November 15, 2010 by Sandra Rogers.

Greetings Readers,

In celebration of our 1st anniversary as a blog, I’d like to share our best articles and resources to deal with financial hardship.  I hope you find some merit in them.  I suggest you also visit our website and twitter page for more financial resources.

http://blog.brokebutnotforlong.org/what-to-do-when-youre-broke/

http://blog.brokebutnotforlong.org/would-you-like-to-savetogether/

http://blog.brokebutnotforlong.org/the-broke-diet-exercise/

http://blog.brokebutnotforlong.org/charitylove/

http://blog.brokebutnotforlong.org/broke-but-not-broken/

MoneySmart Podcast from FDIC:  http://74.205.121.32/listen_general.html

BrokeButNotForLong’s Financial Education Web page: http://brokebutnotforlong.org/10.html

Best Wishes,

Sandra Annette Rogers

sandra@brokebutnotforlong.org

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July 13, 2010 by Sandra Rogers.

As soon as I learned of SaveTogether.org, I called several of my friends.  I told them about this philanthropy that helps everyday people help themselves.  Basically, they set a desired amount to save and anyone can match it.  The savers are low-wage workers such as mothers trying to help their kids, college graduates looking for income to pay off school, single individuals trying to buy their first home, and even  high school students trying to buy their first car.  Donors that match a savers profile could be a nonprofit, a company or an individual.

The organization’s mission statement says, “SaveTogether envisions a world where savings incentives and long-term financial stability are available to everyone. We are collaborating with carefully-screened non-profit organizations to build a community dedicated to matching the savings goals of low-wage workers and helping them save toward economic stability. We invite you to join our nationwide community of everyday philanthropists, transforming lives one dream at a time. ”

They use nonprofits as the intermediary to deal with the applications, donations, and savings accounts.  If you are interested in becoming an applicant or a donor, visit: www.savetogether.org.  As a donor, you select which profile appeals to you; then you make your donations.  Donations can be whatever you can afford.  I’d like to make a donation to someone, but right now all I can afford is to promote their philanthropy via our social media platforms.

Another way to help promote the idea for the organization is to participate in what is called, The Network of Good:  http://www.savetogether.org/do-more.  You can send their donation announcement to your friends via email and they tally the amount of donations created by your personal network.  The email says to donate $1.00 to help someone achieve financial freedom.  I can assure you that every dollar counts towards this endeavor, as SaveTogether.org does not use any of the donated funds.  Also, if the person you selected does not follow the guidelines, then your money will be given to another deserving individual.

And of course, if you would like to become a saver, you will have to set your goal, attend financial workshops, and save your money. To begin, you will have to go through a screening process with the intermediary and fill out a detailed application, interview, and submit your financial documents.  SaveTogether will also post your profile and goals on their Web site.  You can find my profile  on there, but I haven’t set my dollar amount for saving, yet.  I hope that this information helps you out.  In my opinion, saving seems to always take a long time.  With SaveTogether, you can have someone meet you halfway there!

Here is a list of matching programs that work with SaveTogether; you have to contact these directly and let them know that you are interested.

• EARN, San Francisco, CA
• Juma Ventures, San Francisco, CA
• Opportunity Fund, San Jose, CA
• Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs, Spokane, WA
• The Midas Collaborative, Allston, MA
• Capital Area Asset Builders, Washington, DC

Sandra Annette Rogers,

Look for jobs: http://www.indeed.com/p/index.php?pid=7080813311402333

Posted in Finance | Print | 4 Comments »

May 9, 2010 by Sandra Rogers.

With the advent and popularity of the World Wide Web, scammers have a new and ever increasing clientele and platform to ply their wiles and deceit upon.  The use of the postal service is also rampart with the misuse and subterfuge scammers rely on to separate people from their money.  The telephone system is another avenue for their deceit and thievery.  This does not limit scammers from the United States or even North America, but allows scammers from all over the globe to swindle and defraud people.  These scammers prey on the elderly, the undereducated and the gullible who thinks everyone is honest and aboveboard.

The methods used by these scammers either elicit a person to relinquish their identity through their social security  numbers, credit and bank information and passwords or promise rewards by cashing a fraudulent check and keeping a portion for themselves or sending in a relatively small amount of money in order to receive a much larger and imaginary amount of money.  Still others promise a course or program to get rich quick simply by sending in tuition or purchasing the elusive ‘secrets of wealth’.

