However, when I went to look at reviews on the internet about the hotel, the reviews were all bad. Some were bad for no reason, some were bad because the reviewer actually had a bad experience.

Now, here’s the problem I am having with places that have been reviewed on the internet, this particulary pertains to places on trip, hotel, and food review sites: People are more likely to complain than report a satisfactory experience. I am guilty of it: a lot of times, I end up writing about when something makes me angry or I am unhappy with a situation.

You will always have a few people who are going to report on how the situation was regardless of whether or not the experience was good; but more often people will complain than brag. Honestly, the entire situation isn’t very fair to the establishments.

For example, the hotel I’m staying at has particularly bad reviews. I believe on Yelp, this hotel is rated a 2 out of 5, which is not very good at all. It all has to do with the fact that there isn’t wireless internet for free in the rooms (which is stated on the hotel’s website and is fairly common knowledge in my opinion), parking isn’t free (but there aren’t many places in the downtown area that hae free parking), and the bathrooms are small.

I believe that most places should be given a fair chance and that you can’t go by what all the reviews are.

Don’t even get me started on the Google Voice fiasco that just happened and landed Apple in some hot water with the FCC….

Now the iphone application store has rejected a new application because the application allows the reading of the Karma Sutra. It is to be noted that the book reader Eucalyptus does not come with any books, but the K.S. is available for download onto devices and could be read at another time.

Whether it be the fact that Apple’s development team may decide that your application isn’t good enough for their devices or good enough to be released to their “cloud,” there are different places for software developers to go to have their programs viewed by many.

Apple has also been thinking of releasing a “net book” also. I suppose the net book would run like net books that run on Windows or Linux and are just able to run simple programs or surf the internet. Apple would undoubtedly make a net book that would be impossible to make programs for and far less powerful than any of the current mac books that are out there today.

The mac/pc commercials make me so mad because the pc just gives up when “the Megan” asks for a computer that doesn’t have software issues like crashing or viruses. Well guess what “Megan,” Mac’s have all those same problems too. As a matter of fact, I have been on a Mac many times in the past and gotten their version of a blue screen of death. I mean the iMac may have been the worst personal computer I have ever used, however there are so many people who think that the Macintosh name and product line is the best thing that has ever happened to the computer industry.

Whatever the reason, I think that people will enjoy PC’s and Windows mobile, Android, WebOS, and Symbian phones for much longer once the novelty of the iPhone wears off (like everyone knows it will).

When an employer has no sympathy for a potential candidate’s time it leads to frustration on the candidate’s part. Employers have been canceling interviews at the last minute with out a reason or an apology. Some are just wasting the candidate’s time by not paying attention during the interview and this is troubling because (and I should know) a candidate spends a lot of time preparing for an interview; this includes looking up the company and reading into the company’s philosophy and mission.

When an employer doesn’t share the company’s timeline to hire with the candidate it is also quite frustrating. A hiring manager always knows when they need someone. They know the time frame that they will be hiring in and not telling a candidate is annoying to all candidates.

Not sharing what kind of salary they pay is also really annoying, especially when they expect a candidate to give what they think they should be paid. There really isn’t any reason as to why a manger wouldn’t share this information. They really should give you some kind of range for you to expect to be paid and this would clear up the entire awkward situation that comes about when its time to talk money.

Finally, this one is the one that gets under my skin, when employers fail to notify a candidate that they are no longer up for consideration for the position. This is rude and extremely common. Many times a candidate sits by the phone (or in my case, shies away from a week vacation) to wait to hear from an employer. A simple email could do if the employer is no longer interested in the candidate.

Here’s one just from my own opinion book: If you’re an employer don’t tell a candidate to expect an interview and then don’t answer emails or the phone when the candidate calls. And give them an interview if you say you will.

The United States and Canada came out on top with the highest levels of contamination of cocaine on paper money with between 85% and 90%. China and Japan ranked the lowest with only between 12 and 20% of their money being contaminated.

A similar study was conducted two years ago, and the new results prove that there is an increase of 20% from the previous study. Scientists have been aware of the contamination on banknotes. Paper money is used during drug deals and also when people are rolling it to snort cocaine. Then the money ends back up at the bank where it contaminates non-illicit drug money.

The levels of cocaine that showed up on the bills fell between .006 micrograms and 1,240 micrograms. As a reference, .006 micrograms is several thousands of times smaller than one grain of sand and 1,240 micrograms equals about 50 grains of sand. The scientists also noted that some of the cities tested definitely had higher contamination levels than others. Baltimore, Detroit, and Boston ranked among the highest contamination levels. Salt Lake City had the lowest in the United States.

If you were expecting to get something out of this you should probably move along. You’re not going to get high off a few dollars from your local bank. You won’t even have any health problems stemming from handling paper money.

It is also unlikely for any trace amounts of drugs that were on a bank note to end up messing up your drug test at work.

PowerPoint has been around for 25 years now, and while it was first geared toward people who had to present in business meetings and salespeople, the program has now become synonymous with anyone who has to give a presentation of any kind; no matter if you’re a salesperson or a 4th grader.

Over the past few years in college, I gave numerous presentations and PowerPoint presentations were not only expected, but required for all of them. However, after reading the expressions on people’s faces while giving presentations over the past few presentations I’ve discovered something: no one cares.

Perhaps it’s just presentations that people don’t want to go to, perhaps it’s the fact that PowerPoint slides often have too much information on a slide. Whatever the reason, I believe that it’s time for people to start coming up with more creative ways of giving presentations.

I think, especially for those in more creative fields, there should be requirements that they have to give presentations that are far more creative than a PowerPoint presentation; and no, I don’t mean passing out candy or throwing t-shirts at the audience. Marketing professionals are expected to be some of the most creative people in the business school and they’re giving the same presentations as accounting majors, something is wrong there.

Another problem I have with PowerPoint presentations is that the audience has become numb to the presentations. They have taught an entire generation how to stop paying attention. They have also taught that same generation how to rely so heavily on one program.

In the corporate world, people often turn something that can be said in two to five minutes into a 20 minute presentation because they feel as if they need to have the visual aid of a PowerPoint presentation. What a waste of time.

Unemployment has hit a nationwide average of just under 10% and it looks like a lot of places aren’t hiring, have implemented a hiring freeze, or are laying off a majority of its labor force. However, there are places all across the country where you can find work (usually) and you actually have a good chance of finding work in one of these cities.

1) Anchorage, Alaska. Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska, so much so that the population of the city is almost half of the total personal income for Alaska. The median age in the city is 33 and while the recession has hit the rest of the country pretty hard, in Anchorage the city marked it’s 20th year of job growth.

Twenty percent of the city’s jobs are in education, health services and government, all of which have increased the number of jobs for the past year. Big box retail stores are also starting to move into the city. Stores like Kohl’s and Best Buy have continued to open new stores in the city.

2) Arlington, Virginia. Arlington neighbors Washington D.C. and is home to the Pentagon as well as Arlington National Cemetery. The biggest employers in this city include the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and the State Department. When there is a lot of government jobs in an area, the national unemployment rate has a much smaller effect on what is going on in the local employment rate.

