Tricks to use best online portals for all Travel Deals and saving in 2014

Top online website to get best deals in 2014

This is my new article on vacation in 2014. In this article you will see the best online website to get best deals.

Why to use online travel websites?

 

Last minute deals

Online travel websites offer a lot of benefits. For example, if you've just learned that a sudden trip is necessary, you can find last minute deals for transportation and lodging. If you're interested in a special kind of travel, like a theme cruise or vacation package, you can find all the available options in minutes online. Or, suppose you want to fly to Europe for sightseeing, then to the Middle East for a camel ride across the desert, then cruise to Florida for a canoe trip in the Everglades, then take a train home.

Best Rate more saving

You can find the best rates for each part of your trip and plan your entire itinerary with the right online travel site. These sites offer you a world of travel which can be narrowed down to exactly what you're looking for. No more need to spend hours doing all the searching yourself or dealing with a travel agent or airline.

 

Easy to get good deals

Travel sites have been around for more than a decade, but now they are at a turning point. A new type of site has evolved; the travel search engine, or 'aggregator.' This type of site makes your already-easy travel searching even easier. Suppose you're looking for the least expensive flight across the country leaving in exactly three days. Or perhaps you want to find the most luxurious canoe trip through the Florida Everglades on Valentine's Day.

Travel search engine Benefits

Type in what you want on a travel search engine such as Smarter Travel or Kayak, and it will search through hundreds of travel-related sites such as Priceline and Travelocity to present you with all the available options. Now you don't even have to search one by one through online travel sites; the aggregators even do that for you!

What to look in travel site?

 

Industry experts agree that no single travel site always has the lowest prices. If you want to find the absolute best deal, start with a meta-search site that includes hundreds of other travel sites. Although meta-search sites link to booking travel sites, you might conduct the same search at these sites individually to see whether you get the same results. One shortcoming of travel sites is they often exclude regional airlines; therefore, Time magazine recommends checking the airport website to identify regional carriers that might offer more affordable flights.

Experts and users offer the following advice about using a travel booking site:

1. Sort search results by price

 Search results don't necessarily appear sorted by price. The default sort order may list preferred providers first. Check prices on additional pages and look for the option to change the sort order.

2. Contact the service provider.

To avoid unforeseen problems, you may want to contact the airline, hotel or rental car company to review policies before booking, or at least read the policies posted at the website. For example, airlines charge different fees to make a change or check baggage; hotels might require deposits and rental car companies might not accept debit cards.

3. Understand detail fees.

 Although major travel sites advertise "no fee" to book flights, it's important to read the fine print. There may be a fee for flights with multiple carriers, hotels, blind bids, international trips, package deals and in certain other situations. Note whether the prices in the search results include taxes and fees, because some sites don't reveal those charges until you begin the booking process.

4. Review policies and cancellation clauses.

Even if the booking site advertises "no fees to make changes or cancel a reservation," you will be required to pay fees that the service provider charges. In the case of booking non-refundable travel, it can be nearly impossible to cancel or make changes, especially on bidding travel sites.

5. Notice changes in pricing.

No price is final until the travel is booked. ConsumerReports.org says it's not uncommon for fares to jump in price, have hidden fees or become unavailable when you begin the booking process. Verify the price through every screen in the booking process, especially after entering a travel voucher.

6. Verify the email confirmation is correct.

Carefully review all the details in the email, because it may be difficult to make last-minute corrections. When purchasing a package deal, make sure you have a confirmation number for each component. If you don't receive an email confirmation, call the company to make sure the travel was booked.

7. Remove traces of previous searches.

Because pricing is dynamic, two people conducting the same search may get different results. Experts say you may need to reset browser settings or delete "cookies" to ensure that you are getting the lowest fare. You might even conduct the same search with two different browsers.

8. Sign up for fare alerts.

If you aren't ready to book, many travel sites allow you to sign up to receive daily or weekly fare updates via email. Experts also say airlines tend to announce sales on Tuesday, which makes it a good day to start looking for cheap flights. A few sites also offer price alerts on hotels.

