Cookie jar savings

Saving has been automated for years. The Bank of America, Keep the Change program, reframes the hard, might I say for many of us, the impossible task of paying yourself.

The costs of saving are reduced, the mental model is reframed, and the routine is nearly automatic. Spend. Simply spend. And, BoA reinforces your good deed. They match your contribution.

For the pros and cons of the put your change in BoA's cookie jar, check out Wisebread.

Change your assumptions about being able to save, change bank accounts or get a cookie jar.

Black friday prices

These finds aren't free, but if you need something these are good prices.

Every day, dealnews brings the best deals available to their website. As they say, "… the kinds of deals you'd normally only see on Black Friday."

Dealnews verifies that each item listed is valid, the lowest total price they could find and from a reputable retailer. Then, they post it.

Cash-less christmas

Looks like more and more people are deciding to go cash-less. Here's a company that has developed software to help people give things away to people looking for things, free. They have inproved the way items are listed from craigslist and their own resources.

Kashless believes reuse and recycling marketplaces should be as rich in ecommerce and community features as the best paid goods marketplaces. No more clumsy bulletin boards or e-mail group lists. In addition, they recently formed a partnership with the Recycle Bank and are beginning the Kashless Rewards program. If this works we'll be able to get credit and convert it over to uesful items at local businesses.

Martin Tobias, Kashless founder said, "This year go Kashless and give, receive, earn great rewards, and most important, make a real difference in" someone`s holiday season."

Now you can experience a national marketplace where everything is free, Kashless.org. Try them out. Let's hope it works.

Please, give us comments if you try the service.

Getting services and things without cash

Barter functions in a cashless economy. Beer, lingerie, ad space, home improvements and electronics just some of the offerings business owners put up for swap at the recent barter show. People packed into a hotel to and trade bicycles, jewelry, anything for plumbing, for doctor visits or for maintenance services. Members have cards linked to accounts of "trade dollars" which they can spend on anything offered by other businesses in the network. Some people barter for household expenses, others to reduce slow moving inventory

. It's all about keeping cash for your business. Business-to-business barter through one of these exchanges gets value. I have found 5 exchanges that operate in various parts of the country..

• Itex
  
• Gulf Coast Trade Exchange
  
• Green AppleBarter
  
• BizXchange
  

The We Trade Now Network web site lists some of the services their barter exchange offers its members. In addition to a monthly bulletin, they electronically manage all barters and trade dollars. They advertise member businesses to other members. Each member gets a statement every month. And, every January they send each member a 1099B.

Barter is for businesses. A timebank is for people swapping time for time. An alternative for people living cash-free is to trade time in a timebank. Local timebanks manage the trades for its members.

6,344 people got free medical visits

California was once held up as the epitome of boundless opportunities, has collapsed. The crisis is so deep that Kevin Starr, who wrote an history of the state, declared: "California is on the verge of becoming the first failed state in America."

The California legislature slashed healthcare. The housing market freefalls. Cities across the state, such as Fresno and Modesto, have jobless rates that rival Detroit's. In order to pass its state budget, its agreed to cut billions of dollars from education and layoff 60,000 state employees. And, the state's bonds have been ranked just above "junk".

Now, people without medical insurance waited for hours for treatment in Inglewood recently. The 1,500 free places were filled by 4am. Looked like the aftermath of a natural disaster.

The Remote Area Medical Foundation posted a thank you on its website, to everyone who made it possible for so many to receive so much during the event. Remote Area Medical's, 8-day free clinic at The Forum in Inglewood served 6,344 patients.

I brought this to your attention for two reasons, to mention the extraodinary work of a free medical service the Remote Area Medical Foundation, and to muse, can the US recover if California continues to languish, or fail?

Reuse is the highest form of recycling

Freecycle built a reuse movement that reduces waste, saves resources and eases the burden on our waste processing plants and landfills while enabling its members to benefit. It's Yahoo group that helps people give away, rather than throw away. Anyone is welcome to post items to be given away or to seek items needed. Visit the Freecycle community in your area.

It is a bit awkward to join (it's a Yahoo group) but might meet your needs if you need something another person in your commuity wants to give away. I just checked. Someone just gave away a bed and another was looking for pots and pans. Every community lists very practical things for free.

Just a reminder, Craigslist has a category for free things. Pick a city, Austin, Texas for example. It's under "for sale," then "free." It is true on every city's page.

Freecycle and Craigslist keep tons of reusable materials out of landfills.Try either, or both when you need something.

Housing prices stopped decline

Near the end of February I mentioned that housing prices were falling, that has changed. Starting in June housing prices, nationally, have risen slightly.