Craigslist is one of my favorite places to buy and sell stuff. It’s one of my first destinations when I’m looking to purchase something that need not be brand new – used is just the same and it saves money. I love to sell there as well because it costs me nothing to list my items.

On Craigslist, both buyers and sellers enjoy:

• Unaccountability. I can agree to sell or buy something and back out of the transact for no reason without the fear of any consequences (e.g. negative feedback or fees). There are no user accounts or histories on which to base the trustworthiness or performance of a buyer or seller. Each listing is unique and isolated.
• Impersonality. Because there is no mandatory release of any real, identifiable information between the parties, the result is a lack of transparency. Effectively, a reliable method of communication is all that is needed to conduct a sale or make a purchase.
• Instant gratification. Conducting business on the Internet is convenient on the front-end buy slow on the back-end. The buyer has to wait for delivery and the seller has to wait for payment. Craigslist offers face-to-face transactions in an era on online shopping. Buyers can inspect their merchandise before paying and sellers have cash in hand when a deal goes through.

But, these apparent benefits are also reasons for concern. There is no way to hold either party accountable and no way to regulate these transactions. We see unpleasant occurrences from activity on Craigslist on the news all the time. So, some safety measures should be taken when buying and selling on Craigslist.

1. Use a fake name.

Establish a proxy for your identity. Frankly, a real name serves very little purpose as long as the other party doesn’t have anything sinister up their sleeves. Using a fake name simply adds an extra layer of personal security.

2. Use a secondary Gmail account.

Remember to use your fake name for the Gmail account. Regardless of the purpose, everyone should have a secondary Gmail account for a multitude of reasons. While Craigslist may protect your initial email address (as a seller), any further correspondence after the first contact reveal your email. Basically, this is an account that you wouldn’t mind being hacked, stolen, or spammed.

3. Use a Google Voice number.

Google’s innovations are such a blessing. With the secondary Gmail account, link it up to a Google Voice number, which is a separate phone number that reroutes incoming calls to your phone without having to give out your real number. For those without a smartphone, it may be a slight hassle but

4. Bring a friend.

Most bad things happen to people who are alone because the bad guys target them. Whether it is jogging or meeting up with a stranger, having a friend greatly reduces the chances bad things happening.

5. Pick a time and public location with high traffic.

Whether or not you have a friend to accompany you to meet someone from Craigslist, you should always pick a time and location with plenty of other people. The ideal time and location would be during daylight hours at high foot traffic places. I’ve met up in malls, fast-food restaurants, coffee shops, Best Buy, Macy’s among many other public hotspots. Preferably, you should pick a place you are familiar with and don’t venture into an area where you don’t feel uncomfortable.

6. Never arrive first.

You know you have good intentions but you don’t know whether the other person has the same. By arriving at the agreed location first, you are exposing yourself without knowing who the other party is. If I do happen to be there first, I’d notify the other party, take a walk around the area, and come back when they let me know that they’ve arrived.

Don’t Be Afraid to Back Out
There should never be a situation where you feel forced into completing a transaction. Again, there is nothing on Craigslist that tracks your history so anyone can back out of an agreement at any time. Oftentimes, many people meet up and find that the item wasn’t what they expected and decided not to buy it.

While it may piss off the other party, don’t feel bad about it. It’s your stuff and your money and it’s within your rights to protect your interests.

(Photo credit: heathervescent)

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Social media is giving each of us a stage – a stage for a voice to be heard.

Forget walking into a store, dialing the phone, or sending an e-mail because there may be a more effective way to reach customer service. The powerful, trendy way to get some attention is via social media.

We, the people, have made social media channels into a core part of the marketing campaigns of many companies. The gazillion updates that are sent can cover unlimited topics that will occasionally include an inquiry, comment, or complaint about a specific company, product, or service.

Nowadays, you could be expressing your unhappiness about something on Twitter or Facebook and find a customer service reaching out to you to make that frown upside-down. This is the result of the rise of social media – bringing together something you love to do (blabber about everything happening in your life) and something you hate to do (dealing with customer service).

Our Voices Tweets and Facebook Updates Will Be Heard
Because social media tools like Twitter and Facebook are evolving as part of companies’ public relations and marketing efforts, consumers play a role in shaping the companies’ images. And they all want nothing but praises from our tweets and updates.

