Each evening, my 4-year-old daughter tells me, “I want lunch for dinner.” Translation: I want a grilled cheese or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And, in my bloated, still working full-time, eight-month pregnant state, oftentimes that’s exactly what we have.

It doesn’t help that my sister-in-law is like the Terminator of menu planning and shopping. Each Friday she plans a menu for the following week and each Saturday morning at 7 a.m. she goes grocery shopping for that menu.

So while her kids are happily eating their vegetables each night at a civilized family table, I’m lucky if my kids aren’t camped out in front of the TV, eating whatever we could scrounge up in 15 minutes or less.

I figure there has to be an easier way and I know I need to find it quick because Baby No. 3 is set to debut in less than a month. It’s not like things are going to get easier. And I know if I plan my menus in advance, we can save money each week on our grocery bill.

To me, easier means something involving my computer and the Internet. So I went in search of software that would help me kill the proverbial two birds with one stone: plan a decent, easy-to-make menu while also preparing a shopping list for me.

I checked out all the usual suspects – CookingLight.com, MarthaStewart.com and BettyCrocker.com.

While each had really great recipes, none had that magic combination I needed – menu planning with a tailored, not generic, grocery list.

Though it’s not interactive, the Martha Stewart site comes pretty close. It offers specific menus along with corresponding “grocery bags.” The problem is Martha’s recipes aren’t generally what one would call “easy.” Plus, many of her recipes aren’t budget – or kid – friendly. While my husband will love tuna steaks, I’d still be making PB&J for my kids.

The Betty Crocker site has a cool feature that lets you input the ingredients you have on hand as well as what type of meal you’re trying to prepare. It will return several recipes that meet your criteria. The problem with this approach is that it doesn’t help you plan ahead and it assumes I would be able to get on the computer while two hungry children fight for space in my lap.

After striking out with the free online options, I checked out paid software options.

At $79.95, Dvo.com has exactly what I was looking for. As a bonus, you can purchase “plug-in” software, including Cook’n with Betty Crocker, to give you even more recipes to choose from. (You can also enter your own recipes.) It even has an on-board calculator to help you adjust for the number of people you’re serving as well as detailed nutritional information.

Menus4moms.com also has menu planning software and, at just $7.95 per month, it’s friendlier from a budget perspective. It has many of the same features as Cook’n, but the recipes are more limited.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

You can even find a place in San Diego for your dogs with the right Web site.

My husband and I have been seriously considering becoming “Zonies.”

Yes, we’ve been thinking about a summer getaway to San Diego. If we undertake such a journey, we will be joining the annual mass exodus of Arizonans to the beach during the ungodly heat of July and August.

But neither of us is all that familiar with San Diego and we don’t know where to stay. We’d like to be near the beach and to stay in a relatively nice neighborhood, but we don’t have a lot of money to throw around. And, since we’re soon to be a family of five, a place with a kitchenette would work best for us as eating out three meals a day would break the bank.

So where does that leave us?

On the Internet, of course.

In this troubled economy, vacation deals abound and the Internet makes it really easy to research the best ones. Condo rentals offer the best opportunities this summer and several Web sites can help you book the one that’s right for you.

First, there’s vacationrentals.com, which features some 35,000 family-friendly rentals across the U.S. I also really like Pickpackgo.com, which features professionally managed rental properties. It’s really easy to use and features an interactive map to help you determine exactly where the particular rental property is located – a very valuable feature when you’re not familiar with your travel destination.

If you’d like to deal directly with the property owner, go to VRBO.com. While the site isn’t as easy to use as Pickpackgo.com – and there are no maps to help you figure out where the properties are located – it’s still a good resource for those wanting to go directly “to the source” for their rentals.

Time shares are another option. Redweek.com features listings of time shares available for rental. They are usually rented by the night, rather than the week and sometimes have date restrictions.

As with any travel arrangements, protect yourself by paying with a credit card. Should something go wrong, you’ll have more recourse than if you pay by check or debit card. Credit card companies can often intervene on your behalf if there are disputes regarding charges or other problems. If you pay by check or debit, you’re on your own.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

We tried as hard as we could to save it, but we finally had to say goodbye to the beautiful mesquite tree in our front yard.

