There are many reasons that trees can lean.  If they are competing for light and space they will often grow towards these resources.  Trees which are improperly staked, have structural defects, have grown with a prevailing wind, or have blown over when younger, often exhibit a persistent lean.  Usually such trees reinforce themselves by forming extra tissue to support them.  It is for this reason that if you look at a cross section of a leaning tree, the middle of the tree will not be in the middle of the cross section.  Instead, the tree will have optimized its situation by forming “reaction wood” and “tension wood.”  While in some cases they do have a higher chance of failure than a tree would with a straight trunk this is not always true.  In many cases if the tree has grown with the lean for many years it likely made the necessary adjustments both in the trunk and canopy to deal with this added stress.  These responses are another evidence of the “toughness” of trees.  They are adaptable and self-optimize in the face of stress. 

Another type of lean which is more problematic is the “recent” lean.  If you suddenly notice a new lean in your tree it is time for careful examination.  Or, if after a storm you find a crack in the soil between the base of your tree and the surrounding ground you may have a problem.  This indicates the tree has shifted.  It may also mean that significant structural roots have been broken or damaged. 

If you are concerned about your tree’s lean it is wise to consult with a Certified Arborist.  If you livein Arizona, I recommed talking with a Phoenix Arizona tree service. Through experience they will be able to help you determine the proper course of action.  In some cases it will be best to measure the lean of the tree and then to periodically assess and re-measure to see if it is increasing.  In other cases significant pruning or the installation of guy wires or other types of support may be warranted.  Sometimes it may be necessary to remove the tree if it has become unstable.  By taking action and hiring a Certified Arborist to assess your leaning trees you can mitigate the potential of tree failure, and in many cases preserve trees which are important to you.

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My Dad served in the U.S. Army as a medevac helicopter pilot for over 12 years, and in so doing qualifies for VA Loans.Just what exactly are these special loans? Wikipedia has a great answer. In a nutshell, the Veteran's Administration provides assistance to veterans of the United States Armed Forces by partially guaranteeing loans to veterans with low or zero down payments.

If you have a family member who has served in one of our country's armed service branches you should encourage they do a little research to see if they qualify.

For example, you or your loved one could qualify for a VA loan in any one of the following scenarios:

1. Currently on active duty for at least 180 days

2. Provided 90 days of war service

3. Provided 180 days of peacetime service before the 1980's, or

4. 24 months of continuons service after the 1980's, or

5. 6 years in the Reserves or Guard, or

6. Is the suriving (cannot be remarried) spouse of a a service member who died on active duty due to a service related disability

This is a great program for vets, allowing them to qualify for a home with no down payment and lower monthly mortage payments thanks to reduced interest rates.

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Recently my wife has been concerned that our child might have a mild form of autism and as a result I have been doing way too many Google searches on the subject.  In my research, I came across a story about how one autistic child (Brad) has found a unique treatement, a pet Golden Retriever.  Golden Meadows Retrievers is the name of the southern California kennel responsbile for breeding and training the dog that has helped Brad learn how to interact with others and deal more effectively with sensory overload issues. 

Anyway, I have always been a fan of dogs and thought this was a great story.

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I recently had the opportunity to learn of the integrity of a Phoenix Arizona tree trimming and removal company - Tree Doctors Inc.   Tree Doctors Inc. was hired by a home owner in Mesa Arizona who needed some tree trimming done on several palm and date trees.  Unfortunately, some of the fruit from the trimming was not cleaned up and ended up staining some of the decorative concrete on the property.  The home owner called one of the company's managers to inform him of the staining.

The Tree Doctors Inc. manager immediately took responsibility for the mistake and arranged to have the stains professionally removed.  I appreciate this kind of service when working with any "service company."  So, I thought I would pass on a referral to any Mesa Arizona resident looking for Mesa Arizona tree trimming or Mesa Arizona tree removal - give Tree Doctors Inc. a shout:

www.treedoctorsinc.com

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When you need money fast, a cash advance loan may be a great option for flexible payment, quick turnaround, and a manageable loan amount. However, some quick loans can bring more hassle and problems than they are actually worth.

Traditional Online Cash Advance Loans

Many traditional online cash advance loan companies work on the same basic formula. That overall process requires quite a bit of work on your end, including faxing documents and verifying information via fax.

And let’s be honest. Most of us don’t have fax machines in our homes, and if we do, getting the paper documents necessary to send to these companies scanned and fax can be a huge hassle. So that leaves the options of using a public fax machine.

