Plug your money leaks
Remember that while cutting back on expenses definitely helps your budget, the easiest way to save money is to make more. Still, we’ll start off with some easy tips to stop bleeding money where it doesn’t actually help much.

1. Refinance your mortgage
Interest rates are at an all time low, and many families are considering refinancing their home to save on monthly mortgage payments. Determine whether or not refinancing will save you money in the long term by following this guide.

2. Switch providers
Don’t assume that your cable, phone and Internet bills are locked into a slow but inexorable climb. Taking the first provider that comes along is a great way to waste money that can be saved elsewhere. Once you reach the terms of your contract, get on the phone or in an office and negotiate your bill down – or at least get a few perks thrown in for free.

3. Get rid of cable
Cable can rack up a hefty bill over a year, especially when you keep pay-per-view, premium channel, and miscellaneous costs in mind. Opt for online providers like  or Hulu Plus that let you stream shows directly onto your computer, mobile device, or TV.

Pro tip: Switch between 30-day trial periods of Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime to get a full season of free watching.

4. Use credit cards with the best rewards
The best parts about credit cards are the perks and rewards that come with them. By using a card with shoddy rewards or cash back, you are doing yourself and your budget a disservice. Find a credit card that rewards wherever you spend the most, whether that’s travel, gas, groceries, or (ohmigod) shoes — the NerdWallet credit card tool makes personalized recommendations based on your own spending habits.

Pro tip: Use the calculator button to further customize your recommendation.

5. Invest wisely
You’re never too young to start investing — in fact, the time to have an aggressive (high risk, high reward) profile is when you’re younger, and you don’t plan to use the money for a couple decades. But there’s no reason to pay top dollar for actively managed mutual funds. Despite the prestige and high fees, active funds outperform the market only 24% of the time. You’re much better with an index fund, which has much lower fees and will probably get you a better return for your money. Stop paying to lose money!

6. Pay off your debt
You know how I just told you to invest? Paying off high-interest debt is the best investment you can make. It’s virtually impossible to get a guaranteed 12% return on your investments — unless you’re getting rid of credit card debt. Get in the black first before you start looking for babies that talk about stocks. Check out our in-depth article on getting rid of debt for guidelines and ways to lower the interest on your debts.

7. Improve your credit score
This one is a no-brainer. There are multiple sites that let you check your credit score for free. After finding out where you stand, work on improving your score and contact your credit card, personal loan or other issuer to negotiate a lower interest rate.

8. Maximize your tax returns
A great way to boost your income part time happens during a particular part of the year. Take advantage of tax loopholes and exceptions to maximize your long-anticipated tax refund check.

9. Use rewards malls and cashback websites
Little-known fact: You can earn cash back for the money you spend online anyway, just by clicking through another website first. Your credit card probably has a rewards mall that offers 5% back or more on everything from Expedia to Macy’s to Zales, and even if it doesn’t, you can use straight-up cash-back sites like eBates or Upromise to get an automatic discount on online purchases.

10. Take advantage of rebates and coupons
Often, stores will advertise that they’ll beat the lowest price offered by any other competitor. Many credit cards also give price match guarantees, paying the difference if the price drops below a certain amount after you’ve made the purchase. Check your card’s fine print for details. Also, use coupon comparison tools to score quick deals without scouring the Internet or pawing through your neighbors’ mail.

11. Consider a flexible savings account (FSA)
Your employer may offer an FSA, which allows you to cover medical expenses not paid by insurance tax-free. This can be anything from out-of-pocket costs to prescriptions to dependent coverage. Because it’s tax-advantaged, you’ll save up to 30% on medical expenses. Keep in mind, though, that you lose any funds you don’t spend at the end of the year, so you need to know your budget well. If you have a high-deductible insurance plan, you can also contribute to a health savings account (HSA), which doesn’t lose money at year-end.

Turn money into more money
You can set policies in place to grow your existing money further. Someone pretty smart once said that compounding is the greatest force in the universe. Keep in mind that both of the following techniques compound, meaning that taking action now will yield even larger benefits in the future.

12. Max out your IRA and 401(k)
Max out your 401(k) and IRA contributions every year — not only will you receive a tax benefit, but given the low interest-rate environment, you’re much better putting your money in the markets than sticking it into a savings account that doesn’t beat inflation. A 22-year-old who invests $5,000 in an IRA and never invests again will enjoy $137,000 at retirement, compared to just $101,000 if she invested in a regular savings account. It doesn’t matter how old you are — unless you’re paying off debt, the time to start saving for retirement is now.

13. Ask for a raise
Like we said, saving money is all well and good, but making more money is even better. Try negotiating for a raise — even in a tough job economy, sitting down at the bargaining table with politeness, confidence and respect for yourself and the organization can have its benefits. Here’s a great flow chart scripting a possible conversation — preparation is key.

Pro tip: Catch your boss when she’s in a good mood, but don’t let her know you know she’s in a good mood.

Mo’ money, less clutter
Okay, let’s be honest. Chances are, you have too much stuff. If you can identify high-value items and present them well, you can have a cleaner, more simple living space as well as money to spend on what you really want.

14. Have a garage sale
Wipe off the dust, clear out the storage closet, and set up a garage sale. Put some effort into presentation: Items lovingly arrayed on a plastic tablecloth will sell better than those chucked into a cardboard box. If you don’t have enough clutter to warrant a garage sale on your own, rope a few other neighbors into a neighborhood-wide sale.

15. Value your antiques and collectibles
Dig into storage, sell off what is valuable and throw away the rest. Before you sell indiscriminately, get your collectibles, antiques, and heirlooms appraised. You may be selling rare valuable items at underpriced rates otherwise. After you’ve consulted with an expert, do a gut check by looking at eBay and similar websites to see if the price is reasonable.