Top website to use get best rate

1. Why to use Kayak

By a large margin, most reviewers identify Kayak.com as the best site to begin researching travel options. After entering your search parameters, Kayak.com scours service providers, booking sites like Orbitz.com and… expands international sites to come up with the best offers on flights, hotels, rental cars and cruises. Like other search-only sites, Kayak.com links you directly to the site offering the travel option you select. For flights, Kayak.com provides historical fare information to help you pick the right time to fly. Additionally, Kayak's system will send email alerts about changes in flight and hotel prices relating to your specific travel plans.

http://www.kayak.com/

Pros

•Searches for all types of travel

•Compiles results from 200-plus travel sites

•Historical airfare information

•Alerts for airfare and hotel price changes

•Apps for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry

Cons

•Not a travel booking site

•Prices may be obsolete

This is second part of my blog post on ow to use Top website for all amazing travel deals and saving. In this part you will see some more free travel websites.

2. Yapta

Although Yapta.com is limited to searching for flights and hotels, it earns attention for doing something no other search-only site does -- tracking flights after the tickets have been purchased. If the price drops enough… expandto cover any re-ticketing fees, Yapta.com sends out an email alert. This site uses the same flight search engine as Kayak.com, but it has a different twist on tracking airfare prior to booking. You can request an email alert if the price drops for a specific flight on a specific airline, whereas Kayak.com sends the lowest fares based on travel dates and cities

http://www.yapta.com/

Best airfare tracking

Pros

•Same flight search as Kayak.com

•Email alerts about airfare changes

•Price tracking after booking airfare

•Airfare refunds assistance on price drops

Cons

•Not a booking service

•Search for flights and hotels only

•Mobile app for iPhone only

3. Why to use Hotels.com

When it comes to booking a hotel, experts say the 130.000 worldwide properties available through Hotels.com are unmatched by Orbitz.com or any other site. This site also allows users to search by landmark or address. Hotels.com offers numerous filters to narrow down these properties to the ones with the price, location and hotel rating you seek. You can also consult hundreds of guest reviews and ratings for most properties. Should you find a lower price online within 24 hours of booking, Hotels.com will refund you the difference. Hotels.com doesn't charge an additional fee to make a change or even cancel a reservation, but the property may impose fees of its own, and you are still liable for those. Although Hotels.com features other types of travel searches, experts prefer Kayak.com, which also offers email alerts about price changes and mobile apps, for those.

We found the best reviews for Hotels.com at PC World and Kiplinger.com. We also read about two dozen user reviews at Viewpoints.com. Hotels.com is the top pick for hotel reservations at PracticalHacks.com, though that evaluation is older.

Best for booking hotels

Pros

•Searches more than 130,000 properties

•Unusual search criteria

•No fees for changes or cancellations

•24-hour price match guarantee

•Guest reviews

Cons

•No price alerts

•No mobile apps

4. Why to use Priceline.com

If you don't mind a little uncertainty, Priceline.com can deliver significant travel savings, reports say. However, the catch is that Priceline's best deals are available through blind bidding. You won't know the full details of the flights you've booked or the hotels you've selected until the bids you've placed on them have been accepted and paid for. That said, users still have some control -- you do get to specify a hotel's rating and general neighborhood, and Priceline.com has instituted guarantees that light times, connections and layovers won't be unreasonable. Priceline.com also has a standard booking engine that works just like those at other major travel sites, such as Orbitz.com. If you don't like the idea of bidding, experts say that Kayak.com does the best job of scouring booking sites -- including the company sites of airlines and hotel chains -- to find the best deals.

Although Priceline.com is recommended in quite a few sources, the praise is strictly for the bidding aspects of the site, rather than using it to book travel at published prices. It's included in a recent list of best travel sites at Travel and Leisure magazine as well as in a slightly older list of top travel sites at Kiplinger.com. We found other favorable reviews for Priceline.com at BudgetTravel.com and TriponaDeal.com.

