Michelle Jones Online

Top Organic Foods Worth the Money

2012-01-31T21:44:00.000-05:00

Top Organic Foods Worth the Money
by Michelle Jones, Founder of BetterBudgeting.com

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree." - Martin Luther (1483-1546)

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For organic foodies around the world, this may come as a shock. Shopping for organic foods can be a novel idea for many frugal families. First, fresh produce is often expensive. Second, there are rarely coupons for fresh fruits and vegetables, let alone organic varieties. And third, many grocery stores and discount stores may not carry large quantities of organic foods; making it easier for shoppers to overlook.

As consumers become more educated about the safety of our food supply and pesticide residues, it is certain the value of organic foods will continue to grow.

General nutritional guidelines for good health recommend including 3-5 servings or cups of fruit and vegetables each day (aim for 2 cups of fruit, 3 cups of vegetables). A nutritious diet may also help prevent cancer and other serious diseases. Consult your doctor if you have any questions or health concerns that should be considered.

Our family loves fruits and vegetables and would be delighted to buy all organic if we could. The few things we've tried over the years have been wonderful.

The good news is, we don't have to buy all organic if it's not in our budget. Regular frozen fruits and vegetables are a great choice, for nutrition and cost. Non-organic produce can be washed thoroughly before serving.

Grow your own.

Shop local farmer's markets.

If you'd like to try organic at the grocery store, start small. Consider choosing organic for foods that are at highest risk for contamination.

An annual list of the most contaminated produce is provided by the non-profit EWG (Environmental Working Group). Their list, referred to as the "Dirty Dozen," is based on annual tests from the USDA and FDA. Fruits and Vegetables on the current list are as follows...

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines (imported)
7. Grapes (imported)
8. Sweet Bell Peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/Collard Greens

These foods are considered safe for us to eat, or they wouldn't be in our supermarkets. Would they?

Maybe organic is the best choice for the "Dirty Dozen" list.

At the very least, a good place to start.

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Sources:

US Dept. of Agriculture

EWG.org

Copyright 2012 by Michelle Jones. All rights reserved.
Founder of Living a Better Life®
Visit BetterBudgeting.com for your free membership and ebook gift.

The Joy of Books

2012-01-11T11:53:00.008-05:00

The Joy of Books - Click Play to View One of the COOLEST Videos I've Ever Seen!

"Books are delightful society. If you go into a room and find it full of books - even without taking them from the shelves they seem to speak to you, to bid you welcome." - William Ewart Gladstone

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Just had to share this video with fellow booklovers, and our children, enjoy! :o)

Video by...

crazedadman on Jan 9, 2012

"After organizing our bookshelf almost a year ago (see first video at http://youtu.be/zhRT-PM7vpA), my wife and I decided to take it to the next level. We spent many sleepless nights moving, stacking, and animating books at Type bookstore in Toronto (883 Queen Street West, (416) 366-8973). "

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Shared by Michelle Jones
Founder of Living a Better Life®
Visit BetterBudgeting.com for your free membership and ebook gift!

Unemployment: Month 19 - Not Finished Yet

2011-12-17T18:00:00.004-05:00

Not Finished Yet
by Michelle Jones, Founder of BetterBudgeting.com

"Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't." - Richard Bach

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This month my husband and I will be celebrating our 26th anniversary. We have been through thick and thin together, many times. We have experienced joy and heartache, every season of life, all to the fullest.
Life has been good, even when it wasn't.
But it's not over. God is not finished with us yet. As individuals, as a community, as a country.
When everything around us seems to be falling apart, we always manage to get through it. We pick ourselves up and get back to work. No matter how hard it is, no matter how long it takes. One day at a time, until we can look back and say, "Wow, we made it."
We can't rely on governments or other people to take care of us. We have to make a way for ourselves, and anyone that we can help along the way.
Knowing that the world is suffering, in so many ways, weighs on my heart every day. It is hard to complain of anything when the number of people without food, water, or a home to live in, continues to grow. By the millions. If we have food, water, and a home to live in (whether we own, rent, or share), we are very fortunate.
Here in the U.S., massive job cuts continue each year. In every state, except North Dakota, the number of new jobs being created are not enough to keep up with the population growth (kids graduating from high school or college, immigrants and refugees, all coming into the workforce looking for a job--in addition to our unemployed).
North Dakota is growing due to a new oil boom in part of the state. My husband has applied for jobs there, even though it's 1,600 miles away from our home in Atlanta. We have relocated many times over the years for his jobs, 7 moves and 7 different states, to be exact. Relocating is not an issue for us; I think, deep down, we even enjoy the challenge. However, ND is experiencing a new set of problems to deal with as well. They do not have adequate resources for the influx of new workers and it is putting a strain on the state.
For all the other states who don't have natural resources to create jobs... we must be more creative. We've done it before, and we can do it again. Our grandparents grew up during the depression. Families and communities worked together to get through hard times.
Now, after decades of hard work to end poverty in our own country as well as others, we are going backwards. The middle class is fading away and the number of families living in or below current poverty levels are increasing every year. This effects every business, and every family.
It's simple economics. When people don't have jobs, they cannot spend money. Businesses suffer, and more jobs are lost. When people have jobs, they are able to spend money. Businesses grow, and more jobs are created.
So what is our purpose? What can we do, while our country works to resolve these dire economic issues that may or may not be solved?
With God's help, we can continue to make a difference in our families, and in our world. He's not finished with us yet.
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Copyright 2011 by Michelle Jones. All rights reserved.
Founder of Living a Better Life®
Visit BetterBudgeting.com for your free membership and ebook gift.

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Unemployment: Month 18 - Life is Good

2011-11-10T10:33:00.005-05:00

by Michelle Jones, Founder of BetterBudgeting.com

"All the masterpieces of art contain both light and shadow. A happy life is not one filled with only sunshine, but one which uses both light and shadow to produce beauty." - Billy Graham

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Life is good. It gets better. Everything will work out. Eventually.

I have to admit, this has been one of the most difficult subjects I've ever written about, in my life. Not specifically unemployment, as both my husband and I have been through that a few times in our 25 years of marriage. But long-term unemployment. That part is new. And very difficult.

It's almost beyond words.

Being unemployed can be many things. You go through stages.

First, shock and disbelief.

Second, search and rescue (for a new and better job).

Third, adjustment. To whatever changes you have to make to survive until you can start earning paychecks again. Cutting expenses, canceling services, payment arrangements, etc.

Long-term unemployment cuts you down to the core.

Questions.

Who are you? Why does no one want you? Will you lose everything you've worked so hard to provide for your family?

The answers may come quick or slow.

Who are you? A treasured child of God.

Why does no one want you? Because they won't look beyond their business bottom line. And, the vast pool of younger, cheaper workers.

Will you lose everything? Maybe. But God, your family, and true friends, will always be there for you.

You will survive this.

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Copyright 2011 by Michelle Jones. All rights reserved.
Founder of Living a Better Life®
Visit BetterBudgeting.com for your free membership and ebook gift.

Like this post? Share with a friend! :o)

Could the IRS Owe YOU Money?!

2011-09-01T12:17:00.000-04:00

U.S. Taxpayers

If you earned income in the last few years but you didn't file a tax return because your wages were below the filing requirement, the Internal Revenue Service may have some money for you. The IRS also has millions of dollars in checks that are returned each year as undeliverable.

Here’s what you need to know about these two types of “missing money” and how to claim it:

Unclaimed Refunds

Some people earn income and may have taxes withheld from their wages but are not required to file a tax return because they have too little income. In this case, you can claim a refund for the tax that was withheld from your pay. Other workers may not have had any tax withheld but would be eligible for the refundable Earned Income Tax Credit, but must file a return to claim it.

To collect this money a return must be filed with the IRS no later than three years from the due date of the return.

If no return is filed to claim the refund within three years, the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury.

There is no penalty assessed by the IRS for filing a late return qualifying for a refund.

Current and prior year tax forms and instructions are available on the Forms and Publications page of www.IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676). Information about the Earned Income Tax Credit and how to claim it is also available.

Undeliverable Refunds

Were you expecting a refund check but didn't get it?

Refund checks are mailed to your last known address. Checks are returned to the IRS if you move without notifying the IRS or the U.S. Postal Service.

You may be able to update your address with the IRS on the “Where’s My Refund?” feature available on IRS.gov. You will be prompted to provide an updated address if there is an undeliverable check outstanding within the last 12 months.

You can also ensure the IRS has your correct address by filing Form 8822, Change of Address, which is available on www.IRS.gov or can be ordered by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

If you do not have access to the Internet and think you may be missing a refund, you should first check your records or contact your tax preparer. If your refund information appears correct, call the IRS toll-free assistance line at 800-829-1040 to check the status of your refund and confirm your address.

Michelle Jones
http://michellejonesonline.blogspot.com

Source: www.IRS.gov

Top Prescription Drugs Going Generic - Huge Savings for Families!

2011-07-26T11:48:00.003-04:00

I've just printed out a 7-page document on all the prescription drugs that are scheduled to be available in generic form over the next 15 years. We can thank their expiring patents, many of which have been in place the last 20 years. A large portion of our adult life.

The top two drugs due to be available in generic form this year are Lipitor (cholesterol lowering), and Plavix (heart patients). Generic drugs are available at grocery and discount stores; $4.00 or $10.00 for a 3-month supply). For any family who is currently budgeting the high cost of these name brand prescriptions, with or without insurance, a huge savings is coming! And a huge financial loss might be coming for the pharmaceutical companies--and their employees. We all know what happens when companies bottom lines decline... more jobs lost.

But for now, it is a huge relief to see families finally getting a break on the high cost of prescription drugs needed for better health.

Here are the drugs currently scheduled to go generic...

