Communications Committee

Guest Bloggers
YWTF-ATL is looking for bloggers and social media specialists. Do you currently blog? Would you like to be a guest star? Are you interested in taking on a reoccurring role? What topics would you like to see in the Many Voices. One Force blog.? Your participation, thoughts, and comments are welcome. We will feature your comments in our blog. Send your thoughts or posts to Lauren.ywtf@gmail.com.

Newsletter Writers
Article submissions are encouraged, too.  All article submissions are due on the 23rd day of each month.
Send your comment and submissions to Lauren.ywtf@gmail.com.

Photographer
The hunt is on for an official YWTF-Atlanta Chapter Photographer! Do you have great photography skills? Do you own a photography business?  If so, we would like to hear from you. Send examples of your work to Lauren Zink, Director of Marketing & Communications, at lauren.ywtf@gmail.com.

Graphic Designer
Are you the Leader of Layouts? Are you the President of Picking Fonts? Are you the Queen of Color? Sign on as our Graphic Designer, and we'll let you pick your title. How do you like them apples, Creator of Creative Assets? Send your portfolio to Lauren at lauren.ywtf@gmail.com.

Young People That Rock

• Congrats to Marisol Valles for your new director of municipal security role in Mexico!

• We've all been exposed to religious people that preach hate instead of love. These college kids did something about it. Remember: your voice is just as important. 

Photo credit: Pixomar

Your Voice: Money-Saving Tip #1 - Kitchen

When I first moved in with my boyfriend (who is now my husband) at age 18, I was working a full-time receptionist job making minimum wage ($6.50/hour) while taking a full load of classes. Because there was no way I could take on an extra job with all my obligations, I knew I had to be extremely tight with my earnings just to make ends meet.

I started researching and educating myself on how to save money by Googling just that.

Much to my disappointment, I was already doing almost everything these blogs and advice-centered websites offered.

I decided at that point, if it wasn’t on Google, I would have to come up with my own ways that go beyond, for example, only using the dishwasher once it’s full.

So, frugal readers out there, I am attempting to condense some of the lessons I’ve learned about being domestically economical over the last 4 years into a series of blog entries, all for you! This is meant for anyone wanting to save a little bit or a lot of money. These tips will range from being fairly simple to pretty extreme. As you read, remember that saving money is the main objective; this may require you to think outside of the box and take a little extra time out of your day to follow through.

Let's start in the kitchen:

Paper towels? Who needs them?

You would be amazed at how much we reach for paper towels on a daily basis. Have a spill? Need a napkin? Need to clean your counter or wipe down your mirror? How about dry your hands? Okay, so you see my point:

A two-person household can easily use around 2 rolls of paper towels per week. That’s around $4.30 (if these rolls are bought 1 per pack), which is $17.20 per month.

Instead, invest a set of cloth napkins and dishtowels. Dishtowels do not have to be expensive (I often by mine from Ikea for $0.49/each here http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10100909 ). These can be used for wiping down, drying hands, drying dishes (pretty much everything a paper towel does). For cleaning purposes, cut up old t-shirts, use old missed-matched socks, and even old towels to get the job done.

Total savings per year (before cloth napkins and dish towels are bought): $206.40

*Savings vary from household to household*

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Emily Tabouring is studying speech pathology at San Francisco State University. For more from this younger woman, please visit her blog.