Best for discounted rooms

Pros

•Booking of all types of travel

•Steep discounts through blind bidding

•Apps for iPhone and Android

Cons

•No refunds or changes on blind bids

•No alerts for price changes

5. Why to use TripAdvisor.com

Although users can't book flights or reservations through TripAdvisor.com, it's one of the most popular sites for reviews of hotels and attractions. Experts and amateurs alike appreciate the huge archive of reviews on this travel site, and say that the accompanying photographs and ranking system come in handy when choosing which hotels and attractions to book in advance. Most also point out, however, that a critical eye is needed when evaluating certain glowing reviews, as many could be fake. TripAdvisor also includes a search engine for hotel bookings and flights that is similar to Kayak.com but falls short in terms of features and number of sites searched.

TripAdvisor.com is recommended quite often for its reviews on hotels and other travel destinations, rather than its search capabilities. TripAdvisor.com is included in two lengthy compilations of travel sites at Travel and Leisure magazine and Kiplinger.com. It's also recommended by BudgetTravel.com. We found older reviews of TripAdvisor.com at The Washington Post and PracticalHacks.com. More than 50 user reviews at Viewpoints.com round out the picture for this travel site.

Best for traveler reviews

Pros

•Millions of guest reviews available for hotels and attractions

•Includes maps, photographs and recommendations

•Allows users to search and compare rates from other travel sites

Cons

•Navigation can be challenging at times

•Quality and usefulness of reviews varies

Trick to save money to see Empire State, Statue of Liberty, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and many more ($260)

One ticket booklet that saves 40% on admission to the 6 best attractions in New York City

This is my new article on getting Lower price admission tickets to see nice waterparks and places in Canada and US. In this article I will cover places to see in New York or Big Apple.

One ticket booklet that saves 40% on admission to the 6 best attractions in New York City

CityPASS gives you admission to

Empire State Building

Observatory American Museum of Natural History the Metropolitan

Museum of Art MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art) Top of the Rock or

Guggenheim Museum

Statue of Liberty

Ellis Island or Circle Line Cruises

Why City pass?

See the Best & SAVE

New York CityPASS is a booklet of admission tickets to 6 must-see tourist attractions in New York City. You'll save 40% compared to combined regular box office prices.

Skip ticket lines

Save time with easy access at most attractions. Once you have your CityPASS booklet, skip the ticket line and head straight for the entrance.

Take your time

CityPASS booklets are valid for nine consecutive days beginning the day of first use. Visit the attractions in any order you wish.

Easy Purchase

Buy now and choose delivery option during checkout: Email voucher or ship ticket booklets. You may also purchase at any CityPASS attraction for the same low price.

Here is breakdown on city pass saving

2 Adults -                    Actual Price $366 after pass you pay only $218

2 Youths 6-17            Actual Price $280 after pass you pay only $164

Total cost without saving $646

Total cost with saving-      $382

Saving- $264

Family of 4 saves-$150+110=$260 about 40% saving

Here is link to get e-ticket or Booklet

Blogmakesmoney Link

Highly selective and deeply discounted, New York CityPASS booklets contain six tickets to the best sightseeing in New York:

1) Empire State Building, 86th floor observatory and audio tour;

2) Metropolitan Museum of Art, including all special exhibitions, $1 audio tour discount and same-day admission to The Cloisters museum and gardens;

3) American Museum of Natural History and Rose Center for Earth and Space, including one Hayden Planetarium show;

4) Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) admission;

5) An Option Ticket, with choice of either Top of the Rock™ Observation Deck – or admission to Guggenheim Museum;

6) an Option Ticket, with choice of either a Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises experience (2-hour Semi-Circle Cruise, 2-hour Harbor Lights Cruise, 75-minute Liberty Cruise, or The Beast Speedboat Ride) – or Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island (a ferry ride to Ellis or Liberty islands, transfer between islands, and return trip; on-own tour of grounds and facilities on both islands).

If you miss last night MMVA, here are best and worst moments (videos)

MMVA 214

You can find videos below...........

2014 marks the 25th anniversary of the Much Music Video Awards...and the night was as eventful as ever.

First we will see worst moments

 

First worst-Marianas Trench arrives in bed

In previous years, Vancouver rockers Marianas Trench have arrived at the MMVAs in plastic bubbles, as mermen, and in a hot tub.  This year, they chose to show up at Toronto’s biggest block party with lingerie-wearing models having a pillow fight over them in bed while they laid back and ate Cinnamon Toast Crunch. We would have preferred to have the ninjas back.