16. Free and flea market flipping
Browse the “free” section on Craigslist or your local flea market for interesting items. Add your own special touches, restore the items, and resell for a profit. Buy interesting items both online and at your local flea market and restore them and resell for a profit. Flea Market Flips offers some great ideas for trash-to-treasure projects.

17. Sell your old mobile phone
Given the rate at which we churn through cell phones these days, you probably have an old cell phone lying around. Amazon offers gift cards for fully functional iPhones, while specialty sites like Gazelle and Swappa specialize in cash for cell phones.

18. Turn in printer cartridges
Many office supply stores, from Staples to Office Depot, will offer credits for empty printer cartridges. Not only is it good for your wallet, but it’s good for the environment.

Take part in the share economy
If you have an extra anything, chances are there’s someone who’d like to borrow it from you. As the so-called “share economy” grows, you have an increasing opportunity to get cash for your idling machines and empty space.

19. Rent out an underused parking spot
Parking spots can be a hot commodity, particularly in crowded cities. If you happen to be holding on to a coveted spot that you do not use all the time, put it up for rent on Craigslist. If your landlord or building offers you parking at a discount rate, consider seeing whether you can rent it out for a higher price — assuming you’re allowed to do so, of course.

20. Rent out a spare bedroom
If that extra guest bedroom in your midtown Manhattan walk-up is left unused, consider renting it out on Airbnb.com or other vacation rental sites. Make sure that everything is kosher with your rental agreement beforehand.

Pro tip: Even if you don’t have a spare bedroom, chances are there’s a college kid willing to pay for four walls, a door, an air mattress, a shower and more privacy than a hostel affords.

21. Rent out your car
Don’t need your car on the weekend or during the day? Going on a trip? Services like Getaround and RelayRides let you rent out your car by the hour, while FlightCar arranges for an incoming traveler to rent your car rather than you having to pay for airport parking and letting it sit idle.

Turn talent into a paycheck

22. Crafty? Crochet away!
Have a penchant for crocheting, jewelry-making or embroidery? Sell your goods on Etsy.com. Etsy is the go-to site for artisans and simply impassioned folk selling home goods, paintings, and knickknacks.

Pro tip: Offer to make personalized products — not only does it establish an emotional connection with the customer, but it often brings in more income.

23. Become a freelance writer
Sites like eHow and Livestrong will pay by the article for content on anything from business to tech to how to fart. While they say you’ll need “professional experience” or a degree or certification, honestly, there’s not much you’ll be asked to write that a quick tour of Google can’t make you an expert on.

24. Take up a skilled freelance gig
Websites like TaskRabbit, Odesk, and Craigslist offer opportunities to avid freelancers to pick up programming, design, and marketing jobs on the side. Working on a per-project basis lets your balance your side job with your current one. Sites like Freelancer.com can also offer a leg up.

25. Small-scale catering
Fancy yourself to be the next Iron Chef? Take those skills to the marketplace by setting up your own catering business that you can run out of your own kitchen on the weekend. Cook for dinners, birthday parties and friends’ events; or just bake a bunch of cookies and stand outside the nearest bar at 2 a.m.

Heads up: Be careful to comply with food safety laws.

26. Become an online travel agent
Have a knack for finding the best deals on Expedia? Hawk your services as a low-cost alternative to full service travel agencies. You can earn a pretty commission by doing what you love.

27. Bartend
The great thing about nightlife is that it doesn’t conflict with day life. Pick up late-night or weekend shifts to earn some extra income without sacrificing hours at your current job or studies.

28. Tutor
If you were an SAT whiz, there is a huge market for competitive parents and children looking for private tutors. Join a large company like Kaplan or Princeton Review, or tutor at your own schedule by going private.

29. Affiliate marketing
Do you write emails to your friends and family that actually get read? Are you blessed with a silver tongue, razor wit or keen eye for society? Write it up. Join an affiliate network (Amazon has a good one) to earn money whenever someone buys the product by going through your website or blog.

Turn lack of talent into a paycheck
You don’t need to be a master craftsman, mixologist or Iron Chef to earn supplementary income. Here are some income boosters that don’t require specialized skills.

30. Get paid to be a reviewer
Although you may fancy your Yelp Elite status, all those reviews really did not pay for much but a fancy badge and a few exclusive invites. Take your review skills to the marketplace and earn $1-$50 per review, depending on quality and technical knowledge required.

31. Sell your photos
Stock photo websites like iStockPhoto purchase images from everyday people. Even if you aren’t Ansel Adams, the most commonly requested (and often overlooked) photos often include everyday images like stop signs, coffee cups and other everyday objects.

32. Resell food
True story: In college, Zappos founder Tony Hseih bought pizza from a parlor down the road and resold it at a profit in his college dorm room. His friend Alfred Lin would always buy two pizzas a night — Hseih assumed he was just hungry. Turns out Lin was actually taking the pizzas upstairs and selling them at a slice for an even tidier profit. He later went on to become the Zappos COO.

Anyway, long story short, you can probably find lazy, hungry college kids and young adults outside of bars and in parks. They will happily buy pizza, beer and water by the unit and pay handsomely for the convenience.

Heads up: This is not exactly FDA-approved.

33. Referrals
Services as diverse as your cable company to your orthodontist will pay a nice little gift for both referrer and referred. Small businesses and companies just getting off the ground are often the most likely to give referral bonuses.

Pro tip: Your employer might well give referral bonuses, too, so scour your personal networks to see if you know a good fit for open positions.

34. Survey websites
Although those posters on the side of the road may overshoot how much you can potentially make by simply answering surveys online, generating a side income from online surveys is still possible and profitable.

35. You must be good at babysitting
Get yourself registered on a reliable sitter search website and get to work. Babysitters can make great pay and get some benefits like free Wi-Fi thrown in as well.

