This post comes from Donna Freedman at partner site Money Talks News.

You want to save. You swear you're going to save. But you said that last year, too, and your bank account doesn't look much healthier.

Saying "I need to save" means you've recognized a basic financial fact: You need to take responsibility for your financial life. You really intend to do it -- one of these days. (Read: Sometime between next week and never.)

Or maybe you're just financially overwhelmed, especially if you haven't gotten a raise lately or if you've undergone a spell of unemployment. It's easy to convince yourself that you'll save "later."

The best time to start saving money? Ten years ago. The second-best time? Today.

Want 2014 to be the year you turn things around? Four simple tactics can make all the difference.

Step 1: You need a goal

The first thing to do is set a specific goal. "In 2014 I'm going to start an emergency fund" or "I resolve to have a healthy bank account this time next year" are both fatally vague. How much of an EF? What's a "healthy" account? Try this instead: Pick a specific sum. It could represent, for example,your emergency fund, the cost of a long-deferred vacation or a down payment on a house. Your choice.

You could divide that amount by 12 and put that resultinto savings each month. Or you coulddivide that goal by 52. Why 52? Because a small, weekly savings plan is less traumatic than a once-a-month withdrawal. You learn to live on what's left week by week, vs. losing a (relatively) big chunk all at once.

Let's start with an easy example: the $500 that personal finance writer Liz Weston recommends as a starter emergency fund. Divide $500 by 52 and you get $9.61, which rounded up makes $10.

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4 simple tips to fatten your bank account

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's inspector general will investigate a federal agency whose mission is to exterminate birds, coyotes, mountain lions and other animals that threaten the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers.

The investigation of U.S. Wildlife Services is to determine, among other things, "whether wildlife damage management activities were justified and effective." Biologists have questioned the agency's effectiveness, arguing that indiscriminately killing more than 3 million birds and other wild animals every year is often counterproductive.

Reps. Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.) and John Campbell (R-Irvine) requested the review, calling for a complete audit of the culture within Wildlife Services. The agency has been accused of abuses, including animal cruelty and occasional accidental killing of endangered species, family pets and other animals that weren't targeted.

DeFazio says the time has come to revisit the agency's mission and determine whether it makes economic and biological sense for taxpayers to underwrite a service, however necessary, that he argues should be paid for by private businesses.

"Why should taxpayers, particularly in tough times, pay to subsidize private interests?" said DeFazio, ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Natural Resources. "I have come to the conclusion that this is an agency whose time has passed."

Wildlife Services was created in 1931 as part of the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. It has wide-ranging responsibilities, including rabies testing and bird control at airport runways. But the bulk of its work is exterminating nuisance wildlife by methods that include poisoning, gassing, trapping and aerial gunning.

The agency acts as a pest management service not only for agribusiness and ranches, but also for other federal agencies, counties and homeowners who might have such problems as raccoons in an attic. Other services include protecting endangered species and maintaining game herds for hunters.

The services are free or substantially subsidized, which many private predator- and pest-control companies say unfairly undercuts their business. States and counties complain that they are responsible for an increasing share of the costs.

DeFazio and Campbell are also calling for congressional oversight hearings. DeFazio says he has spent years asking for but not receiving information from Wildlife Services, which he calls "the least accountable federal agency" he has ever seen.

He said he had to learn from the Los Angeles Times about an internal audit the agency conducted last year. The audit found the agency's accounting practices were "unreconcilable," lacked transparency and violated state and federal laws. Further, the audit revealed that $12 million in a special account could not be found.

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Congressmen question costs, mission of Wildlife Services agency

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"Cutting grass, not corners."

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Troy Lawn Mowing Service in Oakland and Macomb County Michigan

Gary Hershorn / Reuters

Aereo picks up TV signals broadcast from the tower atop the Empire State Building in New York.

In 2014, Apple, Aereo and big telecom mergers will generate headlines, along with important legal rulings about net neutrality and U.S. surveillance, oversight and transparency. Upstart companies like Uber, Airbnb, and Square will enjoy dramatic growth, and some will announce plans to go public. Smartphones and tablets will continue to spread worldwide as cities and countries race to boost broadband speeds. Here are six tech stories to watch in 2014.

