Official Move

Well, I'm pretty much all set up at the new blog. I'm hoping everyone will update their links and check me out over there. Archives will still be here until I figure out how to move them. So, I guess this is my last post here at blogger. -sniff sniff-

http://www.debtservant.com


Thanks for reading!

two wonderful updates

First of all...

I've just purchased a new domain http://debtservant.com/ so I'll be moving the blog over there! huzzah! blogger has been cool and all, but i hate the templates - yeah, im picky.

SECOND!!!
I've been using Cash Duck like a fiend these past 2 days because Kira has a little contest running right now. Just so you know it's working...

SPENT: 32.54
EARNED: 63.00
AWAITING: 68.00

Uhh just so we're clear - I've basically made 100$ pure profit y'all. IM SERIOUSLY NOT JIVING YINZ...
(yes I said yinz, I was emphasizing a point)

Last but not least...

My traffic has gone way down and I know that is because I haven't been posting regularly. I'm going to do my damndest to get back on top of things here once the transition to the new server is done.

Peace,
Jess

CASH DUCK - FREE $$...it's like employer matching..but BETTER

So, ok - most of you 2 people who read my blog know who Kira is. Well Kira started this sweet ass website to make money from! I'm trying to write this so it sounds as legitimate and non-cheesy as possible, but honestly...I know it sounds too good to be true.

Basically Cash Duck is a refferal ad - clicky program thing. Kira lists offers (i.e. FREE TRIAL FOR NETFLIX!!!!! score) and you signup for the free trial and you earn $$$$ for it. Sometimes, the trials aren't free. Sometimes you pay a couple of bucks. Sometimes, you need to cancel in a certain number of days...Regardless, it's like free money. I kind of consider it like a really quick turn around stock market deal.
You invest a little (be it time or a few bucks) then you make a profit!! then you 'sell' (or cancel). Pretty sweet right?

Here's the way I work it. I look for the offers that have the highest payouts (my highest was 35$) which I paid 10$ to sign up for. Now, obviously you will need to keep track of/cancel subscriptions that you don't want, but that's not much work at all.

So now, I have a little refferal button over on my side bar. HOOK A SISTA UP!!!

7th Edition of Festival of Under 30 Finances! (let's hope I don't screw it up)

Ah, once again - I am HARDLY doing this carnival justice, so forgive me. My question for this edition was:
What method have you found works best when changing jobs and negociating a higher salary and/or benefits? What are the deal makers or breakers for you?

The responses I received were pretty helpful. Unfortunately everyone couldn't answer, but thanks to those who did!

HC: Well, my method for getting a better job was to go to grad school, but that obviously doesn't work for everyone. I will say that I had several competing offers come in at the same time, and was therefore able to get a salary boost from my ultimate employer. So my advice would be not to settle too much on one dream job, because several offers give one room to negotiate. As far as deal makers and breakers, I do want a relatively flexible leave policy. It's so important to be able to take time to care for one's family. Obviously salary and the usual benefits matter a lot, but if it comes down to a place that will allow me to take extra leave and one that won't, I'll go with the one that will.

Kira: Well, being awesome has always been my basic strategy for securing higher pay. Be better than everyone else - and be worth the higher salary. It won't strain your relationship with a future boss to say, "I'd like to ask for $X+5k, can you accommodate that?" Just gotta be a little bit brave...

Susan: After far too much exposure to awful resumes, I think that what many young people need to work on first is ensuring that their resume is good--it's really the first step. You can have the best interviewing and negotiating skills around, but the resume's still what gets you in the door.

Laura: A good strategy that I have heard but not yet used myself is to ask that your salary requirement be met after 6 months if the company is not willing to meet it initially. Your employer feels secure that they don't have to pay up if you're doing a bad job and you get the salary you want after a short wait.

Now for the GOODS!

Wenchypoo presents Maintenance Makes Up for Low Price posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket.

HC presents One Big Mortar Board: Well, that's one way to avoid student loans posted at One Big Mortar Board.

Kira presents Penny Foolish: The one issue I don't have with Robert Kiyosaki posted at Penny Foolish.

Spender presents Change can be more than you think posted at Spending Less.

