Smart Ideas from Twitter

When I first signed up for Twitter, I wasn’t sure what to do with it. While some were creating their mini publishing empires and others were building platforms for books and blogs, I mostly let my feed sit idle.

Eventually I realized it was one of the most effective ways to find out what my editors were up to, so I followed all of my clients who posted. When I read that my editor at CreditCards.com had just put up a story on 6 expenses you should never put on a credit card, I knew the story was begging for a rebuttal. Within a few hours, I’d crafted a query and landed the assignment. The result, 6 types of purchases you should always charge on your credit card, appeared on May 10. The story later appeared on Yahoo’s Personal Finance section (garnering close to 600 comments) and FOX Business.

Newsworthy

Sometimes, a story strikes a chord — and the piece I wrote for CreditCards.com on getting hundreds of thousands of frequent flier miles made an impact. It’s since appeared on the Today Show’s money section, MSNBC, Yahoo, and FOX Business. Links to the story have been retweeted by dozens of people on Twitter, too.

Inspiring Minds

Noah Smith was an outlier in his 70s, when he enrolled at Macalester College. At 103, he’s an outlier still—preaching at a local church. I shared his story in the college’s alumni magazine.

I met Noah this winter, where he still lives with his wife in his own home in Minneapolis. Perhaps the only concession he’s made to his centenarian status is to let someone else shovel his walk after blizzards. He’s bright, kind, and wise. If only we could age as gracefully as he has.

Read the full story here.

Collecting A Tax Break

All those baseball cards, comic books, and Star Trek figurines you’ve got collecting dust in your basement may be worth a fortune—or, at the very least, a tax break. You probably already know that your charitable donations of cash will allow you to take a tax deduction, but you can also donate your collections, from art to bottle caps, and get a benefit from Uncle Sam. In this story I wrote for Kiplinger’s Retirement Report, I get into the specifics of how to take advantage of this opportunity.

Read the full story here (page 6).

Number Crunching

Despite the weather, Minnesotans think they live in the best place in the country. By the number of times you see them point to the state as among the healthiest, most livable, and most literate—well, you might start to think there’s something to the claim.

The fact is that there’s a lot to like about this state, but sometimes the numbers aren’t always in our favor. To see how we stack up on stats like commute time, Facebook usage, and poverty, check out the story I did for Minnesota Monthly with three other writers.

Read it here.

The Best of Summer

After the crummiest winter in recent memory, almost everyone’s ready for the mercury to top 70. We Minnesotans are great at making the most of our fleeting summer season, and in this cover story for Minnesota Monthly, I explored some of the best ways to make summer great. From star gazing to strawberry pie, there are an infinite number of ways to make the days between Memorial Day and Labor Day memorable.

Read more here.

If You Had A Million Miles

You might not be rich, exactly, but a million frequent flyer miles could get you anywhere in the world, first class. I talked to a few mileage junkies for a story for CreditCards.com — including two who have banked millions over the past few years alone — about the credit card strategies they’ve used to grab thousands of miles without paying a penny. If you’re not worried about your credit report, you can make the most of these deals. In fact, after I finished the story, I picked up a couple cards that will help me get 150,000 miles in the next six months without changing my spending.  You might be able to benefit, too.

Read the full story here.

All Expenses Paid

You don’t have win at a game show to get vacation perks without spending a dime — you just have to know a little insider knowledge. Getting free flights, lodging, food, and events might not be as hard as you think. If you’re willing to spend some time and think creatively, you won’t have to spend a penny to get many vacation perks. In this slide show for Bankrate.com, I share some of the key tips for getting something for nothing.

Read more here.

Getting Better

A few years ago, I wrote a story for Experience Life about Denise Morth, a woman who lost more than 225 pounds. Before she lost the weight, she tipped the scales at nearly 400 pounds, and she couldn’t fit into the seats at movie theaters or on buses. When she got committed to fitness and the accountability found in organizations like Weight Watchers and in running training groups, she lost the weight—and completed a 10-mile race. The story that led to that astonishing turnaround is excerpted in Mac Anderson’s book, One Choice.

Never Too Cool for School

It’s been a long time since I graduated from college, but every time I write profiles of students, I wish I could re-enroll. Not for the dorm rooms or the cafeteria food, maybe, but for the opportunity to try a lot of different classes, join a club, start a group, and play a sport.

The students I profiled for the Carleton Viewbook are the cream of the crop—they’re smart, engaged, thoughtful, and funny. And they’re making the most of their college experiences, whether they’re studying plants in Tanzania or captaining the nationally competitive Ultimate Frisbee team. Check out the amazing work of these students here.