36. You aren’t? Are you good at petsitting?
Most pet owners actually cannot afford a luxury weekend for their pet at the kennel. Price your rates competitively during your stint as a pet sitter and make sure your place allows for multiple pets. Many sites, such as Care.com, offer job boards for pet sitters and those looking for animal care.

37. Really? Still? Okay, how about house-sitting?
Even if you hate kids and animals, you can look for house-sitting gigs through personal referrals, Craigslist, or websites like Mind My House.

Pro tip: Double up the income by renting our your own domicile while house-sitting.

38. Participate in clinical research
Hospitals and academic medical centers live, breathe, and thrive on clinical trials. Most participants are paid a good amount of money for their dedication to research and the trial. Do not overload on this option, as being enrolled in too many trials with conflicting pharmaceutical regiments may lead to skewed results and a medically unhappy you.

39. Engage in market research
Market research is the bread and butter of advertisement agencies. Many large ad agencies will conduct large focus groups to better tailor their strategies. Contact a local or large market research firm and secure your spot in a future group.

40. Become a tour guide
If you happen to know a bit more history concerning the old town square than the average citizen (or if you can just Wikipedia it), consider running your own personal tour guide business. Walking tours are en vogue, and you can advertise your services on TripAdvisor for tourists looking for an insider’s perspective.

41. Find seasonal work
Snow shoveling, amusement park work, holiday staffing and lifeguarding are all seasonal work options that are low commitment and can be done sparingly according to your schedule. You want flexibility, employers want flexibility — it works.

42. Become a part-time care taker
With the baby boomer generation retiring, many older folk in your community will require the services of a caretaker to help them around the house and with chores. Make a side income at a job that helps you contribute to your local community.

43. Host a foreign exchange student
Hosting an exchange student can be a source of cultural, as well as material, enrichment. Check out the number of hosting sites online, or contact your local high school or college for international student programs.

44. Data entry
Pick up administrative and data entry jobs that can be done by telecommuting, on Craigslist, or at your college campus’s career center.

45. Become an on-site manager or landlord
Earn a spot to live rent-free while making a side income as an on-site manager for apartment building owners that live outside of town.

46. Garden
Turn your passion for all things green into a side business by offering landscaping and gardening tutorials to fellow flower aficionados.

47. Donate plasma, sperm or blood
These three precious bodily liquids are always in demand, and you can often get paid for the service. Be careful, though: Only go with reputable organizations that won’t leave you in an ice-filled bathtub minus a kidney.

Heads up: The Red Cross recommends waiting 28 days between plasma donations and 56 between blood donations, and not exceeding 13 plasma donations a year.

48. Become a mystery shopper
Yes, they really do exist. Market research firms and companies doing internal audits often want to see how their stores perform from a customer’s perspective, so sign up to become their eyes and ears.

49. Micro-task
Services such as Amazon Mechanical Turk connect businesses with a cohort of individuals looking to make a little cash on the side (i.e., you), in order to crowdsource small tasks. You can walk away with a nice check or gift card for a few hours of work.

50. Join a car service
The taxicab industry used to be limited to a handful of licensed professionals. Now, companies like Sidecar, Lyft and Flightcar allow anyone with a license to perform the same functions as a taxi driver, but with greater flexibility, and sometimes better pay.

• 
  Stop signs instead of lights
• 
  Seating, kiosks and public art
• 
  Press conference
• 
  Downtown plaza

Talk about it

Mitchell Main Street Beyond unveiled a $5.8 million plan Monday to transform Mitchell’s historic downtown area.

After years of research and planning, MMSB presented its vision for a new downtown streetscape the group says will add vibrancy and enhance the quality of life in the downtown district. MMSB presented the plan first at an 8 a.m. members-only meeting in the lobby of the Midtown Plaza building and later at a 2 p.m. press conference at The Depot. No funding has been acquired yet for the plan.

“It’s a smart, economic design that can only increase our viability as the community hub while giving others another great reason to visit Mitchell,” said MMSB Board President Carrie English in a news release.

MMSB worked with the Brookings architectural firm designArc to develop the streetscape plan. The group also worked with AcV2, a Rapid City firm, that studied funding opportunities for historic properties, and James Valley Nursery, a Mitchell company, for the landscape design.

The plan, which encompasses 32 acres in downtown Mitchell, would add curb extensions, with trees and native landscaping, on Main Street from First Avenue to Sixth Avenue. Other proposed additions on Main Street include benches, sitting walls, bike racks, information kiosks and public art displays.

Traffic lights at Second, Third, Fourth and Sixth avenues would be replaced with stop signs, and extra parking spaces would be gained by adding diagonal parking to one side of Main Street. According to Les Rowland, of designArc, Mitchell’s Main Street isn’t wide enough to allow for diagonal parking on both sides. No Main Street parking spots would be lost in the switch to diagonal parking, Rowland added.

Wider mid-street and end-of-street pedestrian crossings would also be added to increase foot traffic and make the area safer for pedestrians.

A downtown plaza, which would be at the south end of Main Street where a public parking lot is currently located at Railroad and Main, would include an outdoor amphitheater and natural playground, plus water features, public art displays and seating areas. The area could be used for outdoor concerts, festivals and other events, in addition to day-to-day use by residents and tourists, the group said.

“It’s the perfect bookend to an already famous landmark like the Corn Palace,” Matt Culhane, owner of the Thunderbird Lodge and a streetscape committee member, said in the news release. “It’s something that will draw tourists and residents alike farther south, all while improving traffic flow to our downtown merchants.”

The plan also includes an option to close Main Street between First and Railroad to traffic and create a pedestrians-only area, according to MMSB Director Molly Goldsmith.

John Foster, owner of The Depot, which is located directly south of the plaza’s proposed location, said the plans will make downtown more inviting.

