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4 Financial Benefits Of Part Time Law School

Written by Brett McKay

If you’re not sure you can afford law school, look into part time programs. With part-time law school programs, you can continue to work full time and you go to law school at night. Because you’re still working full time, you have some financial advantage over students who are going full time.

  1. You can contribute to retirement. Because you’ll still be earning an income, you can continue to contribute to your retirement account. While not contributing regularly for a few years may seem like not a big deal, the power of compound interest and the market may cause you to lose out on thousands of dollars in your retirement fund.
  2. You still might have access to health insurance. It’s a sad fact, but most students don’t have access to affordable health insurance. When you or a member of your family gets sick or injured, medical bills can set you back financially. Hopefully, with your job you have access to health insurance.
  3. You can take out fewer loans. You can offset the costs of your legal education by working. Instead of having to take out tens of thousands of dollars in loans for living expenses, you only need to borrow what you’ll need to pay for tuition. If you make lots of money, you might be able to get away without taking any loans out.
  4. Flexible entrance requirements. If you didn’t do that well on the LSAT or have a dismal GPA, you might look into to part-time programs. Usually they’re much more lenient in admission standards. If you want to see if law school’s the right thing for you, with out making too much of a commitment in money and time, then a part-time program might be right for you.

What do you all think? Are there any other financial benefits of going to law school part time? Or do you think part time law school will actually hurt you financially? Later this week, I’ll be posting on the financial pitfalls of part time law school, so I’d love to have your input.

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[tags]law school, legal, debt, personal finance[/tags]

> Brett McKay | 24 May 07 | Debt, Education, Saving, law school | Comments (12)

Dieting Is Making You Poor

Written by Brett McKay


If you want a heavy wallet, you should stop dieting. That’s right. If you care about your net worth, you’ll gladly eat that Little Debbie Brownie sitting in the pantry. (Mmmm… Little Debbie Brownies….)

According a study done by the University of Michigan, dieting can increase the likelihood that you’ll spend more money impulsively.

Humans only have a limited number of mental resources to allocate towards self control. The scientists theorize that if you’re using these mental resources to resist food cravings, you become more prone to giving in to other temptations, like impulse spending.

Alright, so you shouldn’t just let yourself go. But maybe this is a reason to stop obsessing with whichever Atkins/South Beach/No Carb diet is in vogue. Just eat like a normal person. Your wallet will thank you.

Additionally, dieting itself can get expensive. Diet books, diet programs, and special diet food can all eat away at your bank account.

Source: Men’s Health June 2007

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[tags]diets, personal finance, money[/tags]


> Brett McKay | 24 May 07 | Food, Personal Finance, Saving, This And That | Comments (3)

Interview With A Strange Bird About Managing Law School Debt

Written by Brett McKay


Strange Bird is the author of I Am Running With Scissors. While she’s not in law school yet, she’s already contemplating how to leave law school with as little debt as possible. From what I’ve read on her blog, it looks like she’s already doing a great job in mitigating her law school debt.

1. How much student debt have you racked up during undergrad? How much more do you plan on taking on during law school?

I attended a public university for undergrad, and with the help of a big scholarship and some part-time jobs I was able to get my B.A. without any debt. For law school I will again be attending a public institution on a scholarship, so I expect that my debt will be less than most law students’, but not insubstantial. The University of California law schools are almost as pricey as some of the private law schools now.

2. What actions are you taking now to mitigate your law school debt?

There are three major ways I’m working now to mitigate my law school debt. The first was negotiating with the law school on my financial aid package, which will save me at least $25,000. Another is saving what I can now, before I start, to minimize my borrowing in the first year. The third is educating myself and planning accordingly. It’s one thing to know that law school is expensive, and another to know exactly how much extra per month living alone would cost me once my loans are in repayment. I think it’s a matter of establishing priorities.

