered to vote. Which political party have you registered with?" I got all three right, and only then did Laurie clear me to go through security.

Of course, I still had to submit to secondary screening, including a full-body pat-down and total luggage search. Brenda and Laurie stayed with me to make sure the process went as quickly as possible, and were again incredibly helpful and nice. They kept explaining over and over how necessary it was to "verify" who I was, and how times have changed, and how these new regulations must have been as a result of someone trying to get away with something, because there's always a reason for these thing but they don't always know what those reasons are. They were so nice and considerate that I waited until the very end before I finally said that I do not agree with the new regulations, but that I was thankful that the two of them acted so professionally and considerately to me. Laurie actually seemed a little dejected when I said this, because I had been playing along the entire time out of fear that I would not appear cooperative otherwise.

But I made it onboard my flight, and am back in Manhattan. I have flown without ID in the past, a couple years ago, and it was no problem. I almost preferred it because I got to skip the line. This time around though, it was incredibly burdensome, and involved the full attention of two high-level local TSA employees for a considerable period of time. I kept wondering if Laurie and Brenda were so busy with me for so long, what if someone really bad was doing something in another terminal or area? So even though I cannot say enough good things about how these particular TSA employees handled it, I still feel the new regulation is entirely inappropriate and unnecessary. Why do you need to provide a home address to fly? And what if I refused to answer the question about my political party allegiances? Luckily I kept my cool and even befriended the screeners just so they couldn't resort to the subjective lack-of-cooperation carve-out, but 45 minutes of standing at security not knowing if you'll make your flight seems specifically designed to test people's mettle and upset them. The TSA has turned flying without ID into an overly cumbersome and almost unmanageable chore.

We agree with CNet's Chris Soghoian when he says that this new rule is just more security theater— at the cost of your privacy.

While TSA's announcement stated that the goal of the change was to "increase safety," this blogger disagrees. The change of rules seems to be a pretty obvious case of security theater. Real terrorists do not refuse to show ID. They claim to have lost their ID, or they use a fake.

TSA's new rules only protect us from a non-existent breed of terrorists who are unable to lie.

Your papers please: TSA bans ID-less flight [CNet]
(Photo: Kevin Dean )

• CreditKarma.com: Gives you your TransUnion score. Advertising-supported.
• E-Loan: Experian score. Scroll down to "One-Time Credit Snapshots" and "Free Credit Score (Credit Score Only)"
• Prosper: Experian score. Information on how to do it here.
• LendingClub: Gives you a letter grade score, which you can use this chart to translate to a numerical score.
• Washington Mutual Credit Cards: Get your Transunion score when you log in.

• Another way these are useful is that if you check in periodically and keep track of the results, you can see how your score fluctuates and try to correlate its delta with any credit-related actions you took during that time. But, if you're shopping for a loan or a mortgage, you will definitely want to pony up the cash and get your real FICO score.

  [via MyMoneyBlog]

Using simple and attractive slider bars, you input your current credit card balance and credit risk. BillShrink then you shows what cards on the market will save you the most money. You can narrow the results by saying which bank you want a card with, what kinds of rewards programs you might be interested in, what goods or services you would most use the card for, and what extra card benefits you're interested in receiving. There's even an option to say about how many times a year you might miss a payment.

Ok, that sounds pretty obvious for a site like this, but here's the real game-changer: the terms and conditions for each card are broken out one by one. In one section, BillShrink translates the entire credit card contract from lawyers-speak into two paragraphs, in plain English.

Most cards have introductory offers, like 0% balance transfers or a higher level of rewards. So a series of bar graphs by each card shows you how much money you save changes over the next three years.If you decide that you want to switch your credit card to one of the ones show, you just click a button next to the card. The site will make money by sending credit card companies these referrals, and remain free for consumers to use.

After you create your credit card profile, BillShrink sends you an email if any of the terms and conditions of your card change (they will). If your card becomes no longer the best value for you, BillShrink suggests what card out on the market is better. The site will also tell you when you're coming towards the end of any of your introductory offer periods, so you know if you'll want to change your usage patterns or switch to another card.