When we bought our house last summer, we noticed how full and beautiful the tree was – and the fact that it had at some point in its life toppled over on its side and been left that way. The result was a craggy trunk and branches that grew out in all manner of odd angles.

We brought in a tree expert to take a look at it and see if we could right it. The news wasn’t good. Not only had the tree been left in that condition for too long, its roots system was likely posing imminent danger to our plumbing system.

So, in the end, our toilets won out over the pretty, if misshapen tree.

What we didn’t count on was the 10 degree jump in temperature inside our house.

I should have seen it coming. After all, I work for an electric utility and am well-versed on energy efficiency and the simple things you can do around your house to trim you electric bill.

And shading your home on its western side with trees is one of the cheapest – and most attractive – ways you can increase your home’s energy efficiency. The bottom line is, if the sun’s rays are blocked from your home during those hot summer days, your house won’t get as hot – and your air conditioning won’t have to work as hard. And that means a lower electric bill.

According to the Department of Energy (energy.gov), on average, landscaping for energy efficiency provides enough energy savings to return an initial investment in less than eight years.

Two local utilities offer energy efficiency programs involving the use of deciduous trees in landscaping. Tucson Electric Power offers Trees for Tucson for its customers. Learn more under Green Energy at tucsonelectric.com. Trico Electric Cooperative offers Operation Cool Shade for its members. Learn more at trico.coop.

Ultimately, we went to a nursery and bought a pretty tree, one that they tree guy swears won’t have roots that will infiltrate our entire yard. And while the tree is small and probably won’t help us out much this summer, we hope that in a few years it will provide a nice, shady sun block – and a more comfortable house.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

I never wanted an attorney on retainer so badly as I did last summer when my husband and I sold our home.

Selling our home had been a long, stressful process and we were very happy to have finally sold it and be moving – that is, until the real estate agent representing the buyer did everything in their power to block the closing of the sale.

To this day I don’t know exactly why the agent wanted to hold things up. After all, the commission was tied to the closing of the home.

Our agent threatened legal action and, voilà, the house closed on time. But by that point, I had many gray hairs and a much shorter-than-expected lifespan. (I guess I didn’t want to see my 80s, anyway.)

I was so appalled by the agent’s behavior that I e-mailed the agent’s boss outlining what had happened. My general point was, do you want someone like this representing you? His response was to not respond. The agent responded by threatening to sue me for defamation.

And that, dear friends, is why I wished so badly that I had an attorney on retainer.

Alas, I am but an average person of average means. That means I don’t have access to Gloria Allred or some other equally rabid and scary lawyer. But what I do have access to is a wealth of online legal resources.

If I had decided I truly needed to hire an attorney, I could have used the Pima County Bar Association’s lawyer referral service. For a $35 fee, you are matched with local attorneys skilled in the area of law pertaining to your legal matter. You also get a 30-minute face-to-face consultation. Go to pimacountybar.org for more information.

AZLawHelp.org helps low- income families solve their legal problems. It offers information and links on a variety of legal topics, from domestic and immigration issues to employment problems and housing matters.

If your need is more general – say, you want to draft a will or trust – there’s Nolo.com. Its Nolopedia offers a wealth of free legal information and the Lawyer Directory hooks you up with local lawyers specializing in whatever area of law you need.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

I somehow managed to complete my taxes and file them electronically despite having two toddlers crawling on my head the entire time, using me as a de facto jungle gym.

So, if I’m audited, I can always blame it on being a little distracted during the process. Unfortunately, I don’t think the Internal Revenue Service will gives out breaks on interest and penalties for toddler tax-time interference.

At any rate, if you haven’t filed, you’ve got about 48 hours to do so. If you’re planning to e-file, do it NOW. The longer you wait, the higher the chance the IRS’ servers are going to be tied up with the thousands of other last-minute filers.

Don’t forget that, for the first time, you can file your taxes for free on the IRS Web site at irs.gov. This service is available to everyone, regardless of income levels.

The IRS Web site can help you, too, if you need to file an extension, as can such major tax software packages as TurboTax. But don’t think that by filing an extension, you can delay paying what you owe. If you owe for 2008, you’re still expected to make an estimated payment.