2011:

Xalatan, Aromasin, Femara, Concerta, Nasacort AQ, Levaquin, Uroxatral, Anzemet, Zyprexa, Zyprexa Zydis, Malarone, Solodyn, Lipitor, Caduet, Tazorac, Combivir

2012:

Clarinex, Clarinex-D, Lexapro, Seroquel, Gabitril, Avandia, Avandamet, Avandaryl, Avapro, Avalide, Rovigil, Plavix, Viramune, Lescol, Lescol XL, Femcon Fe, Tricor, Singulair (my favorite allergy medicine!), Actos, Xopenix (Not HFA), Revatio, Diovan, Diovan HCT, Geodon, Detrol, Lidoderm, Atacano, Atacand HCT, Evoxac, Maxalt, Maxalt-MLT, Actoplus Met

2013:

Opana ER, Zometa, Lovaza, Valcyte, Zomig, Allegra-D 24 hr, Fosamax Plus D, Vivelle-Dot, Rilutex, Temodar, Niaspan, Advicor, AcipHex, Cymbalta

2014:

Rapamune, Micardis, Micardis HCT, Loestrin 24 Fe, Asocal, Renegel, Evista, Viracept, Nexium, Celebrex, Lunesta, Actonel, Xeloda, Teveten, Teveten HCT, Avelox, Vigamox, Copaxone

2015:

Cipro HC, Norvir, Namenda, Lumigan, Sustiva, Renvela, Oxytrol, Abilify, Zyvox, Avodart, Welchol, Travatan, Travatan Z, Aggrenox, Gleevec, Androgel, Aloxi, Patanol, Combivent (Yeah! This is one of our asthma medicines!), Fuzeon, Coreg CR

2016:

Ortho Evra, Focalin XR, Crestor, Benicar, Benicar HCT, Zetia

2017:

Sandostatin, Spectracel, Vytorin, Relpax, Cancidas, Velcade

2018:

Nasonex, Cialis, Nuvaring, Sensipar, Tarceva

2019:

Exelon Patch, Hepsera, Vesicare, Reyataz, Lyrica, Boniva

2020:

Revlimid, Detrol LA, Lialda, Viagra, Byetta, Chantix

2021:

Sutent, Crixivan, Truvada

2022:

None

2023:

Spiriva, Vyvanse, Thalomid

2024:

None

2025:

Trilipix

2026:

Janumet, Januvia

Even if your medicine is not listed here, don't despair. It may be possible for you to switch to a similar brand that is close to yours. Talk to your doctor, generic drugs are not exactly the same as the brand names. Although the active ingredients ARE exactly the same, they can contain a variety of fillers that may affect you differently. It is always best to seek the advice of your own doctor when switching any medicines; brand name, generic or even over the counter.

Also, note that pharmaceutical companies sometimes file extensions on their patent end dates, though they appear to be very limited. As in months, not years. Therefore, the dates above could change, but should be close.

I know many families who are paying $500, more or less, for their prescriptions every month. I am excited that so many prescriptions will become more affordable for everyone, and for the hundreds of dollars this will help struggling families save in their monthly household budgets. If there is ever a time we need the help, it is NOW!!!

Michelle Jones
http://michellejonesonline.blogspot.com

Free membership to our monthly ezine, Living a Better Life
http://www.betterbudgeting.com

Prescription Source: Medco Health

Unemployment: Who Cares, Who's Counting and How Do We Get Through It

2011-07-24T16:05:00.001-04:00

Unemployed:

ONE YEAR, ONE MONTH, THREE WEEKS, ONE DAY and 16 HOURS

I'm quite sure anyone who is unemployed cares, and anyone who has friends or family that are unemployed are counting the months with them. Families that have been through it before (like us), always care. Companies and community services that assist the unemployed certainly care, as well as those that are losing business because of high unemployment rates.

Our doctor offices are even closing earlier now and some have gone to a 4-day work week. The reason; people can't afford to go to the doctor, which leads to doctor offices not being able to afford to stay open.

Of course, this is just one small example of the trickle down effects caused by widespread unemployment. There are many others. So how could anyone not care, or not be waiting every month for things to get better. I'm sure there are some out there who don't, and I don't care to know them.

This is just not like me. I'm a people person and I love everyone, at least most everyone. I mean, I don't particularly like criminals, or bullies, but I do care about them. This period of financial drought has just not come at a good time. Not that there is ever a good time.

Money is no where near as important to us as family, and now we've lost our fair share of both. If I could have either one back, I would definitely choose family.

But since we can't have the family we've lost back, what do we do? Do we just quit and give up. No. We keep going and we get through the best we can. We may even come to appreciate more all the people we still have in our life, and all the time we had with loved ones who are gone.

We continue living, maybe in a new and different way, but we'll be okay.

Life is always changing. People, money and things, will come and go. Sometimes change is not easy. Sometimes it can be very unpleasant.

Yet we always have so much to be thankful for, and we get through it the best we can.

Coming next month... Changing Roles in Unemployed Families (Spoiler alert: Hubby just baked a cake!!!)

Michelle Jones
http://michellejonesonline.blogspot.com

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Tax Tips for Military Families

2011-07-23T11:20:00.003-04:00

With many of our military coming home or in transit, I wanted to also share these 10 beneficial reminders from the IRS regarding taxes. Every little bit helps!

10 Tips to Ease Tax Time for Military

Military personnel have some unique duties, expenses and transitions. Some special tax benefits may apply when moving to a new base, traveling to a duty station, returning from active duty and more. These tips may put military members a bit “at ease” when it comes to their taxes.

Moving Expenses If you are a member of the Armed Forces on active duty and you move because of a permanent change of station, you can deduct the reasonable unreimbursed expenses of moving you and members of your household.
Combat Pay If you serve in a combat zone as an enlisted person or as a warrant officer for any part of a month, all your military pay received for military service that month is not taxable. For officers, the monthly exclusion is capped at the highest enlisted pay, plus any hostile fire or imminent danger pay received.
Extension of Deadlines The time for taking care of certain tax matters can be postponed. The deadline for filing tax returns, paying taxes, filing claims for refund, and taking other actions with the IRS is automatically extended for qualifying members of the military.
Uniform Cost and Upkeep If military regulations prohibit you from wearing certain uniforms when off duty, you can deduct the cost and upkeep of those uniforms, but you must reduce your expenses by any allowance or reimbursement you receive.
Joint Returns Generally, joint returns must be signed by both spouses. However, when one spouse may not be available due to military duty, a power of attorney may be used to file a joint return.
Travel to Reserve Duty If you are a member of the US Armed Forces Reserves, you can deduct unreimbursed travel expenses for traveling more than 100 miles away from home to perform your reserve duties.
ROTC Students Subsistence allowances paid to ROTC students participating in advanced training are not taxable. However, active duty pay – such as pay received during summer advanced camp – is taxable.
Transitioning Back to Civilian Life You may be able to deduct some costs you incur while looking for a new job. Expenses may include travel, resume preparation fees, and outplacement agency fees. Moving expenses may be deductible if your move is closely related to the start of work at a new job location, and you meet certain tests.
Tax Help Most military installations offer free tax filing and preparation assistance during the filing season.

For more information:
IRS Publication 3, Armed Forces’ Tax Guide. Publication 3 can be downloaded from www.irs.gov or may be ordered by calling 1-800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

Military Family Coupon Project

www.grocerysavingtips.com

Michelle Jones

http://michellejonesonline.blogspot.com

Taxes: Credit for Summer Day Camp

2011-07-07T16:06:00.000-04:00

Summer Day Camp Expenses May Qualify for a Tax Credit

IRS Update

Along with the lazy, hazy days of summer come some extra expenses, including summer day camp. But, the IRS has some good news for parents: those added expenses may help you qualify for a tax credit.

Many parents who work or are looking for work must arrange for care of their children under 13 years of age during the school vacation.

Here are five facts the IRS wants you to know about a tax credit available for child care expenses. The Child and Dependent Care Credit is available for expenses incurred during the summer and throughout the rest of the year.

1. The cost of day camp may count as an expense towards the child and dependent care credit.

2. Expenses for overnight camps do not qualify.

3. Whether your childcare provider is a sitter at your home or a daycare facility outside the home, you'll get some tax benefit if you qualify for the credit.

4. The credit can be up to 35 percent of your qualifying expenses, depending on your income.

5. You may use up to $3,000 of the unreimbursed expenses paid in a year for one qualifying individual or $6,000 for two or more qualifying individuals to figure the credit.

For more information check out IRS Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses. This publication is available at www.irs.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

IRS Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses
http://www.irs.gov/

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Biggest Issues Facing Unemployed Families

2011-06-21T21:24:00.000-04:00

Unemployed?

What issues are you and your family dealing with?

What changes have you had to make?

Think about something good that has come from your time off, like spending more time with family, getting more rest, or developing a hobby or talent that you usually don't have time for.

Hopefully it's not all bad. And maybe even if you think it is, it isn't.

We're all in this together, I want to hear from you.

What's concerning you most? College, jobs, the economy, housing, insurance, retirement, paying the bills, providing food for your family? Or just life in general?

Write to me!

Michelle Jones

http://michellejonesonline.blogspot.com

Unemployment: June 1st will mark ONE YEAR!!! JOBS, JOBS, JOBS

2011-05-15T11:57:00.000-04:00

June 1, 2010 was the first day of my husband Wayne's unemployment. If you're new to this blog, his company closed. He was a Regional Director for Auto Trader Magazines, he was with them for 11 years and loved the company and his work. The new parent corporation (and owner for less than 2 years), closed down the popular auto magazine and let go over 4,000 hard working, loyal employees. Like many other companies around the nation, they stopped trying to make things better and just tossed everyone to the street. Making millions and billions of dollars is not enough for these companies, they just seem to want more, more, more.

Meanwhile, when employees get tossed aside, their families are able to spend less, less, less, which simply perpetuates the problem and leads to more jobs lost!

Okay, that's enough for my soapbox today. I'm going to switch now to the positive; HOW we are getting through this difficult time and SURVIVING it!

People are always asking us, "How are you making it?!" Some have even said, "Wow, Michelle must make a lot of money!" LOL That would be wonderful, but it's not true. Wayne is still receiving unemployment checks each week and we have cut, cut, cut our budget by more than half! All of our savings is gone and our 401k will be next. (Apologies to Suze Orman regarding the 401k, at least we're holding off as long as we can.)

If you had told us we could survive an entire year of unemployment (and however long this may last), we would have told you NO WAY! But day by day, month by month, we are. I can just feel God holding onto our family tightly as our boat is at the edge of the river's waterfall.

There are many programs available for families who fall below low income guidelines. Some are national, some are by state or city, and some are by individual companies and organizations. However, three big things that require you to have regular income (in addition to unemployment - which is temporary anyway) include:

HOME MORTGAGE

Being able to keep your mortgage current and getting a home loan modification (which we did). We applied for this program through our mortgage company. There was a link on our mortgage web site that said if you're having trouble paying your mortgage, click here. So I did, and we applied. We called regularly and did everything we had to do. The process took about 9 months to finalize and there were NO ADDITIONAL FEES!

Some people are getting ripped off by third party companies claiming to help people get a loan modification, for up to $3,000 or more. This is just sickening! All you have to do is work consistently with your mortgage company, and hopefully you have a good one. Ours is our local bank, so we were able to talk with them in person and by phone every month. They always stress, "Keep your mortgage payments current!" So we did, no matter what!

This program is not just for people who have lost income though. The bigger issue is that our home values have fallen so low that we have lost ALL the cash we put into the house when we purchased it in 2006. Which was pretty much everything we had. With values so low that our mortgage is now upside down, we cannot relocate for a new job. This also means families all around the country will not be moving from state to state as has been common practice for the last several decades. And that's probably a good thing.

