How to Get Out of a DUI?

When many people are arrested for driving under the influence, one of the first things they want to know is how to get out of a DUI. There's no easy answer to that question because DUI is a criminal offense. If you're arrested and charged with DUI, you're going to have to go through a criminal trial and even administrative hearings about your driving privileges if you're not able to make a plea bargain. Trying to handle all of these proceedings on your own is probably the quickest way to lose your criminal case and your driving privileges at the same time. If you choose to work with an attorney who does not specialize in DUI, you are risking your reputation and your freedom, since being convicted can result in a jail sentence in many states. Working with a specialist attorney who knows DUI inside and out is the best way to successfully defend yourself against a DUI charge.

How to Get Out of a DUI - Preparing for Your Case

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Many people are thinking about how to get out of a DUI right from the beginning of their cases. If you want to get out of a DUI, you may consider talking with your attorney and finding out if a plea agreement is available. In some states, you may be able to plead guilty to lesser charges and be sentenced to lesser penalties. If you're not able to make a plea agreement, your case will proceed to trial and you'll face the full range of criminal penalties if you are convicted of DUI charges.

How to Get Out of a DUI?

How to Get Out of a DUI - Your Criminal Trial

If you do not make a plea agreement, your criminal trial will be scheduled. The best way to get out of a DUI at this stage of the process is to work with a qualified DUI lawyer. When you have a DUI lawyer on your side, you have access to expert witnesses and specific information that can be a great help during your trial. Expert witnesses can be used to refute testimony or show that chemical test results were invalid or unreliable. Your attorney will have access to many of these witnesses due to their extensive experience in the field of DUI law. Your attorney will also know where to look for information that could be helpful to you during your trial. If you were working with a public defender or an attorney who does not specialize in DUI defense, you'd lose out on these benefits.

How to Get Out of a DUI - Administrative Hearings

You'll most likely need to attend administrative hearings held to determine the status of your driving privileges after you have been arrested for a driving under the influence charge. Driving is something most people take for granted, but each state considers it a privilege and not an absolute right. Some states allow you to appeal a license suspension so that you can continue to drive up until your criminal trial takes place. If this is the case, your attorney can work with you to prepare for the appeal hearing. Your attorney can also speak on your behalf during this hearing so that you have a better chance of getting your driving privileges reinstated. Your lawyer will know what to say and how to handle your case because of the experience they have in the field of DUI law.

How to Get Out of a DUI - Sentencing

If you are convicted of driving under the influence, there is no way to get out of the DUI itself, but there is a way that you can minimize the penalties that are imposed upon you. Your attorney can speak on your behalf before sentencing takes place so that the judge can hear and consider all of the circumstances in your case. For example, your attorney may let the judge know that you have a disability or that you are responsible for caring for an elderly parent. If your lawyer can show that your incarceration would create a hardship for others, the judge may be lenient and sentence you to other penalties such as alcohol education or probation instead of jail time.

Working with a DUI attorney is the best answer to the question of how to get out of a DUI. These experienced professionals have a high level of knowledge and a great deal of experience in handling DUI cases and know how to best present your defense for your specific situation. No one can ever guarantee that you will win your case, but having a DUI lawyer on your side can make the difference between winning and losing.

How to Get Out of a DUI?

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Miracles Made Easy - The Four Types of Miracles and How To Create them in Your Life

Miracle A: Mini Miracle There are four types of miracles. You probably experience the first type frequently, without realizing it. This is the mini-miracle or the baby step miracle. These are daily events, such as finding a parking space right in front of Costco on Christmas Eve, for example. In another case, maybe you think about whom you need to speak with and they call -- out of the blue. Last week I was wandering down the bread aisle at the supermarket, wondering when my son Anton's basketball game was and I ran into another mom on the team who knew the answer right then.

Author Jean Shonoda Bolen says, "Synchronicity can pave the way for people coming together. By unraveling the circumstances through which two people meet to enter a significant relationship, the delicate, unseen hand of fate, destiny, synchronicity or underlying Tao can be discerned." Simply put, she's referring to this type of miracle.

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Perhaps you find the right book at the right time, as says mythologist William Irwin Thompson, "A university can provide you with a library, but what makes the book you are not looking for fall off the shelf and into your hands?"

Miracles Made Easy - The Four Types of Miracles and How To Create them in Your Life

When I was destitute, my miracles were simple, such as finding spare change hidden in my pockets when I had just run out of money for food. A miracle was getting a ride to and from school for my kids during the rainy season when we did not own umbrellas, raincoats or hats. I walked two to three miles a day in the chilly San Francisco rain. My close friend Lalo couldn't bear to see me so beaten down, and he bought me a beat up, salvaged 1981 Volvo that spit fumes. The car became my Golden Red Chariot-- my miracle car. It didn't matter that the roof leaked and the car had no heat. It ran. We had transportation!

Thanksgiving and Christmas were celebrated, when we miraculously received gifts of turkey and trimmings. A neighbor knocked on my door with a made up story about winning an extra turkey at work. Right. A mother from the school handed me a gift certificate for a ready-made dinner, complete with stuffing. Believe me, you could never convince me that miracles don't exist, because I experienced them even during the bleakest of moments.

What constitutes a miracle to one person may go unnoticed by another. A few cents for food and a beat up Volvo might be a curse to an affluent family, but to me, they were blessings in disguise. At the time, a simple turkey meant the world to me. So everyone will have a slightly different definition of what a miracle means to them personally..

It is easy to overlook or discount the little events as they occur. That's why I call everything that is positive that comes my way a miracle. I never leave anything out, because I want a steady stream of wonderfully nice things happening to me 24/7.. Miracle B: The "Lucky" Miracle The second type of miracle is what some consider luck, good fortune or sheer coincidence. For instance, you may say that Sam Walton was lucky to have succeeded in creating Wal-Mart and Sam's. I mean, several others had tried to do it and failed. It must have been luck or fate or an accident that he did it where others did not.

To become lucky, in the real sense, is to become purposeful, mindful, intuitive, listening to your answers and going with your own sense of rhythm towards a destination. I classify it as a miracle, because as you create this aura of winning, sometimes it appears as though the good luck occurs at just the right time. It might feel like divine intervention that saved your life. Was that luck or a miracle? Did God do it or did you?

Individuals who are consistently lucky are manifesting outwardly a disciplined and focused approach on the inside. They are usually following a quest, a voice, an intuitive gut feeling, and they are focused on seeing it through. They have created the mindset, the brew, and the soil for their miracle. Remember, the universe will send us what we ask for.

Two days ago, I stood behind a handsome younger man outside the bathroom on a Southwest Commuter Flight. Just that morning I had expressed a need to find raw foods. Three hours later I meet a man who runs a company that imports raw foods from third world countries and markets them to major natural food stores. Synchronicity of events occurs all the time, when you say to our friends, 'I was just thinking of you, and here you are at Safeway at the exact precise moment I am.'

That we survived is a major miracle indeed. 2001 was the bleakest year in my entire life. The kids and I decided to not celebrate Christmas. We had no stomach for additional disappointments. My attorney asked me how I coped with losing everything and being reduced to food stamps and poverty. I had to tell him. I wrote him a letter. The letter became a three page double spaced 1000 word article. With a tremendous sense of freedom, I e-mailed the piece to six newspapers, three in California, and three in New York City, my birthplace.

Imagine my surprise when I returned home to a voicemail from David Burgin, editor of the San Francisco Examiner. He informed me my writing was excellent, boosting my ego a thousand fold and actually published the piece on the front page on December 19, 2001. The response was truly miraculous. Fifty people responded with letters of encouragement and donations of food, presents, slippers, bathrobes, groceries and cash. We suddenly felt rich beyond belief.

These acts of kindness were not coincidence. It wasn't just accidental, and it certainly wasn't random. These were the miracles I was creating, without even realizing it. I now know these principles work if applied with 100 percent intention and commitment. Anything less than 100 percent will not succeed. I have written this book to show you how to activate your miracles and make your own dreams come true.

One of my radio show guests calls himself Dr. Luck. Randall Fitzgerald has devoted a lifetime to researching the qualities that lucky people have in common. He says, in his book, Lucky You, "If we recognize and appreciate the appearance of serendipity and synchronicity in our lives we seem to enhance our chances of being blessed with good fortune," he writes. "To some extent, there seems to be a law of attraction at work here - the more we notice something, the more we attract it into our lives." He believes that if you accept "the miraculous" you will have "the blessings of good fortune." In other words, luck is an attitude.

This is important because winners who consistently win, tell us that they get into a flow during which everything comes to them. Success isn't just by accident; lucky people create it from their mindset of prosperity. You have heard the saying, 'success breeds success.' Spend time with positive, prosperous friends and you will walk away feeling naturally good. Miracle C: Life Changing, Transformational Miracle

The third type of miracle is the life changing, transformational miracles that have lead you to completely change your focus and life direction. Accidents, illnesses, divorce, job losses force you to reconsider your options. This transformational miracle is an unwelcome friend pushing you along to discover your true life's purpose.

