The weight of the world...

I had a terrible dream last night. I dreamt that I was in a convenience store or gas station and I bought contacts (for some strange reason), a juice drink like a Gatorade, water, and a variety of other things. The total came to $303.67. When I saw the total I had a sensation of despair and fear. I knew I didn’t have that amount in my bank account. So why did I proceed and swipe my debit card?

In dreams, it’s not about the facts; it’s about the subconscious and what it’s trying to tell you. For me, as a junior in college about to graduate in one year the dream was symbolizing my fear of being on my own and my ability to control my own income.

As I began to analyze the dream, I realized that millions of other Americans are in the exact same boat as I am when it comes to finances. Whether they are in college, about to graduate, or long into their careers I know everyone can benefit from a few financial tips:

1. Check your bank account daily.

- Most, if not all, member banks should have some way for you to access and view your account online. If not, take step 2 to a more critical level

2. Budget

- Budgeting can be hard. I get an allowance of $80 dollars every two weeks and I still have trouble spending it correctly. If you really want to go above and beyond, check out Dave Ramsey and follow his advice. His program helped my parents out of debt in under a year. If you don’t have the time for that just remember three basic things” Plan, implement, don’t deviate. Plan for everything, groceries, cable, electric, and emergencies. The hardest thing to plan for is the emergencies: the baby runs out of diapers, the dog runs out in front of a car, or anything! Plan for the worst.

3. Get help

- There’s a plethora of help available. Online guides, resources, and financial planners are all there. But instead of spending $300+ on a program that you may or may not follow through on, find a financial planner that actually cares for your needs. You want someone who knows the business and loves helping people.

So, I realized that I want to become a financial planner or investment banker! Right now I’m hoping to become an intern at Northwestern Mutual, a mutual life insurance company. I’ll have to start slow, getting only my insurance sales licensing, but hopefully, soon after I graduate I’ll be able to get my CFP, ChFU, and CFA accreditations. It won’t be easy, but it’s what I want to do- Help people have a better life.

Kevin Wilson's "Tunneling to the Center of the Earth"

I've only read the first two stories, but so far I can't keep myself from finding time to pick it up and keep reading. Every story paints a mental image into a world of alternate, yet believable realities. If you enjoy southern gothic stories, then you should definitely check out kevin wilson.

Looking for a good book? Check out Tunneling to the Center of the Earth.

Nice Scam!

Everyone wants to get rich quick. A good way to ventilate the many "money making schemes" is this new invention called the internet. If someone walked up to you in real life and said, "I have a set of magic instructions here that tells you how to make all the money you want." I ask you, would you buy it? What if it cost a dollar and some change? Maybe $1.00?

That's just what many of these people are doing. Go to the website. Wait, don't click anything just yet! If you actually read it and the comments it seems pretty convincing. You know, too good to be true? 

Anything too good to be true, probably is. Just check out the fine print on the third party site, "Terms and Disclosures. By clicking the order button, I am ordering the Google Money System™ and trial membership for $1.95 s&h, after the 7 day trial I will be charged $47 a month thereafter if I do not cancel. I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy / Terms and Conditions / Purchase Agreement . Charges will appear on credit/debit statements as "Google Money System"..."

Folks, I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no "get rich quick" scheme out there. The only way to make money is by actually having some sort of marketable skill. The only way to make a quick buck legally is by selling your junk. 

Want my advice on how to make a quick buck? Go through all your junk: DVD's, VHS's, books, textbooks, videogames, game systems, etc. All of those can be sold on Half.com for a fairly substantial amount of money. Not only will you make a nice dollar, you'll probably free up some room in your domain. Now that's common sense.