For those who are tired of the same old holidays, here are some new days to celebrate. Mark your calendars and tell your friends, the new holidays are just around the corner!

January 5-National Bird Day: This holiday was established by bird activists to bring awareness to the condition of birds living in captivity. If you feel like you’re trapped in a cage in your everyday life, this may be a special day for you.

January 18-Thesaurus Day: Do you love finding a new and better word to fit in that sentence? Is your thesaurus your friend? Then celebrate the day that honors its author, Peter Roget. Although the creators of the day are unknown, it was probably started by the book company that makes this handy reference guide.

January 21-National Hugging Day: This is a real copyrighted day, created in 1986 by Rev. Kevin Zaborney from Caro, Michigan. He apparently needed a big hug and since it falls during that time of year when winter seems to be a permanent part of life, you may need one too. Give one, get one, pass one on. Hugs for all!

February 1-National Freedom Day: President Harry Truman signed a bill establishing this day on June 30, 1948. It was created to commemorate freedom from slavery.

February 4-Thank a Mailman Day: Mail carriers work through rain, snow, sleet, angry dogs and ornery kids. Leave a gift in your mailbox for this person who is there for you every day.

February 15-Singles Awareness Day: Celebrated the day after Valentine’s Day, this is the day for those without a significant other. Meet and mingle with other singles and give gifts to your single friends. This day was created by Dustin Barnes from Mississippi State University, who was single at the time.

First Friday of March-National Salesperson Day: An author, speaker and consultant for salespeople named Marcia Schreier-Fleming created this day. Give thanks to the person who rings up your groceries, the man who calls selling insurance and the person who tries to sell you a car. These people are an important part of our economy.

Third Saturday in March-National Quilting Day: Quilting has gotten a second wind lately after years of being shunned in popular culture. Celebrate its revival with this day created in 1991 by the National Quilting Association.

April 10-National Sibling Day: We’ve got moms, dads, grandparents and bosses covered, but our sisters and brothers get lost in the mix. Remember them and all the special moments you had growing up together on this day.

It comes around every year—the joy, the snow, the happy memories waiting to be made and the empty pockets. The holidays are no longer a few days in the winter where various people celebrate religious remembrances. The “holidays” often last a month or longer and it’s not only spending on presents that can set you back. Parties, dinners, office events, surprise visits from family, plane tickets to visit long-lost friends…sometimes all you can hear is the “cha-ching!” of the register ringing and the money jumping out of your hands. Apartments.com has some insider-advice (we’ve been in those heavy holiday shoes, too) to help make this season the one where you finally give yourself a present—some leftover cash in January!
Gift-Giving with Less Green

• Use a detailed list and stick to it. Don’t go the mall and randomly search for the perfect gift for all 137 people on your list. Next to each name, write down an amount to spend and stick to it.
• Pick out only the most-wanted items for children. Those are usually the ones kids remember the most.
• It’s true that “it’s the thought that counts”. Think of ways to make your gift giving special to the recipient instead of spending the most. Pick out gifts that involve special knowledge or memories. Go ahead and tug at the heartstrings, those are the best gifts.
• Use the internet to comparison-shop for deals.
• While some homemade gifts are cheesy, others are downright genius: pre-measured ingredients in a jar for easy assembly of a cookie recipie, houseplants that reflect a person’s personality, computer-generated individualized stationary sets. All big winners in the holiday circuit!
• Wrapping paper is old news; be creative and save money by using kids’ artwork, old maps or travel brochures, comics, newspapers or old pieces of fabric.

Dinners that Don’t Drain You

This year make your holiday feasts budget-friendly by following these tips:

• Don’t buy the biggest turkey or ham you can find in an attempt to impress your family and/or ensure generous leftovers. Plan on one pound of meat per person, up to two pounds if you want to have some leftovers.
• Store your leftovers in a meal-friendly way: Package food in meal-sized portions. Fresh ham and turkey can be frozen for up to two weeks. Once you thaw your meat, however, it shouldn’t be re-frozen.
• Go grocery shopping the day after Thanksgiving and stock up. Prices are usually at the lowest of the season at this time.
• Don’t be afraid to buy canned pumpkin and cranberries, pre-made pie crusts or make your own bread crumbs out of bread-ends from your kitchen. These convenience items can usually save you money.