 

Second Worst-Imagine Dragons performs “Demons” and “Radioactive” AGAIN

Imagine Dragons are a great band and “Radioactive” is a great song, but we are ready for them to share any of their other great tunes with us. We ask them to take a cue from Lorde and how she decided to showcase songs like “Tennis Court” and “Team” over the obvious choice of “Royals” at this year’s MMVAs.

 

 Third worst-Worst:- Where were Kendall and Kylie Jenner?

The youngest stars of “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” were hired to host this year’s MMVAs, but it felt like we saw them on the red carpet and only a few times during the awards show and that’s it. We love the MuchMusic VJs, however, it might have been nice to see more of the Jenner sisters.

4rth worst-Kendall and Kylie's attitude right from the beginning

Looks like all that Kardashian fame has gone to the youngest sisters heads. Kicking off the ceremony, Kendall and Kylie did what hosts are supposed to: hype up the crowd. Except, during their hype session, they remembered who they were, and asked for a round of applause for themselves in a less than subtle manner. You're not your sister yet, ladies.

Now we will see Best Moments

 

First Best moments- Lorde performs “Tennis Court” and “Team” with a lamp

 

 

We give Lorde major points for rocking out on the MMVA stage alone to her own tunes and singing live. We also thank her for not singing “Royals.” Her eggplant purple suit reminded us of British singer Billie’s wardrobe from the 1998 music video “Because We Want To,” but in a good way.

Second Best: Ed Sheeran delivers food on the red carpet

Singer Ed Sheeran arrived at the 2014 MMVAs in a Mr. Tasty Fries truck and handed out yummy treats to fans. No doubt a few members of the crowd who were waiting all day were pretty excited to see him.

Third Best: Imagine Dragons win an MMVA and sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to guitarist Wayne Sermon live on stage

Las Vegas rock band Imagine Dragons won the MMVA for International Video of the Year – Group and during their acceptance speech, frontman Dan Reynolds led the crowd in a round of “Happy Birthday” for their guitarist Wayne Sermon. That’s quite the birthday gift.

Third best-Best: Kendall Jenner makes fun of herself

During her opening monologue with her sister co-host Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner pretended to mix up her cue cards making reference to her Billboard Music Awards teleprompter mistake resulting in her on stage remark, “Guys I’m the worst reader.”

4rth best-Jena Malone hands out doughnuts to the crowd

Turns out Jena Malone is a sweetheart bearing sweets for fans. The Hunger Games star caused quite a ruckus when she appeared on stage to present an award, followed by MMVA volunteers carrying boxes upon boxes of doughnuts. Hey, when standing outside in the heat for hours on end, it's important to stay full.

Lorde


Grande

Kendell

Cooling your home without hurting your budget in summer

Keeping cool in summer without spending $$$ on AC

This is my new article on Keeping Cool in summer 2014 without Spending Big Money on AC

All Air conditioners are really a big hydro suckers

Take a lot of fans to beat the cost of running an air-conditioner, A fan might only be 1/2kw against an air-conditioner 650-850 kW. Fan is small. Air-conditioner is cooling the air, where a fan only moves the air. Two different things they are. Also most air-conditioners have a fan in it as well.

In the typical home, air conditioning uses more electricity than anything else -- 16% of total electricity used. In warmer regions AC can be 60-70% of your summer electric bill, according to Austin Energy. If you're serious about saving energy, address your cooling costs first, since that's what uses the most electricity.

Of course, you'll save the most money if you can learn to do without your AC at all. It's definitely possible. A combination of ceiling fans, insulation, and the other tips below will keep you comfortable -- and saves hundreds of dollars every summer. You could take a trip to Las Vegas every year from what you can save by not using AC.

A window unit AC uses 500 to 1440 watts, while a 2.5-ton central system uses about 3500 watts. That's a lot of energy. A floor fan uses only 100 watts on the highest speed, and ceiling fans use only 15 to 95 watts depending on speed and size.

Here are some nice tips to keep cool in summer without spending $$$ on AC.

