Spring Cleaning

So since I have been home I have been toiling away at cleaning my room. My whole life I have been a pack rat keeping the most useless things for no reason other then not wanting to throw them away. I went through all my stuff and ended up with 6 big green garbage bags full and 3 more full of old clothes that I just donated to the salvation army. It has been an adventure to say the least.
So what does this have to do with anything? I guess I could relate it to student life (I am a student and this is something going on in my life) but I think finance is a better thing to relate it to. You see as I cleaned away I found some old used things that I no longer have any use for like: old snowboard bindings, old computer stuff and an old digital camera. I have been thinking and there is definitely some way that I can make money off these things. The bindings I can probably ebay for 20 bucks (they cost 350 new 5 years ago) and the computer and camera stuff I can sell for maybe another 20.
Point is, if you are really short on cash clean your room. You never know what crap you might find that you might be able to pawn on the internet for a few bucks. Now I don't know if I will actually sell any of my crap, but if it works out I will inform you. I still have to post it all, which will be a time consuming process because I want a quality post. I am going to be truthful in the information i post about what I am selling because my goal is not to scam anyone but to make some money legitimately. Well that's it for today, I will post links to my ebay items when I get around to making the ebay posts, until then keep on truckin dear reader, keep on truckin.

Traffic

I'm not talking about the kind of traffic that you get run over by, or the kind you get stuck in for 6 hours, no I'm talking about internet traffic. I have been keeping at this bad boy for about 2 weeks give or take a few days, and my traffic is still zero. I maybe get 3 views a day from people who are not friends or family, and that's a big maybe. See those little gadgety things in the bottom right side of the page those are supposed to help bring traffic to my site, they do not work.
I have done everything I can think of to drive traffic to my site, but nothing seems to work that well. I have told people to come here, I have used those gadget things and nothing, hell I even tried quality posting and that didn't work. I ask you non-existent reader, help me acquire traffic. Digg my blog, thumbs up it in stumbleupon tell random people on msn to check it out, I ask you if you like this blog please help me because I am out of ideas. On the other hand it's not like I'm gonna stop posting if I don't get traffic it just feels like I am talking to a void, an abyss (and its not talking back). Also if you want to, please comment on posts, it makes me happy to see comments even negitive ones.
Now a bit of info, as you can probably tell I am going through an idea dry spell. I do not know what to post about. This is because of my lack of camera hardware and how my inability to take pictures of stuff is making my blog look bare, and also because my brain has entered summer mode. Maybe throught the assistance of certain materials I will do a random post...
Now due to lack of thinking I give you random youtube video yay:

Gardening

Right, so this is pretty off topic for me, but I can make it on topic. So I am starting a vegetable garden (pictures of said garden soon) and my seeds are now huge sprouts. I think this is going to become a new hobby of mine, gardening that is. It is actually pretty fun and easy, all you do is put some seeds in dirt and they grow. It's kinda like playing god on my own micro scale. Once I get a camera I will have pictures of said garden( the picture is not my garden but will do until I get a camera), but until then reasons for growing your own food.


1.) As a student access to healthy food is often limited because for some reason healthy food costs more then junk. So by paying 30 bucks for pots, seeds, soil and a seedling tray you can grow your own healthy food and never run out. If you manage to grow inside and harvest seeds you won't have to pay again.

2.) It's organic(if you want), you can choose how your food is grown. You can decide if you want to use pesticides, if you want to use fertilizer or whatever. You are in control of your food from seed to harvest.

3.) It's a bit of exercise. If you plant outdoors in the spring you have to till the soil, dig a plot, plant, put up fencing to keep critters out. A bunch of activity, now it won't replace going to the gym but it gets you off the couch and doing something enjoyable.

Well that's my rant on why veggie gardening is good for students. I guess it is still irrelevant but I have been on a dry spell for post ideas lately. For those who care/read I am still broke (cashing my change just allowed me to pay my credit cards). However I am no longer starving as I am home feeding off my parents and their well stocked fridge. So now I guess its summer posting time. I have applied at like a million jobs and am now waiting for calls (if i don't get a call in 3 days its follow up time). So that's it, to my non-existent reader base I bid you all good day.

