WOW - What a spring break so far!

So, today my fiance learned an extremely valuable lesson... a lesson that I'd like to share with you Gen-Yers out there.

We all know that making mistakes and learning lessons is a part of growing up, but I'd like to share this story with you so that YOU don't make the same mistake (and waste cash) in the way that my adorable fiance did today.

I'm down here in Santa Rosa Beach, FL with my fiance, my mom, and two of my fiance's friends. Peter (my fiance) decided to rent a scooter for the day, so he and I could go explore the area in an fun and interesting way. He Googled nearby scooter rentals, and rented a scooter from the first hit on Google (his first mistake). The rental was $100 for 24 hours, and they'd deliver it to our house. Great, we thought.

The delivery man comes with the scooter on time, and Peter signs all the paperwork for it. The scooter was a fairly cheap knock-off brand, but we figured it would be okay. However, after going full throttle for 30 seconds, the scooter would shut down every time.

Peter called the rental company to file a formal complaint and ask for a partial refund. The owner of the rental company said that we probably wrecked the scooter or broke it in some way, then had a few choice words for my fiance (i.e. cursing him out, saying that he dealt with jerks like him all the time, etc.). On the whole, it was an extremely unprofessional and awful conversation.

The delivery man came about 20 minutes later to pick up the scooter, and said that there were 3 scuff marks on the scooter that were not there when he dropped it off. He said that the owner of the company thought that Peter was a con-artist for using the scooter then "demanding" a refund.

So now, here we are... Peter is probably going to get charged for damages to the scooter which he did NOT cause.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES? WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS?

The first thing Peter did was contact his credit card company to ask them to not allow any more charges from the rental company. He had to talk with a very helpful representative from the claims agency, who said he had a legitimate claim and reason to no longer accept charges from the company.

After Peter cooled down (he was pretty angry... I wouldn't want to get a 6'5" 250+ pound man upset), he looked online for reviews of the company, which were ALL negative. The stories echoed the experiences Peter had just endured.

In the future, if you want to rent/use/buy something from somewhere that will cost $100 dollars or more, PLEASE check with the Better Business Bureau to make sure that you are buying from a legitimate and professional business. Peter is now in a situation where he is definitely out of $100 for a bogus rental. The company STILL has all of his credit card information - who knows what could happen next??

So, take my advice - always read reviews online or check with the Better Business Bureau before making large purchases. It will save you TIME, MONEY, and ENERGY... who could ask for anything more??

- Marge

26 Applicants - Wow!

Hey guys! The campaign forges on!!!

There are now TWENTY-SIX applicants in the Young and Free Tennessee campaign. Wow!!! I think the number of applicants really speaks to the hard work of the Marketing and Gen Y teams at ORNL Federal Credit Union.

Speaking of, have you checked out the Smart Start bundle? If not, check it out!! Here are some of the features:

ATM Fee Forgiveness
Start Smart Savings Account
Oops! Refunds
FREE Online Banking
FREE Web Bill Pay
FREE ChequemateTM Check Card
FREE eStatements
FREE Direct Deposit
FREE Checking Account
No Minimum Balance Requirements
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Most of those features are self-explanatory, but here is further explanation of two of the coolest parts about the bundle:

ATM Fee Forgiveness
You’ve got things to do and sometimes we can’t be there – that’s why we’ll refund up to $25 per month in fees incurred at out-of-network ATMs. And you don’t even have to ask for your money back.

Oops! Refunds
Oops! happens and when it does, we’ve got your back. Once per quarter, you can choose any fee of up to $30 to be refunded to your account. Use your Oops! refund up to four times per year and save! Hmmm, maybe stash it in your Smart Savings Account?
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Interested? Read more on the Young and Free Tennessee website at http://www.youngfreetennessee.com/smart-start-bundle/.

While you're at it, check out my latest video at http://bit.ly/dBGxnG - Enjoy!

See ya'll tomorrow!,
Marge

New Video!

Hey guys! Long time, no talk. ;-)

I spent yesterday afternoon talking to University of Tennessee students, both under 25 and over, about what they'd like to learn about personal finance. If I am selected as the very first Young & Free Tennessee spokesperson, I want to dedicate my time to covering topics YOU are interested in - not information that is irrelevant, unhelpful, or useless. So, check out my video on YouTube to see what YOU had to say about personal finance.. what you're interested in, and what you wish you'd known earlier.

Follow the link below to take a look!!! Don't forget to vote March 12th through the 28th!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGxaxReZr34

Until tomorrow!,
Marge

What a game!

