Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Decorate for Fall without Breaking the Budget!

Can you feel the chill in the air? October is here TOMORROW and we thought we'd gather a few fall decorating projects that are CHEAP and easy!

1. Collect a few branches with orange, yellow, or brown leaves for a great bouquet!

2. Gather some apples (you can get a huge bushel from Eastern Market for under $5!) Carve out a bit of the top, pop in a tea light from DollarTree and you're good to go!

3. Grab a glass vase from your cabinet or DollarTree fill with popcorn kernels, some fresh fall leaves and a candle! Simple, simple, simple!

If you have any cheap fall decorating ideas, let us know! We'd love to try them out :) 



Thursday, September 25, 2014

Clothes, Bargains, and Carpools...Oh My!

We all know fall is the season for change. It's time to get back to school,  the days are getting cooler, the leaves are turning colors...it seems for me life continues to change during this fall period. I apologize for missing our routine blog posts this week. We all seem to be facing lots of change in our lives and as a result some things slip. I do not intend to let you guys down, so lets continue the back to school tips!

Today I wanted to talk about back to school clothing options and a few other shortcuts to help save some money this season!

1. I love Salvation Army. The downtown location (1200 West Fort Street) has daily 50% off sales and sometimes special sales to keep an eye out for. Sometimes I just call and ask for the upcoming sale events because who doesn't love a bargain? (313-309-3372)

2. Salvation Army has other locations that I'm sure you already know about. Just in case: 

7640 Michigan Ave
(313) 849-4177


5600 E 8 Mile Rd
(313) 891-6644

3. Every day, many Detroit kids take the public bus to school. Detroit public transportation 
(as well all know) is super unreliable. One way to help your kids education and to get them 
to school on time is to start a neighborhood carpool. Gather some parents or friends of your 
kids and rotate on a daily or weekly basis. Your kids will be more likely to be on time, excited
to wake up and travel with friends, and you will benefit from the peace knowing their getting
their education one day at a time!


Friday, September 19, 2014

Job Leads!

Hi Everyone! Today we have a couple of job leads to throw your way:

Delivery Drivers:
Meet Monday September 22nd at 8:30am

18100 Meyers, Detroit, MI 48235
Wear business attire!
Must have valid chauffeurs license!


Maintenance Workers, Cleaning Staff, and Leasing Agents:
Meet Wednesday September 24th at 8:30am
5555 Connor Avenue, Detroit, MI 48213
Wear business attire!

Quality Technicians:
Meet Wednesday September 24th at 8:30am
18100 Meyers, Detroit, MI 48235
Wear business attire!
Must fully understand measurement devices!

Hi-Lo Operators:
Thurs September 25th at 8:30am

5555 Connor Avenue, Detroit, MI 48213
Wear business attire!
Need Hi-Lo experience and valid certification!

Telesales Representatives:
Tuesday September 23rd at 8:30am

18100 Meyers, Detroit, MI 48235
Wear business attire!
Must have good computer skills and experience in sales!


Transport Drivers:
Monday September 29th at 8:30am
5555 Connor Avenue, Detroit, MI 48213
Wear business attire!
Needs experience with CDL Chauffeurs


EVERYONE needs to bring:
Several copies of your resume
A valid drivers license
Social Security card
Proof of Public Assistance (DHS or Social Security)
Proof of Income earned in the past 6 months
Copy of layoff notice or unemployment documentation
Must have completed high school or GED

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Get Back into Routine!

The transition from summer to school can be a tough change for most kids. The key is to get into the school routine as quickly as possible to help with all of the new-ness. We've gathered a few tips to help make that routine happen!

1. Start going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night before school starts so the kids have time to adjust to waking up early (and going to bed early too!).

2. Get your kids involved. Ask them for help with dinner or lunch suggestions. Include them in preparing for school - this will boost their confidence and help them to get more EXCITED for the changes!

3. Write out the routine! What do they do when they wake up? What do they need to do before getting on the bus? The clearer you make it, the more secure they will feel.

4. Stay active. Physical activity always helps in times of stress and change!

5. Listen. Every year is different, every child is different. It is important to stay present and listen to your children as they go through this transition. Who knows, maybe you'll come up with a creative idea to help them that no one has ever heard before!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Save on School Supplies!

Here are a few tips we've compiled to help you save on school supplies this fall!

1. Contact your local paper, church, organizations, and community centers for FREE school supplies. Often newspapers list their top donors for the year and can help guide you in the right direction.
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/tag/school-supplies/

2. Pack your lunches from home and save a ton at school. Get your kids involved in cooking and help them learn the benefits of making your own meals!

3. Set a budget! If you have the means to create a budget for your kids clothes, give them a set amount they can spend, depending on their age, allow them to purchase clothes within the budget (making sure of course they get at least one new pair of jeans, shoes, and a fall jacket!) This will help them learn budgeting skills that they can use in the future!