Arlington also has several large private employers such as US Airways, Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Marriott.

3) Columbus, Ohio. Columbus has a strong distribution industry as well as a strong transportation industry and this can likely be attributed to the city’s central location in not only the state, but as well as the country.

Columbus has a diverse economy for such a Mid-America kind of town. It boasts healthcare, manufacturing, technology, as well as hospitality services. The largest employers in the city include the biggest university in the state Ohio State, Nationwide Insurance, Bob Evans, JP Morgan Chase, and OhioHealth.

4) Houston, Texas. This Texas city, like much of the rest of the state, has come out fairly unscathed in this recession. Houston is one of the only cities in the country where people are actually finding work. Houses in Texas are affordable and jobs are plentiful. Thanks to the city’s large stake in the oil industry, this city has continued to fare well.

Did you know that your credit card may be hiding some quite interesting and beneficial perks that you might be missing out on?

The following perks are from Citi:

- You have dedicated “concierge” staff to assist you. – There is a 24 hour personal concierge service that is around to make dinner reservations for you, get tickets to events, locate hard to find items, and even coordinate business arrangements worldwide. They can also assist you with gift selections and other requests that are said to “simplify your life.”

- You also have extra car rental insurance. Citi provides up to $50,000 in secondary coverage against collision or theft when you get a rental car and charge it on the card and decline the rental company’s insurance.

- There is also retail price protection. – This protects your stuff if it gets stolen or is accidentally broken up to $500 for the first 90 days of purchase when it’s put on the card.

- You have a price protection. If you purchase something with your card, except for online purchases and some excluded items, you have 60 days to find the same item for a lesser price you will get refunded up to $250 of the difference.

- You are not liable for unauthorized purchases online or offline.

- If an airline looses your luggage, you are eligible for up to $3,000 in lost luggage coverage for not only you, but also your dependents, when you charge your fare.

- You also have roadside assistance.

If you want to know what kind of perks your card has, just pick up the phone and give them a call!

Budget cuts in the nation’s public schools means that many states are having to find ways to limit what it spends on public schools in their budgets. I find it ironic in a way because it seems like taxes have increased at the same time that budget cuts for public education is being introduced. However, in places where homes are being appraised for much less, property taxes are much less and therefore, schools have less money to work with.

So where will your children be feeling the pinch?

Many schools will be saying goodbye to band and other music programs. At many schools, extracurricular activities like band and art clubs may be eliminated. Many curriculums are being cut down to the minimums because of teachers being laid off. This has been going on for years in many of the more rural areas of the country. At the same time, most (if not all) states have a requirement for a fine art class in high school. So, some of these classes will have to stick around.

Classes will become more crowded. In California alone 27,000 teachers have been laid off with more expected to be soon. This accounts for 15% of California’s public teacher pool. And fewer teachers means bigger classes. Many classes are having to bump up the number of kids to a class. Some classes are even going from 20 to a class to 30 to a class. This is what the San Jose Unified School District is doing and it will end up saving the district nearly $6 million for the year.

Summer programs will be, if they haven’t already been, cut. Summer programs in places where budget deficits have led to more cuts in schools, like California which is suffering from a $24 billion budget gap. Parents who usually enroll their children in some kind of public funded summer program will now have to find child care for their children. This also means cutting summer school. So when a high school senior needs that “one more credit” to graduate he or she will be out of luck.

Finally, bus services will be hurt. The number of schools that cut bus transportation routes for the 2009-2010 school year rose to 23%, up from 14% the year prior. If a school decides to cut bus routes, it can obviously save thousands of dollars (per school). However, many students (again, in more rural areas) may be finding themselves without a way to get to school. I can see where this would lead to serious truancy issues.

I think that it is important to cut money from other areas than public schools. Personally, the money should come out of anywhere else first.

For the firm believer that an investor should follow the trends to see real success in investing, it is important to know what the winners are doing right now. To understand that one needs to understand what they are looking at in the market. The first two things you must watch are real estate and unemployment. These are the absolute keys to a real recovery in the market and the economy. Until losing jobs is a thing of the past and until real estate prices stop going down, there will be pressure on our economy, end of story.

The current market is creating one of the greatest opportunities for building permanent real wealth if an investor can see the bargains. It is important to continually look for bargain-basement opportunities in the form of rock bottom prices. In addition to your own screening and research, it is important to pay attention to what those successful long-term investors are doing with their money.

Securities regulations make this very easy to do. Most finance managers are required to publicly release their holdings at the end of each quarter. By tracking portfolio changes and holdings in correlation with locations of investments, you effectively establish a makeshift research department composed of the best minds in the market. You should always do additional investigation of your own, but good research of what investors are already succeeding with is a good meeting of the minds, so to speak.

Just as an example, let’s look at Third Point LLC, the distressed and activist fund managed by Daniel Loeb. It is reported to have earned 16% or so annually without the use of much leverage, if any, just since its beginning in 1996. In his recent letter to shareholders, Loeb said he was less pessimistic about where the economy would be at the end of the quarter. The firm is letting go of what Loeb referred to as “doomsday positions” such as gold, the investments that will not stand as firm as they have once the economy moves forward. As we have established before, there is a relatively negative correlation between gold and Wall Street, simply because when Wall Street is doing poorly, gold has become the industry hiding place. When Wall Street bounces back, people bail from gold and ride the stock market back up, reducing the price of gold once again. (This explains why places like Cash4Gold are advertising the best ever prices of gold. Every active investor has bought some recently.) He said the fund is also finding long positions that offer what he called attractive opportunities.

Third Point established a new position in the home health and hospice company Amedisys in the quarter. As baby boomers age, this is going to be high-growth industry for years to come. Earnings and stock trades are up. Third Point also opened a position in Life Partners Holdings, a life insurance settlement business. Basically, it buys life insurance contracts at a discount from policyholders who are in need of funds. Life Partners then resells these contracts to retail and institutional investors. The company acts as an agent and receives a fee for its services. Earnings and stock trades are up for this company too, because death is truly recession-proof. It does appear that Third Point is leaning toward an aging population. In the last quarter it bought Wyeth, Schering-Plough and Pfizer with Pfizer coincidentally as one of the top investments right now.

Of course, you don’t have to make a trip to the coffee shop to buy your morning pick me up. This may seem so obvious, but you can save a ton of money every month by skipping the coffee to go. You can easily, and cheaply, make your own lattes and cappuccinos at home.

There are so many recipe sites on the internet with “copycat” recipes that can help you replicate those sweet tastes you crave from Starbucks or any other chain.

As a busy mom, I have become an expert in making my own coffee at home. I’m not just talking about straight drip-coffee either. I have been able to snag a free Senseo machine as well as free coffee for the machine. It makes fairly good coffee, but I like to have some flavor to my coffee when I drink it in the morning or throughout the day.

At the grocery store, you can find creamers that come in flavors such as caramel, french vanilla, and hazelnut now. If you go down the coffee aisle, you can even find syrups that have the same flavors. These are great to make lattes with. While the latte you make at home may not have the foam, it will have the flavor. Not to mention, at home you can ice it with as much or as little as you want.

