Halloween Part I

Hi All,

Just a few links to 'things related to Halloween' today...I might have a part II entry if this one is popular enough....or not.  But remember, Halloween is this Saturday - so get your costumes and candy ready.  The trick-or-treaters will be coming to score the loot!!!!

Want to Know if Your Halloween Costume is Unoriginal? Just Ask Google.

Halloween movies that just aren't scary.

Halloween movies that are scary. No seriously...

Halloween movies for kids....awww...how cute.

Halloween parties on Long Island

Best Halloween Events on Long Island for Kids 

Halloween Party Checklist

How to Plan the Perfect Halloween Party

Top 10 Halloween Candy - List I
America's Favorite Halloween Candy - List II
And America's Favorite Halloween Candy - List III - because I'm really, really thorough!  :)

Enjoy the links!

Regards,
Stu

Money, Money, Money....

Hi All,

I've got a riddle for you.  What is green, everybody wants more of it, some people have a lot of it, and some people don't have a lot of it?   Take a guess...

It's money.  Yep - we all need it to get by in this life and world.  And even though I've shied away from blogging about websites that discuss or cover money over the first few years of this blog...I've recently been writing about it a bit more. 

Today's entry is a poorly named site - Rockstar Finance - but it has lots of good, quality, useful and interesting money/finance/saving related articles.  Rockstar Finance bills itself as 'a collection of awesome money articles'. Basically it finds money and investing and budgeting articles from other blogs and sites from around the web and publishes them...interesting.  And its a good place to find lots of useful and timely money related articles.

There really isn't any index or summary on the site - just a long page of interesting, timely money related articles arranged chronologically. 

There is a category section beneath the top mast of the page though. It has 17 or so categories.  Highlights of these categories include budgeting, building wealth, debt, early retirement, frugality, home ownership, minimalism and retirement.

Examples of the types of articles on the site under the 'budgeting' category include:
Why Car Payments Suck
Everything We Know About Money on Index Cards
The Power of Not Budgeting
20 Things I'd Tell My 20-Year-Old-Self
How MacArthur Geniuses Handle Their Windfalls
3 Tricks I Use to Spend Less....
My 12 Year Old's Secrets to Saving Money

Enjoy the sites and hopefully the advice and ideas will pay off - or at least you'll find the articles interesting and useful.

Regards,
Stu

Civil Service Job Assistance

Hi All,

Some folks might be preparing for local civil service examinations and need assistance in studying for the test.  Welcome (and thank you) New York State Department of Civil Service!  This link has test guides and resource booklets for local examinations.

Examples of jobs on the page - as of 10/20/15 at least - included the following:

• Account/Audit Clerical Series(263KB)
• Caseworker Series(271KB)
• Clerical/Steno/Typist Series, Entry-Level(274KB)
• Correction Officer Series, Entry-Level(337KB)
• Custodians and Janitors Series, Entry-Level(229KB)
• Custodians and Janitors Series, High-Level(253KB)
• Director of Facilities Series(918KB)
• Fire Chief/Assistant Fire Chief Series(398KB)
• Firefighter Series(136KB)
• Higher Level Account Clerical Series(423KB)
• Investigator Series(168KB)
• Local Civil Deputy Series(305KB)
• Local Court Security Series(344KB)
• Police Chief/Assistant Police Chief Series(204KB)
• Police Officer, Entry-Level(87KB)
• Police Officer/Deputy Sheriff Exam - Frequently Asked Questions
• Police Supervisors/Investigators Series(404KB)
• Second- and Third-Line Police Supervisors Series(299KB)
• Public Health Technician Series(84KB)
• Safety and Security Series(439KB)
• Senior Stenographer/Senior Typist Series(347KB)
• Social Welfare Examiner Series(289KB)
• State and Local Identification Series(275KB)
• Toll Collector Series(1.04MB)
• Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator/Trainee Series(224KB)

Some of the job titles might be helpful to you - others not so much.  Note also that the documents open in Adobe Acrobat - the number in parentheses is the size of the document.  Also not that test guide are made available to the public on this site 60 days prior to the date of the written test.

Also note that they (civil service) suggest going back to the site each week to see if any new job announcements are posted.  It changes from week-to-week.

For a quick look at the Nassau County Civil Service website, click here.

On this site users can find examination announcements, a section of Frequently Asked Questions, Physical Fitness Requirements,  information on Section 85 A/B Civil Service law and links to the main Nassau County website.

Hope the links and the sites help you secure the job that you want!

Regards,
Stu

Funny Amazon.com Reviews

Hi All,

Amazon.com is - as many of you know - a huge online retailer. Of everything.  From books, to motorcycles to diapers to deodorant to car parts and much, much more. It sells everything - and fast. 

What's more, it allows customers to review products that they have purchased.

So, of course, people being people, some folks like to write funny, clever, interesting product or book reviews. It all makes for very interesting reading - if you have time.  So...here are a bunch of websites that combine 'funny Amazon.com product reviews'.  Enjoy the sites - but more to the point, enjoy the funny reviews from customers!

Funny Reviews - from the Amazon site
WordStream Version of Funniest Amazon.com Reviews
16 Hilariously Inappropriate Amazon Reviews 
The MarySue - 50 Funny Amazon Reviews 
TheKitchn - 5 Funniest Reviews 
Business Insider - 11 of the Most Hilarious Amazon Reviews

Enjoy the sites and the reviews.

Regards,
Stu

Saving Money Is Where It's At!

Hi All,

Back in December 2014, Yahoo Finance! published an article with the title '11 Websites That Will Make You Smarter About Money'. 11 websites were mentioned, but I want to discuss the first one - heck, I might even revisit the article in the future and discuss other sites mentioned in the article - or not...I'll see.

Anyway the site in question is Wise Bread. It bills itself as 'personal finance and frugal living forums'. It also bills itself as 'Living Large on a Small Budget' on the masthead of the website. So if you want to learn how to save money from everyday people, this is the place to go.  Wise Bread writers share both their own experiences and tips...so the site is really, really good for advice on the everyday challenges of spending less and saving more.

Wise Bread has sections on Credit Cards, Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Career, Life Hacks, Best Deals, Top PF Blogs and more.  Note also that the site has a search box at the top right side of the screen.  Discussing each of these sections in detail would result in far more than a simple blog post. It has the makings of a chapter of book.  So I'll discuss just one section of the Wise Bread website: Frugal Living.  Readers can click this link to go to the main Wise Bread page and peruse the rest of the site on his or her own...besides, isn't that half the fun of the web?

The Frugal Living section of Wise Bread is broken up into sub-channels: Budgeting, DIY, Entertainment, Food and Drink, Green Living, Health and Beauty, Home, Lifestyle, Shopping, Style and Travel.

Under the various sub-channels are popular articles and the latest articles in budgeting.  As of 10/14/15 the top 3 articles on budgeting were:
1. How Much Engagement Ring Can You Actually Afford?
2. These 5 Apps Will Help You Finally Organized Your Money?
3. Best Money tips: Common Mistakes in Your Family Budget

And the list has at least a dozen other articles that readers might do well to read.  Readers can make comments on the various articles, share them via Facebook, Tweet them via Twitter and Pin them via Pinterest.

Finally, readers can subscribe to the site by clicking on this link.  Content is powered by Feedburner and users can subscribe using a variety of web-based news readers. 

So if you are interested in saving money, or learning about personal finance or getting career information or getting the inside scoop on credit cards, you might want to visit Wise Bread!

Regards,
Stu