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A community newsletter arrives with our water bill each month. The first time I lived in this city, I had no idea that it even offered a community newsletter. Why? Because I was a renter. A very low-income renter. The apartment complex where I lived (like most apartment and condominium complexes in our area) included water in the rent. Since we never received a water bill, we never received a newsletter.

I don’t know if it’s like this in other areas, but if it is it’s a shame, because our newsletter contains money-saving ideas nearly every month. These are things like where to go for free tax help or free filing, discounts for low-income people interested in buying a home in the city, grants that you can apply for (both as individuals and as a neighborhood), information on free services such as summertime bus passes for students and always-free local bus routes, significant discounts on tickets to events held within the city, and free use of home-improvement and landscaping equipment under certain circumstances. I really appreciate that our city does this, including publicizing the money-saving ideas. I just wish I’d known about them the first time I lived here, when I was a starving college student.

So if you’re in a similar situation, check with your city to see if they offer a similar newsletter. The newsletters can also often be found online.

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