Saving Change

Well I am home now, and after some craziness with unpacking and other welcome home activities I am now settled in. Today I broke open my piggy bank that I have been putting change in for the last year. I sat and counted all my quarters and other loose change for about an hour. At the end of that I had over a hundred dollars all rolled up in little change rolls from the bank. This brought a vision about a new blog post, how to save change.
This sounds like a simple enough endeavor for someone to do, but I am surprised that not that many people do it. All it takes is some self control and a jar and you too can save hundreds of dollars in change.
First thing to do is find a suitable vessel for your change (mine is a old washed out pickle jar) and cut a slot in the lid so you can slide change in.\
Now all you have to do is put change in it and do not take that change out until you are ready to count and deposit it. Every time you come home with change jingling around put it in that jar, do not spend from that jar just deposit. This is where the self control comes in because eventually you will notice all the loonies and toonies in the jar and want to reach in and grab some spending change, don't do this. If you can wait the pay off will be a lot more in the end.
That's basically it, just put change in a jar and do not take it out. Don't spend with change either just bills. Now this is of course not a way to actually make money, but it is a good way to force yourself to save money. I have been doing it for the past 3 years and every cash out has been more then a hundred dollars so it works. Well that's my advice for the day, now back to job hunting.

Lack of posting

Sorry to anyone who has been wondering why there has been a lack of new material lately. I finished my finals on Wednesday and have been busy doing things you do after finishing finals. I probably won't have a new quality post until Monday as I pack up my stuff and move out and unpack my stuff and get resettled. I just want to say that this has been one of the best times of my life. I met some amazing people that I will never forget, they know who they are. Well my loyal and mostly non-existent reader base, this is it until Monday.

Quick Rant

Okay I have a quick and not so unique rant. I don't know for sure but I think 'quick rant' might be an oxymoron. Anyway, this is about something that every somewhat tech savvy person has ranted about at one time or another, DRM. All I can say is that I hate it, I came to this conclusion a a long while ago, but it was made even more clear last night as I fiddled around with my roomies iphone. DRM ruins software and it ruins hardware and in my opinion it is what will eventually bring apple down.
See once all the apple people get over how pretty their hardware looks and how "omg macs kill pc's anyday" (which is a moot argument there are so many differences its basically apples and oranges), they will see what DRM is doing to it. Once all these mac heads with their iphones and i-(insert word here)'s realize that their hardware is the perfect platform for crippling DRM software sales will start to drop. The reason this gets me upset is that were it not for the fact that every mac product is crippled from the beginning they would have some of the best tech out there. It's a shame really, to see a company forced under by software meant to protect its income.
About DRM in general though, it is the most ineffective waste of money thing that a company can do to try and save money. When it comes to pc's, where users have more control, DRM is useless. I think that the hardware and software manufacturers out there need to take a step back and re-evaluate their positions. DRM does not save money and it makes legitimate users suffer. To combat the "losses" that piracy brings companies should try to make quality products that garner consumer gratitude and loyalty. This in my opinion would make people actually want to pay for stuff, of course some still won't, but its better then the current strategy where every customer is treated like a thief.
Well that's my rant, not so short I guess and most likely non-sensicle, but I think that's another characteristic of a rant, aren't they supposed to not make sense?

Re-evaluation

Now I know that this is probably not the norm, to get partially established in something the review and change it. But that is what i am going to do. I am going to alter my main topic from finance to three things. I looked at the name of my blog and that gave me my three topics.
Broke: the first word in the URL this will be finance related stuff (from student perspective).
Starving: this will be food related stuff, such as recipes and pictures of food I want to eat, stuff like that.
Student: these will be posts about student life, interesting things, and random stuff that I think and decide to post, basically misc. posts.
So that's my plan, I am not taking this in a whole new direction, rather I am broadening my topics, should be fun.

Saving in 09

Well since I claim to be a blog about finance I decided to include a video about saving money. Now I know this is not one hundred percent aimed at students, but it could be helpful none the less. Also I hear videos are all the rage on the internet these days so why not include one. I think that this video also acts as a good companion to my post on how to save money. well if you have a slow connection like me and aren't able to watch youtube as it loads the video should be loaded now and ready for watching, enjoy. Also if you like my blog become a follower, if you don't like it tell me why in the comments.

