    Banking Bed Sheets Birth Certificates Boxes & Packing Budgets                             |
 When deciding
to
open your banking
accounts do some research. Talk with
at least several banks and credit unions to find out what they have to
offer
their depositors as benefits for using their services and what their
charges are.
Most charge for checks and servicing checking accounts depending on the type of account you have. Some checking accounts are free but have requirements to qualify. SO ASK ABOUT:
 Debit
Cards:
 Debit cards
are
similar to a credit card and if it has a credit card
logo on it, it is accepted as such. Transactions are withdrawn from
your account immediately so it is wise
to make sure you
have funds
in your account.
Also, the difference for you is that when using your card as Debit you must punch in your pin number (a password you either get for activating your card or one that you change to personalize it for easier remembrance). When using the card as a Credit card, then you will be given a set of reciepts that you must sign your signature to. You get a copy and the merchant keeps one for their records. One thing to keep in mind when using a debit card with the credit card logo: When using it where you will be charged for ATM transactions and when traveling … use it as a credit card to avoid extra charges. Ask how you qualify for a debit card. And, for fun there are some banks that allow you to send in a picture of your own choosing to have put on your card. Opening
Accounts:
To
open a bank
account whether it's a savings or checking account, you will need your Picture Identification Card (I D) or
Driver’s License, Social Security
Card, and at some banks you will need proof of residence, (this can be
a utility bill) and proof of income and also phone numbers where you
can be reached. Last but not least: funds for your account.
Bank
Statements:
 Bank Statements
are issued monthly and give you the opportunity of
comparing your check book deductions and additions to those that appear
on the statement. Some banks will include a copy of your canceled
checks along with the statements. Canceled checks are the checks that
you have written and that have cleared your checking account.You may choose to do banking on line. Talk to your bank of choice and discuss all your banking options. However, before deciding to do on line banking or to make any payments on line you MUST have a secure system with anti-virus, anti-phishing, spy ware, firewalls etcetera. (see Computer Safety) Checking accounts:  The information in this section is
peppered with DO NOTS. This is one
of those times it would be a good idea to go along with the advice. But
please check it out with your bank or call the Social Security office.For security purposes have your checks printed using your initials and DO NOT use your full name. So if your name is John Jacob Smith then have the checks printed as J.J. Smith. This way, if only your checks are stolen and not your ID or Social Security card then no one will know the full name or gender and it is less likely to be forged. DO NOT keep Social Security cards in your check book or wallet. DO NOT and do not allow anyone else to put your social security number on any check you write. Your social security number IS NOT a form of identification for checks or anything else for that matter. (see Social Security) It is wise to get a post office box. An annoyance at times, but wise. The mail is much more secure at a post office box if you do not have a box that allows the mail to drop into your home. Yes, it is possible to get a locked box outside your home but there have been cases where these kinds of boxes have been broken into or actually pulled out of the ground and stolen. Thieves are after either the checks possibly coming in or check payments going out. Checks can be washed and rewritten. In this process, if the thief knows what they are doing, the signature can be preserved while the rest of the check is washed and rewritten to anyone in any amount. A protection against this is using checks that cannot be washed. Many banks have begun to use specially processed paper than can’t be washed or will be damaged by the process. Another is to use pens with ink that cannot be washed. There are pens on the market with this type of ink. They are available at office supply stores and most all stores that sell pens, pencils etcetera. Since many places of business will not accept checks with a post office box address have checks printed with your physical address which will match your driver’s license, BUT, arrange for the bank to mail statements to the post office box.    There are more uses for bed sheets other than just putting on your bed, but to begin lets discuss sheets for your bed. You can get plain white or a variety of colors. For the bed you need to purchase sheets within your budget. First
determine
the size of your bed:
Twin, Full, Queen or King. The
Twin being the smallest or narrowest and the King being the
largest or widest.