This miracle, born from crisis, is a potent force for change. My commitment to transform my life obsessed me. I learned that harnessing my life's purpose would activate my miracles and create the life I dreamed about. This was easier said than done. I had allowed myself to fall into disarray. I lived in fear 24 hours a day. Since I was desperate and knew there had to be a better way, I committed myself to making necessary changes. There was no choice. Hard work was required. It was not enough to intellectually know what needed to be done. I had to change myself. Other people have had similar miracles. Like Mike McGauley who lost the use of both his legs when his car was struck by a drunk driver. His doctors insisted on amputating his legs, but he refused. He was determined to walk. Mike now claims that "the accident that almost killed me turned out to save my life." Twelve years later he ran his first triathlon and has gone on to become a professional speaker, coach, and founder of the Dream Builders.

Then there are people like Heather McCartney. She lost her leg as a result of a motor vehicle accident. She didn't run and hide like some. Instead, she turned her tragedy into a miracle. She became a spokesperson for the United Nations Adopt-a-Minefield Foundation and met Paul while speaking and lecturing.

Last summer I heard Wesla Whitfield, a renowned jazz singer perform at a fundraiser sponsoring horse training for disable children. I was surprised when she rolled onto the stage in her wheelchair. An automobile accident when she was younger had paralyzed her legs. She didn't let that stop her. Her performance was passionate, riveting, and held me spell bound. At the end of the show, another woman in a wheelchair rolled in and handed Welsa a bouquet of flowers and brought the audience to tears. When she had been in the hospital, having also had a severe accident paralyzing her, Wesla had spent hours at her side encouraging her to go on. Her story, while miraculous and fascinating, is not entirely unique. Simple people do amazing things everyday. Erik Weihenmayer was born with retinoscheses, a degenerative eye disorder that left him blind at 13. Erik was determined to rise above his disabilities. In his book, "Touch The Top of The World," he shares his struggles to stretch beyond his boundaries to overcome the restrictions placed upon him. His dream was to climb the world's biggest peaks, an extraordinary achievement for those even with sight. Erik has now climbed the tallest peaks in the world, and my last e-mail from him indicated he was going back with a group of blind climbers. My mother experienced a miracle as well. She lived with me for the last eight months of her life, and her lung cancer spread rapidly. One weekend, I brought mom to the emergency room. Her oncologist advised me to call my family to her side, because her death was near. I called my friend Dr. Awender, an old school chiropractor. Dr. Awender adjusted one bone in mom's neck and told her that he had turned on her body's healing power. My husband and I went for Sunday brunch, down the street to the Santa Fe Bar and Grill close to my Berkeley practice. When we returned to the hospital, my mother was sitting up in bed, demanding to be released.

And this wasn't her only miracle. One day she told me she almost died. "I went through a rather immense glowing tunnel towards a blinding light. There were magnificent radiant beings on both sides who asked me if I was ready to come home. I told them no, because I still needed to reconcile with my sister, Pearl, and my daughter, Hildy." According to my mother, her body became as light as a feather. The pain disappeared, and she experienced an extraordinary sense of love and well-being. She was granted permission to return in order to mend her relationships before she passed on. Mom finally died when she was ready to go. She held my hand in my home while we listened to her favorite music.

Like these fascinating examples, your obstacles and challenges can become the fuel for your life transformational miracles. Step away from your problems, and reconsider them from the higher perspective. What life lessons are you learning from this? What do your challenges represent? What is the message in this challenge for you to overcome? This becomes the fertilizer to grow your miracle. Grab hold of the opportunity to make change before life forces it on you. Miracle D: Unexplainable Events

I call the last type, miracles of the fifth dimensional kind. They are the result of extraordinary, unexplainable events that normal science and rational explanations cannot answer. Some of these miracles are sanctioned by the church. The Vatican requires candidates for sainthood to have performed documented miracles, at least two of them. For example, both Jesus and Muhammed fed masses of people with only a small amount of food.

Even in the Jewish collection of laws, there are descriptions of miracles in the Talmud. An old Jewish proverb says: "He who does not believe in miracles is not a realist." These books discuss the miracles that we can control and create. They are designed for people who want to learn how to harness and create their miracles. You must want your transformation so badly you experience pain in the pit of your belly.

I will show you how to develop your life purpose and create your own miracle team. My vision is to bring together others who share your determination and commitment to success. The energy from the group consciousness enhances your power and raises your vibration to the point where you will catch your miracle wave. Together, we will mix the miracle brew and activate the nutrients to get it going. What could be simpler? Join our team of Miracle Makers. We will be your miracle buddies and cheer you on to success as you overcome obstacles and habits that sabotage your progress and formulate action plans to achieve your greatest dreams.

Don't be surprised if you awaken in the mornings ready to leap from a deep sleep, filled with passion and excitement. Finally, you are living the life you yearned for, the one you prayed that you could create and have. If you only had that miracle you've dreamed about. What major and minor miracles have happened to you already? Try to think of a time when you experienced a Mini Miracle. Have you experienced coincidences that seem too good to be true or a front parking spot that just appeared What life changing miracles have happened to you? What other random miracles have you experienced? If you could make just one miracle happen in your life, what would it be? Now that you're in the mood for making miracles, it's time you learn how to do it. You can create major life transformations in just four steps. The first step, essential to creating a healthy lifestyle, is that you must have a strong desire to change. You must be ready to confront your life, assess your life and take responsibility for it. Are you ready to get started?

Miracles Made Easy - The Four Types of Miracles and How To Create them in Your Life

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Keeping Your Soul Safe: How to Prevent Identity Theft

Today, identity theft is one of the growing fears in the financial world. One day you wake up, and discover that your life is in ruins - your credit, your name, your finances. You can't get a house loan, you can't get a job, you can't file your taxes. What do you do in this situation? What do you do to prevent this?

Facts and Statistics:

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-Up to 700,000 people in the United States may be victimized by identity bandits each year, according to the Justice Dept (during press release 2002 FTC Study)

Keeping Your Soul Safe: How to Prevent Identity Theft

-Over 500,000,000 fraudulent checks are written each year

-The Secret Service estimates that in 1997, consumers lost more than 5 million due to identity theft

-A recent report on identity theft warned that there is likely to be "mass victimization" of consumers within the next several years.

-Every 79 seconds, a thief steals someone's identity, opens accounts in the victim's name, and goes on a buying spree. (CBSnews.com, 1/24/01)

- Florida is the number 4 top state for identity theft (CA, NY, TX, FL, IL) in number of victims.

-Types of Identity Theft:

-- Financial Fraud

--- Debit & ATM fraud

--- Checking account fraud

--- Savings account fraud

--- Store credit account fraud

--- Loan account fraud

--- Mortgage account fraud

-- Identity Cloning (uses your credit rating to live a separate life

-- Other crimes

--- Drug trafficking

--- Smuggling

--- Illegal entry into other countrie

--- Terrorism

--- Money laundering

--- Computer crimes

--- Shoplifting

--- Burglary

How your ID gets stolen:

- Credit cards: Every time you use your credit card, in person, on the phone, or on the Internet, there is a risk that an unscrupulous person may make off with your card details. Locations where staff turnover is high, such as restaurants, bars, and telemarketing companies, are especially high risk. Some thieves sell servers a small 'skimmer' that attaches to the inside of a jacket or coat, and will read a credit card when swiped. The server can then sell this 'skimmer' for 00 after he's swiped 20 cards.

- Don't Trash It: Unshredded bank statements, credit card solicitations, account statements and other discarded mail is a target.

- Beware of the Workplace: Many times fellow employees steal sensitive information from unsecured personnel files, desks, or trash cans.

- Help Desk Impersonators: Sometimes an innocent call from your phone company, bank, insurance company or broker can be a cover for ID theft. Beware of anyone who needs to verify your address or SSN by YOU supplying the information.

- Check alteration: A recent case involved a man going to each 'flagged' mailbox and taking out checks being mailed to GTE. He changed the Payee to G.T. Edwards, opened an account with a fake ID, and cashed the checks. IRS can easily be changed to 'MRS. XXXX'

- Fraudulent Check Printing: Whether by making color copies of an existing check and altering it or printing fake checks on purchased or stolen check stock, this crime is rising rapidly. There is check-printing software available, and many businesses and individuals now print their own checks.

- Checks Stolen: There are several ways a thief can obtain what he needs to create his own checks with your information:

-- Stealing bank statements with cancelled checks from your home or mailbox

-- Making a copy of a check you've sent out

-- If you own a business, a scanned copy of your incorporation papers may be available online at http://www.myflorida.com. If so, it may have your signature on it, available for anyone to copy.

