College Student Seeking Wealth

Deal: 75% off Amazon Video on Demand Rentals

2010-11-24T02:19:00.001-05:00

From November 23, 2010 12:00 AM PST and November 30, 2010 11:59 PM PST Amazon is offering a promo code "RENTDEAL" for 75% Amazon Video on Demand Rentals.

Click here to directly enter the code and /or find out more information about the offer.

Like to Gamble? Try the Stock Market!

2010-11-22T18:34:00.001-05:00

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If you're one of those people that like taking chances on your money in hopes of a bigger return, try investing in stocks. With technology now allowing individuals to trade stocks online, there's no reason to not try it. There are several online sites to trade stocks on, ING ShareBuilder, TradeKing, and etc. for now. I started investing in stocks for a short time using ING ShareBuilder a little more, here's why:

Investing in stocks is a cool thing to try if you like the idea of getting interest for money you spend.

It's best to start slow and get a feel of the market before you start investing more than you can afford to lose.

There's a chance to earn more interest on your money than in your savings account, granted you don't take the risk of putting ALL your savings into a stock or you could lose it all.

Oppose to gambling, with stocks there's higher chance of getting at least some of your money back.

ING ShareBuilder is great to use when they are giving out free trade credits (I like to hold my stocks, especially since I believe the price of stocks will increase as the US economy improves).

Update: October Wealth Building Goals

2010-11-17T18:27:00.001-05:00

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Things done for October:

I tried harder this month in looking for jobs and filling out online applications.
I did an excellent job not spending money on fast food since I brought salads to school. Spending only $13 on veggies and shredded cheese gave me 2 weeks of lunches.
I do not have my full $1000 left in my savings, however, the money was not spent on wasteful things and I still have $600+ left.

A savings account that doubles your deposit and 100% legal

2010-11-09T14:54:00.000-05:00

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Need proof? Visit http://cfed.org/programs/idas/ (notice the .org), don't worry, it 's not a fake link.

IDA Savings account are accounts for low-income families that are sponsored through organizations whose requirements vary from state to state. The organizations receive funding mainly from donors that allow the IDA savings account holders to double the amount of money is put into the account each month.

Here's the catch (sort of), you have to participate in seminars, free seminars, to learn about either home buying, budgeting,- basically whatever the organization requires in order to keep the account.

I know you're shocked, I was too, but if you just look deep enough you can find aid opportunities on government websites.

Financial Aid Refunds - What You Should Do

2010-11-05T10:04:00.009-04:00

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Here's a little guideline for you college students out there on what to do after you receive your financial aid refunds (if you get one).

make a chart of what to do with the refund money

A plan is a great way of keeping on track of what to do with your money, the end result is usually what stems from the plan you create. Without a plan you might spend more and see your money disappear fast.

open a checking account (if you don't have one)

Get one that is FDIC insured (shouldn't be difficult to find). This way you can keep updated on where your money is going and have easy access to it. Shop around for a good checking account, try to find one that has a low or zero dollar maintenance fee, offers interest on your money (see here for some suggestions), has online banking, and under $35 or zero overdraft fee.

pay on bills and expenses

Get anything out of the way that you have to pay on or buy for school. Pay your bills off early so they want become a hassle later on.

put some in a savings account

Chances are the money you won't receive back $25,000+ as a refund from your financial aid, so start small with your money and put your money in a savings account. I currently have Ally's Online Savings Account and I love the interest I receive from it. Check it out for yourself here. I would suggest opening a checking account as well for when you need access to your savings account at ATMs, plus it offers interest. But be cautious as Ally only allows 6 free transactions for your savings account per statement cycle.

go shopping last

Pay all the debts you can and invest some, only use a small portion to spend on yourself (less than what you have saved or invested).Try to look out for sales in advance before shopping so you know where you can get the greatest deal for your money.

Hot Deal: Free $3 Amazon MP3 Gift Code

2010-10-30T17:55:00.015-04:00

Image via CrunchBase

Just found a $3 credit for Amazon.com Mp3 Download

Here it is:
Code: STUDENT3
Enter the code here on Amazon.com.

Enjoy!!!

