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$1 A Day To Keep the Hunger Away

I’ve always had a very negative image of coupons. Not because I’m too cool to use them, but because clipping coupons always seems like it’s more trouble than it’s worth. Spending twenty minutes looking for a coupon to save forty-cents on a can of soup just doesn’t add up. Plus, it seems as though coupons are always offered for the products that I don’t fancy, making the search for those that I do, that much more difficult. Thus I ask: Who really has enough time to make couponing worth it?

A fellow blogger by the name of Jeffrey would agree, that is until a spirited conversation with his sister prompted him to discover the “Eating Well on $1 a Day Challenge“. After instating a set of rules and regulations, he subjected himself to his own challenge, wondering if he’d prove a point or simply embarrass himself. What he found was quite surprising: not only was he able to eat for $1 a day but he found he could eat nutritiously. Here are some of the lessons he learned from the first 31 days of the challenge:

You Can Eat More Than Junk Food On $1 A Day. Most people that I told I was going to be trying this challenge assumed that I was going to be eating a lot of macaroni & cheese and instant ramen. I actually was able to get fruit and vegetables into my diet on a daily basis. I only ate 100% whole wheat bread the entire month. While I could have made my diet healthier if I had more money, I believe that what I ate was better than what many people in the US eat without the strict financial limitations.

It Doesn’t Take Near As Much Time As You Would Imagine. There is an initial learning curve when you really do need to devote a good amount of time learning how the system works, but once you become familiar with it, things shouldn’t take too much longer than they do for you now. While it is possible to spend a lot of time cutting, sorting and cataloging all the coupons you have, you don’t have to. I don’t. I simply date the Sunday coupon inserts with a pen and then only get coupons when there is a great deal that I want to take advantage of.

Anyone Can Do It. I only started couponing in February of this year to help out local food banks and avoided shopping as much as I could before then. I didn’t have a clue about anything about couponing or grocery shopping when I began. If I was able to figure out how to do this, I assure you that anyone can. It will take about 10 hours of learning how the different store systems work and about a month of practice using what you learn to become comfortable with using coupons. From that point on, you can expect huge savings in your grocery shopping.

Thanks to Jeffrey, I’m willing to give coupons another shot. If he can eek by on $1 a day, imagine what $2 or even $5 a day could do. Heck, I spend at least twice that every day! While his dedication to his self-imposed challenge is admirable, Jeffrey’s actions serve as a healthy financial reminder. While slimming your appetite down to $1 a day may be a bit extreme, you may want to refer back to your budget and consider the amount of money you spend on food, both at the grocery store and at restaurants.

If you’ve decided to take the plunge into Couponville, make sure to refer to Jeffrey’s blog and perhaps the frequently asked questions section. Good luck and be sure to check back with your own tips and recommendations. Happy Couponing!

No Comments by agkempf on July 28, 2010
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Couch, Cave or Castle, Airbnb Has You Covered

I absolutely love to travel. Whether it’s backpacking with friends or relaxing on the beach with the family, I love to encounter different surroundings, cultures, food, and lifestyles. As with most hobbies, the greatest restraint to traveling is money, at least for me. Traveling can be expensive and even when you go cheap, it’s still not free.

At the beginning of Summer, I wrote an entry about how utilizing vacation rentals while traveling can save you boatloads of cash. Thanks to Scott Saunders (my boss and the CEO of Payoff.com), traveling just got cheaper. No, he’s not offering free vacations or free garage space, he simply sent me a link.

His name is Brian Chesky and he’s the co-founder of a website called Airbnb.com. Called the “eBay for space” by Time Magazine, Airbnb is an online marketplace allowing anyone from private residents to commercial properties to rent out their extra space. Sounds sketchy right? Well it’s not. Brian and his gang have done an incredible job building a trustworthy platform that hosts living and working space all over the world. The result is a mini-Candyland in which you get to browse through hundreds of potential pads for your next vacation, business meeting, or weekend getaway.

At this point some of you may be kicking yourself (or wanting to kick me), wishing you had discovered Airbnb before you took your Summer vacation this year. For that I apologize, there is always Thankgiving, Christmas, Easter, or even next Summer.

