Unexpected Blessings, financially

Oh, I have so much to blog about, friends. Let’s start with the really good: two very unexpected blessings that I am superhyped about (side note: did you know super- usually doesn’t get hyphenated when creating a compound noun? there’s your fun grammar fact for the day or, your unexpected blessing, if you will. Wow, I am in a good mood.)

Blessing #1: a brand-new, shiny, huge-screen iMac.

Oh. Yeah. It’s an entirely new Internet experience, and I like it. A lot. Right now, I am sitting with the old desktop, set up next to the new iMac, one playing You Tube’s “I’m Yours” video, one with my blog open. I could really get used to this.

Funny thing is, I didn’t even know we were getting one. My dad’s colleague bought the iMac, realized he didn’t want it and sold it to my dad for $750 yesterday. With a new printer. Yeah. So cool. We’ll be giving the desktop computer away to someone my dad knows, but the dual screens are fun for now.

Oh, and did I mention that it comes with inDesign, the full MS Office Suite, Adobe, and oh gosh, I could go on and on, but I’ll spare you my supercool (wink, wink) excitement. 

Blessing #2: A brand-new, I-get-to-pick-it-out Blackberry cell phone.

My current phone, the one I bought on eBay, is struggling. Right now, I’m carrying superglue in my purse with me at all times, ready to reapply when needed, to keep the screen plastered to the phone’s body. My own fault for being cheap about it.

So my dad’s company, the one I work part-time for, is buying me a new phone. It’s a tax right-off for them, and, since I don’t take a salary, they really want to. I’m supposed to buy whatever I want, and they’ll reimburse me (my favorite kind of shopping!).

Good. Day.

More later.

iMac image: *nathan || Blackberries image: alt1040

Job Hunting & Dating Both Stink

Last week, I had a guy tell me, as he walked me out after dinner on our first date, “You’ll have to let me know if you want to do this again sometime.”

He leaned in as if to go for a hug/kiss, right there in front of the restaurant, and I turned away a little bit, still smiling and thanking him for the meal. Completely confused not just by his last statement but by the entire night, I had, literally, no idea if he was actually interested or not. I hadn’t felt any bells or fireworks through the evening, but that’s not really necessary to me on the first date; I had fun, but I didn’t know what I thought yet. My plan? Wait to see his next move.

It’s kind of like when you go for a job interview. The HR rep or manager asks you a lot of questions and you answer and gather more information, not really sure what you’re thinking about the company yet. You are still interested, willing to hear what they offer, but you’re not desperate for it or anything. It’s not your dream job, it seems so far, but you’re still deciding if has potential.

I’ve been on so many job interviews. More than dates, in fact. I’ve interviewed for entry-level positions I didn’t have half an interest in, just for the sake of interviewing and learning what was out there. And the result? I’ve gotten really good at interviewing. Like, really good. If I can get you to give me the interview, nine times out of ten, I can get you to give me the job.

Dating, on the other hand, I don’t have down yet. I’m still gathering info, you know? I’m still going on these dates and learning what to expect from guys, who, it seems, routinely don’t call you back or, on the flip side, pursue the heck out of you, or, like my Ex, don’t talk to you for a year and then say he wants to get back together.

Some people get really lucky. They marry their high school sweethearts. They land a killer job out of college. But, for most of us, it’s not that simple.

And for that reason, it pays to do your homework, hoping with all your fingers crossed that you can be the exception and have things work out without all this trouble. In the mean time, you might as well do what you can, I say:

Here is a list of great job-hunting/interviewing resources I’ve come across over the past few months that I thought you might enjoy. Unless you’re in your dream job, you should always have your eye out for what’s available. It just makes sense.

• The Best Job Hunt Post: Top 40 Links from the Web. from Green Panda Treehouse. I know I just linked to this yesterday, but go over and check it out, OK? Great list of info.
• Resume Rules for Job-Hunting Fools. from Feminist Finance. Tangible, practical resume-writing tips.
• If there’s one thing I admire about Krystal, it’s the amount of job interviews she scores! Clearly, she’s doing something right. In this post she shares some of her secrets, though not the biggest ones, because, after all, job-hunting is kind of a competition.
• Work Coach Cafe is a great site with all kinds of career-related resources, from resume advice to loads of Q & A.
• And of course, I might as well plug myself a little: if you’re from Chicago or a writer, click the To Job Hunters tab above for a list of job banks. You can also read all about my job-hunting history by clicking the job-hunting category of the sidebar.

image: carmen maria

Quote of the Day, from Mark Twain

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
- Mark Twain

HT: Brip Blap

5 Things to Be Happy about, Now

1. Casual Thursday: yeah, jeans!
2. A three-day weekend because of a free nation.
3. Rainstorms (wishing to spread them to you guys in California!)
4. The ability to eat solid food! Finally, as the bug I caught on vacation seems to be leaving.
5. Completed financial goals.

What about you?