- Friends and Family: Many cases of ID theft and fraud are committed by family members, friends and roommates

- The Media: Your ID can even be stolen by someone who learned about you from a news story, or your company's brochure.

- Unlike most crimes, it's up to YOU to prove yourself innocent and restore your good name and credit. This process can take years and a lot of your own money. In the case of check fraud, you have 60 days to discover something wrong on your bank statements. After that, the bank assumes no liability. The person who is "in the best position to prevent the fraud" is held liable.

- While financial and commercial organizations must exonerate you if their debts were incurred by an impersonator, it is imperative that you act quickly to clear the responsibility for these debts from your name.

- One of the biggest victim complaints is that law enforcement sometimes refuses to take a crime report in identity theft cases. Without a police report, credit issuers simply do not believe that someone else is at fault. Further complicating the process is the fact that identity theft crimes committed in your name may often span several jurisdictions.

Things to do NOW

- Whenever you order checks, do the following:

- NEVER print your social security number on the check - even if asked to by a store clerk. They cannot require it.

- Don't print your phone number (you can get driving directions to your house with just your phone number)

- Print only your first initial, keeping thieves from knowing either your full name or how you sign your checks

- Use a PO Box address, or a work address.

- Do not write your entire account number on the check when paying credit card bills. Instead, attach a payment coupon and only write the last four numbers on the check. This way, anyone handling your check does not have access to the whole card number.

- Never keep passwords or PIN numbers in your wallet. Even if you don't indicate which card it is, all a thief has to do is keep trying each card.

- Sign up for the Telemarketer Do Not Call list at http://www.donotcall.gov

- Sign up for blocking your personal information from being released by the driver's license department. For Florida, the website is http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us and click on "The Driver Privacy Protection Act"

- Copy both sides of everything in your wallet. In case it is lost or stolen, you need the card numbers AND the phone numbers to call in that they are lost. Obtaining a new drivers license or social security card are also much easier if you have a copy.

-- Driver's license

-- Credit cards

-- Social Security card

-- Student ID

-- Military ID

-- Insurance cards

-- Membership cards

-- Voter's registration

-- Passport

-- AAA card

- Call or write your three credit bureaus and tell them you want to 'opt out' of your information being shared. Whenever you receive a credit card offer, it is because a bureau shared your basic data with them.

- Before revealing personal ID information to anyone who calls you, make absolutely sure you're dealing with the company you think you are. Arrange to call them back after you've found their number from your own sources. If they say they're from a 'separate call center', refuse to deal with them.

- Any time you are required to give personal information, find out how it will be used and if it will be shared with others. Ask if you can choose to keep it confidential.

- Keep track of your billing cycles. If the bills don't arrive on time, check your address on record with the creditor. If the address is correct, check your mailbox security, and perhaps get a Post Office box.

- Give your social security number only when absolutely necessary. Use other ID if possible.

- Try to limit the number of cards and personal identifiers you carry with you regularly.

- Get a copy of your credit report from all three agencies (listed below) and check for unauthorized activity. Be familiar with what is on your account, and see if there are any errors to be corrected.

- Keep items with personal information in a locked file or safe and in an unusual spot (not the desk drawer), especially if you share your living accommodations. Shred them if you don't need them anymore.

- Ensure that charge receipts, copies of insurance forms, credit applications, bank checks, statements, and credit offers are shredded.

- Many people have credit cards they don't use regularly and therefore don't receive a statement. Check these cards for activity online, or use them at least once a month, in case someone has changed the address and is using it.

- If you are an online retailer, use AVS (Address Verification Service). It will reject any card that has a shipping address different from the mailing address.

- Teller Positive Pay (Bank of America) - you tell the bank what checks you have written, they will refuse any not listed.

- Try online banking - paper checks get handled by an average of 13 people each, while online checks go through 2 people. It is also cheaper transaction, and eliminates paper records to be stolen. The bank can send you a CD with the copies of the fronts and backs of checks.

- If you have been refused credit unfairly, or refused employment due to credit problems, it may be a sign of identity theft.

- Watch out for 'repair your credit' scams. They prey on the conscientious but gullible. Most real credit errors can be taken care of yourself, for no cost.

- For passwords, use a series of letters and numbers. Don't use personal information such as your birthdate, parts of your SSN, or mother's maiden name. Genealogical data is available in the libraries and over the internet, and can be used to access your accounts. Make it something different, like T5XQ8. Do not store these passwords in your purse or wallet!

- Make sure to have some sort of virus protection software on your computer, and update it regularly.

- Visit ID THEFT for more information on the subject.

Internet Security

- If purchasing from the Internet, check the privacy clause on each company to make sure they don't hand your information over to 'partners'.

- Use secure sites on the Internet. If the URL doesn't start with https://, the data is not encrypted before transmission. (the S stands for secure).

- Some sites list fake security icons to fool the gullible. Click on them to discover if they really are authentic and reliable security companies.

- Print and keep receipts of online transactions. Check your credit card statements to make sure these are the only transactions that clear.

- Keep your PC software up to date with upgrades and security enhancements.

- Beware of installing programs from sites you can't trust or opening emails with attachments from people you don't know. Even if it is from someone you know, email them first to ask if they sent it

- it could be a virus on THEIR computer that they are not aware of, sending emails to everyone on their list. Some programs can hide in your PC and communicate your information when you connect to the Web.

- Verify your information: a recent scam involved members of eBay receiving messages requesting them to click on a link to update their personal information. The link took them to a site that appeared exactly like eBay's secure customer area, but was in fact a bogus site designed to hijack personal ID and credit card information. This is called Phishing, and many companies have had this done to them, including banks, credit unions, AOL, MSN, Earthlink, etc.

- Free credit report emails - most of these are scams, though the three credit reports DO now allow you a free credit report, every 12 months, to monitor your credit. Take advantage of this offer, and do so!

- You have won a free gift or lottery - usually an email or phone call about a free gift or prize - just provide your credit card information for shipping costs.

- Some Nigerian prince who is reaching out to 'a good person' in the US who will help him recovery his million from his country. All he needs is a little investment

- Email chain letters and pyramid schemes - There are many of these. They are for the most part illegal and are just variations on the old postal chain letters.

- Emails offering a service to "Find out everything on everyone" - usually just a scam to get your credit card information

- Job Advertisement Scams - there have also been scams involving Internet Job Websites. Never hand out your SSN or birth date on a resume or application until you are certain the company and position is legitimate.

- Charity Scams - we anticipate that consumers will get calls from 'charities' asking for donations. Do not provide credit card information over the telephone. Get the mailing address, verify it, and send a check instead.

- CLARK HOWARD, a consumer advocate recommends that you use one card for all internet transactions, one with a relatively low limit. This will limit the damage if there is a security breach. He also has a lot of good information on his website.

Things to do when traveling:

- Copy your passport, itinerary, and plane tickets and keep a copy with you, and one with a trusted relative.

- Stop deliveries to the house to avoid advertising that you are gone, or have a friend pick them (and the mail) up periodically. You can also have the Post Office hold your mail until you get back.

- On your luggage tags, put your work address. This keeps anyone who handles your bags from knowing which house will be vacant for a while.

- Keep your parking ticket from the airport with you, in a safe place. If it is left in the car, that's all a thief needs to exit the parking garage safely.

- In idle conversation, don't tell people seemingly innocent details, such as where you keep your parking ticket, how long you will be gone, or if you are traveling alone.

- Call your credit cards before hand and tell them you are traveling. Many now have fraud detection policies that will freeze the card if used out of town, and this can be very inconvenient when in Bangkok.

- Always have a second, or even third, cash source available in case one is stolen or frozen.

- Some thieves have doctored ATMs where it will seemingly not work, and will keep your card. They insert a plastic sleeve, and when you walk away frustrated, they come up and take the card, having seen you enter your PIN number from afar. To avoid this, run your finger along the card slot before you insert your card. The sleeve is rigid and has a couple of tiny prongs the thieves use to get it out of the slot, and you will be able to feel them. Also shield the keyboard with your body when you enter your code.

- Another ATM scam involves a touch-sensitive film, similar to the ones used to protect the keys from damage. This film records your PIN number. Most banks no longer use this film due to this reason.

- Passports and credit cards are easy targets for identity theft. When traveling, either keep these in a hotel safe (not the room safe) or on a money belt hidden under your clothes. In crowded areas, all it takes is a razor blade and quick hands to empty your back pocket, purse, or backpack.

- Keep in mind that 1-800 numbers do NOT work in other countries for the most part, and most credit cards will not accept collect calls. If your wallet is stolen while traveling, make sure to have other contact numbers for them, or get them off their website.