What may seem like another vacation-rental website on the surface, turns out to be something much more day-to-day, especially for Brian. As a testament to his belief in his company, users, and the fact that Airbnb needed more office space, Brian decided that for the next eight weeks he was going to live solely by means of Airbnb’s network. That’s right, for eight straight weeks Brian will be house-hopping around San Francisco, avoiding a new lease and getting to know his users (see the promo video below).

Airbnb has in one sense redefined travel. As described best by their tagline, Airbnb allows you to “Book anything from a couch to a castle, by the night, in over 6,000 cities and 150 countries.” Whether it’s a ranch in the Riviera or a futon in Frisco, Airbnb not only provides relief from dull hotels but opens the door to ultra-cheap lodging for travelers and an extra source of revenue for those with an extra bed, room, office, house, or mansion.

Now about halfway through his journey, Brian has kept a video blog, documenting the stories of those renting out space in San Francisco. It’s amazing to hear how Airbnb has provided some with an extra revenue stream in a down economy, given other’s the means to go home for Christmas, and even inspired people to start new companies.

Whether your taking a vacation, a weekend adventure, a business trip, or you’ve got an extra room or three, Airbnb may be a great resource for you. Payoff is most definitely a fan, primarily because it’s a real cash-saver. While I’m not sure I have the perseverance to house-hop like Brian, I wouldn’t mind saving some cash on my next adventure.

1 Comment by agkempf on July 26, 2010
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Dietize Your Life: Six Items or Less

A fascinating article in the New York Times on Wednesday tugged at me this morning as I opened my closet and was presented with nearly twenty-five shirts, ten pairs of jeans, and about eight pairs of shoes. The article was entitled, “Shoppers on a ‘Diet’ Tame the Urge to Buy“. As I buttoned up my shirt, I thought to myself, “there isn’t much taming going on here”. The same can probably be said for all but a handful of Americans, as most of us have enough clothing for a small army. It is precisely this tragedy however, that inspired two friends to institute the official Six Items or Less web challenge.

You may be thinking, this can’t possibly be a challenge in which people choose six items of clothing and pledge to wear only these six items of clothing for an entire month. Oh yes, you guessed it. As a disclaimer on behalf of Six Items or Less, the exceptions are undergarments, swim wear, work-out clothes, work uniforms, outer jackets, shoes, and accessories. So you germophobes aren’t off the hook.

The purpose of the experiment isn’t described as a ruthless demonstration against consumerism as you may have expected. Though is was founded in light of over-consumption, founders Heidi Hackemer and Tamsin Davies intended for the experiment to inspire participants to uncover the power of what we don’t wear. One-hundred people committed themselves to the challenge from Los Angeles to Bangalore and for many different reasons. Some committed just to see if they could, some for the sake of creativity, others to cut-back on spending, others in protest of consumerism, and some who are concerned for the environment and the clothing industries impact on such.

Regardless of who you are or where your from, one of these perspectives probably resonates between all four corners of your closet. While others may consider the proposition downright crazy, the purpose of this entry isn’t to encourage all of you to participate in a clothing “diet”. It is however to ask a question: What in your life should or can be dietized? While our purpose isn’t to whack consumerism at the knees, it’s no secret that most Americans live beyond their means. In light of the fact that your wallet is most likely shrinking in today’s economic climate, what habit can you dietize in order to cut-back, gain control, and begin spending less than you make?

Just as Heidi and Tamsin commissioned their one-hundred diehard participants to commit to their clothing challenge so they may be enlightened as to the amount of clothing they never even use, Payoff commissions you to take one step back and consider the area in your life in which much is wasted. Like participants in Six Items or Less, you just may find that creativity will sprout from your frugal habits, both saving you money and putting a giant smile on your face.

No Comments by agkempf on July 23, 2010
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How To: Trade a Cellphone for a Porsche

It’s a five-letter word. Stockbrokers live and die by it, economies thrive on it, and children utilize it in all sorts of games and modes of collection. It’s one of the oldest economic inventions and is the reason why I can purchase Malaysian curry paste in my local grocery store. Trade. While our ancestors may have known it as “bartering“, today we call it differently and utilize the method to exchange goods and services across thousands of industries and between continents. Though it may seem trivial, it’s staggering to step-back and think about a world without it.

It’s a safe bet to conclude that there isn’t a whole lot of innovation flowing from the age-old notion of bartering these days. Or at least that’s what everyone thought. Steven Ortiz, a seventeen-year-old resident of Glendora, California has seemingly reinvented the word.

