It seems that every second ad on the radio is stating how you can get out of debt for next to nothing, pay pennies on the dollar and “Hear the secret the credit card companies don’t want you to know!” Before you try out any these “life saving” opportunities, check out the Money Matters website – courtesy of our own Federal Trade Commission.

These article talks about what to be suspicious of when dealing with a debt relief firm and does so in a clear and distinct manner. The Money Matters website has a wealth of information and is definitely worth a read.

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Rentoid is a commercial enterprise that we thought fitted nicely into the criteria of We Found A Solution, to quote from their about us page:

“You know that Nintendo Wii that you’re thinking of buying? Expensive, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be easier and cheaper if you could just rent it from someone instead of spending all of your hard earned cash? Just type what you want to rent, along with your location. Rentoid will find someone willing to rent it to you.”

The site originally started in Australia but they seem to be getting traction across the planet – I searched for a tent to rent over the weekend and would have been well satisfied if I lived in England or the City of Melbourne – not so good for Los Angeles, but a site like this lives and dies on the user community; as it grows the service will no doubt get better and better.

I like how the site makes it easy to search what is available to rent and also encourages you to list your items – it’s a way to make money from “stuff” you aren’t using – win / win all round. They have a well written and user friendly Rentoid FAQ and seem to be getting a bit of press. We wish them the very best of luck.

Thanks to Jason and his innovative “I wear your shirt” campaign for bringing this onto our radar.

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BOINC stands for Berkley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing – parent to the more familiar SETI – Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence – it is a way of harnessing the unused computer processing power on the planet.  Run by the University of California, the program requires you to download a simple application that taps into your computer’s power when you are asleep.

BOINC allows you to choose projects that appeal to you ranging from identifying genetic markers for disease to improving climate prediction.  the more people that sign up, the faster our scientists can solve the problems.

We Found A Solution is all about helping you and your local community but this idea helps the greater world community and we’re always in favor of that too.

Thanks to Leo Sunshine for putting this on our “Radar!”

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If you’re discarding business suits and other appropriate office attire that is still in good condition, consider giving it to organizations that help low-income people obtain clothing for job interviews.

Some national charities: CareerGear helps men; Dress for Success helps women with business clothing. Also, look for local charities (e.g., Wardrobe for Opportunity in the Bay area) that accept clothing donations. Other ways to help include making financial donations and holding suit drives to collect business clothing.

This post originally appeared on Barbara Weltman’s Big Ideas for Small Business blog.

Thank you Barbara.

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I was searching for an image to accompany Rosalea Hostetler’s post: Do Something Nice For Others – and came across this image.
 
I think it is brilliant and so easy to do – click on the image to see a larger version – I love the tear off strips with comments like: Wish you were here, You have nice eyes, Smile, I am glad to know you, Good job, I appreciate you, Thinking of you, etc.

What other words would be good for a flyer like this? Let us know in the comments below and if we collect enough we will create a page where people can print and download the flyer and post it themselves – wouldn’t that be something nice to do!

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If you are facing foreclosure, one tactic you may wish to consider is to ask the Lender to produce your mortgage note.

Over the last few years, mortgages were sold from one firm to another, sometimes many times, and the original documentation may have gotten lost in the process.  If you can persuade the Judge to halt proceedings until the Lender can prove they actually own the mortgage then you can buy valuable time in some cases, up to a year.

Google “Produce the Note” to read more.

Submitted by Jordanna Fineberg

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CheapTweet scans Twitter for the best deals, coupons and sales that people are tweeting about.

How does it work?
CheapTweet lets users rate deals by saying It’s Cheap (it’s a good deal) or It’s Lame (it’s not a good deal). Deals move to the Cheapest Tweets section if they get enough votes.

CheapTweet also uses the power of Twitter. If lots of people talk about a deal, CheapTweet tracks that too and that contributes to a deal getting on the Cheapest Tweets list. Spammers beware though, we’re filtering you out.

CheapTweet and Twitter are both free services – you can sign up for a free Twitter account here.

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IBM has been offering a Transition to Teaching program since 2006 – the program is aimed at current IBM employees who are passionate about teaching and would like to make a change.

IBM are focusing on Math and Science teachers for this program – this from their website:

“Building a cadre of well-trained math and science teachers with the experience and know-how can help develop the next generation of America’s technical leaders. IBM has long been a leader in school reform and other educational efforts and this latest effort is a national outgrowth of that work. Our most recent partnerships with school districts in the U.S. have focused on improving teacher effectiveness. Now we will also focus on expanding the pipeline of potential teachers as well.”

Are you aware of other programs run by businesses that may be applicable to not just employees?  If so, let us know about it by using the submission form here.

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Is your garage, shed, or closet overflowing with items you no longer want or need? www.ewishingwell.com is a new website that provides a platform for people to start helping each other out by posting these unwanted items. Granting a wish is as simple as posting new or used items no longer needed or wanted. A simple run-through of the house finding items no longer wanted could make a huge difference in another person or family’s life. This kind of simple generosity could spark a chain reaction with people realizing just how blessed they are and how we all have something to give.

The only cost to someone collecting an item is a small shipping and handling fee. Posting a grant listing is a free service, encouraging people to post as many grants as possible. Ewishingwell.com is not an auction site. It is a site that is all about granting wishes. Wishes are expressed through pictures, videos and text telling a story. Wishes come from all kinds of people ranging from a college student looking for a certain book to a mother looking for a video game for her child or a community looking for used playground equipment.

Submitted by:

Vicki Priebe

www.ewishingwell.com

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I’m a freelancer in Phoenix and I recently wrote a column about my foodie group called LEGs – Local Economy Generators. We get a big group together once a month and go to an independently owned restaurant in our area of town. We all go out at other times individually, of course, but we think it gives businesses that extra boost when you get a bunch of folks to go all at once. We’ve had up to 14 people at the gatherings and the bill is usually $400 or $500 before tip.

This also has exposed people in our group to new restaurants they hadn’t visited before. One restaurant has become a favorite, and the owner told me several in our group have become regulars at his place. One couple even went back the next night after our group outing because they liked it so much.

Submitted by:

Geri Koeppel

Freelance Journalist

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