“It will be more pleasant and green,” Foster said in the release. “That will make a huge difference not only for us, but for other merchants and those living, or who want to live, in downtown Mitchell.”

Rowland and Lynda Pierce, both of designArc, said they based the streetscape design on community input — public meetings on the project were held last year — and by assessing downtown Mitchell’s needs.

“The health of a community is really represented by what their downtown is like,” Pierce said.

The entire design — both the plaza and street improvements — is meant to complement the Corn Palace by promoting tourism, but is also meant to bring locals back downtown, Pierce said.

“To really encourage people to park downtown, bike downtown, and just walk and explore,” she said.

A number of funding options are being considered for the $5.8 million project, including municipal, state and federal funds, as well as donations and grants, Goldsmith said at Monday’s press conference. At this point, no money has been secured for the project.

“We’re definitely looking for it,” Goldsmith said.

The project could be completed in phases, Pierce said, starting with the plaza at a cost of $2.1 million. After that, individual blocks on Main Street from First Avenue to Sixth Avenue could be completed for $425,000 each, she said. In that same five-block area of Main Street, the east-west blocks between Lawler Street and Rowley Street could be renovated for $270,000 per block, Pierce said.

“That allows Mitchell Main Street Beyond to go out and get those funds,” she said.

MMSB is planning to ask the city of Mitchell to contribute money for the project, Goldsmith said.

“We consider this project a community project,” she said.

The group intends to present its plan at the next Mitchell City Council meeting Monday.

Funding the project will likely take a cooperative effort between the city and downtown businesses, Mitchell Mayor Ken Tracy said in an interview Monday.

“I think that, overall, it would certainly improve our Main Street,” Tracy said. “I’m excited about it.”

Tracy mentioned Rapid City’s business improvement district, which was created in 2010 to help pay for downtown projects including a public plaza, as an example of how downtown projects like this can be funded. A business improvement district is a self-taxation arrangement in which businesses agree to pay a fee, with the money going toward specific developments.

Tracy said the city’s bonding capacity is limited because of the $13.9 million in bonds it sold in December and January to fund four major projects — a renovation of the Corn Palace and conversion of the attached City Hall to tourism space, the construction of a new city hall, the addition of a second sheet of ice at the Mitchell Activities Center, and an expansion and renovation of the Mitchell Public Library.

“We’ll just have to take a look at it and see what types of funding we can come up with,” Tracy said.

MMSB is not planning to ask for funding from downtown businesses for the project itself, but may seek a business improvement district (BID) to pay for maintenance once the streetscape is completed, said English, the group’s board president, at the press conference.

A public parking lot would be removed and used as space for the plaza, but two nearby parking lots — one to the north at Navin Apartments and one to the south at The Depot — would remain. Despite one less lot, there should still be more than enough parking available in the area, Culhane said at Monday’s press conference.

“There are places for them to go,” Culhane said. “So you’re not actually eliminating the space you might think.”

No specific timeline for the project was offered at Monday’s press conference. In an interview after the press conference, Goldsmith said progress will largely depend on when funding is secured.

“We wanted to create an area that would benefit every citizen of this city,” Culhane said in the release. “In doing so, we think this project has the potential to spawn new ideas and possibilities that many of us might have thought not possible here.”

Reaction to MMSB’s plan was positive following the members-only meeting Monday morning.

“I think it will bring a sense of community,” said Paula Platz, of Mitchell. “It will be a place that people want to be.”

By changing the streetscape, Mitchell’s historic downtown area will be more inviting, Platz said.

Bobbie Clark, also of Mitchell, said the changes could add a cultural vibe to the downtown area.

“It’s going to make all ages feel welcome there,” she said. “I look forward to the things it will make possible for us.”

Tags:
life, news, updates, downtown, business, mitchell

Balboa Park visitors now have a place to sit when they visit the Plaza de Panama.

City workers placed 17 tables with chairs and umbrellas in the plaza early Monday. The city plans to add about five more tables and a series of planters in coming weeks, city spokesman Bill Harris said Monday.

The new furniture comes nearly two months after workers kicked cars out of the plaza.

The future of the plaza has long been a topic of fierce debate. After we highlighted a conversation about the space’s potential as “Starbucks Central,” others weighed in with their own ideas.

• Beau Lynott, a VOSD contributor:

What it should not be is a commercialized space, for Starbucks or any other private vendor. There are plenty of urban planners and landscape architects that would be happy to volunteer ideas for the plaza. Maybe seating areas with potted plants/temporary landscaping. Something that allows people to congregate and can be cleared for events.

• Oscar Ramos:

If there is going to be a commercial presence, it should be a local one. I would love to see outdoor furniture, plants, performance spaces, etc., along with cafes and food stalls, even if only temporary (what about a corner of the plaza where we can have a food truck rotation?). But no Starbucks – it isn’t even good coffee.

• Amy Roth, who originally suggested the “Starbucks Central” idea:

Obviously I didn’t mean “Starbucks” literally! I meant it as a metaphor for a comfy home-away-from home-like setting where you could have a snack or drink, read a book or newspaper or electronic device, meet friends even! Any of the ideas that have been submitted would be terrific in my opinion.

• Randy Dotinga, a VOSD contributor:

New York City’s Bryant Park would be a good model … many small tables with chairs where people can work, soak up the sun or chat, plus a few food vendors. As for Starbucks: They have air conditioning, reliable wi-fi and (sometimes) comfy chairs. It’s hard to find an independent coffeehouse with all three, at least in SD. I’ve been to almost all of them (such is the fate of a work-at-home type) and can think of one that meets all those criteria.