- Some hotels ask for a copy of your driver's license, credit card, or passport for your stay - some even ask to hold the passport. If this is the case, first verify that this is indeed the policy, with the hotel manager. Then request that a copy be made instead of the original, and ask what is done with the copy later. If that is still not sufficient, request that they be held in the hotel safe. At least then only cleared personnel will have access to it (and make sure YOU have a copy on hand as well)

- Current TSA regulations allow unwitnessed searches of checked luggage. To deter unauthorized people from searching your luggage, lock them with plastic cable ties. This allows the TSA to open the luggage and relock it with their own ties, and you know they're the only ones that have been in the luggage.

Things to do if your wallet is stolen:

- File a police report immediately, which shows the credit card companies you were diligent.

- Cancel your credit cards immediately. This is why it is so important to have the copies of everything in your wallet. You will need the toll-free numbers on the backs to call the companies. If you are not in the country, toll-free numbers won't work, so have alternative contact numbers.

- Call your bank and make sure any unauthorized activity is stopped.

- Call the three National Credit Reporting Organizations immediately. This alert means that any company checking your credit knows your information was stolen and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit. The numbers are:

--- Equifax 1-800-525-6285

--- Experian 1-888-397-3742

--- Trans Union 1-800-680-7289

- Also contact the Social Security Administration to get a new card and verify that no one has changed your information, such as address. 1-800-269-0271

Things to do periodically:

- Check your credit reports at all three agencies. If anyone is obtaining credit with your information, annual review of these reports should catch them.

- Check your Social Security account periodically. There is a form you can fill out to obtain a summary of your account with the SSA. This can help determine if someone is using your number to receive benefits, or work illegally in this country.

Keeping Your Soul Safe: How to Prevent Identity Theft

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Sympathy Cards - What Do I Say?

One of the most difficult cards to send to a family or friend is a sympathy card. Why? Because if you are like me, you have many mixed feeling on what is truly appropriate for the situation. But never underestimate the powerful message you convey by just sending a card at a time of grief. While many ask that donations be given in lieu of flowers, it is always appropriate to send a card to honor the departed person.

If you are reluctant to send a card, just because you don't know what to say, don't give up! Review these lists of phrases and read each one out loud. Place a check mark by the ones that sound "natural" and appear to fit your situation. Work with it until it feels right, combine or adapt them to meet the unique situation.

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If you are a spiritual person you may want to choose a phrase like:

Sympathy Cards - What Do I Say?

- You and your family are in our prayers.

- We ask God to send his blessings on your during this difficult time.

- You and your family member will be lifted up in our prayer group this month.

- God is here for comfort, ask and he will bring you peace.

- Our prayers and blessing surround you with peace.

Some people may be intimidated to mention prayer, especially if they are not regular church attendees, so some good choices would be:

- You and your family are in my thoughts.

- With deepest sympathy.

- Our hearts go out to you in this time of sorrow and loss.

- Our heartfelt condolences go out to you at this time.

- We are thinking of you.

- We loved your (father, mother, sister, brother) very much and share in your loss.

- We were very sorry to hear about the passing of (name of deceased).

- I am here for you when you need to talk, cry or smile about (name of deceased).

This is NOT a time where you need to go into details. One sentence with your signature can be sufficient to let your friend know you care and you are there for them. Send a card as soon as you hear the news. Then follow-up with another card to focus on the "survivor" and let them know you are there to help them through the grieving process. If you are sending a card to someone that is of a different religion, and you are unfamiliar with their grieving process, take a few moments to research about what is acceptable and not. They will appreciate you taking the time to send them an appropriate sympathy card.

If you feel inclined, and were close to the deceased person, you may want to send a short heartwarming story about how the deceased made a difference in your life or in the lives of others. This is a time to celebrate the uniqueness of that individual and help establish ways to remember them for the goodness and happiness they brought to others. This message will become a cherished memory that lives on for many years. Your thoughtfulness to share this special moment with that family member will lift their spirits and help them to focus on the positive.

Another way to share a memory is to put together a collage of pictures and phrases that were meaningful to the survivors and / or the deceased. Perhaps there were special vacation spots, annual family gatherings or traditions that were continued based upon the leadership and participation of that cherished family member. Having personalized cards that show the person smiling, in good health, hugging and sharing special moments with family are priceless. And adding a short note about how the person was a great bbq chef, or knew how to arrange flowers just the right way or even how just there smile lit up a room can bring joy into the grieving heart.

If you did not know the deceased personally but are friends or business acquaintances with someone who has suffered a loss, don't try to make up a story. Just focus on letting your friend know that you are there for them. By simply saying " I am here if you need someone to talk to", may be very comforting to that person and just what they need to hear.

And don't be afraid to offer condolences to pet owners. So many folks young and old have pets that are truly members of their families. My mother recently lost her cat Morris, who lived through all of his nine-lives to the ripe old age of 24. Morris and my mom had been through a lot together and I knew she was very sad to part with him. I found a simple little card and wrote a quick little line to comfort her. The next time we spoke she told me how important that sympathy card was to her, since Morris was "her child".

Finally, what about e-cards in this situation? My advice is to always send a REAL card. An e-Card is very impersonal. Even if the card does not arrive in time for the funeral, it will be appreciated. Many people keep the cards they receive and read them time and time again to help them get closure on their loss. I hope this article was useful and that you will print and save it for future reference.

Sympathy Cards - What Do I Say?

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Getting Your Kids' Schedule Together

Ahhhh, the beginning of the school year.

It's like spring time. Fresh, new, wonderful, bright...and hectic! All over town we see moms and dads pulling their hair out trying to juggle school with kid's activities, work and home. So how do we manage all this with much less stress?

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Here are a few Together Tips to keep you on top of it all.

Getting Your Kids' Schedule Together

Tip #1 - Kids do best with routine

By now, we should all have settled in to our schedules. Routine is important, however, if a child is not thriving on this schedule it is wise to reconsider. Possibly remove or add an activity that will produce less stress in your child's life.

Tip #2 - Leave time for rest and play

Kids love structured activities, and a certain amount of it every day is important. Each child is different, so gauge how much they need by their behaviour. More than anything, after school and on weekends, kids need and want free time to rest and play. Ensure you allow for that too.

Tip #3 - Sit down as a family

Decide as a family which one or two activities each child wants to do per season. Two activities is most likely the maximum, although every child is different. The demands of school just keep getting greater, so keep an eye out, so that their schoolwork doesn't suffer. Make sure you don't overdo it too as your stress will be absorbed by your children.

Tip #4 - Make a calendar

This may seem like the most obvious of tips, but you'd be surprised when a child gets to be involved in the planning how much more willing and cooperative they can be.

On the calendar, mark down all the regular activities. Ask each of your children to choose a colour marker that then will only be used for their activities. Ensure that your schedule includes which grown-up will be in charge of driving which child to which activity. Look into car pooling especially if you need to be in multiple places at one time.

Tip #5 - Family time

No matter how busy you get with activities, work, school or home improvement, the most important is family time. Schedule one activity per week with the entire family. And, if possible, one activity with each of the parents separately with each child.

On the calendar be sure to schedule in family time in a different colour.

Now this all may seem complicated, but actually it will simplify your life. Keeping life simple and balanced means harmonious, happy kids.

Getting Your Kids' Schedule Together

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Term Limits - Critical to Your Nonprofit Board's Success

Recently, I ran into a nonprofit organization that had been around for over 20 years - but they had never implemented term limits for their board. As a result, a few people had been on the board since the organization was started. These "old timers" ran the organization and newly-recruited members were not able to contribute much of anything new. Needless to say, the organization was stagnant and inflexible and had lost ground year after year. The newer members were frustrated because they were unable to contribute to the organization in any meaningful way.

Term limits are critical to a board's health because they prevent a single individual or group from monopolizing the spirit of the organization. They ensure that new ideas and approaches are explored - something that's essentail to the success of every organization. Everyone is forced off the board eventually. If your board doesn't have term limits, I recommend you start thinking about them now. You can easily incorporate them into your board by taking these three simple steps:

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1. Add term limits to your bylaws. 2. Include specific terms in your "Expectations of Board Members" when you recruit. 3. Decide on a fair way to apply term limits to current board members.

Term Limits - Critical to Your Nonprofit Board's Success

Add term limits to your bylaws. The bylaws should state the term limits for each board member. I find that a 3-year term (renewable for a single, second 3-year term) is a good length of time for people to serve on a board. Less than three years and a board member is just getting started when it's time to leave. More than 3 years and the commitment seems daunting and can discourage new board candidates from agreeing to join.

Here's some language you can use in your bylaws: "Each Board Member will serve for a 3-year term. At the end of the first term, there will be an option to renew for another 3-year term if both the board member and the board are happy to continue. The Board Development Committee works with each board member at the end of their term to determine if they will renew their board membership or not."

