Quick — what’s the price of Shiitake mushrooms? Don’t know? Maybe that’s because you don’t like mushrooms. But maybe you don’t know specific prices because the cost of most groceries has recently risen thanks to the increase in fuel costs.

Did you know you can grow a log of Shiitake mushrooms (cost $30+shipping), and it will produce mushrooms for four years?

Well, Shiitake…

I’m quickly seeing the advantages of starting even the smallest urban garden. A simple tomato plant in your window or a small container garden on your patio can immediately pay off.

Here’s a shot of an urban garden in an apartment complex.

So how do you start?

First, scope out your available garden space. You might have to get creative. The good news is that you don’t need a “back 40″. You just need a space that gets decent light and can be easily watered. This can be as simple as a few pots of herbs in your window sill or back patio.

Second, start small. Gardening may or may not be your thing. See what happens. You can start with herbs, tomatoes, or even shittake mushrooms (apparently, you just water the log and it does it’s thing). I’m starting with herbs like chives because I love chives and they regularly cost $3-$4 dollars a pack. Here are some in-depth pointers.

Third, figure out how your home or apartment garden fit into your schedule. Small plants won’t take more time than growing a houseplant, but, the edible food will be a nice bonus. And, it may save you a few bucks at the grocery store.

For further practical tips, check out this excellent article at Bankrate.

School may be out for the summer — but the tuition bills continue for a long, long time.

If you’re still in the market for student loans, be sure to check out brand-new peer-to-peer lending options. They may come with better, or more flexible, rates. This great article thanks to our partner, Mainstreet.com.

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Learn About Student Peer To Peer Lending
By Juliana Bunim (05/21/08)

Costs for higher education are soaring, and with students up against rising interest rates, it’s harder than ever to finance a college education. Students and parents borrowed an estimated $17.1 billion in private loans in 2006-7, representing 22% of all lending that year. Now the subprime mortgage meltdown has changed the student loan landscape, and not necessarily for the better.

“A lot of easy money was going into education via the home acting as a piggy bank through refinancing,” says Akash Agarwal, CEO of GreenNote, a social networking and microfinance website. “That has completely stopped.” It’s increasingly difficult for parents to take out home equity lines, and students are looking away from traditional avenues such as Sallie Mae (SLM) and Bank of America (BAC) in favor of more creative ways to finance their education. (Yearly expenses for a public university, including room and board and financial aid, have risen to $9,980 a year from $7,650 according to the College Board, a non-profit examination board. The average net cost for a private college is $23,000, up from $18,050.)

Click here to read more about peer-to-peer student loan options. Sallie Mae: be frightened… very frightened!

Raise your hand if you’ve received your “economic stimulus” check from the U.S. Government.

How will you spend it? Have you considered donating it?

We were delighted to discover “08 Donate”. We invite you to participate! It was started by one citizen, Carmen Silva, to do good.

Says Silva:

Not only could I donate my rebate to a good cause, but I could invite others to do the same. A massive giving campaign could unify the country, cultivate a new spirit of civic engagement, and support great causes all across the planet.

This is an excellent site to get started with charitable giving.

Another great resource is CharityNavigator.org. This site gives you a report card on how your favorite charity spends money.

Join other members of the Geezeo community who are using their rebates for social good.

Or, take a peak at a portion our “Green Holiday” series. We highlight some green/social ways to put money to use for the higher good.

Green, Giving Holidays: What’s Better than a Talking Card?

Gifts for (or to honor) your cute social studies teacher

The gift that keeps *taking*

What causes are important to you? Are you ready to “put your money where your mouth is” or “share the wealth”?

Let’s hope so!

We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the friendships that have developed between Geezeo users. First you’re talking money, and then you’re talking about everything else…!

With that in mind we decided to make it easier for users to get in touch. We’ve affectionately referred to this in-house as the “Gary Ploski” feature set — named after one of our first, and friendliest, users. (For more on Gary, check out his interview!)

Introducing our new Feed and Friend features! Log into your dashboard to see them in action.

To friend someone: Navigate to any Groups or Goals you share with one of your Geezeo friends. Click on your friend’s name to send a request. If they accept you’ll be instantly connected.

Once you’re connected you can share select information. Did you just buy a great pair of shoes (on sale)? Find a deal on an apartment? Or just want to share your latest Money Confession? You control what information you’d like to share with your friends.

Take it for a test drive! You can befriend any of the Geezeo staff, too! Happy friend-ing!

June is around the corner. Are you hearing the faint beginnings of wedding bells? If so, be careful and avoid some of the biggest marriage mistakes.

Here, another great article from Mainstreet.com.

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Say ‘I Don’t’ to a Wedding Loan
By Jeffrey Strain

Taking out a wedding loan is one of the biggest financial mistakes a couple can make.

With the wedding season upon us, brides and grooms are going to be shelling out big money to get married. U.S. couples spend on average more than $28,000 for a wedding, with the average wedding in bigger cities costing as much as $50,000.

These numbers don’t even include the honeymoon, engagement ring, bridal consultant or wedding planner, all of which can add tens of thousands more to the cost of a wedding.

In the past, families of the bride and groom typically helped out with wedding expenses, but with the prices of weddings so high and people waiting until later in life to get married, it’s becoming more common for the bride and groom to pay for part or all of these expenses.

This is fueling the growing trend of couples getting wedding loans.

Both secured and unsecured wedding loans are available, and loan amounts can vary greatly, from as little as $1,000 all the way to the high five-figures.

Continue reading to avoid some common wedding and partnership money mistakes!

Now is the time to start searching for that perfect summer job.

Many associate summer jobs with teenagers and college students on break. But, as the economy shifts temporary-seeming “summer jobs” are being sought after by all demographics. Whether for extra cash during a squeeze or as prime earnings, all summer employees ought to consider a strategic approach.