P.S. Make sure you use it before November 1, 2010 (11:59 EST)!!

credit goes to slickdeals

Tips for Making Money at GPT/PTR Websites

2010-10-11T08:19:00.000-04:00

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Participating at a Get-Paid-To (GPT) /Paid-To-Read (PTR) website is a fun and rewarding experience. However, some GPT/PTR sites can make you feel used and ripped off . Here are some tips on picking the right ones to join:

1. If it will take a year to redeem prizes worth $10 or less, it's best to avoid that site.

2. If you join a site that pays you to view ads, see if they add ads on a regular basis If they add less than 20 ads a week, it might be wise to cancel your membership.

3. If the GPT / PTR website has a forum, join it. You may find helpful tips on to earn more on the site, build a good network for yourself, and (if they offer it) post your referral links to other sites for people to join.

4. Sometimes when a site has a cash out level that's hard to reach, they may offer referral contests or low advertising prices lower than the cash out. Unless you are good at getting referrals or would like to advertise your site, this site is not for you.

5. Try to wait at least 2 weeks to see how the site allows you to increase your earnings (if it's a new site, you can give it more time). This way you learn how the site works and are able to calculate when you can cash out/ redeem your earnings.

Here's an example of a bad GPT/PTR site to join:

"Membership Type:
Free Member

Upgrade Your Account To Our Premiere membership and access more ads for a simple fee of $17 every 6 months(Advertisers prefer to send ads to people who have proven spending ability, so for a simple low-cost fee once every 6 months you are positioning yourself in front of more opportunities each day to earn money.)

Your current balance is: $0.023 after 11 days
You can withdraw when your balance reaches $10

I've used this site for 11 consecutive days and I've only earned $0.02. The upgrade membership is greater than the cash out amount.

My calculation of when I will reach cash out(without signing up referrals) is:
$10 divided by $0.023 equals about 435 (the numbers of times I need to reach $0.023)
Since 11 days is what gave me $0.023, I multiply 435 by 11 days which equals 4783 days!!

The site is a huge waste of my time. It would take me years just to earn $10 from this website. It's always good to do a little math when joining GPT and PTR sites.

I' ll add some more of my favorite GPTs and PTRs websites on CSSW soon.

10 tips on getting your money's worth out of college

2010-10-09T09:59:00.000-04:00

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Well, since my college days are almost up (well, for my degree type), I thought it would be wise to give the future and current students some tips on saving money in college:

Do not get a credit card, unless you have a job. Read this for more info.
If offered, do not sign up for the school's meal plan. Bring your own lunches, here's how.
Open a savings account and start saving NOW. especially if you will get back financial aid refunds.
Don't try to buy every new gadget that comes out. chances are an updated version will come out six months later.
Learn how to budget young. You won't have to worry about learning how later on, especially if you are taking out any student loans.
Start looking at the price tag. Don't buy things just based on it being cool or you want it.
Look for other ways to buy your school books. Check online, preferably before school starts, to buy them.
Read your textbook ( especially if the test are based on it) frequently. You're paying $50 for it, so get your money's worth.
Try to use everything your are paying for. If your school charges you fees for things in the school that are for the students, use them. It's like throwing money away if you do.
Learn about ways to invest your money. i.e. stocks, IRAs, bonds, cds, etc. You have a library, so use it!

Nickel for your thoughts? Improving your outlook.

2010-10-07T09:28:00.000-04:00

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To learn more about wealth I read books, to learn how other maintain, and obtain their investments. I'm learning how to become less of a spend person and more of a save person. Here are 5 ways, I feel will improve your psyche on why you should be more active in building wealth:

Save money for a rainy year. With the job market being so bad, it makes you wonder "will you have enough enough money to support your household" So try to have at least 6 months worth of your paychecks saved.
You don't need a lot of money to start saving. Just $20+ a paycheck is good enough to save money.
Stop being so reliant on companies to do things you can do. If you feel like saving money, but never cook your own meals, learn to.
"Expensive" does not always equal "best". Stop looking only at the price tag and look more at the item itself; do your research.
Stop associating money with character. Money is just a way you buy a service. It doesn't make you any more or less of a person, you alone determine your character.