Many people resort to using pay-for-fax services at local copy shops or general stores that offer fax services. In most cases, that means handing your personal, private documents over to a complete stranger. It also requires the cost of gas and time to get to the store to fax the documents. There’s no privacy. No comfort. And all hassle.

Online No Fax Loans

With no fax loans, the entire loan process takes place from the comfort of your own home. Your information is submitted electronically, and that information is verified by phone. No faxing. No rushing around town. And no loss of privacy and confidentiality.

These no fax cash advances are much more convenient and much less troublesome than their traditional counterparts, and we highly recommend seeking out companies with no fax options. Typically, these companies are more aware of the experience of their customers, and will work hard to make sure you are not inconvenienced and that your confidential information is kept secure.

The bottom line: Always carefully research the company you are considering using for a quick payday loan, and give extra consideration to those that offer the safety, security and convenience of no fax loans.

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It is the first week of March and my family and I just returned from a week at the beach in beautiful Santa Barbara, California.  I think this is the first time I have ever gone to the beach during the "off season".   One of the things I could not help but notice was how differently the beach bums were dressed. Usually, California in July means a myriad of bikinis, sun-tanned bodies, and other folks trying to show off what "momma gave them", but California in March was all about hoodies, jeans, and other modest women's clothing. Obviously, the whole world has not taken up the modest clothing movement.  But it was strange to see so many beach dwellers in modest clothing, even if it was just the brisk weather forcing people to cover up.

Our family was a little unsure of what to expect from an off season beach trip.  We were pleasantly surprised with the less crowded beaches, the lower prices (everything was discounted), and the warmth of a good wet suit.  We were able to do just about everything we usually do - including surfing, boogie boarding, sea creture hunting (during low tide), and long walks on the beach.

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1. Drive less.  Yes, gas prices have come down.  But, who knows when they will skyrocket again.  Find ways to reduce your transportation costs.  Does your area have a transportation system?  Could you carpool with a friend or neighbor?  Cut your transportation costs and put that money into savings.
 
2. Cut back on the drinks.  You don't have to have a Starbucks coffee every morning.  Have you ever stopped to think about how expensive those gourmet drinks are?  How much do you spend every day?  Multiply that by 1 week?  Now, multiply that by 52 weeks in a year.  That is how much money you could have in savings if you brought your own drinks from home or went without entirely.
 
3.  Conserve that precious energy.  Turn off the light when you leave the room.  Turn off the TV when you leave the room as well.  Find ways to reduce your heating and air conditioning bill.  The biggest home-energy expenses are heating and air conditioning.  According to the U.S. Department of Energy, "During every 24-hour period, you will save about 3 percent on your energy bill for every 1 degree you lower the thermostat setting (or, conversely, raise it when air conditioning is the big cost).
 
4.  Take up gardening. Gardening has many benefits.  You will burn calories.  A nice garden will make for a nice yard, which will add value to your home.  Mowing your own grass will save you $300 per summer.  Apply your own weed killer and fertilizer to save another $200.  That's $500 right there!
 
5.  Choose small pets, or go pet-free.  Large pets are a large expense.  Here are some approximate annual costs of pet ownership: small dog, $780; cat, $640; a medium dog, $1,115; a large dog, $1,500.  When it comes to pet ownership, smaller is better and cheaper.  Less really is more (more in your savings account).
 
6.  Don't flush money down the toilet.  Do you have to buy brand-name toilet paper, tissues, paper towels, plastic-wrap, etc.  Consider buying these products in bulk.  You'll pay half the price as you would normally.  Instead of buying these items at your local grocery store, try buying them at Costco, Sam's Club, Kmart or Wal-Mart.
 
7.  Go easy on the media.  Media and entertainment expenses has become a huge expense for many people.   Take a look at how much you spend on cable, satellite television, Internet, etc.  See what you can do to cut this major expense down.
 
8.  Use the tax-advantaged plans at work.  You can use your company's cafeteria plan, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, etc.  You can easily put $500 into savings by using these plans once you spend $2,000 in pretax-ed dollars.  Most employers can offer some sort of these plans.  Use those pretax-ed dollars before you spend your own dollars.
 
9.  Don't go out to eat.  Eating in can obviously save you a lot of money.  Instead of going to a restaurant and spending at least $25, go get a $7-$10 pizza at a pizza joint.  Or better yet, cook yourself.
 
10.  Get out of debt.  Avoid credit card debt at all costs.  NEVER pay interest on an instant approval credit card and pay off your balance in full every month.  Getting out of debt quickly can save you a bundle in the long-run.
 
As you can see, it doesn't have to be difficult to start a savings account.  Take a close look at your spending tendencies and make necessary changes to get your savings account up and going. 