There may be 300 customer service reps and none of them are willing to work with you. Put your frustrations on Twitter or Facebook and you’ll get special attention because you are now targeting a part of the company whose goals are to improve its image and brand, whereas you’d typically be dealing with someone who is trained to follow protocol.

Departments of PR and marketing representatives are scouring the web for anything that may pertain to their company. If you are a regular reader of Consumerist, you’d know that some unsatisfied consumers, who shared their stories, would have their problems resolved or addressed because they were featured on a popular consumer website. Having a lot of Twitter followers and/or Facebook friends can offer the same results.

I may not possess a great reach on my social media channels but there are some companies that place more emphasis on their social media efforts than others, which gave me a taste of how neat social media has become.

• @Scottrade (Twitter) – Scottrade houses my Roth IRA account. They pointed me to the information I needed after tweeting a question.
• @TeamTurboTax (Twitter) – I didn’t know which version of their tax preparation software would be suffice but they told me. Also, they were great help during tax season as anyone could ask them tax-related questions.
• @Lunarpages (Twitter) – Last month, my Lunarpages webhosting plan was about to expire and I tweeted that I was open to switching companies unless they could offer better pricing. Later that day, I received a call from them and got a nice deal (my story here).

Leverage Your Social Media Presence
The trend is growing in our favor. Use it to your advantage.

Here’s how you can leverage your presence on Twitter and Facebook to possibly reach dedicated customer service:

• Twitter: There are Twitter applications that allow you to search a specific term and will also produce a feed just for those terms. Companies on top of their social media channels would have feeds where the terms may include their company name, brands, and products. Put these terms in your tweets and they may get noticed. Or, you can search for their specific Twitter handle and mention (@) them in a tweet.
• Facebook: Many businesses have Facebook Pages. Conduct a search through Facebook for these pages and “Like” (doesn’t actually mean you have to like them). Afterwards, you could be able to write on their “Wall” and open for all other fans to see.

While having a plenty of followers and friends is great, you don’t need them to make this work for you. After all, you represent a part of a company’s business. If they make you unhappy, you could spread the word and hurt the company. If they treat you well, you could spread the word and bring them new business. Therefore, it would be wise for them to be on your good side.

So, be sure to add this to your list of money hacks!

(Photo credit: Coletivo Mambenbe)

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As many of my younger cousins and friends begin looking for jobs to fund their discretionary spending, it reminds me of a time in high school when I had no idea how to begin writing the very first resume.

If teenagers were to search for resume examples, they’d most likely come across documents filled with long lists of work experiences that they can’t reproduce on their own resumes. The result is a blank stare.

But, we all started somewhere and we can find noteworthy credentials from many aspects of our lives that isn’t directly relate to employment.

There Is Always Something
I thought I didn’t have much to put on my resume during high school but I remember having to cut out some parts so that everything would fit in one page. The most troubling part of the process for many students is finding things to fill the spaces.

Here are some things that will fit the bill:

1. Education. For anyone that is still in or recently graduated from school, education represents a significant part of a resume. Make mentions of your major, minor, concentration, GPA and expected date of graduation.
2. Related coursework. If you have any classes that may pertain to the position for which you are applying, putting them in the resume supports your candidacy for the job. This can include enrichment classes taken outside of school.
   - Examples: financial accounting, child psychology, organic chemistry
3. Volunteering and community service. This is the common prelude to a real-paying jobs because it is relatively easy to find volunteering and community service opportunities. It shows a selfless devotion to a cause and it’s very much like work without the paycheck.
   - Examples: Big Brothers Big Sisters, American Red Cross, community park cleanups
4. Computer skills. The Internet and computers will play an integral part of the future of any business. And luckily for all of us, such technology is becoming readily available to those at younger ages. All those hours on Facebook and Twitter may be valuable when you can tout your proficiency with social media tools.
   - Examples: Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Photoshop, typing speed, operating systems
5. Interests and hobbies. The activities that you enjoy and the things that inspire you may align with the field of the job. If the work is in a field that you like, it means you are more likely to grow in the job position.
   - Examples: photography, cookery, eBay
6. Extracurricular activities. Any clubs, sports or organizations that you participate in shows that you are active. A position of leadership in any of these extracurricular activities is highly admirable.
   - Examples: team sports, student debate club, school play production
7. Awards, achievements and certifications. Show off any major accomplishments because they are recognized proof of your success. Certifications often require some sort of training or education with exams that test your proficiency, which shows you took the time and made an effort to complete such certifications.
   - Examples: Dean’s List, valedictorian, CPR/First Aid

Making It Stand Out
Obviously, with a little brainstorming, it may be easy to come up with plenty of stuff to put down on the resume but that doesn’t mean it would be smart to do it. With any resume, you’d like to tailor the written credentials to the position you are applying for.