Well, those are some of my tips, I'll try to start writing some blog posts on these tips soon!

October Wealth Building Goals

2010-10-05T11:04:00.000-04:00

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My goals for October 2010 are as follows:

Make Money

Make $100 from surveys
Find a decent paying job

Save Money

Maintain my $1000 savings
Use survey money to save for a car
Look for deals and coupons before paying retail value for a major purchase
Do not spend more than $20 on fast food or any food not bought from a grocery store

Learn New

Do research for a affordable, reliable used car
Find a way to lower my water bill
Look up more ways to make honest money

Share your wealth-building goals for October!

Sears October Family & Friends Sweeps

2010-10-03T10:20:00.000-04:00

Image by Yelp.com via Flickr

Sears October Family & Friends Sweeps

The following information was obtained from the official rules for the sweepstakes. Please read the rules yourself on the site listed above for more information.

Contest ends October 4, 2010 at 1:00 a.m. ET

Entry limit
daily per person / email

Prizes
(1)Grand Prize: $1,000 Sears gift card

Instant Win Prizes: Limit: One (1) Instant Win Game First, Second, or Third Prize per person
(20)First Prize: $20 Sears gift card
(50)Second Prize: $10 Sears gift card
(100)Third Prize: $5 Sears gift card

Tell a Friend Prizes: Limit: One (1) prize per person
(20)First Prize: $20 Sears gift card
(50)Second Prize: $10 Sears gift card
(100)Third Prize: $5 Sears gift card

Who's eligible to enter?
Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States (including D.C.), the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico who are at least eighteen (18) years old at the time of entry.

Update: September Wealth Building Goals

2010-10-02T09:11:00.000-04:00

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Here's what I accomplished from my September Wealth Building Goals list:

*Make Money

I made $101.40 from surveys
Put in some applications, but haven't found a job yet

*Save Money

I was able to maintain $1000 my savings
I did look for deals every time I made a big purchase (saved a lot of a new range).
I did spend more than $20 on fast food, but now that I have a new range, I hope to decrease it.

*Learn New

I found two cars I like Chevy Aveo and Dodge Caliber
I haven't any new money making ways ... yet.

Books I Recommend - Wealth Happens One Day at a Time

2010-09-30T14:10:00.000-04:00

If you are ever in a library or are interested in buying a book on budgeting / improving your net worth, then I have a book for you, it's entitled Wealth Happens One Day at a Time by Brooke M, Stephens. Last year I checked this book out at my school's library and it really opened my eyes on what were the biggest money-sucking habits I had.
The setup of the book is for daily reading to inspire a lifetime changes in the way one sees money. This book is great for a person interest into getting their finances back on track, wanting to invest, decreasing their debt, money management, and much more.

I strongly recommend to first look for this book in your local library / school's library so you can read it for free. You can use the link below, provided by DealOz.com (review coming soon), to find the cheapest price for the book online.

Search book prices using ISBN-13 = 9780060959173

How to Budget for a Large Household with Low Income.

2010-09-28T23:50:00.000-04:00

Image by Keith Williamson via Flickr

To achieve this goal, you have to include everyone in the discussions to create a budget for the household. Show everyone, the current bills and the total monthly expenses in a typical month - include gas, groceries and other spending as well. Discuss, as a group, how any of the cost could be lowered and let each person suggest ways of how to lower the monthly cost.

Look for any expenses that are not a necessity for the household and discuss how to lower them - i.e. cable bill, buying cigarettes, lottery tickets, fast food, etc.

Do some online research to find competitor rates for the current services used in the household. This can really lower the monthly expenses as long as you read the fine print of the competitor's services and sign up for the lowest costs. Changing your service plans will also lower some of the monthly expenses as well.

Medium vs Large Pizzas... Is It Worth the Extra 3 bucks?

2010-09-26T09:34:00.000-04:00

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I just bought 3 medium 1-topping pizzas from Papa Johns for $19 (this was with delivery and tax charges, and a 3 for $15 coupon). I know, not really budgeting, but it's only from me not restocking my fridge yet.
But back to the subject, why are large pizzas $3 more than medium pizzas when there's not much difference in their circumferences . Does eating a slice of a large pizza make you fuller than that of a medium pizza? I think not. If you look at the nutritional facts of a large slice pepperoni pizza vs a medium slice of pepperoni pizza, there's not much difference. I say go for the medium, and stay under the $20 range that most large pizzas cost. Medium pizzas have the same 8 slices as a large and their pizza boxes are easier to store in the fridge (if there are any slices left to put in the refrigerator ).

