http://www.blogsmonroe.com/budget A frugal living blog for Monroe, Mich. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:29:28 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Here's a donation drive that will get the attention of NASCAR fans in southeast Michigan: Michigan International Speedway has announced that fans can take their personal vehicles around the race track for free in exchange for participating in a toy drive and food drive. A snippet from MIS's announcement: Michigan International Speedway is ... http://www.blogsmonroe.com/budget/2009/11/donate-to-a-food-drive-take-a-lap-around-michigan-speedway/ A Bloomberg report picked up by the Toledo Blade is reporting that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is issuing guidelines to retailers on how to handle shopping crowds on the day after Thanksgiving. Here's the OSHA news release. A snippet: "Crowd-related injuries during special retail sales and promotional events have increased during ... http://www.blogsmonroe.com/budget/2009/11/osha-is-getting-involved-in-black-friday/ Woman's Day magazine for Dec. 1 has a story about The White Envelope Project, which inspires others to give to charities during the holidays. The concept started with a holiday tradition by one family that was featured in a 1982 Woman's Day article. That article is the genesis behind giving101.org, which ... http://www.blogsmonroe.com/budget/2009/11/when-a-christmas-gift-is-a-charity-gift/ Hickory Farms, which is based in Maumee, Ohio, and has stores in southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio, has announced a special collection of food gifts that can be shipped at no charge to APO / FPO military addresses. http://www.blogsmonroe.com/budget/2009/11/hickory-farms-free-shipping-to-apofpo-addresses/ Sven at the Michigan Job Search Blog at MLive has found some technical issues with the emergency unemployment extensions that longterm jobless Michigan residents are counting on / hoping for. A snippet: There's another problem with the unemployment extensions signed into law earlier this month: The legislation does nothing to address the ... http://www.blogsmonroe.com/budget/2009/11/glitch-in-michigan-emergency-unemployment-benefits/ Did your Michigan high school or college student get a letter in the mail this week from the governor about the status of the Michigan Promise program? My daughter did. Anyone who falls in that demographic knows the background of this program and the impact that state budget cuts are having ... http://www.blogsmonroe.com/budget/2009/11/gov-granholm-makes-appeal-on-michigan-promise-grant/ I remember hearing some buzz about this earlier in the season - but couldn't pin it down until today. Apparently, there really is a national shortage of canned pumpkin. Libby's Pumpkin has confirmed it on the Very Best Baking web site. So it would be smart for you to count up ... http://www.blogsmonroe.com/budget/2009/11/canned-pumpkin-shortage-coming/ Do you scoff at "department store prices?" I think you need to look at the sales fliers that were in today's newspapers for Kohl's and Elder-Beerman. You'll find some nice stuff suitable for Christmas gifts, winter wear or holiday feasting preparations that will be on very nice sales prices this weekend. Kohl's ... http://www.blogsmonroe.com/budget/2009/11/kohls-and-el-bee-sales-nov-20-and-21/ This post is for my readers in and near Flat Rock, Mich. Homeless and needy families in the Flat Rock, Mich., area can get a free turkey supper with all the fixings Tuesday at the Flat Rock Family Cafe. The meals will be served from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. ... http://www.blogsmonroe.com/budget/2009/11/free-turkey-dinner-for-needy-in-flat-rock-mi/ The following notice is for my readers in Monroe County, Mich., and is on page 8B of  today's edition of The Monroe Evening News. Soroptimist International of Monroe County, Mich., invites local women to apply for monetary awards to help them in pursuing higher education. The following awards are available: The Violet Richardson ... http://www.blogsmonroe.com/budget/2009/11/soroptimist-scholarships-for-monroe-county-mi/