Fixing A Cracked iPhone For Less Than A Dollar
Dec 13th
I’ve dropped my iPhone so many times this past year without consequence. Finally, my negligence has caught up with me. In my sleepless daze during finals, I dropped my phone face down on concrete, cracking the complete top half of the screen.
After waiting in line at the AT&T store for almost an hour, I found out that it would take almost $300 to fix it. That’s more than the price of a new phone! Determined, I figured out my own method of fixing my beloved phone.
What Are You Listening To?
Dec 5th
Last.fm is a music profile that updates what music you’ve been listening to on your computer or mp3 player. You can compare your musical compatibility with friends or even get music recommendations.
Your profile lists what you’re currently listening to, your top listened artists, and your top listened tracks. Everything is tracked by a lightweight app that “scrobbles” your music when you play it through iTunes or any media player, and even scrobbles iPod plays. You can sign up for Last.fm here.
What I’ve Learned After 6 Years of Investing
Nov 21st
It is possible to make a fortune off of the stock market. When I was 16, I read stories about average people making millions from investments. I was inspired, and I signed up for a ShareBuilder account thinking I could do the same. Well, I never ended up as a stock market mogul, but I eventually came to find investments as an important tool nonetheless.
Do it for the Right Reasons
Investing seemed so appealing to me at 16 because I only thought of it as a way to get rich quick. I quickly found out that the instant gratification method of investing was neither instant nor gratifying without hardcore knowledge, research, and a little bit of luck. My first problem was income. As a college student, I barely had money to invest, if any. That meant that I was buying and selling stocks with chump change, and you can imagine the meager returns I was receiving. Having to monitor the highs and lows of the stock market was just not worth it.
After adjusting my methods a little bit, I learned how to make the stock market work for me. It wasn’t about the fast money anymore. Monthly (and now weekly) investments, regardless of stock price, allowed me to put my money in what I considered a long term fund. I don’t plan on taking any money out of it for at least a decade, allowing for a much higher yield given the current trend. I will explain my strategy in another post, but I’ve been making 12% profit on the money I’ve been putting in.
Have a Plan
Seems simple enough. Originally, my plan was to gain a fabulous amount of wealth. Now that I’m almost graduating college, I’m just trying to save up for big things, like a down payment on my first home, buying a car, and other big purchases. I can even save up for retirement. Whatever the reason you are investing, make sure you keep that goal in mind as you invest.
Be Consistent
Investing on a regular schedule was a game changer. Being consistent with my investing allowed my profits to be just as consistent. This was difficult for me at first, because I didn’t have a regular job for the first three years of college. I eventually devoted a very small percent of my budget into my investments, and treated it like I didn’t have the money to spend in the first place. As my income grew, however, I was able to devote more resources into my portfolio.
So these are a few things I’ve learned as a young investor. I’ve read so many articles on how great an early start to investing can be. It’s a powerful vehicle to protect against inflation, and if you get your resources together, I strongly suggest at least giving it a try.