You can even make your own frozen, blended coffees at home. It may take a bit more time and effort than jumping in the car and running to the coffee house for your craving, they can be just as tasty and far cheaper.

When it comes to coffee, I really think that $3 or more for a cup is too much. I really like knowing that I only spend about $.10 on a cup of coffee (give or take $.05 depending on whether or not I add syrup).

Now it is easy to make a custom mug online.

If you search around the internet or just visit the websites of your favorite restaurants, you’ll find a whole lot of places are ready and willing to give you free stuff on your birthday.

Giving away free stuff for your birthday has become such a popular idea in the last couple of years that you can even get into Disney World for free if it’s your birthday.

So here’s a huge list of places that will give you something for it just being your birthday, all you have to do is sign up for their email list or some kind of club offer.

Abbot’s Frozen Custard – Join the Abbott’s Frozen Custard Fun Club to a get a free frozen custard on your birthday. The site says there will also be freebies throughout the year for their members.

Alfy’s Pizza – Get a free mini pizza on your birthday.

Applebee’s – Free dessert and song on your birthday.

Austin Grill – Register for their eClub and get a free meal on your birthday.

Bakers Square – Get a free peice of pie on your birthday at Bakers Square.

Bandido’s – Get $10 off your favorite entree when you celebrate your birthday at Bandido’s in Ohio and Indiana.

Baskin Robbins – Baskin Robbins will send you a coupon for a free 2.5 oz scoop of ice cream on your birthday plus other special promotions when you join the Baskin Robbins Birthday Club.

BD’s Mongolian BBQ – Receive a free stifry on your birthday when you join Club Mongo.

Ben & Jerry’s – Get a free ice cream treat on your birthday when you become a ChunkSpelunker with Ben & Jerry’s.

Bennigan’s – Get a buy 1 entree, get 1 entrée free and a free brownie ice cream dessert coupon on your birthday.

Black Angus Steakhouse – Get a free steak dinner on your birthday when you join the BA Prime Club. You also get a complimentary dessert for signing up for the club.

Blimpie – Get a coupon for a free 6” sub on your birthday at Blimpie’s.

Blue Bell – Members of the Blue Bell Country Club will receive a gift certificate for a free half gallon of Blue Bell Ice Cream during the month of their birthday.

Bob’s Big Boy – Get a free hot fudge ice cream on your birthday.

Bob Evans – Sign up your child for their birthday club and they’ll get a free kids’ meal on their birthday at Bob Evans.

The Body Shop – The Body Shop will give you a free birthday gift up to a $10 value during the month of your birthday. **No longer valid**

Boston Market – Kids 12 and under will receive a birthday coupon good for a free kid’s meal, drink, and dessert at Boston Market.

Buffalo Wild Wings – Get a free dozen hot wings on your birthday at Buffalo Wild Wings. **No longer valid**

Burger King – Sign up your child to be a member of Club BK so they can get a free kid’s meal on their birthday.

California Pizza Kitchen – Sign up your child (10 and under) for CPKids and they will receive a free CPKids meal during the month of their birthday.

Captain D’s – Kids get a free kids meal and birthday greeting on their birthday at Captain D’s.

Caribou Coffee – Create an account and be sure to update it with your birthday. They will send you a coupon for a free coffee drink on your birthday.

Carrows – Join the Carrows E-Club to get a free dessert on your birthday as well as one for joining.

Cattlemen’s – Join the Cattlemen’s E-Club and get a free dessert when you come in on your birthday.

Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse – Get a free gift on your birthday as a member of the Charlie Brown’s Handshake Club as well as gift vouchers and special members-only events.

Chevys – Join Chevys Compadres Club and get a free dessert on your birthday.

Claim Jumper Restaurant – Join the CJ E-Club and get a free dessert on your birthday.

Cold Stone Creamery – Cold Stone Creamery will send you an email with a coupon for a free ice cream creation to enjoy on your birthday. All ages are welcome!

Country Buffet – Join the eClub and get a free birthday coupon in the mail.

Crazy Buffet – Bring a friend and your ID into Crazy Buffet on your birthday and get a free dinner buffet.

Dairy Queen – Join the Dairy Queen Blizzard Fan Club and get a free ice cream cone on your birthday as well as a coupon for a blizzard when you join.

Dave & Buster’s – Get a free $5 game card credit on your birthday.

Denny’s – Fill in and mail out this form to enroll your child (10 and under) in the Denny’s Kids’ Birthday Club where they will receive a birthday card entitling them to a free kid’s entrée and sundae.

Desparados Mexican Restaraunt – Come in and get a free meal at Desparados on your birthday.

Discovery Cruise Line – You get a free one-day cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas. You do have to make the trip with another fare-paying adult and will have to shell out the $20 for the Bahama departure and harbor fee.

Disneyland – Get free admission on your birthday when you register in advance. You will need to bring the confirmation along with your ID to the park.

Dockside Restaurants – Get a free meal on your birthday.

Duke’s ChowderHouse – Get a coupon for a free lunch or dinner entree on your birthday when you sign up on Duke’s website.

Famous Daves BBQ – Free food coupon via email on your birthday when you join the Famous Dave’s P.I.G. Club (could be free cake, an appetizer, or some ribs!).

Firehouse Subs – Jon the Firehouse Subs Birthday Club and enjoy a free sub on your birthday.

Friendly’s – Sign up for Friendly’s E-News and get free ice cream for your birthday. This is now for kids and adults!

Fuddruckers – Join the Fudds Club and gett a free burger on your birthday.

Garozzo’s Ristorante – Bring in your driver’s license to get a free spedini meal at this Kansas City eatery.

Hana Japan – Get a free birthday lunch or dinner when you bring in 4 or more people on your birthday.

Hard Rock Cafe – Come in and get a free dessert on your birthday.

Hollywood Video – Get a free rental at Hollywood Video on your birthday with card membership. In fact, anyone on your account can get a free rental on their birthday.

Hometown Buffet – Join the eClub and get a free birthday coupon in the mail.

Houlihan’s – Visit Houlihan’s on your birthday and get free cake and ice cream.

IHOP – Come on into IHOP and get a free meal on your birthday.
Joe’s Crab Shack – Go to Joe’s Crab Shack on your birthday and get a free piece of cake.

Lone Star Steakhouse – Sign up for the Lone Star Steakhouse e-club and you’ll receive a coupon for a free entree (up to $15 value) to help you celebrate your birthday.

Luby’s – Free kid’s birthday meal (ages 9 and younger) on their birthday as a member of the Luby’s birthday club.

Macaroni Grill – Come on into Macaroni Grill on your birthday and get a free dessert plus a song.

Marie Callender’s – Join Marie Callender’s E-Club and get a coupon for $5 off your meal and piece of pie when you visit during the month of your birthday.

McDonald’s – Free Happy Meal for your child on their birthday. This offer is only good in certain locations, so you may want to check with your McDonald’s first.

Memphis Barbecue – Receive a coupon good for a free rack of ribs and a dessert when you join the free eClub.

Moe’s Southwest Grill – Get a coupon for a free Moe’s entree on your birthday when you choose to “stay in the moe.”

Noodles & Company – Join the Noodleville Noodlegram to get a coupon for a free dish on your birthday.

