When it comes to paying for college or grad school, sometimes you just have to think outside the box.

Consider this, – many colleges charge just as much for room and board as they do for tuition. What if you could do away with this major educational expense?

Well many have. Becoming a residential advisor can provide the golden ticket to an affordable education.

RAs are typically entrusted with making the dorm lives of 20 to 40 students easier by planning events, providing academic resources, mediating disputes, and generally helping students adjust to the challenges of college life.

I can personally attest to the fact that the job can be demanding at times, but the benefits are more than worth it. As an RA, students often receive a free room, usually a coveted single unit without all the inconveniences of a roommate. And at a large number of universities, RAs are provided with free meal plans as well.

That’s why a typical student can save between $7,000 and $12,000 a year through one of the most coveted jobs on campus.

Although I missed the RA bandwagon as an undergraduate, as a graduate student serving as a resident advisor saved me over $55,000. That’s no small chunk of change.

Additional perks such as book allowances, small stipends, and first crack at registering for courses often sweeten the pot. Colleges also fill other positions like summer resident advisors, special program coordinators, and tutors with students from their corp of resident advisors.

The job can be a lot of fun, not to mention the great connections you make with fellow RAs and the close relationships you develop with your residents.

And when it comes to applying for a job, the leadership skills you develop as an RA become a true asset.

RA positions are usually not offered to freshmen, but if you’re an upperclassmen or graduate student looking for a way to slay educational costs, consider applying for this financially beneficial position.

Check with your school’s office of residential living for more information. It could be the best financial move you make.

I love the latest iPad. As a tech junkie nerd, the new iPad3 retina display, 4G LTE connectivity, and 5MP camera have me itching to pull out the credit card.

But truth be told, I don’t need it.

My four year old laptop gets the job done just fine.

Our consumer oriented society is always plugging the next best thing, the next “gotta-have” item. Automobile commercials seductively suggest that our current car isn’t good enough. Reality television shows like the Housewives series continually portray a lifestyle we all “should aspire to.” Everywhere we turn, we’re told that we need more.

But this constant “quest for more” has left many of us in the poorhouse, struggling with mounting credit card bills and woefully underfunded retirement accounts.

When exactly will we be satisfied?

How do we break the addiction of “wanting more?”

It could be as simple as appreciating what we already have. Learn to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

Far too often we concentrate on what we don’t have instead of expressing gratitude for the blessings we’ve already received.

Try this. Every evening before you go to bed take a few minutes to reflect on the blessings in your life. Each night write down five things you are thankful for in an abundance journal.

Perhaps they are material possessions, your nourishing relationships, or the simple moments that brought you joy that day. No matter how big or small, take the time to acknowledge the abundance in your life. It will do wonders for your soul.

And in the process you’ll make yourself more immune from the constant urge to buy while creating the freedom to build a secure financial future.

Your turn. Do regularly take the time to appreciate all that you have?

Women are becoming America’s primary breadwinners.

That’s the cover story in this week’s Time magazine and subject of a new book by author Liza Mundy.

Nearly 40% of working wives now out-earn their husbands. Within a generation women will make up the majority of primary breadwinners.

“Assuming present trends continue, by the next generation, more families will be supported by women than by men. Not since women entered the workforce by the millions after World War II has America witnessed economic change on this scale,” explains Mundy.

The trend of female economic empowerment has been building for decades, fueled in large part by the rise of the Pill. Birth control provided the freedom to pursue education and careers without the interference of an unplanned pregnancy.

Economic shifts also contributed as large swaths of the American manufacturing base were jettison overseas, taking along with them the high paying jobs that once allowed working-class men to provide a comfortable life for their families.

With the decline of American manufacturing and rise of the information and technology age its brainpower rather than brawn that reigns supreme. And when it comes to education women are leaving their male counterparts behind.

Sixty percent of all college graduates and the majority of masters and doctorate degree recipients are women. Soon it’s expected that high paying and intellectually challenging fields like law and medicine will become female dominated domains.

The new economic order will challenge ingrained gender stereotypes and create new challenges and anxieties in the process.

Men like Danny Hawkins, featured in the Time magazine article, will increasingly take on the roles of househusbands. Hawkins takes care of his two daughters and is treasurer of the PTA and homeowners association while his wife serves as a top executive at Henry Ford Health System.

But will society ultimately deem men like Hawkins weak and unworthy because they cannot keep pace with their spouse’s achievements? How will men react when their defining role as family breadwinner becomes usurped? And will women secretly begin to resent having to serve as the family’s primary breadwinner?