Back about two years ago, Steven had an old cell phone he decided he wanted to trade for another. He discovered the “barter” section of Craigslist.org and after a bit of searching, found a fellow Craigslister willing to trade the cellphone he wanted for the cellphone he had. Though content with his new phone, Steven saw an opportunity, he saw the potential of trade in the marketplace.

Over a period of just two years, Steven traded his janky old cellphone for a series of better cellphones, an iPod touch, dirt bikes, a MacBook Pro, a 1987 Toyota 4Runner, an off-road golf cart, another dirt bike, a street bike, and finally a string of cars that landed him a Porsche Boxster (pictured above). That’s correct, a life-sized Porsche, not a die-cast model! At just seventeen, Steven is most likely the only student at Charter Oak High School pulling-up in a Porsche convertible.

While Steven’s series of trades are most impressive, the practical skills of negotiation, coordination, and communication that he’s attained are invaluable. Though what’s most fascinating to me, is the fact that in the midst of an economic meltdown, Steven seemingly found a way to create wealth instead of losing it. This is the type of drive, motivation, and spirit that Payoff lives to see discovered by people in the midst of despair and hardship.

Steven’s story is no doubt an inspiration to people who in today’s economic climate, have to make much of nothing. Interestingly enough, Steven isn’t the first to have turned a buck into ten-thousand. Kyle MacDonald of Canada bartered his way from a single red paperclip to a house! In fact, he documented his journey on a blog he calls OneRedPaperclip. His story became so famous, he actually wrote a book about his accomplishment.

So. What. Now. Are we all supposed to become Craigslist fiends and scour the marketplace for irresistible trades? Some of us should. You may not trade your way to a house or a Porsche Boxster but you may find that someone out there needs what you have and has something you need. In tough economic times, this may be the key to “getting by”. Wait. Wait just one New York minute. No. You know what? We should be thinking like Steven and Kyle 24/7, 365 days a year. We should be thinking like this in good times and in bad. Why? Because frugal is the new cool. Frugality is smart and smart puts you one step ahead of your competition, which for many is the rearing head of their monstrous debt.

1 Comment by agkempf on July 22, 2010
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Lending Money to Friends and Family (the right way!)

Money has a very unique way of spoiling relationships. Because money can be spent in so many different ways and according to different philosophies, money often leads to arguments or disagreements between family members and friends. So what to do when your teenage nephew or less-than-motivated high school buddy approaches you for a loan? While there isn’t exactly a clear-cut answer to this question, there are some guidelines to be followed when considering a personal loan:

Check Yourself. The very first thing you should do when a family member or friend asks you for a loan is to look in the mirror. Consider your financial situation and whether or not you will be able to survive without the money your going to lend. You want to avoid having to prematurely ask for your money back or God forbid have to get a loan from another family member or a bank to cover your situation. When it comes to lending money, make sure you consider your personal financial situation first, so that you don’t send yourself into a a whirlwind of financial need.

Be Nosey. Be sure to ask the obvious question, “For what?” before you proceed any further. Often times when people are in a financial squeeze, they’ll make irresponsible decisions or pursue loans for things they can never pay-back. As the lender, it is your responsibility to ask how the money will be used so that you can determine whether or not the money will be used for a legitimate need. Some people may be uncomfortable asking, but it is absolutely necessary in order for you to make a proper decision.

Go Formal. Money seems to find a way between even the closest relationships. While most loans may seem straightforward, there are usually many different scenarios that should be addressed. While the terms of the loan should be discussed verbally, everything should be documented formally so that there is no chance of confusion or complication in the future. This can be done the old fashion way (on paper) or you can use a fancy tool like LendingKarma.com to keep track of the loan. The most important thing is that both parties sign the document and that you address key aspects of the loan such as the size, interest rate, when payments must be made and how they will be made.

Get Legal. While the loan is indeed personal, it may be subject to control by the IRS. Oddly enough, you can actually be taxed if an interest rate isn’t assigned to the loan. While small loans will typically fall under the radar, it’s a good idea to seek the advice of a CPA (certified public accountant) to make sure that come April 15th, you aren’t stuck with a hefty tax you didn’t expect. Remember, interest rates can vary and can be customized to your situation.