Olan Mills Portrait Studios – Get a free Olan Mills portrait package that includes (1) 8X10, (2) 5X7 and (8) wallets when you join the birthday club.

Old Country Buffet – Join the eClub and get a free birthday coupon in the mail.

Old Spaghetti Warehouse – Join the Warehouse Club and get a coupon for a free meal on your birthday.

On the Border – Get a free appetizer on your birthday when you join On the Border’s Club Cantina. When you initially join you will get an instant coupon for a free bowl of queso or empanadas.

Outback – Get a free dessert and a song when you go to Outback on your birthday.

P.F. Changs – Come in and get a free dessert on your birthday.

Pancho’s – Join Pancho’s Birthday Club to get $10 off the bill for adults or $5 off the bill for kids.

Perkins – Receive an email for a free kid’s meal and birthday greeting on their birthday when you sign them up for the Bakery Buddies Kid’s Birthday Club.

Provino’s – Come on into Provino’s on your birthday and show your ID to get a free pasta speciality dinner (which includes salad, garlic rolls and a birthday dessert!).

Red Lobster – Join the Overboard Club and they will email you a surprise for your birthday.

Red Robin – Join the Red Robin eClub and get a coupon for a free burger on your birthday. This is for all ages!

Rock Bottom – Join the Mug Club and get a free appetizer on your birthday.

Round Table – Get a free personal pizza when you visit on your birthday.

Ru Sans – Visit Ru Sans to sign up for their birthday card to get free food on your birthday.

Sephora – Sign up as a Beauty Insider and get a free gift from Sephora on your birthday.

Shoney’s – Get your child (10 and under) a free kid’s meal on their birthday when you sign them up for the the Kids Club.

Sonic – Members of the Wacky Pack Kid’s Birthday Club will receive a coupon for a free Wacky Pack during the week of their birthday.

Taco Bell – Get a free combo meal of your choice on your birthday at Taco Bell. (May not be available in all areas.)

Taco Time – Taco Time send kids ages 12 or younger a coupon for a free kid’s meal on their next birthday.

Texas Roadhouse – Become a Texas Roadie and come into Texas Roadhouse to get a free dessert on your birthday.

TGI Friday’s – Receive a coupon for a free appetizer to use on your birthday when you sign up for Friday’s E-Club. You also get a coupon for a free appetizer just for signing up!

Tony Roma’s – Get a free dinner on your birthday from Tony Roma’s.

Toys ‘R’ Us – Children ages 2 – 10 will receive a birthday card and surprise gift from Geoffrey when you sign them up for Geoffrey’s Birthday Club.

The Transformation Studio – The Transformation Studio (TX) will give you a free makeover or express facial for your birthday! Be sure to mention the birthday special when you book your makeover or express facial and bring in your ID.

Walt Disney World – Free admission on your birthday when you register in advance and bring the confirmation along with an ID.

Zio’s Italian – Come in and get a free dessert on your birthday at Zio’s.

Source

Have you seen the Wal-Mart ads on television that say how much you can save if you buy something at Wal-Mart versus going out to get it like saving so much by making breakfast at home versus going out to buy it? There is truth to that, but you have to remember that many of us don’t end up needing to go out for breakfast and in most multi-child households, cereal is the norm.

We all have to decipher between needs and wants in order to save money at the grocery store. Deciding to buy a box of cereal or going out every morning to buy breakfast is easy to decipher between.

Then there are times when we have to try really hard to decipher between the two. The easiest way to separate the two is to make a list to take to the store. This way you can see what you need and you can sit back and look at the list and get rid of anything that you might not need or that you can tell you simply want.

Sometimes we turn wants into needs at the grocery store and we can’t fall into that budget busting habit. If you go without a grocery list and say you want cookies, then you’ll need milk to go with them (This isn’t the best example, but you can understand what I mean). When you end up turning wants into needs, you will always leave the store paying more than you ever intended.

The only person who can tell you what is a need and what is a want is ultimately up to you. You can’t expect anyone else to tell you what you need, as we all have different needs with the exception of basics like water, food and shelter.

None of this means that you have to give up the things you want to save money, just cut back.

Even though the recession has hit all our wallets, most would agree that shopping is something that is on a list of enjoyable activities. Shopping for great buys definitely hits somewhere near the top of the list.

I believe that most people will look for bargains whenever and wherever they can. If I learned anything through working in a retail environment today it’s that people love to save money. They love it so much that they’ll get mean if something comes in between them and their ability to save a few dollars.

This is where the newest craze (maybe it isn’t so new?) of designer replicas and replacements have come to play. Once a designer has spent all their design dollars on something that becomes trendy, there will always be some kind of knock off that pops up with the same exact design. This is why you see so many purses out there with huge G’s on them (they’re trying to mimic the Coach ‘C’).

Premium jeans haven’t missed this craze. There was once a huge market for jeans that cost $200 a pair. Seven for all Mankind, Citizen, True Religion all were very expensive jeans. You have to remember that jeans were originally meant to be something that people would wear to rugged jobs, and now they’re on the cutting edge of fashion.

These premium lines is partially why stores like Plato’s Closet have become so popular. After all, those stores sell premium jeans at bargain basement prices.

However, brands like Ann Taylor Loft and the Gap are starting to come up with new types of jeans to combat some of the prices. For under $60 a pair, you can get what these brands are promising to be “premium” fit. By premium fit, they mean they lift your tush and make your legs look long.

The Gap is bragging about the new styles of jeans that it has calling them Premium denim and saying how great the fit is, but I’m not sure that I buy it considering that the Gap owns Old Navy and I have never tried on or purchased a pair of Old Navy jeans that looked amazing on me. Perhaps there are plenty of people out there who have, but I am not one of them.

I’ve found a better fit with Nine West and Calvin Klein jeans from Sam’s Club…seriously. And they only cost $15.

Not only in the United States is the cost of education increasing, but all over the world it is going on as well. In the United Kingdom, the amount of money that students have to borrow to go to college is increasing every year. It has increased so much that the average student debt was 3,100 pounds in 1994 and it skyrocketed to 14,700 pounds in 2004.

A study that was conducted in 2007 by Push.co.uk said that a student that finished college in 2008 would have an average debt of 21,500 pounds. Then female graduates are having a harder time paying off their debts there as well; it takes an average of 11 years to pay off for males but 16 years for females.

People everywhere are questioning whether or not it is worth the cost to go to college anymore. In the study in the United Kingdom, as many as 82% of the people who were questioned for the 2007/2008 year think that an education is worth the cost, however the figure was once 86%; showing that people are losing faith in higher education at a very slow rate.

Another issue that many students are facing as they are going into college is the issue that many families aren’t able to afford the higher education. I can speak from experience with this; my parents never saved any money for me to go to college. I had to pay for the whole thing. I worked and took out loans to help pay for school. Sometimes when students are faced with these decisions, they choose one or the other.

The debt that a student faces gets even worse when it comes time to pay back the loans that they took out throughout their time in college and they can’t find a job. This is a particularly current issue because of the high unemployment rate. In the United States the unemployment rate for those between the ages of 18 and 24 is higher than any other age group and it continues to grow with the overall unemployment rate. When someone is not able to find any work, especially work that will pay off the mountain of debt that a student accumulates, then it does become quite a daunting task to be able to pay the student loan bill every month.