Want to win a Best Costume prize or simply just impress your friends at the next costume party?  Well, we have some great tips for you!
 
Be Unique.
Many of you have heard this plenty of times but it can’t be stressed enough. No one is going to look twice at a person walking around with a white bed sheet over their head. Have fun with it and get a little crazy! 

Look to popular movies and television shows for inspiration.  What about Home Improvement’s Richard Karn (Al Borland)? Grow out your beard, wear a flannel shirt with blue jeans and work boots and get a tool belt and tool box.   Dress as Ernie McCracken from Kingpin. Wear black pants with a black button down shirt and stuff the shirt to make a fat stomach.  Carry a bowling ball and wear a wig.   Get as detailed as possible.  Most often these types of “copy” costumes can easily be put together with items that you already have in your closet, or things that you can get cheaply at a Good Will or Salvation Army store.
 
Make it Yourself.
To save money and make your costume look one of a kind, make it yourself.  If you go to “Costume World” type store and buy a superman costume for a Halloween party, chances are that someone probably will have the same costume.  If your costume is hand-made, you’ll know it’s one of a kind. If you don’t have the time or the talent to actually sew a costume, check out thrift stores or resale shops.  You’ll be bombarded by mumu’s, bell-bottoms, Elvis glasses and every tacky trinket you can imagine.  Having trouble coming up with an idea? Find one piece and create your costume around that one item.  Find a great wig and think of all the possibilities.  A blonde beehive?  Try a 60’s go-go dancer or a bobby sox-er.  Find a long black wig.  You can be the typical witch, braid it and be a Native American or little girl (Wednesday Adams), wear it long and be a hippie.  Once you have your idea in your mind for your costume, you can look through the racks to complete the look. 
 

Dress as a group.
Group costumes are usually hilarious at a party.  Get three of your friends together and dress as Homer, Bart, Lisa, and Marge from the Simpson’s.  Create a couple costume with your significant other or your best friend, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Batman and Catwoman, Fred and Wilma from the Flintstones, Mario and Luigi, Napoleon and Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite, and Ernie and Bert from Sesame Street, let your imagination go wild.  These fun ideas are party favorites and also look great in pictures!
 

Think outside of the box.
The best costumes are the ones that few have thought of before or ones that at first thought, might not make any sense.   In conversation, say the topic of art comes up.  Think about famous pieces of art.  Could you pull off a Venus De Milo?  How about a Mona Lisa?  Van Gogh self portrait?  Look to history for inspiration.  Sure there’s going to be a million Pirates of the Caribbean costumes, but how many people will be dressing as King Henry VIII?  How much you want to bet that at the next party you attend there will be a Mr & Mrs Smith?  Odds are you’re not going to find a King Louie and Marie Antoinette. 

Do some research.
Still having some trouble coming up with ideas?  Go to the internet.  Look through Halloween Costume sites and peruse thousands of ideas.  Pick up a gossip magazine and dress as your favorite tacky celebrity.  Inspiration is everywhere!

It’s something we really don’t want to think about, something only for horror movies and crime shows. Sadly, violent crime happens in the United States on a daily basis, in 2004, there were approximately 24 million cases of violent crime. About 1 in every 27 households in that year were either burglarized or had a member age 12 or older who was a victim of violent crime. Although it’s scary to think about, anyone can be a victim of crime but there are some things that you can do to help prevent being targeted by crime.

The best way to avoid bad situations is to be aware of your surroundings and be prepared in the event you find yourself in a compromising situation. Awareness is the first step. Personally, I’ve lived in the same area for quite a while but as I did some research for this article, I was amazed at who was living right down the street from me. If you’re moving to a new city, take a look at the crime trends that happen in your neighborhood. You can look up your current city, or the city that you’re thinking of moving to, on http://www.city-data.com/. There you can find the types and numbers of crimes committed in a neighborhood, by year, and compare the crime rate to that of the median for the rest of the United States. It’s also good to know if there are any registered sex offenders living by you. The US Department of Justice requires sex offenders to be registered at http://www.nsopr.gov/.

Keep in mind, however, that regardless of the crime rate for a certain city, past history can not determine what crimes may or may not take place in the future. If you choose an apartment in a city with a very low, or nonexistent, crime rate, it does not mean that you will never fall victim to a crime. Criminals strike where they see opportunity and they don’t always stick to a particular geography. If you live in a crime ridden neighborhood and do things to keep yourself and your property safe, you’ll probably be less likely to be a victim than someone who lives in an area with low crime rates that never locks her apartment. There are many simple things that you can do to prevent becoming a target for criminals.