3. When would you like to pay it off your student loans? How do you plan on reaching your goal?
I hope to pay off my loans within five years of graduating law school, which I wrote about here. I would have to adjust my goals if I were to take a public interest job or work for a year or two as a judicial clerk, but assuming I were to work at a typical large law firm right away in my hometown, it wouldn’t be impossible. That is, of course, provided I am able to resist the temptation of expanding my lifestyle to match my salary and diligently pay my loans instead of splurging because “I deserve it.” I would deserve it! But that’s not a good enough reason to blow the bank when I have other goals I want to meet.

4. What other personal financial goals have you set for yourself?
Aside from paying off all student loans by 2015, I expect to also be able to buy a home within five years of graduating. My other goals are a bit softer–saving 10-15% for retirement, living below my means, and retiring early enough to enjoy the fruits of my labor!

5. What is your weakness in regards to your personal finances and how do you think you can improve it?

I think I have a few big weaknesses in regards to personal finances. I’m a bit of a hoarder. It feels really reassuring to have a lot of money sitting in the bank (in a higher-yield online savings account, but still!), but I know that’s not the best way to make it work for me, because I neither can spend it to enjoy it, nor can I invest it properly. I’m also a little bit of a control freak, which makes the idea of investing money (where I can’t control what will happen to it) seem really daunting. I think the only way to get past this is to become more informed. The more I learn about personal finance and investing, the less intimidating it seems, and hopefully at some point I’ll reach the threshold where I no longer feel like stuffing cash under my mattress (figuratively speaking, of course).

6. How do you manage your finances? Is there a particular software you use to keep track of your money?

I use Quicken for the budget and expense tracking features. When I see that I’ve spent 50% of my budget for eating out for the month and it’s only the 8th, I get back on track really quickly. It keeps me a lot more honest than just watching the balance on my account fall. I don’t necessarily recommend that everyone run out and buy Quicken, though–I could just as easily do this with Excel, but a trial version was installed on my computer when I bought it in 2002. I don’t even know what features I can’t access, but I don’t seem to miss them.

7. What do you think is the biggest money mistake or misconception a future law student make?

Since I’m still only a future law student myself, it’s hard to say–I may be making that biggest mistake!–but I’m pretty sure the most dangerous trap to fall into is not really considering the costs of attending law school and living expenses before signing the promissory notes. For example, at my law school, the Loan Repayment Assistance Program will only cover $60,000 of your loans, but the total cost of attendance is closer to $150,000. If someone plans to become a public defender after graduating from a UC law school, she will have to come up with some creative ways to finance her education in order not to be overly burdened by the debt (and live frugally, besides!). Even someone making a salary of $100,000 or more per year will have to make some sacrifices in order to pay back that kind of debt. So it makes sense to be aware, and not live like you’re earning the money instead of borrowing it, because everything you buy will cost that plus 6.8-8.5% (or more!) interest afterwards. Most things won’t be worth it, in retrospect, so forget retrospect and just don’t buy it.

8. Do you have any suggestions to other future law students regarding their personal finances?

KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GETTING YOURSELF INTO. Whatever is motivating you to go to law school, you should be aware of the financial consequences, because they are not inconsequential. People will tell you that a law degree will pay itself off, but it won’t–YOU will pay it off. Make sure that you know exactly how much it will cost, how you will pay for it, and if you are willing to make the sacrifice.

Thanks, Strange Bird, for that awesome interview! Stop by Strange Bird’s blog, I Am Running With Scissors, today to read some of her great content on saving money on law school before you start law school.

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[tags]law school, debt, saving, money[/tags]

> Brett McKay | 23 May 07 | Debt, Interview, Saving, Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Interview With Laws of Finance About Managing Law School Debt

Written by Brett McKay


Laws of Finance is a blog is run by a law student “trying to navigate his way through school without declaring bankruptcy.” With a goal like that, I had to interview him.

1. How much student debt have you racked up during undergrad and law school?

Currently, I have around $84,000 in student loans. By the end my final year of law school, I expect to have roughly $102,500. A fair portion of that is in the form of government subsidized loans, which means that there is no interest while I am still in school. For the loan amounts and rates, see my most recent quarterly statement of financial assets (available at: http://lawsoffinance.blogspot.com/2007/04/quarterly-statement-of-financial-assets.html).