Hey there, Tennesseans!! I just got back home and settled after going to the Tennessee vs. Kentucky basketball game this afternoon in Thompson-Boling Arena!!! What a game! Kentucky was ranked #2, and we BEAT them!!! Talk about a victory... everybody in the arena was going nuts!! It sure makes me proud to be a Tennessee fan. I'll share some pictures of the game and a video of the final few seconds with you guys. Enjoy!!! :-) (The video is at the end of this post, but you can find a higher quality verson of it on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciKeUK7S3p8)

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

Hey guys!!! Happy birthday to MEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! I'm 22 today! I am still very much Young & Free. ;-)

Today, I've uploaded my very first weekly campaign video! PLEASE take a minute to check it out on YouTube: http://bit.ly/bshKds

Hopefully, this video will give you a better idea of who I am.

Short post today, since I've been working on this video like craaaaazy! I'm gonna go enjoy my birthday. Downtown Knoxville, here I come!!!!

Bye guys! Remember to check out the video at http://bit.ly/bshKds !!!

- Marge

Big Day with Young & Free Tennessee!

Wow, what a day!!! It's only 1:40 p.m., but I've already accomplished a lot for the Young & Free Tennessee campaign today! First of all, I went to the "Show Me Your Stuff" portion of the campaign today. I had a blast! Everyone at ORNL Federal Credit Union is SO nice and accommodating. The day consisted of some Twittering, making a blog video on the fly, and an interview portion. I got to make the video with the ACTUAL camera the Young & Free TN Spokesperson gets... what a nice piece of equipment! I filmed and edited my video in under 30 minutes, and I think it was a decent vid. The also think the interview went pretty well. Everyone was so friendly and seemed so receptive to my ideas for the position. Overall, it was a great experience! People there asked to see my car and my earrings, so I know they're reading my blog. ;-) Hopefully I'll be getting to work with all of them. This is a DREAM job for me!!

Also, I FOUND the Nissan Cube!!! Unfortunately, it was about 30 minutes after my fellow running mate Jeffrey Cunningham found it. :-( Oh well!!! I shouldn't have stopped for lunch with my mom, but I wanted to tell her all about the interview.

It is a great looking vehicle... I'd love to be seen cruisin' around K-Town in it! Here's a picture of the car, next to the Marge Mobile! :-)



Well, that's all for today, folks. I'll catch you tomorrow!!! Who KNOWS what I'll come up with next!!

- Marge

Getting Geared up!

So, tomorrow morning is my "Show Me Your Stuff" interview for the Young & Free Tennessee campaign. I have picked out the perfect outfit for the interview, but I needed some jewelry. Hence, I am here to give you some GREAT tips AND instruction on how to curb your costs!!! First off, I only spent around $23 dollars on my outfit (the Clearance section of Kohl's is amazing!). The top is grey, black, red, and white. When it comes to jewelry, I had a few options. (1) I could not wear any. (2) I could buy some earrings for $10 from a department store or jewelry store. (3) I COULD MAKE MY OWN! ;-)

I have loved making my own jewelry for years now, and I wanted to share the process with you. I promise, it is VERY easy!

First off, you'll need the following supplies:

- Wire cutters

- Needle-nose pliers

- Straight earring pins

- Whatever beads you want to use (I have used 3 beads and 1 silver placeholder bead)

- Earrings with an open loop to place the earrings on

Here is a picture of all these supplies:

Locally, I like to buy my supplies from Lilly's Bead Box on Bearden Hill. However, you can also find these supplies at Wal-Mart or Hobby Lobby. The wire cutters and needle-nose pliers are on the pricer side, but the beads and pins cost next to NOTHING. Once you buy the cutters and pliers, you are looking at about $1 to make a new set of earrings. Think of how much you could save! Anyway, back to the process..

Next, you'll need to place your beads onto the straight earring pin (with actual earring on top), and place the needle-nose pliers on top of the stack. Here is a picture of what this will look like:

Then, bend the straight pin over the top of the needle-nose pliers. It will look like this:

Now, loop the straight pin around to the other side. A picture of this follows.

After you continue looping the straight pin around itself (so the beads won't fall off), snip off your extra straight pin wire with the wire cutters. Like so:

Here's the finished product!

If you're willing to be a little patient at first, ANYONE can do this! I made these earrings for about a dollar. Just think of the possibilities! You can make earrings to match any outfit... and it makes a GREAT (and CHEAP!) gift for friends. Enjoy, and happy beading!

- Marge