Tag Archives: networking

Saturday Sneak-Peak: PFfirewall.com

Welcome to this weeks edition of Saturday Sneak-Peak! Every week I explore a personal finance blog and give a brief review of the site. My major intent of the adventure is to expose everyone to new and/or obscure blogs. Up this week is PF Firewall.

Firstly, I want to congratulate Jesse. He and his wife added a new bundle of joy this past week! If you don’t click on any of the links, at least leave a comment and congratulate him on this great blessing (they had a girl). 🙂

Jesse has been blogging since February and has been know to have lengthy, well-thought out posts. He averages about 15 posts a month so those of you who do not like to be bombarded with posts, he is your guy!

Here are some of my favorite posts from him:

Selling Oil Changes Door-to-Door?

Shopping Out of Season

The Real Reason for Lehman Brothers’ Downfall

Now off to the questions!

YMR: Why did you want to start a personal finance blog and what blogs did you read before you started?

Jesse: I started my blog for several reasons. I am actually really new to the blog scene, I hadn’t even read any blogs previous to late 08 aside from The Consumerist, which I didn’t realize was a blog.

When reading The Consumerist, I read about a girl that paid off around $14k in debt by following some Consumerist tips. This led me to think about my debt which I was completely ignoring. One of the tips was to call credit card companies and ask for rates to be lowered, and if they didn’t lower the rate, transfer the balance to another credit card. While searching for credit cards with better rates, I happened on MyMoneyBlog.com, which led me to a few other personal finance blogs including GetRichSlowly.com, BudgetsAreSexy.com and BrokeAsASpoke.com and I was hooked on Personal Finance blogs. I started following blog networks and finding more and more blogs about personal finance to read.

So I decided to start a personal finance blog to track my finances. I also thought if my finances were out there in the open, I would be more accountable and wouldn’t be able to ignore my financial incompetencies.

A second reason, I have always felt like teaching is the best way to learn. By researching what I want to write about, I learn so much about finance from those out there that know more about it than I do, then I can share the information with my readers knowing it is accurate.

Yet another reason was that I am a pretty big geek, and having my own website is one of those things that I wanted to do, coded completely from scratch of course. I had started several websites from scratch but none of them really had a purpose so I would code them, put them up and never update them. I felt like this was holding me back from learning more about web development, so I thought if I started a blog that was really easy to update, using a blog engine like WordPress instead of coding from scratch, I could get the content rolling, get motivated, then be able to spend time coding and modding the blog. I am happy to say this is working. I recently released a new custom theme for my blog, I have been doing a ton of design work in photoshop such as logos, banners and icons, and I have even been hired to redesign someone elses blog.

I even started another site coded from scratch with a purpose/idea that I found while writing my blog. This new site hasn’t really gone public yet as I am still designing it but it fills my geeky void 😉

YMR: Which post (on your site) has been your favorite and why?

Jesse: I think my favorite post was The Most Important Part Is Starting: Debt Recovery and the reason is I felt like the post, massive as it was, was really going to help people. The post was spurred by a friend that was having trouble getting started on the road to debt recovery. I realized there may be more people out there like her that have no clue on how to get started repaying debt so I was really happy to be able to help a friend out as well as anyone else that may read the post.

YMR: How would you describe your writing style?

Jesse: Another reason I started my blog that I left for this section is that I wanted to use my blog to start a writing portfolio. I have always loved to write and thought of doing some freelance writing but I have no public writing experience.

So my writing style reflects this desire. I write as if I am writing for a newspaper. Factual, informative and to the point. I try to hold myself to professional standards. I am known to be long winded but I want to make sure I cover all the facts and leave nothing out that may be important. On that same note I try and make the information more understandable as if I am talking to my readers versus writing to them.

YMR: Tell us something about yourself that some may not know.

Jesse: I am much geekier than I let on in my blog. I am a Linux user..I worked on the Geek Squad when I was younger..and even my TV is running on Linux. I even switched keyboard layouts to be more efficient when typing. I use the Dvorak instead of QWERTY layout and now type a few dozen words per minute faster than I used to. It took about a year to fully switch.

I am much geekier than I let on in my blog. I am a Linux user..I worked on the Geek Squad when I was younger..and even my TV is running on Linux. I even switched keyboard layouts to be more efficient when typing. I use the Dvorak instead of QWERTY layout and now type a few dozen words per minute faster than I used to. It took about a year to fully switch.

YMR: Tell me a little bit more about this financial highway adoption you got going on.