Time will only tell. The only certainty is that women will have greater influence in the workplace, and that will make all of our lives better.

To learn more about the upcoming economic shifts, read the cover story in this week’s Time magazine, or check out Liza Mundy’s new release, The Richer Sex: How the New Majority of Female Breadwinners Is Transforming Sex, Love and Family.

If you found a cell phone could you resist the urge to peek around?

That’s the question a recent study by internet security firm Symantec sought to answer, and the results are frightening.

Cells phones were purposefully “lost” in several US and Canadian cities. Yet, these weren’t any ordinary cell phones. They contained tracking software that allowed researchers to following activity on the phones.

So what exactly happened when people came across one of Symantec’s “lost” phones?:

• 43% percent of people clicked on the phone’s online banking app
• 53% clicked on a file entitled “HR salaries”
• 57% tried to open a file on the phone named “saved passwords”
• 60% tried to check the phone’s personal email
• 72% attempted to open a folder labeled “private photos”

It appears we can’t resist the temptation.

But just as discouraging, just 50% of people who happened upon a “lost” cell phone attempted to return it, even though owner information was readily accessible.

With the increasing popularity of smart phones our private lives could be at risk, including access to crucial financial information.

Perhaps the greatest take-home lesson is that now, more than ever, password protecting your cell phone could be one of the smartest moves you make.

To read more about Symantec’s ingenious study, visit MSNBC.com.

Photo Credit: Dillon K Hoops

We live in a world that tells us we can have it all, all the time. Perhaps that’s the sad reason most of us are living paycheck to paycheck.

But if we’re truthful with ourselves, we’ll realize that we don’t need it all. In fact, a lot of the stuff we buy brings us only fleeting enjoyment.

Instead of listening to Madison Avenue tell us what we should desire, perhaps we should take the time to find out what truly brings us satisfaction.

Spend money on what makes you happy, and cut back feverishly on those things that add little value. This is perhaps the easiest way to enjoy life while building a secure financial future.

If travel is your priority then perhaps cutting back on purchasing a new car every four years is in order. Have a love for fine dining? Then resist purchasing the latest and greatest electronic gear.

Need help distinguishing between those things that bring you joy and those things that can be tossed aside? Try the smile test. Get out your credit card statements. Take a look at each purchase.

Did you really need it?

Did it bring you lasting value?

Did it bring you just a momentary, fleeting high, or worse yet, is it sitting like the rest of your junk on the closet floor?

Take particular note of the purchases that bring a smile to your face. Perhaps it was the the family trip to Florida or the new Ipad you bought. This is where you should focus your spending.

No, we don’t need it all, just the things that truly bring us value and enjoyment.

And instead of wasting money on things that bring little value, use that money to wipe out debt and build wealth.

Photo Credit: Danielle Bauer

OK, I’m a die hard store surfer.

What exactly is store surfing?

It’s the practice of shopping at more than one supermarket chain, cherry picking the absolute best deals from each chain.

Most supermarkets offer lucrative sales to lure you into the store. Of course, while you’re picking up these “loss leaders,” the grocery store is expecting you to stick around and shop for the rest of your grocery needs.

But why? Who says you need to be loyal to one supermarket chain? I encourage you to play the field. Cherry pick the absolute best deals at all the grocery chains in your area.

I typically shop all three major Chicago chains, – Jewel-Osco, Dominick’s, and Meijer.
I’m looking to find what I need from whichever store is offering it at the lowest possible price.

Milk, rice, sugar, and peanut butter might be purchased on sale at one store, with cookies, butter, pasta and bread purchased on sale at another. Cereal, salad, hamburger might be purchased at a third chain.

In particular, I’m searching for products near the lowest price in their sales cycles.

Let me explain.

Every product in a grocery store has a natural sales cycle. One week, for instance, you’ll find a specific brand of spaghetti sauce on sale at a 15% discount. Three weeks later you may find it on sale at 35% off the regular price.

But every so often an item will be discounted 50% or more, often in the form of a “buy one get one free” sale. This is when you should pounce and stock up on a few week’s worth.

The more supermarket chains you patronize, the easier it is to find the items you need at the biggest discounts. Cherry picking the sales from each store is simply delicious.

I try never to buy anything unless it’s discounted 30% or more, but typically shoot for savings in the 40% to 50% range. This allows me to shave thousands off my shopping bill every year.

Perhaps you’re asking, “What about the extra gas you’re going to use running to different stores?” Well to be honest the extra gas I spend is nearly insignificant.

In the competitive supermarket industry, many supermarket chains locate stores near their competitors, especially in mid-sized and large metropolitan areas. Where I shop, for instance, a Dominick’s is located directly across the street from a Jewel-Osco supermarket, with a Meijer grocery store just a few miles away.