If anyone were to ask me if I would or would not go through college all over again, I think I would. I enjoyed some of the time I spent there, and someday I know that going will eventually pay off. Right now, like many graduates, I am just a bit discouraged by the level of unemployment and my lack of job prospects at all. Perhaps something along the lines of graduate school is in my future somewhere. I’m not sure about that right now, especially with the mountain of debt I actually graduated with.

My freshman year in college in 2004, when I went to the bookstore, my books totaled just over $640 for 15 credit hours plus two labs. This is not including calculators, paper, pencils, etc. Without a credit card to put it all on from my parents or wherever some other students get their money from, I had to get creative with how I spent my money.

I started looking around the internet for ways to get the books cheaper; and while it may sound like a cheapskate thing to do, I wrote down the ISBN’s of all the books I needed and searched for them on CampusBooks.com.

Over the past few years in college here are the main things I learned from the book/supply buying experience:

1. Never EVER pay retail. This means don’t go to the college bookstore and just buy whatever they have. At least try to price compare on the internet. If you’re strapped for time, you may have to buy the book from the bookstore, but usually you can either wait or find a friend in the class to share with for awhile.

2. Don’t buy your books before class starts. This is not applicable to Math classes or Labs (you will ALWAYS need those books). The thing is I noticed that a lot of teachers would require books for their classes but never use them, or end up doing lectures with PowerPoint presentations that covered everything that would be on the test. After the first year, I couldn’t figure out why I was paying $100 for a book that I never used, so I stopped buying them before the semester started.

3. Ok, so you’ve ordered your book too late, now what? Ask your professor for copies of the problems. I came across this problem when I ordered an economics book from an international seller (by the way I really recommend international books because they’re much cheaper and you can sell them back on the internet for what you paid for them) and I didn’t get the book for the first week of a summer school class. I asked the professor if he could copy the problems out of the book for me because of the situation and he did. It seems like professors are really willing to help when they can, all you have to do is ask.

4. IChapters.com can be your best friend if you have a class that uses a book and you only need a few chapters from it.

5. At the end of the semester, sell your book back on the internet.

6.  Save more money through lower tuition costs by attending Albertus Magnus College.

These days it seems like everyone has gotten rid of their “home” phone service to pick up cell phone service. Well, not everyone is able to have a cell phone as their main source of telephone service because of the lack of service in their house.

So, how do people save money on their home telephone bills?

If you have a high speed internet connection, you can save money through a VoIP service like Vonage or Packet8. Both services stand alone from your computer and hook directly up to your router. For a monthly fee (usually around $30 a month) you can get unlimited long distance to the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. On Vonage, you’re able to call land lines in Italy, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Ireland also.

So, perhaps you’ve seen some of those ads on TV for the Magic Jack and are thinking that it could replace your home telephone service, well, as much as I love saving money (and it is only $20 a year), the service is sub-par in my opinion and will not be able to replace a home telephone service. Often when I talk to a family member who has a Magic Jack, their phone cuts out and since it is directly connected to a computer rather than the router, if someone is surfing the internet or downloading something, then the signal is weak or breaks up all the time. It has gotten so bad that I try not to call my family that uses the Magic Jack just because it is so difficult to understand what they’re saying when we’re on the phone.

As far as cell phone bills go, there are corporate discounts that the phone companies won’t tell you about unless you ask. AT&T wireless, Sprint, and Verizon all offer corporate discounts. All you have to do is a little digging on the internet to see if you qualify through your employer for a discount. There is a website for AT&T wireless Premier to see if you are eligible for a discount. If you do a little digging around, I’m sure you can find some e-mail addresses to get the discounts, but I won’t list them on this website. Sprint has a program where you can get discounts for knowing someone in the company, they offer some of their most popular plans for a discounted price, they also offer a corporate discount program. Verizon has a similar program to AT&T’s and HowardForums has a WIKI article with the companies that give discounts that can be found here.

No matter which carrier that you’re looking at, check around the internet to see if you can find a discount! Sometimes you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

If you’ve ever read on the internet about my next tip, then you know that there are some out there who take it to the extreme. I want to make my tips for the everyday person.

So here’s tip number two:

Coupon clipping isn’t scary and it can be your best friend.

Alright, so this topic is kind of obvious, but I think that everyone should be reminded about this money saving tool whenever they can. I know that sometimes I can get waist deep in coupon clipping tips on the internet and just want to not use coupons at all, but then I wouldn’t be saving any money at any stores!

Using coupons does not have to be limited to the grocery store. When times get tough, a lot of restaurants and entertainment facilities start putting out and accepting coupons.

My very favorite place to get coupons is not the internet. I actually love the Sunday edition of the newspaper. Now, don’t get me wrong, before I shell out the $2 or so for the paper, I always check to see if there are coupons and if the coupons are worth the price of the paper. I typically come out not only recovering the cost of the paper, but actually saving up to $50 in groceries and other items.
My second favorite place to find coupons is online. Websites like CouponMom.com, Coupons.com, and CoolSavings.com. There are plenty of coupons available on these sites and they are updated frequently.

Here’s the thing about coupon clipping that you have to understand:

You won’t save ANY money if you start clipping and using coupons on items you don’t want or don’t need.

With that being said, just remember to always make sure that you’re clipping coupons for items you actually already use or could be substituted for an item you already use.

So now you have a stack of coupons, it looks pretty intimidating doesn’t it? Well, it doesn’t have to be. The best way to make sure those coupons get used instead of just becoming a stack of expired coupons is to organize them into the layout of the store you plan on using them. For example, I “could” use my coupons at Wal-mart, but there my favorite grocery store offers “double” coupons on some days. So, when I organize my coupons I lay them out according to where that item would be in the store and the path I would take to get to them.

I also have a small “coupon-organizer” that I can separate the coupons by aisle or type.

Coupon clipping may seem like a very small thing, but if you manage your time in the grocery store, organize your coupons, and (again) only clip the coupons for items that you will use, then coupon clipping can be one of the biggest parts of the frugal life. And you don’t have to have a doctorate to do it either…

Do you remember when shopping on the internet was scary and mostly a really sketchy thing to do? I do. But now, shopping for just about anything on the internet has become not only acceptable and safe but (for the most part) much less expensive than shopping for things in stores.

I’ll give a good example for clothing purchases. I recently stopped into a store, that I typically shop at on the internet, but was with a friend of mine at a mall, and saw a pair of blue jeans that I had to have. Well, instead of buying them on site, I went to the retailer’s website on my cell phone, only to find out the jeans were discounted on the website and were only 2/3 of the price the store wanted. I was amazed.

This kind of thing happens all the time. You don’t have to be at a store in the mall to notice price difference between a retailer and its website. For example, if you want an item from Wal-Mart that isn’t food or things like toothpaste, they are typically cheaper on the Walmart.com website and the store offers free site-to-store shipping. One thing that kind of irritates me though is that the store will not accept the internet price in store.