• Deadbolts are vital to have on all doors that can lead to your apartment. Not only do you need them but you need to keep them locked, both when you’re at home and when you’re away. If a burglar has a choice between picking a standard lock or breaking into an apartment with two or more locks, odds are the criminal will go for the easiest break-in. The more time a burglar spends on getting into an apartment, the more obvious he becomes and the better chance he’ll be interruped or caught in his attempt.
• Even if you are just going out for a few minutes, lock your door and take the keys with you. You’d be surprised how many people are gone for less than an hour and come back to find out they’ve been robbed. Other types of criminals will also look for the opportunity to sneak in your apartment while you’re away, knowing that you’ll be back.
• Besides a door or window, burglars can also use a sliding glass door to gain entrance to your apartment. Sliding doors can easily be lifted off their tracks. Place a wooden rod inside the track on the inside, so it cannot be opened from the outside. Hanging curtains on these doors can also prevent a burglar from easily “scoping out” your place.

The Internet is a great way to get information quickly. But sometimes, information can be misleading. A couple of the staff members here at Apartments.com have wondered about some rumors floating around the Internet and launched an investigation to find out the truth. Below are some true urban legends that are interesting, and perhaps important, to know about.
Legend: Cordless phones with dying batteries can dial 9-1-1 on their own.

If an older-model cordless phone still has the battery in it and starts to die, it can malfunction and dial 9-1-1 amongst other random numbers. Cell phones can do the same thing, although such reports are rare. Take the batteries out of phones you are not using just in case.

Legend: A woman is robbed and/or assulted when she is pulled over by someone who she thinks is a police officer.

Criminals have often used the fact that police officers sometimes drive unmarked police cars to their advantage. If you are being pulled over by an unmarked car (especially if you are alone or are in an isolated area), you have the right to ask to see the officer’s badge. If he/she fails to produce it or you do not feel that it is real, you should drive to the nearest station to be sure. Many states now allow people to drive to a safe, public location if they are being pulled over by an unmarked car.

Legend: Gel candles can explode and cause a fire.

Although the likelyhood of a gel candle exploding is low, it is true that gel candles pose a greater fire risk than wax candles. The gel can overheat and melt over or expand, causing the candleholder to shatter. Avoid lighting gel candles near other heat sources and always monitor burning candles, no matter what type they are.


Legend: Friday the 13^th is an unlucky day.

Of course, no one can actually prove that this is true. However, history is full of examples of the dislike for the number thirteen and the day Friday. The British Medical Journal published a study in 1993 that showed that more car accidents happen on Friday the 13^th than on Friday the 6^th. This despite the fact that less people choose to drive on the 13th. Example of the power of suggestion? Possibly, but we’re not walking under any ladders come the next Friday the 13^th.

Legend: The area codes 809, 284 and 876 should NEVER be dialed.

This scam has been identified by the National Fraud Information Center as real, and it’s pretty scary. Here’s how it works: You get an anonymous message on your machine saying anything from “you won a prize” to “a close family member has died in an accident.” You are given a number to call that starts with one of these area codes. These area codes are for the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, respectively. Because these numbers are not regulated by the U.S. government, you can be charged without being informed. When you call back, they try to keep you on the line as long as possible, resulting in a phone bill that can quickly reach hundreds of dollars. An email warning commonly sent out says that the cost is $2400 a minute; the rate is not this high but it is still significant. An important note: If you have a friend or family member in this area code, calling them is not a problem. It is only a scam when done in a scenario like the one described above.

If you’re curious about a chain email, or want to know if a rumor is true or false, visit www.snopes.com. It’s a blast to read!

Dear Apartments.com,
I hate my ex, I just hate him. I know I’ll get over it eventually but right now, I am so mad! We were dating for 6 months and decided to get an apartment together. Three months into our lease, I found out that he was cheating on me so I kicked him out. I can’t afford this apartment all by myself. Is there anything that I can do to go after him for the money for the remainder of the lease?
Steaming in San Francisco, CA

Dear Steaming,
This is one of the worst renter nightmares, since you’re often stuck in a lease that you can’t afford. Your best option is to try to explain the situation to your landlord and ask if you can move into a smaller or less-expensive unit. Your landlord may be more willing to allow you to break your lease if you are going to move into another unit. You can also ask to move off the property altogether and offer to find a sub-letter until your lease is up. You are still responsible for the lease but may be able to avoid paying for the apartment. Best of luck and don’t kick yourself too much, this happens more than you think!

