Sunday Blogroll

The New York Times explores the world of the Federal Work-Study Program .

New York Magazine talks with notable New Yorkers about the financial struggle but amazing fun of moving to New York for the first time.

CNN money has compiled a list of the best places to find jobs.

Check out this guide from discovery.com on living green when unemployed.

Thinking about investing? Get help from the MSN Money message boards.

How far would you go to get a job?

This morning at the Rec, I was catching up on the US news and events in between commercial breaks from Keeping Up With The Kardashians (the number one show you're not watching!) , I saw a story on a woman who purchased a billboard advertising that she needed a job. She spent $7000 to post a billboard that tells those interested to go to Hire Pasha to find out more.

This is a big leap of faith - she should at least get an A for effort. What do you think?

What People Earn

Yeah, he's kinda paid.

So although I can't afford the subscription, I love to read the morning paper while having my coffee. I inherit that from my mother. :-) She loves to do it on Sunday mornings, while I prefer Fridays, which are the least stressful days in our weeks, respectively. I like to take Friday morning, a day when I don't have class, sip on a Pike Place Roast from Starbucks (a splurge that I can't do without), and catch up on the news from the week past. I read my hometown paper as well as The NY Times and The Post, and The Huffington Post. Anyway, the reason I tell this story is because out of all the reading I love to do, there is one publication in particular that runs a certain article every year that I run out to grab: The annual Parade What People Earn issue. They always do spotlights on celebrities and regular people, and I love to see what people really make and how they save and spend their money. For example:

A Special Ed Teacher in Texas makes $51, 800 a year;
An Office Manager in Florida makes $52,000 a year;
A Landscape Gardener in California makes $77,000 a year.

Celebrities in particular:

Jennifer Aniston made $27 million last year;
Britney Spears made (only) 2.25 million(!);
and Tiger Woods made $110 million last year - gosh!


The article also reported yearly statistics:


■ The national average weekly income rose 2.5%, from $598 in 2007 to $613 in 2008. Inflation increased just .1% over the same period.

■ The personal savings rate rose from .9% in January 2007 to 5% in January 2009.

■ The average U.S. household had $10,728 in credit-card debt.

■ 56% of workers received health-care benefits through their jobs.

■ 56% of workers participated in an employer-sponsored retirement plan.

So, in reality, I guess some jobs are (or aren't) "worth it" in terms of a dollar value. And, your salary can increase or decrease by where you live. I guarantee you the landscape gardener wouldn't make nearly as much in Alaska; and I thought that with her endorsement deals Kelly Ripa would be earning more.

The article is featured here. Thoughts?

Sunday Blogroll

Being cheap is so in right now. Who knew?

Are you in between jobs right now? Take some time to volunteer - it can boost your self esteem, your resume, and the economy.

Learn how to make this inexpensive, delicious chocolate cake - in the microwave!

Get Beyonce's look for under $100

My new favorite source of sarcastic entertainment

Have a good week!

What's on your life checklist?

You know, what are the things that you really want to do in this lifetime? Go on safari? Start a business? Eat Fugu sushi? According to the site Life After College , this list should be about your true passions, what you would love to do rather than what you are expected to do. In my personal opinion, writing these things out allows you to visualize them more and work towards attaining these goals in your life.

Here's mine:

Go to Paris
Own a house in Georgetown with a pool
Live in DC for at least five years and start my life
See Stevie Wonder, Robin Thicke, Beyonce', and Harry Connick Jr in concert
See Mount Rushmore
Take a professional cooking class
Become a yogi and then get good enough to do one hour of yoga with Russell Simmons



What about you?

Sunday Blogroll

Applying for jobs? Here are 6 tips to get your resume noticed.

Get Hilary Duff's California style for under $100.

Apparently you can now get rewards from stores for recycling

Here's a pleasant food change - find out the 10 foods you should always splurge on .

Find out the 10 best ways to get free stuff .

Life After College Option 5: Pull An Erin

So, I've given you guys some pretty good ideas to mull around as graduation is (literally!) around the corner! But now, yours truly is here to give you the rundown on what I have been doing and what I have been doing/ plan to do:

How I would like for everything to go: I want to graduate from UA and have a paid internship waiting for me in DC. I want to complete the internship, which would be either in PR/marketing or government, all the while looking for jobs after my internship is over. I want to get a job as a Staff Assistant or some related position in the House of Representatives or the Senate and work there for a couple of years. I plan to start my graduate degree either online or at a DC area school in Fall 2010.



What I've been doing to get there: I have applied for every paid (and some unpaid) internship under the globe and have been doing phone interviews and email correspondences all semester. I've used every resource available, including Craigslist, the going on individual websites, and even scouring DC magazines just to find out the names of random PR groups to see if they are hiring. I have contacted every person I know who has a DC connection to see if there is anything open, as well. I have done and redone my resume, cover letter, and have distributed it everywhere the sun touches down in the District.

I decided not to apply for grad school right now just because I'm not feeling it. I know that if I were to go to school in the fall I would hate it and wouldn't be able to reach my full potential. I feel burnt out, anyway.

I thought about a few more places to apply for internships but shot them down for the following reasons:
- Atlanta: too crowded and I would need a new car (my old one is two oil changes away from the grave.)
- New York: way too expensive and I wouldn't want to live there.
- Los Angeles: I would want to live just like Lauren Conrad, but that is impossible.
- Memphis: not enough opportunities in what I want to do.
- Nashville: I don't know enough about the city except that it's pretty.

I know that in theory I could live at home, but it would only be a matter of time before the arrangement would go sour. I do plan on spending a few weeks there though before I move on.

I already have a place to live in DC for the month of June, so if my plan falls through and I have no place to intern with at all, I am going to go out there for the month and do as many informational and job interviews that I can. If it's no dice, then I am going to take the GRE and apply for grad school for Winter 2010.

I've been doing a lot of reading ( No More Ramen, Gradspot.com, What Color is Your Parachute ) and praying. I just hope something comes through soon - I'm booking a plane ticket on May 1.


I've been saving money like crazy and will have enough to cover my first month's rent and a decent amount of spending money saved by May. I hope to collect enough in graduation money that I can save some and spend some this summer. I've been thinking about investing in a mutual fund, but I digress.

So, in a nutshell, I am wanting to go to DC after I graduate. How about you?