All good things come to an end

Blogging is something I never could have pictured myself doing in a million years. For me, I have never been completely comfortable with having others read my writing, let alone post it publicly. However by doing so I feel it has made me feel more comfortable in my writing.

When I first started my blogs on unemployment in January, My life was in a completely different place then how it is now. When I started my blogs, both my parents were unemployed, that is the main reason I picked this as my topic. I would have never guessed not even 4 months later that both my parents would be working great jobs.

I wanted to do this blog because I never really thought about how people were affected from unemployment until it really hit home. Throughout this blogging experience, I not only learned ways to be smart with my money but also started to understand myself better as a person. No one ever expects to become unemployed, therefore being prepared for the unexpected can be the wisest decision. 

Being a teenager, I never put into perspective how much it really does cost to live on your own or to maintain a household. Of course I do pay some bills and I do try to be independent however living at home is the greatest gift. 


Unemployment can make a person go from living comfortably to wondering how to provide the basic needs such as shelter and food. These struggles can cause emotional distress and health problems. 

Though I do not feel that I will continue to blog on this topic, I do feel that somehow in future I may decide to start again. This experience has opened my mind to writing and different topics and probably has changed my writing style for the best.

Being Cheap

A few weeks ago I talked about coupons and how beneficial they really are. I finally decided to try using them myself. Recently both Cheeseburger in Paradise and Ruby Tuesdays sent me $10 off coupons for meals.

I decided to go to Cheeseburger in Paradise as a treat to myself and my meal with a drink and tip only cost me around $5. It was such a relief to be able to still go out to eat without worrying about paying too much.

Another thing I have learned is that PTOs at schools will give out coupons or gift cards if you carefully read their news letter. Springwoods Elementary gave $15 off at On the Border. This coupon from the school had no exclusions or restrictions.

There are so many websites you can use to get coupons for free such as Smartsource.com, coupons.com, and also for restaurants check out restaurant.com.

This websites are free and can easily save you money without any effort. My favorite would have to be restaurant.com because they have specials where you can get $25 gift cards for only $10.

Quick Money

For businesses, times can be tough and not all companies are doing as well as others. Some businesses cannot give out the amount of hours an employee might need. Thankfully there are other ways for someone to make money.

Some ways include:

• Babysitting
• Dog walking (Watch Pets)
• Sell on ebay, Craigslist, Amazon, etc
• Collect your change
• Yard Sale
• Pawn merchandise
• Donate body parts

For some of these ideas, they are quite obvious. Babysitters and Pet sitters are always in demand. You can make flyers or talk to neighbors. Those jobs are not that difficult to come by. For babysitting the average pay is around $5-$9 an hour. The plus side to such jobs is that you do not have to pay taxes.

Selling merchandise or pawning items is only a good idea if you do not truly need or use the item. Selling off items to make fast money is not a good idea. At pawn shops, you can do a loan where you take about 10% of its value. You can either choose to redeem the loan, pay interest to keep the loan alive or forfeit the loan. 

Donating body parts usually includes donating to the sperm bank which for men can be about $40 per donation. Unfortunately, some sperm banks require a commitment period which is about 6 months to a year. Most sperm banks limit the man to 10 children or $6,000 a year. This is because most men donate for money rather then altruism.

Other body parts you can donate include female eggs. This process unlike sperm donation can be a bit more lengthy of a process. The process also comes with a lot of complication risks but the pay ranges from $3,000-$6,000 on average. Women should are limited also to how many times they can undergo this surgery.

These ideas are just simple easy ways to make money for someone who already may be working part time or full time but wants to make some extra money on the side.

References:

"Charging for babysitting" Babysitters4hire. Nannies Internation inc. Web. 2 Apr 2012. 

"25 (Unusual) Ways To Make Quick Money". Daily Finance. AOL Money and Finance. Web. 2 Apr 2012.

"What does sperm donation involve?" Stanford. Stanford Education. Web. 23 Apr 2012.

"Becoming an egg donor" Health.ny.gov. Department of Health. Apr 2009. Web. 23 Apr 2012.

Couponing

For people who are living on a budget, sometimes using a coupon is a huge help on saving a few bucks here and there. I will not be giving tips on how to extreme coupon but more how to be coupon efficient. 

First is where to look for coupons:

• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Online
• In-Store
• On Products
• Manufacturer

The next thing to do is keeping the coupons organized. This should involve categorizing the coupons by type of product. Also have a container for the coupons. Do not leave them stuffed in a wallet or purse.

Also try to maximize your savings by not only using a manufacturer coupon but also a store coupon. This can equal double savings. Also enroll in a loyalty program. A loyalty program is where you scan your card at every purchase and gain rewards as you spend more throughout the store. 