Include term limits in your "Expectations of Board Members." When recruiting new members, using a one-page summary of your expectations helps clarify the commitment that potential members are being asked to make. You can explain the time commitment, when and where the meetings are held, that there is an expectation of an annual financial contribution, and the term limits for joining members.

Here's some wording that other nonprofits have used that pertains to term limits: "Commit initially to a three-year term (unless otherwise stated). There may be an option to extend this term if you are meeting the needs of the XYZ Non-Profit and XYZ Non-Profit is meeting yours."

Decide on a fair way to apply term limits to the current board members. This is often the toughest part to implement. In some cases, boards have members who have been involved with the organization for many years and they are loathe to leave. The Board Development Committee works on this task. Your goal is to get 1/3 of the board to agree to stay on for one year, 1/3 of the board to agree to stay on for 2 years and 1/3 of the board to stay on for 3 years.

First, ask each board member privately (or in a secret ballot) if they have a preference for whether they will stay on for one, two or three years. If approximately 1/3 of your board is interested in terms ending in each of the next three years, you are ok. If you need to move some people around, then you can talk to them privately to see if they're willing to change. If not, you can draw straws to see who stays for shorter or longer periods of time.

Finally, everyone needs to be aware of these decisions - and you should publish the "end-of-term dates" for each person on your board roster. If you are a new nonprofit, don't forget to include term limits in your bylaws. If you are an existing organization and allow board members to stay around forever, starting thinking about term limits and how they can best be applied to your organization soon.

Term Limits - Critical to Your Nonprofit Board's Success

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How to Find Out If a Donation Is Tax Deductible

A donation made to any organization that is classified as a 501(c)3 by the IRS is tax deductible. The IRS website lists all organizations that have 501(c)3 status.

The Internal Revenue Code of the United States defines 28 classes of organizations that are tax exempt. 501(c)3 is among those 28 classes. But just because an organization is tax exempt does not mean any donation to it is tax deductible. To get a tax deduction, you have to be giving to a charity that has 501(c)3 status. The IRS publishes a list of all 501(c)3 charities in Publication 78: Cumulative List of Organizations described in Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Publication 78 is also available online in a searchable format. Every organization listed in Publication 78 is qualified to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions.

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A similar designation, and a common one, is 501(c)4 status. This is for organizations that have political motives -- like political campaigns or environmental groups that hire lobbyists, like the Sierra Club. Donations to these organizations are not tax-deductible. As the two kinds of groups often fund-raise and advertise for support in similar ways, it is an easy and common mistake for people to donate thinking that they can deduct the contribution, and then learn otherwise later. So always check first. Donating to these kinds of organizations is still an excellent use of money and a way to make a difference in the world, but just keep in mind that it won't help you on tax day.

How to Find Out If a Donation Is Tax Deductible

When you do make a donation to a charity with 501(c)3 status, make sure you get a receipt from them if the donation is worth 0 or more. Even smaller donations benefit from having a receipt, just in case you should ever have to go through a tax audit. Receipts come in a lot of different forms, from a simple pre-printed receipt from a Goodwill donation, to a full signed letter on the charity's letterhead outlining the details of the donation. If you gave more than 0 of money or goods, be sure to get the letter, written on the charity's letterhead, dated and signed by an officer of the organization.

Charitable donations can come in many forms. They do not have to be cash donations. Goods and even services can be donated. These are referred to as "in-kind" donations. You can get a deduction for these, but you can not deduct the original value of the objects (what you paid for them). You can only deduct their "fair market value" on the day you donated them. "Fair market value" is typically what you would get for the item if you sold it, either through a yard sale or a consignment store or on eBay. If you are donating something that is valuable and unusual, like art or an antique, you should probably get it appraised by an IRS-approved appraiser.

Of course, everyone's tax situation is different. If you really want to be sure to get a tax deduction, contact a certified tax preparer to make sure every detail of your specific situation and your specific donation qualifies. Some kinds of donations, like vehicle donations, have special rules that have to be met.

How to Find Out If a Donation Is Tax Deductible

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Tax Write Off List - What Most People Do Not Know

Most people just go to the local income tax preparing office & blindly hand over their tax information to the accountants for a basic price to save money.

What they don't know is that if they only paid the extra fee to find a good chartered accountant that they could save a lot of money & at the same time get a bigger refund.

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I am talking about writing off thousands of dollars not only hundreds.

Tax Write Off List - What Most People Do Not Know

You can write off a percentage of anything that cost you to make money such as:

1. Transportation expenses (car, fuel, repairs, rentals etc).

2. Office expenses (papers, advertising, staples, books etc).

3. Furniture (filing cabinets, desks, tables etc).

4. Computers, phones, cell phones & other electronic gadgets.

5. Special tools or devices needed.

6. Special equipment.

7. Apparel or uniforms.

8. Food or entertainment.

This list can go on & on if you are a business owner that has spent any expense to incur an income. If you are an employee then you may not be able to write off anything unless let's say you own a home based business. An employee that owns a home based business can then write off expenses but it would be best to consult a professional accountant before attempting to write off anything.

Here is a list of whack things that some people have written off in the past:

1. Breast implants.

2. Animal depreciation.

3. Cat food.

4. Body oil.

5. Clarinet lessons.

6. Dentures.

7. Dentures.

This is what I call really being creative (or weird) with tax write offs. Take this seriously folks. Find out what you can legally write off by consulting a professional accountant. The constant hike in fuel prices will not get any better. It is your responsibility to keep most of your hard earned dollars in your house hold. This is taking better care of your family.

If you don't take tax write off's seriously or think that you can't write anything off because you are an employee then find a good home based business to make you entitled.

Why should you leave money on the table?

Tax Write Off List - What Most People Do Not Know

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How to Make Millions on $11 Per Hour

Whatever your current income is, I'll guess you want to make more. I know that I do! But believe it or not, whatever you are making is probably enough. Here's why.

A man from New Jersey named Paul Navone never earned more than per hour before retiring a multi-millionaire. (He is now in his late 70's) He never aspired to being a manager during his career working at mills around Vineland, New Jersey (according to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer). And yet he recently donated million to Cumberland County College. He previously donated a million gift to St. Augustine College Preparatory School in Richland, New Jersey.

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Even though most of us are not interested in living the kind of lifestyle that Mr. Navone has lived to acquire millions, we can learn a great deal from him. To this day, he only wears clothes purchased 'second hand' from thrift shops, doesn't own a television, and continues to live in an extremely frugal manner. In fact, he still lives in a small, modest, single family house.

How to Make Millions on Per Hour

Over the years, he gradually purchased rental properties and regularly invested in the stock market. By investing most of his income, he slowly 'grew' a fortune. Even his closest friends never knew about his wealth until they heard about his huge donations.

Please don't get me wrong! I'm not sharing this story because I think that everyone should be like Paul Navone! Few of us have that type of 'miser' mentality. But there is an inspiring message in his story. Whatever money we make is enough - if we're sure that we are spending less than we make. I know that seems obvious, but my research has confirmed that most people do not know how much they spend. Without knowing it, most people spend about as much as they make - and sometimes a little more!

Here's what I recommend: Carry a little notebook around and write down every purchase you make for an entire month. Next, make a list of every monthly payment you make - and add it all up. Compare this with your monthly income. How does it look? Are you spending less than you make? Can you spend less here and there to put more into your investments?

It feels good to know EXACTLY where you stand, financially. And if you make this a habit, you'll be able to invest a higher percentage as you increase your income.

How to Make Millions on Per Hour

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Finally Revealed! Tax Deductions That Can Get You in Trouble With the IRS

Paying your taxes can be a painful experience after all you have worked your derriere off to make this money and after all the hard work you have to do ahead and pay the government a part of your earning. However, most of us fail to see that most of the resources like roads, civic facilities, health care, police protection etc come from our taxes so the money that you give the government is finally used for your own benefit. Yet it is not unusual to see most tax payers scrambling to get every last cents of tax deduction that they possibly can. Unfortunately, often times some go too far in their quest to pay the minimum possible taxes and end up attracting the IRS's attention.

There are some deductions that can be easily misused and the IRS keeps a special check on people who claim them. Even though like all other deductions these are also provided for a reason, asking for a large amount of deduction will certainly put you on the IURS scanner and may lead to an IR audit.

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Lets talk about one of the most misunderstood and clearly abused tax deduction; the home office. Many people incorrectly assume that just because they work from home they can claim deductions on the entire value of their home. Unless you know the exact criteria and regulations that are associated with large deductions it is highly recommended that you don't make such claims. You have to understand that IRS tax auditors make a living out of spotting your mistakes and the inconsistencies in your tax returns. Actually, the IRS has gone ahead and made their life very easy by granting them access to a system through which they can easily determine any anomalies in your tax return. If you do make the mistake of claiming deductions on the entire value of your home, you can definitely expect some IRS trouble.