I asked Pham whether when they launched the wireless comparison component, if there was any negative pushback from the providers. I could envision the carriers getting upset about not being able to capitalize on customer confusion as much.

The two wireless companies BillShrink spoke with, Pham said, were excited about the service. Sprint was one of the companies. See, the service essentially filters, educates, and primes the customer for service. For the cellphone or credit card company, it reduces the costs of servicing customers who sign up because a bauble or freebie was dangled in front of them, but don't arrive informed about the particulars of the plan. Those customers end up frustrated and increase churn. But deliver a highly informed and ready customer, and you've got a win-win-win situation.

When we first wrote about BillShrink, readers said they found the service's coverage maps to be inaccurate. Those coverage maps are drawn from the maps on the carrier's websites, extracted down to the pixel, and then overlaid onto GoogleMaps. The inaccuracies are because the cellphone companies purposely don't provide accurate and granular coverage data. The company is looking into buying 3rd party data to beef up their maps, but I wondered whether there was chance of a similar slippage between BillShrink and reality with credit cards. This doesn't seem very likely, as carriers can fudge a coverage map, but credit card companies can't fudge credit card offer's terms without opening themselves up to serious legal repercussions.

BillShrink's credit card comparison service is scheduled to launch at the end of July will 100 cards in its database. Their goal is to get that up to 200, and then 400 within a year's time.

Pham sees it as a "thumb in the eye" to the credit card industry. “The information is out there, consumers are going to get to it eventually," he said.

Next industry on the hitlist? Auto insurance, with cable perhaps not too far behind.

(Photo: Getty)

Consumer Reports offers a lot of valuable advice in their recent piece, Spend Less on Everything. Some suggestions: Use shopping bots and online coupon sites to find the best deals, consider using VoIP, and check Consumer Reports's website for advice on insurance, electronics, and cars before purchasing them.

Some broader, common sense tips come from Survive a Recession: making sure you don't get fired, having or building an emergency fund, trying to eliminate debt, living frugally, and pursuing additional means of income.

The Simple Dollar lists Forty Ways to Reduce Your Monthly Spending, including insulating your hot water heater, reviewing and reducing your subscriptions, and starting a garden.

Although we wrote about this in 2006, it's just as valuable today: Free Money Finance gathers 301 of its money-saving tips, including guidance on choosing car insurance, cutting your own hair, and saving money on babysitting, into one cornucopia of frugality here.

For even more useful advice, check out Consumer Reports's comprehensive recession guide: Smart Moves for Tight Times

Lastly, we would advise against just throwing away bones with plenty of meat still on them. Instead, take them home, throw them in a pot, add some broth, a potato—baby, you've got a stew going!

Sometimes creating self-imposed barriers can be just what we need to curb bad habits. The same person inside us who has the willpower to put the credit card in the freezer is different from the person inside us who doesn't have the willpower to resist picking up the plastic and hitting the shops.

(Photo: Getty)

Some of our favorite financial blogs have written articles justifying their departures from their normal jobs in favor of writing online. Although not everyone can blog (it's like, really hard), their advice is useful for those considering a different career, especially one that involves working from home. Trent at The Simple Dollar claims quitting his job has saved him $8,000 a year in gas, food, and daycare costs, among others.

Get Rich Slowly discusses the concept of "mini-retirements": a period of several months or a year living somewhere else, doing something else. Get Rich Slowly interviews Tim Ferriss, author of "The 4-Hour Workweek," for more information.

Going back to school during a period of economic downturn is a common suggestion, but if you want to make yourself more marketable without taking out more loans or spending money on classes, consider other ways of investing in yourself. Web Worker Daily advises readers to build their online persona; a strong online presence, created through a personal website or other means, "is one of the best ways to attract new job and business opportunities your way."

Unemployment is also a good opportunity to begin exploring and building alternative income streams—sources of income other than a paycheck from your job. Moolanomy lists over forty ideas and links to other lists for those looking to supplement, or replace, their employment income.

(Photo: Getty)

1. Use what you do have creatively
You have no shoes. Yet, you have a suit jacket, a box cutter, and the lining in the suit jacket. Combine them and you have serviceable foot coverings. Similarly, a metal pipe fitted with a length of chain makes an excellent truncheon.