References:

Huffstetler, Erin. "How to coupon Effectively." About.com. Web. 26 Mar 2012. 

Acceptance

For an update about if I was going to transfer or not. I am officially a Ferrum Panther and also a cheerleader for the school. Along with great news also comes some bad news. I will be unemployed during school next year because between school and cheerleading, I could not maintain a job.

This came to me as a shock for someone who has worked since I was legally allowed to. I'm not sure if this will be an easy transition. This also got me to wonder about student loans since I will not be able to cover what scholarships and grants do not.

In the project student debt, this blog goes over how students should avoid taking about private loans because they are much risker then talking out a private loan. Private loans are the safest bet because they do not change over time and also have guaranteed protections.

In another blog by Department of Consumer Affairs, it also covers about shopping around with loans and taking the right loan for you. Avoid taking a loan that is much more then you actually need. In the end, it can leave you in more debt then you need to be.

Another great idea for college expenses is FASFA. This gives out grants, which do not need to be repaid upon graduation, and loans.

Even though college can be very expensive, There are many options when it comes to covering the expenses.

Changes

As an update from my last blog, My father finally decided on which job he was going to take. I personally feel he made a great decision. He is finally out of the blue collar work and finally doing something that fits his personality more.

Now knowing that my family is slowly on the right path to being financially stable, I decided that going away to school next semester might not be a bad idea. I completely understand that no parent can honestly pay out of pocket for the school I plan on attending. Therefore I decided the only help I would like from my parents would be the deposit for room and board and spending money.

Going away to school requires a lot of saving and cutting back on needless spending. This way I will had money to spend when I truly need it. In Roth's Blog for money tips, The blog not only covers money management but also organization skills and decision making. Here are a few tips I felt everyone could find useful:

• Track your spending (via notebook, notepad, etc)
• Avoid getting a credit card (unless it is needed)
• Try to not hang out with big spenders
• Learn to invest
• Buy used textbooks 
• Stay active and eat healthy

Tips such as these are simple to follow and can help you save while still enjoying a similar lifestyle. Everyone makes a sacrifice, whether it be on spending or saving. 

In an article by John Fuller, He goes over 10 tips for saving at college. Some of these tips I feel could be used in everyday life such as:

• Seek alternative transportation 
• Be creative with your free time (You don't have to spend money to have fun)
• Get the right cell phone plan (Don't pay for something you don't need)
• If a student, Get a free student checking (Most banks still have this account available)

When money is tight, it can be difficult to tell yourself or someone that they really don't need certain items. For example, having an iPhone, Its a great phone to have but it is also very expensive with all the add ons. Another example could be the choice of clothes purchased. 


Sometimes it is the smallest things that can be the most beneficial. With these simple tips, everyone can save  while still maintaining a consistent lifestyle. 


References: 


Fuller, John. How Stuff Works. Discovery Company. Web. 18 March 2012.

Patience

In the beginning of my blogs, I discussed how my father was unemployed and how it seemed no matter how many resumes he sent out, nothing was coming back. Finally last week my dad started getting calls for interviews. This was the greatest news for my family.


Since money has been tight for the family, I thought the least I could do was drive my dad to all his interviews as long as I wasn't working or missing class. I feel like because I have two incomes and less bills to pay that this is my way of helping out my family.


I recently took him to two different companies which I have a great feeling about. The only problem is it seems that now that he is finally getting calls and interviews, he is becoming overwhelmed. My mom and I have constantly told my dad to take the job that he feels he will enjoy and also pays a decent amount. 


Another thing when being offered multiple jobs is to really look into the position they are offering. My dad is skilled in multiple areas, therefore he applied to a broad range of jobs throughout the last 6 months. By looking at the position you are being offered this helps you determine if you will be happy within that field of work and always research the company in which you are interviewing with.


When making a decision on whether you want to accept or decline the job remember this:

• Commute time
• Benefits
• Flexibility of work schedule
• Work culture
• Company stability
• Opportunity for advancement
• Level of responsiblity 

These factors can really make or break the decision on whether taking a certain job is the right choice for you. I feel that the most important thing when looking for a job should be the stability of the company. This is mainly because the economy has been hot and cold. The last thing to look for is the work culture because that should not be the determining factor. 


Tips such as the ones listed above can be viewed on All Star Resume's blog. They are very helpful for anyone who is looking for a job or career.

Keep your fingers crossed for my dad! I feel like everything that has happened, he truly deserves a decent job.


References: 


Burt, Erin. "How to choose the right job". kiplinger. 19 Apr 2007. Web. 23 Apr 2012.