4. Shop at home first. You never know, maybe you have extra glue sticks, crayons, notebooks, or folders lying around from last year! Go shopping at home before you buy something you already have.

5. Let your child splurge on 1 school supply item (so they can get excited for school!) and keep the rest used/low cost.

6. Check out larger/smaller packaging. Do you really need 8 tubes of glue? Sometimes the smaller packing on school supplies has better deals. Check the prices.

7. https://groups.freecycle.org/group/motorcityfreecycle/description
This is a group in Detroit that lists items that people are trying to give away in an effort to be more green! Join the group for notifications on things that people in your community are giving away for free.

8. Leave your kids at home when doing the bulk of school supply shopping. It will be difficult to focus on finding the best deals when they're trying to convince you to get folders with ponies on them! :)

9. I don't know about you guys, but as a kid all of my binders ALWAYS broke very early on in the school year. I recently discovered that you can return broken binders at Staples up to a year after your purchase!! (of course, bring your receipt!)

Any tips we missed? Let us know in the comments below!


Thursday, September 11, 2014

Women of Color STEM Conference: TONIGHT

Happy Thursday everyone!

There's something great happening for the ladies tonight in Detroit. Here are the details:

Women of Color STEM Conference

icarter@ccgmag.com


Come join us in the host city of the 2014 Women of Color STEM Conference. This event will have great industry speakers, provide networking opportunities, as well as food and drinks for your enjoyment. This event will be held in Room -42 Degree North- Level 3
5-7pm  Sept 11th

Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center
400 Renaissance Drive 
Detroit, MI 48243


Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Try Something New!

I've been thinking a lot about learning new things and how important it is for adults to keep up their brain elasticity. We do so much talking on this blog about learning new things - all of which are very career driven! Today I want to stress the importance of learning something new to challenge your brain, heart, and spirit. I recently purchased a ukelele off of Amazon for this very reason. As I embark on learning something new just because it feels good, I invite you guys to try the same. Maybe you will never get to be a professional ukelele player... but learning new skills keeps the brain active, helps you become a great problem solver, increases confidence, and makes you a more active person which can improve your career and personal relationship success!

 Here are a few things you can try:
Join a new sports team
Learn a musical instrument
Study a new language
Drive stick shift
Try some new card games
Listen to a new type of music
Take dance lessons
Try some yoga

And remember, you don't have to pay to learn new skills! Always check youtube.com for FREE video resources or ask your neighbors (or ECHO) for some help! 



Tuesday, September 09, 2014

Sweat the Small Stuff?

We're undergoing a big re-branding shift here at ECHO and we're looking to change our presence to best fit your needs and style.

When I think of the word "ECHO" I think of a call and response. Shouting into the abyss and hearing an answer in the most unlikely and despairing times. We want to be the answer back. The support that helps you through an unstable time.

We found a tip today from the lovely Suze Orman: She says "do sweat the small stuff...take a look and size up if scaling back on just one or two of these items could save you $25 or more a month"
Wait and extra week or two to get your hair cut/styled.
Wash more, dry-clean less.
Drink economically.
Brown-bag it. (Make your own food!)
Go public. (Invest in a bike or keep at the bus, its way cheaper than a car.)

What are other "small stuff" tips that can help save a couple bucks each month? 


Friday, September 05, 2014

100th Blog Post!

WE DID IT! WE MADE 100 BLOG POSTS!

To celebrate, we thought we'd ask for some feedback from you guys! 

What have you enjoyed about our ECHO blog so far? 
What topics would you like to learn more about? 
How can we best serve you with ECHO blog?

Thanks for all of your support and we can't wait to hear your replies!
Leave a comment below or email us at tinacecho@gmail.com 


Thursday, September 04, 2014

Stay the Course

Almost at 100 blog posts! Can you believe it? What a journey we've been on together!

On that note, I was thinking today we could talk about CONSISTENCY. Staying the course. Committing to something and doing it every day or over and over again. Our blog is our commitment to consistency. You all read our posts and expect us to be here for you. We do our best to post regularly and serve as a model. Consistency is important to us and we want our actions to reflect that.

Ask yourself these questions: 
Where am I most consistent in my life? 
What do I commit to doing every day?
 What do I wish I could commit to every day?
 (ex. Working out? Saving money? Arriving on time?)


Wednesday, September 03, 2014

Job Searching?

We've got some job searching tips this week!

1. Remember a few weeks ago when we announced our new Twitter account? We'll we've been doing some searching and there are TONS of jobs posted on Twitter. Crazy, right? Check out these links for some helpful leads:

2. Visit the places you want to work. Go to stores, gas stations, restaurants, etc. etc. and talk to people there. Ask them what it's like to work there and start to make connections. Who knows? Sometimes they will need someone and hire you on the spot. 

3. Make an appointment at ECHO. We get a lot of job leads here and first and foremost, we're here to help you. We can work with you on your resume, applying online, interview skills, what to wear, and so much more. Call us at (855) 363-ECHO (3246) or (313) 674-5077