1. Apple will sell more than 30 million iPhones on China Mobile, at the high-end of Wall Street expectations. Its hard to overstate what a coup Apples recently announced pact with China Mobile to sell the iPhone is for CEO Tim Cook. Without question, this is the biggest business deal of Cooks two-and-a-half year tenure, and the consummation of years of negotiations overseen by his late mentor, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.China Mobile is the worlds largest wireless carrier with 760 million subscribers.

After years of meteoric gains fueled by category-busting product launches like the iPod, iPhone and iPad, Apples revenue growth has slowed.Apples stock price was essentially flat for 2013, although the shares soared 33% in the second half of the year, reversing steep losses in the first six months. Some Apple analysts and shareholders have expressed concern about Apples vaunted innovation machine, but those fears are overblown. The latest iPhone and iPad models are huge hits, and Apple will soon report the highest quarterly sales in the companys 30-year history. New international markets will help re-accelerate Apples growth and theres no bigger emerging consumer technology market than China.

(MORE:Apples China Mobile Pact Opens Massive New iPhone Market)

2.The United States Open Internet Rules will suffer a serious defeat in federal court early this year. Telecom giant Verizon hassuedthe Federal Communications Commission, arguing the agency lacks the authority to enforce the principle of net neutrality which is designed to prevent Internet service providers like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T from favoring their own services in order to disadvantage rivals. In practice, that means that the broadband providers are prohibited from blocking or slowing down services like Skype or Netflix on their wired networks.

A losing verdict in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit will be a setback for the Obama administrations technology policy, and will present a thorny challenge for new FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. If the court rules the FCC lacks the authority to enforce the Open Internet Rules, Wheeler could move to reclassify broadband service under existing telecommunications law, restoring the agencys regulatory authority. That, however, would trigger a major showdown between the FCC and broadband giants like AT&T and Verizon, which are extremely powerful on Capitol Hill. More likely: the court asks the FCC to change its rules and reach an agreement with the industry.

(MORE:Landmark Verizon Net Neutrality Case Tests Open Internet Rules)

3.The U.S. Supreme Court will agree to hear the major TV broadcasterscaseagainst Aereo,the upstart online video company that has been giving ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX fits. This prediction is a very close call, because the Supreme Court declines to grantcertiorariin most cases. However, given that the broadcasters and Aereo haveboth askedthe high court to hear the case, I believe that will tip the scale, along with the fact that there is a looming U.S. circuitsplit, where federal courts in different jurisdictions disagree on the legality of Aereos technology.

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The 6 Most Important Tech Bombshells Coming This year

Our 23rd Year Providing Quality Lawn & Landscaping Services

Tom Grosh Receives Certificate of Merit Award for 2012

At Grosh's Lawn Service, Lawn Mowing is what we do. We are a total care Lawn Mowing Service & Landscaping Company serving Hagerstown, MD & Washington County, MD area since 1990. If you want your Grass Cut or Lawn Mowed in Hagerstown, MD, we can take care of it for you. It's that easy!

We offer total care Lawn Service to our clients for everything from Lawn Mowing to Landscaping. Our lawn service offers Shrub Removal, Shrub Planting, Shrub Pruning, Shrub Trimming & Thinning to help accent your homes appearance. You can also take advantage of our Tree Trimming and Tree Removal Services all season long. In the fall of the year we offer Lawn Repair, Lawn Aeration & Over Seeding. Grosh's Lawn Service offers a complete Professional weekly lawn mowing service. During the months of April through October, we mow well over 84 1/2 acres of turf grass on a weekly basis, and can accommodate small residential and large commercial properties alike. We like to work with Realtors to enhance the curb appeal of the homes that they are offering for sale.

Our Lawn Treatment program consists of Fertilization and Weed Control on five (5) yearly visits. Our Fertilizer will help provide your lawn with the nutrients needed all season long. We use Weed Control to get at those pesky Broadleaf Weeds. All Lawn Service Treatments are completed by a Maryland Department of Agriculture Licensed Applicator. We treat lawns in the Hagerstown, MD area every day. We offer a Spring & Fall Cleanup to keep your lawn and landscape beds free of all leaves, limbs and debris. Leaf Cleanup is also done each week during the Fall Season. All waste is hauled away from your home or office. This would also be a good time of year to think about freshening up the Mulch Beds after Spring Cleanup. We always like to have at least a 3 in. layer of Mulch to help keep Weeds under control and retain much needed moisture for the Shrubs & Flowers.