• Keep it relevant.
• Be specific and detailed.
• Make it result-oriented.

Allow someone who can provide constructive feedback to review your resume before submitting it with your job application. While this resume may be for an entry level or internship work, it is still important to make it presentable and coherent.

(Photo credit: Kristian D.)

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Although there are some things I’d worry about if I won the lottery, hitting the lottery jackpot is a fantasy that crosses our minds all the time .

But, if you don’t know already, there seems to be a curse on many winning ticket holders – most end up in a worse financial situation than before beating the slim odds of the lottery. Such is the story of those who were “lucky” enough to have received such a sizable windfall.

A windfall is a sudden, unexpected financial gain – like “money fell into your lap”.

The common perception of a windfall is that it’s free money and is therefore meant to be squandered away liberally when it is better used to solidify one’s financial position. It is often difficult to resist because it truly can be an immense upgrade in buying power. And, we don’t normally prepare for windfalls because we don’t expect it – but we do dream about it.

Little do you know, dreaming about it can be the way to prepare for a windfall.

Sweet Dreams
In the few minutes that I doze off, imagining that I selected the life-changing 6 numbers that’ll turn me from rags to riches, I also fantasize what I’d do with all that money – I can bet you’ve done the same.

As we enter a sweet daydream, we come up with ideas that fill our bodies with hope and joy. In fact, sometimes I prioritize the ways I’d use the money – and that would serve as a template of what to do in the event of a windfall.

What would I do with the money:

1. Pay off all my debt.
2. Save enough to live off interest income.
3. Purchase a few houses for rental income.
4. Buy a nice house and car for myself.
5. Start a business.
6. Build a large investment portfolio.
7. Participate in philanthropy.
8. Splurge!

If a large sum of cash fell out of the sky, think of what you would do first with that money. As you can see, I’d pay down all my debt from student loans and credit cards. It seems to be the instinctual move for me. Next, I’d use that money to make me more money. And finally, I’d donate some (don’t let wealth make you lazy and uninspired) and then splurge a little.

Others who may not have great money management skills could go on a stray path and immediately think of treating friends and family with new toys. That is the textbook method of have a windfall hurt you rather than help you. Here, a few lessons in financial literacy and setting financial goals are more important.

Does the Amount Matter?
Whether it is $1,000, $100,000, or $1,000,000, a windfall merely accelerates the completion of your financial goals. No matter what amount the windfall happens to be, my very first move is to clear my debts. More money only opens more opportunities.

Setting concrete figures (percentages help for varying amounts) for your goals makes it easier to manage. Most lottery winners head off towards an aimless direction and end up losing it all without knowing where it went. It wouldn’t have mattered if it was $1 million or $1 billion because they had no idea what to do with it.

So, close your eyes and imagine winning a $10 million lottery. What are your initial steps with this money? How will you make this money work for you? At what point can you have fun and help others?

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The world seems to be spinning at such a rapid pace that the many basics of money are neglected. It is these small lapses of financial common sense that foster a trend of bad habits.

Take out the numbers and look at the fundamentals. With a hint of logical reasoning, our personal finance management skills would become that much more powerful.

1. Buying stock is buying part of a business.

The mentality of investing in the stock market has drifted to a point where people are buying stocks and praying for the share price to go up.

Too often is there a voice saying that stocks are a way to make money while the fact is that it is actually a purchase of part ownership in a company or business. Sure, the desired result for everyone is a profitable return but stocks aren’t lottery tickets. In the end, the business has to do well for the investor to do well.

So, stop asking what is a good stock. Instead, start asking what is a good business that you don’t mind owning. Personal finance experts have recently been trying to drive this point home because many rookie investors omit this reasoning in their investment decisions.