Finally Revealed! Tax Deductions That Can Get You in Trouble With the IRS

Let's move on the two the second deduction in the list of misunderstood claims, your auto advertisement. Many entrepreneurs make good use of vehicle signs to advertise their business but this certainly does not mean that you can deduct all the auto expenses just because you have an advertisement on your vehicle. You need to understand that as far as advertisement claims go, you can only get deductions on the amount that has actually been spent on advertising; In this case, that would just include the cost of the banner and the pain to put up the advertisement on the car. You can claim for some deductions on your auto expenses. Calculate the mileage of your car which has been invested for business purposes divide this by the total mileage to get a percentage and that should be the percentage of your auto expenses that you can get a deduction on. For example, if your total annual mileage is 16,000 and you have used 4000 miles for business, you can claim 25% of your total auto expenses as deduction. Ensure that you keep an accurate record of auto usage preferably with documents so that you can furnish this information in case of an IRS audit.

One of the strangest deductions is that claimed on body parts. Some people pledge their body parts to a scientific organization and expect tax deductions in return. You need to understand that you are only eligible for deductions on donations to non profit organizations if you have transferred one hundred percent ownership to the NGO. Since in this case you still get to keep the organ as long as you are alive you cannot claim a deduction on it.

If you are unsure about the deductions that you are eligible for get in touch with an accountant but do not file claims with half baked information. in case you have already filed incredulous claims and have just realized your folly, this may be a good time to get in touch with a Dallas tax attorney in Dallas/fort worth if you live there or any other tax attorney in your area.

Finally Revealed! Tax Deductions That Can Get You in Trouble With the IRS

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The Laws Surrounding Gift Giving

The laws surrounding gifts can be tricky. Gift giving is a pretty simple process, you give a gift and someone accepts it. Perhaps you get the gift, or perhaps you revoke the gift and take it back. Either way, it is still pretty simple, but in fact, there are laws relating to gift giving which could hold up in court.

Did you really think there were not rules to gift giving? What century are you living in?
First of all, promising somebody you will buy them a gift is actually meaningless in the legal sense and in no way requires you to buy a gift. Of course, if you promise to buy a gift for someone and do not, then you risk losing a friend as a result, so beware in that sense.

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When you present a gift to someone, acceptance is assumed, unless they actually, physical or vocally, reject it.

The Laws Surrounding Gift Giving

As a result, a gift given and accepted cannot legally be revoked by the giver.

So, if we look at it in legal terms, the gift process means there is intent to give a gift by a donor, the acceptance of the gift by the donee and the delivery of the gift to the donee.

Who knew that gift giving could get so complicated? Well, it does not stop there.

Depending on the cash value of the gift, especially if the gift happens to be cash, the

United States government can actually take a portion of your gift. It is kind of like involuntarily sharing your gift with someone else.

Of course, there are exemptions to the gift tax, first you can transfer up to ,000 per person per year without being subject to the tax, which means an individual can make gifts up to that dollar amount to as many people they wish each year.

Second, there is a credit that essentially negates the tax on gifts until ,000,000 has been given from one person to another.

Also, the gift tax is exempt on gifts to spouses, political organizations and charities.

Now that you know the law concerning giving gifts, be aware of the assumed acceptance, the non-legally binding promise and the prevention of revocation.

Of course, most of us will never have to deal with the legal ramifications of giving gifts since most of us give gifts to those we love and vice versa and you never want the law to intrude on friendship or love.

The Laws Surrounding Gift Giving

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Garage Sells Are Fun

Purpose: Families need to do things together. Just visiting garage sales can be fun for the family, and having your own garage sale can bring in some needed cash. In this lesson, we will show you how to have a garage sale and even how to put you in the business. You can use the money for your needs, such as an education fund, or you can donate it to charity.

Following is a little poem I wrote years back:

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Saturday Morning

Garage Sells Are Fun

The garage sales open at seven,

So we get up at six.

We eat a hearty breakfast,

Then jump into the truck lickity split.

With newspaper in hand,

And watching for garage sale signs,

We zip around our little town

Looking for that gold mine.

Perhaps we'll find a new gold watch

That only cost a buck.

We might find a first edition of the Bible

If we have a little luck.

We always fill the truck to the top.

From seven 'til noon, we never stop.

Then we sort our treasures in our yard.

Now, that wasn't all that hard.

But what can we do with all this junk?

Why did we buy that Chinese bunk?

Well, no problems come our way.

We'll sell it ourselves next Saturday.

The Lesson:

The Garage Sale is a social institution. The garage sale is the big thing in our small town. What else is there to do on a Saturday morning? Most of the garage sales are simply a one time thing, but some of them are actually small businesses and the owners keep them maintained in a permanent location such as their basement, barn, or garage. It's an important source of income to them. Families often join together for yard sales.

I have edited and reproduced an article here to help you have a more successful yard sale. (I have the rights to this article.)

GARAGE SALE PROMOTING FOR QUICK EASY MONEY

Pick almost any city or town in the country, drive through any middle class neighborhood or residential area on the weekend, and you're sure to spot at least a half dozen garage sales.

What's being sold at these garage sales? It is the accumulated junks that people no longer use or want taking up space.

Are they making any money with these garage sales? It's not at all uncommon to make 0 with a weekend garage sale.

Is it hard to put on a profitable garage sale? Well, yes and no. It takes some of your time, and it also requires an awareness of a few merchandising tactics. But the problems in running a successful garage sale are small in comparison to the profits.

Who are the buyers, and how do you get them to come to your garage sale? Your customers are going to be everybody, and you get them over to your garage sale with advertising and promotion.

Let's look at the background: Everybody accumulates the kind of garage sale item that other people are searching for and are willing to buy. These items range from no longer wanted or outgrown items of clothing to furniture, tools, knickknacks, books, pictures and toys. Many garage sale items are objects of merchandise purchased on impulse, and later found to be not what the buyer wanted. It was discovered that he or she really didn't have a use for it, or no longer had a need for it.

Many items found at garage sales are gifts that have been given to the seller, but are the wrong size or incorrect choice for the recipient.

You can generate an enterprise of an ongoing garage sale. You might sell some items donated and collected from people who lack the inclination to put on garage sales of their own. You take a percentage of their sales. Some of these items may be
those you purchased at other garage sales or that you dug out of grandmothers barn.

Step one is education: Visit the garage sales, swap meets and flea markets in your area. Find out what's being offered for sale, what people are buying, and how the merchandise is being sold.

Generally an item is tagged with a price, but the seller is open to almost any reasonable offer from the customer. Another thing you want to make mental note of is the way the merchandise is displayed, and how the customers are allowed to browse.

You start your own garage sale by cleaning out your own basement, attic, closets and garage. Talk to your relatives and friends; tell them what you're going to do and ask them for donations of no longer used or unwanted items. It's here that you'll get your first experience in negotiating and finally, an agreement for you to display and sell other people's merchandise for a percentage of the sales price.

You'll find people explaining that they really don't have a use for a specific item or they really don't want to keep storing it, but because of sentimental reasons just hate to give it away. Once you've had a little experience with this type of seller, you will be able to advertise in the newspaper that you
buy garage sale items, or take them on consignment for a percentage of the final sales price.

The advertising angle is really quite simple. Does your local radio station take calls for yard sales or for items for sale? Call them. You should run an ad in your area shopper newspaper for about three days in advance of, and up through the day of your sale. But in getting started, go with small classified ads simply announcing your garage sale, emphasizing major items with cost and major categories.

To get ideas on how to write your ad, check your news paper and cut out all the garage sale ads you can find and tape them on a piece of paper. Then, with a bit of critical analysis, you'll be able to determine how to write a good ad of your own by determining the good and the bad in the ads you've collected.

Something to remember: The bigger and better your sale, the bigger and better your "getting started" ads should be. And the secret to obtaining outstanding garage sale profits is in having the widest or largest selection of merchandise.

You should have made an old-fashioned sandwich board sign to display in front of your house when your garage sale is open for business. This will pull in your neighbors, if you haven't already informed them, and attract the people driving by.

Sandwich boards are sometimes set out at key traffic intersections not far from the site of the garage sale, to attract attention and point the way. (Check local ordinances to see if this is permitted in your area.) Be sure to check your local ordinances before you start nailing signs to power poles.
Search out and use all the free bulletin boards in your area.

It's better, and usually much more profitable, to take the time to make up an attention grabbing circular you can post on these bulletin boards. An 8.5" x 11" poster made on your computer should suffice. Always answer the questions where? what? when?

Inside secrets for maximum profits.

First, call attention to your sale. Don't be shy, bashful or self-conscious about letting everybody for miles about
know that you're having a garage sale.

