January 2008

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ve probably noticed that I haven’t been posting very much this month. As I’ve mentioned before, I recently moved to a new state, and I just started a new job. I didn’t mention that in my industry, 50 hour work weeks are the norm, so it doesn’t leave much free time after work.

On top of my new responsibilities at the job, I’m still trying to finish up some work for grad school. In order to graduate this semester, I have to finish writing my thesis and fly back to defend it by the beginning of March. That means I have about a month left to finish everything up.

I’ve come upon the realization that I simply don’t have enough time to work 50 hours a week, blog daily, and finish my thesis at the same time, so I regret to inform my readers that updating this blog daily isn’t one of my top priorities right now. In order to finish my thesis by the deadline, I’m going to have to spend less time blogging and more time writing my thesis.

While I finish up my thesis, I’m going to shoot for blogging 3 times a week. This number may go up or down depending on how things go the next couple of weeks. Once I’m done with my thesis, I plan to resume blogging on a daily basis. Ideally, I’d have time to do everything I want to do and not have to cut down on anything, but my body usually jumps in and tells me it needs sleep.

One of the reasons I decided to start this blog is because I enjoy helping others out. Throughout my life, I’ve relied on friends and family for advice in almost every aspect of life. Now it’s my turn to start passing on the knowledge and wisdom I’ve been accumulating over the years.

By sharing my successes and failures, I aim to provide you with helpful advice or at the very least, an entertaining article to read while you’re bored at work.

One piece of advice that a few of my readers have taken is opening a high-yield savings account with ING Direct. Although they don’t have the highest interest rate out there, they have an awesome bonus that’s hard to beat. If you open an account with an initial deposit of at least $250, you get an extra $25 for free. Three of my readers have signed up and earned their $25, so what are you waiting for?

Just follow my steps on how you can make $25 in ten minutes.

I recently moved halfway across the country for a new job, and it has been fun, exciting, and stressful. As if moving weren’t challenging enough, moving a couple thousand miles away is an adventure. I’ve moved every year for the past eight years of my life, so it’s nothing new. However, there’s one thing that never ceases to amaze me — moving is really expensive.

In fact, some people are probably afraid to move, because they think it will cost too much. Relocation is expensive, but don’t let it keep you from going after your dream job or moving to your favorite city. I’ve learned a lot from my experiences, so here are a few tips on how to make it through a move without going broke.

Ask for help

A lot of employers cover all or at least a portion of relocation expenses. With that being said, the easiest way to move to a new city is to get a job with an employer who will help pay for your moving costs. If you get a job offer with no mention of relocation assistance, it doesn’t hurt to ask about it.

I was fortunate enough to get a job with an employer that helps with relocation, so I saved a huge chunk of money. Unfortunately, companies usually do this through reimbursements, which means you may have to pay a credit card bill for these expenses before you actually get reimbursed. Since you don’t want to pay extra money for leaving a balance on your credit card, it’s best to put your relocation expenses on a credit card with the farthest due date from the time of your move.

Prioritize

Money is usually really tight immediately after a move. If you’re renting a place, you probably have to pay a security deposit and the first month’s rent when you move in. In bigger cities, the security deposit is often one and half month’s rent or more. This may mean that you can’t afford everything you need to buy right away, so the best thing to do is prioritize.

Some items are essential, like a bed, towels, chairs, etc. However, some things can wait, like a flat-screen TV. The idea is to buy the things you really need first, and then gradually get the rest as you can afford them.

Make new friends

The easiest way to learn about a new place is to become friends with people who have lived there for awhile. Not only will you have people to hang out with, you can ask them for recommendations on where to eat, where to shop, etc. I know what you’re thinking, “How does this benefit me financially?”

Well, if your new friends have lived in the area for some time, chances are they have some stuff that they’re not using. Sweet! Free stuff.

Use hand-me-downs

As I just mentioned, free stuff rules, especially if you can’t afford to get everything you really want right away. Friends are a great resource, or if you’re renting a place, you could also ask your landlord if he/she has any spare furniture. I’m borrowing a bed and a dresser from my landlord right now, which has saved me at least a couple hundred dollars. It’s not exactly the most stylish bed, but it’s comfortable and functional. Best of all, it has helped me move without going broke.

After joining CashCrate a little over two months ago, I’ve already made $100. That’s not bad for a little extra money on the side. I’m not going to lie though. Making money with CashCrate does take some effort. There’s no such thing as free money, but there is easy money.

CashCrate is easy money, and I’m making it even easier by sharing some tips with you. I’ve written a few articles describing exactly how to start making money with CashCrate right now. By spending about an hour of your time, you’ll get a check from CashCrate with your name on it next month.

• Start by following my steps on how to make $24 with CashCrate right now.
• Thanks to CashCrate’s awesome referral program, you can make even more money by simply passing it on.
• Get your check in the mail the following month (my first check)

As I’ve mentioned before, I just started a new job on Monday. After going through hours of orientation and paperwork, I found out that the insurance I have covers LASIK. That means I have the rest of this year (at least) to decide if I want to get it done or not.

I’ve talked to a couple of people who have had it done, and it seems like they’re happy with their decision. There were no major complications, and they no longer need glasses or contacts.

From a financial perspective, it definitely makes sense to get it done. Anyone who has ever had to buy glasses or contacts knows how expensive they can get. It would also be nice to not have to worry about losing my glasses or forgetting to take out my contacts.