Finding Work

I hear that pictures are worth a thousand words. I would love to add them to this blog o mine, but I cannot think of anything relevant. Like what is the point of a picture if the thousand words it adds are completely irrelevant? or gibberish? However in an attempt to make this blog more then blocks of text I give you pictures.

Ohhhh ahhhhh Pretty colors. Now to something productive (also I am not insulting anyone its my own opinion that my blog looks bland and needs more color... something to work on).

Okay so re-stating my goal. This blog started (almost 3 days ago) as a way to make a quick and easy buck, because I have 7$ and a pack of Kraft dinner to my name and that's it. But it has evolved and changed over these few days, to a way to avoid studying. Also I have become oddly attached to it in a way that I no longer care if I make money. I'll find a job I guess, worst case I sell stuff on e bay (anyone want some empty boxes, I'll start the bidding at 5 bucks). So now I need to take a step back and refocus. On that note I present the point of my post:
How To Get A Job Advice from an unemployed student.
1.) Kiss Major Ass If you get an interview make it look like you would fight a full grown grizzly bear if it would help the company.

2.) Sell Yourself I guess this should be step one, basically view the application process as if your selling something, and that something is you. View all potential employers as potential buyers of You Inc.

3.) Lie Keep it within reason (don't say that you were employed by the CIA and that's why you have no references) but if they ask something like "what do you do in your spare time" don't say "Ummmm usually I get wasted". Even if that's the truth don't tell them that. You get the idea.

4.) Apply Everywhere Now is not the time to be picky about where you work. Apply at McDonald's, apply at grocery stores apply for lame positions. I don't care if you think you can do better then stocking shelves at Walmart, apply there. Worst case is you get a shitty job and keep looking for better jobs while you make coin at the shitty one.

5.) Follow Up Don't just drop off a resume and fill out an application. Go back (or call) a few days later and ask if they have had time to look at your resume. Ask if you can get an interview to have an opportunity to show them how you will be an asset to their company. Tell them you can start tomorrow. Don't over do it though, you do not want to bother them so much that you turn off an employer that otherwise would have hired you. Judge it, and play each case differently.

Well that's it. Now you might be thinking "if you know so much how come your still unemployed?". My answer to that is, I don't claim to know anything, this is just what I think would work. Hell I haven't done these things myself so that should tell you something, I just think that doing some of these things would really help someone find a job.

How to save Money

There are a lot of "how to's" out there on this broad broad Internet. Of those how to's a million or so of them are about how to save money (probably more) and then there are a gazillion about how to make money and blah blah blah. Basically money seems to be a big thing that people are interested in. People love money, and I guess that's unavoidable in a capitalist world where we are raised to love money. Money is a fetish of ours that much is true. I love money and a quick guess would be that you love money too. If I could get communism to work that would be sweet don't get me wrong, but it won't because we love money too much. Any way to the list, my top 5 tips on how to save money. Or advice on saving from a person that is horrible with money:
1.) Don't Spend Money. This should be obvious, but it is often the most overlooked aspect of saving money. People spend too much on useless crap, I could write a whole post about this but to keep it short, if you want to save money don't spend money.

2.) Don't Drink At Bars. In University this is a lot easier said then done. But I made it easy for you I didn't say don't drink, I said don't drink at bars. Get slammed off cheap beer at home before you go out and safe loads of coin. Also try to split a cab, and limit going out to maybe twice a week instead of 5 times a week.

3.) Avoid Technology. For most people this is a biggie. Avoid the super smart phones (do you really need a blackberry, your a student nothing you do in your life is so pressing as to necessitate a blackberry). Buy a cheap phone on a cheap plan (like koodo or one of those other discount carriers). Don't buy the latest i-pod (120 gb, who has that much music? and who needs that much music on the go?). Just basically keep technology to the bare essentials, plus in 5 years when you actually have money everything will be way better anyway. (This point is pretty hypocritical of me because I am a huge technophile).

4.) Avoid Useless Stuff. This one it pretty broad. What I class as useless you might not, but I think there are some universals. Like eating at restaurants, look unless your on a date is there really a reason to eat out? If you eat out because you want good food then take the time to learn to cook so you can make good food for yourself. I can't think of any other reason to eat out so save money and eat in. Don't buy expensive alcohol, it is useless, save the expensive stuff for when your older. Energy drinks are also useless, if you really need excessive amounts of caffeine then buy some caffeine pills from your local pharmacy. I could go on but I'm sure you can think of other useless purchases.

