Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Save Money with No-Equipment Exercises [Habits] . The basements of American home are veritable graveyards for exercise equipment. Avoid post-purchase elliptical machine guilt with more minimalist exercise routines. Photo by Lulu. Many people use expensive fitness purchases as motivators. If you buy a $1,500 elliptical machine, you'll feel so guilty not using it and wasting the money that you'll dedicate yourself to a new fitness routine—or so the theory goes. Unfortunately the reality is often different, and a quick search at Craigslist for used exercise, sports, and hobby related equipment reinforces that. At The Simple Dollar finance blog, they suggest starting small: Don't go buy a treadmill or new running shoes. Instead, go outside and walk every day for fifteen minutes - go around the block three times or so. Don't go buy a netbook - instead, try checking your email on the equipment you already have. Don't go buy $1,000 worth of pans - instead, buy one low-end pot and one low-end skillet and try making some very simple dishes every day. Don't go spend $3,000 on an electric guitar - get an old acoustic one to practice on and see if it sticks. It all seems like a simple enough proposition, but it's all too easy to get sucked into thinking you need the best of the best to really tackle a new habit or routine. For more tips on economically establishing a new routine, check out the full article link below. If you've started a routine with minimal equipment by choice or chance, let's hear about it in the comments below. Buying Something to Force Yourself Into a New Behavior Doesn't Work: New Rules for a New Routine [The Simple Dollar] [Lifehacker] 11:37:44 AM     Store Brand vs. Name Brand—When to Go Cheap [Eat To Live] . From cookies to Parmesan cheese, a wealth of store-brand alternatives are available at your grocery store. How can you tell when reaching down one shelf might be worth it? Check the ingredients and know the manufacturers. Photo by Torben H. TheStreet.com's MainStreet blog points out that many national manufacturers also produce "private label" or store brand products for major grocery chains. When it comes to aluminum foil, spices, and frozen vegetables, for instance, it might surprise you to know that Reynolds, McCormick, and Birds Eye, respectively, are churning out goods for the same stores they sell their name brand lines to. The post also points out that some store brands have passed or exceeded national brand ratings in Consumer Reports tests, so keep on munching with confidence, fans of Kroger Mini-Wheats and Winn-Dixie Prestige Premium chocolate ice cream. When should one shy away from store brands? When the product is more esoteric and noted to have a distinct flavor and recipe use. In general, that means thinking twice if you're looking for something marketed as "The Original X" or the "distinct flavor of X." If you're particular about the tartness of A1 Steak Sauce or the exact flavor of Miracle Whip, generic options may not be right for you. Store brands that emphasize value may contain cheaper ingredients, and even when national brands manufacture a different type of product to be sold as a store brand, they make it to the store's own specifications, which could mean a change in ingredients, Consumer Reports says. In other words, reading the ingredients list, sorted by concentrations, on both store and national brands can't hurt if you're thinking about switching. You'll be tripped up occasionally by "natural flavors," but one purchase should give you an idea of what can and can't be replicated at a local level. What is your experience with switching to store brand food versions? Which name brand foods were you able to substitute with store brand? Which store brand foods just didn't cut it? Let us know in the comments! Store v. Name Brands: Should You Go Generic? [MainStreet] [Lifehacker] 11:37:11 AM     Know the Answers to These Questions Before Your Job Interview [Job Search] . If you've gone on more than one job interview, you know you can count on hearing many of the same questions at each. Make sure you've got these 10 answers down pat before you head out the door to your next interview. Photo by Aidan Jones. Weblog Dumb Little Man rounds up the 10 interview questions you should be ready for, including: Tell me about yourself. Chances are the employer doesn't want to know how much you weighed when you were born, when you learned to tie your shoes, or how much you had to drink last night. He or she wants to know how you would fit into the company and what your relevant job experience is. You might answer by asking the interviewer what he'd like to know. Or you might talk about your education, the fact that you're a team player, or whatever you think might be important to this particular company. Why did you leave your last job? Never put your former employer or your co-workers in a negative light. Don't blame them for your departure. Give a positive reason, such as you left to take advantage of another opportunity that was better suited to your skills. If none of these sound terribly new, that's because they aren't. The post aims to narrow down the 10 most common questions, so you can refresh yourself on how you're going to answer each cliché without tripping up. In fact, the idea is that you can take the opportunity to wow the interviewer with your well prepared response. If you want to go really in depth, check out 50 more common questions or try previously mentioned GlassDoor let's you view common questions for specific job types. 10 Answers You Should Know Before Your Job Interview [Dumb Little Man] [Lifehacker] 11:36:34 AM     Use a "Slash" to Find Work While Unemployed [Career] . Career writer Marci Alboher added a "slash" title (as in "writer/speaker/writing coach") to business cards and email signature, and saw new coaching work gradually roll in. She suggests other ways anyone looking for work can add their own "slash." For well-connected freelancers and consultants, that kind of viral business title approach might work. For those unemployed and looking to circulate their availability, though, Alboher suggests offering new services for free, to get feedback and references, writing articles or blogging, and straight-up volunteering: ... Offering to work part-time for free can be a way to break into a new field, get experience, or even get a job. Adult internships are becoming increasingly common; the key is to structure one that allows you to network and get experience with a reasonable commitment of time (perhaps one day or several hours week), so that you can use your other time for income-producing work. How have you broken into new side gigs or transitioned into a new, related field? Spread the good ideas in the comments. How to look like you're working when you're unemployed [Working the New Economy] [Lifehacker] 11:35:44 AM     Congressman Dingell Offers a Guidebook for Displaced Workers. With Michigan’s unemployment rate leading the nation and thousands more workers set to lose their jobs as the auto industry restructures, U.S. Rep. John Dingell’s office has compiled http://www.house.gov/dingell/pdf/displacedworkerguidebook.pdfa guidebook for displaced workers, including information on unemployment benefits, food stamps, foreclosure assistance, job training programs and more. Dingell, a Dearborn Democrat, is making the booklet of guidelines available to UAW workers at General Motors’ Willow Run Transmission plant in Ypsilanti slated for closure. But he has also put it on his congressional Web site, so the information can be of help to anyone who might need it. It includes descriptions of various services available, with phone numbers and additional Web sites for more information. “We heard from dozens of people ready to find a new opportunity, and they believe things will get better in Michigan. But they are painfully aware of how difficult this transition will be,” said Dingell. “While this guidebook may not replace a lost job, it is designed to help Michiganders pinpoint the people and organizations out there ready to help.” Cited report: Displaced Worker Assistance and Training Opportunities Guidebook For the full article, see Todd Spangler, "Guidebook aims to help state's unemployed", Detroit Free Press, June 8, 2009. [Red Tape Blog] 11:35:01 AM

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