2. What action or habit do you think saved you the most money while in law school?

Frugality, generally. I am not one of those students who goes out drinking and running up $200 bar tabs every night. I buy used books when available and I look around for the best deals online before buying any books from a brick and mortar store. I also look for ways to get the most money for my own used books at the end of each semester. Those little things add up over time.

3. If you have student loan debt, when would you like to pay it off? How do you plan on reaching your goal?

I have a timetable arranged for repaying my loans. The high interest loans (6.8%) will be paid off first out of law school. I have already created a budget with my expected salary and repaying approximately $1,000 per month fits fairly well into that budget. I will make the minimum payments on the other loans until the higher interest loans are paid off. Then I will move on to paying down the lower interest loans. That said, I expect to keep my 4.25% loan around for as long as possible. At least at present, I expect that I will be able to do better by investing that money that I could use to pay off the 4.25% loan.

4. What other personal financial goals have you set for yourself?

Unlike many other people, my goal is not to be debt free. I intend to use debt financing where it benefits me. As long as my cost of capital is low and my investment prospects are higher, I intend to take on debt. My goal is not to incur any “bad” debt, such as high interest credit card debt. In that area, my goal is to go my entire life without carrying a balance on any credit card. I am doing well so far

5. What is your weakness in regards to your personal finances and how do you think you can improve it?

My weakness is a recent change in my frugal nature. I have always been frugal / miserly / CHEAP. Recently, though, that has changed and I have started to spend more freely. It is just this past year that I have really noticed the change. It came right after I secured summer employment with law firms for two consecutive summers. I rationalize it by telling myself that it is the normal by-product of more certain future income prospects. It is not a terrible thing, though, because I know I could tone down my unnecessary spending if my income situation changes. That said, I would still like to keep it in check. I may end up hating law firm life and want out fairly quickly. If that is the case, I will wish I had saved more and spent less with that temporarily increased income.

6. How do you manage your finances? Is there a particular software you use to keep track of your money?

I don’t use any special software. I use Excel spreadsheets that I created myself the calculate returns and totals. I keep track of everything with my spreadsheets. It allows me to keep a handle on all that is happening in my financial life. Once I have calculated everything myself, I publish the results on my blog, Laws of Finance (http://lawsoffinance.blogspot.com/), as well as on NetWorthIQ, which can be accessed from Laws of Finance. Just this April, I started to publish my quarterly statements of financial assets. I hope to keep that up each quarter on Laws of Finance.

7. What do you think is the biggest money mistake law students make?

The biggest money mistake that law students make is getting depressed about their loans. They figure that, since their loans are so big already, a few more thousand here or there won’t matter. That is a recipe for disaster. Just because something is terrible doesn’t mean that it is alright to make it worse. Also, and I know this goes against my own admissions earlier, law students must remain frugal throughout law school and beyond. You don’t need to live more luxuriously as your income (or prospects for income) increase. The way to financial freedom is to save that extra income so that you won’t have to work forever.

8. Do you have any suggestions to other law students regarding their personal finances?

My only advice is, “Pay attention!” Don’t just forget about your financial situation because you don’t like the looks of it. Is that extra debt that you are taking on actually worth its cost to you? Do you really need that $6 specialty coffee drink everyday? If you consider the impact of your choices on your overall financial health, you will be much better for it. Just thinking about it might be enough to avoid making some bad decisions.

Thanks, Laws of Finance for that great interview! Stop by Law of Finance, read some posts, and sign up for his RSS feed.

[tags]law school, student debt, money, frugal, personal finance[/tags]

> Brett McKay | 21 May 07 | Debt, Frugality, Interview, Saving | Comments (0)

180 Money Saving Tips to Turn Your Financial Life Around 180 Degrees

Written by Brett McKay

Here’s a list of 180 money saving tips that can turn your financial life around 180 degrees. These are things that I have learned while reading blogs or other books. I’ve tried to provide links to blog posts and other articles that elaborate more on the tip. This was a fun exercise. While I personally don’t practice every single tip listed, it was a good way to find out how I can do better on saving money.

