A Good Government Job is Worth Millions…
… The government hires about 30,000 people a MONTH. And only about 2,000 of those are in Washington. The rest are all over the country and all over the world. Right now there are over 17,000 jobs available in their database. Good pay, great benefits and you could be doing fun stuff like working for NASA, investigating volcanoes, or supporting our troops overseas. See www.usajobs.opm.gov.

Seniors Making up to $22,000 a Year Can Get $540…
... to buy fresh fruit and vegetables from road side stands. It’s all part of the country’s effort to eat more fruits, vegetables and even herbs. That’s not a bad piece of change if you are a senior living on a fixed income. Grandma would never think of asking about such a program. Check out http://www.frac.org/pdf/SFMNPfacts.PDF and http://www.frac.org/pdf/SFMNPfactsheet.PDF.

“Mistakes can be like ice...
...If we resist them, we may keep on slipping into a posture of defeat. If we include mistakes in our definition of performance, we are likely to glide through them and appreciate the beauty of the longer run.”

From “ The Art of Possibility”, Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander.

Computers Lose 50% Of Value Every Year…
… That’s what Alan Greenspan’s Federal Reserve experts say. So, it’s not a bad idea to buy a year-old computer at half price or a 2-year-old computer at 66% off if you just want to search the web and do word processing. Computers 2 years ago were good enough to do that. See http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/feds/2004/200431/200431pap.pdf.

Free Trees and Bushes for Landscapers…
… and people who run orchards. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will give you free trees, bushes and vines if yours get damaged in natural disasters. See the Tree Assistance Program at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publications/facts/html/tap04.htm.

Free Middle Eastern Interns For Your Business For 6-Months…
... The government will pay for talented people from the Middle East to learn how they do things in America, and you get an employee for free. Sounds like a good program for them and a way for you to learn more about the world. http://www.state.gov/p/nea/rls/24795.htm.

$48,000 Per Year To Get A Graduate Degree In Homeland Security…
… A lot of students complain to me that they have a hard time finding more for graduate school. Well this certainly looks like a growth industry and the government is willing to pay for you to get into it. The program is called Department of Homeland Security Scholars. For more information see http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.PROGRAM_TEXT
_RPT.SHOW?p_arg_names=prog_nbr&p_arg_values=97.062

Ask Lesko….
… Each week, I answer a reader’s question about government grants. If yours is selected, you will receive a free copy of my book, “Gobs and Gobs of Free Stuff”. Please send your questions to Dixie@lesko.com. This week’s winner, Deanna, sent in the following question:

“I am a housewife with 2 children. My husband is the only one that works since I have been diagnosed with a heart condition and am not able to get a job to help with the bills. I want to get one of your books, but have no idea where to even start looking. Can you give me a clue what book to get for a grant to help with bills…? We rent an apartment, and would love to get into a house, but with only my husband working and all the money going to bills we cannot save up for a house. Thank you so much.”

Answer: There is a lot of money available for people in situations like yours. First of all, you should be able to apply for money to train for a new job. This could be up to $10,000 for a few months to learn new skills that will enable you to work full or part time while you care for the children. There are also a number of programs from government offices and non profit organizations that may be able to help pay for your rent, utilities, day care, and other daily expenses. In terms of my books, the single best book for daily expenses is “Free Money to Pay Your Bills” (see www.freemoneytopayyourbills.com/pbstarpaybills1).

There are also a lot of grants and low-interest loans for people who want to buy a home or a condominium. This kind of housing money is available from the federal government, state government, local government and most importantly, non-profit organizations. Housing money should be pretty easy to get for you in your situation. My new book “Free Money For Real Estate” lists hundreds of such programs. See www.freemoneyforrealestate.com/rebonus1. Also, be sure to look at back issues of our newsletter for a lot of helpful hints in all of these areas: www.freemoneyforrealestate.com/newsletter2004.

The Most Informative 3 Hours You’ll Spend All Summer …
… Join me for a live seminar on how to get free money from the government. I’ll personally tell you all you need to know to get a grant and fill out the application yourself. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to ask your grant questions in person! Reserve your seat today at www.howtogetagrant.com/grseminar1.