HEALTH INSURANCE

Being able to afford health insurance. Premiums are way too expensive for us, unless we buy the cheapest policy available with a $10,000.00 deductible and no prescription coverage. If we had a policy like this we would have to continue being 'self-pay' for all medical expenses, pay the monthly premiums, AND pay $10,000.00 if anything major happens to us. That could bankrupt us anyway, so what's the point? For now, self pay seems the way to go, though I continue to reevaluate this decision every month.

SECOND FAMILY CAR

Being able to afford a second car. I'm not going to whine about not having a second car, though it pains us every day. Our two oldest children who are also driving, don't have cars either. So we have four drivers and a family of 6, with a car that seats 5. The bottom line is, we are saving a fortune without the second vehicle and are absolutely grateful for the one car we do have.

FINAL NOTE... JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!

I've been posting a few job openings on our Twitter account recently and would like to post more. You can find me at www.twitter.com/betterbudgeting. If you know a company that is hiring or has more job openings, or if you hear or read about a company that has openings, please contact me at (mjromans828 @ gmail.net) so I can spread the word to our unemployed families around the country.

God bless y'all, have a great week!!!

Michelle Jones
www.MichelleJonesOnline.blogspot.com

Letter of Hope from Japan

2011-03-20T13:08:00.001-04:00

Photo Courtesy of National Geographic

From a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend... a letter from an American living in Japan, in the midst of disaster.

Hello My Lovely Family and Friends,

First I want to thank you so very much for your concern for me. I am very touched. I also wish to apologize for a generic message to you all. But it seems the best way at the moment to get my message to you.

Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very blessed to have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend's home. We share supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one room, eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful.

During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes. People sit in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line up to get drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water running in their home, they put out sign so people can come to fill up their jugs and buckets.

Utterly amazingly where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an earthquake strikes. People keep saying, "Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone helped one another."

Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes. Sirens are constant and helicopters pass overhead often.

We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and now it is for half a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on.

But all of this is by area. Some people have these things, others do not. No one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much more important concerns than that for us now. I love this peeling away of non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of intuition, of caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but of the entire group.

There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in some places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in the sun.

People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people out walking their dogs. All happening at the same time.

Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night. No cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled.

The mountains are Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see them silhouetted against the sky magnificently.

And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on, and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic, no.

They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes, for another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls, shaking, rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is a bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So, so far this area is better off than others. Last night my friend's husband came in from the country, bringing food and water. Blessed again.

Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I felt so small because of all that is happening. I don't. Rather, I feel as part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave of birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.

Thank you again for your care and Love of me,
With Love in return, to you all.

- Author Unknown... for Now

Michelle Jones
http://michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

10 Tax Facts on Cashing Out Your Retirement Plan Early

2011-03-02T09:53:00.000-05:00

Cashing out your 401k or other retirement plans early should always be a last resort. We've had to do it once already, due to unemployment in the 90s, and now we're facing the possibility of starting over, for a second time. For the millions of unemployed, this "last resort" can come all-too quickly.

For those who have already taken out an Early Distribution last year, OR who may cash out this year, here are 10 facts from the IRS on the impact this financial move will have on your taxes.

IRS TAX TIPS

1. Payments you receive from your Individual Retirement Arrangement before you reach age 59 1/2 are generally considered early or premature distributions.

2. Early distributions are usually subject to an additional 10 percent tax. (Note: This is in ADDITION to the regular taxes you will pay on the distribution, as it will be considered INCOME in the year you cash out. It's really like throwing half your money away, not to mention the growth potential if you leave it alone until retirement. But life happens, and sometimes there may just be no other way to survive. And thankfully, every day is a new day to start over.)

3. Early distributions must also be reported to the IRS.

4. Distributions you rollover to another IRA or qualified retirement plan are not subject to the additional 10 percent tax. You must complete the rollover within 60 days after the day you received the distribution. (Note: If you become unemployed you can also keep your retirement plan at your prior employer; you have many options. Your HR department is required by law to assist you, so give them a call if you have any questions.)

5. The amount you roll over is generally taxed when the new plan makes a distribution to you or your beneficiary.

6. If you made nondeductible contributions to an IRA and later take early distributions from your IRA, the portion of the distribution attributable to those nondeductible contributions is not taxed.

7. If you received an early distribution from a Roth IRA, the distribution attributable to your prior contributions is not taxed.

8. If you received a distribution from any other qualified retirement plan, generally the entire distribution is taxable unless you made after-tax employee contributions to the plan.

9. There are several exceptions to the additional 10 percent early distribution tax, such as when the distributions are used for the purchase of a first home, for certain medical or educational expenses, or if you are disabled. (Note: Maybe they should think about including UNEMPLOYMENT.)

10. For more information about early distributions from retirement plans, the additional 10 percent tax and all the exceptions, see IRS Publication 575 - Pension and Annuity Income, and Publication 590 - Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs). Both publications are available at IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

Michelle Jones
http://michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Source: IRS

Unemployment: Months Eight and Nine... The Best Years of Your Life

2011-02-13T12:05:00.000-05:00

Atlanta Snow: Just a Little Reminder that ANYTHING is Possible!

How do I write this in a positive way... it will be a challenge. I've put it off for weeks, but it's time to share my thoughts.

Here are some things regarding our current ocean of unemployment, and life, that I know for certain.

The economy will get better, someday.
A portion of the unemployed will get rehired, someday.
We will all survive this mess, somehow. And by faith, I know this for sure!

Many of the unemployed have been out of work for over two years.
Their jobs have not just changed or relocated, they no longer exist.
The families of these workers are treading water.

Companies will continue to downsize, automate and outsource jobs to save money and increase profits.
Money has always been and always will be, more important than it should be.
This common human trait, of putting money first, can lead to destruction.

We've outgrown, overpaid and advanced ourselves for decades, weakening the strength of our economy from the inside out.

And now, we must continue to adjust.

Sometimes I wonder...

How long will temporary assistance programs be available to help drowning families?
If people can't afford housing, where will they live?
If people can't afford healthcare, how will they live?
And, maybe, the most disturbing thing of all... how can anyone think this doesn't affect them and we're all okay?

Everything that happens, eventually affects all of us. It's like a chain; one job loss just leads to another, and another, and...

So how DO we survive? Thankfully, there are many things we can do, and must do!

There are thousands of ways to save money, and make money.

You just have to work on it and be proactive every day! Don't let this bad economy or anything else ruin your life. Enjoy your friends and family, have mac'n'cheese for dinner at least once a week, and LIVE!!!

These could very well be, the BEST years of your life. :o)

Michelle Jones
http://michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Founder of Better Budgeting
http://betterbudgeting.com/

Unemployment: Month Seven

2010-12-19T12:59:00.069-05:00

Life is full of troubles. But there is always hope.

MEDICINE

One of the most difficult things that comes with being unemployed is not having health insurance. My husband and I both have asthma and have been successfully controlling it with a preventative medicine. We have been out of this medicine for several months and have not renewed our prescriptions due to cost. If we continued the medicine it would cost about $500 a month. With our income cut down to roughly 30%, prescription meds are just not an option.

We had hoped we'd both just be okay until we do get insurance again and can renew our prescriptions. But our asthma has gotten worse over the last few months, and now I'm quite sick. My husband thinks I have walking pneumonia but I'm hoping I don't. Whatever I have, I can barely breathe. I'm going to try to see my doctor this week.

Recently I went to the web sites of the pharmaceutical companies who make our prescription medicines. Most of them have annual programs that will provide your medicines if you cannot afford to buy them. Financially, we qualify for all of them. The next step, is printing out all the forms. I did that. Now, we need to fill them out and provide proof of unemployment (easy!), financial documents, and take them to the doctor and have THEM fill out and sign portions of EACH FORM. I haven't even been able to make the call to our doctor's office to make this request, as I know it's going to be a burden for them because they are always so busy.

Now that I'm sick, and have to make an appointment anyway, we'll give it a try this week. Hopefully it's not too late. Who knows how long the process will take. It's a huge blessing that these companies provide this service for low-income families, but it doesn't do us any good unless we apply. No matter how difficult it is.

MOVIES

One of the best things we have done for our family is signing back up with Netflix, so we can watch unlimited movies all month long for less than $10. With the added bonus of being able to watch free Instant movies through our Wii game system, that's even cheaper than the $1 rental at Redbox if we watch more than 10 movies per month. And Netflix has so many more movies to choose from, plus it's extremely convenient... unlike everything else in our lives right now.

We've used Netflix many times over the years, but always for short periods of time when our children are out of school and we have time to watch movies together. During the rest of the year, we used to take the kids to see movies at the theater maybe every other month. For a family of six, the tickets alone cost over $50 per movie, but boy was it fun. Add popcorn and drinks, and the cost goes up to $100. One of the best ways to save money when going to a movie theater (for folks who can still afford it) is to plan the trip to the theater shortly after having a family meal at home; so no one will be hungry. And yes, we brought our own bottles of water whenever possible.

We also loved going to our local Blockbuster from time to time. We enjoyed looking through all the new movies that had come out and deciding which one (or two) to bring home. But a monthly membership to Netflix also costs less than just two movie rentals at Blockbuster. This is helpful for us and everyone needing to save money, but the industry competitiveness has recently sent Blockbuster into bankruptcy. They have closed many of their stores, sending more employees into unemployment, along with most other rental companies. We feel bad for them, and that we are now part of the problem because we can no longer afford to support our local stores.

DEPRESSION

I read an article in our Atlanta newspaper last week that talked about the different issues facing the unemployed during the holiday season. One issue that I felt was really insightful was that families going through this tend to withdraw to themselves. They avoid friends, neighbors, and even family. (Of course we also recognize this as a sign of depression, which is common with unemployment.)

The article suggested making an extra effort to include unemployed friends and family in activities and having them over for dinner. It's a nice idea, and might help some, if they are doing well enough to respond. If they don't, I would suggest simply visiting them to bring some cheer to their lives, instead of trying to pull them out of their home where they will be reminded constantly of their situation.

Maintaining one's 'normal life' during unemployment can certainly be a struggle. There are just so many changes, adjustments, and losses. But for many families, that IS normal life.

PERSPECTIVE (The movie "Precious")

Recently, while the family was out and about and I stayed home sick, I finally got a chance to watch the very popular movie "Precious," that came out in 2009. If you haven't seen it yet I don't want to ruin it for you, but it is a very intense movie and I'm so glad I was able to see it. When watching the movie, it quickly becomes clear why the young actress who played the part of Precious won many awards, it was a brave and amazing performance. In the story, the 16 year old Precious has faced so much abuse and hardship it's a miracle she makes it.

Struggling to pay for medicines, doctors? Precious is pregnant with her second child, and has never even seen a doctor. She gave birth to her first child on the kitchen floor. Depression? Absolutely. This is a life of survival, with little to no joy. She didn't have friends, family who loved her, or support of a church or community to keep her spirits up. She was surviving alone on the human's sheer will to live, a will that has been placed in all of us for a purpose.