Susan presents The Grown-Up Resume posted at Am I Grown Up Yet?

David presents Budgeting In Your Twenties posted at Money Under 30.

Katie presents A finance website can’t say that! posted at Aridni.

David presents My 25 ways to save money-the small things add up! posted at The Good Human.

Bill presents Your Own Business posted at Ask Uncle Bill.

Bryan C. Fleming presents Counting Cold Hard Cash posted at Bryan C. Fleming .com.

Jeff Plumb presents The Buck Stops Here » Online Savings Accounts posted at The Buck Stops Here.

Jeremie Beaudry presents How Short Term Goals Make Long Term Results posted at eFIPO Finance and Politics for the Younger Generation.

Tyler presents How to Choose Dividend Growth Stocks posted at Skinny Investor.

Laura presents I got a raise! posted at Then Things.

HeJustLaughs presents Why reinsurance companies like MRH are the place to be posted at HJL Money Blog.

Penny Nickel presents Share a car-- save the earth and your wallet! posted at Money and Values.

Word from (Ninja Pigeon) the sponsors:

Please check out The Under 30 Honor Roll, which was founded by our very own Kira of Penny Foolish. If you're only hearing about this for the first time, we'd appreciate you stopping by and maybe even checking out the forums, which are sadly lacking in posts since the site was moved to its permanent home. Here is a
little more background information on the Honor Roll.

I Love To Spend Money

Honestly, as of recent, I don't. Now, understand that I am one of those who appreciates the finer things in life. I mean, come on, we can't take it with us right? When you work 40 hours a week, or 50, or 60, sometimes you need to treat yourself. I am of the opinion that spending a little more to get a little more is worth it. I also believe that you gotta spend money to make money, but that's another unrelated topic...

For me, spending 100$ on dinner with friends would probably make me uncomfortable. 75$ would be easier to swallow. 50$, I wouldn't blink twice. Going out and spending time with family, friends, loved ones, and having a GOOD meal is priceless. Do I do it every week? Noooo...but I might if I had the money.

I love food. I spare no expense for food. But lately, I've been having a really hard time spending money on it. It really is kind of exciting. I don't know if it's because I've been especially broke the last couple of weeks, or if I'm getting more serious about my budget, but I really DON'T want to spend spend spend like usual.

Hoarding money, tracking spending, and streching dollars have become some of my top daily priorities. Certainly I'm still eating out, but I have a budget for that now (oops - I'm almost maxed out for the month). And I THINK about what I'm spending. I've stood and stared at the vending machine thinking...do I really want to spend 80 cents?!

All of these new changes and challenges I welcome. I'm still tracking every penny and trying to make better decisions about my cash flow. I have to get my DMP paid off and some of these personal loans done. Baby needs a new ride!

Back In The Game

Well, I am finally beginning step 2 of the PLAN!

I began tracking my spending again yesterday, just so I can be sure that my new budget stays on track.
Here is my estimate for October:

cable	50
phone	125
ccs	275
B loan	250
A loan	100
rent	475
electric	50
save	50
A loan	200
total	1575

Those should all pretty much be on point. The 'b loan' and 'a loan' are both people that I OWE. One is the ex and one is the current partner! AWESOME.

Right now, I owe the current partner A quite a bit of money ($4000) as I have made a lot of necessary purchases with A's credit.

The ex B, is owed for a purchase made when we were together. I've split the cost with her, so it ends up with me paying around $1100.

Here are extra expenses (and bills included)I have budgeted for:

bus fare		60
eating out		80
bills		1575
parking		45
entertainment		100
savings		50
school		100
gas		40
household/groceries		150
total		2200

My bi-weekly checks from work equal up to $2100. I still have some additional cutting and saving to do.
Fortunately I do a fair amount of freelance ( accepting work now!) so thats always good for a couple hundred extra each money.

In other news, I QUIT SMOKING!!!!!

Out From Under The Rock

I'm back for a minute to let you know I'm not dead! I'm sorry I let nearly a month pass without an update. I did manage to complete my tracker for the month of August and promise to get all of the totals and new budget plan together for the next post. I've been a little pre-occupied with FINISHING SCHOOL!!!! yesssss...

now, back to the grind