The important thing to remember, as the economist Milton Friedman is famous for saying, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.”  Never believe something is free or easily gotten without checking it out with the appropriate knowledgeable authorities.  One should never give out personal or financial information to anyone without checking out the legitimacy of the requestor.  This information should only be given out to someone or an organization you contacted and trust.  Beware of look-alike contacts on the telephone or internet that contact you requesting information you had already given to the proper organization.  Remember that there are quite a number of people in the world whose “job” is to steal from you.

Mark

Look for jobs: http://www.indeed.com/p/index.php?pid=7080813311402333

Posted in Finance, Tech Assistance | Print | 2 Comments »

April 22, 2010 by Sandra Rogers.

Greetings Readers,

I would like to share a YouTube video with you.  It was created by Lee LeFever of Common Craft.  It’s titled, “Phishing Scams in Plain English.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqRZGhiHGxg

For those of you who don’t know the term, phishing is defined in Wikipedia as:

“the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.”

To read more go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing

I hope this was helpful.

Your blogger,

Sandra Annette Rogers

sandra@brokebutnotforlong.org

Posted in Finance, Tech Assistance | Print | 1 Comment »

April 17, 2010 by Sandra Rogers.

“Is this your wallet, honey?” is how the stranger got my elderly mother to roll down her window.  She had gone to the Dollar General store down the street to get a few items, just as she has done for the past 10 years.  My mom told her no, then the stranger went around and got into the car and told her to drive.  The stranger asked my mom all sorts of financial questions before being dropped off at a nearby Dollar General Store.  She told my mom to wait right there.  Luckily, my mom dropped her off and then got someone to call the police.

I was extremely upset to hear my mother’s story when she got home and quickly talked to her about instantly locking her doors whenever she enters her car, no matter her location, and other safety tips.  As unemployment continues to soar, it appears some people are getting desperate, a desperation that makes them go after folks that shop at the Dollar General Store!    We should all take precaution, for ourselves and our families, against scammers in the parking lot, the neighborhood, or online.   This article will be part of a series to protect you from fraud at home and online.  I’m not an expert on this topic but will share advice from individuals who are, as well personal lessons learned.

Online, two of  my friends had their facebook pages and Hotmail accounts hijacked by a spammer supposedly in need of some cash in London.  These two people don’t know each other: one lives in Alabama and one in Argentina.  The incidences happened several months apart, but interestingly the spammer had the same story.  I have been receiving a lot of spam financial award emails, such as winning the lottery or a BMW, supposedly from London, as well.  I can tell they are spam for many reasons; primarily, they’re too good to be true.  The origin of the spam is most likely from China or Russia whose governments don’t have anti-spamming laws.

How does this happen? Basically, if your email is posted on the Internet, then a list gathering tool called a Web spider could collect it for a spammer.  Also, if you are in a public chat room, generally your first part of the email is your chat name and it is fairly easy to figure out what your Internet provider is, especially if it is one of the free ones like Hotmail or Yahoo. Moreover, always completely log off and close the Internet browser whenever you use a public computer.  Make sure you have a spam filter for your email account, and a strong anti-virus program for your computer!

There are several ways that your email can be used against you, but how did they get your password?  If your password is weak, then spammers will figure it out (or if you didn’t properly log out, as mentioned above).  According to Microsoft Online Safety, the keys to password security are length and complexity:

“An ideal password is long and has letters, punctuation, symbols, and numbers.

• Whenever possible, use at least 14 characters or more.
• The greater the variety of characters in your password, the better.
• Use the entire keyboard, not just the letters and characters you use or see most often.”

Unfortunately, the times we feel most comfortable, and therefore let down our guard, are usually when we’re at home including online, running errands, or hanging out in our neighborhood.  Since we are unemployed, like the retired, we have more time to interact with others that we meet around town or online, but unfortunately this includes opportunities for scammers and spammers.  The next articles will focus on how to protect your financial identity online and (snail) mail fraud.

Your blogger,

Sandra Annette Rogers

Posted in Finance, Tech Assistance | Print | 3 Comments »

February 22, 2010 by Sandra Rogers.

This morning I remembered that I was much slimmer when I was really broke.  This was due to the cost-saving necessity of not driving the car to save on gas expenses.  Hence, I used to walk to the local grocery store, library, and eateries.  If it was raining, I’d put on a raincoat.   When you have to carry everything home, it becomes like a diet regimen of mental and physical exercise that makes you think about your purchases.  To be specific, you learn to purchase the lighter weight and low cost items like fruit and vegetables.  You could try using a backpack; however, I found that the items, like cans and boxes, poke you in the back the whole walk home.  Luckily, grocers provide those nice, sturdy, eco-friendly bags, so you can save the planet and your back at the same time.  I remember when I came home from the Peace Corps in 1988 and used my backpack instead of the plastic grocery bags.  The cashier snidely commented, “What are you trying to do? Save the world?”  Nowadays, everyone at least tries to save the planet.

