BuzzSugar

The Questions You Must Answer to Get a Spousal Green Card

Annie Scudder — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:40:02 PDT

Each year, almost 80,000 foreign spouses are awarded US green cards. The American government has determined that these couples are in bona fide relationships with the help of the "Stokes interview." Stokes refers to a federal court decision that ordered New York's immigration services to be more fair in deciding marriage green card cases. When officials have any suspicion that they're dealing with a sham marriage, they will interview the spouses separately, asking them questions about their personal life and relationship. The answers to these questions can't be memorized ahead of time, and officials will compare each spouse's answers afterward for discrepancies.

The New York Daily News recently looked into the city's "Stokes unit" and reported on some example questions. They include:

What restaurant do you and your husband usually order takeout from? Where do you keep the menus?
How did you celebrate New Year's Eve last year?
How much is your rent? Who writes the check?

One man, the paper reports, reported sleeping in the same bed with his wife every night, but didn't know that she had an oxygen tank next to the bed. Whoops. If an immigrant can avoid something like that and beat the system, after 10 years of citizenship, you're off free, thanks to the statute of limitations. Would you ever consider getting married for a green card?

6 Clever Things to Do With Your Tax Refund

Emily Co — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:59:35 PDT

Now that tax day is over, it's time to think about your next move - what to do with your refund. Many of you may become a few thousand dollars richer, because the average tax refund this year is about $3,000, according to IRS agency chief Douglas H. Shulman. Although I've been seeing a few Facebook statuses about using the money to buy a new pair of shoes or bags, there are more financially savvy ways to spend your tax windfall. Here are some financially responsible things to do with the extra cash:

Pay off high-interest debt. Make a dent in your debt by using your refund check to pay it off. Lowering the amount you owe, whether it be credit card debt or car loans, means reducing the interest you'll be paying. Paying less interest will equate to more savings down the road. Be smart when choosing to pay off debt and keep in mind that paying down debt might result in a lower credit limit.
Emergency fund. If you're living paycheck to paycheck, this might be a good time to save some money for a rainy day. Anything can happen these days - you may have to pay for unexpected fixes on your car or you might even lose your job (knock on wood) - so you really need to have some extra financial padding to get you through the tough times. If you have a lot of high-interest debt to pay off, you may want to use most of your refund to pay off the debt, then squirrel away a portion of it toward your emergency fund. It's good to have at least six months to a year of emergency savings.
Green your home. Make your home more eco-friendly by purchasing Energy Star appliances that will save you money on utilities. Figure out if your home can improve on insulation by using your refund to pay for a paid inspection by a professional energy auditor. Save energy and money by figuring out what works best for your house, from installing windows and doors that fit better to plugging and caulking cracks and holes.

Read on for more.

21 Disposable Products You Can Reuse

Wise Bread — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:00:39 PDT

Even when the product is supposedly "disposable," you can always reuse it. Wise Bread shares awesome ways to reuse these 21 disposable products.

It’s said that we live in a disposable society. But the word "disposable" is a misnomer. Disposable is considered throwaway, something you use once and dump, regardless of the life that may be left in it. As a frugal shopper with a concern for the state of our environment, I think that just won’t do.

I often reuse many so-called “onetime-use” items, and I asked friends, family, and colleagues to tell me which disposable items they squeeze more life from. Here’s my list, including some of the surprising ideas I was given.

RELATED: 25 Things to Throw Out Today

1. Butter Wrappers

If you’re like most people, you unwrap your butter, pop the stick into your handy holder, and throw the wrapper away. But wait a second - instead of trashing the wrappers, keep them in a sandwich bag. The next time you need to grease a baking tray or dish, you’ve got something all ready to go.

Read on for more.

Foreign Gay Spouses May Soon Get Green Light For Green Cards

Annie Scudder — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 02:00:36 PDT

Foreigners married to American same-sex partners cannot get green cards. But as of yesterday, they will be allowed to apply for them - an important distinction that will keep some spouses together at least temporarily.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services has decided to stop denying same-sex green card applications until courts decide the uncertain future of the Defense of Marriage Act. Until now, DOMA meant that an application for permanent residency based on a same-sex marriage would be automatically denied, often leading to the deportation of the foreign spouse. Now applications will be accepted, although final decisions will be put off along with deportation.

Gay rights activists have criticized Obama for dragging his feet when it comes to change. But as of Feb. 23, his administration announced that it would no longer defend Section 3 of DOMA. Advocates say that without Section 3, there would be no ground to deny a US citizen from sponsoring a same-sex spouse.

Upon the new green card policy, the group Immigration Equality filed an application for Edwin Blesch and his South African husband Tim. Edwin, whose South African marriage is recognized in his home state New York, released this statement, which eloquently sums up the development: "Every day, we live with the very real possibility that, despite following every law and every policy of the United States, Tim will be forced to leave the country, and I will be left without my caretaker and the love of my life. Today's news gives us great relief, and great hope that we may soon be able to put that worry behind us."

OnSugar Blog: the Cutest Eco-Fairy Party

OnSugar Blog — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 03:17:26 PST

Lots of moms like to think out loud, and House of Anaïs is one of them. Here is one of the latest posts on her House of Anaïs blog.

A little while ago, we went to a lovely birthday party, and the kids absolutely loved it. Give the young son some glue, and he is glued to the activity forever and ever. Give the girls some fairy wings and fancy decor, and they will make their own fairy tale. Give the parents some mimosas and the most amazing sweet and savory treats, and they will not want to leave the party ever.

Since the hosting family is a pretty green family (think of growing chickens in the middle of city), we chose more sustainable wooden presents, and this time, they all ended up being from Melissa & Doug. The presents are always a hard one for me, as the etiquette is not so simple to figure out - when you have multiple kids, should you get a little present for each to give, or just have one together?