Jesse: Well, I started my blog to be more financially responsible yet I spent about a hundred dollars on hosting. I knew it was necessary especially on the commitment and motivation side but I felt bad about it. Even before I started trying to get my finances in order, I had a real hard time spending money on myself for any reason. Even my play sites that I mentioned before were hosted on my home computer, making them unbearably slow. I couldn’t bring myself to ask for donations in the traditional way because I felt like a hypocrite, telling people to save money yet asking them to give me money. So I started thinking of ways I could reduce the cost of my blog without asking for a hand out.

My adoption system does just that. When someone adopts my blog, they pay a small piece of my costs, roughly the cost of hosting per year divided on a weekly basis, and in return get recognition from my readers for doing so. They get a banner in every post of their week and a banner on a dedicated page, forever.

I also want my readers to feel like they are a part of the little community my blog creates. Through the people that have adopted so far I have made some great contacts and friends, and gotten to know some of the bloggers that read my blog much better.

Thanks Jesse! Have a great weekend everyone! I am heading off to PA so limited posting this weekend.

Our Cell Phone Company Is Scamming Us

A couple of months ago, I opened our AT&T wireless bill to see quite a surprise. We unfortunately had gone over our minutes and incurred about $30 in additional fees. How could we have gone over our minutes? We always had minutes left over at the end of the month and we didn’t change our phone habits. Actually, we had over 300 minutes left in rollover minutes that month! What happened?

The Mystery Unknown Callers

Upon further inspection of the bill, I noticed a few items (that used quite a few minutes) that looked like we called ourselves. In other words, if our phone number was 410-555-1212, it showed that we had an incoming call from 410-555-1212. What the hell? How can we call ourselves and talk for that long? Curious, I called AT&T wireless and this is the response that they gave me:

“I’m sorry that you went over your minutes this month sir. Unfortunately, when our system cannot recognize a phone number that calls you, we list it as if you called yourself. Also, those phone calls use up your anytime minutes because we do not know if they are AT&T customers or not.”

So, even if the other caller was an AT&T customer (which I could talk to for FREE), I get screwed because their “system” cannot recognize the number? How can they do that? I know for a fact that some of those phone calls were to my financee who has AT&T (actually, she is on my account). How can they recognize the number one day and not the next? 

I started to get pretty peeved at the whole situation and started pleeding my case. Unfortunately, “there was nothing that they could do for me”. I had no proof that shows I called her at those times. In the end I just gritted my teeth and paid the bill.

Since the infamous bill, we have started using our house phone more for calling people not in our wireless network. So far it has worked wonders and we have a surplus of 900 rollover minutes. 

Anyone have any wireless phone bill stories? 

Carnival of Twenty Something Finances – DC Edition

Welcome to this weeks edition of the Carnival of Twenty Something Finances! Last weekend, the future Mrs and I headed down to Washington, DC to check out the famous cherry blossoms. Although it was VERY crowded, I must admit that it was an amazing time to see them. DC is a great place to see on the cheap. Most museums in the city are free and they have a great transit system. Personally, we parked outside of the city at one of the free metro stations and rode the train all day. It cost us about $5 per person and we did not have to deal with the horrendous traffic and confusing streets.

Sprinkled throughout the carnival this week are some common places to see while visiting DC. Like I mentioned before, most of these sites are free to the public. You can get away with spending very, very little compared to other cities. I advise packing a lunch for you and your family as food can be rather pricey if you purchase it from vendors. Anyway, off to the carnival!

This is a picture that we took in the midst of the trees. The cherry blossoms were at their peak this year from around March 28th through April 12th.

Editor Picks

Debt Kid shows you that getting a mortgage after foreclosure is not so simple.

Debt Ninja at Punch Debt in the Face wants to know what’s your favorite dumb but fun expense? I would have to say that mine was my iPhone. I love it with a passion but I really do not need all of the features and the added expense.

Jerry at Deal Supermarket talks about getting unplugged with frugality. This was a very creative post!

DR at The Dough Roller gives you 10 tips to declutter your finances.

The Washington Monument is the most prominent structure in DC. It was built in 1884 in honor of George Washington. It’s free to get in but make sure you get their early!

The Rest of the Field

KC Lau shows you 5 ways to take charge of your finances.

Fabulously Broke in the City shows you why a small space does not mean you put your life on hold and whine.

Bank Savings Review let’s you know about four banks that gave their TARP funds bank.

Kathryn at Out of Debt Christian has the top ways to waste money on your home.

Shaun from Learn Financial Planning shows you why being frugal is just the first step.