Some sharp operators do the next best thing to having the Goodyear blimp overhead: They rent miniature blimps, send them up above the housetops, and tether them there on their sale days.

Of course this giant balloon or miniature blimp has some sort of sign on the side of it, inviting people to your garage sale! This is one of the strongest available advertising ideas for pulling "traffic" to a sale of any kind. For more details, write to Pie-In-The-Sky Company, PO Box 5267, San Mateo, CA 94402.

Second, you have to give your sale some flair. Put some posts up across the front of your property and run some twisted crepe paper between them. Even better than crepe paper, run brightly colored ribbons. Invest in some colorful pennants and fly them from temporary flagpoles. And don't forget the balloons!

Make your garage sale a fun kind of event with clusters of balloons anchored to your display tables and racks. Be sure to "float" them well above the heads of your customers as
they are browsing through your merchandise displays.

Cover your display tables with colorful cloths. Don't hesitate to use bright colors with busy patterns. Regardless of what you sell, effective display is still predominantly essential!

Take time to organize your displays. You can't "dump" items haphazardly on a table, sit down, and expect to realize great profits. The people doing the most business and making the most sales are the ones with interesting displays, action and color. Try to have as wide a selection of colors as possible in your clothing racks, and mix them for a rainbow effect.

Make sure that your jewelry items shine and sparkle. Arrange them in and with jewelry boxes, jewelry ladders and other items sold for the purpose of showing off jewelry while keeping it neatly organized. (And keep your eye on it. There are thieves at every garage sell.)

We know one lady that regularly arranges jewelry items in a battery operated lazy susan. Seeing this jewelry slowly turning on the lazy susan never fails to draw attention. Think about it, and then study the methods of display used by "rack jobbers" in the stores in your area. These are the wire racks that usually hold card-packaged items. This kind of display rack would lend itself beautifully for anchoring a cluster of balloons. Keep these things in mind, and build your individual displays as part of the whole; make it pleasing to the eye as well as convenient for your customers to browse through and select the items that appeal to them.

Get an eye grabber. Look for some kind of interesting and unusual item to call attention to your sale--something you can set up or park in front of your home during your sale.

Some of the displays we've seen along these lines include a horse-drawn surrey, a restored Model T, and an old farm plow. But anything of an unusual and interesting nature will do the trick for you.

One couple we know put up a display using a mannequin dressed in an old-time farm bonnet, long dress and apron. The display depicted a farm woman of old, washing clothes with a scrub board and two steel wash tubs. You have to believe this drew crowds and made people talk!

Try to be distinctive. Wherever your imagination takes you, you have to be different and distinctive, or you'll get lost in the hundreds of garage sales going on all around you. If you'll take the time to employ a bit of imagination and set your sales up with the kind of flair we've been talking about, you'll not just draw the crowds, you'll end up being the one holding the most profits.

Conclusion

It's a compulsion of many women to go shopping, to search for interesting and sometimes rare and valuable items. This fact alone will keep you as busy as you'll ever want to be - staging and holding garage sales. The market is so vast, and the appetite so varied, that anything from a brass bedstead to a used diary of somebody's long-for-gotten grandmother will sell,
and sell fast at garage sales. Put it all together, use a little imagination and you'll easily make all the money you want!

End of Canned Article on Garage Sales

Here's what I do when I have a yard sale. First, I make sure it is a good garage sale day with lots of garage sales around. That way, I don't need to worry about traffic.

I put my junk out in the driveway and block my garage so that the crooks can't get in there without me shooting them.

I take a big black marking pen and write "SALE 213" on a piece of cardboard. I tack that to a pole at the top of my street. Folks come up the street looking for "213." When the folks come, I sell! There are professional yard sellers in our town. I'm not one of them. But I like the fun of a sale.

For The Children

Paco looked out the window. It was a school holiday and it was raining. "Mom, what can I do? It's raining."

His little sister, Regina, said, "What are we going to do, Paco? We can't go out in this rain."

Mother came into the room. "Well, children, I have an idea. Why don't you go up to your rooms and get your old clothing and toys. Then go out into the garage and see what is there that we can sell at a garage sale next Saturday. We will take the money we earn and go out to dinner and to a movie. Won't that be fun?"

This made the children very happy and they ran off to their rooms. Paco found an old train in his room that he never used anymore. Regina found a dress that didn't fit her now. The children gathered up the items and brought them downstairs. Then they went into the garage and found some more items they could sell, including some of Daddy's tools.

When Daddy came home from work, he pushed the auto door opener and saw the children in the garage. There were things everywhere and Daddy could not drive into the garage. He parked in the driveway and ran from the car into the garage. He was all wet and not too happy. He said, "What are you kids up to now? Clean this mess up so I can get the car out of the rain."

Regina said, "Daddy, we are having a garage sale on Saturday. The car will have to stay in the driveway. It needs a good washing anyway."

Father laughed. "So that's what you are up to! I guess that was your idea, Paco."

Mother came into the garage from the house. "Actually, it was my idea. The kids needed something to do. We are going to take the money we earn and go out to dinner and to a movie."

On Saturday, the sun was shining and many people came to the garage sale. Paco said, "What are we going to do with the extra money? We have much more than we need for dinner and a movie."

Regina's big brown eyes sparkled. "I know what we can do with the extra money. We can buy some paint and paint Mrs. Green's porch. She gave me a cookie yesterday and said that she would like to paint the porch, but that she would have to wait until her ship came in. I don't think she has a ship. She just doesn't have enough money for paint."

Mother beamed. "Why that's a wonderful idea, Regina. You are so thoughtful. Don't you think so, Daddy?"

Daddy answered, "I'm proud of you, Regina, for being so considerate. We will buy the paint and next Saturday we
will paint Mrs. Green's porch. Won't that be fun, Paco?"

Paco laughed. "Well, I was going to suggest that we buy a fishing boat."

Daddy smiled. "That sounds like a good idea too, doesn't it Regina?" Regina gave them a look that would make an ostrich dig two holes for it's head instead of one.

While Mother was laughing, Paco said, "Oh, we'll be painting Mrs. Green's porch next Saturday, Regina."

Daddy said, "Well, we can have another garage sale some time for the fishing boat."

The next Saturday, they painted Mrs. Green porch. Can you guess what color they painted it?

Copyright©2002-2005 by John Taylor Jones, Ph.D.

Garage Sells Are Fun

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Easy Steps to Draw a Car

Do you love drawing especially drawing cars? It really feels great to see one of your drawings look real on a paper. You may not draw a car really good unless you find some useful tips to guide you in the process. By following these steps, you will be in a position to draw a car easily without having to erase much of your drawing. If you have been drawing and you are not satisfied with your drawings as they may contain wobbly lines or are in bad proportion or that they does not deserve to be labeled a car, and then you have to follow this useful tips to help you through.

When you want to draw a car, you have to draw side view first. This is the foundation of your drawing so you have to take your time because any slight mistake at this stage will not be fixed at a later time. You have to use a light pencil and you need to be patient and take your time to bring out your best drawing skills. You have to be patient because even the professionals need to take rime at this stage.

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The second tip when you want to draw a car is to pick a point on the piece of paper that you want to use as your perspective. From this point, you have to project lines from the side view like the indents and corners of the body. One thing that you have to make sure is that the lines should be straight, so you have to draw these lines using a ruler and a light pencil. The third tip when you want to draw a car is to create a 3D view and you have to choose a distance from the side then start to draw the perspective view.

Easy Steps to Draw a Car

Easy Steps to Draw a Car

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Car Donation Centers Available in San Francisco

Instead of going through the hassles of selling your car yourself you could donate it to a car donation center. These centers are either charities or work together with charities. If the center is an approved one, you will be able to deduct a certain amount of money from your tax return... Let us examine some of the car donation centers in San Francisco...

Habitat for Humanity in one association which builds homes thought community engagement in partnership with working families. In fact the average price of a home in San Francisco is about 6,000? In choosing this center, you are allowing the homeless to have a roof over their heads.

Car Donation In California

Car Donation Services or CDS is another association you might one to consider. This car donation center claims that they are able to obtain higher prices from the sale of a vehicle. This in turn would imply that the charity benefits much more from the sale and that you get a greater tax write-off.

Car Donation Centers Available in San Francisco

San Francisco city chorus is one more car donation center. As implied by its name, this association is concerned with choral classics as well as traditional and folk music. You might want to help them.

The San Francisco SPCA is one car donation center you would like to have recourse to if you love animals. This association is devoted to saving cats and dogs which live in the streets. It also sensitizes people about awareness of the needs and requirements of animals as well as the necessity of having a human-animal bond.

If you choose to donate via Kars4Kids, you might even receive a free vacation voucher for a 2 night 3 day hotel stay. This does in no case impact on the tax deductions or the care given to children. You can thus be rewarded for your donation.