As the story progresses, a few very special people are brought into her life. Precious is encouraged, cared for and ultimately saved from a near hopeless life, or even death, with their help. Movies, hmmm, she's probably never seen one. Even though the story has a triumphant ending, the young girl Precious has a difficult life ahead of her, at 16 with two children, studying for her GED. I would love to see a sequel to this movie, with her life turning out all rosy and sweet. But we know that life is not all rosy and sweet.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33 (NIV)

Life is full of troubles. Life is also full of joy. The key is continuing to experience and appreciate the joy even when things seem hopeless. For that is one thing life is not, praise God. There is always HOPE!

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com
http://www.michellejonesonline.com

Unemployment: Month Six - A New Plan

2010-11-28T13:24:00.001-05:00

As I've shared in previous months, my husband's job loss has created the need for many changes and adjustments in our life. We are thankful we have made it this far, making temporary adjustments and budget cuts everywhere we can. Now we are working on a new plan. Long term or permanent unemployment. Yeah, you read that right, permanent.

My husband has now joined the multitudes of other unemployed middle aged business managers who feel they may never get another job. Hmmm, I know he'll eventually read this, maybe I should delete the age comment. At least I didn't say he's an old man, which is what I always call him because he's three years older than me! ;o) Anyhow, these dedicated, honest, hard working managers are so over qualified for many jobs that are available, yet also under qualified for jobs outside of business management. And as long as companies continue to size down and shut down, the future for unemployed business managers will remain uncertain. Although there have been several jobs he's applied for that would have been absolutely perfect, he couldn't even get an interview. We feel its possible the job postings were simply listed to comply with company policies (legal guidelines to post job openings so 'everyone' has an opportunity), and as in most cases, the jobs likely went to someone already working within the company.

We have other issues to deal with as well. Due to an old knee injury, he needs a job that is not physically demanding. And, even though he has over 20 years of business management experience, he attended college right after high school for over 3 years but did not finish to earn his degree. It's ironic that college graduates continue to have a difficult time finding a job, yet if you don't have that degree you may not even be considered. That's why, after our first priority of keeping our home, our second priority is keeping our oldest child in college. And the next three children will be coming up in a few years.

SO... though we will never give up on finding another job for him (or even starting a new business), we've got to do what we can to survive this. Our new plan is to continue adjusting our budget so that we can live completely on my income, and to get our own health insurance now that we're at the 6th month mark. We should be able to do that if at least one of the new health care laws will remain in place; the one that enables people with preexisting conditions who have been without insurance for 6 months to get insurance with any of the major companies such as Blue Cross, Aetna, etc. As many of you know, I'm a cancer survivor with related issues coming up from time to time, so employer provided insurance has always been a necessity for our family. Being without health insurance is without a doubt, risky, and if there's a way to get it, it's best to do so.

If we are able to get the insurance, premiums will still cost the same (you can select various plans with lower monthly premiums and higher deductibles--it will be nothing like the coverage we had with my husband's company, but better than not having any at all), and by going down to one car I think we'll be able to afford it. We'll need to get coverage for me, my husband, and our college daughter. We were also finally able to get coverage for our three younger children this month through Peach Care for Kids, the paperwork took about 4 months.

If you are unemployed, or become unemployed, I pray you find a new job right away. Don't be discouraged! There are success stories out there in the job market. A close friend of ours lost his job last month and found another similar job in about 6 weeks, he's an accountant. Another is a family member of ours that moved to a new state and was quickly able to find a new job, she's a nurse. We've been talking for years about the possibility of my husband going back to college to finish his degree, but his work schedule has always been so demanding he felt there wasn't time. Now that we have a 'new plan' that's long term, we're looking into how many credits he needs and what his options are.

However, what we feel may even be more useful than a degree, especially for displaced businessmen and women, or workers in industries that are no longer hiring in these times of mega-unemployment, is learning a new trade.

I have so much more to share. Though I did not create this blog to solely talk about SAVING MONEY (since I've been doing that already for the last 10 years), we just keep saving in so many areas of our budget that I would love to sit down and share them with you. And since we've been talking about unemployment for 6 months now, I'm going to gladly welcome the change of topic, whether temporary or permanent! ;o)

Michelle Jones
http://michellejonesonline.blogspot.com

Unemployment: Month Five - An Amazing Gift

2010-11-06T12:17:00.002-04:00

For the unemployed facing month "twelve," or "twenty four," our month "five" may seem like nothing, but it's still pretty crummy. And actually, now that it's November, we're heading into month six.  Years ago, this is about when a top level manager could expect to find another job. But in today's job market, who knows when this misery will end. We've heard from many folks who are concerned that they may never get another job.

If I could start a company to employ 100,000 people, that's what I would like to do! And if there are people out there who can do that, they need to just do it.

Hubby has applied for hundreds of jobs, on all levels--upper management positions are few and far between as U.S. companies continue to downsize. He's refined his resume writing skills and is even helping other unemployed coworkers with theirs. The crazy thing is, not one job interview. Over twenty years of business management experience, and not one interview? He's applying for every level of job, basically anything and everything. We've agreed any job would be better than no job, but I can see the toll this is taking on him. So many of the companies he talks to are still sizing down. Hiring continues to be few and far between, I hope it changes soon.

God is so good. We have many decisions to make on a weekly basis and so far, we're getting through. It's not easy, but we're making it and we're still here. We continue to make adjustments to our budget, cut spending and hold onto our savings for as long as we can.  Some decisions are easy, others are agonizing. But the bottom line is, you gotta do what you gotta do. I just continue to pray every day that we make the right decisions.

I had a refreshing idea last month regarding my husband's current time of unemployment. I was reflecting on how long he may be out of work due to the current economy (trying not to dwell on all the difficult issues that come with it--like having a big family without health insurance, working hard to save our home, going down to one car, how to pay our daughter's college bills, etc.), and I realized that there is at least one nice benefit from being unemployed... and it could be a rather amazing gift.

My husband and I are both in our late 40s, and very far from retirement. We've had several parents and grandparents who died before they reached retirement age, so it's certainly possible we won't make it that long either. As I was looking back on their work-life, they never got to have those golden years off (or even months) to enjoy time with their families; without being exhausted from working all week.  And even though I am still working full-time, it helps that I work from our home. I am here with with my family 24/7. Now, having hubby at home 24/7 as well has been a big change for me too.

One day it occurred to me, this is a bit like retirement when people get to spend time with their families... we should try to enjoy this time if we can, it may be the only one we get! With our family history, if we continue working and never reach retirement age before we die, this could be it, this could be our retirement time, right here, right now! This is the time to enjoy our families, enjoy life, and enjoy time together. It's not an easy task with the daily stress of getting through unemployment, especially when you aren't completely prepared for retirement, and very few families are. But hey, when life gives you lemons...

And now, aside from desperately wanting hubby to get a new job for all the normal reasons, I laugh when I hear myself thinking... "Oh my goodness, when is he going back to work!" ;o)

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Honeybees Disappearing in the U.S.

2010-09-25T13:48:00.002-04:00

I have long been a fan of natural honey, since I was a young child. That's almost half a century. And in order to have honey, that is--the good local kind, there must be honeybees.  Special honeys are named for the areas where they are harvested. I like them all, but Sourwood is my absolute favorite. We were able to get it in abundance when we lived in Roanoke, Virginia and again when we were transferred to Winston-Salem, North Carolina. But not here in Atlanta, Georgia, which is ironic, because you can get just about anything here in this big city.

In addition to being our beloved honey makers, they also do something else that is even more important; honeybees pollinate about 130 different types of crops. These crops could be wiped out without natural pollination.  "The value of estimated crops dependant on honeybees is estimated at more than $15 billion," advises, Bob Ellison of the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture). The USDA estimates that one third of our food supply benefits from honeybee pollination.

Reports of honeybees dieing off or "leaving the US" go back to Feb. 2007 (USDA.gov & NY Times), and even 2006. But it's happening in other countries too. I can remember first hearing about it several years ago, or was that when the dreaded killer bees were making their way towards us?  Hmmm. Anyhow, the fact is, the hives are continuing to dwindle and it doesn't take a scientist to figure it out.  It's the toxins and chemicals that are all over our planet.  Probably the same ones that are killing us off.

There is an actual term that has been given to what is happening to the honeybee hives, it's called Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD.  It means the worker bees in the colony are not returning to the hives, leaving the colony to collapse. It has been named a disorder because they are not sure if the bees are dieing off or just leaving the nest. And, they are not sure if it's because of genetics, chemicals from the environment or nutrition, or a combination of all.

In December of 2009, continuing studies by the USDA added more bad news for the bees, "The beekeeping industry in the United States has faced a number of obstacles to healthy bee management in recent decades. These obstacles range from arthropod pests such as tracheal mites (Acrapis woodi), varroa mites (Varroa destructor), and small hive beetles (Aethina tumida) to pathogenic diseases including Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) and nosema (Nosema spp). According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the number of managed honey bee colonies used for honey production in the U.S. has decreased steadily since the late 1940's, with the most notable decline occurring in the late 1980's with the introduction of Varroa mites into the U.S. Here we summarize recent high winter losses in the U.S., placing these losses in historical context and attempting to distinguish 'Colony Collapse Disorder' from other causes of honey bee decline."

And here in Georgia, recent reports show our hives are continuing to decline in 2010 as well. In one case, however, a local beekeeper was made to get rid of his hives due to city ordinances, I believe he was going to find another location to move them to in order to save them. But the whole thing seemed ridiculous to me, in light of the bigger picture here. We need more honeybees, not less. I'm just glad they got things worked out.

Other beekeepers report that some hives are still thriving, while healthy bees won't go near a hive that has CCD. Scientists have still not been able to figure out what is causing the problem, or even how to begin to fix it. And yes, there is also a lot of taxpayer money being spent on trying to save the honeybees and the $150 billion dollars worth of crops that they pollinate. Crops which not only feed consumers, but also cattle and poultry.

Dr. Keith Delaplane, entomologist at the University of Georgia, heads a national research group with 16 other institutions throughout the country. They have been given more than $4 million to find out what's killing the honeybees.

Back in 2008, Graham White left an insightful comment on a community beekeeper web site in the UK, biobees.com, sharing his own logical conclusions free of charge. White wrote, "There is mounting evidence that the Neo-Nicotinoid family of systemic neuro-toxins are having a devastating effect on bees worldwide. Imidacloprid, Fipronil and now Cloanthinidin - have all been cited in mass-die-offs of tens of thousands of bee colonies in France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the USA. Imidacloprid - manufactured by Bayer- has been banned in France since 1998; it was banned in Germany last week - along with Fipronil and Cloanthinidin. There is mounting evidence that the global use of these deadly, highly persistent, neuro-toxic insecticides - are probably at the root of Colony Collapse Disorder. The mass colony collapses have all occurred in areas where these pesticides have been introduced as a 'blanket solution.' Here in the UK Imidacloprid is used on approx 2.4 million hectares of Oilseed Rape, Potatoes, Peas, Beans, Winter Wheat and Barley. In France and the USA it is the dominant pesticide on all Sunflowers and Maize crops."