While lending money to family or friends isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it works in many cultures and is fact one of the only ways for people in developing countries to pull themselves out of poverty. So if you, like our Brazilian friends in the favelas, decide to lend money to a friend or family member, be sure to consider the advice above in order to avoid any future feuds.

No Comments by agkempf on July 20, 2010
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Dr. Allowance: Raising Financially Informed Children

According to a study by Sallie Mae, college seniors with at least one credit card graduated with an average of $4,138 in credit card debt in 2008. Graduation has been characterized by many as the introduction into the “real world”. Today however, it seems the “real world” is sneaking-up on college students from behind, crawling in their pockets, and getting a bit too comfortable. By this point, it’s a bit too late to sit down 22-year-old Petey or Jasmine and give them a good ole’ fashioned lesson on how to manage money.

You’re about eighteen years too late, or so says Scholastic, the book publishing company that influences much of what students learn and teachers teach today in America. According to them, financial education should begin around five or six-years-old. “Intense” you say? We think not.

The most easily implementable form of financial education for kids is an allowance. Now before you go making charts and reward-systems worthy of Nobel nomination, we’ve got a few pointers for you:

Above and Beyond. An allowance should be given for something done above and beyond the normal responsibility of the child. For example, all children have responsibilities like fixing the bed, doing their homework, brushing their teeth, and picking-up their toys. These should not be financially rewarded responsibilities. An allowance should be assigned to something extra, something beyond the minimum. The reason being, an allowance shouldn’t be withheld even if the child fails to do his required chores. In this sense, the allowance is being used as a disciplinary tool.

Stick To It. Now that you’ve assigned the chore, a schedule is absolutely required to help children stay focused and see the benefit of consistency. You don’t necessarily have to draft a fancy schedule and post it on the wall, but it should be understood by all family members perfectly. For an example: all chores must be done on Saturday morning, before any other extracurricular activities (video games, friend’s houses, parties, playing, etc.). While the goal is to teach the child initiative, at the end of the day the kid is only six years-old. Directions are required.

Make a Match. Not all children are the same, so don’t treat them like they are. Sit down with your kid, explain that your trying to teach them how to earn and manage money. Let them choose the chore(s) they would like to be responsible for. While this may only work for younger children, try to match your child with a chore he/she may mildly enjoy (or hate the least!). This will save you from future headaches and your ears from falling-off due to complaints.

Show ‘em the Money. A clear weekly allowance must be established. First consider your financial situation and what can be afforded. One easy method is to reward the child $1 for every year of age. In other words, a 10-year-old will receive $10 a week. This can obviously be adjusted based on your family and what is financially feasible. Regardless of the amount, be sure to sit-down with lil’ Johnny and make sure he understand’s his new responsibilities and what he’ll be receiving as a reward.

Gooooaaaallllsss. Now let’s finish strong, help your little guy set a goal or two. After all, the purpose of an allowance is to begin teaching your child how to manage money, not to put you in the poorhouse. This step is where your finally given the chance to expand the child’s understanding of how money should be spent. The exact goal isn’t as important as just having something your working towards. As opposed to having one simple goal, perhaps you can save for two, completely different things at the same time. For example, you could have a “Spend”, “Save”, “Donate” and “Invest” category. Heck, there’s even a piggy bank (pictured above) for that. Or if your child is more of the cyber-type, check out Three Jars, an online savings tool for children. Regardless of the categories, the very act of choosing how to allocate the allowance will stretch the child’s understanding of money and how it’s used. This is where the learning kicks-in.

With these basic steps, you should be able to implement an allowance system in which your child learns the value of a dollar and the skills needed to spend it wisely. It’s (almost) never too early to start and as we all know, a child’s mind is much more moldable than that of an adult’s. If proper money management principles can be installed into a youngsters mind at a young age, they will no doubt grow-up to be financially responsible adults.

No Comments by agkempf on July 19, 2010
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Fathers Know Best: John Adams

“There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.” – John Adams

In continuing with our series exploring the beliefs our Founding Fathers had regarding personal finance, today’s entry belongs to the very first Vice President of the United States, John Adams. One of the most influential Founding Fathers, John Adams was born to a modest family and worked his way through the ranks to become an accomplished lawyer. It was during his years of studying at Harvard College that he attained the skills that were in 1776 utilized in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.