Our unique landscaping services also include Butterfly Gardens, Hummingbird Gardens, Flower Gardens, Healing Gardens and Memorial Gardens to add a special touch to your Backyard or Church. We also offer Tree Planting and Tree Removal for that special area in your lawn. Our Landscaping service areas besides Hagerstown MD are Williamsport MD, Big Pool MD, Hancock MD, Clear Spring MD, Sharpsburg MD, Keedysville MD, Halfway MD, St. James MD, Maugansville MD, Fountainhead, South Pointe, Boonsboro MD, and Chewsville MD & Smithsburg MD.

We also offer 24hr. Emergency Storm Cleanup to the Hagerstown, MD, Washington County, MD and surrounding counties to clean up Storm Damage when needed.

Our weekly lawn mowing service areas besides Hagerstown MD are Williamsport MD, Big Pool MD, Hancock MD, Clear Spring MD, Sharpsburg MD, Keedysville MD, Halfway MD, St. James MD, Maugansville MD, Fountainhead, South Pointe, Boonsboro MD, and Chewsville MD & Smithsburg MD. Our weekly Lawn Service includes cutting all Grass, string trimming, Edging of all beds and sidewalks and blowing of roadside, driveway, sidewalks, patios, porches, and decks.

Our Lawn Treatment service areas besides Hagerstown MD are Williamsport MD, Big Pool MD, Hancock MD, Clear Spring MD, Sharpsburg MD, Keedysville MD, Halfway MD, St. James MD, Maugansville MD, Fountainhead, South Pointe, Boonsboro MD, and Chewsville MD & Smithsburg MD. Grosh's Lawn Service treat lawns in the Hagerstown, MD area every day. Our unique 5- Step Lawn Treatment program of time released fertilizer, crabgrass preventer, broadleaf weed control, insect control, and fungus management (when needed) is based on your lawns requirements. Our state-of-the-art equipment allows our lawn techs to reduce the amount of herbicides applied to your lawn and spot treat weeds as needed. All fertilizer applications are carefully applied at the proper time and at the proper rate so your lawn only receives the correct amount of fertilizer. All Lawn Treatments are completed by a Maryland Department of Agriculture Licensed Applicator.

If I can help you in any way, call or e-mail Tom Grosh at Groshs Lawn Service today. I can offer you a solution to your Lawn Care problem.

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Lawn Mowing | Landscaping | Groshs Lawn Service Around ...