Bayer Crop Science released a statement that same year denying any accountability, "The bee die-offs which occurred in spring 2008 in Southwest Germany as the result of faulty application of the active ingredient clothianidin set off a controversial discussion on the use of pesticides for seed treatments. In the present case a number of maize seed batches had been incorrectly dressed – a fault for which Bayer Crop Science as the manufacturer is not to blame. Due to the incorrect dressing during the sowing of the treated maize seeds abraded dust particles – and with them the active ingredient – were spread over the surrounding area, where they were taken up by bees. This came about only because severe dryness, strong winds and the use of particular types of pneumatic sowing machines provided favourable conditions for drift, or made drift possible at all. In the meantime, the authorities have recognized these accidental circumstances being as the cause. As a consequence of the bee deaths, the German national registration authority ordered the suspension, for precautionary reasons, of the registrations for insecticidal pesticides used as seed treatments in maize and oilseed rape, including products based on clothianidin and another active ingredient imidacloprid. After detailed examinations, the authority lifted the suspension for applications in oilseed rape, reasoning that the possibility of comparable incidents during the oilseed rape sowing could be ruled out for technical reasons."

So, basically, we know what is likely causing the problem, but we're going to keep saying we don't, and we're going to keep doing absolutely nothing about it, except spend millions of dollars and debate about it for a few years until hopefully the problem either resolves itself or stays hidden away behind bigger issues.  Sounds very familiar.

If anyone has proof that our millions of missing honeybees have simply traveled to a fairer land in the distance and are safe and sound, please let me know.  Maybe they just finally found their FREEDOM...

Michelle Jones
http://michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Sources:

U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov/

The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/

University of Georgia
http://www.uga.edu/

Biobees
http://www.biobees.com/

Bayer Crop Science
http://www.bayercropscience.com/

Town Hall Mtg. on the Economy - 15 Million Out of Work

2010-09-20T08:46:00.006-04:00

Well it's going to happen today, at noon. President Obama is going to hold a live Town Hall meeting on the ECONOMY, as they threw out a new number on the unemployed... "15 million out of work."

It would be great if the meeting would go as I had proposed a few weeks ago while we were all chatting on facebook! On that day he was holding a press conference, with selected media, telling us the same things we keep hearing again and again. It just seemed pointless to me. We need to make progress Mr. President, we need to keep people in their homes and we need JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!!! Apparently, 15 million of them!!!

Presidents and politicians should regularly sit down with real people from around the country to hear their questions, concerns and ideas. And they should respond with NEW, unrehearsed real answers. Not just when they first start out; trying to get elected. Or reelected.

I am hopeful that this mtg. will bring some progress to our country. I am always hopeful.

The live "Town Hall mtg." held at the White House Newseum, will be broadcast on CNBC at noon today, 9/20/10.

Full coverage at CNBC...

Michelle Jones
http://michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Unemployment: Month Four

2010-09-15T19:59:00.001-04:00

Don't even try looking for my blog posts titled "Month Two" or "Month Three" because I skipped right through them. They were just too painful to write about. Let's just say the previous two months have been a big adjustment for our family and very unpleasant. However, what matters to me the most right now is simply that we survived them, as always... with God's amazing help, strength and peace.

There are so many things that can tear a family apart, but financial issues are still at the top of the list as they have been for eons. Thankfully, not only do strong families thrive in tough financial times, but so do strong friendships.  It is often in the worst of times, financial or other, that you really discover the people who care about you the most.  They are there for you, offering love and support no matter how scary things get.  They do things to let you know they're thinking or praying for you, even if it's just to ask you how you're doing.

And this is a scary time for many families indeed. Unemployment numbers continue to be very discouraging. Earlier this week, Austan Goolsbee, staff director and chief economist on the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board, and member of the Council of Economic Advisers, advised "This recession is the deepest in our lifetimes, the deepest since 1929. If you take the people thrown out of work in the 1982 recession, the 1991 recession, the 2001 recession, not only is this bigger, this is bigger than all of those combined. So more than 8 million people lost their jobs." Goolsbee concluded, "It's going to take a significant push on our part, and time, before that comes down. I don't anticipate it coming down rapidly."

Here are a few of our latest updates as we continue to navigate the unemployment path...

* My husband has applied for hundreds of jobs and continues to every day. Nothing yet. He made his third trip down to the unemployment office today.  It's hard for him, I know. And we're just a small dot on the planet.  Every day it's on my mind, we've got to put America back to work! The first two times he went were unsuccessful for various reasons, so he has had to try and try again. It's been very discouraging. The maximum UI benefits here in GA are also lower than in other states, but every dollar will help.

* We're still waiting to hear back from the mortgage company about our application for a loan modification or any type of assistance with our mortgage. Due to the economy our home values have decreased by a sickening amount, making us unable to access any of our equity (the large amount of actual cash we put into our home when we bought it four years ago). I believe we're making a little progress here, but it seems to be taking forever. Important Note: You still have to make your full payments and keep them current. If you fall behind, even though you have applied for loan modification or hardship assistance, the bank can start foreclosure proceedings. And that is still our number one goal at this time; to keep our home. I know many of you have already lost your homes. My heart truly aches for you and your families!

*  Cutting monthly spending back to minimum necessities is not so hard; I've always been up for a money saving challenge--anytime, anywhere. But getting the entire family involved can be quite a different story. Our children were very young the last time we journeyed through unemployment in 1990, so although this is not untraveled territory for us, the many bumps in the road are definitely new for them.  We have had that extra challenge of explaining, teaching, and growing our older children into that uncertain and uncomfortable lifestyle that comes with being unemployed, almost overnight. But that, dear friends, is also a great lesson in life, for all of us!

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Lady Gaga...???...Led Zeppelin

2010-09-08T10:21:00.001-04:00

Lady Gaga...???...Led Zeppelin

While working late one night last week I sent out a question to my great pals on Facebook... "What should I listen to next, Lady Gaga or Led Zeppelin?" I had scrolled down to these two favorites on my ipod and wanted a quick opinion. Some suggested Gaga, most favored Zeppelin. Not a surprise of course--they are truly a legend that few even come close to. Thankfully I had so much work to do that I ended up listening to both all night long, it was fantastic! Surprisingly, not a bad combo if you ask me.

I also discovered a new fav for Gaga... "Paper Gangster!" And for Zep (all 110 songs), my work drifted away everytime I heard "What Is and What Should Never Be," and the sweet, sweet, sweet words from "Thank You,"... "If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you, when mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me." I posted that on my FB status for my husband but I don't think he ever saw it. Oh well, his loss. lol

The next day, an interesting thing happened. One of my FB friends posted the exact same question early that morning; asking what they should listen to next, Gaga or Zeppelin. I know this is a small world, but come on! That just seemed really weird. I got my ipod out and found that Lady Gaga and Led Zeppelin are right next to each other on the artist list alphabetically... Lad and Led, with NOTHING in between. I figured this other poor soul must have had the same situation, and whatever... who cares. All I could think about at that point was, what awesome music artists and groups might be out there, BETWEEN Lad and Led, that are not on our list. There has to be SOMEONE!!!

SO... I went back to my FB pals and asked. I was buried in work for days and couldn't get back to this for awhile, but here's the final result of what we came up with, and not just the groups between Lady Gaga and Led Zeppelin. These are all of our (your) favorites for the letter L! :o)

Artists Lady Gaga - Led Zeppelin...

LADY GAGA
LADY SOVEREIGN
LADYTRON
LARRY GATLIN
LATE NIGHT ALUMNI
LAURA BRANIGAN
LAUREN CHRISTY
LAURYN HILL
LAWRENCE WELK SINGERS
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
LEANN RIMES
LEDISI
LED ZEPPELIN

More Artists Under L...

LA ROUX

LADY ANTEBELLUM

LEE ANN RIMES

LEE ANN WOMAK

LEELAND

LEN
LENNY KRAVITZ
LENON SISTERS
LEO SAYER
LEONA LEWIS
LEONARD BERSTEIN
LIFEHOUSE
LIL' BOW WOW
LIL' KIM
LIL' MAMA
LIL' ROMEO
LIL' WAYNE
LILY ALLEN
LIMP BIZKIT
LINKIN PARK
LIONEL RICHIE
LISA FURUKAWA
LISA LISA
LISA LOEB
LITTLE BIG TOWN
LITTLE FEAT
LITTLE RIVER BAND
LIVE
LIVE ON RELEASE
LIZ PHAIR
LL COOL J
LOGGINS MESSINA
LONDON SYMPPHONY ORCHESTRA
LORRIE MORGAN
LOS LOBOS
LOU MONTE
LOU RAWLS
LOU REED
LOUIE PRIMA
LOUIS ARMSTRONG
LOVE AND MONEY - SCOTTISH BAND
LOVERBOY
LTD
LUCIANO PAVAROTTI
LUDACRIS
LUDWIG VON BEETOVEN
LUNA
LUTHER VANDROSS
LYLE LOVETT
LYNARD SKYNARD

These two were also submitted, but would go under E and K on the "artist" list...

EDOUARD LALO
K.D. LANG

THANK YOU, to everyone who helped with this great list of music artists! If you have more for me to add to this list please leave a comment below, I will get to them as soon as I can. You can share this post with your friends, maybe they have a few more we are missing. Know anyone who likes Gaga AND Zeppelin, I'd love to meet them! :o) I think I'm just well rounded, my kids think I'm just plain CRAZY! lol If you'd like to leave a shout out for your favorite artists, that's cool too. And now that we are just about done with this list, as promised, I will give you my OWN list of "L" artists!

Though really, if I only had Lady Gaga and Led Zeppelin right now, that would be okay. ;o) Okay, here goes...

Michelle's "L" Artist List...

LADY GAGA
LED ZEPPELIN
LENNY KRAVITZ
LEONA LEWIS
LIL' KIM (w/Macy Gray & Queen Latifah, from Chicago)
LINKIN PARK
LONDON FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
LORRIE MORGAN
LOS DEL RIO
LOS LOBOS
LOS LONELY BOYS
LOUIS ARMSTRONG
THE LESS
THE LOVIN' SPOONFUL
LUTHER VANDROSS
LUTHER VANDROSS (with many others)
LYNARD SKYNARD

I had a lot of fun with this, hope you enjoy it! :o)

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Getting the Best Low Price on College Textbooks! We Saved $181.06 this Semester!!!

2010-08-28T11:45:00.004-04:00

We just saved $181.06... on two college textbooks!!!

After all the preparations for college and finally getting your kids moved in to their dorms or apartments, comes the dreaded list of textbooks they are required to BUY! The cost can be overwhelming, as well as completely unaffordable! Our daughter is in her third year at a university here in Atlanta and we have many options for finding textbooks, new and used. Some areas of the country may be more limited. Wherever you are, I have the one and only place you need to know about!!!

