Try these five easy ways to support your local branch.By Catherine Strawn
Public libraries are an invaluable resource, but with shrinking budgets and closures they need you more than ever. Photo by GettyImages.
1. Ask for a card-and then use it.
A large number of active cardholders helps a library prove its worth to the community and justify its funding. Encourage your kids, friends and neighbors to get cards too.
2. Donate your change.
The coins you drop into the collection jars at the desk add up (to the tune of thousands per year at some locations)! So dig out your loose change before going inside and leave a few dimes when you check out a book.
Related: Check out 15 clever uses for household items.
3. Supply a subscription.
Share a periodical you love with your whole town by offering to pay for a subscription ($10 to $30 a year). If you can't decide on a title, ask your librarian or check the library's website for a subscription wish list.
4. Support sales.
Many libraries organize sales of used donated books, DVDs and board
5 Little Ways to Keep Your Local Library Open
By Woman s Day | Work + Money – Tue, May 7, 2013 11:40 AM EDTTrading Up: 5 Things to Do with Your Old Smart Phone
By Babble.com | Work + Money – Mon, May 6, 2013 5:41 PM EDT
Read More »from Trading Up: 5 Things to Do with Your Old Smart Phone
Get Smart! The new iPhone 5 reached 5 million in sales in its first weekend, and shattered existing records for the fastest-selling phone ever. As well as providing a much-needed boost to the overall economy, those sales will also meant a sudden surplus of second-hand phones, as people discarded their existing handsets and upgrade to Apple's shiny new device.
If you are one of those that have bought - or are thinking of buying - an iPhone 5, then one of the issues you face is what to do with your old phone. Surely there is something more useful you can do with it other than consign it to the kitchen drawer to gather digital dust alongside all its predecessors?
Thankfully, there are lots of alternative things you can do with a second-hand phone. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Pass it on
If you currently have one of the previous iPhones or another serviceable smartphone, then passing it along to a family member or friend can be a nice gesture. Giving your no-longer-needed iPhone 4S to yourAstrology.Com Daily FinanceScopes -- Tuesday May 7, 2013
By Astrology.com FinanceScopes | Work + Money – Mon, May 6, 2013 12:47 PM EDT
Aries (March 21 - April 19)
You're not the type to take the lead; you'd rather hang back and watch others forge a path. But instead of picking up what they leave in their wake, it's time to start figuring out for yourself where you want to go. There is plenty of low-hanging fruit that you could pluck if you go your own way.
Today's Aries Reading: Free Sample Daily Grind Reading
Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
Part of you wants to rush forward and another part of you wants to take your time and do things right. The answer, of course, is B -- take your time and do things right, Taurus, no matter how impatient you are. You'll only be wasting time and money if you rush.
Today's Taurus Reading: Free Sample Maya-Aztec Reading
Read More »from Astrology.Com Daily FinanceScopes -- Tuesday May 7, 2013
Gemini (May 21 - June 21)
Instead of just wishing things were different, you're all fired up today to make them better.3 Reasons Employees Leave Their Managers
By The Daily Muse | Work + Money – Sat, May 4, 2013 5:18 PM EDT
Why Employees Leave ManagersWhen I was 17, in an attempt to save up for the gorgeous (but absurdly unaffordable) prom dress of my dreams, I picked up an after-school job at a cards and gift shop. My boss, the owner of the store, was a tall man with a short temper who spent most of the workday barking orders ("Hey you, cover the register!") and asking me to lie to customers ("Hey you, don't tell them that item is on sale!"). And, yes, he referred to me as "hey, you" for the entirety of my employment.
Needless to say, as soon as I saved up enough cash to purchase something halfway decent from the clearance rack at Lord & Taylor, I jumped ship and never looked back.
In short, my boss made my time at work unbearable-and that's obviously why I left. It turns out, I'm not alone-Florida State University conducted a comprehensive study to analyze the reasons why dissatisfied employees leave their jobs, and it revealed that most of the time, employees leave managers, not companies.
If you're a manager, you
Read More »from 3 Reasons Employees Leave Their ManagersHow to Pursue a Friend Crush (Without Creeping Her Out)
By The Daily Muse | Work + Money – Sat, May 4, 2013 5:01 PM EDT
Pursue a Friend CrushApparently, dudes aren't familiar with the concept of the friend crush.
Granted, my sample size is pretty small. My boyfriend was unaware of the term. When I asked him how he would befriend someone he didn't know very well, he said, "I'd play basketball with him, and we'd be friends."
At five foot eleven, this is not the first time I've found myself thinking that playing basketball probably would have been a good life choice.
My dad didn't know what a friend crush was, per se, but he did ask, "Is that like a man crush? Like in I Love You Man?" So I counted that for a win.
But talk to a girl about a friend crush, and there's no explanation needed. The term really resonates with women; all seem, at some point, to have pined after a platonic friendship with someone slightly unattainable. A friend of a friend, a fellow cubicle-dweller, the friendly neighbor who lives downstairs-we've friend crushed them all.
