Around the Sun: Blog About Saving Money

I got this email today from ING Direct that caught me by surprise:

When you opened your Orange Savings Account, we wanted to help lead you on the path to savings. Since your Orange Savings Account has had little or no activity for the last 6 months, we are closing your account and returning any funds that were in your account.

We will make every effort to return your entire balance electronically to the linked checking account we have on file. If we’re unable to send it electronically, we will send your remaining balance via paper check.

Thank you.

The email looks legit. I may have overlooked some of the small print, but it seems strange to be forced out. I’ll see what happens over the next few weeks with my account and my money. If the account closes, it won’t be a big deal. I do most of my activity with HSBC Direct and am satisfied, plus this may allow me to profit from an “open new account” offer from ING in the future.  

In honor of Oregon Statehood Day, admission to the Oregon Historical Society Museum will be free on Wednesday, February 14.

Located at 1200 SW Park Avenue in downtown Portland, the museum houses award-winning exhibits of Oregon history and artwork. 

Hours are 10am to 5pm.

For more information, visit http://www.ohs.org/.

A huge thanks to Ms. Bathtub for the heads up!

This week I read some great blog posts about many things frugal:

Susan at West Coast Crafty takes a vow to abstain from purchasing “new” manufactured items of clothing for the next 4 months.

Young Money has tips for an inexpensive Valentine’s Day. This year, the Mr. and I will be having brunch at Skamania Lodge. It’ll cost less than we typically spend on a nice dinner occasion like V-Day, and we just like their brunch.

LifeHack provides advice on something I’ve been wondering for a while: how to use the Nike+iPod transmitter without having to buy the Nike+ shoes. (Read the comments for more ideas.)

Ms. Bathtub lists her favorite cheap ethnic eateries in Portland. I fully agree that Real Taste of India is an awesome deal, and I can’t wait to try her other picks.

A couple of weeks ago, I was having lunch at a local coffee shop that offers patrons an assortment of magazines to read while they eat. I decided to look through the January 2007 issue of Portland Monthly and was captivated by photos of the Portland Aerial Tram. I liked the photos so much that I wanted the magazine. I wanted it really bad.

I couldn’t take the magazine from the restaurant, and I didn’t want to pay $5 for it at retail, so I told myself to let it go. It wasn’t that important.

But even days later, I was still thinking about the magazine. Then I saw a new issue of Portland Monthly, the February issue, sitting in a pile of mail on my boss’s desk—first stop before going to the reception area. A lightbulb went on in my head.

“What does my office do with old magazines?”

I had no idea, the thought had never occurred to me before. We have a small office and obviously keep no magazines there.

So I asked our admin whether I could have my pick of last month’s magazines and was very pleased to be able to pluck the January Portland Monthly from our reception area and put it in my bag. I’m a sucker for small victories.

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If you are in Portland and are looking for back issues of magazines, I recommend visiting Cameron’s Books and Magazines, which sells a wide assortment of used magazines for a fraction of the cover price. 

Cameron’s Books and Magazines
336 SW 3RD Ave
Portland, OR 97204-2702
503-228-2391

Here are some typical questions that arise when my husband and I are out on the road:

What’s the cross-street?
When do they close?
Do we need reservations?
When’s the next showing?
Have they already stopped serving dim sum?

To solve mysteries like these, we call 1-800-FREE411 to get the number of the establishment we want to reach.

1-800-FREE411 provides nationwide directory assistance for free from any phone. Compare that to what some of the largest wireless providers charge for dialing 411:

T-Mobile: $1.49
Verizon Wireless: $1.49
Cingular/AT&T: $1.79
Sprint: $1.79
Alltel: $1.50

Now all I ask for are more all-day dim sum places.

Recently, I signed up for Book Mooch, an online community for exchanging used books.  I got my first mooch yesterday, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, from fellow book mooch Dawn, and I can’t be more thrilled with the experience. I requested the book last Tuesday, and Dawn sent it off the very next day. To top it off, the book is in great shape. I don’t think it gets any better than that.

Joining Book Mooch is free. Then you earn points (or fractions of points) for listing books that you want to give away, for sending books to others, and for leaving feedback. For each point you earn, you can request a book from another member. You pay shipping fees for any books that you send to others. The Book Mooch website has a comprehensive “About” page that goes into more detail. 

I had a great experience with Book Mooch, but the concept actually inspires me to see whether friends and family in my city would want to trade books. Maybe even have a book swapping party with my girlfriends. Why request a book from halfway across the country when the same book might be up for grabs just a few miles away?