Automobile/Transportation

  1. Wash and vacuum your car at home.
  2. Buy a used car. New cars drop significantly in value as soon as you drive off the lot.
  3. Get rid of your car. If you’re married, just have one.
  4. Keep your tires inflated at the correct pressure.
  5. Do not carry unneeded weight in your vehicle. Excess weight puts a heavier load on the engine.
  6. Accelerate slowly and smoothly. Avoid jackrabbit starts. Get into high gear as quickly as possible.
  7. Use your air conditioner only when absolutely necessary.
  8. Avoid unnecessary stopping and braking. Maintain a steady pace.
  9. Do not rest your foot on the clutch or brake pedal. This causes needless wear and poor fuel economy.
  10. Keep the front wheels in proper alignment. Improper alignment not only causes faster tire wear, but also puts an extra load on the engine.
  11. Rotate your tires regularly. Rotating tires slows down tire wear.
  12. Wash your car regularly. A dirty car can damage paint.
  13. Avoid heavy traffic. You’ll save on gas by not idling as much.
  14. Change your own motor oil.
  15. Observe speed limits. You’ll save money on gas and avoid costly speeding tickets and the resulting increase in insurance rates.
  16. Pay your auto insurance premiums annually instead of every six months. You’ll get a lower rate.
  17. Use the bus to get to school or work.
  18. If possible, ride your bike or walk to your destinations.
  19. Carpool with co-workers.

Clothing

  1. Find an image consultant in your town and ask if you can have the clothes their clients get rid of.
  2. Don’t buy into trends. Keep a wardrobe of classic pieces, so you don’t have to update your clothes every year.
  3. Buy clothes at a thrift store.
  4. Wear clothes more than once before washing them. You’ll reduce wear on your clothes and save energy by not washing so often.
  5. Shop at outlet stores.
  6. Avoid buying clothes that require drying cleaning.
  7. Cut dryer sheets in half to double the value of each box.
  8. Buy your winter clothes at the end of winter/beginning of spring. Buy summer clothing at the end of summer/beginning of fall.
  9. Shop at discount stores like TjMax and Ross.

Food

  1. Forage for food. Check out a book on local edible plants and start stocking up on them.
  2. Buy a water filter and make your own bottled water.
  3. Buy bread at the bread outlet store and freeze excess loaves.
  4. Make meals that are left over friendly, like soups and casseroles.
  5. Join a food co-op.
  6. Make dinners in a crock pot
  7. Buy in bulk.
  8. If you buy soda, buy 2 liter bottles instead of cans. It’s much cheaper per unit price.
  9. Have potluck dinners.
  10. When you eat out, share meals. Most restaurant meals are big enough for two people.
  11. If you don’t have someone to share it with, split the meal and half and put when half in a to-go box for next day’s lunch.
  12. Skip the soda when you go out to eat, and drink water.
  13. Quit smoking.
  14. Make your own coffee. Better yet, stop drinking coffee.
  15. Quit drinking alcohol.
  16. Quit drinking soda.
  17. Find cheaper café’s and restaurants to go to.
  18. Cook your own meals.
  19. Take a list when you go shopping and stick to it.
  20. Buy generic brand products at the supermarket.
  21. Bring your lunch to school or work instead of buying it.
  22. Grow your own vegetables.
  23. Use coupons and loyalty cards at grocery stores.
  24. Reduce meat consumption.
  25. Eat cereal instead of fast food. It’s cheaper and usually healthier.
  26. Have a late lunch/early dinner when going out to eat. You can save on lunch menu items.
  27. Buy cheap food coupons on eBay.
  28. Join clubs at school and take advantage of free food at meetings.
  29. Don’t buy prepackaged cheese or meat. Go to the deli and have them slice it for you. You can get more for you money.
  30. Collect vegetable scraps in a bag in the freezer. As soon as it’s full, make a soup out of them.
  31. Buy whole roasted chickens. When you have used all the meat, throw the bones into a soup.