I used to have paniers, a saddle bag for bicycles, to take the groceries home.  You’ll need a good lock to keep it safe, too!   It’s essential to have a good working bike in order to use it for transportation and quick maneuvering in large cities.  Unfortunately, some cities are not very cyclist-friendly, as they don’t provide bike lanes or advisory signs. Once I had a parked car open their door on me when I was cycling past; I responded quickly and somehow avoided hurting myself.  When I lived in Los Angeles,  I used to bicycle from UCLA to Santa Monica Beach for exercise.  I’d cut through the Veteran’s Administration buildings near the 405 Freeway and then take a coffee break  at the halfway point.  The coffee break was a real splurge on my broke diet, but it made it taste all the better!  After resting, I’d continue to the beach which was downhill from there.  After relaxing at the beach, it was all up hill to get back home.  I was able to go 12-14 miles on bike with little difficulty because I took breaks.

Furthermore, the broke diet includes using coupons and looking at each high-priced item on your grocery bill to decide if you really need to purchase it next time.  Since coupons are for specific brands, you have to shop/eat different than your normal activity.  I used to be embarrassed to use coupons and would go to the store at odd hours when I thought no one would be shopping.  I usually buy the lower priced store brand than the popular “name” brand products.  After I saw a popular TV comedian using coupons in the check-out line at a grocery store, I had to laugh at myself.  This was when I lived in LA.  It reminded me of the time I saw Johnny Cash shopping at Kmart in Nashville (I used to live there, too).  Saving money with coupons is smart, so don’t let it get you down. I use coupons and customer reward cards whenever I can.

Lastly, the  broke diet includes not overeating.  Basically, because you can’t afford it, but also because it’s too depressing to have nothing in the fridge or on the shelves.  Every time I go to my mother’s house to look in the fridge, I think she doesn’t have anything.  She’s a senior citizen who receives Social Security benefits.  When I study the contents of her fridge to make a grocery list, I realize she has it all right there: cheese, eggs, milk, juice, yogurt, bread and butter.  I usually just buy her a bottle of wine, since I know that it’s not a regular part of her broke diet.  My mother’s a vegetarian and generally eats beans and rice along with various canned vegetables.  I’ve gone vegan before due to the broke diet.  Luckily, I had a sibling invite me over for a meat dish and all the leftovers that I wanted.  I realize that many of you may not have that kind of support.  I wish you success on your broke diet and exercise and hope that you find the support that you need during your job hunt.

Your blogger,

Sandra Annette Rogers
Look for jobs: http://www.indeed.com/p/index.php?pid=7080813311402333

Posted in Going Green, Behavior Change, Finance, Inspiration | Print | 3 Comments »

February 2, 2010 by Sandra Rogers.

I have lots of experience being broke; it’s nothing to brag about but something that I can talk about with authority.  I’m not just referring to my college student, Pell grant status when I ate a lot of Ramen noodles.  I’m referring to the down times between jobs, moves or volunteer service.  Lengthy unemployment phases that force you to discontinue your  health coverage and doctor or dental visits.  I’m talking about the broke experience of making extreme cuts to your power usage at home and your gas usage on the road.  Folks, I’m talking about being so broke that you think the prices at Goodwill are too high, and I’m not joking.

Here are 11 tips for earning some fast cash.  I’ve listed only the tips that my family or I have tried with success.

1. Yard sale: Set up pre-dawn and be ready to sale to the yard sailors who seriously want to buy your stuff!
2. Sell gold and silver jewelry- Don’t take anything that you will regret selling.  Visit several dealers to get the best value.
3. Sell used music records or CDs- This may take a few trips to different stores, as they buy according to what they have received.  Therefore, don’t get discouraged at your first attempt if they only offer you a cent for a CD…persevere!
4. Sell your blood or plasma- You don’t get as much for your blood, as you do with plasma.  However, the giving of plasma takes a long time.
5. Mow lawns in your neighborhood- This is hard work, but it can be steady work because the grass keeps on growing!
6. Take your fancy or funky clothes to a consignment shop.  Don’t take anything of sentimental value and don’t forget to pick up your pay!
7. Sell items on ebay- You’ll need to create an account.
8. Sell items at the local antique store
9. Baby sitting- Make some nice fliers and place them around.
10. Pet sitting- Ditto on the fliers.
11. Take your loose change to Coinstar or other money counters at the grocery store.  They charge almost 9%.   I was hesitant to mention this at first but just found a great article on AARP.org about it.