The first year she started college, we paid a fortune for textbooks! Not yet knowing about this fantastic textbook service, we bought her books from the more common resources such as Amazon and Barnes & Nobles because we were nearly out of time and felt we had found the best prices available. The small bookstore on campus was not much help either, even for used books. I even had a dream about that bookstore one night, where we ended up getting lost into some sort of misty cottage like village as we tried to leave. It was actually pretty cool, but ironic that we came away with NO textbooks!

The second year went much better, we searched for all of our options in stores and online and discovered eCampus! This is by far, our favorite resource for getting the best low price on textbooks! You can buy textbooks new, or used, or rent for them for the semester which is my favorite option. You can also sell your books back at the end of the year whether you bought them there or somewhere else. There are several textbook companies who offer these discount services, and for some reason, I see them recommended often, but this place is the best!!!

Not only have we saved money buying books and selling books back to eCampus over the last two years, but we've also saved a TON of money by using their rental service. It's wonderful! We have had no problems at all, even when one of the books my daughter had got a little damaged in the rain the first week she had it. She learned immediately to take better care of them though (such as keeping them covered in a bookbag when walking to classes in the rain), to ensure they are returnable. If you rent a book and it is damaged so badly that you cannot return it you would just need to pay for the book as you would if you had bought it in the first place. But as long as you take decent care of the book you will be fine, and not have to pay anything more when you return it. What an awesome deal!

We also get coupons mailed to us all throughout the year, it's fantastic!

And now, you can also buy ebook versions as well as regular textbooks. This would be really great for kids who have ipads, boy I wish I had one. They just look so cool! Maybe with all the money we're saving on college textbooks, someday...

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Unemployment: Health Insurance Options for the Uninsured-Unemployed

2010-08-19T02:24:00.002-04:00

There is no question about it, losing health insurance coverage for your family is a stressful situation. Although the U.S. does not have (and many of our citizens argue that we do not need), a public health care system, there are several options available for the unemployed and uninsured, and more on the way in the coming years as a result of new laws.

Here's a Summary of Our Options for Health Care While Unemployed:

COBRA

When you become unemployed, COBRA is still available for purchase as it has been for many years. This allows you to keep the insurance plan that you had with your employer for 18 months, at your own expense. The cost for full family coverage can now run approximately $1,300.00 per month, depending on the policy you had. That's almost double what it cost the last time we were unemployed, while expecting our fourth child in 1999.

COBRA Subsidy Extension

There is a really helpful program called the COBRA Subsidy Extension which pays for about 65% of the monthly premiums, if you became unemployed before June 1, 2010 and elected to continue your health insurance under COBRA. However, the extension is not available for anyone who lost their job after May 31, 2010... my husband lost his job along with thousands of others all around the country, on June 1, 2010. These dates just "happened" to fall on a holiday weekend, Memorial Day, and many workers were let go on the first day of the week after the holiday--which was Tuesday, June 1st.

Private Insurance

The Health Reform passed by Congress earlier this year enables uninsured families with pre-existing conditions to join a health plan once you have been without insurance coverage for 6 months. We are about to enter our fourth month. I'll let you know more about this new health care plan when we get more information.

You can also read more about the Health Reform at... www.whitehouse.gov/health-care-meeting

If you cannot afford to continue your previous employer's health care coverage under COBRA, searching for a private insurance plan may be the next option. (Approximately only 1 out of 4 families elect COBRA--very sad statistics to me, but at least a bit comforting to know we are not alone--it's just simply UNAFFORDABLE for most families!)

We have been recommending a very helpful site on http://www.betterbudgeting.com/ that provides free insurance quotes for many years. You just enter a little basic information and select which quotes you're looking for--as in HEALTH INSURANCE.

eHealthInsurance offers the largest selection of health plans. Compare & apply online, free instant quotes, best prices, and live help.

Medicaid

Low-income families still have the option of applying for health coverage under Medicaid, if they meet the requirements. The current income limits vary depending on your family size, ages of children, and income. (There may also be other requirements as well.) For example, here in Georgia, the income limits for Low-Income Medicaid (LIM), for adults and children is $6,000.00 per year for a family of four. However, the income limits for Right from the Start for Pregnant Women and their Infants (RSM Adults and Newborns), is $44,100.00 per year.

For additional general information, visit www.cms.gov/home/medicaid.asp - or view the more specific benefits and eligibility requirements for your state at http://www.benefits.gov/. (When you visit the benefits site, there is a brief questionnaire to fill out online that will pull up a helpful page listing just about all of the different services available for your circumstances.)

Beginning in January of 2014, the requirements will change so that more families will qualify for benefits. All low-income, non-elderly and non-disabled individuals will be eligible for Medicaid. This includes unemployed adults and working families. The new income limit will be $29,000 for a family of four.

Insurance for Children

As part of the Health Reform, low-income or unemployed families who do not meet the requirements for Medicaid, may qualify for low-cost health insurance programs for dependent children, within their state. SCHIP (the State Children's Health Insurance Program), continues coverage for 6 to 7 million children already in the program and is expected to increase that coverage to four million more who are currently uninsured.

And of course, the best thing that we all hope for, is to get a new job that includes insurance... that is much better than any of these other options!!!

I hope you find this information helpful! :o)

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Steve Carell's Mouse Diorama

2010-08-17T00:33:00.000-04:00

Steve Carell on David Letterman Jul-Aug 2010

2010-08-17T00:21:00.000-04:00

Urban Legends: 4 Things You Probably Never Knew Your Mobile Phone Could Do

2010-08-14T14:02:00.000-04:00

I just received the following information in an email forward, although the tips sound very interesting, they are NOT true!!!

Here is how the FALSE email reads... and if you receive it in your inbox, send it straight to the trash.

4 Things You Probably Never Knew Your Mobile Phone Could Do

There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:

FIRST
Emergency
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked.

(Note: 112 is a mobile emergency number that may connect you with your local services, but it does not work worldwide or from all mobile phones. The false email also prompts you to try it, but if everyone did it would clog the system and you should NEVER dial any emergency number unless you are in an emergency!!! You can, however, contact your mobile phone company if you are unsure of what to dial in an emergency in your area, or while traveling. That is important information for everyone to know, including your children.)

SECOND
Have you locked your keys in the car? Does your car have remote keyless entry?
This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their mobile phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).

(Note: This does not work. If you try it and it does, it is likely because you are still close enough for your second set of keys to work. I just know some of you are gonna try it anyways, have fun. And whatever you do, don't actually lock your first set of keys in the car! I chose to research the information instead, and I'm even still tempted to try it. ;o)
THIRD
Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your mobile battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370# Your mobile will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your mobile next time.

(Note: Can I just say, NEVER type in codes to your phone, or your computer, when asked to do so by an email forward or other unknown source! Contact your phone company to confirm anything new you'd like to try that is not listed in the manual or on their web site. Not only do these tips generally not work, but they could change the settings on your phone and mess it up. Maybe there is someone out there who tried this one and can tell us what it did to their phone?)

FOURTH
How to Disable a STOLEN Mobile Phone
To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: (* # 0 6 #) A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.

(Note: This is ridiculous! All you have to do is call the phone company and report your phone lost, they will disable it! Again, wondering if this "code" will mess up your phone?)

ATM - PIN Number Reversal - Good to Know
If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM machine, you can notify the police by entering your PIN # in reverse. For example, if your pin number is 1234, then you would put in 4321. The ATM system recognizes that your PIN number is backwards from the ATM card you placed in the machine. The machine will still give you the money you requested, but unknown to the robber, the police will be immediately dispatched to the location. This information was recently broadcast on CTV by Crime Stoppers however it is seldom used because people just don't know about it.

(Note: That would be great if this were true, but alas, it is not. They really should come up with something like this though, maybe it would help.)

If you have any additional information about these things, talk to me! :o)

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Source: Unknown
Edited: MJ

Are You Unemployed? So Are We... Let's Talk!

2010-08-06T09:12:00.000-04:00

What have you learned... what do you need to know... what are you thinking... share your story and let's talk!

My husband's company closed and his job ended June 1st. We have four kids, and no insurance. Our savings is going fast. Don't even get me started on the decreased value of our home... it's too painful to even talk about any more.

There is so much that needs to be done to keep families afloat during this time... and back to work! It's just one big snowball that is ruining our economy!!!

Michelle
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Building Our Family Tree: Quakers in PA

2010-07-30T16:09:00.000-04:00

As I've been researching our ancestors for the last few months I suspected that my father's great grandparents might be Quakers. I continued to connect one family after another, all born and residing in PA, and each one had about a dozen children. Also, most of their occupations seemed to be farming. But it wasn't until today when I discovered the historical records for the main town that they settled in, Elk, PA, that I was able to confirm this information--my father's ancestors were Quakers!

I just think that's so cool, especially since we didn't have any information until now. And now one of the biggest questions I have is which family member(s) left the Quaker life, and why, eventually leading future generations to not have any of this great information. I wonder if I'll be able to figure that out or not? It also looks like most of them originated from Ireland, which is sweet because most of all our other ancestors came from England and I was really expecting to have more variety in our family history.

I can't wait to tell my dad. Maybe he will remember a little more information now that I've uncovered the real scoop! :o)

Michelle
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

July Issue of LIVING A BETTER LIFE® - Unemployment and Foreclosures

2010-07-29T10:31:00.001-04:00

Some of you may wonder why I would share our unemployment woes with the world. Why not just keep quiet and wait for everything to get better, talk about it later, once everything is 'okay' again?

There are so many families going through the same thing right now... I want to let you know we are going through it too, and we are all going to make it out alive!

We've been through this before, as I wrote about in my Living a Better Life® column this month. But there are so many things that are different this time. Specifically, to name just a few areas here in the U.S., the sharp decline in our housing market, the economy, and the loss of millions of jobs. Over 250,000 people are now unemployed as of June 2010, just in our Metro Atlanta area. Our unemployment rate in GA is going up, not down. The only state with worse numbers than us is California.

And those are not just numbers all over the country, those are millions of FAMILIES!!!

For the last few years I have suspected that the unemployment numbers the agencies put out for the media are inaccurate. They also don't take into account the people who have lost their life-time careers due to companies closing or making cut backs for the bottom line, and are working any job they were fortunate enough to find, making a fraction of what they were.

There are so many issues to discuss, so many stories to share from our members. I want to hear from you too... what are you going through, what is your story?

Let's talk about this stuff and see if just maybe, the information we all share may help someone get through these difficult times a little BETTER!

