Are you looking for info on the new Making Home Affordable plan? You can learn about refinancing or loan modification at the financial stability site, http://www.financialstability.gov/makinghomeaffordable/. You can also use self assessment tools to help determine if you're going to qualify for this program. You'll also find advice on how to avoid scams.

I format and mail out a mortgage fraud and compliance e-newsletter every Wednesday and I can tell you that there are plenty of scammy companies just dying to take advantage of you out there. Be very careful to take every precaution.

Lots of people are saving money by growing their own food, but that's harder to do if you live in an apartment or small space. One solution is container gardening, which allows you to grow vegetables, herbs and flowers even if you don't have a yard.

Getting started can be kind of overwhelming, so I dug up this page from Texas A and M Department of Horticulture, which gives some basic information, including some suggestions about soil which I found surprising. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/container/container.html

It’s time to start your seeds, if that's what you're going to do, but don't be discouraged if growing from seeds seems overwhelming. I've bought small tomato plants for a dollar a piece that gave me tomatoes all summer long. You can probably find some fantastic seedlings if you look at your local nurseries or farmer's market.

Angel of Death, a grindhouse style series of short films about an assassin who goes through some changes after being stabbed in the head with a huge knife, debuts today. New episodes will run every weekday for the next two weeks.

From the website:

Nobody looks for the Beretta, when all they see is a slinky chick in a cocktail dress. Noir comic book legend Ed Brubaker cuts deep with the story of Eve, a hot woman with a heart of ice. Zoe Bell steps in as an assassin haunted by visions after a bloody encounter with a very big knife. In this, the most ambitious web series ever created, Zoe makes bare knuckle boxing a thing of beauty, and a head wound as sexy as sin. Lucy Lawless, Doug Jones, and Ted Raimi all show up for the ride, but few come out alive. If the sight of blood bothers you, just keep your eyes on her other assets, and remember she can grab your heart with her looks or her hand, your choice.

More information and the actual films can be found here: http://crackle.com/c/Angel_Of_Death

Here's an article that ran on msn.com about how to get free stuff for your birthday. http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/20-freebies...

There are some things they don't mention, like that most franchise restaurants will give you at least a free dessert if it's your birthday. If you were going to go out anyway it's certainly worth mentioning to your server. Just be prepared to wear a big hat and be the focus of attention...

Douglass Clegg will be offering his newest serial to his newsletter subscribers, free of charge. Called The Locust, the serial tells the story of Myra Coates, a mysterious little girl who sounds like she might be rather scary. You can get more details and sign up for the newsletter here http://www.douglasclegg.com/.

You may want to sign up for the newsletter even if you aren't a horror fan. Mr. Clegg's newsletters are always entertaining and fun to read.

Wegman's announced they are reducing the price on almost four hundred prescriptions, bringing the price down to four dollars for a one month supply or ten dollars for a three month supply. They are also offering free selected antibiotics through the end of flu and cold season. You can get all the details by reading their press release. http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/PressReleaseDetailView?...

February is heart health month and Sister to Sister is raising awareness of the differences in heart attack symptoms between men and women. They're also offering health fairs in several cities where you can get free screenings. Their web site states their accomplishments include:

* Year-long promotional campaign involving medical, corporate, government, media, and non-profit partners
* Annual Heart Health Fairs that offer women free cardiac screenings, immediate follow-up counseling, and educational resources
* Cardiac screening events
* Family-based obesity prevention initiative
* Data collection from more than 150,000 Health Fair participants, and over 55,000 women screened to date
* International cardiac risk database and pilot outreach programs

Visit the official site for more information, including a list of upcoming events. http://www.sistertosister.org/

If you've been putting off a visit to the Museum of Modern Art because money is tight, you might want to head over on any Friday afternoon, from four to eight pm, when admission is free (thanks to Target.) This deal should be good through the end of 2009.

Visit the official site for more information. http://www.moma.org/index.html (You can also send an ecard while you're there.)

When I was a kid car seats hadn't really been invented. By the time I had my oldest son car seats were recommended but not required. A police office spoke to our prenatal class and told us he'd never unbuckled a dead baby from a car seat, words that I still remember nearly 25 years later. Unfortunately car seats don't always work the way they're supposed to, whether because they're old, substandard, or most likely, not properly installed.

How can parents, grandparents, babysitters and others make sure their young passengers are maximally protected? You can take your vehicle to an inspection station and an expert can check things out for you. Find a local station using this website. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CPS/CPSFitting/index.cfm

I was talking to a friend the other day, about the cost of health care, and was startled to discover my friend knew nothing about the four or ten dollar prescription programs available through several retailers. (How could any friend of mine not know? Apparently I had failed to pass on valuable information. I felt terrible.)

Here's how it works: quite a few generic medications are available for four dollars per month, or if you get them filled in ninety day increments, ten dollars for three months. For instance there is a medication on the list that I take that has a ten dollar per month copay if I buy it through my health insurance at my regular pharmacy. If I buy it at Target, or Walmart, or Sams Club, or any of the others that have this program, and pay cash, I pay four dollars per month. Or I can ask my doctor to write my prescription for a ninety day supply and pay ten dollars, saving a total of twenty dollars over the course of three months. Which may not sound like much but it adds up, especially if you have to take more than one medication or need it for more than one member of the family.

You can find a list of these common drugs at the retailers' websites. If your pharmacy doesn’t have this program ask them if they'll match the price you could get somewhere else. If you're a good customer your pharmacy may be willing to dicker.