Sandra Rogers,

sandra@brokebutnotforlong.org

Look for jobs: http://www.indeed.com/p/index.php?pid=7080813311402333

Excerpt of AARP article by Elizabeth Pope below:

Watch the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves.

American households have an estimated $10 billion in spare change stashed in jars and piggy banks, according to Coinstar, maker of coin-counting products. For years, Akron, Ohio, welder Wesley Lance, 63, emptied his pockets into a growing collection of coffee cans. When Lance’s credit union waived coin-sorting fees during Roll Your Change week last year, his wife, Linda, 59, a bakery worker, hauled 20 cans into the bank using a child’s red wagon.

The teller announced the mounting total as she fed the sorting machine. “Everybody stared at me while the teller called out, $1,000 … $2,000 … $3,000,” says Linda. “It was just like winning at the slot machines in Las Vegas.” The final tally—$4,120.18—was a shock. “If we’d known we had that much, we’d have stuck it in a CD.” Meanwhile, it’s stuck away safely, waiting for interest rates to go up.

Roll Your Change is one of many programs around the country sponsored by America Saves, a national campaign sponsored by nonprofit, government and corporate groups to encourage money-saving habits. Check AmericaSaves.org for more information.

Posted in Finance | Print | 2 Comments »

November 21, 2009 by Sandra Rogers.

One of my favorite songs of Celia Cruz says, “Alegranse porque nada mas te importa,” which translates as, “Be happy because nothing else matters!”  The melody is quite infectious and strikes the soul like an anthem.  I have been broke before and maybe a little saddened about the situation, but I knew I could rely on the strong voice of Celia Cruz to get me singing and dancing along to her music.  The song is probably an old Cuban classic but I have only heard her sing it.

I have had the great fortune to visit the island of Cuba twice;  once as an emissary of jazz and once as an Episcopal missionary.  While visiting, I could almost feel a sadness in the weight of the humidity but none of them talk about it.  I assume they are not allowed to speak freely to the tourists.  On the other hand, you can also see the pride and determination of the people by the way they walk down the street.

There are many reasons for being broke.  For Cubans, theirs is caused by a dictatorship and a trade embargo with the US.   This is called situational poverty.  They had nothing to do with their predicament (well maybe their ancestors did).

Situational poverty is nothing to be ashamed of, nor any other types of poverty for that matter.  The loss of a parent, a serious accident or illness, or a spouse’s misuse of funds can place you into situational poverty.  The debt or lack of money places you into a lower economic class; but this is generally something that you or your family can overcome in 5-10-20 years.

Being born into poverty is called generational poverty which again is really no fault of yours or your families, as each generation generally only rises to the next economic level.  There are those who are able to climb out of poverty and go right into an upper economic class but this is not common.

As a school teacher, I learned about the strengths and/or skills that come from poverty from a lecture by Ruby Payne.  It was entitled, “Understanding Poverty.”  Since I lost a parent as a child and experienced situational poverty as a youth, I thought I had a fairly good understanding of what it was like.  Also, I have lived and worked in third world countries providing services to the malnourished, illiterate, and destitute.

I was familiar with many hardships faced by the impoverished  but what I learned was empowering; I learned that you can classify poverty into categories and that often no one is to blame.  I also learned that when you are broke, you develop unique skills that the average person wouldn’t know how to do.  For example, she said…Would you know how to move all of your belongings with 24 hours notice if you were facing an eviction or seek shelter every nightfall if you were homeless.  I  do not agree with all of the items Payne addressed in her “hidden rules” but recognized some of them to be true for me.

I wanted to share this insight with you in case you are facing difficult financial times.  Celia Cruz wrote another wildly successful song titled, “La Vida es Un Carnival,” which translates as–Life is a Carnival. She sings how the bad moments are only for a little while and then they will fade away. Unfortunately, life is full of various travesties ranging from the horrendous to the just plain sad.  Therefore, stay strong and be happy because like the song says, nothing else really matters.

Sandra Annette Rogers,

sandra@brokebutnotforlong.org

Look for jobs: http://www.indeed.com/p/index.php?pid=7080813311402333

Posted in Finance, Inspiration | Print | 1 Comment »