There is also a lot more selection when it comes to shopping on the internet. Sometimes Bryce and I shop at Old Navy for our clothes because they are stylish and inexpensive, not to mention our kids like the clothes too. The problem is when we go to the store, it usually looks like it has been hit by a train. Everything is scattered all over the place, and the clearance section is particularly bad. But because Old Navy’s sizes are usually the same no matter what style you’re getting, we can shop for the clothes on the internet now. We usually save a bit of money there too because we’re actually able to find clothes that fit and we like in the clearance section.

When we’re shopping online, we don’t have to make the journey all the way across town to get to the store either, so we can save that money and save it, or spend it on something that we need like groceries.

These days, you can buy anything on the internet (and usually for cheaper too). While I wouldn’t buy it right now, Amazon sells groceries on its website. If you look, it is kind of like Costco.

Where I live, health food stores are hard to come by, but I do know a little about their goods. So, when I came across this article called “10 Things Health Food Stores Won’t Tell You” on SmartMoney, I just had to talk a little about it.

1. Organic doesn’t mean healthy all the time. A survey recently found that consumers believe that organic foods have more nutrients in them than other non-organic foods do. This is very debatable. While organic doesn’t mean more nutritious it does mean it is a FDA monitored word that means that no synthetic or harmful (like pesticides) substances were used in growing produce and that no antibiotics or growth hormones were used in raising livestock.

2. Label standards are guaranteed to be the same today as they were yesterday. Once there were regulations on what was to be considered and labeled organic, lobbyists started hitting up senators for weakening of the regulations. It has worked on a few occasions, such as when two Alaskan senators sponsored an amendment to a wartime bill that would open the door for seafood caught in the wild to be labeled organic.

3. Our store sells overpriced prepacked goodness. Heath food doesn’t have to eat up your entire grocery budget for the month in a week. You can do things like shop at farmer’s markets or join a co-op to get healthy organic (and locally grown) produce. I find it absolutely ridiculous to pay 3 times more at the grocery store for organic beef versus regular beef.

4. There is no regulation on dietary supplements. The dosing instructions as well as the daily amounts on the bottles of dietary supplements (sometimes called vitamins if the store can get away with it) is not regulated by the FDA. Claims that the companies make on the bottles don’t have to be entirely accurate and things can end up being banned in the future. What you may be taking right now as a supplement, may, in the future, be a banned toxin (see: ephedrine).

5. Just because it’s from a health food store doesn’t mean you won’t gain weight. Recently, in my small town, a Smoothie King store has popped up in a strip mall. Everyday in class, I would see a quarter to a third of my classmates with the cups ranging from the “small” 20 oz size to the behemoth that they call a “large.” Smoothie King drinks are good, but they are FULL of sugar, and where there’s sugar, there’s calories. Many of the smoothies offered are meant to be meal replacements, but many times I would see people having a Subways sandwich with the smoothies. Now, I don’t know what they had in the cups, but I’m sure they weren’t looking at the nutrition facts when they were ordering (I always have to because too much sugar makes me really sick).

Charge cards let holders use them to make purchases, then at the end of the statement period, they are required to pay the balance, which is typically done on a monthly basis. There is no revolving credit (a balance can’t be carried from month to month and must be paid in full), there is also no pre-set limit.

With a charge card, you get all the security and convenience of a credit card, but without the risk of going into debt and without having to pay finance charges.

Charge cards also give some features that give consumers a bit of financial discipline when they are new to credit.

While late payments incur fees and charges, since there is no revolving credit, with a charge card, you don’t have to worry about APRs or finance charges. Business owners are also given extra rewards such as American Express’s “extended payment option” for equipment purchases or travel expenses. With this “reward”, finance charges are applied to balances associated with these transactions. They can also defer payment for 2 months.

So, why bother with a charge card? Being required to pay balances is a great incentive to keep spending in check while enjoying the convenience of plastic. But consider all features and your planned purposes before signing up for a new card.

Charge Card Summary

Essential features:

* No finance charges
* Balances must be paid monthly or every statement cycle
* No funds are automatically taken from bank account*

Typical features:

* No pre-defined spending limit
* Late charges billed for late payments*

Possible features

* No annual fee*
* Discounts on certain products or services*
* Specialized insurance (such as travel insurance)*

*These features may also be found in a credit card.

Source

Everywhere you look you’ll see prices falling on some of the things that you’ll need in the next few months, I’m talking about school supplies of course.

Now is the time to start stocking up on paper and pencils. It is never wasteful to stock up on those 10 cent spiral notebooks or, if you’re lucky, 25 cent packages of paper. When I have done school shopping in the past, I have also always kept my eye out for those ever-elusive 3 prong notebooks. It seems like teachers always ask for those, but the stores are always sold out.

Right now, school supplies are cheap. The reason you should go stock up now is because, in December when you’re children come up to you and say that they’re out of pencils or paper, you will have to go to the store and will realize that the prices for those items are easily double what you paid for them in August. So get out there while there is plenty of supply and you’ll end up having plenty to last your kids throughout the school year.

The best part is that school supplies don’t expire, so if you buy too much, you can just use it next year.

Also, now is the time to be stocking up on summer apparel for next year. You can get swimsuits for usually half the price that you would have had to pay for them just a month ago. Short and tank tops are on sale also as all the stores are trying to make space for fall and winter clothes. I have always thought that they get rid of the summer stock too soon because it stays warm where I live until well into September and sometimes into October. If I buy clearance summer clothes in August, then I can continue to wear them into the rest of the warm season.

Stores that are trying to get rid of summer items are also trying to get rid of things like patio furniture. This is the best time to buy it because you can not only get it on clearance, but you can also get use out of it this year. I’m sure that many of us won’t be sitting on our patios in December, but there are plenty of nice cool Autumn nights when we all would like to have a nice patio set where we can sit outside and have dinner. I like my patio furniture so I can sit with my husband and watch the kids play in the yard.

Speaking of watching the kids play, now is the time to buy outdoor toys. Things like pools and jungle gyms are now on sale, so if you’ve had your eye on one it would be a good time to go and purchase it!

Your resume is the main way to market yourself to potential employers and now that jobs are scarce for some of us, it is important to play on your best skills, accomplishments, and why you would be an asset to the company.

Of course, there are a few ways to downplay some of your own pitfalls without lying on your resume.Yahoo’s The Savvy Networker had a list of tips on how to boost your resume, and I just thought it would be fun to revisit; especially because I know how hard it can be to get your foot in the door at any job.

First, eliminate resume gaps by taking out the month from your dates of employment. There are times in most people’s lives where they have been unemployed for some time or there were a couple of months where you were “between jobs” and gaps in employment make employers wary. However if you put 2004-2009 instead of May 2004 – March 2009 then the gap between March and now is gone.

Then, you should be able to describe your previous jobs. When you put on your resume where you worked and what you did, perhaps it would be good to tell your potential employer exactly what the company did or does. The reason for this is that not all companies can be a huge brand name that everyone recognizes.

For Example:

Global Supply Company
Inventory Manager 2006-present

Global Supply is the Midwest’s largest distributor of heating and cooling equipment to contractors. As Inventory Manager I was responsible for managing $1M in equipment and coordinating deliveries and outbound shipments among our 45 suppliers and 400+ contractor clients.