THREE LIVES HAVE BEEN TOUCHED FOR THE BETTER THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. THE MAGICAL INGREDIENT, SHOES. IT'S A POSITIVELY JAX STORY ABOUT A MAN YOU MAY HAVE SEEN ON THE WESTSIDE ON I-295 AND NORMANDY BOULEVARD. JOHNNY ADDISON MOWS LAWNS FOR A LIVING AND ADVERTISES HIS SERVICES BY STANDING ON A STREET CORNER WITH HIS LAWN MOWER AND A SIGN THAT SAYS "WILL WORK FOR FOOD." HE DESPERATELY NEEDED WARMER SHOES NOT LONG AGO AND ONE SUNDAY, HIS PRAYER WAS ANSWERED. WHEN HE'S NOT MOWING THE LAWN, YOU'LL FIND 42-YEAR-OLD JOHNNY ADDISON ROAMING THE WESTSIDE, PUSHING HIS MOWER, HOPING SOMEONE WILL GIVE HIM WORK. I'M VERY CONTENT. I'M BLESSED. I CAN'T COMPLAIN. WE CAUGHT UP WITH JOHNNY AT THE PLACE HE CALLS HOME, BEHIND THIS DILAPIDATED HOUSE ON A SLAB OF CONCRETE. YOU SEEM HAPPY. I'M VERY HAPPY WITH IT. JUST COMING HOME EVERY NIGHT TO MY TRANSITER RADIO AND MY CATS, HAVING THEIR ATTENTION, MY BED, I LOVE IT. I MEAN, I MAKE THE BEST OF A NEGATIVE SITUATION. THIS IS, WELL, HOME. ONE OF HIS MOST PRIZED POSSESSIONS, THE SHOES ON HIS FEET, GIVEN TO HIM BY A GOOD SAMARITAN WHO READ HIS HAND MADE SIGN HE WAS HOLDING ON AN INTERSTATE OFF RAMP ONE COLD SUNDAY MORNING. IT WAS REALLY COLD, WINDY. I THINK IT WAS HITTING AROUND THE 40'S THAT DAY. AND I HAD SANDALS ON, NO SHOES ON WHATSOEVER. HE WAS LIKE, SIR, DO YOU REALLY NEED SHOES? I SAID YES, SIR, AND I'M WILLING TO WORK FOR THEM RIGHT NOW. I SAW HIM TAKING THEM OFF AT THE WHEEL AND HANDED THEM TO ME. I THOUGHT YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. IT HAPPENED SO QUICKLY AT THE INTERSECTION. JOHNNY NEVER GOT A GOOD CHANCE TO REALLY THANK THAT GOOD SAMARITAN AND THAT GOOD SAMARITAN HAD NO IDEA HE WAS BEING WATCHED BY SOMEONE ELSE. IT TOOK A FEW DAYS, BUT WE FINALLY TRACKED DOWN THAT GOOD SAMARITAN. I WAS ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR NATE WES COT. IS THAT YOU? ANOTHER DRIVER CONTACTED ME ON FACEBOOK, ASKING ME TO PASS ALONG A GIFT TO NATE, LETTING HIM KNOW SOMEONE ELSE ALSO APPRECIATED HIS ACT OF KINDNESS. THIS PERSON WANTS TO ANONYMOUSLY REWARD YOU AND SAY THANK YOU FOR DOING JUST A GREAT THING. THIS IS FROM THEM. I APPRECIATE THAT. WOW, ALL RIGHT. I DIDN'T WANT ANYTHING FROM THAT. I JUST WANTED TO GIVE HIM SOME SHOES. NATE'S GIFT WAS A SURPRISE, JUST LIKE THE SURPRISE GIFT HE GAVE JOHNNY. AND AGAIN, I'M WEARING THEM. VERY COMFORTABLE, TOO. PAYING IT FORWARD, ONE STEP AT A TIME. YOU DO SOMETHING GOOD, SOMETHING GOOD WILL FIND YOU, EVERY TIME. NEVER FAILS. I PROMISE YOU. NATE, THE GOOD SAMARITAN, WAS GIVEN A RESTAURANT GIFT CARD BY THAT ANONYMOUS GIFTER. NATE WAS ALSO GIVEN A SPORTS AUTHORITY GIFT CARD WHICH HE SAYS HE'S GOING TO USE TO BUY EVEN MORE SHOES AND GIVE THEM TO OTHER PEOPLE IN NEED. AMAZING JOY. WHAT AN IMPRESSIVE SURPRISE FOR NATE, OF COURSE. JOHNNY GOT HIS PAIR OF SHOES, BUT HE SAYS IT GETS TOUGH FOR HIM ON THE STREETS, ESPECIALLY DURING WINTER. WHAT WILL HE DO? JOHNNY IS HOPING ALL THIS GOOD KARMA WILL SEND HIM WINTERTIME WORK, HELPING SOMEONE MOVE, PAINT A HOUSE, WASH A CAR. IF YOU'VE GOT WORK FOR JOHNNY, WE POSTED HIS CONTACT INFORMATION ONLINE.

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With the news that…

The circle is large for a parlor room chat 50 people.

They are seated in folding chairs in a room with a Jesus portrait on one wall and a woven picture of the Last Supper on another. One person speaks and then theres 15 to 20 seconds of silence, as if everyone is savoring the words just spoken. The silence is broken by another voice, then the silence falls again, and the cycle repeats. The group is discussing something fairly radical what their churchs Sunday morning services should look like and even whether to have one at all. Yet, theres no rancor here. Just an exchange.

Members of Englewood Christian Church have been gathering for these Sunday night conversations for 17 years, but theyve been holding regular Sunday morning services for more than a century. In the 1970s, the church bused in folks from all over town for the Sunday morning service that would attract 1,100 people. Today, 200 may come on a really good Sunday, and in this circle of friends, that doesnt bother anyone in the least.

More interesting to just about anyone you speak with at Englewood is what goes on around the church for the 166 hours a week other than Sunday mornings. And thats quite a lot. So much, in fact, that the Sunday morning ritual that is the staple of American Christianity is now almost an afterthought.

Sunday service is still held, said lifelong Englewood member Jim Aldrich, 62. But it may be the event that is most not a part of what Englewood is now.

Still, the event, as Aldrich calls it, is the one constant that has remained at Englewood through the 118-year lifespan of the church. It was there when the church was born in the late 1900s in the middle of the citys newest streetcar suburb. It was there in the early 20th century, when a pastor was fired for not allowing the Ku Klux Klan to meet in the building. It was there during the booming mega-church years of late 1960s and early 1970s. It was there during the long, slow decline of both the church and the Near Eastside neighborhood that surrounds it.