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Unemployment: Month One - I'd Love for there to only be a "One"

2010-07-01T11:28:00.002-04:00

Well, I've just made the first phone call to the mortgage company. After weeks of working on plans to bring in more income to replace hubby's salary, nothing has fully materialized yet. The COBRA extension bill ran out just days before he was officially laid off on June 1st, which would have covered 65 percent of our $1,300.00 monthly fee to continue our family health insurance. Now we are are among the hundreds of thousands of unemployed faced with making a choice between paying our mortgage or going without health insurance.

We have money saved but it won't last long, and I don't want to use it all to pay bills now because when it runs out then what? I think the best thing to do is continue making arrangements to lower and get rid of any expenses and bills that we can during this time of unemployment, especially since we have no idea how long it's going to last with our current economy and jobless rate. We need time to get back on our feet, how long that will be I don't know.

I'm so glad the people that are making all the decisions effecting our families have secure jobs, health insurance, nice homes to live in and schools for their children to attend. Oh yeah, don't even get me started on schools and all our teachers that are losing their jobs too. I think I'm even more upset about that than I am our own situation.

One bad decision just leads to another and it continues to snowball into a weakening economy that cannot recover... until people start putting families first again instead of money!

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Quick Links to Visit:
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/
http://www.grocerysavingtips.com/
http://www.cookieclubrecipes.com/
http://www.cakeclubrecipes.com/
http://www.michellejonesonline.com/
http://www.facebook.com/michellejonesonline
http://www.twitter.com/betterbudgeting

Birthday Wishes

2010-06-29T21:30:00.003-04:00

Wow, thanks for all the birthday wishes on Facebook, y'all, how SWEET! I especially loved one comment that said there was no way I could be old enough to have 4 teenagers! :o) Sadly, I truly am. However, I'm starting to think it better not to reveal their true ages from now on. Maybe this is why parents are always wanting to think of their children as kids, even when they are all grown up. If they are always 'kids' then we never have to grow 'old!' Sounds like a good plan, somewhat flawed, but doable.

Another reason I won't ever have to feel old is that both my husband and sister-in-law are older than me, and most of my closest friends too, so that's awesome! Anyone who's always been the youngest of their friends will probably understand what I mean... I think as long as there are still older folks around I'll be alright. Oh boy, I just remembered, I mentioned something about this last year and a few of my friends wrote me a note and said "Gee, thanks, glad we 'older folks' make you feel better! lol" Sorry for bringing it up again guys, love ya! :o)

This year's birthday was pretty special. I spent the whole day with my family as usual and we had a great time... all I asked for was chocolate all day long and oh my did I get chocolate all day long. Take my advice, don't ever make that request, no matter how much you love chocolate! Having lost my mom a few years ago and then my second mom this year it was hard, but we got through it. Everyone is still on a tight budget so the only material gift I got besides from my husband was a sweet little book from my mother-in-law. I am so thankful to have her in my life... as much as I love being a mother, I love being a daughter too.

It really doesn't cost anything to make someone's day special. Several years ago I remember hearing people talk about how uncool it was to only send an ecard for people's birthdays and things like that, but I think times have changed with our current stressed economy. No gifts are needed, especially when you can't afford them, no cards either... a phone call, an email, even just a "Happy Birthday" on facebook can mean so much. It certainly made my day and I'm glad y'all were a part of it... THANK YOU!!!

Happy Birthday to all Summer Babies! :o)

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Quick Links to Visit:
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/
http://www.grocerysavingtips.com/
http://www.cookieclubrecipes.com/
http://www.cakeclubrecipes.com/
http://www.michellejonesonline.com/
http://www.facebook.com/michellejonesonline
http://www.twitter.com/betterbudgeting

Building Our Family Tree: Searching the Internet

2010-06-11T14:07:00.005-04:00

Well, the kids are home from school for the summer and my husband is out of work after eleven years of a very successful career in business management and magazine publishing. I posted on FB earlier this week, it's not so bad... every day seems like a Saturday! Just trying to stay positive. :o)

And while we still have Internet service, eek, I've finally reached the point in my genealogy research where I'm ready to dig deeper. I am determined to get this done for our family as soon as I can so I've signed up for only a 3-month membership at Ancestry. I was up for hours last night just working on a few ancestors who we are missing some important information on... such as when they immigrated to the US and when exactly their 8 children were born, either before or after they settled in New York!

I discovered that our ancestors did not move to the US at the same time, as I was expecting to find. Passenger lists revealed that my great-great grandfather came to NY in July of 1905 and then my great-great grandmother arrived later in Nov. of 1905. At least I am pretty sure I am on the right track... I will keep digging and make changes to our family tree as needed. One of the frustrating things about researching genealogy is that the dates listed on documents are not always accurate and you have to pick which ones are correct, or when unsure, record a date range. My grandmother told me, back in those days women never told their real age, so that's going to be fun.

Along with the Ancestry site, I've also found that sometimes I can do a regular search for a name on the Internet and find a little additional info from other genealogy sites. Most of them seem to lead back to Ancestry though, and many are filled with a ton of annoying ads. If y'all have any advice or tips for me in my research please let me know, so far I am very impressed with this main site so I'll include a link whenever I blog about it!

I hope y'all are enjoying your summer, it is hot, hot, hot, here in Atlanta!!!

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Quick Links to Visit:
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/
http://www.grocerysavingtips.com/
http://www.cookieclubrecipes.com/
http://www.cakeclubrecipes.com/
http://www.michellejonesonline.com/
http://www.facebook.com/michellejonesonline
http://www.twitter.com/betterbudgeting

Late Night Talk Shows - Jimmie Fallon, Funny and Adorable!

2010-05-29T01:33:00.004-04:00

Just rewatched a repeat episode of Letterman with Robin Williams (he is just crazy, love him!). Whenever I can manage to stay up this late, we still like Letterman the best. Hard to believe Jay Leno's show is doing so well after all that happened between him and Conan O'brien. What a mess that was. We watch both Letterman and Leno (it really depends on who they have on the show), but we enjoy Letterman so much more. He just seems more down to earth, more real. Yeah, I know, he messed up, but everyone does at something.

The late night host I really love the most is Jimmie Fallon, who comes on right after Leno. (NOT to be confused with Jimmie Kimmel, who is fine but not as great at Fallon!) Fallon is so adorable and SO funny! Of all the late night talk shows, I'd be happy to watch just him, if only his show came on at 10 or 11pm instead of 12:30am. UGH!

I recently found out Jimmie Fallon started on SNL (Saturday Night Live), no wonder he's so funny! What a TALENTED guy. And ADORABLE, did I say that already? ;o)

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Building Our Family Tree: Getting Started - Ancestry.com

2010-05-25T23:37:00.002-04:00

I did it!  It's still a work in progress but what fun!  A few months ago I finally dusted off the software program I purchased over a year ago and began working on our FAMILY TREE!

The genealogy program I'm using was a special offer that was almost free, otherwise I would have preferred to get a regular account at Ancestry.com, a great company that I've known about for years. As it turns out, much of the information I'm going to need as I dig into our family history over the next several months will be available at this main site.  Right now I can access some of the information for free and it is amazing, I've been able to piece together names, birth years and some places of residence. I will be able to get more complete information as soon as I become a member and then I can start filling in our family tree with more of our ancestors. I'm hoping to finish this project for our kids by the end of this summer. (HA! Yes, I know... that's not very much time, and don't you say a word to discourage me! ;o)

We are so blessed to have these resources. My grandmother was able to look up several generations of family information while she was on a trip in Washington D.C. many years ago. I've been working with the data she passed on to me shortly after my husband and I got married (25 years ago) and now I'm gathering even more information for her. She is 87 years old now and with my mom gone this is something fun for us to do together at home. So far we've been able to go back 13 generations, with the help of Ancestry.com. My grandmother's memory is very bad now and she keeps telling me I need to go to Washington to get more information.  I just smile and again show her the information I'm already gathering successfully without traveling--and tell her we have the Internet now.  We're having fun.

Another reason I wanted to research our family tree is because our children are getting older and for the past few years they have been asking about what countries our families originated from. Although we have some answers for them, there are still many empty spaces in our family tree, such as one of my great grandmothers who was born in Key West. I know I've mentioned this to y'all already, either here or on Facebook. When I recently told my husband I had finally found out where she was born, he jokingly said my family is probably from a line of pirates! We continue to laugh about this and of course now, I really MUST find out where all of our families came from... YO HO!!! :o)

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Quick Links to Visit:
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/
http://www.grocerysavingtips.com/
http://www.cookieclubrecipes.com/
http://www.cakeclubrecipes.com/
http://www.michellejonesonline.com/
http://www.facebook.com/michellejonesonline
http://www.twitter.com/betterbudgeting

In Memory of My Second Mom - Hilda Winter

2010-05-04T10:52:00.000-04:00

This is me with my dear friend, Hilda Winter. She has been like a second mom to me for most of my life and she passed away on Friday. We are going to miss her so much. She was one of the kindest, sweetest people I've ever known. She is originally from NY, but lived in Tampa, FL for most of her life, and that is how we met. :o)

We we were so blessed to be able to visit with Hilda down in Tampa last summer when my husband had some work to do in south FL and we were able to schedule a family vacation along with it. ("Real" vacations are a pretty rare thing for us and now we see just how much God really was at work on this one!) We took the kids to see the house where I grew up and the schools I attended and a few other memorable sites that we could find. Then we drove across town to Hilda's house and took her to dinner at the famous Columbia restaurant in Ybor City. She had never been there in the entire 50 years she'd lived in Tampa!

It was my mom's favorite restaurant in Tampa and I can still remember eating there maybe once or twice when I was a young child. (Both my parents were born and raised in Tampa.) My mom's favorites were chicken and yellow rice and the black beans, so that is what we ordered too! I can make both at home... but boy they were SO good!!! And although the Flan is a definite requirement for dessert, so is the White Chocolate Bread Pudding, all of which you will have to take home.

We had such a WONDERFUL visit, Hilda and I talked about it by phone for MONTHS afterwards. I will never forget it. Although her health was declining, we had no idea it would be our last visit together.

And this is Hilda with our kids, they only know her as "Grandma Hilda" though she is not related to us by blood... only love. Many, many years of love!

Her dog, Glory, will be going to live with her niece who she knows very well, I checked on that right away. She is such a sweet girl. I did offer but told about our recent addition with Sam and she said not to worry that Glory would be well loved and cared for! I was with Hilda when she got her first poodle over thirty years ago, and I helped name her... Cuddles. Hilda reminded me about that a lot. We have so many good memories. I am very thankful she was such a wonderful part of our life. I love you Hilda. XOXOXO

Say hi to my mom and my grandmother... now the three of you can have all kinds of good chats and laughs together up in Heaven. :o)

In memory of Hilda Winter 2/1928 - 4/2010

Just My Opinion: School Cut Backs

2010-04-29T09:39:00.005-04:00

Yes, we KNOW the economy is bad and we're all losing our jobs. We're making cut backs everywhere and even in danger of losing our homes. We're dealing with it and we'll all get by! But when schools all across our nation are laying off staff and teachers by the hundreds to meet budget shortages, closing schools, considering 4 day school weeks, cutting back on bus services and ending sports programs...it is truly a very sad day!