2. Credit card purchases are loans.

We are oblivious to the fact that every time we swipe our credit cards, we are actually borrowing money with the agreement to repay the amount, plus interest. If someone is unable to pay the balance in full, the purchases are bound to cost more than the prices that appear on the receipts.

Credit cards are designed so that we can escape that reality. The form of seemingly simple plastic cards that, when swiped, allows us to buy things we cannot afford reminds me of the granted wishes with the rub of a genie lamp. Unfortunately, a credit card is the magical lamp containing the devil disguised as a genie.

The convenience and accessibility of credit cards exist to keep us spending without this fact ever crossing our minds. If we had to sign a bunch of forms for every time we made a credit card purchase, we’d all be much more reluctant to incur more credit card debt.

3. Banks are out to make money.

Banks are financial institutions that operate for a profit. For them to profit, there has to be a way for them to take money from their customers.

I find it funny for a bank to claim that they have your financial goals in mind. Make a late credit card payment or overdraw your account and see how much they care about helping you reach your goals. When you stop to think about it, the bank’s ultimate goal to draw a profit conflicts with the customers’ ultimate goal of saving money.

4. Founders of get-rich-quick programs aren’t rich, yet.

If you’ve ever been home on a Saturday afternoon, you’ve probably seen one of these paid advertisements on TV touting an ambiguous program on making thousands of dollars with little to no effort in a matter of weeks.

You’d expect the people, who teach you to get rich quick, to be rich as well. Right?

Now ask yourself: “why would someone, who knew the secret to achieve instant wealthy, contemplate sharing this knowledge with someone else?” Would you share these secrets if you were in this position? I sure wouldn’t. And, if I genuinely wanted to share the wealth, I wouldn’t charge you for it.

5. Spending isn’t saving.

An avid shopper may tell you that a sale is a once-in-a-lifetime event that mustn’t be missed. If such an awesome deal was never presented to us, would we have spent the money to buy something at a discount? If we didn’t have a super savings coupon, would we have even walked into the store?

Now, if we hadn’t bought anything, what wasn’t spent was saved. But, if we bought something and spent money, did we really save anything despite getting a discounted price?

We didn’t save – we just spent less, which is technically still considered spending.

I know I missed many other obvious financial concepts that must’ve influenced the way you handle money. Share the logical reasoning behind them so that other readers can benefit from the cold, hard truth!

(Photo credit: banjo d)

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Consumers buy, buy, and buy some more. Many of them shop to satisfy their compulsive need for something new, not necessarily something they need – I bet all of us can relate to this.

It’s the same old story. You buy it and then it gets your attention for a couple weeks. Slowly, you start caring less and less. Within a month or two, it is the last thing in the back of your mind – and your closet. Some time after this, you go out and buy something again to chase that feeling of getting new stuff.

And that’s the typical path towards massive consumer debt.

The weirdest part is that we acknowledge this repetitive pattern when we examine our spending habits but most of us continue to make this blatant mistake. Our desire for continual change keeps us buying and buying to induce material change in our lives by adding new things to our possession. And usually, these new things do not provide the everlasting, new experiences that we seek.

Mixing It Up
Instead, try to change the things you already have. Looks play a huge role in the feel of the things you have. Colors and designs have such an overwhelming effect on our moods and feelings so why not use this to your advantage – advertising companies do it to lure consumers like you and I.

During college, I don’t know what got into me but I was rearranging the furniture in my dorm room a couple times in a semester. I found that it rejuvenated the room and gave it a refreshing new look. Simply rearranging the desk, bed, and dresser allowed me to relive the moment when I just moved in. Everything served the same function but the new placement was invigorating. When things got boring, I’d move things around again – satisfying the crave for change.

At home, my worst enemy is clutter. My desk is my workspace and keeping it tidy is a daunting job on its own. But, it inevitably fills up with crap that I haven’t gotten around to dealing with. Useless objects find a cozy home on every inch of the table until I’m finally fed up with looking at such a mess. The clutter crept onto my desk and becomes a familiar part of my environment. So, to simply change the look, I clean it up! The table is exactly the same but it sure does feel new when I actually get to see it.