Housing

  1. House sit. Older affluent couples often leave their house for months at a time for vacations and need someone to watch it while they’re gone. Not only can you get free rent, you might get some extra cash.
  2. Become live in help. Some older people need help around the house, someone to cook meals for them, or just someone to talk to. You can live rent free this way.
  3. Relocate to an area with a cheaper cost of living.
  4. Share an apartment. Better yet, move in with your in-laws.
  5. Make an extra mortgage payment each year. You can save money on interest.

Household

  1. Buy furniture at a consignment store.
  2. If you need a tool, see if you can borrow it from someone before you go out and buy it.
  3. Don’t throw away “dead” batteries. Remove them from your radio and use them in quartz clocks. These clocks take such a small amount of power that batteries too weak to run anything else may have enough power to run a clock for a while.
  4. Wash and reuse plastic bags.
  5. Clean your own carpets. You can rent carpet cleaning machines for about $10.

Health Care

  1. If you take a prescription medication on a regular basis, ask your doctor to write a three month prescription. Instead of paying three co-pays, you only pay one.
  2. Go to the dentist at your local dental school. Students need people to practice on. You can get all your dental needs fulfilled at a reduced cost.
  3. If your doctor gives you a prescription, ask if he has samples that he could give you.
  4. Use your local park’s playground as a workout station. Monkey bars can be used for pull-ups and leg lifts. The park will also have a trail where you can run.
  5. If you go to school, use the school’s gym. It’s free.
  6. Brush and floss your teeth. You’ll save on dental expenses.
  7. Eat right and exercise daily. You’ll reduce health costs.
  8. If you join a gym, find one that offers a month to month contract. That way if for some reason you stop going, you won’t be stuck with a 1 year contract that you have to pay for.

Beauty and Hygiene

  1. Use baking soda for toothpaste.
  2. Use baby shampoo for a makeup remover.
  3. Buy makeup online.
  4. Use makeup samples.
  5. Don’t throw out small pieces of bar soap. Wet the small piece and the new bar and stick them together.
  6. Add water to your shampoo to get more uses.
  7. Stop using shaving cream. Shaving cream’s purpose is just to keep your beard wet. You can maintain a wet beard in the shower.
  8. Cut your own hair.
  9. Simplify your beauty products. Do you really need 5 different types of body lotions?

Travel

  1. Pack your travel meals in advance.
  2. Buy snacks at the grocery store, not at roadside convenience stores.
  3. Plan trips where you have friends and family. You might be able to score free room and board.
  4. Go camping.
  5. Stay at a college dorm room when traveling. Many universities rent out dorm rooms at a decent price during the summer.
  6. Book your flights and cruises way in advance. You can get lower prices.
  7. Always negotiate hotel room prices. Hotel rooms are like highly perishable food: if they’re not used that day, they’re wasted. You can almost always get a better deal just by asking, but do it with a nice smile face-to-face when you check in, or with friendly calls direct to the hotels you’re considering. It won’t work if you just call national 800 numbers, because they can’t negotiate. If your flight is overbooked and the airline offers a voucher if you take a later flight, take it.
  8. When flying, bring your own snacks. Airport food is expensive.
  9. Avoid renting a car at the airport. You’ll find more competitive rates, plus avoid extra surcharges at car rental agencies away from the convenience of the airport.
  10. Time your stay for best hotel deals. Plan the timing of your stay according to the type of place you visit. Hotels in cities are usually cheaper on the weekends, when business travelers aren’t staying there, but hotels in resort areas or other places that are popular with leisure travelers are often cheaper during the week
  11. Tourist spots sell everything from film — to capture those special moments — to sunscreen, bottled water and aspirin for prolonging your fun, at a higher cost. Purchase these items before and save.
  12. Travel after peak season. This might not be an option if you have school-age children. But families with infants and toddlers can take advantage of discounted rates by traveling in the fall.
  13. Bring an empty water bottle with you to the airport. Bottled water at airports is expensive. While you can’t bring any liquids past security, you can bring an empty bottle. Put it in your carry on and fill it up as soon as you get past security.
  14. Stay in hostels when traveling overseas. While you do have to share a bathroom and a room, you can stay for as little as $5.
  15. If you need a quick get away with your significant other, spend a night in your local bed and breakfast.

