Every time I shop for a deal online, I always give eBay a gander even though I hate selling stuff on eBay. If I do find something for a great price, I have a routine so that I can get a lot of cash back.

All it takes is a cashback credit card, an account at a cashback rebate site, and an account in the prestigious eBay Bucks program.

These are the places I get cash back from:

• FatWallet.com. There are many other cash back shopping sites out there but I’m a loyal FatWallet user so I stick with them even those their affiliation with eBay only gives the users 1% cashback. I always visit FatWallet first to use the tracking link to eBay.

• eBay Bucks. Since I was lucky enough to be invited to this program, it never hurt to sign up and get 2% cashback every time I shopped on eBay. Even if the rewards are applied to future purchases, it is much better than nothing.

• Cashback Citicard. The main reason I got a credit card was for the cash back. So, I’m going to abuse it whenever I can. Once again, 1% is not much but it adds up. Because eBay Bucks works only when I use Paypal, I usually move my Paypal balance into my bank account and use the credit card through Paypal.

A few days ago, I purchased 1GB RAM for $33.97 and used everything listed above. My total cashback was $1.36… Every penny counts in personal finance.

Although the economy seems to be recovering slightly, we’re still deep in the whole that it has created. The college graduates of 2009 are suffering from one of the toughest job markets in a long time. Many of my friends are either jobless, studying for a professional exam, or returning to school.

As a recent graduate myself, I’ve found it quite difficult even to land a small part-time paid position in addition to my current internship. From my hours spent applying to different jobs, I’ve realized that companies seem to have altered their hiring process to match the current economic state.

Here are some things job-hunters may have noticed:

• Internships are becoming increasingly popular. Companies are using internships (often unpaid) to gather manpower for their business. As we said before, experience is always welcome. Since many jobs don’t hire you unless you have experience, you are left with internships. It is also a way to gauge and assess a possible candidate for a future permanent position. If an internship seems fun and fulfilling, do it even if it isn’t paid. The experience is priceless.
• A need for multiple resumes and cover letters exists. History and personal accounts have told us that many people don’t end up in the same field of work as the degree stated on their diplomas. I have three different resumes and cover letters that target the specific position for which I am applying. Since not all experiences need to be listed, it is better to have solid resumes with related work experience that are specific to the different positions you are interested in.
• Networking is more important than ever. A good relationship is the name of the game. People will help other people if they are able to connect. Companies always give priority to those who were referred by employees already in the companies. The web has contributed to the evolution of networking but always be careful with how you use social networking for your career.

If the job search fails miserably, suing for a reimbursement of college tuition may be a great way to whine about it (but probably not a good idea).

Photo credit: Daquella manera

In the financial world, the word “credit” is used to hide the word “debt”. If we replaced all financial terms that has the word “credit” with the word “debt”, we’ll probably find yourself less likely to utilize our “debt cards”.

When we are asked, “what is your credit?”, we usually answer with our FICO credit score or maybe “good” or “great”. We do not fully understand how our credit is calculated. Closing a credit card account can hurt your credit? It may not make total sense but we have no control over the terms that regulate the effects of what we do on our credit.

Swiping the plastic has been made too easy. We just don’t see the money flowing out. Logging into your bank account and seeing $1,000 is much less impacting than having $1,000 in cash in front of you. The same goes for using a credit card. We’d all be much more unwilling to part with ten $100 bills than just seeing $1,000 printed on a credit card receipt.

The credit card is a mere representation of a loan agreement. If every single time that we used a credit card, the cashier gave us a 5-page document to sign, how often do you think we’d borrow to pay for something? The creation of the credit card hides this from the consumers so they don’t feel the burden that they are taking responsibility for.

Got bad credit? Sorry. You can’t buy that home, can’t get that job, can’t rent that apartment, can’t buy that car and can’t get that lovely cell phone plan for your iPhone. But, guess what? You need credit to get more credit. Without it, you will not have the ability to enjoy many of the luxuries that life has to offer.

We have no choice but to abide by the system. Stepping outside to see how dangerous credit can be will hopefully discourage us from relying too much on it.

Photo credit: Andres Rueda

The buzz over the government’s cash-for-clunkers program has been extraordinary. It has surpassed the pessimism of skeptics who thought this program will not work. In just the past week, many car owners have traded in their clunkers for a more fuel efficient vehicle.

The car commercials swarming the televisions offering the program certainly played a major role in its success. In less than one week, the CARS (Car Allowance Rebate System) as exhausted the $1 billion budget that was set to run until November 2009.

Yesterday night served to be a hectic one for government officials to try to get more money to fund this very popular program. With President Obama’s unequivocal support for the program, the U.S. House has voted to infuse another $2 billion to keep Cash-for-Clunkers alive.

Ford has reported a substantial increase in sales since the program has started. This has proven to be a well-received stimulus plan for the auto companies and the economy.

The program will probably play a big part in the revival of the automobile industry. Plus, the government probably won’t let the momentum drop off as we are heading towards economic stability. It may be a great time to get that new ride and to fain a little more interest in investing in the troubled auto companies.

Photo credit: ames sf