Dear Apartments.com,
My girlfriend and I just broke up and we’ve agreed to live together for the remainder of our lease. The only problem is that I’ve started seeing someone else and I don’t want my ex in our bedroom any longer. Problem is, we have a one-bedroom apartment. Do you have any advice for telling her to sleep somewhere else?
Sleeping Single, For Now in Sarasota, FL

Dear Sleeping Single, For Now,
You are one brave man. Risking the wrath of an ex-girlfriend having to watch you going into your former bedroom with another woman is not a scene I would want to witness. Try going to her place, at least for awhile, since you are still sharing a lease and this is really the most respectful choice. If you do think it is appropriate to bring your new girlfriend home, gently sit down and explain the situation to her and ask if she could sleep in the main room. Helping her arrange a sleeping situation may ease the blow. Make sure you give your roommate a heads up when your girlfriend is going to be around so that she is not surprised. Trust me, these women are not interested in meeting one another.

Most of us have seen the movie “Single White Female” and the idea of searching for a roommate can be challenging, scary and stressful. The thing is, you can’t afford to live on your own, the idea of staying at home with your parents is just not something you can handle any longer or you’re in a new city and rental costs are a little more than what you’ve bargained for. What to do? The experts at Apartments.com have put together a couple ideas for you to help make this decision a little less intimidating.

Although your roommate might not instill a curfew on you, lock you out of the house if you break it or make you baby-sit, there are still some challenges with living with another person that you will need to overcome. If you’re not really a people person, or you really need a lot of privacy, or you have trouble talking through disputes, having a roommate might not be for you. Even if you live with a friend, your roommate’s problems may become yours. You’ll still need to share responsibilities (cleaning, bills, grocery shopping, etc.) and there may be the times that there’s never enough privacy. If you’re ready to face the challenges and make a commitment to developing this relationship, you’re ready to choose your roommate.

The first thing you’ll need to decide is if you’ll live with a friend or a stranger. Although the idea of living with your best pal is quite appealing, living together can break the strongest bonds. Are you ready to lose the friend you’ve known since kindergarten or have you been through enough to know that any obstacle can be worked out? The little things that bother you now about your friend (she’s always whining about her boyfriend, he can’t go out without creating loud bodily sounds, she has a problem with borrowing things and never giving them back) will only get worse when you’re with each other 24/7. Even if you have the most fantastic relationship, there are things that go on behind closed doors that you will become all too privy to. Do you really want to know?

If you’re new to a city or you don’t have a friend that is ready, or who wants to, move into a new place, finding a “stranger” may be your only option. To avoid the crazy, stalker, moocher, leech type; approach this search in the same way you would approach a new job or finding a college. Ask questions, ask a lot of questions, both to your potential new roomie and to yourself:

• Are you a morning person or a night owl?
• What kind of music do you like?
• Do you party or do you like relaxing down time?
• What kind of people does your roommate hang out with?
• Do you like the same sports teams?
• How do you feel about visitors?
• Are you in a serious relationship? Are they?
• Do you share the same ideas about cleanliness? Are you a pig? Is your roommate neat freak?
• What are your hobbies? (If you play a musical instrument, for example, this information is a need to know for any potential roommate.)
• Do you or your potential roommate have or want pets? And if so, what kind are they? You probably wouldn’t want to bunk with an owner of a ferret if you’re an owner of a Doberman.

