$1 fountain drinks are back at McDonalds. From now until Sept 6, 2010, you can get any size fountain drink for only $1, any time of day. Iced coffee is also included on the list of drinks.
Don't forget you can also refill your soft drink when your drink it in the restaurant. You can drink so much pop that your teeth will rot off from the sugar.
We spend a majority of our youth in school where we strive to get good grades. Good grades are important since they can lead to acceptance to a prestigious university or college. Also, with good enough grades it can lead to scholarships and one day graduate school. However in the "real world" educational success doesn't necessarily equate to financial intelligence or the guarantee of greater earning power. After all some of the wealthiest people in the world didn't even get their university degree (Bill Gates, Mike Lazaridis, Richard Branson and John D. Rockefeller).
This isn't a message against higher education. Instead, it's a message of the importance of your credit rating. When you approach a bank to get a mortgage for a home, they'll ask to look at your financial report card and much of it is contained in your credit score. No banker will care how you did in Econ 101 or Introduction to Basket Weaving. They will try to gauge your reliability for paying your bills on time and whether or not it will be risky to lend you a large amount of money.
That being said what's the best way to protect your credit score? Pay your bills on time! Ideally you would pay your credit card bills in full every month, but if you can't, at least make the minimum payments. Your credit score gets dinged when you miss a payment. Also, applying for several credit cards will ding your credit score. When you're automatically approved for a card that's fine, your score can be effected when you're actively searching for credit.
Canadian credit scores vary between 300 to 900. 300 being dreadful and 900 being the best possible score. Having a high score is like having an excellent bargaining chip during mortgage rate negotiations. People with high scores can negotiate a lower interest rate and save tons in the process. So be sure to protect yours!
Here's a video for students who want to develop a good credit rating. Also included are frequently asked questions from student investors:
There are different definitions of buying in bulk. Bulk buying usually means purchasing a large quantity of an item at a discount. In other cases it means purchasing a product per unit weight instead of a pre-determined amount. This is exactly the way you purchase things at Bulk Barn.
Buying per unit weight is a great way to save when you only need a small quantity of goods. For instance a cup of flour or fistful of prunes. I find that you're probably not saving very much when you need larger quantities and that you'll probably be spending more shopping this way. For larger quantities you're probably better off going to Wal-Mart for what you need.
It all comes down to how much you need and when you're planning to use it. If your purchasing perishable items than its best to purchase the amount you need, rather than going to Costco and getting a bathtub full of olives because the price per unit weight is unbeatable. There is a good chance of spoilage and that'll be money down the drain.
If you're a fan of buying by unit weight there's a great discount on Wednesdays at Bulk Barn for students and seniors. If you're neither, than befriend a student or bring gramps to your next Bulk Barn expedition.
Also check out this video on the "Bulk Buying Queen":
Wouldn't it be great if you loved your job so much that you'd do it even if you weren't getting paid for it. Unfortunately, your car doesn't run on love nor does love put food on the table. The reality is that somewhere along the line we have to compromise. We need to find a job that pays a decent salary and where going into work doesn't drive you absolutely postal.
Personally, I think that entrepreneurship is the way to go. Being your own boss is one of the most rewarding pursuits. Every ounce of energy that you put into your business will impact the bottom line, you will have absolute freedom over your life and exceptional tax breaks (Check out: start-small.html). That being said you will need marketable skills and capital to start your own business. With schooling (Check out: got-student-debt.html) and job experience you can work your way towards that goal.
When choosing a job we want to make sure that the skills we acquire will be in demand. Demand can be measured through the salary you're paid. This is not the perfect measuring tool (but if markets were 100% efficient) than salaries would be close to representing the value of specific skills and knowledge. To find out what a specific job pays check out Payscale. This is an awesome site where you can search specific job titles to see what the average salaries are, where the highest salaries are being paid and a bunch of other stats. http://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Country=Canada/Salary
Got junk? Try posting online ads in your local area for stuff you're trying to get rid of. You will be surprised by how many people want to snap up great deals on items you may be throwing out anyways. Kijiji is a great site that allows you to post classified ads for free! Visit it today: http://www.kijiji.ca/
It's best to sell things that are in relatively good condition (no used underwear). My recommendation would be to find the regular retail price online for the item you are trying to sell and reduce the price by 20-60% depending on the condition. People who are browsing through the ads on Kijiji are generally looking for a deal so if you are charging the same amount it costs to get the same item new than you won't be selling it anytime soon. Try to be reasonable and you should be able to turn your trash into cash.
I was able to sell an old board game that I wasn't playing for $20. It's a great way to clear space in the garage or basement and earn a couple extra bucks. Kijiji is not limited to just selling items either, you can also advertise your skills and services such as tutoring, hair dressing, or any other trade.
Finally, you can browse Kijiji for free stuff. People are often trying to get rid of things like old furniture. As long as you can haul it away for them, you can often get it free of charge. So be sure to browse through the free stuff category periodically, it's a great way to furnish a dorm room.
$1 fountain drinks are back at McDonalds. From now until Sept 6, 2010, you can get any size fountain drink for only $1, any time of day. Iced coffee is also included on the list of drinks.