In the electronics department, there are plenty of other ways you can make things a little different. Some of the younger generations these days seem to have some sort of technological ADD. If you just check your “News Feed” in Facebook, some of your friends always seem to be changing their profile pictures. My younger cousins are part of this group. I’ve seen them change the wallpapers on their computers and the backgrounds on their phones all the time.

They Have to Look Different, Not New
The rule here is to achieve a sense of fresh unfamiliarity without the costs of buying something new – ideally, without buying anything at all. Actually, throwing out unnecessary items can also be counted at something different. No one ever said change had to come from more things.

• Rearrange the big stuff. Adding in a little disorientation to the normal routine could be productive and motivational.
• Clean up and organize. If it is dirty, cleaning it obviously renews it. Plus, there is a sanitary concerns here. Reorganize your stuff to their proper places so your whole environment feels “new”.
• Alter images and colors in your surroundings. Your eyes will get bored of staring at the same things day in and day out. Keep your eyes intrigued and excited.
• Buy (if you must) used. The term “used” causes picky buyers to squirm but it is “new” to whoever never had it. Used merchandise is fine as long as they work. Heck, almost all of us live in a “used” house or apartment.

There are probably many other ways to make your stuff look new. Creativity roams free here.

My advice spans as far as my experiences – what nifty ideas did you come up with to “mix things up” without the help of a credit card?

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As I’m writing this post, the temperatures in the New York City are flirting with the triple digits. Weather forecasters indicated that we are facing the hottest days in roughly a decade. Heat indexes are in the 100+ range and it was around 107 degrees(F) at one point.

Even though with this sweltering heat of the summer season, I’m quite comfortable living without an air conditioner.

An air conditioner is nice. There’s one in the living room. Sadly, my internet connection is spotty there. Plus, I’ve set up my room to be my ideal productive workspace. My situation has put me in a position where life without an air conditioner is beneficial in a few ways.

• Save on the electricity bill. The average air conditioning unit uses 12 times more electricity per hour than the average ceiling fan. That’s a ton of money right there.
• A greener, eco-friendly solution. I’m consuming less energy and playing my very small part in reducing my impact on the environment. The Energy Star label means nothing if I don’t use the appliance.
• Bragging rights. There has got to be a story here about how I survived 100-degree temperatures without an A/C.

Here are some tips I’d suggest from my summer, so far, without an air conditioner:

1. Wear minimal, loose clothing. Sometimes, I’ll put on a sleeveless shirt. But usually, I’m shirtless with shorts on. Or, you might prefer to take everything off (but be sure to read tip #5).
2. Drink cool water regularly. Hydration is important because it resupplies the water released through sweat (our bodies’ cooling mechanism) and it helps cool our bodies internally as well.
3. Use a fan. Our bodies emit heat that lingers around more so when temperatures are high. The fan creates a wind current that transfers the heat away (convection). It also cools us by speeding up evaporation of our sweat.
4. Stay close to ground level. Hot air tends to rise. This is why we typically aim the A/C towards the ceiling. Naturally, the upper floors of the house are significantly hotter than the basement (where I spend most of my time at home).
5. Shut window blinds, shades, and curtains. Sunlight can heat everything up very quickly (including you and your home). During the brightest hours of the day, I like to keep my room as dark as possible so the sunlight doesn’t bake me like an oven.
6. Close windows during the day and crack them open at night. When the temperature outside is hotter than it is inside, I’d prefer to keep the heat from coming in. It is much cooler with the windows closed and the fan on. As the night comes around and temperatures begin to drop, I’ll crack open the windows to let the heat out.
7. Remain calm. Of course, any type of physical activity will make us hotter. But in these temperatures, a sneeze or funny Youtube video is enough for you to break a sweat. I like to turn on Pandora Radio to some tranquil instrumental music and write.
8. Wet yourself with water. Water has a high specific heat capacity – meaning it is able to hold a good amount of heat. It helps remove heat from your body (like sweat). Many people keep a spray bottle with water on their desk. Once in a while, I’ll just wipe myself with a wet towel, then re-soak it and wrap it around my neck. Note: the head, neck, and chest are most sensitive to temperature changes.
9. Turn off unnecessary electronics. Anything that uses electricity will generate heat. When my laptop and phone is charged, I disconnect them from their chargers. I plug in my earphones instead of using the external speakers. The lights come on only when adequate vision is absolutely needed.