If you’re scrambling around looking for additional deductions to take, there are several articles out there pointing out lesser known – and sometimes just plain weird – tax deductions available. Newsweek, at www.newsweek.com/id/192900, lists six of the weirder deductions.

Yes, it’s possible to write off your kid’s clarinet lessons provided you can get a doctor’s note stating the lessons are helping your child’s orthodontia.

Seriously.

The Consumerist at consumerist.com/5196958/3-last+minute-tax-tips also has helpful tips on deductions that can help you lower your tax bill.

So, after reading this column, you’ve got roughly 47 hours and 45 minutes to get your taxes done. So get busy!

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

When I was a kid, my friend next door had a mom who had been a stewardess for American Airlines. She told me glamorous stories of exotic flights where she met jet setters and world travelers, not to mention her future (pilot) husband.

I grew up thinking air travel was something glamorous and mysterious, something worth dressing up for and making into an event.

Then I grew up and got a job that required me to travel virtually every week. At first I thought I was in for a great adventure. I ignored my boss when he said, “Travel is only glamorous to those that have never traveled.”

I soon understood what he meant.

Lost luggage, surly security guards, being treated like cattle – and this was in the days before 9/11. Nowadays air travelers have the fun of hidden, or at least not-well-explained, fees, cramped seats, rude passengers and, don’t forget, a security process that’s akin to the process for visiting a relative in a Supermax prison.

It’s no wonder that people’s fuses are so short.

And that’s why Flightsfromhell.com was created. It gives people a way to vent their frustrations. Passengers, flight attendants, and, yes, the much-maligned security guards, can post their stories. Categories include “Portly,” “Reclining Seats,” “Odors,” and “Weird People,” among others.

If you think you have the mother of all bad air travel stories, chances are you’ll find something even worse on this Web site – which will either make you feel better, or convince you to drive yourself everywhere henceforth.

If air travel remains a fact of life for you, check out TripAdvisor.com. While it can’t prevent you from being seated next to a flatulent sumo wrestler or a whining, kicking toddler on your next flight, it can help you navigate some of those pesky airline fees. Its fees estimator will help remove that ugly element of surprise upon checkout.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

Let me begin this column by saying thank you. Thank you to everyone that wrote me to say farewell after reading my column for so many years. But it appears that the goodbyes in my last column were a bit premature. The Citizen has been granted a reprieve and so I’m back for at least one more column, maybe more.

That said, let’s get down to business.

I’ve written about Web sites for a long time. Over the years, I’ve come to rely on a few because they’re easy to use and are insanely helpful. I’ve listed my favorites below, in no particular order.

• Google at google.com. This may seem like a no-brainer but I still run into folks that use search engines like Yahoo.com, Alta Vista or Dogpile. In my opinion, none of those holds a candle to Google, both for its simple format and it’s highly accurate and focused search results.

Sometimes I’ll think up some wacky phrase and plop it in Google just to see what kind of search results I get. (Yes, I’m a nerd.) I’m always amazed at the depth and accuracy of the results.

• E-How at ehow.com. As the name implies, this is a how-to site for almost everything under the sun.

• Two of my favorite travel sites are Kayak, at kayak.com, and Lonely Planet, at lonelyplanet.com. Kayak is a travel-site aggregator. That is, it searches more than 140+ travel sites to find you the best deals on airfare, hotel and rental cars. Lonely Planet, like the line of books it’s named for, is an outstanding resource for researching travel destinations.

• Worried that the pain in your knee is something serious? Go to WebMD at webmd.com. You can find out information on nearly every medical ailment and, in my opinion, should be your first stop before your next doctor’s visit.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

I haven’t had to do it yet, but I’m dreading it: the annual Turning On of the Air Conditioner.

It may not sound like a big deal, but it is because it means my electric bills are going to increase sharply.

During the all-too-brief fall and spring seasons, I always get a little spoiled. Our energy usage is low and so are our bills. But that all ends sometime in April, when we start seeing the bills climb ever upward until late September. It’s just a fact of life living in the desert.

We’ve been considering some home improvements to help with our energy efficiency, most notably weatherization. With the passage of the federal stimulus bill, now is the time to take on such projects.

What does “weatherization” mean? It means sealing any air leaks in your home and ensuring your home is properly insulated.