Also, don’t use corporate lingo in your resume. When you say something like “cross-functional collaborator” you are simply asking for your resume to be passed over. Yes, that may have been your actual job, but if you say something that you actually accomplished such as your ability to distribute your company’s product to resellers, then your resume will look a bit more practical than others that put some kind of lingo on their resumes.

Finally, make your resume sound human. Robots can spit out phrases and overused cliches like “attention to detail.” However, you can actually add something that sounds a bit more human. How much better does it sound to say that you are able to tackle office chaos and calm down your coworkers? Hmm…

Of course, these are all just boosters. Your real accomplishments are whats going to sell a potential employer on your resume.

Your life is currently a jumbled mess. You can no longer figure out what time you need to feed your cat because of your busy lifestyle. So, you decide to go pick yourself up a netbook and a smartphone thinking that life will get less complicated. Well, my friend, I believe that life may just get a bit more complex with that many electronic devices hanging around…unless you can utilize them properly.

Speaking from experience, I currently own a full size laptop, a netbook, and a Palm Pre and I use them all but it has taken me just about a year to figure out how to utilize them all to get the most out of owning each electronic.

I’ll start with the smallest: The Smartphone. In my honest opinion, everyone could use a smartphone. I think they’re great for doing just about anything you could possibly need. With a data plan, anytime you need to find anything the internet it is only a few clicks away. I basically use my phone to schedule my days and surf the internet…oh and make phone calls. I just decided that if you’re going to carry a small device to make calls and text during office meetings, then why shouldn’t it also surf the internet and have a good scheduler?

Secondly, I think having a laptop (or other personal computer) is important…vital even. In our “connected” society, having a full sized computer is imperative in most cases. There are so many things that you can do with a full sized computer that the smartphone can’t do, like (until recently) copy and paste. Multitasking on a personal computer is a breeze. Also, at least I find it to be true, it is so much faster and easier to type and find things on the internet with the computer. If I have my phone in my pocket, but am only a room away from my computer, I am going to get up and go search with my computer.

So, that’s when I get to the netbook. For months, my netbook laid lifelessly to the right of my laptop, plugged in and just sitting there. I’m sure that you’ve noticed by now that my life revolves around staying constantly connected. So, how did I finally begin utilizing the netbook with my phone and laptop always around? When my laptop started acting up badly (I can’t unplug it without it immediately losing power), I started traveling with my netbook. Now, I carry it everywhere. Even when I’m sitting at my desk with my laptop open, I typically leave my netbook on and on a site like Facebook with another instant messaging program open. This makes it easier for anyone who needs to get in touch with me to get in touch with me.

I think it’s all a balancing act between the three if you own them and you have to figure out if they are necessary for you.

When you contact your insurance company to file a claim there are a few things that you shouldn’t say if you want to make sure that your policy will cover the incident. Now, do not fraud the insurance company, just make sure what you’re telling them is the truth.

1. Never start a sentence with “I think” or any other term that indicates that you’re not sure as to why something happened. If you don’t know say “I don’t know.” Giving information that can be proven wrong later can really hurt your claim and can damage your credibility.

Particularly beware of speculating on blame or causation. For example, if you suggest that a water leak is due to a construction defect, you could give the insurer an out if that’s a policy exclusion.

2. Don’t use the “whiplash” excuse unless your doctor actually says you have it. This is one of the most fraudulent claims every year that insurance companies have to deal with. In some cases, according to Amy Danise from Insure.com, mentioning whiplash in your claim is likely to get it flagged for further investigation.

3. Don’t admit to a doctor’s test as being experimental when it isn’t. There is a difference between an actual experimental drug/procedure and one that is proven (and accepted by the FDA for use) but your doctor wants to try it out in your case. You may want to make sure that your doctor can prove that it will be covered by insurance before getting it done and fighting with the insurance company later.

4. The word “flood” triggers some kind of nervous, shaking, fear in insurers; so don’t use it. When it comes to homeowner’s insurance, floods aren’t covered. A flood is weather related too, not if your pipe bursts and you find yourself with a basement full of water.

5. Don’t act like the only thing you care about is the money. When an insurance company sees that you care more about getting a check rather than fixing your damaged property, they will likely put your claim on hold while they go and check further into it.

When it comes to insurance, it’s all about what the insurance company thinks. If they feel that you’re trying to make a fraudulent claim, for any reason, they can simply put the brakes on your claim altogether. It is rather frustrating to pick and choose your words when you talk to the insurance company, but it is important. Too many people, every single year, decide that having insurance is a good way to try to make a bit of money, when in reality that is not what insurance is for.

I can’t tell anyone what to do with their money, but if an insurance company sends a check out, then fix whatever is broken.

If you are in the market for a new car and are in the United States, there are still a few incentives for you that you may want to consider before you plop down $30,000 on your new car.

Obviously the biggest government incentive this year was the Cash for Clunkers program, but just because you missed out on that, that doesn’t mean that the government doesn’t want to help in other ways (as long as you buy your car by December 31st anyway).

When you go to a car dealership, you an typically negotiate a deal. Other than that, you can get a sales tax deduction right now. When the federal stimulus bill was passed at the beginning of the year, any person who purchased a car after February 17th and before January 1, 2010 is able to get a sales tax deduction on their car.

The downside is that the deduction is limited to the first $49,500 of the car’s price and the deduction phases out for those who earn over $125,000 per year or married people filing jointly $250,000. Once the person earns $135,000 alone or $260,000 for joint filings, the deduction is eliminated.

Sure, you aren’t going to be getting a huge deduction from this, but something is better than nothing. Because the deduction is only on sales tax, if someone lives in a state that does not have sales tax, the deductions can be applied to fees that the state or local governments impose.

You can also get a tax credit if you purchase a hybrid. Popular cars like the Prius aren’t eligible for the credit anymore, but 2009 models that are eligible include some cars from Chrysler, Dodge, Saturn and Mazda. The credits range between $1,550 and $2,200.

For the 2010 models, the tax credits are a bit more limited. They’re available to mostly SUV hybrids.

First there was regular American beer. It was filling and had a bunch of calories to go along with it; around 150. It also had about 5% alcohol content per bottle. Then came along its fewer calorie cousin the light beer; it had about 100 calories and 4% alcohol content per bottle.

Now there is a new fad that is taking over the country’s breweries. Ultra light beer that has between 55 and 64 calories and has less than 3% alcohol content per bottle.

The commercials were the first things that drew my attention to the ultra light beers. MGD 64 is a beer sold my Miller Brewing Co. It only has 64 calories and 2.8% alcohol. The ads feature someone being able to order a “regular” size beer with 64 calories and his or her friend ordering 64 calories of their favorite beverage and coming up quite short.

The trend has continued because now Anheuser Busch is going to start marketing its newest ultra light beer, Budweiser Select 55, in more markets starting this month.

Of course, all of these beers are targeted toward the people who do not want to be drinking their calorie s or lose their figure to a beer belly and there is a huge market for this here. However, this beer is unlikely to appeal to anyone outside that group.