P.S. Don't forget to tip your delivery boy!

Pssst Panel -Host Parties, and Try Products, Free Coupons

2010-09-24T05:06:00.000-04:00

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Psst... Panel is a survey site created by General Mills (their brands include Progresso Cheerios, Cheex Mix, Old El Paso, etc) for consumers to complete surveys about their brands with the occasional email invites to host parties by participating in MyGetTogether. Psst... Panel is also running giveaways and give special offers to its members. This survey site is also great for coupon lovers since it offers coupons to its members, and a chance to give coupons for products to your friends.

Here's more information about their hosting parties, quoted from their site:

Pssst... members may be contacted via email when there are possible MyGetTogether hosting opportunities. Or you may find upcoming events listed on your Personal Page.
You may be invited to take a short online survey to see if you qualify to host a particular event. Not all get-togethers will be available to everyone, but there will be plenty of opportunities.
If selected as a host, you will be responsible for arranging the get-together (with our help!) and inviting friends.
Tell us how it went! After the get-together, we want to hear from you and your experience with the product. We value your opinion and want to continue offering only the best.

Click the link below to join this survey site:
Psst... Panel

How to Decide if a Product is Worth Purchasing - Stop Excessive Spending

2010-09-22T06:06:00.000-04:00

Image by eszter via Flickr

Too many times we as consumers buy things for the one-time purpose, I've done it myself. Four years ago I bought expensive designer tennis shoes that I never wore because I didn't have a design outfit to match them(I sold them, at a lower price though than I paid). Maybe your guilty story doesn't involve sneakers, but maybe it was cosmetics, clothes, a luxury car, the latest tech gadget... I'm getting warmer, huh.

This habit needs to break, you're spending money on something that will not show you a long term gain in compared to the price you paid for it.

How to Break the Habit
A method I like to use is thinking in the long term when making either an expensive or a non- necessity purchase and question the validity of purchasing said product. Those questions are:

How will this product benefit me?
Will an upgrade or new model come out for this product soon(mainly pertaining to tech gadgets and cars)?
Can I wait until a sale approaches before buying the product?
Will I want this product a year from now?
Is this the best price I can get for the product?

Usually after asking myself those questions I can decide confidently whether I will purchase the product.

If you have anymore questions one should ask themselves before purchasing a product, please leave them in the comment section.

The-Collaboratory- Get Paid to Blog

2010-09-20T07:28:00.003-04:00

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The-Collaboratory has emailed about a paying entertainment blog project for 14 to 17 year olds. If you like to write about entertainment and are between 14-17, then read the email they sent me below:

"Dear Members: Thanks for all of your great responses for the current entertainment blog project we are recruiting for. While we have a good number of people who are over 18 year old, we need more people who are between 14 and 17 years old. If you know anyone who is interested in participating in the blog project this Wednesday September 22nd, please have them contact us at outreach@the-collaboratory.com. Happy Friday! The-Collaboratory Team"

Good luck!!!

Coupons- online store ecoupons shopping

2010-09-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

If you are a person that uses coupons, great job! I'll get back to you later.

If are NOT a person that uses coupons I have a few words for you...why not?!! Coupons are your friends, they help you save money and are easily accessible, whether online or picking up your favorite Sunday's newspaper. "Coupons don't save a lot of money" you might say. And you're right, if you don't plan your spending and search for coupon deals.

Here are some tips on getting optimal deals from coupons:

Look at the deals on the coupons

Don't try to use a coupon because it has your favorite brand and reading the requirements for it to be redeemed. Read the coupon before trying to use it, it gives you a mindset on what to look for when shopping.

Only bring coupons you plan to use on the shopping trip
Take only the ones you need in an envelope/wallet for easy access. You don't want to take 50 coupons with you but have to scramble to find the 4 you need causing you to spend 5 minutes looking for them.