2. Search through the discards
Even if that can in the corner looks empty, tap it with your foot. There might be some useable gas in it!

3. Don't quit
Just when you're on the edge of total failure is when you might come across the storehouse of apples and fresh water.

4. When you come across a windfall, use it wisely
Fill back up on what you need, but don't wallow in it and let it delay you from your journey.

5. Hold on to your morals
Just because you're hungry doesn't mean it's right to eat the flesh of other humans.

In what unlikely sources have you found inspiration for more frugal living?

A lot of our posts about writing complaint letters has focused on sticking to the facts, and getting your story to the right people. I like that Bruce takes this one step further and shows how throwing in a little creative writing can increase your chances at success. It's really just an artful way of demonstrating the basic principle of "it will cost more to ignore me than to take care of my problem." You demonstrate that you're a committed customer with long-term value who has spent money before and will continue to spend money, as long as your grievance can be addressed. I wonder, however, how well the tactics will work against industries that like to play hardball with customer service, like banks, cellphones, and insurance.

You can get a digital PDF version of Bruce's book for $19.99 here.

Another free chapter, "Living in a Sitcom," involving a complaint letter written after sitting next to a really big guy on an airplane that spilled into Bruce's site, is available here.

Complain For Fun And Profit [Official Site]

7. Consider where you shop.
Lean toward cards that will earn rewards at stores and services you use frequently. For example, airline and hotel discounts won't come in handy for those who aren't frequent travelers.

6. Project your spending.
Try to figure out how much you will likely spend per year and translate that into cash back points or reward points. Then, calculate how far that gets you toward your desired reward. Don't forget to subtract any annual fees. Move away from any card that makes you spend a small fortune for a minu
scule reward.

5. Favor Cash back.
Often times, points go unused which is a bonus for the credit card company. However, cash back will accumulate without you having to anything. Consumer Reports also found that cash back cards usually offer better rewards than point equivalents.

4. Do the math on do-good programs.
Charitable individuals might be attracted to reward cards that give to charities. However, the reality is that they usually pay very low rates. You would probably be better off going with a cash back card and donating the money yourself which would result in a larger donation and a tax deduction.

3. Skip credit card rewards if you carry a balance.
Since reward cards often have higher interest rates, the interest on the balance you carry will probably offset any reward. Look for a standard credit card with a lower APR.

2. Use airline miles fast.
If you manage to save up enough miles for a trip, use them quickly. You never know when one of the airlines will change their conditions or go belly-up.

1. Avoid temptation.
Research shows that credit card users will often spend more in their quest to earn points toward their shiny new prize, however, overspending for a freebie doesn't make good economic sense.

If you think about, what credit card company is going to give you something free unless it is making them more money? These companies have have enormous hives of supercomputers and datajunkies working nonstop to make sure they're making more money than they're giving you in rewards.

Credit card rewards are a real rip off [CNN Money]
(Photo: Getty)

ArsTechnica writer Nate Anderson was a recent "cramming" victim, and he wrote about his experience tracking down who was behind it. Cramming is a scam where third-party groups tell your phone company to bill you for "services," services you never signed up for, and the phone company happily obliges, taking a cut of the fee. The phone company does no verification and all the scammer needs is your phone number. In Nate's case, he was signed up for three different voicemail services and email-forwarding service, three at $14.95 per month, and one at $12.95, doubling his telephone bill. Snooping around, he found the companies behind it were ILD and ESBI, and scores of cramming complaints about these "companies" littered the internet. Luckily he was able to get refunds without difficulty (crammers often make it easy to cancel so you don't go complaining to any law enforcement bodies) only providing just as much information as these con-artists used to flimflam him in the first place: his phone number. So how can you fight a crammer?

1. Watch your bills for suspicious charges.
2. If you see a fee for a service you never ordered, contact the "service" provider and request a refund.
3. Ask your phone company about how to remove erroneous charges.
4. File an FTC complaint.
5. After you get your money back, ask your phone company to put a block against third-party charges on your account.