There is probably a tag on the mattress giving the size. You will need a fitted sheet to go over the mattress, a flat sheet for the top and a set (two) of pillow cases… or more if you have more pillows. You can get a flat sheet for the mattress, but a lot of time may be spent tucking it in and putting it back in place. A flat sheet is needed for the top. Some say we should base our buying decision on the thread count. You’ll find the thread count on the packaging. The higher the thread counts the softer the sheet, supposedly, and the more expensive. Thread counts refers to the number of threads in a square inch vertically and horizontally and range from 100 up to 1000. However if you are on a limited budget consider the counts between 180 and 380. More than that really doesn’t mean the sheets will last longer. A good cotton sheet with a thread count of 200 will be fine until you can afford a more expensive sheet if that is what you want. Unless you are exceptionally rough on them they should last a few years. Flannel sheets are popular for winter months have a low thread count as do linen and jersey. So sometimes thread count isn’t always that important. Bed Sheets can be used to make curtains or drapes, or to cover a wall that you can not paint. Bed sheets can be cut down and hemmed to cover a table or other furniture. They can be used to make matching pillow covers as extras for your bed or to toss on your couch or to even throw on the floor for aded comfort there. And since it is possible to purchase sheets seperately ( flat-the top sheet & fitted-the bottom) the creative possibilities are endless! Not to mention the fact that sometimes.... you can purchase a lot while they are on sale! I myself have purchased a whole rooms worth to cover the bed, the windows, and extras for less than $10.00. (see Curtains/Drapes and also Slipcovers)    You will need your Birth Certificate to obtain a driver’s license, passport, social security card and various other documents that you might need. If you do not have a copy of your Birth Certificate the easiest way to find out where to get it to visit the National Center for Health Statistics website. You can get there by going through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site. It may seem a round-about way but it will get you where you want to be and besides you may learn a lot of other stuff along the way. Go to: www.cdc.gov/nchs When you get to this page, click on ‘Find Birth or Death certificates’. It’s near the top on the right side of the page or should be … it is there, somewhere, so just look for it. When you click on that topic you will get the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) page. There will be an alphabetical list of states and jurisdictions. Click on the state where you were born and you will find the address of where to write for your Birth Certificate. Usually it is the Department of Vital Statistics or Vital Records in the state’s capital city. The listing will give you the costs to obtain the certificate and where to call to find out if any of the information has changed. The information is different for every state. Be sure you have clicked on the state where you were born. Some states charge a fee for sending you a copy of your birth certificate, so be sure to ask how much. This fee can vary from $15 to $25.... maybe even more depending on the state. And this is just one more reason for keeping yours in a safe place.    Moving
boxes are
available at local truck rental locations and come in
many sizes for a price.
When buying boxes the price goes down when you buy in bulk. Boxes are also available free at many stores including grocery, office supply, furniture, drug stores and department stores. Call ahead and ask the store manager if they will hold them for you until you can come by and pick them up. Otherwise, if you don’t call ahead, boxes may not be available because they have been broken down or crushed for easy disposal. Many larger stores do their stocking of merchandise during the third shift - usually between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. and will have a surplus of empty boxes throughout the night! You want to steer clear of boxes used to store perishable items (fresh foods) as these boxes can have residual 'mess' in or on them! Who wants to pack their clothes in a box that smells of rotten fish? Or if the boxes are in a dumpster, do ask before just snatching them. You could get into trouble without permission, SO just take the time to ask the store manager and get his or her name. This way if someone questions you, you can say, “So and so told me I could.” Otherwise, if you don’t call ahead, boxes may not be available because they have been broken down or crushed for easy disposal.
For Packing:
Use paper
that has
been accumulated from shredding mail and
documents not for other’s eyes. The shredded paper will act as a
cushion for glass items and dishes.
Newsprint:
Use newsprint
for
wrapping glass, dishes and other items that need protection from
scratches or breakage. Then put shredded paper in the
bottom of the box and begin packing the wrapped items. Layer the
shredded material and use it to fill in holes that nothing will fit
into. This makes the boxed items snug and less likely to break. Use
this for shipping, (it saves on buying the ‘popcorn’) packing for
moving or storage.
It can later be tossed in the trash and information on the shredded documents is destroyed too. It’s also messy but effective. End Rolls:  Use newsprint for
packing because it’s cheap. If not subscribing to a
newspaper that can be saved over time then go to the newspaper offices
and request ‘End Rolls’. These are the ends of the paper rolls that
can’t be used to print on because they are too close to the end of the
roll. They have no ink on them and are great for packing white items.
No ink to rub off and no need to rewash when unpacked because the paper
is clean. Generally these are free and if not, will probably be only a
couple of dollars. One end roll will go a long way. Bubble Wrap:  Besides using to
pack breakables in (along with newsprint) when moving
or shipping … put between plates, picture frames, bowls … it can be
used under decorative items that could mar furniture.Pop when bored … it’s a great stress reliever!    It can be
tough to
stretch the dollars from paycheck to paycheck. A
budget is one way to keep track of what you need to pay out as well as
what is coming in and hopefully set aside a little in savings. It’s up
to you how you handle your money situation. Trust in the knowledge that
it will be a true learning
experience.
It would be helpful to get a spiral notebook and list your expenses for the month. You can write out the list for each month on a separate page and check off each bill as it’s paid. This will help you stay on track with what you have and where it is going. For large payments such as your rent set aside a portion of each weekly or bi-weekly paycheck so you will have the amount needed when it is due. Most likely one check won’t cover it and if it will, you may need the entire paycheck for that week and you could be left without funds for another week. This is one of the reasons it is a good idea to put a little aside…or in other words don’t spend it all. Expense list Example:
+ Total _________ Monthly Income $_________ Total Bills - $_________ What’s Left $_________ You may not
have
all the expenses listed above every month and some of
the expenses you do have may not be listed.
So on your list, set it up, listing the items you need to pay so that the budget will fit your needs. It won’t be easy to always remember to do this but try to do this every month. It will help you a lot. You will be able to see where your money is going. When you set the budget up, the amount left over is what you can spend on going to movies, out to eat and other forms of entertainment unless you need to use some of the extra money for an expense that you know will be coming up at a later time.   |
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