Image via Wikipedia

Check a store's website for coupons

Some stores like Kroger Grocery Co. are now offering digital coupons. Kroger even goes a step further by allowing its customers to add the coupons to their Kroger Plus Card. Click here to read more about it on Kroger's website.

Try online coupon sites
Coupons.com have pretty good coupons from time to time and are a great site to use. You can print the coupons and redeem them at stores-make sure you have enough ink toner to print the coupons so they are readable. Please note that you do have to install software from the site to print the coupons. If that bothers you, make sure you have a good anti-virus/anti-malware/anti-spyware software. You can visit CNET to find a good free and legal one. I personally recommend AVG 9.0 since it comes with internet security.

Well, those are my tips for you non-coupon users. As for you coupon using-gurus, please leave some of your tips to get the optimal use of coupons in the comment section. And for the reformed non-coupons users leave responses as well, whether it's questions or your recent coupon experience.

Youtube EDU - educate yourself for free

2010-09-17T07:12:00.000-04:00

Ever want to get professional tips on investing or personal finance? Well, try Youtube EDU!

Granted it's not as personalized as you would want, but it's free! Youtube EDU (youtube.com/edu) is a page on youtube reserve for college and university channels to upload videos to the masses.

Many of the videos contain lectures, keynote speakers, and financial experts giving helpful financial tips to their watchers. If you like gaining knowledge without having to read a lot of books or leaving your computer, try Youtube EDU.

How To Find Financial Videos For Your Benefit
Youtube EDU has its own search bar for all the institutions in the section. Use the search bar to type queries that involve financial information i.e. stocks, investments, banking, credit cards, personal finance, etc.

P.S. If you find any videos to recommend, leave the URL in the comments section.

Please note: The image above belongs to YoutubeEDU. I edited the image to use it on CSSW.

Why I like MetroPCS...Review of Service and Stock

2010-09-15T04:40:00.000-04:00

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MetroPCS Wireless, Inc. has been a fairytale to me because the service it provides. Its target audiences are people in urban areas and college students - audiences crooked businesses usually target. MetroPCS is different ... it actually is a great cell phone service provider!

Here's why:

No Annual Contracts

MetroPCS has been my cell phone service provider since September '09 because of the no contract service it offers. MetroPCS realizes that their target audience usually lack budgeting skills and provides them with an affordable cell phone service plan without the high costs. I once was a customer of AT&T / Cingular wireless for 4 years (2 years with Cingular and 2 years when AT&T bought the company) for its family plan. But my service was always off for not paying the bill on time (bad, I know). Since there was a break in the contract, I paid over $200 for the contract fees since AT&T canceled my service (look for my review of AT&T cell phone service coming soon), after that I turned away from cell phone service providers with contracts completely.

No Late Fees

I've recommended MetroPCS to several friends and many of them have been late on their payments. The furthest one of my friends has gone without paying was 20 days and MetroPCS still did not charge them with a late fee (not even a reactivation fee for that matter). The balance remained the same, and nothing carried over to the next monthly balance. I couldn't believe it since I was use to companies having loopholes in their promises, but MetroPCS didn't have one (well at least if you're less than a month late).

I've Invested in Them

I definitely see a chance for MetroPCS (PCS) to thrive in the USA's current economy. With its high-tech smartphones(see Blackberry 8350 and MetroPCS 4G Samsung Craft), increased advertisements towards its target audience, great business practices, accessible stores for its target audiences, affordable rate plans, and making their website more user-friendly PCS is a stock to consider. I'm doing a long-term investing for PCS since most people may want to switch to the cell phone service provider, but are in a contract with another cell phone company. The only negative part of investing in PCS is that its service is not readily available in rural areas and they do not offer contracts. Many cell phone service providers use contracts and reactivation fees as a way of keeping customers, which makes their portfolio more interesting to potential shareholders (keeping customers means more revenue for the company). However, MetroPCS give their customers great service and are improving their weak points quickly, giving them an edge over the current giants in cell phone service providers. For more information on PCS stock click here.