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Yesterday, I mentioned that Dream Systems Media had the opportunity to attend/speak at SMX West 2009. I also mentioned that it was a fairly expensive venture, however it would have been much more expensive had we not been able  to hedge a lot of our costs via credit card rewards. 

We paid for four round trip flights and hotel accommodations for 4 nights all via credit card rewards.  All of this was made possible thanks to a credit card comparison study that we conduct each year.  Our company goal is to make sure that we leverage the money we spend and that means choosing the right credit card.

On a personal level, I use an AMEX cash back credit card and have enjoyed getting some decent checks from them.

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Have you heard of the new real estate site www.unclesamsland.com ?  In my opinion, Uncle Sam’s Land might be a great find for those looking to invest in today's real estate ‘buyer’s market’.

Apparently, there is no membership fee for the site, and properties start under a thousand dollars.  Uncle Sam's Land is picking up these properties via hundreds of tax auctions all over the country.  The company assigns staffs of researchers to conduct due dilligence on each property available at a tax auction and then they "bid on the best crop available."  

If your unfamiliar with tax auctions, here is the typical proicess:

1) The land owner does not pay property taxes
2) The state puts a tax lien on the property, and from this point, 1 of 2 things can occur

Option 1 - Tax lien sale

The county can sell a tax lien certificate to the highest bidder at an auction. Please note that the certificate is not a deed to the property.  In fact, the bidder is actually bidding on the right to an interest rate, which she can then charge the delinquent property owner for paying the taxes. At tax lien sales, the lowest bid (lowest interest rate) wins.  Now if the property owner fails to pay back the certificate, the certificate owner can foreclose on the property just like a mortgage company.  At that point, the property owner would have a set period of time to pay back the loan or lose the house.

Option 2 - Tax deed sale

The county can also hold a tax deed sale at a public auction.  The highest bidder wins the auction and now owns an acutal deed to the property.  At this point, all individuals with liens against the property are notified of the sale and have a right to bid on the property.  If they fail to bid on the property within a cetain period of time they lose their right to their lien claim and the auction winner now owns the property free of any other claim.

Uncle Sam’s Land inventory consists of tax deed sales.  Most of the land purchased by this group are empty lots.  Occasionally, the properties will have structures on them. 

Why would these properties make good investments?

Because each of the properties has gone through the foreclosure process, they are priced dramatically less than what the fair market value would indicate for them.  Basically, the new owner is walking into a significant amount of equity for a relatively meager amount.  Purchasing real estate for ‘pennies on the dollar’ is without question the biggest attraction to Uncle Sam’s Land. 

Furthermore, the basic nature of the purchase transaction is nearly effortless for even the most novice investors.  Included in the purchase price are the documentation fees which will enable the new owner to be placed on title of the property.  Once payment has been submitted following a transaction, Uncle Sam’s Land will create a Quit Claim Deed which will request that the new owner customer be placed on title of said property.  Normally, the county will take anywhere from 1-3 months to process the request, and once the process is fully completed, the Deed (the document which proves you are the owner) is sent to you to keep for your records.  Simple as that.

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I recently read that at one point in time Google deleted their corporate blog.  Can you believe that?  The most powerful search engine in the world deleted its blog.  In fact, accidental blog deletion happens all of the time to companies and individuals.  Luckily for us there is a new company whose aim is to provide blog backup. Bloggled.com is the name of the company, and their motto is "Be a hero. Save a blog." 

Bloggled was founded by a fella named Brent Ramey who realized that his wife and many of her friends spent an amazing amount of time blogging.  One day, Brent's wife accidentally deleted the family blog and nearly went into depression.  Brent and his business partner decided it was time someone offered a backup blog service, and Bloggled. com was born.

To date, the young company has backed up hundreds of thousands of blogs.  Bloggled also runs a fantastic corporate blog, with lots of funny stories, political fuel, and other reads of interest. So if you have a blog, and who doesn't, I ask you : have you backed up your blog? If not, you may want to go take a look at Bloggled's service.  It is free for a limited time.

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I am still steaming over the unbelievably bad experience I just had with the Highland Utah Jiffy Lube.  (click on that link ff you want to read the full version of my story).  Short recap of the story:

• My wife got in a car accident
• I was out taking care of her car and decided to stop at Jiffy Lube
• Utah Jiffy Lube employee locks my keys inside my car
• Utah Jiffy Lube store manager tells me it is my fault and refuses to pay for a locksmith
• I am forced to walk home on the Highland Highway in the dark, with snow and ice everywhere!
• Utah Jiffy Lube plugs up one of their 3 bays for a full business day b/c of refusal to pay for a locksmith
• I have to call in a favor to a police woman friend who unlocks my car
• I finally get my car home 18 hours after making one of the worse decisions of my life

I have not been this mad since high school.  I literally had to go play basketball for 3 hours that night just to try and sweat the stress out.  