Why do we do it? As much as we discuss romantic
Read More »from How to Pursue a Friend Crush (Without Creeping Her Out)Happy Small Business Month! How Molly Sims and Bethenny Frankel Are Supporting the Cause
By Babble.com | Work + Money – Thu, May 2, 2013 2:41 PM EDT
business This month isn't just for flowers and cookouts. May is also Small Business Month - a time to honor and support the entrepreneurs who help make the financial future better for their families and our country.
In recognition of the contributions of small business owners, a number of companies (including OpenSky, Dotbox, Dwolla, Edison Nation, Goodsie, Shopkeep and others) are launching an initiative called the Small Business Breakthrough. They're asking social media users everywhere to let others know about their personal favorite small businesses - from the bakery down the street that makes the best cupcakes to the pediatrician who has seen your kids through stomach flu and sprained ankles. You can share your picks using the hashtag #sbbreakthru. You can also nominate a business at www.SBBreakthrough.com to be eligible for a special prize.
Related: ow much your fave celebs REALLY earn - Brad Pitt, Honey Boo Boo, and more!A number of celebs will be supporting their own
Read More »from Happy Small Business Month! How Molly Sims and Bethenny Frankel Are Supporting the Cause5 Simple Tips to Trim Your Wedding Guest List
By SavvySugar | Work + Money – Thu, May 2, 2013 1:13 PM EDT
Source: 5 Simple Tips to Trim Your Wedding Guest List
From long-lost aunts and uncles to your father-in-law's best friend's cousin, it's easy to let your wedding guest list spin out of control. It's tough to pick and choose who to invite - where do you draw the line? Still, when it comes to watching expenses, cutting the guest list can be one of the quickest ways to keep costs low. Whether you're narrowing it down in hopes of a more intimate ceremony or simply doing your best to save money, here are five stress-free steps to help you trim your wedding guest list:- Consider your budget and venue. Before you analyze your guest list, take a step back and talk to your fiancé about your highest priorities as a couple. Are you hoping for a specific venue? Worried about staying under budget? Those guidelines will help you decide how long your list can be and whether you need to cut back in other areas.
- Agree on a fair split point. Keep things equal by compromising on a guest
10 Fun and Frugal Bachelorette Party Destinations
By SavvySugar | Work + Money – Thu, May 2, 2013 12:59 PM EDT
Source: 10 Fun and Frugal Bachelorette Party Destinations
It's time for some wild revelry with your gal pals! The bachelorette party is one of the many fun traditions that the bride-to-be generally partakes in. It's always a bundle of fun to get together with some of your girlfriends and spend some quality time.Although we offered you great budget tips for a local bachelorette party, I know some of you are itching to travel. Heather Dickson, Associate Publisher of Lonely Planet, weighs in on the hottest vacay spots that will give you a bang for your bachelorette bucks.
- Washington DC: "All the best things to do in DC during the day, except shop, are basically free - including botanical gardens, art galleries and museums. At night hit happy hour at bars like Madam's Organ in Adam's Morgan or try free beginner's swing dancing at The Jam Cellar."
- New York: "Your wallet might not be able to meet all the expectations of your Empire State of mind but budget NYC can
7 Tips to Cut the Costs of Your Wedding Video
By SavvySugar | Work + Money – Thu, May 2, 2013 12:53 PM EDT
Read More »from 7 Tips to Cut the Costs of Your Wedding Video
Source: 7 Tips to Cut the Costs of Your Wedding Video
If your special day is going to be memorialized in beautiful pictures, you might want to capture it on video, too. After all, decades down the line, when you're celebrating your 30th wedding anniversary, wouldn't it be nice to reminisce and view your wedding highlights on video? If you decide to record your wedding, try not to skimp on the quality by having an amateur shoot it. Instead, here are some other ways you can save on the wedding videographer:
Wedding fair prices: Go attend a wedding fair and try to negotiate a better rate with the videographers you meet there. My friend managed to get 10 percent off the usual rate, just by haggling with the videographer in person at the fair.
Package deal: Find out if you can get a better deal if you hire the photographer and videographer together. This means that they will also be working together vs. clashing, which is also a bonus for you.
Watch the clock: Many videographers willAstrology.Com Daily FinanceScopes -- Friday May 3, 2013
By Astrology.com FinanceScopes | Work + Money – Thu, May 2, 2013 11:25 AM EDT
Aries (March 21 - April 19)
It will be a lot easier to achieve your goals if you accept a bit of help from the group, but that would mean sharing the rewards, and you are more interested in keeping every last slice of the pie for yourself. Suit yourself, Aries, but expect some indigestion.
Today's Aries Reading: Free Sample Friends and Lovers Reading
Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
You feel pulled in opposite directions today. Whether it's spending time at work or with family, or deciding where to put your money, you're wishing you could experience life on parallel universes simultaneously. Unfortunately you have to choose, one way or the other.
Today's Taurus Reading: Free Sample Past Life Reading
Read More »from Astrology.Com Daily FinanceScopes -- Friday May 3, 2013
Gemini (May 21 - June 21)
You have the rare spare moment on your hands, and it gives you the chance to think things through instead of rushing
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