Thanks to the stimulus package, the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program has been expanded and a greater number of homes can qualify. Program participants receive a professional energy consultation with an energy bill analysis, a test to locate air leaks and tips on how to be more energy efficient.

Professionals then upgrade insulation, seal air leaks, and install more efficient heating and cooling systems. The stimulus bill allows up to $6,500 to be spent on each home. Your income must be no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level (about $44,000 for a family of four) in order to qualify. Go to doe.gov to learn more.

If you earn too much to qualify for the assistance program, the stimulus package still can help you. You can get tax credits for energy efficiency improvements you make to your home, up to $1,500.

To learn more about these programs and how to weatherize your home, visit the Alliance to Save Energy at ase.org. The Arizona Energy Office also has helpful info at azcommerce.com/Energy.

• • •

On a different note, this is likely my last column for the Tucson Citizen. I’ve been writing about Web sites and business issues for nearly 12 years now and I deeply appreciate everyone who supported me over the years. So it’s with sadness that I say thank you and goodbye. – Romi

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

I’m so sad that Circuit City is going away. My husband and I loved that store and would always go there for our electronics needs.

But, now that it’s history, we’ll be forced to go to that other electronics retailer, the blue one, the one with whom I had a very bad customer experience.

If you’ve read my past columns, you may recall when I wrote about said bad experience. I’ll give you the high points: We bought a refrigerator from Big Blue Box retailer; it died two days after it was delivered to our house; Big Blue Box refused to exchange it and its “customer service” reps were quite rude about it.

It took me about eight hours on the phone, but I finally got them to refund my money and pick up the defective unit. You’d think I’d have been a satisfied customer at that point, right?

Not so much.

They’d been so awful to me that I started a miniletter-writing campaign. I wrote to the local store manager, the district manager and even corporate headquarters. I was dismayed – but not quite shocked – that I never heard a thing back from any of them. Not by phone, not by mail, not by carrier pigeon.

That’s when I took my cause to the Web.

First, I lodged a complaint with the Better Business Bureau at bbb.org.

Second, I filed complaints at thesqueakywheel.com and my3cents.com. While filing complaints here didn’t help me out, each says it can help you resolve your problem.

If you’d rather just vent, you can find solace – and comrades in the fight – on the many Web sites dedicated to the complaints of disgruntled customers everywhere. Though these sites aren’t as constructive as filing official complaints, they’re certainly a lot more fun.

Allstate Insurance (allstateinsurancesucks.com), PayPal (paypalsucks.com) American Express (amexsux.com) and United Airlines (untied.com) all have unofficial sites for unhappy customers to vent their frustration.

If you can’t find a site dedicated to smearing the retailer that’s the target of your fury and you don’t feel like starting one, go to complaints.com or the complaintbook.com. You’ll at least feel better knowing you got your opinion out there.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

I made an ugly discovery the other day: my husband and I will owe taxes this year.

It’s not a huge amount. Still, it took me by surprise. I thought I had planned our taxes well and had the appropriate amount taken out of our paychecks. My husband earned more last year than he had in years’ past. I wondered if that contributed to the higher tax bill.

This situation got me to thinking about another ugly reality: the Alternative Minimum Tax.

When it was created by Congress in 1969, the AMT, which has also been nicknamed “The Stealth Tax,” was designed to nab wealthy people that used extensive deductions to get out of paying their share of taxes. However, the AMT has never been adjusted for inflation and now affects the middle class, too.

The AMT severely limits deductions such as children, state and local taxes. That translates to a drastically higher tax bill.

There is some good news. Congress passed a patch for 2008 that raised the AMT exemption for married couples filing jointly to $69,950, for single filers or heads of households to $46,200, and for married couples filing separately to $34,975. Without the patch, the exemption for taxpayers would have reverted to pre-2001 rates: $45,000 for married couples filing jointly and $33,750 in 2009 for individual filers.

While this patch will certainly help a lot of families, there are still a fair number of middle class families that could feel the pinch. To find out if you’ll be one of them, go to the Internal Revenue Service’s Web site. Its features include an online worksheet to help you determine if you’re going to owe (http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=150703,00.html). You’ll need a copy of your draft Form 1040 (filled out at least through line 44). Then the “Assistant” asks you a series of questions, which takes about 5 to 10 minutes. The more accurate data you provide, the more accurate answer you’ll receive.