Cram this: a firsthand account of my recent cramming [Ars Technica] (Thanks to John!)

(Photo: Getty)

In the year that's passed since our original post, there's been quite a bit of controversy over nutrition information — city and state governments have tried (with varying degrees of success) to pass regulations that would require fast food and chain restaurants alike to post nutritional information where customers would see it while ordering. When New York City passed a law forcing restaurants who already provided nutritional information to post calorie info on menus, some restaurants pulled their nutritional information from their websites rather than be forced to disclose it on the menu. Now that the dust has finally settled (NYC's original law was overturned and they passed a new one that required chains with more than 15 locations to post calorie information on menu boards), we decided to take a look at fast food and chain restaurant websites to see what, if any, effect the scuffle had on the availability of nutritional information.

We have good news. More restaurants are posting nutrition and allergen information than a year ago, and the information is featured more prominently on restaurant websites. There are a few exceptions, of course. A few restaurants have taken a step backwards or are treading water. Chains like Red Lobster, Applebee's and Olive Garden are notoriously unwilling to divulge too much information. Outback Steakhouse is full of suggestions on how to order healthier versions of their menu items, but that's about it. Quiznos has a list of low calorie menu items, but when you compare their information to Subway's website with its extensive nutrition section... well, you get the idea. For the most part, however, nutrition and allergen information is getting top billing on fast food websites, and that's a step in the right direction.

So without further ado:

Consumerist's Ultimate Fast Food Nutrition Guide: 2008

(Photo: Tom Simpson )

I was told that after Commerce merged with TD Banknorth, they inherited TD's policy of a $100 minimum balance on checking accounts. If you go under that, you get a $15 cycle service charge. About 3 months ago they started assessing it on my account. I went in. Commerce swears they sent me a notice about the change and I swear just as hard that I never got one. I get $30 back. Four days later I deposit enough to bring the account over $100. Safe, right? This month I got hit with another cycle service charge. Ready photon torpedoes.

I go in to the branch and ask the customer service rep to reverse the charge. She says she can't because I already got the other fees waived and their policy is to only waive one. The customer service rep informs me that if your account goes under $100, even for a second, you will get charged a $15 fee. This is a many-layered fee onion, it seems.

I insist on the fee reversal. She says she'll ask her manager. I see her stick her head in the back door from which up to now intermittent laughter has been emanating. She comes back and says he says no. I ask to speak to the manager. He comes over and I ask for the fee to be waived again. Naturally, he resists and go through the same thing about how they sent me the letter and it was my fault for not monitoring things and keeping the balance over $100.

I tell him, "I don't have a problem keeping up with the account or with putting enough money in it. I have $135 in my wallet from depositing my piggy bank in your Penny Arcade. What I have a problem with is getting hit with fees I never heard about." I then push the point that the last time we went through the fee reversal song and dance would have been a great time to tell me that unless I deposited more money right that second I was going to get hit with yet another cycle service charge. "Why didn't anyone tell me this," I ask. "Where is the consideration for customer service? All I'm getting is indifference on the part of Commerce and your employees. Is this a bank, or just a fee processing center?"

"We're not a fee processing center," the manager says, slightly taken aback. He tiptaps at the account, ruminating, "...I don't understand why they didn't tell you about this the last time you were here..."

Seeing my opening, an admission of fallibility, I lunge for it and say, "Me neither! Now we are one the same page! Now you see my problem with your customer service failure."

He says, "Ok, we can refund the fee, but I have to warn you, because your account went under this month, you're going to get another fee next billing cycle," he says. "Why don't you move it into the blah blah blah account? This way you only pay $3 a month instead of getting the cycle service charges."

That does it. I've had it with Commerce. "A book doesn't charge me $3 a month," I reply, "for the favor it is doing me of letting me give it my money which increases its capital reserves and it can use to make loans off of. No, I tell you what we're going to do. We're going to refund this fee, and then we're going to close the account and I'm taking all my money out."

"I don't understand don't you just get the blah blah blah account..."