In an MSNBC article, when people tasted it, they said that it was watered down and one guy went as far as to say that it was like drinking beer flavored water. This is not, in any way, my opinion of how a beer should taste. Then again, the same interviewee said that he didn’t care about the alcohol content because he was “not a college kid trying to get wasted.”

When it comes to the beer brewing process, because there are less of the ingredients such as malted barley during the fermentation process, the end result is a more watery brew with a lesser amount of alcohol in each bottle.

You would think that we would learn something from our bubbles bursting every time we see some kind of “new” money making thing that catches on. However, this isn’t the case. As a matter of fact, as a capitalistic nation, we tend to try to make money the greediest and fastest ways imaginable. In the case of the recent housing bubble, there were a lot of shady business practices that were happening to lead up to the burst.

So what are some of the things that economists are looking to in order to try to figure out what the next bubble will be?

Number one on the list might just be gun sales. While some Americans are anticipating anti-gun legislation to be passed down from Congress, they are in the stores buying the guns and ammunition up. There have been many places across the country that have simply run out of ammunition and factories can’t keep up with demand. Many guns have already started to ascend in value and the trend is expected to continue.

I find that the gun sales thing has no merit simply because it’s scared consumers driving up the prices themselves. This is all thanks to what these people are seeing as severe gun control and they are creating false demand for the products. Most of the fears will not subside unless they have another gun-loving Republican in office.

Another item that may soon be finding itself in a bubble is incandescent light bulbs in Europe. The European Union has banned the old, traditional light bulbs and wants everyone to switch over to the CFLs or other energy efficient types of lights. The ban has caused many of the consumers in those nations to begin hoarding the light bulbs in anticipation of the ban. Companies that produce these light bulbs have seen a huge increase in demand, and in September, when the law goes into effect, the bubble will burst and these companies will have to start churning out the energy efficient bulbs instead.

Thanks to a drying up of endowments, higher education may be another one of those bubbles to watch and its happening now. Some colleges rely heavily on endowments and many schools aren’t getting the money that they were even a year ago. This has caused over dependence on the endowments and colleges are really feeling the pinch now.

Maybe sometime far in the future alternative energy will become a bubble and it too will burst. For this to happen there has to be an update of the energy grid on a national level and there also has to be a new way of getting credits for tapping into green energy sources.

When you are going to sell your house, there are a few things that you need to do. First is, do you want to sell the house yourself or go with an agent?

If you go with an agent, when you pick someone you need to make sure that they are familiar with your area (and your neighborhood if possible). There are also some questions that he or she needs to be asked before you sign on the dotted line.

You need to know how the agent is going to advertise your house. Most real estate agents will list your house on the MLS and their own website, but you need to know if they are going to list in newspapers and through other means. Anyway that an agent will advertise will help your house get the most exposure.

When you do this, also make sure that they are putting pictures up. The more pictures the better. Think about it, if you want to move somewhere far away and you go to a website to look at houses, you will be more inclined to look at the houses with the most amount of pictures.

You should also make sure that the agent is showing you houses in your neighborhood that are accurate comparisons to your own home for the price. If you don’t have a number that you are willing to stick with as far as price is concerned, then seeing the comparable homes in your neighborhood will give you a much better idea as to what you’re going to get.

When it comes to money, you should also see what the agent’s commission is. Most agent’s commissions are not set in stone and if you have a buyer who is not represented by an agent, then the selling agent should cut his or her commissions accordingly.

Your agent should also know a lot about the area. In most cases, “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure” isn’t a good enough answer. For example, if someone comes in to buy your home and asks what school district that your house is in “I don’t know” won’t be acceptable. You need to make sure that the agent knows this information or has a way to get it quickly (via smart-phone or some other hand-held).

Remember, you are hiring them to do a job; just like if you were hiring someone to work for you in any establishment. You should check their references and make sure they are available when you need them. Past performance is key here also.

When checking references, try to get the numbers of the last few people who listed with the agent, not necessarily sold with him or her.

Also when you “interview” him or her, make sure that you know how they have done in the past. If they sold a lot of realty last year, ask how much they didn’t sell.

As many of you already know, Comcast has gone through with a deal to purchase NBC Universal. As part of the deal, Comcast will own NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, Bravo, The Weather Channel, USA Network, E!, and a host of other cable channels. It would also own NBC owned stations in New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas, Chicago, and Miami.

The merger doesn’t stop at TV either. It also extends to the movies where NBC has owned Universal Pictures and Focus Pictures.

You also can’t forget the internet entities that it owns such as Hulu.

With all that entertainment real estate you can expect Comcast to begin raising rates for everyone. Not only that, but for everyone who really enjoyed Hulu service for free, it will likely be something that will disappear completely in the future, not the service but the *free* part.

Another thing that will likely happen as Comcast will own so many channels, when the company sells the content to the cable stations, it will likely bundle certain “in demand” channels with other channels that aren’t so “in demand” and will charge much higher prices. The only thing that anyone can do is basically deal with it. It happened in the 1990′s when rules regarding media ownership were relaxed and the big media groups (such as NBC/Universal) began buying up all these stations. When one company (and as large as this one is, it is sure to happen) begins raising rates, then all the others follow.

Comcast already has an unfortunate reputation as a company that isn’t consumer friendly and overcharges for content. Not only that, but all their service sectors have extremely poor reviews all across the internet.

Hopefully things won’t get too bad after the merger is complete. However, that is an extremely optimistic view due to the way Comcast already runs its business.

When Facebook was founded in 2004, it was meant to be a way for college students to connect with the friends that they had left who had gone to other colleges, however it has become an insane social tool that everyone (including my parents) have subscribed to.

Facebook may be looking into becoming an operating system for communications as far as personal computers are concerned. This means that Facebook wants to become as much as a part of your life as Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, or other companies that have become household names.

Last week Facebook let its users see a version of its search software that allows members to search news links as well as other topics that users have updated in real time. This feature is not just limited to friends, but to the network of over 250 million users. I can’t forget to mention that the social networking site has acquired FriendFeed. FriendFeed is similar to the rival social site Twitter. It allows users to bring together all their favorite content from other websites or blogs as well as services to one place so all their other friends can see it.

Once upon a time, Facebook was started as a group of Harvard students sitting in a room together who had a great idea. It was meant for people who were in college and had college email addresses to sign up. Now the site is open to anyone over the age of 13. This, of course, has brought in some heat from previous users who didn’t want to be friends with their younger siblings, but it has since grown to them not wanting to be friends with their parents, or worse yet…grandparents.

Facebook has also seen its fair share of criticism with the implementation of the news feed, which was seen by many as a “stalker feed” type of thing where anyone who you were friends with (or sometimes not) could see what you were doing on Facebook. However, over time, this made Facebook an application that many people sought out the site for, and it eventually made the site much more relevant.

Facebook has had plenty of opposition from other social networking sites. MySpace was supposed to be the greatest social networking site on the internet, but is now seen (by many) as a dirty place that many people don’t go anymore. Twitter serves a single purpose, and not much more than that.

I think that Facebook is already a social networking superpower and over time it will be seen if the company can keep it up or let it slip away from them.