• Don Wood:

The ferry piers in Tiburon, Calif., comes to mind. Every weekend, they put out tables and a local restaurant serves people breakfast on the pier. It’s very popular with the locals and people come on the ferry from all over the Bay Area to eat there. The key would be for the city to select the right restaurant operator to team up with a local coffee shop operator to activate the plaza. This option should be looked at as part of city’s staff’s own study of the space.

• Felix Tinkov:

The key for me would be to ensure that nothing permanently be placed in the view corridor along the length of El Prado.

• Peter Schrock:

What is it about California that makes us allergic to open space?

Maybe we should take a closer look at the Piazza San Marcos in Venice, the Zócalo in Mexico City, or (dare I say it) Red Square in Moscow for inspiration. All of these are powerful cultural landmarks made up of mostly empty space.

• Kevin Swanson:

Why not create something truly unique to San Diego? Hardscape materials now exist that clean the air when exposed to sunlight, and are self-cleaning. Use those materials to create a “picture” when seen from the air and patterns on the ground. Inscribe on those pavers “dreams” in pictographs or words. Install a QR code and number that links to a database holding information about the author of the dream and additional information.Make Balboa Park’s plazas and walkways one big canvas for the public. If the pavers are made of interlocking design, “locked” to a grid underneath, and allow for water to percolate between them, the “picture” created by the colored pavers could be changed to match an annual theme for the park. How to pay for it? A “Donations for A Dream” campaign.

“Hardscape” on a grid that has electrical, water, and sewage connections running underneath that could be accessed as necessary for events and activities.

Balboa Park was built as a “City of Dreams” in 1915. Why not truly make it one?

Use of a grid underneath the paving system would allow for removable growing sections as part of the changing landscape of dreams.

Comments have been lightly edited for clarity. See anything in there we should fact check? Tell us here. 

Lisa Halverstadt is a reporter for Voice of San Diego and Dagny Salas is the web editor. You can reach them directly at lisa.halverstadt@voiceofsandiego.org and dagny.salas@voiceofsandiego.org.

Voice of San Diego is a nonprofit that depends on you, our readers. Please donateto keep the service strong. Click here to find out more about our supporters and how we operate independently.

Value investigative reporting? Support it. Donate Now.

To use this website, cookies must be enabled in your browser. To enable cookies, follow the instructions for your browser below.

Enabling Cookies in Internet Explorer 7, 8 9

1. Open the Internet Browser
2. Click Tools Internet OptionsPrivacyAdvanced
3. Check Override automatic cookie handling
4. For First-party Cookies and Third-party Cookies click Accept
5. Click OK and OK

Enabling Cookies in Firefox

1. Open the Firefox browser
2. Click ToolsOptionsPrivacyUse custom settings for history
3. Check Accept cookies from sites
4. Check Accept third party cookies
5. Select Keep until: they expire
6. Click OK

Enabling Cookies in Google Chrome

1. Open the Google Chrome browser
2. Click Tools iconOptionsUnder the HoodContent Settings
3. Check Allow local data to be set
4. Uncheck Block third-party cookies from being set
5. Uncheck Clear cookies
6. Close all

Enabling Cookies in Mobile Safari (iPhone, iPad)

1. Go to the Home screen by pressing the Home button or by unlocking your phone/iPad
2. Select the Settings icon.
3. Select Safari from the settings menu.
4. Select ‘accept cookies’ from the safari menu.
5. Select ‘from visited’ from the accept cookies menu.
6. Press the home button to return the the iPhone home screen.
7. Select the Safari icon to return to Safari.
8. Before the cookie settings change will take effect, Safari must restart. To restart Safari press and hold the Home button (for around five seconds) until the iPhone/iPad display goes blank and the home screen appears.
9. Select the Safari icon to return to Safari.

If your yard is not the typical square or rectangle, do not panic. There are many ideas for landscaping your irregularly shaped yard!

Not every property comes with the typical square or rectangular yard. If you have one of these non-conforming areas, consider yourself lucky. You have the potential for adding much greater interest more easily than with those boring, typical yards. In landscaping, much effort is devoted to “flow.” This means the rounding off of corners and sharpness so that the yard feels comfortable and unified. In Feng Shui, sharp corners facing toward the passerby send bad “chi” or bad energy.

Backyard landscapes: Ideas for irregularly shaped yards

That being said, you still have many choices ahead. You may choose to enhance the existing shape of the yard or disguise it. There will be a discussion of various shapes and how to “go with the flow.” Alternately, there will be suggestions as to how to hide the real shape of your yard.

The first technique to remedy irregularity is to create a niche containing a focal point using any part of the yard that offers that type of space. Add a statue, a gazing ball, a water feature or some other decoration. The irregular area will look like a frame for the focal point.

The next way to treat an irregularly shaped yard is to make a secret garden. Picture that part that jags out oddly as a different space. Wall that area off with shrubbery or a fence with or without a gate. Leave an entrance that cannot be seen from earlier along the garden path. On the practical side, you can use such an area, screened from view, for storage, garbage cans, woodpiles or other utilitarian things.

Try rejecting the shape of the whole space and instead dividing it into “rooms.” Different rooms have different functions. One “room” might be the dining room and contain a picnic table or outdoor tables and chairs for dining. Add a barbeque or a bar. Another “room” could be the living room. Outdoor seating and loungers arranged into conversational groupings would go here. There would be side tables upon which to place beverages. “Rooms can be separated by a change in the type of walkway, a fence, trellis, or gate, shrubbery, or anything else that stops the eye and indicates change. You can make a “playroom” for sports. The idea is to divide and use each space for a different activity.