Dear Apartments.com,
I’m moving out of my parents’ house and into my own apartment for the first time. Everyone keeps telling me, “Get a pet, it’ll make things much easier.” I’ve never had a pet besides Orange, my carnival-born goldfish in the second grade. Orange didn’t fare so well, and I’m worried that I might not be able to take good care of a pet on my own. What do you recommend for the first-time pet owner? I will be out of the apartment for about 8 or 9 hours a day.
Thanks!
Lonely in Lisle, IL

Dear Lonely,
As an avid animal lover and owner, I know from experience that the most important thing a first time animal owner needs to do is be prepared. Owning an animal like a cat or dog takes patience, time, money and a lot of hard work. You won’t be able to be away from your home for an extended period of time without a “babysitter” or making other arrangements to feed and care for your pet. From the tone of your note it seems like you’re more inclined to get a pet because your friends are telling you that you need to have one. There are thousands of animals that end up in shelters every year because their owners didn’t realize the commitment that animal ownership entails. Plus, since a fish is probably the easiest of all the animals to take care of, you need to ask yourself if you’re truly ready for animal ownership. Since you will be out of the home for a good chunk of time, why don’t you try first with another fish, if you start with that and determine that you’re ready to make a step up, take a look at some of our other articles on which type of animal is best for apartment life. Having an animal is a lot like having a kid that never grows up, if you’re not ready to give up your independent lifestyle, you’re probably not ready to own a pet.

You barely have one foot out the door of your college pad when your new employer hands you an oversized, intimidating folding labeled “401K PLAN.” If your first thought was “401K? They must have gotten me confused with the company president—I’m supposed to me making 401 a week!” then this article is for you. It’s also for anyone who wants to start putting some money away for a future purchase but aren’t quite sure how to make that money grow.

Investing can seem like a very daunting prospect for those who don’t have any experience with it. And unless your parents left you with a mega trust fund (you’re buying lunch!) you probably don’t have any experience. Rest easy because Apartments.com is here for you. We’ve got a step-by-step guide to investing that will have your savings multiplying before your eyes. Ready, set, invest!

Step One: Have a Plan

First, you’ll need to figure out what you want and how long you have to wait before you can get it. Do you want to buy a car in three years? A home in five? Have a comfortable retirement when you’re 60? This will guide the decisions you make as an investor. If a retirement plan is your goal, the Social Security Administration has a benefits calculator that can help you estimate your potential benefit amounts after you retire. When you are ready to invest go to http://www.ssa.gov/planners/calculators.htm to lay out a plan. Read on for a road map to making your goal.

Step Two: Figure Out How Much You’re Worth

Now it is time to figure out your “net worth statement.” The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission provides the following chart for plotting out how much you’re worth on paper:

Your Net Worth Statement

A staff member at Apartments.com has this credit “nightmare” to share:

“I thought I had landed the perfect apartment a few weeks ago. Spacious, well-lit, priced right—only problem was, about eight other people also thought it was ideal. In order to secure it, I needed to beat out the others in handing over the security deposit and passing a credit check. No problem, I thought—after all, I have very little debt, I pay all my bills on time, and I’ve a myriad of positive accounts in the past. So when the leasing agent shook his head at me and said, ‘No go, your credit wasn’t approved,’ I nearly fell out of my chair. As I left for home, one I would apparently be living in longer than expected, I wondered what could have happened. As it turned out, what happened was that I had missed the last electric bill at an address two years ago and a false claim—a blatant lie, I might add—from a previous landlord was sitting right squawk in the middle of the report. How could this happen, and what could I do about it? As it turns out, plenty. The first would have been to have kept an eye on my credit more carefully.”

You can follow these steps to avoid a similar fate:

• Monitor your credit online through one of the three major U.S. credit bureaus: Experian.com, Equifax.com, and TransUnion.com. The federal government requires that all three allow everyone to see one free copy of their report each year.
• If you want more consistent monitoring, including email alerts anytime your credit report changes or is viewed, you’ll need to pay $9.95 a month after a one-month free trial.
• Know your credit score—anything below 620 makes you risky to landlords and loan companies.

If you see something on your credit that you can pay off, (like a forgotten utility) pay the bill immediately, especially if you’re planning to move. According to the law, once your bill is paid, the item must be removed from your credit report by the next billing cycle.

If you have false claims on your report, stay calm and follow these steps to get them off:

• The easiest way to remove false claims is to use the online dispute function on any of the credit bureaus’ websites. Simply check the claim you are arguing and write a very brief description of the reason. You should get a response in 45 days or less.
• If the online dispute fails or you want to take it a step further, you can hire an attorney to fight the claim in court. If you win, the company will be fined $1,000 and might also need to pay punitive damages as well as any legal fees that are incurred.
• Check all three major credit bureaus for errors and dispute each error with any report it appears on. Reports can vary by what information each bureau receives. Also, if there is an error, or if an old bill gets paid up, although one bureau may remove it from your report, the other two may not.