"And who knows what other fee you'll come up with tomorrow. No. It's over. We had a good run, and now it's over and I want my money back and I will put it in one of my many other accounts which don't charge me fees just to put money in a box."

"Ok, we can do that," he says.

After I get my envelope from the customer service rep and get up to leave she shrugs her shoulders and says, "Sorry." "That's ok," I say, "it's just a business transaction." Total time, 15 minutes. Definitely worth the $15 and avoiding getting charged yet another $15 and who knows what other fees down the line. On the way out, I have one of their lollipops, glad to be eating the sucker instead of being one. My only regret is that the hidden camera I was using this as a test run for didn't work.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

• Examine each statement and bill you get each month for new fees and policy changes.
• If the level one person says no, ask for a manager.
• Even if they say the manager says no, ask to speak to the manager personally.
• When negotiating your position, insist, restate, and hold firm. Victory goes to the persistent.

(Photo: the prodigal untitled13)

Bring a magnet. Many grills are made of a mix of grades of stainless steel. Our tests have found that 300-series stainless is less likely to rust than cheaper, 400-series stainless. Magnets will usually stick to cheaper grades, so bring a magnet with you to test the metal.

More grill shopping tips at Consumer Reports.

Tip of the Day: Shopping advice for gas grills [Consumer Reports]
(Photo: Getty)

Here is the live audio and powerpoint from a recent presentation I gave called, "The 5 Things Your Customers Aren't Telling You." This is number 3, "Stop Hiding Behind Walls Of Robots." It's all about how companies think they're saving money by replacing humans with machines but sometimes machines can't do jobs as well as humans, especially when it comes to customer service. I brought the point to life with a funny little story about eBay and their wonderfully inept automated email response system. I hope you enjoy the video, including the intro and outro ditties I worked up on my girlfriend's old Yamaha synth.

(Photo: Tubes.)

As far as mistakes go, the one Janet Gordon recently made didn't seem like a big deal. She booked an airline ticket from Toronto to London under the name "Jan." "It was a major hassle," remembers Gordon, a human resources director for a college in Swansea, England. At almost every turn, the couple had to explain why the name on Jan's ticket didn't match her passport. "The computers wouldn't allow us to check in and issue a boarding card," he says.

1. Wrong name on the ticket.
Before 9/11, a nickname or maiden name on your ticket would usually slide. Nowadays, it can leave you grounded unless pay a correction fee which can be up to $100. To avoid this error, make sure your browser doesn't auto-complete forms with incorrect or outdated information. Double check to make sure the name on your ticket matches exactly with your ID.

2. Booking the ticket on the wrong airline.
Believe it or not this happens, sometimes through the fault of the traveler or sometimes the travel agent. People also get confused about "codeshare" flights which is buying a ticket for one airline and then flying on a partner airline. To avoid this error, research your ticket and look for any codeshare designations. Also, try to use only experienced travel agents.

3. Selecting the wrong city on your ticket
People often select the wrong city pairs or sometimes they'll book a ticket for city B to city A when they really wanted city A to city B. How can this happen? People can get mixed up with the 3 letter airport identifiers. Also, every airline's web site is slightly different which can often lead to confusion. How to avoid it? You can use a qualified travel agent instead of doing it yourself. Read your travel agent's confirmation immediately so that you can quickly address any errors.

4. Buying a ticket that's too restrictive
Don't buy a non-refundable ticket if you think you may need to change your travel plans. This can happen because airline web sites usually assume you want the cheapest ticket possible, so the first tickets listed are usually the cheapest and the most restrictive. Typically, the more expensive tickets with refund options are hidden deeper in the site. How to avoid this? If you can't find a ticket with refund options, the right travel insurance might protect you if you need to change your plans.

5. Wrong date on your ticket
Whether you are distracted or just confused about which is the 6th month of year, many travelers have purchased tickets for the wrong date which often results in an added fee for a correction. How to avoid it? Pay careful attention to dates on the screen and consult with an old-fashioned calendar if all the different months confuse you. Always, carefully recheck all your information before you hit the "book" button.

Five common ticketing errors — and how to avoid them [CNN]
The Insurance Question [Elliot]
(Photo: Getty)