Now admittedly if you live in an area where stores are few and far between, this tactic may not work for you. But, even in many smaller cities, different supermarket chains can be found within 5 to 10 miles of each other.

Considering that most cars get at least 20 miles per gallon, shopping an extra store or two could cost you a fraction of a gallon of gas, well worth the price of being able to cut your grocery bill by 30% or more.

What about the time it takes to stop at more than one store? To this question I answer, we have time to watch television, play video games, tweet and use Facebook. Surely we can find the time to save hard earned money.

If your grocery chains are in close proximity to each other, the extra time needed to achieve savings is greatly reduced. And, if you’re really concerned about time and gas, consider store surfing from the comfort of your own living room.

Purchase the Sunday paper to obtain the sales circulars from all the grocery chains in your area. Identify the best deals and then shop at a supermarket that accepts competitors’ sale prices.

Being faithful to one supermarket chain will cost you. To save serious cash it simply pays to shop around.

How about you? What are some of the ways you save on groceries?

It’s no secret that creating a shopping list is one of the best ways to save money at the grocery store. But you don’t want to settle for just any ordinary run of the mill grocery list.

No, you want one that will slash your food costs to the bone and literally put thousands of dollars in your pocket every year.

How do you that?

Begin by shopping the sales. That’s right, let the grocery circular serve as your guide. Each week peruse the Sunday paper or online grocery circulars to build your week’s meals, and subsequently your shopping list.

If chicken breast are on sale, for instance, your family should be expecting to eat chicken a few nights of the week. If Apple juice is on sale two for the price of one, expect to be drinking Apple juice in the house. Same goes for side dishes, snacks, and desserts. Why pay full price when you don’t have to?

Before you complete your shopping list, check your cupboards or fridge for items you can use to create meals for the week. The hamburger in the freezer might go well with the taco dinner kits that are on sale.

Finally, search your coupon file for manufacturers’ coupons that you can combine with the store sales for super savings. Don’t forget to check Google or Bing. It’s as simple as typing your grocery list item along with a phrase like “online manufacturer coupon” to find additional coupons you can take advantage of.

When you create a shopping list with savings in mind, you guarantee that you’ll keep more of your hard earned money in your pocket.

I’m amazed at how people pay vastly different prices for the very same item.

One person pays $450 for a flight while the person next to her is charged only $275. One family walks into a showroom and shells out $18,900 for a new car, while another pays just $17,200 for the same vehicle.

The same thing happens with groceries. As consumers we pay vastly different prices for essentially the same food. Smart shoppers, for instance, pay up to 75% less for their bread and bakery products. Their simple secret is the bakery outlet.

OK, I know what you’re thinking. Aren’t bakery outlets the last refuge for outcasts discarded by your local supermarket?

After some research, I discovered that bakery outlets are simply not allowed to sell outdated merchandise. In fact, I found the “sell by” dates at bakery outlets comparable to those at nearby supermarkets. In many cases the bakery outlets stocked fresher merchandise.

Outlets receive products directly from the company bakery. In the Chicago area, for instance, Wonder/Hostess bakery outlets receive shipments directly from the bakery three to five times a week!

I’ll admit, I passed by many bakery outlets but never considered stopping until I heard about the great money people were saving. The first bakery outlet I visited was an Entenmann’s bakery outlet located on the north side of Chicago.

As with many outlets, this one was located in a small nondescript building in the middle of a strip mall. Particularly reassuring was the large sign on the wall that greeted you as you entered: “If you are not happy with your purchase for any reason you can return it for a full refund.”

I found that you’ll typically pay 50% to 75% less for bread and bakery goods at a bakery outlet compared to a conventional supermarket. The savings quickly add up. A loaf of bread, for example, that set me back $2.79 at the supermarket cost me only $1.50 at the outlet. A $3.29 pack of English muffins cost $1.65.

And most outlets sell much more than bread. You’ll likely find hot dog rolls, hamburger buns, bagels, English muffins, pita pockets, pizza crusts, and cereals, as well as donuts, muffins, cakes, and pies.

On my first visit, a very friendly elderly lady approached me. With a huge smile, she explained that she buys items for her whole family, including her adult children. Her secret, she readily offered, is to place the bread and other goodies in the freezer as soon as she gets home.

When she needs fresh bread or baked goods she simply turns to the freezer for a long-lasting supply of cheap food. And she was not alone. Most of the shoppers at the outlet were busy filling their shopping carts to the rim.