SVB at The Digerati Life helps you choose the best online stock brokers for cheap stock trades.

Personal Finance Analyst wants to know if saving money damages your quality of life.

Patrick at Cash Money Life tells you when you should tell your boss that you are pregnant.

The Smithsonian Institution has a ton of great free museums to see in DC. You can go to the Air and Space Museum, Museum of Natural History, Freer Gallery of Art, etc.

Mr CC at Ask Mr Credit Card let’s you know how American Express submits your credit information to the credit bureaus.

Matt at Fine-Tuned Finances compares new credit card programs for saving for college.

Ginger at Ginger Won’t Snap has some credit card fraud problems.

Peak Personal Finance has 3 smart personal finance tasks that you are probably putting off.

Diego at Bankling shares with us his top 50 economics blogs.

Big Cajun Man at Canadian Personal Finance Blog has some advice for new grads.

Patrick at Money Saving Deals gives us the lowdown on how to get up to $150 from TradeKing.

RJ at Our Financial Planner shows you the miracle of compound interest.

The Lincoln Memorial is another great (free) site to see in the city.

MoneyNing shares with your his review of Everbank.

Jeff Rose at Good Financial Cents let’s you know what to do if there is a layoff pending.

Destroy Debt shows you how to get the last drop out of many popular products.

Pinyo at Moolanomy shows you how to transfer credit card balances.

Raj at DebtGoal is cutting the bill on digital services.

Wren at True Adventures in Money Hacking shows you how to get a free car. Really!

Dan at Everyday Finance gives you the best CD yields in April.

Jim at Bargaineering shows you how to pick the best credit card.

J Money at Budgets are Sexy gives some advice on Roth IRAs vs 401ks.

Visit Arlington National Cemetery and pay your respects to the thousands of fallen soldiers. You can also view the resting place of JFK and see the Eternal Flame.

Patrick at Military Finance Network shows how the stimulus plan assists military members affrected by the mortgage meltdown.

Credit Card Assist wants to know if you have ever looked at your credit card closely.

Apply 4 Credit wants to know if credit card protection plans are really worth the added cost.

Christian Personal Finance is giving away a free subscription of Kiplinger’s personal finance.

Investing School compares Etrade, TradeKing, and Zecco.

Mike at Money TLD lets you know that some expired foods can still be edible.

Eric at Twenties Money has five pieces of advice for twenty somethings.

BillEater shows you how to avoid debt reduction scams.

Kyle at Suburban Dollar gives you his review of CashCrate.

Saturday Sneak-Peak: StretchyDollar.com

Welcome to the first edition of Saturday Sneak-Peak! Every Saturday, I will be exploring a personal finance blog and giving a brief review. My major intent of this new adventure is to expose everyone to new and/or obscure blogs. Up this week is StretchyDollar.com. Jeff has been a frequent commenter on YMR and I greatly appreciate it.

Jeff is a twenty-something blogger who started StretchyDollar as an outlet for his ideas and as a place to interact with other people in similar situations. Although Jeff has only been blogging for three months, there are plenty of great articles over there to check out. Here are a few of my favorites:

10 Financial Commandments for Your 20s

Get (Real) Rewards for Searching the Internet

I also asked Jeff a few questions to help you get to know him. Here they are:

What have you liked most about blogging so far?

I enjoy blogging for two main reasons:

1. Meeting and networking with awesome people who have interests similar to you who can teach you a lot. It’s fun to connect with people and share a part of you with them.
2. To learn through ‘teaching’. I enjoy researching and learning something, and then trying to present it in an interesting and understandable way.

What have you disliked most about blogging so far?

It’s not a dislike, per say, but the hardest thing for me so far has been coming up with a great idea for a post and then seeing it executed better somewhere else. I’ve had a couple ideas that I thought would be cool, and then I see someone else do a great job writing about that topic and I feel like I shouldn’t do it because I wouldn’t do it justice, or they would just think I was copying them. It’s difficult sometimes to come up with ideas that I think people would be interested in actually reading.

What has been your worst financial decision so far and how did you learn from it?

Due to a landlord problem, my wife and I were backed into a corner and due to a lack of time had to rent an apartment we couldn’t really afford. We made it work for a couple of months off of gifts from our reception (it was right after we got married) and extra money that my wife had, but in the end we had to move. It wrecked us financially, and we were on the ropes for a bit, using credit card advances just to get by. It took us months to really fully recover from it, and we missed out on some great financial opportunities because the money wasn’t there. It was really the thing that got me interested in learning about personal finance. The main concept that I learned from that experience was to plan ahead and do my research, and to live well within my means. Just because I think I can afford something doesn’t mean I really can.