1.  Check your Ceiling fan spinning (Blowing Down)

Make sure your fan is blowing DOWN, to send air past your body, removing the hot air that surrounds your body. If your fan is blowing up, it won't do any good.  In fact, it's worse than no fan, because it moves the warm air at the ceiling back down towards the living area. It's true that a fan that blows down also pushes the warmer air down from the ceiling into the living area, but it's blowing even warmer air away from your body, so the overall effect is to cool you down.

Almost all fans have a switch to change the fan direction.  It's an up/down or left/right switch on the side of the fan (between the light and the fan blades), and it's usually unlabeled.  Make sure the fan is off (not spinning) before you flip the switch or you can damage the motor.  Once you've turned the fan off, it's fine to physically stop the blades with your hand, just be gentle so you don't bend the blades, otherwise the fan will wobble when you turn it back on.  With the blades stopped, flip the direction (summer/winter) switch, then turn the fan back on.

So how do you know which direction is up and which is down?

For most fans, when you're standing under the fan looking up, a counter-clockwise blow down and clockwise blows up. Check by standing under the fan when it's on full-speed.  If you can feel the wind hitting you hard, then it's blowing down. To verify, stop the fan, change the direction switch, then turn the fan on full-blast again and compare the difference.

2.  Buy a special kind of "Chillow" pillow

The Chillow is a water-filled pillow that keeps your head cool while you sleep. You can either sleep directly on it or put it inside a pillow case. I bought one as soon as it came out and it really works. You can Order this for $30-35

3. Use a Bed Fan for comfort sleep

Most people prefer to sleep with covers; even though that traps the heat your body creates. So you can run an expensive AC to cool the whole house just so you can be comfortable under the covers...or you can simply use a Bed fan. It's a small, gentle fan that operates right under the covers. Why didn't someone think of this before? This could be great for people who experience night sweats or hot flashes. And you won't have to run an expensive AC all night long.

4. Wear a wrung-out shirt

It totally works. It works even better if you combine it with a fan.

5.  Shower before sleeping

A quick, cool shower can keep you cool for quite a while afterward.  And the water cost is trivial compared to the electric cost.

6.  Use an AC timer.

For central AC, your thermostat might already have a timer built-in.  If not, you can replace your thermostat with a programmable one.

For window unit AC's, many modern units have a timer built in.  If not, you can use a simple plug-in timer if your AC has a mechanical on/Off switch (i.e., you physically move it into a different position when you turn the AC on).  But plug-in timers usually don't work if the On/Off switch is electronic (i.e., you push a soft button on a panel to turn the AC on or off).

7. Plant Tree on south or west side of House

If you plant trees on the south or west sides of your house, it’ll keep it cooler in the summer but it’ll actually keep it warmer in the winters because the sun sets and rises on the opposite side in the winter.

8. Replace all incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient

We all have incandescent bulbs as they burn a lot of energy. It is good idea to replace them with energy-efficient fluorescent bulb

9. Choose white window shades

If you’re going to do drape window, you could just add white window shades. They’re white so they’ll reflect the light off. Cellular shades or honeycomb shades are awesome too because they almost trap the heat in the cellular compartments of the shade. They’re a little more expensive, but I think if you’re living in a house for a long time it would be a good investment to make.

10. Paint with Light colours

The light, more powdery pastel colours are very cooling and soothing. You could even go tan as long as it’s like a grayish-taupy tan.

11. Use More Fans

Fans are good way to get cool air without spending much money on AC.

12. Day to day chores

Sometimes it’s a better idea to shower in the morning or at night and not in middle of the day; same thing with doing dishes, washing and drying your clothes, cooking — all that stuff can help reduce heat in the house. You’re just trying to avoid that midday heat — that’s when it’s the worst.

13. Use more natural fibre jute rugs

Replace your heavy carpet with one of those natural fibre jute rugs. They’re almost very nautical in a sense so it gives you that sense of coolness. It makes you feel like you’re on the beach.

14. Add more insulation to your Attic

If you’re going to live there for a while it might be worth adding insulation to your attic. You could go up to like 12 inches of insulation and it’ll dramatically reduce the heat that’s in your house.