Cool Site: Credit Card Research

I’ve been thinking for a few months now about getting a credit card, but the one thing stopping me is that I don’t know which to go with! It’s not like I have to get one or like I’m in a big rush, so I can do this when I feel like. As I think about it, though, I’m really glad to have found this site, CreditCardsClub.com, which is all about credit card rating and which is a great online resource that breaks down all the features of each card for you.

So which should I choose?

Here’s what I have now:

*A Visa debit/credit card with my bank account. This is totally old school, I know. I always use it as credit (my bank charges after a certain number of debits?!), but I never worry about overspending with my limits because my bank account balance dictates them.

*A Gap credit card. I use this once every few months, probably, and I always pay off the balance in full. I’ve had it for maybe six years, give or take, and I like the free $10 coupons I can earn.

*A shared Chase Mastercard. I went to Europe as a senior in high school and needed a way to access money without the hassle of travelers’ checks or the liability of cash. My parents put me on their credit card account. To be transparent, they’d still be perfectly fine with me using it whenever I wanted to, but I don’t. I have it in my wallet for emergencies and emergencies only, or maybe when they need me to get them something and they’re paying. Can’t remember the last time I used it.

What I want from a new card:

*The best rewards possible.

I’ll never carry a balance, so the APR is irrelevant. As far as rewards: I travel, but not enough to make me want an airline/hotel rewards card. I shop, but not at one store primarily. Of course, I buy gas, but with an economical car, not enough to make me want a gas card.

Maybe a cash-back card? I went to Credit Cards Club and clicked the cash-back rewards tab on top.

Here are the ones I found most interesting:

Capital One No Hassle Cash(SM) Rewards: There’s a $29 fee, but I’d earn a 25% bonus for all income (?!), which would more than make up for it, obviously. Not sure how I feel about a card with a fee, though. Something seems weird.

Chase Freedom SM Credit Card: No fee. 3% cash back on my top three spending categories (not sure what categories means) and 1% on everything else.

Discover® Open Road(SM) Card: No fee. 5% Cash-back Bonus® on gas and auto maintenance purchases, 5% to 20% Cash-back Bonus at top online retailers* and up to 1% Cash-back Bonus on all other purchases.

So I’m undecided. Anyone have input?

14th Money Hacks Carnival

The 14th edition of the Money Hacks Carnival is up, with a golf theme. My post, New Grad: 5 Things I Wish I’d Known, is included in the career section. Go take a look!

The Way to Wealth: Rudeness?

I know someone in her 40s, once a beauty model and now a career woman. She prides herself on her skill set, her life’s accomplishments, her satisfaction in a job well-done. She makes well over six figures.

She’s also the most obnoxious, meanest, most selfish person I know. I get the pleasure of dealing with her regularly.

While some, more humble businesspeople would give credit to underlings, thank service workers, smile at people who have nothing to offer in return, this woman turns on charm only when it benefits her. I, if you haven’t guessed, don’t benefit her.

Sometimes I look at her and look at me and compare. $100,00+, flex hours, pride in accomplishments, people who fawn all over you. OR Hourly pay, set 9-5, constant placating, peacemaking and stroking.

I don’t believe rudeness is the way to success (or joy). But sometimes I wonder why it seems the meanest people climb the highest on the ladder?

Blogger vs. Wordpress

OK, blogging buddies, I need your advice: should I stick with Wordpress, or do I switch to Blogger?

Originally, I chose WP because of its more varied templates and popularity. I’d used blogspot for other, personal things, and WP seemed new and different.

What I hate about WP: using the free version means I can’t alter my template very much (i.e., I can’t display banners/advertisements, I can’t rework the HTML of my pages, etc.).

Options to do something about this: I could (1) Buy a domain and use Wordpress at my own site, in which I could have more control (Negatives: I don’t know how the heck this works or what I’d have to do, and it costs money) or (2) Switch to a blogging software that allows me more control (i.e., Blogger).

Do you have an opinion? Have you used both softwares? Which would you recommend?

And, if you are a blogger who switched urls at some point in your history, did you lose a lot of readers?

Money Story: Lunching

Recently, my mom was invited out to lunch by Z, who wanted to pick her brain a little, regarding an organization Mom is involved in. They went to a average restaurant (Z picked), and Z ordered a meal that cost $12.99. Mom ordered something similar, maybe a little lower in cost.

The bill came, and Z pulled out her wallet.

“Well, I have $10,” she said.

No, that’s not a typo: She spent $13 and was willing to contribute $10. So my mom paid the difference, happily.

Anyone been in a similar situation?

Room in Progress

Room in Progress

Originally uploaded by GG Chicago Gal

I’m still on that home decorating kick of a few weeks back, and here’s the latest update.

The duvet, IKEA: $50
The matching lamps, Linens N’ Things: $25
The rug, Urban Outfitters: $50
The round mirror–far wall–, Meijer: $60?

You’ll notice random papers taped up to the wall above my bed. I’m sort of playing around with a framing arrangement, still to be determined.

Slowly, but surely (and fairly frugally, due to the spacing out of buying), things are coming together.