Which of your posts did you have the most fun writing?

That’s a tough question – I’ve enjoyed writing each post for different reasons. I’d have to say the most fun was maybe one of the first I posted on StretchyDollar.com – ‘The Value of a Vision.’ It talks about having an overall plan/dream about what you want your finances to be, and then working towards it. Most people really don’t want to be financially strong, because they aren’t willing to put in the hard work and make the sacrifices to make it happen. If you can decide, have a goal, and works towards it, anything is possible.

I want to send out a big thanks to Jeff for letting me interview him. Head over there today and be sure to check out his posts and comment on ones that connect with you.

Do you know of a blog that you would like to see on Saturday Sneak-Peak? Head over to my contact page and submit the name/URL of the blog. You can submit your own blog if you like.

Money Hacks Carnival #51 – The Office Edition

Welcome to the 51st edition of the Money Hacks Carnival! My name is Adam and I am pleased to be your host this week. Please feel free to poke around the site if it is your first time visiting! You can subscribe to the blog using the links on the right or you can follow me on Twitter to stay up-to-date.

NBC’s The Office is my favorite show on TV. I just love watching the office banter and politics. Every week there is a moment that reminds you of something a co-worker did recently. For this carnival, I decided to categorize the topics by some great characters in the show.

Editor’s Picks

Michael Scott is the Regional Manager of the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin. If anyone has the right to pick this week’s best articles, it’s him. He is the glue that holds his team together. Did I really just say that?

Credit Shout tells us to Beware of ATM Scams. Honestly, I really had no idea about some of these. I will be thinking twice about going to the ATM now!

Living Almost Large talks about a family that is in trouble and Their Ship Is Sinking. Looking at this person’s cash flow, it’s hard to believe that they did not see the major problem.

FIRE Finance shares a great story on how Smart Refrigeration Lowers Electricity Bills. Who better to tell you about saving energy on your refrigerator than someone who works with them every day?

PF Credit Cards shows you How to Beat Priceline and Get a Winning Bid. Personally, I have been using Priceline’s Name Your Own Price for over a year now. I will never go back to paying full price again! You really have no say in the brand of your hotel, but you still get to pick the star level. I have yet to be disappointed in the hotel I end up getting.

Career

To me, no one seems more focused on their career than Dwight Schrute. He is constantly reminding everyone about his position with the company and how he is the top salesman. He is also good at sucking up to the boss. Watch the show and learn from Dwight if you are searching for a new job!

Tom at The Strump gives his opinion on How to Translate Employment Ads.

FMF at Free Money Finance lets you know How to Waste Money on a MBA.

Debt and Credit

Kelly is really into fashion and fancy things. Only working at Dunder Mifflin, I can imagine that she has some major credit card debt. Hopefully, some of these articles can help her get on the path to becoming debt free.

Jim at Bargaineering has a Review of MyFICO ScoreWatch. He says it’s perfect for credit score junkies!

Tyler from CreditCards.com talks about how Credit Card Regulation is Brewing for College Campuses Again. Personally, I have never signed up for a credit card at a table at college, sporting event , airport, etc.

Looking for a new rewards credit card? Credit Addict tells us about the Pentagon Federal Visa Rewards Card.

Shaun from Learn Financial Planning gives his 5 Principles for Getting Out of Debt. Some great insights here!

Mr. Banker at Best Interest Rate Banks gives us his review of High Interest Savings Accounts.

Studenomics Breaks Down Student Loans in a non-confrontation manner.

Chris at StumbleForward gives you some tips on Becoming a Blogger to Get Out of Debt.

Housing

Jim just recently bought a house from his parents. I bet he wishes that he could have had some of these great articles to read!

Len Penzo provides us with A Layman’s Guide to Mortgage Application Junk Fees.

Passive Family Income talks about The Recession in America and Home Foreclosures.

Frugality and Saving Money

If anyone on the show is frugal, it’s Pamela. She dresses simple, religiously watched her money while going to college, and was thrifty while planner her first wedding.

Silicon Valley Blogger at The Digerati Life has a Valentine’s Day Tip on Using Ebates to Get Cash Back.

Pete at Bible Money Matters reminds us that Small Decisions Equal Big Results.

J Money at Budgets are Sexy says The Budget is Back, Baby!

Lisa from Greener Pastures presents Economic Collapse-R-Us: 22 Lifestyle Changes of Middle Class America.