15. Open windows

It is good idea to keep your house cool in night time by opening windows.

Simple tricks to Travel smart and travel economical in 2014

Free tricks to Travel smart and travel economical in 2014

This is my new article on travel summer season of 2014. Summer is the best time to travel in North America. With the high gas cost and other travel problem we have to plan how we can Travel smart and travel economical. Here are some neat travel tips you can use to spend less time on watching your wallet and more time visiting new places.

 

Travel Light, Save Money

Even though you may be travelling with just one item of luggage, if it exceeds the allowable weight, you'll pay dearly for it. Generally, to avoid hefty fees for an overweight bag, your packed luggage must weigh less than 23kg (or 50lbs). And if it's over? Expect to pay anywhere from $75 to $100 more.

 

Advance Seat Selection Will Cost You

Many airlines nowadays offer you the opportunity to pick your seat well in advance of your travels, for a fee. Save anywhere from $20 to $40 per flight by selecting your seats during the check-in process rather than in advance.

 

Pack Less, Pay Less

Packing poorly can cost you...literally. If you can't fit everything into your suitcase and need to take two, count on having to pay. Fees vary, but 2nd bag service fees (if applicable) usually range in price from $20 to $70.

 

Pack Travel Insurance

No matter how short your trip, or how close to home you'll be, pack travel insurance. You should never travel without it; travel insurance will save you more money should you need to rely on it if you fall ill or are injured, than the premiums you paid. Travel insurance is not where you want to cut corners.

Travel Often? Consider an Annual, Multi-Trip Travel Insurance Policy

An annual, multi-trip travel insurance policy gives you the emergency medical health insurance coverage you need for each trip you take within a 12 month period. Annual travel insurance policies come with a variety of options for trip lengths—one week, two weeks, and one month being the most popular—and can save you money in travel insurance premiums over buying a single-trip policy every time you travel.

More saving with Pint-Sized stuff

Travel-sized toiletries are great for helping you travel light, but can be costly. Instead of buying these pint-sized travel companions pre-filled, go to the dollar store and buy empty travel-sized containers that you can fill with your favourite product. In no time, you'll recoup your initial investment (of about $5) and you can re-use them on all future trips too.

ABM Fees Can Put a Dent in Your Account

Call your bank if you're planning on using ABMs while on vacation; you may be surprised at how much this convenience will end up costing you. Transaction fees, additional withdrawal fees (for using a non-affiliated ABM), and foreign currency conversion administration fees may all apply.

Use a Travel Rewards Credit Card

If you don't yet have a travel rewards credit card, you're missing out on one of the easiest ways to travel cheap. And, depending on the credit card you choose, the points (or miles) you accumulate can add up and often be used towards anything travel-related—not just flights, but also hotels, car rentals, tours and more.

Only You Should Be Roaming, Not Your Phone

The pay-per-use fees for voice, data, and text messages are cost prohibitive and add up quickly when travelling. Avoid paying exorbitantly high fees by getting a travel bundle plan from your service provider. Listed are the big three in Canada with links: Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, and Telus.

Cheap Travel

Cheap travel doesn't have to mean that you travel to destinations you're not interested in, stay at accommodations you don't like, or eat poorly while you're there. In fact, cheap travel—in this one traveller's opinion—means smart travel. Pay for what's important, get the most out of what's easily available to you and avoid falling prey to unnecessary fees and surcharges

 

Low down on getting Free College Scholarship

Tips to get Free College Scholarship in 2016-17

The potential of winning a free college scholarship should be attainable for anyone who has the motivation to attend college, but needs financial aid. For many people, a scholarship provides the only opportunity they have for furthering their education, so preparation is essential when considering going to college on a scholarship High school students should begin to build their academic resumes as early as possible: the more they have to show, the better their chances will be of receiving financial assistance for college.

How to get Free College Scholarship?

 

Get Good grade

The first place for students to start when the goal is a free college scholarship is with their grades. Although not all scholarships are based on academic merit, students need to show some consistency to prove that they can fulfill a degree plan. The objective, however, should be to have the highest GPA possible.