As far as I can tell, the pros really outweigh any potential cons, so I’ll probably get LASIK done sometime this year. However, I’m sure some of my readers have had it done and have their own opinions on it, so please share. Do you think I’m making the right decision?

Today was my first day at my new job, and it was just what I expected — exciting, yet boring. It was exciting, because it’s a job at my dream company. For the past five years, I’ve been working towards getting a job at this company, and it feels really good to finally accomplish my goal. Unfortunately, no matter where you work, the first day is almost always boring unless you enjoy filling out paperwork.

Since I’ve had previous internships and jobs, I knew what to expect, but I realize that most college students have no idea what to expect on their first day of work. I definitely didn’t when I got my first job, so I figured it might be helpful if I shared some of my first day experiences for those of you who haven’t had a real job yet.

Get Sleep

You’ll probably be a little nervous the night before your first day. It’s almost like getting ready for the first day of elementary school again. I’ve had trouble falling asleep, and I’ve woken up really early. I don’t think there’s really anything you can do about this. Just know that it’s perfectly normal. As anxious as you might be to start your new job, chances are you won’t be doing much work the first day, so…

Be Patient

As I mentioned before, the first day is usually pretty boring. The majority of the day is spent on orientation, filling out paperwork, touring the building(s), and meeting more people than you can possibly remember. In my experiences, it takes at least a week before you start getting into the groove of things. The key is to be patient and realize that things will get more exciting as time goes on. You’ll probably get a lot of information thrown at you during the first day, so it’s not uncommon to…

Feel Overwhelmed

Orientation usually means fit as much information into a small amount of time as possible. It’s impossible to cover everything you need to know for a new job in one day, but that doesn’t keep companies from trying. Fortunately, they realize this, and that’s why they expect you to have plenty of…

Questions

The first day of work is a great time for questions, because they expect you to have them. If you can’t think of any questions on the first day, at least find out who you should go to for questions in the future. Knowing who to contact for different types of questions (HR, payroll, benefits, etc.) is essential for getting acclimated to your new job.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m moving halfway across the country to start a new job. In a few hours, I’m going to leave, so I’ll be on the road for the next three days. I hope to get settled in by the middle of next week, and I look forward to posting regularly again.

In the meantime, I hope you’re enjoying your break if you’re in college (unless school started up again for you already — then I’m sorry). If you’re just bored at work and looking for something to read, then be sure to check out the archives.

December has been a good second month for this blog. Things slowed down a little during the holiday season, but they should start picking up again as we start the new year. Here are some fun stats to keep you updated on my progress.

Payback Fund: $213.58

During the month of a December, I more than doubled my payback fund by giving myself a raise and making money with CashCrate and passing it on. A couple of my readers made $25 by opening a high-yield savings account, which also put some extra money in my loan payback fund. I hope to continue this growth throughout 2008.

1,593 Unique Visitors

The number of unique visitors has also doubled over the past month. This broke grad student is excited that people other than his friends and family enjoy reading what he writes.

36 Subscribers

At one point during the month, this number peaked at 45, but it has taken a hit lately. This may be due to the fact that my blog was down for most of the day yesterday due to some web hosting issues. Anyway, this is the only statistic that didn’t at least double over the past month, so it gives me something to shoot for in January.

Top 8 Referrers

Get Rich Slowly
Consumerism Commentary
Cash Money Life
Money Smart Life
Rather-Be-Shopping
Plonkee
Sense To Save
Moolanomy

Thanks to my readers and fellow bloggers for all of the support. I hope everyone has a prosperous new year!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday season. I’ve enjoyed taking a few days off from blogging, but now it’s time to get back to work.

If you were fortunate enough to get some Christmas money (and haven’t spent it yet), then you’re probably facing the same dilemma that I am right now. What do I do with it? Here are 3 ideas for what to do with your Christmas money this year.

1. Open a high-yield savings account

A high-yield savings account is a great way to earn some extra money with your Christmas money (or any extra cash) while you figure out what you want to do with it. It only takes a few minutes to open. You have easy access to it, and best of all, you earn some extra money just for keeping your money in there.

I keep the money I’m saving up to pay back my student loans in a high-yield savings account. Since my loans are still in deferment, it doesn’t make sense for me to make an early payment or to just let the money sit in a checking account. By keeping the money in a high-yield savings account, I earn a little extra cash every month that goes straight into my loan pay back fund.

As an added bonus, if you open a high-yield savings account at ING with at least $250, then you’ll receive a $25 bonus. It’s like getting another Christmas present! If you’re interested, then check out how you can make $25 in ten minutes.

2. Save it

Who said you actually have to spend your Christmas money? You can save it, instead. Some people may argue that Christmas money should be spent on something for yourself, but I feel that saving the money is “spending” the money on yourself. You’re giving yourself the extra sense of security that comes with having an emergency fund. This means less stress when unexpected expenses come up, which is a great gift in my opinion.

Saving your Christmas money is simple too. All you have to do is open a high-yield savings account (see above) and put the money in it. By next Christmas, you’ll have your Christmas money plus more.

3. Give back

My parents have helped me out financially throughout college whenever they could, and I’ve really appreciated it. To show my appreciation, I spent some of my Christmas money to give something back to them. This year I rented a storage unit to help clear out some of the clutter from their house. Renting the storage unit was the easy part. The moving and cleaning has been the hard part.