The Writer’s Coin presents Am I a Thief or an Entrepreneur? The overwhelming majority of the comments suggest a thief. Head over there and give your input. He has even written a response post to the naysayers.

Matt at Stupid Cents gives us Five Simple Ways to Buy Everything Cheaper and Save Money.

The Shark Investor gives us Strategies for Raising Savings.

Mr. Tough Money Love show us how Arming Ourselves to Save Money on Car Repairs can be a good thing.

Patrick at Money Saving Deals has some Godaddy.com Coupon Codes to share.

David at Personal Finance Analyst gives us The Best Free Budget Worksheets on the Internet.

Dana at Not Made of Money tells us How Her Family Keeps the Breaks on Spending.

The Smarter Wallet shares some delicious Cheap Meals You Can Cook at Home to Save Money.

Debt Kid shows us Why Budgets Don’t Work for Everyone.

Hank at Own The Dollar wants to know Is Three to Six Months of Expenses Enough Money For Your Emergency Fund?

Aryn at Sound Money Matters shows you The Pros and Cons of Homemade Yogurt.

Taxes

When I think of someone who would evade income taxes, I think about Creed. Hopefully some of these articles will help him file his return this year. His first return ever?

Money Tipper lets us know about TurboTax Discounts for Vanguard Customers.

Nickel at Five Cent Nickel gives us Ten Common Income Tax Credits. Head over there to make sure you are getting all the money you deserve.

Thinking of buying a new house? Madison at My Dollar Plan talks about the Possibility of a $15,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit.

Patrick at Military Finance Network answers a question about What You Need to Do If Your Stimulus Check Was Lost of Stolen.

Christian Personal Finance found some places that have Free STATE e-file Online! Living in Maryland, I know that we have free e-file for the state return. It makes it nice and easy!

Insurance

If I had to guess which employee had the greatest amount of insurance, I would say it was Andy. I’d bet he has whole life, term, universal, two health policies and a deferred annuity. He also seems to be the most likely to be a insurance salesman. He just has that way about him!

Mr. GoTo at Go To Retirement gives you an idea about Fixed Annuities and Financial Risk. I think fixed annuities are a great thing to have in retirement. It’s unfortunate that they get such a bad rep from many mainstream media types.

Junior Boomer from The Consumer Boomer talks about Women and Long-term Care Insurance.

Economy

Now honestly, who cares more about the economy than Stanley? Just look at that face!

Kathryn at Out of Debt Christian tells us about The Importance of Shopping Local.

PFR at Personal Finance Reviews tells how the FDIC Plans to Restrict Interest Rates of Troubled Banks.

Curt at Penny Jobs presents The Fiat Money System is Failing.

Money Blue Book Finance wants to know is there a Second Stimulus Check for Obama in 2009?

Investing

Toby is the head of human resources at Dunder Mifflin. If anyone was maxing out their 401(k) there, it would be him.

Sun at The Sun’s Financial Diary alerts you to a Free Stock Analysis Tool.

The Financial Blogger shows you some Options to Secure Your Investment Portfolio.

The Intelligent Speculator wants to know if Super Bowl Ads are Really Worth It?

The Investor at Monevator gives their 10 Reasons to Be Cheerful as an Investor.

Jeff from Good Financial Cents has 7 Things to Know About the 2010 Roth IRA Conversion.

Dividend Tree shows us how Everyday Life Teaches us Dividend Investing.

Other

When I was thinking about what character would be good for the category other, I thought of Ryan. He definitely had some ups and downs with Dunder Mifflin!

MoneyNing presents What Everyone Ought to Know When Applying for Free Stuff.

Patrick at Cash Money Life has some $25 Sign-up Bonuses from Lending Club. You even have 2 chances to win $100!

Mara Rodgers at Secrets for Money gives some great Tips To Teach Kids About Money.

Chris at Financial Reflections lets you know How Identiy Thieves Sell Your Data Online.

Mighty Bargain Hunter gives you Some Great Sources for Free AudioBooks.

Miss M at M is for Money shares with you Deliverance from Debt: Budget Basics.

Mike at Money TLD shares with us 10 Places to Click for Cash. There are quite a few things on this list that I have never heard of. I think I will check some of them out!

10 Things to Do When You Graduate Without a Job

When I graduated in December, I did not have a job. It was one of the worst job markets for me to graduate in. You would think that a master’s degree in financial planning would help, but most firms (ones that I would want to work for) just were not hiring. I guess the losses in the market amounted to losses in their revenue.