Car4causes in another car donation service that claims that if you deal with them you will be getting higher tax deduction and the charity obtaining more money. According to them, they achieve these results by selling the car through their retail locations rather than through auctions.

Well, you now have a broader idea of the services you might have recourse to. I really hope that you do choose a car donation center instead of selling your car.

Car Donation Centers Available in San Francisco

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Which Tax Deduction System to Choose

Tax payers have two options for tax deductions - itemized or standard. 2 out of 3 choose standard as it is both easy to file and allows a 1040-EZ short form to be filed. If you want to itemize when you fill out your tax form, it cannot be the 1040-EZ that you submit, but a Schedule A.

If your itemized deductions are higher than the level acceptable for your filing status, that amount can be claimed as itemized deductions. It makes more sense for homeowners to itemize their deductions as the combined real estate tax and home mortgage interest deduction will be higher than the standard deduction's total. There are additional deductions that can be added to the itemized list.

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As long as medical and dental expenses exceed more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI), they can be deducted.

Which Tax Deduction System to Choose

An example of this is if you have medical expenses of ,000 and your AGI is ,000, ,500 can be deducted from Schedule A as that equals the overage of your expenses.

If, however, your bills are ,000 and yet your AGI is 0,000 nothing can be claimed as you have not reached the limit. This is how it works: your medical bill is ,000 - ,500 (this is 7.5% of the 0,000) comes to -,500.

In addition to the real estate deduction, it is also possible to deduct personal property tax. This will not apply to everyone as not all states charge this. In order for this to be done, the tax must be imposed each year and be based on the value of the item.

Things you can't deduct are car and pet insurance, FICA, federal income taxes that have been paid, social security, and Medicare payments, Federal, Estate, and Unemployment tax, customs duties, and gift taxes.

Charitable donations can be claimed but always make sure you fill in the form correctly. Cash deductions must be proved by a check receipt or letter from the charity, while non cash items can be claimed at a reasonable market value if you had sold them, providing they are still in good condition. The only exception allowed for the items not to be in good condition is if they are worth more than 0. Jewelry and stock does not apply, nor to paintings as they are hard to put a price on. Again, the charity needs to confirm the item and send a receipt giving their address, charity details, and the item donated. If the value is 0 or more, check IRS Publication 536 for more information.

Casualty and theft loss can be deducted if you are affected by fire, tornado, flood or earthquake, plus loss by theft can be deducted (check IRS Publication 584). Work related expenses can also be deducted as long as they are necessary for the job and can include items such as work clothes or tools, periodicals relating to your industry, and fees or exam costs relating to your employment. Check IRS Publication 529 for more details on this. If you are looking for employment elsewhere, costs of posting and printing resumes can be deducted.

Job expenses have a 2% limit and like medical expenses, have to hit a certain level before they apply. If the AGI is ,000, there would need to be 0 to be reclaimed. So with an AGI of ,000 if there was 0 of expenses, 0 could be deducted.

Miscellaneous deductions also have a 2% limit and will cover things such as safety deposit box fees and tax preparation costs.IRS Publication 529 goes more into details about these. When filling in forms, it is best to check both scenarios and see which one benefits you the most.

Which Tax Deduction System to Choose

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The Cube - Nissan's Newest Car

While the first of Nissan Cube at the show in November of this year is intended to be car enthusiasts cheering the bit to get a first look. What we know about the machine that is (surprise!) has the shape of a cube and come in bright colors like orange, water-and off-white color. Sounds pretty snazzy so far, right?

Here's what we all know the secret car is so anxious to see an opportunity:

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Its trunk is only less than 150 cm, which isless than the tiny Mazda MX-5, but still lager than the Mercedes-Benz S-class. 5 folks can comfortably fit inside the car. From side to side, the wheel base is less than 96 inches (or 5 feet), yet it's tall enough to accommodate even your tallest friends.

The Cube - Nissan's Newest Car

People are predicting that it will contain the 1.8-liter engine of the Nissan Versa and will get about 35 miles to the gallon. However, with its extremely light weight (about 2,500 pounds), you and a bunch of your friends may just choose to carry it from place to place. Driving, though, will take you from zero-to-60 in just 14 seconds or less with its 90-horse power engine.

According to those lucky folks that have had a chance to test drive the Cube, it's easy to drive and park. It should be, after all - it's so tiny and efficient. Plus, it has front-wheel drive with electric real-wheel drive assist and a four-speed automatic transmission on only a four-cylinder engine. You'll love the ample tinted windows, which virtually eliminate blind spots and bring in tons of light. Hey - even the wheels are cool-looking on this little guy!

So how much will this Cube cost? Right under ,000- all 109 pound per feet of torque included.

The Cube - Nissan's Newest Car

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Types of Web Donations for Charity Websites

Web Donations

One of the best ways for charities to raise money for their cause through the use of Web donations. With the Internet is one of our most important ways to stay informed, or the collection of information, it may be advantageous to use for a good cause, to accept donations website.

Car Donation In California

Web donations are a popular trend in the art. More and more people give donations by check instead of sending some people carry more cash. Moreincreased wear and decide for debit cards or credit cards. Possessing a debit card or credit card, makes it easier to make a donation through the Internet, making it easy to enter the credit card on a secure server. Many of their PayPal accounts that allow them to direct donations from the amount available in their account. Donations so that the internet is fast and simple, making it efficient for those who are interested in finding writing paper checks.

Types of Web Donations for Charity Websites

Charity Organizations

One possibility is that aCharitable donations through the Web can be taken to PayPal's website. PayPal is free for everyone to have an account. You can also pay for the groups that are non-profit broadcast. Using PayPal individuals can make monthly donations, including donations or any time of day. Activated by a button on a donation Web site can be taken literally 24 hours a day. Another great advantage of PayPal is that it offers its customers a button that says "donations."This will help people not feel obliged to give a certain amount. The donation button makes it easy for anyone, as little or as much as they can give.

Another tool for collecting donations for a non-profit site is Qgiv. It offers to its customers and explain the revenues, 24 / 7 donations, recurring giving and also a tool for recording special events. Donations to charity can be made on site and then deposited directly into a bankInto account. The payment instrument also allows groups the opportunity to create their own brand, so the volunteer knows that donations go directly to the charity.

Companies such as eBay also make it easier to accept donations. eBay enables its members, donations to a variety of nonprofit organizations are selling their items for auction. Sellers choose the organization of their choice and the percentage of the sale price that would like to donate. One ofitem sells, a donation is made to their specific charitable group. eBay is a popular and easy way to raise money for several non-profit organizations.

Charity Websites

It's very important to for charities to take advantage of web donations. Making payments and even donations is on the rise when it comes to the Internet. The Internet makes information quickly accessible so that we can learn more about the non-profit groups that we are interested in. Once we are informed, donations can be made with a simple click of a few buttons. Making donations on the web is also a green move as well. There won't be any paper involved or a reason to purchase gas to deliver the letter. For a charity to increase their success in donations, it is very important that they take advantage of web donations to raise money for their cause.

Types of Web Donations for Charity Websites

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Used Ferrari - F450 Scuderia The

With the continued growth of the Canadian currency, Used Ferrari are among the most popular high-end vehicles purchased in the United States and Canada. Porsche, Jaguar and Aston Martin have been imported into Canada in record numbers as well, but Ferrari seems to be the overwhelming favorite for fans. We'll see what some call the "Sexy Beast" take the litter box, and the car more exciting sport of humanity. Ladies and gentlemen, without furtherWithout further ado, the F430 Scuderia.

Presented at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show by the seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher, the F450 Scuderia Edition has done an amazing deal on the Ferrari in the United States and pre-owned way more than ever now. Ferrari F430 and brought the vehicle lighter, thinner and more powerful. A carbon fiber intake manifold and a candle better ionization monitoring swallows the engine ignition system. This is the Scuderia with 50430 hp on the edge of a little tamer. A paddle-shifted six-speed manual is standard semi-automatic, while the grills and vents strategically placed around the machine for cooling. A pair of painted stripes running from the bonnet to boot, which means that this is only a Ferrari.

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The price for a Scuderia 2007-2009 in various categories of Canada's $ 260 000 000 up to $ 290 Unfortunately, even if you wanted one, there are very few around to choose. Canada Ferrari Inventoryhas only a fraction of the amounts of Ferrari F430 used cars, and the United States .. You can buy a Scuderia 2009 for $ 169 00 USD and paid for it hides in the garage of $ 205,000 with all the changes and charges. Therefore, a bit 'used Ferrari F430 is a super sports cars in Canada, people love to save $ 40 - $ 60 000!

Used Ferrari - F450 Scuderia The

Used Ferrari - F450 Scuderia The

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