Entertainment

  1. Buy an Entertainment book. The initial investment is about $20, but there’s hundreds of dollars in entertainment savings in it.
  2. Join Gamefly for cheap video game renting.
  3. Trade video games, DVD’s and books with your friends.
  4. Start a book or film club. After reading the book or watching the film, discuss it.
  5. Have a game night with friends.
  6. Attend movies at dollar theaters.
  7. Take advantage of your local university. Colleges often have free entertainment events.
  8. Join the library.
  9. Read magazines for free at bookstores.
  10. Check out DVD’s from the library, rather than renting them from the video store.
  11. Find cheaper hobbies like blogging or jogging.
  12. Go on a hike, take a walk in the park, or go to the beach. Some of the nicest things to do in life are totally free.
  13. See if your local zoos, museums, entertainment parks and water parks have annual passes. Often the annual passes may not cost more than the price of a couple of visits.
  14. Save money on movies by going to the matinée.
  15. Watch amateur sports. High school athletic competitions are cheap and can be just as exciting as the pros.

Banking and Investing

  1. Start an automatic savings plan with your bank.
  2. Use your credit card to make all purchases, but pay it off each month. That you’ll earn cash back or travel points.
  3. Invest in index funds. There are hardly any costs in purchasing and owning index funds.
  4. Open an online savings account. Most online accounts offer a 4% interest rate. That’s much better than the 1% you get at your current bank. E-mail me for an ING referral.
  5. Avoid ATM fees. Only withdraw money from machines approved by your bank. 7-11 doesn’t have a surcharge.
  6. Pay bills by direct debit. You save on postage and avoid the risk of paying late fees.
  7. If you use checks, don’t buy them from the bank. You can get a better deal with other printing companies.
  8. Don’t overdraft on your account. You’ll save yourself money on penalties.
  9. Invest with a cheap online brokerage company like Sharebuilder.

Children

  1. Buy gender neutral baby clothing so you can use them again with the next baby.
  2. Make your kids Halloween costumes. It’s cheaper and more fun.
  3. Buy your baby toys from the thrift store. Toys suck these days. Give your child the gift of old school toys that actually requires an imagination.
  4. Buy your baby’s and tot’s clothes from the thrift store. Your kid isn’t going to notice the difference between a thrift store onezy and a Gap onezy.

Utilities

  1. Use a clothes liner to dry clothes. You’ll save on your energy bill.
  2. Replace old appliances with ones that have Energy Star approval.
  3. Regularly clean the coils on the back of your refrigerator. A clean coil uses less energy.
  4. Make sure your freezer is full. An empty freezer requires more energy to keep cold.
  5. Use washable coffee mug instead of Styrofoam. You’ll save money and help the environment.
  6. Replace all your incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent lighting.
  7. Turn off the lights when not using a room.
  8. Turn off your appliances when not using them.
  9. Don’t use a cell phone.
  10. If you have a cell phone, don’t buy the extra features like text messaging and web access.
  11. If you have a cell phone, get rid of your land line.
  12. Get rid of cable. Who needs 100 channels of crap?
  13. Use the internet at school or the library. Not only will you save money, you’ll save time.
  14. During the winter, leave the oven open after you cook to heat the house.
  15. Sign up for Skype for long distant phone calls.
  16. Turn your heater thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in the summer.

Miscellaneous

  1. Get a digital camera. You save money on film.
  2. Don’t own a pet. You’ll save money on food and shots.

Shopping

  1. Avoid impulse buying. Practice tantric shopping.
  2. Buy as much as you can online.
  3. Negotiate the price on big ticket items like cars, electronics, and large appliances.
  4. Use cash as a negotiating tool. Nothing makes a seller’s mouth water than cold hard cash in their hand.
  5. Before you buy something, ask if the item will be put on sale in the near future.
  6. Don’t buy extended warranties. Eighty percent are never used, and they’re a major profit item for the vendor. That’s why they push you so hard to buy them!
  7. Keep receipts and send in rebate slips. Very few consumers actually return rebate coupons. Which is, of course, exactly what the manufacturers are hoping for.