After a while, our bodies acclimate to the higher temperatures and it doesn’t seem so bad in the end. If the thermometer read 80 degrees, I’d think summer was over.

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When shopping online, it is very easy to get caught up in the anxiety of hitting the “Submit Order” button that we forget to do a few more things that can help us save more money. I’ve been guilty of missing out on coupon savings and online rebates in a bit of haste due to my excitement.

Just as easy as it is to find something and buy it on the Internet, it doesn’t require that much more work to save a few bucks.

Here are four money saving reminders during your online order checkout:

1. Search for coupons. You want to look for coupons first because they usually offer the most significant savings compared to everything else. I typically like to give these sites a rundown to see if there are any coupons available for my purchase:

• RetailMeNot.com – Popular website with coupons for over 50,000 merchants.
• CouponChief.com – Growing website with over 40,000 coupons for over 8,000 stores.
• Slickdealz.net Forums – Online forum community with threads dedicated to coupon sharing.
• FatWallet.com Forums – Another online forum with members who share coupons.
• eBay – #1 auction site where you can buy coupons and gift cards.

2. Check for educational discounts. If you are a college student or a member of the school faculty, you could be eligible for education discounts that could mean a bunch of savings. Popular merchants that offer educational discounts are:

• Dell
• Apple
• Hewlett Packard
• Adobe

3. Use online rebate programs. Shop through these websites and they give you a small percentage back because they earn commission for the referral. There is no risk and nothing to lose. Some of the top rebate sites are:

• Bing.com – The top cash back program for the most popular stores(program will be terminating on July 30).
• FatWallet.com – A one-stop destination for rebates, coupons, and hot deals.
• Ebates.com – A cash back site with promotional codes and coupons for over 1,200 stores.
• BigCrumbs.com – Another cash back site where you can shop from 570+ stores.

Your credit card may also have their own cash back or rewards program that pretty much acts like any other rebate program. They often cannot match the percentage offered by the sites stated above.

Tip: Do not sign up for too many different rebate programs. Stick to one or two. Otherwise, you’ll take forever to reach payout levels. You may even miss out on the cash back because you couldn’t reach payout – meaning you didn’t really save.

4. Always use your cash back or rewards credit card. This is a no-brainer… In fact, the only type of credit cards I have are cash back credit card so I’m always getting something back.

Tip: If you are using your cash back or rewards credit card through Paypal, always move any funds in your Paypal account into your bank account first. Having a $0 Paypal balance will mean you’d get the most cash back or rewards possible on your purchase.

How to Remind Yourself
Sure, you and I know that we should go through this list every time we are about to check out our order. But, when we are caught in the spur of the moment, it doesn’t come across our minds. We’re just anxious to receive that order confirmation in our email inboxes.

My trick to remind myself is:

I have a Post-It note stuck over the digits of my credit card number with “THE LIST” written on it. The credit card is the only thing in the whole shopping process that would grab my attention because I must take it out to make my payment. With the Post-It reminder covering the credit card number, I’ll be sure to check this list – hopefully be able to save some money.

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Most shoppers, including myself, have come to rely on online reviews when it comes to making Internet purchases. After reading some of these comments, I’ve come to realize that some of them are blatant (and useless) misrepresentations of the product being reviewed. Online customer reviews play a large role on our purchases on web so it is worth it delve into the matter.

An Innate Bias
When we know what we want, the urge to actually own it can prevent us from recognizing what could possibly be wrong with it. If you’re like me, you probably look at every positive review and feel yourself inching that much closer to hitting the “Add to Cart” button.

Good reviews reinforce our purchasing decisions. Despite the possibility of genuine negative reviews, the sheer dominance of positive reviews blinds us from buying something that is either faulty or something we don’t really want. Sadly, the bad stuff is more important than the praises.