5.) If You Can Make It Don't Buy It. Look I don't care if the one you buy from the store looks better, your trying to save money, your a poor student in university, you shouldn't be so concerned with appearances. If you know how to make something (anything) then make it. This goes for everything from removable hard drives to food to clothes (not that many people can make their own clothes). What I am saying is join the DIY (do it yourself) movement, and actually save money and feel good knowing that you can create useful things.

Well that concludes my list, obvious, done a million times on a million different sites but now it had been done on mine. I am not expecting this to change your life but maybe it will save you few bucks today before it slips your mind tomorrow. Remember, living off of Kraft Dinner and hoping everyday that no unexpected expenses pop up sucks.

Longboarding

Okay so in typical university fashion this is my primary mode of transport. I guess this post kind of doesn't mesh with my other posts but its my blog stop telling me what to do. No seriously though I love long boarding it has become my passion since I bought my deck a year ago. Its the most relaxing thing I can think of. There is nothing like flying down a hill gently carving back and forth on a nice sunny day. It take my mind off everything and is an almost meditative experience. I snowboard in the winter and long board in the summer, both are fun, but after a long winter long boarding has become my new hobby. By the end of the summer I will be bored of it and go back to craving some powder, but until then I am going to carve up some pavement, dodge some cars and swerve between pedestrians.

Cash flows

Okay so since this is still a brand spanking new blog I have zero traffic. What that translates into is that I am talking to myself. That's cool I do that a lot already anyway.
So the thing that has been keeping me up at night (well last night at least) is what direction will this blog take. I don't know yet and I suppose I will never know, I guess it will be just random rants about what is on my mind at any given time. That's fine with me, question is, is that fine with you non-existent reader?
So today I had my third exam (3 down 2 to go). A nice 2 hour 115 question multiple choice adventure through what I have learned (or not learned) in second semester. I think I failed. I take this as a good sign though because historically the exams that I think I do bad on usually end up being my highest marks. So I am not worried, that and I have good marks in the course and even if I did fail I will still pass the course. Well that's my day, in case you actually care. Now off to enjoy the amazing weather.

Give me money...please

I need money, so after a total of 15 minutes research, and 30 seconds of brainstorming I decided to go the least profitable route possible: create a blog. It is the end of my school year and 8 months of unemployment, heavy drinking and drug use, along with working hard at gaining the freshmen 15 I have encountered a problem. The problem is that I am now broke. It was a long road to my position of 7$ to may name and complete unemployment. Every time I thought that my bank statement would read 0$ I would be saved by some unexpected money. Be it christmas money, birthday money or the 50 bucks I made from someone who paid me to level their paladin in WoW I managed to stay afloat. But now as the year draws to an exam filled close, my bank account is empty and my meal card is spent. I need food first and foremost, then some money would be nice. I have been living off of Kraft dinner that I stashed before my own personal economic recession hit, but that is rapidly drying up. I can't ask my parents for money because frankly I have used too much of their cash already. No I'm stuck where I am, and I'm stuck here for my last 7 days of school.
Thing is my position is not all that bad, there are billions of people worse off then me. I should not be begging for money on the internet (note donate link) but here I am. It would not be all that bad were it not for exams. I have a lot of trouble studying when my stomach is yelling at me the whole time. So I need to eat so I can study and actually pass this year. I have 3 more exams to write before I'm done and I need to eat something more substantial then KD. You are probably yelling at me to get a job right now. My response to that is that I would if I could. I have applied at over 30 different places and so far nothing, not even an interview. It's not like I don't have a strong resume (it has gotten me hired in the past) no I blame it on the market. Like everyone else in the world right now I put all my problems on the *ahem* "economic crisis". So the long and short of it is that this is my first post on my first blog and I think it makes a suitable introduction. I do not know what I am going to do now, apparently making money off a blog is hard, involves a lot of luck (which I'm short on) and basic spelling skills (which I'm also short on), so I guess now I play the waiting (and writing) game. Your move internets.