Low cost ways of making extra money

  1. Sell your old stuff, like CD’s and books on eBay and Amazon.
  2. Turn your hobby into a business. Pretty much anything you do can be turned into a business of some sort.
  3. Sign up with an online survey company like Survey Spot.
  4. Become a mystery shopper. Not only can you make some extra money, you might get some free stuff as well.
  5. Have a yard sell.
  6. Start a blog and put Adsense on it. You might only earn 4 cents a week, but it’s something.
  7. Become a consultant. Do you know a lot about a particular skill? Put that knowledge to work by helping others.
  8. Do freelance work on the side. If you’re a good writer, photographer, artist, or programmer you can make some extra money by selling your talent to companies.
  9. Start an errand Service. Offer to pick up groceries or dry cleaning for others.
  10. Waiting service. People these days don’t have time to wait on the plumber of cable guy. Charge by the hour to do the waiting for other people.

School

  1. Check out study supplements from the library. Don’t buy them.
  2. Buy used text books.
  3. Take advantage of free pens and pencils at business conferences.
  4. Keep track of your pens and pencils. You’ll spend less on them if you don’t lose them all the time.
  5. Buy back packs that your kids can use for years. While they might think the Sponge Bob Square pants one is cool in 2nd grade, they probably won’t think it’s cool in 4th.

Computers

  1. Use open source software like OpenOffice for your computing needs. Here’s a huge list of all the open source software you’ll ever need.
  2. Refill ink cartridges instead of buying new ones.
  3. Print off your documents in draft mode. It’s faster and saves ink.
  4. Use free online storage for all your digital storage needs.
  5. When you buy new computers or printers, keep the old cables. You never know when they’ll come in handy.

Gifts

  1. Make your own greeting cards.
  2. Make your own wrapping paper.
  3. Agree with family and friends to NOT buy each other Christmas presents this year.
  1. Offer to give a service, like a night of free babysitting as a gift, instead of buying stuff.
  2. Give baked goods. Everyone loves cookies!
  3. Learn the art of the re-gift. If you get something that you don’t like, keep it and give it to someone else later. However be careful to keep track of who gave you what. You don’t want to give a gift back to somebody.

Can you think of any more? Add to the conversation!
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> Brett McKay | 17 May 07 | Blogging, Books, Businesses, Cars, Cell Phones, Clothing, Consulting, Coupons, Credit Cards, Education, Food, Frugality, Gifts, Health, Homes, Investing, Money Management, Parenting, Personal Finance, Printer, Saving, Tips | Comment (1)

Negotiation Tips From the Donald

Written by Brett McKay

trump.jpg

Negotiating is one of the best ways to save money. However, most Americans don’t know how to do it. You’d be surprised by the number of things you can negotiate. While you’ll probably have a hard time negotiating the price of a candy bar at the local supermarket, you should negotiate for big ticket purchases like major appliances, computers, and cars.

Donald Trump in the Experts Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do gives 1o tips on how to improve your negotiating ability. I think it’s safe to say that The Donald is an expert at negotiating. He’s made his fortune from negotiating.

  1. Know exactly what you want, and focus on that.
  2. View any conflict as an opportunity. This will expand your mind as well as your horizons.
  3. Know that your negotiating partner may well have exactly the same goals as you do. Do not underestimate them.
  4. Patience is an enormous virtue and needs to be cultivated for successful negotiation on any level.
  5. Realize that quiet persistence can go a long way. Being stubborn is often an attribute. The key is to know when to loosen up.
  6. Remain optimistic at all times. Practice positive thinking.
  7. Let your guard down, but only on purpose. Watch how your negotiating partners respond.
  8. Be open to change- it’s another word for innovation.
  9. Trust your instincts, even after you’ve honed your skills. They’re there for a reason.
  10. Negotiation is an art. Treat it like one.

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[tags]negotiating, frugal, Donald Trump[/tags]

> Brett McKay | 17 May 07 | Frugality, Money Management, Personal Development, Personal Finance, Saving, Tips | Comment (1)
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