If you want to learn more about the AMT, check out the Web site for a great overview as well as links to other AMT resources:

http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/taxes/the-alternative-minimum-tax-9540/

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

I try to take precautions to protect my personal info. Whenever I mail bills, I do so from a secured location such as a lockbox. I use gel ink when I write checks because it is is harder than regular ink for thieves to soak off. I don’t carry my Social Security number on me, or those of my family. When I pay bills online, I make sure the site I’m on is a secure one. I shred personal documents. I’ve also opted out of any unsolicited credit card offers.

But despite all precautions, I may have had my Social Security number swiped.

My brother called me last week to report that his truck had been broken into. I immediately thought of all of the things he should do to protect his identity, when he dropped this little bombshell on me. His laptop was among the items stolen and it had my Social Security number on it. He had it listed in some beneficiary documents.

Though his laptop was password protected, it could still be possible for someone to crack it and find the personal data, such as my social.

I immediately contacted TransUnion, one of the three major credit bureaus (transunion.com) and had them put a 90-day fraud alert on me and my pertinent info. As a bonus, they will contact the other two credit bureaus (Experian.com, Equifax.com) to place a fraud alert there, too.

The fraud alert tells the credit bureaus to contact me should anyone try to obtain credit in my name. Thus, I’ll be alerted should someone try to monkey around with my credit. On the downside, should I apply for credit, the process could be slowed down somewhat.

If after 90 days I feel I need to “re-up” the fraud alert, I can do so. It’s a simple, free way to give me a little peace of mind.

But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do my homework. Everyone should get a copy of their credit report from each of the three credit bureaus. Go to annualcreditreport.com. It’s the only Web site – outside of the credit bureaus – authorized to fill orders for free credit reports. You’ll have to pay extra to each credit bureau to get your credit score.

If you’d like to opt-out of those annoying pre-approved credit offers, go to Optout.com.

For more identity theft information, go to the FTC’s Web site at consumer.gov/idtheft/.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

I’ve been toying with the idea of going back to school to get my doctorate degree. This isn’t something I’m taking lightly, mind you. With a husband, two small children – and one on the way – my decision on a possible Ph.D. affects more than just me.

But it’s a thought I can’t get out of my head. Perhaps it’s just the sound of “Dr. Romi” that is so appealing to me.

Continuing education is at the top of a lot of people’s minds these days. With the economy so shaky – and with so many people out of work – a lot of folks are going back to school to fine-tune their skills and, in some cases, completely switch careers.

But pulling up stakes and enrolling in school full time is hard for most adults. This is why online learning programs have become so popular.

In the old days, online education was viewed in the same light as diploma mills. That is, you paid your money and, voilà, you got a piece of paper saying you were the holder of XYZ degree. But today there are a multitude of accredited online programs, many sponsored by traditional “bricks and mortar” schools.

Columbia (www.cvn.columbia.edu), Duke (www.fuqua.duke.edu/admin/gemba/index.html), Seton Hall (setonworldwide.net) and Stanford (scpd.stanford.edu) all offer online programs. However, these programs are skewed toward engineering and business administration master’s degrees.

If you’re interested in getting a bachelor’s degree, the University of Phoenix (phoenix.edu) has a wide variety of online programs to choose from.

If you’re interested in getting an accredited Ph.D., there’s Capella University (capella.edu/gateway.aspx).

On the downside, these programs, though convenient, can be quite expensive. Capella’s Ph.D. program will set you back about $100,000, and that doesn’t include the required colloquia travel. So you can see why I haven’t jumped in with both feet.

For the time being, my notion of “Dr. Romi” will just have to wait.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

It feels like a double whammy. No, make that a quadruple whammy.

Our average grocery bill has gone up – a lot. Our car insurance just went up about 10 percent, even though we have clean driving records. We’re paying more for our health insurance, too. Now electric companies are raising their rates, too.

It seems rising prices are a fact of life in the current economy.

But you don’t have to feel helpless in the fight to keep your bills down, particularly when it comes to your energy bill. There are many low-cost and even no-cost ways to reduce your energy usage, and there are many Web sites that can help you get started.