There are a few ways to disguise or accent the width or length of a yard without dividing it into rooms. To make an area look like a long vista, use a small focal point and small plantings in the distance. The small size makes things look farther away. Conversely, use larger plantings up close. Also, make the walkway fairly narrow and closely edged by shrubbery or other items at the beginning. Then make the walkway gradually wider and allow more space and openness around the path. To deemphasize a long view, use larger things in the distance and shorter things close up. Make the entry wide and open. Do not put a focal point at the back of the view, but, instead, place it closer to the entry. Build something into the middle of the walkway, like an island of plants, statuary, or whatever. The walkway can go either around one side or both sides, but the island will create a visual stop in the path so the eye does not see the long view beyond.

If your yard is roughly triangular, how it is treated depends upon the location of the entry to the yard. If you enter at a point in the triangle, you view a natural vista in that you are looking at an entire side of the triangle and viewing it from a narrow space. If you like that look, try the ideas to enhance it. If not, cut the far corners off into garden rooms. What is left is a much more manageable space that is much closer to a rectangle. If the entry is through a side of the triangle, you are facing a long, narrow point in the yard. You can divide off that back point into a room so that the yard appears more shallow. On the other hand, choose to enhance that long, narrow view with the techniques mentioned earlier. These techniques also apply to the long, narrow, rectangular yard.

An L-shaped yard is very easy to divide into rooms and begs for a secret garden. If you have an odd spot that juts out or in, you can use it for a focal point or a naturally defined garden room.

Decide what shape your yard is. Examine its different uses and think about rooms. Think about what you want to see: a long vista, or a cozy enclosed space. The choice is all yours!

This article has suggestions for landscaping in Southern California.

Water is the most important consideration when planning to landscape your yard, as in how to minimize the use of water. Southern California in its natural state is a semi-arid desert. Since Southern California goes through periods of drought and imports most of its water, it makes sense ecologically to use as little water as possible. And, it saves money on your water bill.

Ideas, tips and advice for southern california landscaping

Grass is a big water hog. Some experts say that grass needs about an inch of water every week. This might not seem like a lot, but multiply one inch times the square footage of all of the grass in your yard, then add in some more for hand watering brown spots, and finally throw in more water for runoff, and you have probably used more water than you realize. If you have a 10 by 20 foot lawn, you should be using a minimum of 2,400 inches of water a week to keep your grass green. That is a lot of bathtubs full of water! Does this mean that you have to give up your grass? No. But, you might want to reduce the area of your traditional lawn by planting combinations of low water drinking grasses like Blue Wildrye, Buffalo Grass, Bear Grass, Blue Oat Grass, or Giant Feather Grass. Planting these grasses will not only save on your water usage, you will be also be spending less time mowing and you will be making your yard more visually interesting by varying the textures, the colors and the heights of your grasses.

What about flowering plants? Sages do not require a lot of water, have different colored flowers, and are also fragrant. Look into Baja Blanco Cedros Island Sage, Black Sage, or Creeping Sage. What about flowers that attract hummingbirds? California Fuchsias, Royal Beard Tongues, and Bladder Pods do not require huge amounts of water and attract hummingbirds. How about plants that attract butterflies? Try Baja Fairy Dusters, Golden Yarrow, or Hearst California Lilacs and save on water. Don’t forget California Poppies. Add some White California Poppies for a nice annual bed.

What about a cactus or a succulent garden? Cacti like the Barrel Cactus, the Blue Blade, and the Hildemann Cactus have contrasting shapes, colors, and flowers, and all three like part sun and part shade. Your succulent garden might combine Chalk Dudleya, Colorado Four o’Clock, Felt Plant, Purple Stonecrop, and Medicinal Aloe, all presenting different shapes and sizes. Some of these succulents will even attract more hummingbirds. You might also consider combining your succulents and cacti to give the area a more exotic look.

Now that you have different areas of interest in your yard, put in stepping stones to go from one area to the next. Or, plan a rock path to a shady tree and put a bench underneath to catch the evening breeze. And since you are saving so much water, you might want to install a wall fountain so that you can hear the soothing sounds of gentle splashing when you are at home.

Water is a precious resource in Southern California. You will be saving water and money by changing your plants to ones that require less water, not to mention saving some mowing time. Remember to turn on those sprinklers in the morning and in the evening, but not during the middle of the day to maximize the amount of water that actually can be used by your plants and minimize evaporation. Enjoy your new yard.

The Wesley/Lighthouse Mission Team at Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua: Jacobi Crowley, Dottie Cummins, Rev. Jolennda Cole, Jo Eike, Zach Maxwell, Raylee Woodward, Dee Ann Tasler, Jessica Kretzschmar, Toni Highnight, Beverly Riley, and translator/guide Ariana Sirker.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua – Summer is mission trip season.

Churches all over the world are sending mission teams, well, all over the world. The bulk are from America and include a mix of new missionaries and seasoned travelers.

Durant is no different. People compare their destinations. We went to Nicaragua; others talk of fresh arrivals from Venezuela or Guatemala, or upcoming plans for work in Mexico.

Each trip is unique. This trip – our trip – was a small group of 10, and half of them were first-time missionaries. It was also the first time that the Wesley Center at Southeastern had stepped out on an international mission.

Our group was actually a mix of current and former SE students, one student from Panhandle State’s Wesley organization, and five members of Lighthouse Methodist Church in Kingston.

We were led by Rev. Jolennda Cole, the past director of the Wesley Center in Durant and now an English teacher at Durant High School.

She is the reason our group chose Nicaragua. Cole built relationships there on a mission trip of her own in 2010, with a conglomeration of groups under the umbrella of the “Fundacion Samaritano.”

This group operates two Managua-area schools and is in the midst of expanding a medical and mission compound in the west Managua neighborhood of Nejapa. They are also affiliated with a medical mission called Amos.

This was our base of operations, a bunkhouse for traveling missionaries behind a small medical clinic. There is no hot water, but with average temperatures at a very tropical 90, the cool showers were a welcome relief for some of us.