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But today, Englewood looks at its mission as one of almost communal living with its surroundings. The churchs focus has morphed into improving neighborhood quality of life providing housing, offering quality child care, creating jobs. What happens for two hours a week on Sunday morning seems almost inconsequential.

Some people think if you dont have Sunday morning, if you dont have a worship service, you dont have a church. I think we are beyond that now, Aldrich said. If we didnt have Sunday morning we would still exist as a church. And thats the best thing you can say about where were at right now.

Where Englewood is right now is more firmly tied than ever before to the Near Eastside, an area that has been decimated by factory closings in the past 40 years and the abandoned houses that followed, a place where many residents still struggle to get by in an area where crime is always a looming concern.

Continued here:
Englewood Community Church, by being a good neighbor first, tries to live its faith

Brace yourselves...winter is coming. Beat the rush & call now to get on the schedule for fall cleanups & residential snow removal! 513-259-7566

Call or email today to get on the schedule.

(513)-259-7566

contact@lawnbrothers.org

Lawn Brothers has been proudly serving the the Cincinnati Metro area since 2002. We pride ourselves on providing quality organic lawn and landscape services at great prices, and we always strive to exceed your expectations.

We care about the environment and take a natural approach to lawn care and landscaping so we do not apply synthetic pesticides.

We use a balanced, organic fertilizer, which promotes more natural growth and healthier turf. Please check out the Organics page to learn more about caring for your lawn without using so many chemicals! We offer many lawn and landscaping services, including lawn mowing, spring and fall cleanups, lawn and shrub fertilization, aeration, lawn seeding, landscape and hardscape design, installation and maintenance, brush removal, and more! Please see our services page for details.

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Lawn Mowing and Landscaping Cincinnati, OH -Lawn Bros.-

Landscaping and Lawn Services

Description: We are a full service Gutter Cleaning, Lawn Maintenance, and Pressure washing company.

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Lawn Services | Landscaping Services | Find a Local Lawn ...

(PRWEB) December 23, 2013

Field service businesses love their customers. Theyre great at doing the work out in the field fixing sprinklers, mowing lawns, removing snow, fertilizing, etc. but many struggle to keep their customers informed about appointments, new services, promotions, contractual information and more. This lack of a connection to their customers costs them a significant amount of money in missed appointments and lost sales.

Enter HindSite Connect. HindSite Connect is a new email add-on to HindSites field service software solution. As the name implies, HindSite Connect helps field service businesses connect with their customers using email so they can expand their revenue opportunities and develop knowledgeable, loyal customers.

With HindSite Connect, a few mouse clicks sends the following transactional emails:

Even better, HindSite Connect enables customers to filter their contacts and send any kind of email to those customers. Anything from holiday greetings to newsletters, to targeted promotions can be sent with just a few mouse clicks, from the software businesses use every day.

As a marketer, the thing I love most about HindSite Connect is how configurable it is, says Chad Reinholz, Marketing Manager for HindSite. With HindSite Connect, non-marketers can easily brand their emails with their logo and colors. Plus, they can quickly drop in promotional messages that generate revenue. It s simple and effective.

HindSite Connect also allows businesses to almost endlessly personalize the messages they send. In addition to standard information like demographic data, HindSite Connect enables businesses to drop in work order information, field notes, appointment times and a whole lot more. With HindSite Connect, customers can also send emails based on specific services, enabling them to deliver additional information about what service theyll be performing and what the customer needs to do to prepare.

Marketers know that engaging customers is all about creating a very personal experience, explains Reinholz. One size does not fit all anymore. That is what makes HindSite Connect a game-changer in the service business marketing arena. Our users can tailor the emails they send to their customers, which results in much better email performance.

For more information about Hindsite Connect, visit http://www.hindsitesoftware.com/connect.

About HindSite Software HindSite Software has helped contractors better manage and grow their business with work order software since 2001. Initially designed as irrigation software, HindSite today assists service businesses with scheduling and billing, contact management, field data collection, and invoicing in QuickBooks, Sage Peachtree, and Simply Accounting. When used by lawn care businesses, this paperless lawn care software has been proven to increase efficiency and organization, meaning greater profit potential with less administrative time.

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HindSite Software Releases HindSite Connect