Get High score in SAT and ACT test

In addition to grades and grade point averages, scores from tests such as the SAT and the ACT are evaluated and even calculated with other grades to qualify students for some scholarships. If there are pre-tests or practice tests that can be taken, students should take that opportunity to find out where they stand and where they need improvement.

Do More volunteering

High school is also a great time to start volunteering and serving the community. The amount of time that is volunteered is important in receiving free college scholarships, but not as important as the personal characteristics that it develops, such as leadership and dependability. Also, volunteering can open students to new interests that may affect their career choices.

Specific Career Plan

Having clear goals for the future is a quality that is highly regarded by scholarship selection committees and the sponsors of awards. It is in the student's best interest to have specific education and career plans if they have expectations of winning a free college scholarship.

With adequate preparation, free college scholarships should be attainable for most students.

 

Not All Scholarships Are Free

The majority of students who receive scholarships are under the impression that they have been awarded a free scholarship. While in most cases this is true, and a scholarship, by definition, is a gift given to pay for college that does not need to be paid back, there are instances where a scholar will end up owing something. Many people do not consider tax penalties that may be associated with scholarships. There can also be stipulations in some scholarships stating that the students are required to pay back the amount of the award by way of service in their field.

While a scholarship is, in fact, free for most students, scholarship recipients should be aware that scholarship awards are not taxable only when the award is used to pay for tuition, enrollment fees, and books and materials that are necessary for the courses they are enrolled in. On the other hand, if the student uses the scholarship to pay for room and board or for travel expenses, even if associated with school, the amount that is spent for these purposes will be taxed. Even scholarship money that is spent on research may be taxed. Since equipment for research is taxable, is would be wise to inquire with the sponsor of the scholarship or the IRS to distinguish between equipment that is taxed and other materials that are not.

Students, who are awarded scholarships which require repayment in the form of work or service, are in the monetary sense, receiving a free scholarship, but they still owe their time. Those who fail to work as specified may owe the remaining balance, with interest. These are facts that all scholarship recipients should be prepared to face, not things that should discourage anyone from applying for or using scholarships as part of a complete financial aid package.

Easiest way to spring clean dust mites from mattress and wooden stain naturally

Spring Clean dust mites mattress and wood stains

This is my second article on spring cleaning our home clutter. In my previous article we see how to clean stove, refrigerator, shower head and Dusty blinds. I this article you will see some healthy ideas to clean wood stains and dirty mattress.

Part 1- Spring Clean wood stains

What you need?

1. Mayonnaise

2 Paper towel

How to clean wood stains

1. Spread about 2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise on a paper towel.

2. Place the paper towel on the white water mark. Press lightly.

3. Leave the mayonnaise on the stain about 15 minutes.

4. Lift the paper towel and check the stain. If the mark remains, rub more mayo into it again and check it later.

5. Stain should be gone. Reapply if necessary.

Part 2- Spring Clean Your Mattress

Spring cleaning mattresses is a simple process for me.  I start by removing all the bedding, including bed skirts and mattress covers… and putting it all into the wash.

Next I lift the mattress and box springs off the bed and thoroughly vacuum and dust.  I also love to wipe down the wall and floorboards behind the bed.

What you need

1.      Baking soda

2.      Lavender essential oil.

3.      Vacuum

How to clean?

1.      Lay the mattress back into place and make my own special concoction.  Take one cup of Baking soda and add 4 drops of Lavender essential oil.

2.      Using kitchen strainers sprinkle the baking soda mixture all over the mattress and let it sit for 1-2 hour.

3.      Using the hose end of your vacuum and an upholstery attachment, thoroughly vacuum the mattress.  Bye, bye dust mites and other nasty things.  The baking soda helps draw up any moisture and deep dirtiness.  It deodorizes and leaves the mattress smelling fresh and clean. You will also love the faint scent of lavender left by the essential oil.

Lavender is also an anti-bacterial agent. If you want to clean your kitchen you can use water dispersible lavender about 1 tsp. in about 1 litre of water. Works wonders and calms the house down.

If you do not like Lavender smell you can use Lime Essential Oils as well…citrus is a fresh, clean scent any time of the year.