Some of us kept a daily journal of our experiences. For me, a practicing journalist of 20 years, it was a force of habit. The mission lasted two weeks, and this article will offer a snapshot of some of the more emotional experiences of those days, gleaned from my daily journal in the second-poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.

Wednesday, June 26 – To reach Central America, our crew of 10 drove from various parts of Oklahoma to Will Rogers Airport for a double flight from Oklahoma City to Houston, then Houston direct to Managua. The most striking part of our flight (the first trip abroad for many in our group) was seeing streaks and puddles of brown in the blue Gulf of Mexico below us. Later research was inconclusive as to the source of these widespread patches of apparent contamination, but they surely must be tied to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Thursday, June 27 – Our first impressions of Nicaragua were mixed, with many of us marveling at the roadway chaos. Vendors and street beggars lined the major highways which took us from the airport across this sprawling city of 2 million to Nejapa. Pink and yellow government banners hang across the traffic roundabouts, testifying to this nation’s mixed history of faith and socialism. We visited the Sirker School for the first time, which included the grave of mission co-founder Caroline Sirker. She passed away just weeks before our arrival from a long battle with ovarian cancer. We learned that some of our mission tasks were her ideas, and the thought of fulfilling this remarkable woman’s vision, even in a small way, was a very moving tribute.

Friday, June 28 – We began work in earnest on landscaping and sidewalk construction at the school. The children were present today, offering friendly smiles and greetings and giving us a bearing for the reason we are here. Many of these children can barely afford uniforms, or they are paid for through donations (the Wesley Center made donations to two students to cover such expenses). So, a paved walkway where once was often muddy ground is a big step forward for these kids.

We have also experienced three days of local cuisine, which is heavy on locally-grown tropical fruits this time of year. The main staple is “Gallo Pinto,” or black beans and rice, but we have also sampled fried plantains and a corn meal-based dish called “Indio Viejo” (Old Indian).

Saturday, June 29 – More cultural experiences awaited us as we visited Huembes Market (Managua) and historical sites in Leon (about an hour’s drive northwest of the capital). We were privileged to tour a Revolutionary Museum in Leon, which claims to be the birthplace of the overthrow of a dictator 34 years ago. The town’s power went out while we toured, but here, when the lights go out, life goes on.

Sunday, June 30 – At St. Mark’s Methodist Church, we came face to face with the power of forgiveness. Pastor Eduardo’s message was heartfelt; now a preacher, he was once a fighter in the revolution. This man who once drew blood and despised America for their involvement in his nation’s politics had now come full circle, and went around the room shaking hands and praying over us “norteamericanos.”

Monday, July 1 – Dr. Noor Sirker visited our group this evening. He is a native Nicaraguan of east Indian descent, and met his American wife in New York while studying medicine. After the revolution, they moved to Florida but eventually returned to Central America and started their ministry in 1996. The idea was to serve the poor through medical services. This was Dr. Sirker’s first time to meet with a missionary team since losing his wife in late May. Someone later said we were helping him to heal, but I think Dr. Sirker was helping us learn to serve each other no matter what challenges obstruct that path.

Tuesday, July 2 – This was easily our toughest day. We had brought a quantity of “health kits” for our mission, just simple stuff with soap and towels and toothbrushes, etc. Things we take for granted which are hard to come by for this country’s ill and poor. We came face to face with that today, visiting a children’s hospital and another housing breast and ovarian cancer victims. The conditions in these hospitals were shocking to us, as we are so accustomed to high-quality, high-cost American health care. In one room were a pair of infants with swollen heads – encephalitis, we were told. This would be ICU-level trouble here in the States; in Managua, they were simply in the ward with the rest of the children, cradled in their mother’s arms.

Wednesday, July 3 – The Wesley students were finally able to meet one of the two students whom we have been sponsoring for two years. Her name is Yubelquis, but this stumped even the Spanish-friendly among us, so she gave us her milder middle name, “Naomi.” She was a soft-spoken girl in the fourth-grade, very shy but of a keen intelligence. It was heart-warming to see first-hand the results of our sponsorship, to know that we were making a difference in at least one child’s life.

Thursday, July 4 – Our group spent this day with the children and staff at Sirker School, as they engaged in an end-of-term celebration. We organized ball games and brought the children some soccer and volleyballs, as well as performing some light playground maintenance. The festivities included a presentation from the teachers to the students of a bounty of fruit (plentiful here this time of year). Some of the fruit, such as the gelatinous “mamon” and the fuzzy “wawa,” were new to our eyes and palates.

Friday, July 5 – We joined a missionary team from Florida on a trip to the National Zoo with 40 children from Santa Rosa School. The interaction with these children was a cherished moment for all of us. As a novice Spanish speaker, I thoroughly enjoyed having a conversation with one little boy about our favorite animals. (His was “Mariposas,” the butterflies.)

Saturday, July 6 – As our mission work concluded, we were treated to some cultural highlights of this proud nation. We peered into the steaming, sulfuric maw of Masaya Volcano; saw the hands-on work of pottery artisans; took a harrowing boat tour of Lake Nicaragua as a blue-black tropical tempest blew in from offshore.

Sunday, July 7 – Our journey was punctuated in prayer as we attended a special anniversary service for Prince of Peace Church. This congregation meets in the open-air plaza at Sirker School, so we were able to see some familiar faces and gaze one last time on the good works we did there.

The best parts of this experience were leaving something good behind, showing care for the hospital patients, and building relationships with the children, teachers, and other missionaries. Hopefully, the Wesley Center is starting a legacy with its international missions; there is already talk of building on this momentum with future trips.

A great number of people and churches in the Durant area helped us accomplish this journey. Plans are in the works for an Aug. 11 appreciation dinner at the Wesley Center, to say “thank you” and share more details of this life-changing experience.

 

 

HAMBURG — Column by The Sun correspondent Connie Oswald Stofko.