And talking about presents, I think it's great experience to let children help shop for the presents and put some thought into what their friends might like, but with so many parties to go to in a year, I am thinking that our shopping might move more online, as everything always seems to be discounted somewhere . . . Sad, but at the end of the day, it will save a lot of money.

Keep reading to see all of the details from the party!

See All of the Star-Studded Arrivals at the 2012 Oscars!

Brittney Stephens — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:23:53 PST

The 84th Annual Academy Awards are under way, and the stars brought full-on glamour to the red carpet. Michelle Williams looked amazing in orange Louis Vuitton, George Clooney and Stacy Keibler played the Old Hollywood card in Giorgio Armani and gold Marchesa, respectively, and Viola Davis's emerald-hued Vera Wang gown had us green with envy. See all the star-studded arrivals on the Oscars red carpet when you click through now.

A New Use For Egg Cups

Casa Community — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:00:13 PST

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member inglenookdecor from the Lovely Little Vignettes group:

I know it's never too early to think about Spring, Easter and yes...eggs! In this case egg cups for that matter. I saw some wooden ones at Vintage Laundry (help! I visit this place at least once a week and I always go home with adorable goodies!) and instantly I thought...succulents! So, a trip to Tree House (an Austin-based home improvement store that's all about green home making - the shop is amazing and you must visit it soon!) was inevitable, and I came home with these mini-succulents.

Prepared the wooden egg cups . . . oh, like took them out of the bag.

Took the succulents out from their plastic container.

Lovingly tucked them in the egg cups.

And voila! A wonderful display at the bar counter to make me happy when I'm washing dishes. I'm thinking they can be place cards as well, wedding favors? Oh, the possibilities!

Check out more of Maureen's cool decorating tips on her site, Inglenook Decor

Bridal Friday Link Time: One of Our Own Gets Hitched

TresSugar — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:47:00 PST

See a TrèsSugar editor's glittery, heart-filled wedding! - Green Wedding Shoes
How LGBT couples can pursue same-sex marriage legal rights - Equally Wed
Will and Kate's royal wedding Barbie dolls: cute or creepy? - Glamour
This bright, fun wedding is a foodie paradise - 100 Layer Cake
Check out these adorable free printable flag place cards - The Wedding Chicks
A Brooklyn e-shoot with J.Crew ensembles, bikes, and a Pomeranian! - Style Me Pretty
Winter wonderland tablescape inspiration - Carter & Cook Event Company
Vera Wang launches a wedding app - The Bride's Guide
Handmade and vintage cake stands make for unique cake displays - CasaSugar

How to Stop Keeping Up With the Joneses

LearnVest — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:15:16 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

At first glance, it doesn’t seem like there are many money lessons to learn from The Real Housewives.

One spent a season building a $1.8 million mansion and driving around a $1,280-per-month Escalade, only to file for bankruptcy with almost $11 million in debt.

Shortly postbankruptcy, she dropped another $60,000 on a shopping spree so she could continue to fit in with those in her social circle.

Even if you don’t end up with millions of dollars in debt - or have friends who are millionaires - trying to keep up with the Joneses (or the Gorgas, in this case) can not only make you feel lousy about yourself, but also inspire bad spending decisions. We call this phenomenon “money comparisonitis.”

How Having "Comparisonitis" Affects Us

In our own lives, the dangers of gazing enviously at the Real Housewives’ spending sprees, our neighbor’s new car, or that family down the street who can send their kids to private school are not only the fact that it makes us feel bad, but that it literally distorts our view of reality.

In other words, we look at celebrities like the Kardashians or the wealthier people we know, and we try to emulate their spending habits. “You’re not being truthful with yourself,” says Susan L. Hirshman, president of She Ltd., a consulting firm focused on enhancing women’s wealth, and the author of Does This Make My Assets Look Fat?. “As they make more money, that allows them to live a certain lifestyle.” In other words, you have to face facts and spend in accordance with your own budget, rather than feeling entitled to live a certain way just because other people do.

Read on for more.

The Healthiest Drinks For Your Diet

Leta Shy — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:29:33 PST

When eating healthfully, a large focus may be on what not to drink: no sugary juices, sodas, or high-calorie cocktails. But many drinks can actually help you live a healthier lifestyle. We all know that drinking enough water is essential, but find out what other drinks should also be on your OK list below, and remember to enter our healthy living giveaway for a chance to win a $500 Under Armour gift card!

Coffee: The hot drink is the perfect accompaniment to a cold morning or a drowsy afternoon, but offering you a warm pick-me-up isn't its only advantage. Coffee has been proven to help improve memory, increase endurance, and ease muscle pain. The list doesn't stop there; read more about the health benefits of coffee here.

Watch for: The benefits of coffee don't always outweigh the risks, especially if you drink too much. Drinking too much java can cause you to become anxious or jittery, disrupt your sleep patterns, develop high blood pressure, or endure regular headaches. Stay attuned to caffeine's affect on your body and, in general, don't drink more than 300 milligrams a day (the average cup of coffee contains 100 milligrams of caffeine).

Red wine: All those studies about the health benefits of red wine makes me feel that much better about relaxing with a glass of Cab after work. Red wine contains a compound called resveratrol, which has been proven in studies to be beneficial to your health - everything from fighting cancer to antiaging, along with other disease-preventing benefits.

Watch for: The benefits of wine stop at one glass a day, so don't go overboard. You may be doing yourself more harm than good, especially since one glass of red wine usually runs around 127 calories. And while scientists have researched resveratrol in many lab studies, there have been few studies in humans - and let's not forget the recent news that a leading red wine researcher actually falsified data in dozens of studies on heart health and resveratrol.

Two more good-for-you drinks after the break!