So what could this curly-haired lawyer possibly have to say about money you ask? Well, in the quote above, Adams makes an important distinction between two types of education, one that teaches us how to make money and the other how to live life. In other words, some information teaches us how to survive and the other teaches us how to live proper lives in relation to family, friends, and society.

I believe that if Mr. Adams were to walk around America’s block once or twice, he would be thoroughly astounded as to the confusion between these two “educations”. In America today, we spend too much time learning how to make a living (and then actually making it) with the hopes that one day it will grant us the means to learn how to live. In simple terms, we spend too much time working and not enough time learning how to live. This is most evident in our society as the integrity of families, marriages, and friendships is often compromised as a result of our jobs.

So you might ask, what then does it mean to learn “how to live”? I believe Adams was referring to this notion both in the literal and figurative sense. Literally, Adams is saying that we must learn manners, morals, how to communicate and to share. Figuratively, he is referring to the application of these literal “hows” in our daily interaction with family, friends, and society as a whole. While most Americans have a relatively decent grip on the literal aspect of “how to live” (manners, morals, communication, sharing), we don’t allow ourselves enough time to actually share these things with the people in our lives. Why? Perhaps we’re filling our lives with too much of the first type of “education”, the one that teaches us how to make a living.

In one sense, this two-hundred year-old nugget of advice is more applicable than ever in today’s society. We’ve even written recently about how people often pursue wealth in the hope that it will grant them access to the things they truly desire: time with family, friends, hobbies, etc. We should soak-in the advice of John Adams and realize that one of these “educations” doesn’t lead to the other. In fact, they are complimentary and equally important. I believe that if Mr. Adams were here today, he would challenge you to avoid the wealth = freedom trap that so many American’s fall into, but rather pursue both “educations” with equal fervency.

No Comments by agkempf on July 16, 2010
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Debt Collectors Gone Wild

We’ve all heard stories or seen late-night specials about the horrific stories of crazed debt collectors preying on the elderly widow for something like $10 bucks. Unlike many other fish stories you may here in the financial realm, these are often (sadly) true. Though in the past few months, a few disturbing reports in The Star Tribune of Minneapolis have taken this issue to the next level. It seems debt collectors have found a way to reinstate an institution that’s been extinct for nearly two-hundred years, the “debtors’ prison“. That’s correct, in the 1800’s you could have been put into prison for not paying your debts!

To be clear, the intent of this entry isn’t to scare you or create some sort of nation-wide hysteria, while that wouldn’t be so tragic if it caused everyone to payoff their debts and escape the wrath of debt collectors all-together. Eh hem. Anyways, the purpose of this entry is to shed some light on the industry and practice of debt collectors so that we can do our best to avoid interaction with them. As we will discover, the industries tactics are akin to those of a house cat in a cheetah suit.

To begin, let’s address the industry as a whole. What exactly is a debt collector anyways? A debt collector or debt collection agency is one that purchases past-due debt for pennies on the dollar. In other words, let’s say I owe $100 and I haven’t showed much interest in paying it off. After a certain amount of time, my bank will consider my loan worthless and basically un-collectable. At this point, they will sell my loan for something like $1 dollar to a debt collections agency, who now owns the debt. Banks do not resort to this method easily and when they do, it’s usually due to the debtor’s irresponsibility and unwillingness to comply.

This is where it gets nasty. The debt collector’s ability to collect that debt, depends on how effective they are in tracking you down and making you pay. This is where the harassing phone calls, uninvited knocks at the door, and more recently the “debtors’ prison” comes in. Now lets jump back a few paragraphs. As reported recently in Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Arkansas, and Washington, debt collectors are successfully leveraging government resources to collect debt, namely the law enforcement and court systems. Yes sir, debt collectors are using your tax dollars in order to maximize their own profits. Now that’s slimy.

In short, collection agencies file a lawsuit against a debtor (me in this example), requiring them to appear in court. If I don’t show up, the creditor, now the collection agency, wins a default judgement against me. The consequences? This allows them to ask the court to schedule another hearing at which point the judge can analyze my assets and determine if actions such as wage garnishment (withholding of my wages to payoff my debt) or bank account seizures will take place. If I choose not to show up to this second hearing, the judge can order me in “contempt of court” and issue a warrant for my arrest. Uh oh.