Let’s start with light bulbs. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) are an easy, relatively cheap way to shave kilowatts off your bill. They cost a little bit more than traditional incandescent lightbulbs, but they last up to 10 times longer and use 75 percent less energy.

Some are afraid to install CFLs because they contain mercury. While it’s true that CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, it’s completely harmless in the bulb. If you break the bulb, you must dispose of it as you would any item containing mercury. (For point of reference, household thermostats contain as much or more mercury than CFLs.) Go to eartheasy.com/live_energyeff_lighting.htm to learn more about using CFLs and how to dispose of them.

An investment in something as simple as weatherization around doors and windows can make a big difference, too. The U.S. Department of Energy Web site at energy.gov also has great energy efficiency information and resources for homes and businesses.

Energyguide.com has a calculator to help you determine where you’re using the most energy and gives you ideas on how to reduce it. It also features a contractor and supplier database to help you with bigger projects.

Finally, there’s Energystar.gov, which can help you identify the most energy efficient appliances for your home or business.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

With the economy sinking to new and chilling lows, creating – and sticking to – a budget is more critical than ever before.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on budgeting software to get started. Several tools on the Web can help you get organized for little or no cost.

Mint.com offers a wealth of free online tools to help you first determine where you’re spending your money, and then determine areas where you can realistically cut back. It also consolidates all of your accounts in one convenient location, making banking that much easier. It will even analyze things like the interest rates you’re paying on your credit cards and suggest cards with lower rates or help you negotiate a lower rate with your current credit card company.

Best of all, since Mint.com is Web-based, you can access it from anywhere, even your Web-enabled phone.

BudgetTracker at budgettracker.com allows you to track your budget, bills and transactions, and ties all these together in a calendar that can send you reminders when bills are due. Basic membership is free. For unlimited use, you’ll pay about $3 a month.

Need to get your debt under control? Go to debtsteps.com. This site will help you determine if you should borrow to consolidate your bills. It will also outline the pros and cons of bankruptcy, credit counseling and settlement. It also provides insight into how creditors operate and just what constitutes harassment.

Clearcheckbook.com is another free online tool to help you manage your money. It acts as an online checkbook register that also creates reports and helps you set budgets and payment reminders. Basic membership is free, but if you need added features – like access to your running balances, transaction histories, etc. – you can upgrade to a premium membership for about $4 per month.

If you prefer trusty old Excel spreadsheets over online tools, you can download free templates that will help you track expenses. Visit office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT101172321033.aspx to find templates for everything from tracking event expenses to family budgeting. Go to Mactopia at www.microsoft.com/mac/templates.mspx to find similar templates for Excel on a Mac.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

You get in your car, start it and begin pulling out of your parking space. That’s when you notice a piece of paper taped to your back window.

Curious, you get out – leaving the car on – to remove it. While you’re at the back of your car retrieving the piece of paper, car thieves jump in your car and speed off.

You get a phone call from someone claiming to be a jury coordinator. They tell you that you failed to show up for jury duty and a bench warrant has been issued for you. When you protest that you never received a jury summons, the caller asks you to verify your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can cancel the arrest warrant. You voluntarily give this information and, voila, your identity is stolen.

A friend e-mailed me these dire warnings with an urgent request to send them to practically everyone I know, lest this same fate befall me. But something about these e-mails didn’t sit right. I probably get three or four like this each week and, generally, they turn out to be fake.

But, as it turns out, one of the warnings was real and one was fake. How do I know? I checked it out on Snopes.com.

Snopes.com is the go-to site for debunking – and sometimes verifying – those scary e-mails your well-intentioned friends send. The site is very easy to navigate and it’s updated often.

I learned from Snopes.com that the jury duty scam is very real and that many people in several states, including Arizona, have been taken in by it. (The carjacking e-mail turned out to be a hoax.)

Urban Legends at urbanlegends.about.com and Hoax Busters at hoaxbusters.org are good resources, too, though they are a bit less organized than Snopes.

If you want more information about how to protect yourself from such scams, the Federal Trade Commission Web site, at ftc.gov/bc\n\nmenus/consumer/tech/privacy.shtm, has a variety of user-friendly resources.

The bottom line is it pays to check out the story before you forward those e-mails on to 30 people. Your friends will thank you for it.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.