Because of not having a job in December, I thought of some ways to help others in my position. These are just some quick tips in order for you to stay in the game. Staying in the game (or hunt) is the best advice I can give you.

Do you find yourself searching for topics such as this every day? By subscribing to this site, you can get FREE updates in your inbox daily. Why not give it a try? You can unsubscribe at any time and it’s FREE. You can subscribe via RSS or you can subscribe via email.

1. Stay Positive

It’s not the end of the world! You need to relax, be positive and focus on the long run. You may not be able to find something right this instant, but if you keep your mind to it and follow some of these tips, something is bound to open up somewhere. Hopefully, it will be the job of your dreams!

2. Get a Part-time Gig

Bills still need to be paid and you cannot just sit at home on the couch. This is especially true if you are supporting someone else. Even if it’s only temporary, you need to get some type of part-time job that keeps you from going insane. If at all possible, find a job in a field that closely relates to the one you graduated in. For example, I am working part-time at H&R Block for the tax season. It’s obviously not the career path I want, but it relates closely.

3. Set Goals and Visualize

This is where you want to firmly state your goals. If your goal is to work at a top 50 ranked hospital, write it down. Visualize yourself working there and you will work even harder at that goal. As for other goals, list them and then start off with the easier ones and work your way down the list until you have reached them all. These goals can deal with your personal life as well as your career.

4. Network, Network, Network

This is a big one. Networking is a major part of finding your dream job. Knowing people who know the right people will help you get ahead in this world. I know that sounds bad and unfair but it’s the truth. I imagine many of you can agree with that. A great way to network is to join an organization in your community. Rotary is a great place to start as many business owners in your community attend these meetings. Not that great of a speaker? Start attending a local Toastmaster’s meeting. There you can work on your public speaking skills as well as meet local entrepreneurs.

5. Go a Knocking

I will be honest with you in saying that I do not trust web-related job searches. There is something about submitting my resume online that makes me feel like I lost control of my destiny. I know many companies have now gone solely to online submissions but they are just the big companies. Most of the small businesses (where most new jobs come from) still look for people the old fashioned way. I recommend you search around for the company that you would best want to work for, even if they are not hiring. Then, you should just pop in the business and introduce yourself. Bring along your resume as well! This will surely make a great impression on the business owner and if you are qualified enough, they may even make a position for you!

6. Be Willing to Make the Move

Chances are you will not find your dream job in Localtown, USA. You need to be able to say that you are willing to go anywhere. If there is a job open in a neighboring state, go for it! I know you want to stay close to family, but believe me, your future is much more important. Your family cannot support you forever.

7. Do Something Involving Your Field of Study

Another great way to stay involved in your field of study is to volunteer. Many of you may not have that option. It depends on your career choice. For example, I doubt I am going to be able to volunteer my time at the local financial planning office. However, if you are in the medical field you can visit the local nursing home or hospital. Not only will you be around the career that you love, you will also be able to NETWORK!

8. Continue Educating Yourself

I know you just probably graduated and you thought you were done with school. WRONG! In these times, you need to be constantly educating yourself. Things change in an instant now and you should always be at the top of your game. I did this when I decided to attend graduate school. Even if you have reached your peak in terms of education, start reading things in your field of expertise. Go to your local library for a list of good books. You can also search for journals that may be of interest to you. There is no better way to read about your career choice than from the individuals that are already doing it. Those are the people who contribute to journals.

9. Find Alternative Ways to Make Money In Your Field

Have you ever had an idea about something in your field that has not been done before? I sure have. This would make a great opportunity to start a small business. If your idea is great, it could turn into something amazing. Even if you do not have financial ability to start a business, if the idea is good enough you can find some financial backers. You may even want to start a blog about it. When I started this blog I had no idea that you could make money doing it. I just wanted to do it to share my knowledge to the world. Of course my blog is to new to make money but I still love doing it. It also keeps me up-to-date with my profession as I am constantly writing and reading about things in financial planning.

10. Be Frugal

Learning to become frugal is very important when one does not have a job. My fiance and I are working very hard at that right now. Without a steady income, some things are just going to have to wait until you get the right career. Now is not the time to be buying a car, renting that big condo, getting the sports package on TV, etc. You need to learn to buckle down and only live on the necessities. You will find that it will help you later on in your life as well. You will be want to be debt free and you will ultimately have a lot of money in the bank!

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2009: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers is a great book if you are searching for a job. It’s good for new job seekers as well as the seasoned ones.