So what now. Now that we understand how the industry works, what do we do about it? Most importantly, you are now armed with a very important weapon: clarification. What you don’t know or don’t understand can be scary. So take this information and share it with people who you know need it. Secondly, if your in hot water and perhaps being pursued by a debt collection agency, hopefully this information will clarify the experience you may be having. While it’s easier said than done, do not avoid the situation out of fear or embarrassment. The sooner you confront the situation, the better. Paying-off debt isn’t an option, it’s an obligation.

There are various solutions for someone with past-due debt, one of which is not “evasion”. Rather, go to your creditor or financial institution and rationally discuss your options. For a second opinion, seek-out a credit counseling company with a solid reputation, not a radio-advertised imitation. Of course, the best way to avoid dealing with debt collectors is avoiding them all-together. No, this doesn’t mean you should lock yourself in your closet or bail the continent. What I mean is, don’t allow your spending to eat you alive. A simple budget and an ounce of restraint should do the trick.

No Comments by agkempf on July 15, 2010
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Unemployment: A Jolt of Freedom

Perhaps our largest interest here at Payoff is freedom by passion. That is, attaining freedom by doing what you love. We call this “entrepreneurship”. While many of you may consider only iconic businessmen such as Steve Jobs or Donald Trump entrepreneurs, the truth is that entrepreneurship is best defined as the pursuit of that which you are passionate about. Further, entrepreneurship is typical defined within the context of business, but in our opinion can be extended to just about any aspect of your life: the way you govern your family, the way you spend your free-time, and even the way you get ready in the morning.

At Payoff, our passion is helping others pursue their passions and dreams. From talking to hundreds of individuals from different walks of life, we’ve determined debt to be one of life’s greatest constraints. Unfortunately, debt often invites his crony friends along, such as employment that “pays the bills” or a job that requires you to work double shifts, forfeiting valuable time with your family. For these reasons, we’ve chosen to dedicate our time to helping others gain a step or two on debt.

As you would imagine, our wheels really turn when we hear the stories of people who are freed from a life full of obligation and procedure, and who are pursuing their dreams. “Lemonade” is a short documentary about sixteen advertising professions who loss their jobs as a result of the recession. Much like you and I would react, all of them were devastated and confused as to how they would make a living and support their families. One by one the film reveals each individual’s journey through their difficulties to eventually how they discovered their passion and made it their work.

Below is the trailer for the film, which can be watched in full length (36 min) here. Whether you’ve lost your job as a result of the economic downturn or your just tired of working for a paycheck, we encourage you to watch the film. It’s an inspiring tale that may cause you to think twice about your life trajectory and the dreams you may have left behind.

Some of my favorite quotes:
“The worst possible thing you can do is nothing, to wait for someone to call you”
“I got laid off, and I was thrilled!”
“Start incorporating more of what you love into your daily life”
“It’s not a pink-slip, it’s a blank page”

No Comments by agkempf on July 12, 2010
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WANTED: Work, $1000 Reward

For some people, finding a job in a down economy has been nothing short of an emotional roller coaster. Take Sonja Funakura for an example. Sonja lives in Fort Worth, Texas in a humble home full of humble possessions. She was laid-off from her job as a financial analyst about fifteen months ago and since hasn’t been able to find a job. Having submitted her resume to hundreds of employers over the past year resulting in just one single interview, Sonja is officially discouraged.

As a 51 year-old single women, her unemployment benefits are nearly exhausted and she’s even resorted to offering free labor, just to feel productive. Though after one discouraging day looking at job listings with no real success, she decided to take action. Sonja advertised a $1,000 dollar reward for anyone who could find her a job! “Money talks”, she said. “I figure the worst case scenario, I’ll give them my first paycheck. Literally. That’s better than going another year like this.”

Sonja isn’t alone. A recent study by Rutgers University showed that most people who lost their jobs last summer, still haven’t found a replacement this summer. A year’s worth of unemployment can drive a person mad, just ask Sonja. She said, “I have really thought, maybe it would be a relief to be on the streets with just my dog because the worrying of it [unemployment].” That is genuine desperation, a confession that should cause all of us employed people to be very thankful.

Payoff commends Sonja for her hard work and persistent searching. So persistent in fact, a local news channel featured her story (below). Keep up the hard work Sonja, it will pay-off! And if you know of a position in the Forth Worth or Arlington areas, contact Sonja at sec4040@aol.com. After all, she is offering a $1,000 reward.

No Comments by agkempf on July 9, 2010
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