I’m always getting new ideas from the gardeners I talk to. Here are just a few of the more interesting tips I’ve picked up, recently.

Try malabar spinach

I had never even heard of malabar spinach, before I visited the Samuel P. Capen Garden Walk, which takes place in the neighborhood around the University at Buffalo South Campus. Shawn King grows this cool plant in her garden.

Malabar spinach is a vining plant that has a magenta stem with green leaves.

King gave me a taste and it is delicious. It tastes like ordinary spinach, but the leaves are thicker, which I think adds to its appeal. Since it’s a vine, you can let malabar spinach grow up a trellis, to save space in your garden.

Be daring: paint dried plants
Karen Deutschlander in Lancaster has purple alliums in her garden. Those are the flowers that look like a round ball on a stick. They are very purple.

That is unusual, because alliums are spring flowers. The flower has usually faded to brown, by summer. Many people leave them in their garden anyway, because they have such an interesting shape. Others cut them, dry them and paint them, to use in arrangements.

Deutschlander does something different. She spray paints them, while they are still in her garden. I didn’t notice that she had painted flowers in her garden, until she pointed them out to me.

That is not the only plant she has spray-painted. One time, she had a dead arborvitae and the Lancaster Garden Walk was coming up, fast. She said she spray painted the entire bush and no one who visited her garden noticed.

Mow over mint
Mint can really spread, if you don’t keep it contained. You may find yourself pulling out all those extra plants. Don’t just throw them on the compost pile. Instead, use them to add a little aromatherapy to your day, with this simple tip from King.

Throw those extra plants on your lawn and then run over them with the lawn mower. It smells so good!

Use a window box to contain herbs
Mint isn’t the only herb that can get out of control. Chives, oregano and other herbs can establish themselves so well, you have enough seasoning to open a restaurant.

Debbie Acquisto of Grand Island grows her herbs in window boxes on her shed. It not only keeps the herbs contained, but adds interest to what might otherwise be a boring shed.

Sally Cunningham honored by state nursery group

Sally Cunningham, an East Aurora resident who grew up in Hamburg and Eden, has received the New York State CNLP of the Year award for 2013, from the New York State Nursery Landscape Association, for achievements that benefit the professional nursery and landscape industry.

She has educated the public about science-based gardening and landscaping practices for more than 20 years. She is a lecturer, columnist for The Buffalo News, featured writer for “Buffalo Spree Magazine” and gardening correspondent for WIVB-TV Channel 4.

She said that she tries to use her influence in the media to raise the bar for higher landscape standards and greater understanding and respect for landscapers, growers, arborists and nursery professionals.

Cunningham is also co-founder and director of the four-year-old National Garden Festival, held here in Western New York. It boosts tourism with six weeks of garden-themed events that include garden walks, bus tours, bike tours, educational events and Open Gardens.

The National Garden Festival has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors to Buffalo area gardens, offering nearly 1,000 private gardens to view.

As part of the National Garden Festival, the WNY Nurserymen’s Association Foundation produced three, block-long front yard makeovers, and, in 2013, are collaborating to renovate an important public garden in a program called Leaf a Legacy.

Cunningham also offers garden consultation and education programs at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, located at 4484 Clark St. in Hamburg.

“Support your own garden centers, growers and nursery professionals,” Cunningham said. “We’re there for you!”

Connie Oswald Stofko is publisher of Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com, the online gardening magazine for Western New York. Email Connie@BuffaloNiagaraGardening.com.

If you are from a family like Elizabeth Puleo-Tague’s that has an annual Pesto Fest — where 10 gallons of fresh pesto are made every August — then a big garden is important to you.

When house hunting in 2009, it was the raised garden beds in her now-home in Grosse Pointe Farms that sealed the deal for Puleo-Tague.

What started out as a recent face-lift for the garden quickly grew as Puleo-Tague turned to the Internet for ideas on how to best manage the squirrels and rabbits. “I found a photo of a screened-in garden,” she said. “I didn’t want exactly that, but it was a step in the right direction. I thought, ‘Let’s just do it right.’ ”

It’s not too late to build and plant your own backyard vegetable garden this summer. Some gardeners do a second planting in July or August for a fall harvest of carrots, beets, collard greens and other hearty crops that grow quickly or just don’t mind the cold weather.

Puleo-Tague contacted her longtime landscaper, Mike Coyro of Coyro Landscaping in Grosse Pointe Farms, and shared her vision for a better vegetable garden. “We’ve done a lot of phenomenal things, but never a vegetable garden this extravagant,” he said.

The 18-foot-by-13-foot garden is made with green lumber sheathed in composite, saving thousands of dollars and the project cost to about $15,000.

Now with more than 200 square feet of prime gardening space, Puleo-Tague could start planting; five types of tomatoes, eggplant, cauliflower, cabbage, asparagus and zucchini are just some of what’s growing this summer. “It’s exciting how many varieties I can plant, and how I can experiment now that space is not an issue,” she said.

Puelo-Tague has three eager garden helpers in her children. Coyro made sure to include a bench in the garden so the kids could “sit and watch the tomatoes grow.” From planting seeds to fighting over who gets to harvest, the garden is very much a family project.

Daughter Julianna Tague, age 9, researches recipes for their crop. “I’m more comfortable knowing it came from my own home, not thousands of miles away.”

In addition to the plants, the garden has become a “three-dimensional scrapbook of our lives,” Puleo-Tague said. The stepping stones and plant identification stakes were made by the children. The stones in the wooden canal come from a variety of vacations.

“We’re putting our fingerprints all over the garden,” Puelo-Tague said. “Not just our fingers in the dirt.”

This year the Tague family is growing three varieties of basil — the main ingredient in pesto — and it’s a good thing. … August is just around the corner.