Suggestions for Utah Jiffy Lube:

• Send all store managers to some kind of mandatory customer service boot camp
• Tell your employees not to shut open car doors unless they are holding the keys
• Offer to give patrons a ride home if they are stuck at your store because you locked their keys in their car
• Offer to pay for a locksmith to come unlock the car, if one of your employees locks the patrons keys in the car

This is partially my fault - I should have never stopped at a Jiffy Lube in the first place! These are the same guys that are famous for the telling you every part on your car is dirty, worn out, and needs replacing.  How many times have you heard:

"Sir did you know your windshield wipers, your air fllter, your coolant, and belts are all about to give out?  We can replace each of these parts for a total of $239.00, plus your oil change which was only $34.95..." That is what I thought!

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So my wife and I got sucked into a great financing offer - 5 years no interest with 10% down.  We have an empty formal living room and would like a new bedroom set.  So, we momentarily purchased about $4,000.00 worth of furniture on Black Friday.  I drove home with that awful feeling of buyer's remorse and then booted up the good ol' household budget software to see what this expenditure was going to do to our budget.  Although, the budget planning tools were showing me that we could easily live within our budget I still just did not feel right about carrying the $4,000 debt.

So, I decided that the furniture was going back.  This of course broke my wife's heart, as she was anxious to invite over family and friend's to bask in the new look.  I learned something about money management here, which is: just because you can afford it does not mean you should buy it.  In fact, I have since taken steps to save an enormous amount of money on the impending furniture purchase.  Today, I signed up for 2 new wholesale furniture accounts.  This should allow me to get basically the same furniture for about 1/2 the price.  I have also decided that we will furnish the rooms in stages.  First, we will take care of the formal living room. Second, we will re-furnish the bedroom.  And third, I will get some new office furniture.  I feel much better about the new approach.

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Many of you may have read the recent post 15 ways stores trick you into spending money by MSN Money. If you have not, you should, it really is a great read. And if you can recognize the 15 tricks the article exposes you should be able to save a grip of money next time you visit the grocery store.  But, here is another secret (actually secret is a poor word choice  because I want you to tell everyone about it) you can use to save money every time you go to buy groceries - walk in with a budgeted amount of cash in an envelope.  Guess what, you are not allowed to spend any more money than the envelope contains.  This is a little budget help the envelope budgeting way!

I think the current mortgage crisis is evidence that money management ability is not on the list of "strengths" for most Americans. In other words, we all need a little help in cutting back on bad spending habits.  For decades, people have found that budget help with the envelope budget system.  Today's money management software allows you to ditch the physical envelopes in exchange for virtual envelopes, but the system has remained the same. 

You can find literally thousands of success stories from individuals who have lived by the envelope budgeting system.  Of course, there are dozens of other budget programs, so go out and find one that works for you.  Remember, the stores can get as tricky as they like, but it will have absolutely no effect on your spending habits if you live within a personal budget.  Good luck.

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A few days ago I was talking with my sister, who is a CPA, about how she could make some money online.  I seem to have these conversations a lot.  We discussed several options and then I asked her how she felt about starting a specialized blog.  She said she had never given it any thought.  Time to give it some thought.

Both her and her husband are accountants.  She teaches accounting classes at a University.  She has and knows a lot of information other people would like to.  Chances are she will always be involved at some level in the accounting field. So it makes a lot of sense to continue to build her reputation in a field in which she is already established.

She of course responded by saying, "but how am I going to make money posting free information on a blog?"  First of all, lots of people make good money maintaining popular blogs.  (Another post for another day "how to monetize your blog").  But more importantly, she can build the current and future value of herself as a professional by creating a useful, popular, blog.  For example, let's say 10 years from now she goes to apply as a full time professor at a larger, more prestigious University and she is able to tell her potential employer "I own a blog which has top 10 Google rankings for accounting, accounting principles, accounting firm, etc." You can see the infinite value in that right? ;)

Plus, with the software available today, your blog can quickly become your book.  There are many programs which can quickly turn your blog into a book by clicking a button that says print my blog, or publish my blog.

So, my dear sisterm, stupid is... not keeping a blog.