September Wealth Building Goals

2010-09-13T08:00:00.002-04:00

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My goals for September 2010 are as follows:

Make Money

Make $100 from surveys
Find a decent paying job

Save Money

Maintain my $1000 savings
Look for deals and coupons before paying retail value for a major purchase
Do not spend more than $20 on fast food or any food not bought from a grocery store

Learn New

Do research for a affordable, reliable used car
Look up more ways to make honest money

Share your wealth-building goals for September!

Update: August Wealth Building Goals

2010-09-11T08:16:00.000-04:00

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Here's what I accomplished from my August Wealth Building Goals list:

*Investments

I was able to save $1000 for my savings
I only learned a little about Roth IRA and so far I like it, I won't invest in it until I have a job.
I only bought 2 stocks, but I wanted to do my research before just buying 5.

*Credit Cards

I did do some research on credit card and found a company that I felt were suitable for me - Capital One

*Earnings

I only made $49.17 in cash, $25 Amazon GC, and $10 Kmart GC = $84.17

*Budgeting

I did try to look for deals before just buying a product. I especially did this for a new freestanding range I bought during the Labor Day sales.
I went over my $20 spending limit by $50. I really have to work on this!

Lose Weight and Save Money-learn from my experience Pt. 1

2010-09-09T05:56:00.000-04:00

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Living in the hustle and bustle of today's society rarely gives anyone time to make their own meals. And with vending machines emerging on campuses and in the workplace, you're always tempted to buy those on-the-go snack.

At my university's campus there is an entire block of cheap fast food restaurants - Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Subway, Burger King - you name it we probably got it. Humph, and people wonder where the phrase "the Freshman 15*" comes from.

* -"Freshman 15" is a term used for college students who gain weight, 15 lbs, during their first year of college.

Well look no further my chubby, hard-working brethren, I have some tips for you to lose weight and save money, but it calls for a little planning ahead.

Read the ingredients and nutritional labels
When shopping for groceries, look at the labels to find out if the product will keep you full during your busy day or feed you empty calories. Look for a moderately high percentage in fiber and / or protein, which keeps you full and gives you energy. Try to avoid food high in sugar and saturated fat - they just pack on the pounds and leave you hungry.

Fruits and veggies, spice them up!
Maybe you're not a fruit and vegetables kind of person, I understand. However, in today's world there are several exciting ways to eat them! Homemade fruit smoothies, vegetable soups, fruit salad, brown rice and vegetable meals just to name a few. Look up some recipes and try them. It'll make you feel good eating something healthy in the workplace or at school that's also delicious. Fruits and veggies are the only I would suggest splurging a little on. Besides, after you eat them you won't have that hunger craving you have with junk food. And try to buy fruit and veggies that are on sale if you feel some are too pricey for your budget.

Cook your own meals
You know what's in the meal; you're guaranteed for it to taste good. Try to make tasty meals - meals that you might buy while-on-the-go. You are sabotaging yourself by eating the same meal habitually. Don't bore yourself, spice-it-up with variety!

Well that's just part 1, stay tuned for part 2 coming soon!

Read the fine print and more!

2010-09-07T02:45:00.000-04:00

When considering whether to open a checking account or to sign up for AAA services, do you read all the information given on the site? Do you chat(if available)/phone/email an associate online about certain gray areas in the offer before deciding to sign up? Well, if this is something you don't do, here are some reasons why should read the fine print:

Read the fine print
Reading the fine print allows to find the worst case scenarios if you sign up for an account with a company. Companies are supposed to, by US law, disclose all the fees, rates, terms and conditions to consumers. You have all the information accessible to you, go on the website and read the FAQ section about the account.

Question an associate
Figure out questions you may want to ask an associate about. I recommend finding questions on worst case scenarios i.e. how the company responds to fraudulent charges through your account, not able to pay off a balance, clear explanation of interest rates and fees. Any gray areas you see after doing research.

Consumer Reviews
Lastly, is finding reviews from people who have the account you are interested in opening. It gives you a close idea of what doing business with the company is like - pros and cons. I would recommend trying to find reviews that are not related to the company i.e. not on the companies website and be wary of reviews from unknown blogger(to you) that include affiliate links, they'll sometimes sugarcoat their opinions to make a sell.

Don't forget to leave comments/questions about the post!