Do the people making these decisions even have children? Or are they so concerned about sending money to other projects that our children's education is now moving to the bottom of the list?

Oh, I know... I think I just heard someone say, "If they want their kids to get a good education they can send them to PRIVATE schools." Thanks for the help, but that doesn't apply to most American families.

Speaking as a parent who has supported public schools for almost 20 years and has had 4 kids go through the public school system (3 are still in public school and one is in college with several academic scholarships she achieved in public school)... just remember, dear people who are making these drastic budget cuts at the expense of our PRECIOUS innocent children who deserve a top quality PUBLIC education...

SOMEDAY these children will be the ones taking care of YOU.

Just my opinion! :o)

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

New Recipes and Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

2010-04-10T10:56:00.005-04:00

I'm getting ready to update our Frugal Family Recipes: What's for Dinner? blog and excited to see what recipes our readers have sent in!
http://frugalfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/

Have y'all been following Jamie Oliver's new Food Revolution program, I just love him and think it's absolutely fantastic! I remember when he started with his first cooking show many years ago and I thought he was special then but oh my goodness, this guy is a real gem! He's been working on improving the foods in the England schools for SEVEN years!!!

http://www.jamieoliver.com/

Even before Jamie's show started, I was totally on board with this project and couldn't wait to see the series! Last night's episode, #4, was the best yet. The town's radio host who's been giving Jamie a hard time and telling him he doesn't have a chance at making a difference made a bet with him and Jamie won. The photo board above are the 1,000 people who showed up to learn how to cook in Jamie's kitchen, including the Governor and his wife, and the radio host! lol It was a great show and very encouraging that the schools in this small town of West Virginia, and all of our towns, can do this.

After seeing the first show I started remembering and wondering if this is why my kids tend to lose weight during the summer when they are eating at home and gain weight during the school year... because they are living on pizza, french fries and chocolate milk, every day at school! UGH!!! And, yeah, just think about what a battle it's going to be change that for the ENTIRE country.

My oldest son, Joshua, said if they if they just take all the bad stuff away and don't offer anything but healthy food then the kids will have no choice but to eat it. Funny, I thought he was going to say, then the kids won't eat it. lol That was a pleasant surprise. ;o)

I know there are so many issues surrounding why this has happened in our public schools and how it may or may not be fixable... including time, staff and the almighty dollar... grrrrrr. Surely we can figure this out and get it right.

Food doesn't have to be fancy or expensive to be healthy. When I was in high school (a gazillion years ago) I usually just had a yogurt every day for lunch, which I was able to buy at school. I was practically starving myself but at least it was healthy! Maybe it would be good to have a sign up for the kids that says "Here are the food choices, have one of this and one of this and one of that!" (You know there are plenty of kids starving themselves too, mostly teenage girls. I hope the powers that be will keep that in mind when making these changes in our school food programs as well!)

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Meet Our Furry Kids!

2010-04-08T21:16:00.007-04:00

"I'm a good boy, and so sweet too... wahaha!"

Well, here he is! Say hi to Sammy, he's now part of our family and we adore him! He is quite a handful but we are working with him every day to teach him some better manners. We found out from his previous owners that he is six years old and mostly lived in the garage. They only had an electric fence which is why he kept getting out onto the highway-he weighs 95 pounds. We're hopeful that it's possible to teach an older dog 'new tricks,' so far he's doing pretty well. Some of the things we're having to work on are teaching him how to take treats without eating our whole hand and to stop hogging all the dog toys, especially since they mostly belong to Bella and she is pretty unsettled about the whole issue.

"I'm the baby, and this is MY ball. If you take it you're supposed to throw it so I can chase it and bring it back. Sammy doesn't do that, he tries to take my toys away and doesn't come back. Don't worry, I told him what I thought of that!"

Bella is our Cocker Spaniel and we've had her since she was a puppy. We picked her out from the litter when she was two and half weeks old and visited her every week until we were able to bring her home. She is truly our baby.

"Brrrr, what is this cold white stuff all over my yard?!"

Abby is extremely camera shy but this is one of the ways we can get photos of her, through the kitchen door when she can't see us, or the camera! :o) We adopted her from the Golden Retriever Rescue in Atlanta (GRRA) when she was two years old. The adoption was final and she came home to us on Mother's Day, a year after we lost my mom. She is an absolute angel.

And when I'm working in my office they ALL love to sleep at my feet! Now it's a matter of who gets there first, since they generally don't like to share the space. Although today, Sam was laying on the floor by the right side of my feet and Bella was curled up next to the left side of my feet. I'm pretty sure this was the first time the two of them have slept any where near eachother since he moved in with us. I tried to get a photo of both of them but after I got one of Sam, Bella was awake and ready to be picked up. :o)

"Zzzzzzzzzzzzz"

"Okay, I guess he can stay, if you insist. Just hold me."

Michelle Jones
http://www.michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

We Get to Keep the Dog!!!

2010-04-06T10:43:00.002-04:00

I will post a photo soon! The stray Brittany Spaniel I told y'all about on FB a couple weeks ago is now an official member of our family!!! We finally found his previous owners and they came for a visit, we talked on the phone for over an hour and again when they came to visit at our home. I will fill you in later today, right now I've got some errands to run... I'll be back! :o)

American Idol

2010-03-25T10:20:00.001-04:00

Missed last night's show because I was working, don't tell me what happened! We're going to catch up tonight, I hope. We've got baseball games tonight and tomorrow, but they may be rainouts. There are several idols that are on their way out but the few that are improving and doing well are fun to watch. :o) Crystal is still my favorite. I like big Mike too, not sure his voice is good enough to win, but he's such a sweetheart. How about the girl who keeps screaming, man, she can sing if she'll just stop doing that she might get to stay a while.

Oh how gross, I'm watching The Dr.s (LOVE THE SHOW), and they just showed how soda can clear a clogged drain!!!!!!!! EEEK

Frugal Coffee vs. The Coffee House Beast

2010-03-25T07:44:00.088-04:00

Our family loves coffee, going back for many generations. It's the only beverage my grandmother drinks, with or without her meals. And she's as healthy as could be. Above is a picture of the type of coffee maker she has used for most of her life. I'm including it here because it reminds me of my childhood when my mom and I would visit her and they would be in her kitchen talking over cups of coffee or tea.

We usually make our own coffee at home, allowing us to save money and use decaf on a regular basis. Then a few years ago, after my mom died, we began frequenting that specialty coffee house, you know which one I'm talking about. The place we rarely ever used to go to before because the coffee is outragously expensive, and OH SO GOOD!!! But after my mom died, I just didn't care anymore. It was just more soothing than a sweet tea from McDs or water from home which is what I usually drink.

There were many times we tried to cut back, tried to have just one cup a week. That would work for a while. Then we would slip and have two again, or more. Man that stuff is addictive! It's quite possible there were a couple of times when we may have even spent more on coffee than on any other meal. EEEEK! Can anyone relate? Yeah, I know some of you can!

After about two years of this nonsense, in January of 2010, I decided there were several things we needed to just completely cut out of our budget, including pizza delivery and that yummy, uh, I mean, that very expensive coffee! I'm happy to report, we finally conquered the coffee house beast! Now we only have coffee house drinks a few times a year, instead of a few times a week, and we've rediscovered how good and inexpensive the flavored coffees at our favorite gas stations can be, for times when we're on the go. Yes, I KNOW the quality doesn't compare... but we're saving so much money and my husband is about to be out of work again. We will be thankful to still be able to afford coffee at all.

And more importantly, I said we could stop and we DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you'll join me here each week over a frugal cup of coffee, or you can have the other kind if you must--thankfully I won't be able to see or smell it! ;o)

Michelle Jones
http://michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/

Funny Things Kids Say

2010-03-22T18:45:00.005-04:00

Kids say the craziest things! Our oldest son just said something so funny, it was one of his best ever. And, no, I can't tell you what he said, sorry! But I did tell the family we should be writing these things down, like I've been suggesting for years. Just maybe in some kind of personal little notebook that hopefully no one would ever read but our own family, right? Poor kids, it is so fun though, maybe when they are older... yes, with kids of their own! ;o)

Hubby said, "Yeah, we could create a new family TV show, like 'The Middle' and just pretend it's all fiction."

March Madness - Driving Me Mad!

2010-03-22T12:52:00.012-04:00

My husband just asked, "You're not going to start blogging 'my hubby just ticked me off this morning...,' like that girl on House (TV), who blogged everything and drove her husband crazy. Are you?"

WAHAHA

One of our Facebook friends, Tony G., left a comment for me yesterday that made me laugh. After I mentioned that hubby and the boys were watching so many basketball games that I thought I was going to die, and that hubby told me it was March Madness and it was supposed to drive us mad... Tony wrote, "For some it's not a long drive but a short walk to madness..." lol LOVE IT!

Yeah, don't worry dear hubby, you are always safe with me babe. As long as you behave. ;o)

Writer Heal Thyself

2010-03-22T10:20:00.003-04:00

I began this long journey as a writer, when I was a child. I am still a writer and long to find the right place at this time in my life to share my heart. I have been quiet for too long. More than three years. My heart aches every day and I cannot continue life the way it was. Life is different now without my mom by my side. Every day, I am amazed that I'm still here. And I wonder, "Now what?" Life is always in a constant state of change and this has been one of the hardest things for me to embrace. I do not like changes. Especially when it means losing the people I love.

I hope you will join me on my journey.

Memories

2010-03-21T11:59:00.001-04:00

I just walked into my kitchen and stood there for two minutes. I had no idea why I went in there, so I left the room and came back here. I know I needed to do something, but what was it? I'm not concerned, I know it will come to me within the next ten minutes. Maybe. ;o)

MORE than 140 characters!!!

2010-03-21T11:52:00.004-04:00

THANK YOU for following me! I appreciate you so much and am glad that y'all are part of our life. It is a joy getting to know all of you on Facebook and Twitter and through our websites. I would love to continue chatting with you on those social networks whenever we bump into eachother. We've got four kids so we know all about those games like Farmville and the Islands... and they're some of the most free family fun you can possibly have! (As long as you don't let them take over your life! ;o)

As many of you know, I have spent the last ten years publishing newsletters and ebooks online at BetterBudgeting.com, GrocerySavingTips.com, CookieClubRecipes.com and BlessingsforLife.com and several others. A few years back the central landing place for my writing, editing and publishing work was created at http://www.michellejonesonline.com/. So, this also seemed like a good name for my general topic blog. At the very least, the address should be easy for us to remember.

Dear God, may this blog will be a continuation of all that I do for you, for my readers, and for my family... as well as a much needed place for me to BREATHE!!!

Michelle Jones
http://michellejonesonline.blogspot.com/