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Have you ever noticed that people really pick and choose which modern conveniences they will welcome over their “old school” way of doing things?  A few summers ago, I had the opportunity to work in a law office and I was amazed at the way my boss did business.  First of all, the guy did not even own a computer. Secondly, he would lose his cell phone for weeks at a time and not seem to miss it.  But, this guy, like all people, had his modern vices like a flat screen television with high definition programming. I always find it interesting that everybody has certain modern conveniences they take the time to learn and use, as well as a few areas of holding out.

So, how do you keep your online budget?  Do you indulge in the convenience of a money management software? Or, have you refused to give up the pen and ledger?    In case, you have failed to join the revolution – here are the top 3 reasons you should be using some kind of household budgeting software:

1. You save trees - When you record the expenses digitally there is no paper mess!

2. You save time – Almost everyone can type faster than they can write.  But even if you’re a slow typist, think of all the time you save by not having to do the math.

3. You are more accurate – No matter how many “mad minute” contests you won as a 5^th grader, you are bound to make more mistakes calculating all of those debits and deposits than your good friends Mac or PC will make.

So, if budgeting software is one of those modern conveniences that you have heretofore decided to forego, I hope this post encourages you to think through that one more time! 

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I heard a great quote yesterday, which reads "both abundance and lack of exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities.  It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend... when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are greatful for the abundance that's present - lov, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us happiness - the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth." - Thomas S. Monson.

I completely agree with the premise stated in this quote, namely that people have an unfortunate ability to concentrate more on what's missing than what is in place. I believe the reason people struggle with this tendency has to do with the intrinsic "problem solver" within most of us.  In other words, we have a hard time ignoring things that are amiss, even when most things are secure, because we have this buring desire to "fix"  whatever is wrong.

Across America people are complaining about financial woes.  Most people think they need more money. Unfortunately, that may not really be in their control.  Alternatively, they could focus on budget help which is something completely within each person's control.  People can also focus on taking better care of the possessions they already have.  We will all be much better off if we can individually figure out ways to extend the product life of both valuables and consumables. So here are just a few random suggestions:

• Use some type of household budget.
• Learn how to change your oil.
• Learn how to cut your kids hair.
• Backup all computer files, including blog back up .
• Eat more meals at home.
• Car pool when and where possible.
• Use a gas saver .

In sum, my advice for all of you folks stressing about the lack of money is to do a few simple things to save money so that your able to start focusing on the things of abundance in your life. 

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Once upon a time I was a missionary in Tacoma Washington.  At that time, in an effort to try and "focus on the mission" missionaries were asked/challenged to go without phone calls or emails from home.  That meant that good old fashioned snail mail became your best friend, particularly if that little metal box held a letter from your girlfriend back home. I can remember going to the mail box day after day and coming up dry.  

Fast forward a few years to now and I would LOVE to see an empty mail box. Today, I am welcomed with dozens of warm greetings from grocery stores, satellite television companies, and worse of all credit card offers .  Ok, not worse of all, nothing can dethrone a bill from that lofty status.  But at least I asked for the bill.  The thing I hate about credit card offers is how sneaky they are.  Some of the envelopes make you think you won the lottery - only to find out you were "chosen" to receive another opportunity to acquire some future debt.

Even if they trick you into opening the envelope, you then are exected to wade through pages of text to really understand the offer.  No thank you, if I am going to shop for a new credit card I much prefer to use a credit card comparison site. I believe they greatly save time, frustration, and in the end money.

Anyway, I hate junk mail...

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I finally got a hair cut yesterday.  I had been holding off for two reasons; 1) I have always wanted to try "the shag", and 2) I hate budgeting one hundred dollars a month for hair!  Seriously.  It's not that I actually average a haircut a week, but my wife cuts and colors her hair every two months and that alone is like $160.00 a pop!  So, if she goes every other month, and I go once a month we are looking at a $200.00 expenditure in the household budget! On hair cut expenses - totally ridiculous! 

So I asked the hair stylist if she had noticed any relationship between fewer haircuts and our worsening economy.  Surprisingly (to me at least) she answered that she has not seen any reduction in the number of hair cuts.  So, if people aren't skrimping on hair cuts, where are they making cut backs?  Fewer trips to the movie theatre?  Less meals out? More car pooling? Fewer rounds of golf?

It seems the minds over at Mvelopes were wondering the same thing as they recently posted a survey entitled " In an economic slowdown, which of the following would you be least likely to give up?"  According to Corey Davis (VP of Marketing) the answer is not eating out, but he didn't tell us what people are giving up .

Well you choose to give up what you will give up, but as for me and my family, our form of money management starts with no more hair cuts!

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