Confused about Investing, but no money to buy books?

One great resource I have just stumbled upon is Investipedia. http://www.investopedia.com

Last week I sat down and went through their step by step explanation of investing and how the stock market works. I feel I actually understand a world that seems so foreign to me. It's a great introduction into the world of stocks for me.

Try it and see what you can learn!

July: My first budgeting Month

This is the first full month I will be living in my apartment. I have talked out my finances with my dad and I will begin my budget. It will take me about $1200 to live. I added an extra $100 as a cushion because I would rather have a little more and save rather than go hungry.

Here's the Breakdown:

$715 Rent
$100 (max) utilities
$65-130 Groceries
$30 Internet Usage
$30 Cell Phone


One area where I can improve on is the grocery area, but as a bad fast food addict, right now, my goal is to eat at home and learn how to cook.

Craigslist: A College Girl's Furniture Jackpot

Craigslist is a wonderful place to find classified ads for anything and everything. I browsed the free section and I found some furniture that wasn't so great, but I got an awesome couch FOR FREE! Not only were the couple I got it from willing for me to take it off their hands, they also helped me get it to my apartment since it did not fit in my car.

But the best part is, the couple saw my empty apartment and decided to instill the goodness of their hearts upon me again and gave me two beside tables and a dresser for free! These are good quality items and save a bundle not having to buy these things myself.

So always try craigslist's free list, but here are some of my own guidelines:

-When going to a person's house, never go alone! It's a safety issue. I went with my boyfriend and the couple was nice. I showed up to some pretty scary looking neighborhoods and I drove right away. It's nice to have free stuff, but I'd rather have my life first.

-Sort through the free stuff list. Just because it is free doesn't mean you should take it. You don't want to pile up junk into your house/apartment.

-When you find something you really like, don't hesitate to call because many people always jump on the opportunity to get the item. I know I have missed a few things before by calling within two hours after it has been posted.

If you do have something you like, craigslist now has RSS feeds to help you find what you want.


Hope these guidelines are helpful! Happy Hunting!

Tips: Cheap Cell Phone Plan

Do you know a Sprint employee?

There is this plan called the SERO plan, the Sprint Employee Referral Offer. I have it, I got:

5oo minutes/month
Unlimited text
Unlimited Data (You an Surf the Internet for free)
PCS to PCS
Free nights and weekends after 7pm


I know this saved me a lot of money because my 300 minutes plan was just not working at all since I am a college student with a social life, and I don't have a regular telephone line.