Here are a few points I stick to when researching customer reviews online:

• Read 5-star and 1-star reviews carefully. Shoppers who give 5-star and 1-star ratings could be either too giddy or too frustrated. Comments from these shoppers on the extreme ends of the spectrum of the customer base tell only one side of the story. Some reviews can even be from the company or the company’s competitors.
• Look for mediocre reviews with positives and negatives. Fair reviews will often contain pros and cons. Some online shoppers read only 2-star to 4-star reviews because it shows that the reviewer actually gave some thought into their comments and ratings.
• Only a moment in time. Reviews represent an opinion at one point in time. While most customers could state their comments based on a period of usage, I cannot know what complications they may encounter later down the road. Some sites allow customers to post updates to their initial reviews and I find those to be quite helpful and informative.
• Disregard valueless comments. Satisfied customers posting “Excellent” ratings with descriptions like “Thanks so much. Super fast shipping and a great product!” is an example of a useless review. They simply reaffirmed what a business is supposed to do. A review is constructive when it provides insight regarding extraordinary or sub-par/disastrous situations.
• Take notice of common problems. I tend to distinguish the prevailing negative denominator when I skim through the pages of customer reviews. If there is a problem with a good portion of the customers, there is a good chance it’ll occur with your order as well. So, I take reviews with similar comments into consideration before finalizing my purchase.

A review from a possible competitor (redirects you to another product):

“The iPhone is a horrendous piece of technology that will never do what you really want it to. You pay so much for the phone and the overpriced AT&T service. Get a Blackberry, you’ll get more work done.”

A review that doesn’t do squat for me:

“This cable is the BEST. Don’t buy $100 HDMI cables. Great bang for the buck!”

A review that I would consider before buying:

“This external hard drive is small, compact, very convenient, and I can take it on the go at a moment’s notice. When it is plugged in for a while, it can heat up rather quickly which makes me scared of drive failure. The drive has on several occasions disconnected because it wasn’t getting enough power from my laptop, so keep that in mind when making large transfers.”

Avoid 100% Reliance on Reviews
Reviews are a great tool for deciding whether I should or should not buy something. I prefer having previous customers tell me of their experiences and thoughts. During the winter, I bought a coat that had a several customer reviews of it having loose buttons. Despite acknowledging a flaw, I went ahead with it because I knew someone who could fix it up. And not to my surprise, the buttons did fall off relatively soon. So as you can see, reviews can be an advantage to a savvy shopper.

But, of course, total reliance on reviews could result in misguidance. Make them a small part of your online shopping research. If possible, walk into a brick-and-mortar store and try it out. Check their return policy in case it doesn’t meet your expectations.

(Photo credit: joeltelling)

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Yes, I graduated. And yes, I receive student discounts despite no longer being a college student.

Many colleges and universities will normally take your student ID from you on the day of graduation – a subtle way of barring you from accessing any of there facilities after you’ve completed your time with them. (An alumni card does not qualify you as a student and therefore would not justify a ‘student’ discount.)

Back in school, those with a student ID were entitled discounts for haircuts, Chinese takeout, movie tickets, train tickets, Microsoft Office, and probably a whole bunch of other goodies that I’ve never taken advantage of purchasing at a good price. For some reason, my university didn’t require the surrender of student IDs (at least not for me).

At the time, I just thought, “Hey, it would be a good souvenir” but it turns out it has actually helped me saved some serious money. Even though I have moved back home to NYC, there are still a few instances when a student discount didn’t hurt.

• Museums
  New York City is the home of many tourist hotspots such as the American Museum of Natural History, Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, and the MoMA. A regular adult ticket could cost upwards of $16. With a student ID, the ticket price could be reduced by 25-40%. It added up to bunch of savings for me as I visited them.
• The Apple Store!!
  Actually, it was much to my surprise that Apple offered educational discounts. Frankly, I believe loyal customers would pay for their popular products even if they didn’t offer educational pricing. No complaints here as I was looking for new laptop. Showing them my old student ID got me $100 off on my MacBook Pro. Too bad there were no student discounts for my iPhone – and there are none for the iPad, yet.

Doesn’t Hurt to Try
Should I be ashamed that I am abusing this privilege despite the fact that I’m no longer a student? If you could flash a card and get a discount (no matter how small), wouldn’t you do it too? So, no, I do not feel bad for doing so.

As long as my face continues to resemble the photo on my student ID, I’d try to take advantage of any possibility of a student discount. For all they know, I could be 30 years old and be attending graduate school. I’ve got student loans to pay so these discounts would sure help with that.

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