Here are five tips to get yourself a cool summer job:

1 – Think of this as a “real job” and pursue accordingly. Don’t assume that a temporary job will be any less competitive. Even if the job is seen as less desirable (e.g., like bagging groceries), you have more competition!

2 – Create multiple options. Some people slack off and only put in application or resumes in one or two places. Even if you have a killer interview on Monday do not assume you can slack off the rest of the week. Keep your info circulating and you’ll have more choices and options.

3 – Consider working for #1. Summer is a great time to start your own business. There are seasonal jobs available such as lawn care or babysitting. Some college students pooh-poo this option in lieu of getting “real credentials”. Consider, instead, the two advantages. One, you can learn all aspects of a business, from marketing and bookkeeping. And two, you can set your own hours.

4 – Relationships matter. Seasonal jobs are just like other jobs in terms of working your network. The best ones often require you reach out to every person in your social circle – and beyond. After all: if the job is so desirable you’ll have to make a case why you’re the best choice. A good word from a friend or relative can go a long way.

5 – Save for the winter. Your summer job will end. Make sure you have something to show for it. A good way to save is to set it up so it happens automatically so you aren’t tempted to spend. If that’s not possible, summer is a good time to establish a savings habit.

Have a great summer!

Starting today, we’ll be featuring outstanding articles from our partner, Mainstreet.com. This one is about insurance. But before you scream “insurance – boring!” – consider, have you prepared for a natural disaster?
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Are You Prepared for a Natural Disaster?
By Laura Moran (05/19/08)

Recent earthquakes and cyclones have caused serious devastation to countries around the world including China and Myanmar. And while such catastrophes are a world away, it is important to remember that unexpectedness natural disasters could happen in this country, too. Remember that 2007 tornado in Brooklyn, anyone?

Despite this reality, a new study has found that almost half of U.S. consumers are not prepared for property loss from a large scale natural disaster including the potential hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and floods that accompany spring and summer each year. A survey done by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) revealed that 48% of people said they did not have an inventory of their possessions and, of those who did report having an inventory, 32% had not taken any pictures. In addition, 58% had no receipts validating the cost of their possessions, and 44% acknowledged that they had not stored their inventory in a secure, remote location.

Continue reading for 10 preparedness tips.

Can you Zagat your financial life?

The New York Times writer and editor Ron Lieber proposes a weekly review of financial service products. Think of it like a Zagat review of your favorite restaurant or a Times review of the latest film. Click here to read his great article, “Five Basics for Building a Solid Financial Future”.

Psst — and here’s another little something you can use. Geezeo is compiling user reviews on every financial product and service. Make sure you rank your financial products and services by logging into your Dashboard. Click on any of your accounts and tell us what you think!

Are we entering the much-debated state of “Peak Oil”? You’ll recall that’s the state where the world’s reserves are officially leaning toward the “E” side of the dial. Maybe, maybe not… One thing is certain: gas prices are likely to continue going up, not down.

The average Geezeo user spent an average of $72.38 on purchases labeled “gas” last month.

How does that impact your wallet now? Here are six tips to help you with your “gas problem”:

1. Combine trips. Plan your errands so you do them all at once versus multiple trips and multiple miles.

2. Eliminate trips or carpool. Reconsider the expense of public transportation versus what it will cost you to drive. Or, consider where you can walk. Even in less pedestrian-friendly areas, you can find ways to walk. Even walking between parking lots can save some cash and give you some exercise.

3. Fill your tires. Properly-filled tires allows you to get the best gas mileage.

4. Change your oil and replace your air filters. Again, keep your car in the best working order. These tips cost a little up front but will save you in the long run.

5. Empty your trunk. Many people use their trunk as extra storage. You’re paying more for gas for every additional, unnecessary pound of weight in your trunk. Clean it out!

6. Find the best price online. Sites like GasBuddy.com allow you to find the best price in your area. Just don’t drive a considerable distance out of your way to save a few cents…

What gasoline usage tips would you add? For example, if you have a yard and use a gas-powered mower you might consider switching to an old-fashioned human-powered machine.

I was looking out my front door this morning, watching a bird perch inside the the top corner of my porch. At first, I passed it off as nothing since it flew away. However, I saw the same bird on the ground looking for something. I assumed it was food. However, the bird picked up some dried grass, flew back to the same spot, and carefully placed it, just to fly away again (to get some more I presume). When the bird flew away tho, it’s efforts seemed pointless since it kicked the blades of grass just enough for the wind to take them away.

Well, did the bird give up? No. The bird kept bringing back blades of grass, small twigs, anything that would be suitable for the nest it was making. Eventually, the nest settled into place and began to form.

You might wonder at this point what exactly this has to do with your finances? Good question. Use a little bit of imagination, and think about when you are trying to build a “nest” of savings. Every once in a while, a “gust of wind” may come along and blow some of it away, something that could quite possibly be out of your control. But should you give up trying to add to that savings, wondering if another “gust” will just take it all away? Of course not. Eventually, the pieces will fall into place and stick. Your actions will become habit, and you will be able to fulfill your goals of paying down debt, and building a substantial savings.

For instance, we recently came up with a master plan to solve our debt issues and build a decent “nest” of savings. We thought it was going to work just great. That is, until a “gust of wind” came along, and blew that plan out the window. Due to work slowing down, and the inability for the company to “afford him”, my husband lost his job this past week. While I could sit here and be upset and/or depressed about the situation, we decided to make the best with what we have. Our end goal is to still pay off debt and build a savings – that won’t change. What will change is the path we are going to take to get there.

Let Geezeo help you see where your finances are, create a budget to be able to live within your means, as well at set some goals to save for your “nest”.

(Photo Courtesy of: Niuet / Stock.xchng.hu)