I’ve taken her advice to heart and have frozen English muffins, bagels, and other items for use later. I was especially surprised that the donuts held up so well and couldn’t tell the difference between my thawed donuts and those I would normally have purchase at the supermarket.

I have to admit, I was once skeptical of bakery outlets, but now it actually pains me to pay full price for my bread, English muffins, and donuts at the supermarket when I can’t make it to my local outlet.

To find an outlet near you, simply turn to the internet. Entenmann’s Bakery Outlet locations, for instance, can be found on the Entenmann’s website.

In this tough economy it’s good to know there’s some place you can still find a good deal.

I love sharing the great personal finance articles that I find on the web. Here is my list of this week’s great web gems:

Why Following The Crowd Can Spell Financial Disaster

When it comes to your money, following the crowd is not always the best decision. Find out how personal finance expert L. Marie Joseph zigs when others zags in order to achieve financial freedom.

There Are Only Three Job Interview Questions

If you’re in the job market you realize that mastering the interview is the key to success. But did you know that there are truly only three job interview questions? Find out what they are and how to master them on your next interview.

She Saved $280,000 for Retirement: You Can Do Better

Despite never earning more than $9,000 a year, laundry woman Oseola McCarty saved $280,000 for retirement. If she can do it, so can you.

Find Your Escape Route To Financial Freedom

Personal finance blogger Patrenia Spears has created a special e-book entitled, “An Escape Route to Financial Freedom.” She reveals the six pathways that will help you create lasting change in your life. Download your free copy here.

If You’re Not Successful, The Problem May Be YOU

Why can’t you get your business off the ground? Why don’t you have more twitter followers? Why isn’t your product launch taking off? Social media expert Lamar Tyler says the problem may be YOU. Find out what you can do to improve your chances for success with his hard hitting video.

Every time you swipe your loyalty rewards card or use your department store credit card you’re giving merchants valuable information that is collected, reviewed and analyzed.

Your toothpaste or magazine purchase may not seem like much to you, but for corporate American it’s vital information that’s used to shape the way you shop and spend money.

In his recent column, New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg sheds light on exactly how effective merchants are at using our shopping data, so effective that they can even predict which customers are pregnant.

And why not? Expectant parents, as it turns out, are the Holy Grail for retailers. According to Duhigg:

“… among life events, none are more important than the arrival of a baby. At that moment, new parents’ habits are more flexible than at almost any other time in their adult lives. If companies can identify pregnant shoppers, they can earn millions.”

And while most merchants try to reach these coveted consumers as soon as their new bundles of joy arrive, Target attempted to reach this lucrative market as earlier as the second trimester of pregnancy.

How?

By mining the volumes of data they collect every day on their customers. If a customer all of suddenly starts buying unscented lotion or hand sanitizer, for instance, it could signal they were expecting. By identifying numerous such pregnancy “buying signals” Target could accurately predict which of its shoppers were expecting.

According to the Times article:

“The only problem is that identifying pregnant customers is harder than it sounds. Target has a baby-shower registry, and Pole started there, observing how shopping habits changed as a woman approached her due date, which women on the registry had willingly disclosed. He ran test after test, analyzing the data, and before long some useful patterns emerged. Lotions, for example. Lots of people buy lotion, but one of Pole’s colleagues noticed that women on the baby registry were buying larger quantities of unscented lotion around the beginning of their second trimester. Another analyst noted that sometime in the first 20 weeks, pregnant women loaded up on supplements like calcium, magnesium and zinc. Many shoppers purchase soap and cotton balls, but when someone suddenly starts buying lots of scent-free soap and extra-big bags of cotton balls, in addition to hand sanitizers and washcloths, it signals they could be getting close to their delivery date.

As Pole’s computers crawled through the data, he was able to identify about 25 products that, when analyzed together, allowed him to assign each shopper a “pregnancy prediction” score. More important, he could also estimate her due date to within a small window, so Target could send coupons timed to very specific stages of her pregnancy.
And it’s not just baby business that Target was looking to snatch. They know full well that the mom or dad shopping for baby products is likely to pick up other household products in the process.”

But how would expectant parents react to receiving coupons from Target for baby products? Would they be “weirded out” by a company knowing about such an intimate event seemingly out of the blue? It seems Target had this covered as well. Simply mix the baby coupons in with coupons for totally unrelated products. Just like that, mommy-to-be has no idea she’s being targeted.

According to one Target executive:

“…we started mixing in all these ads for things we knew pregnant women would never buy, so the baby ads looked random. We’d put an ad for a lawn mower next to diapers. We’d put a coupon for wineglasses next to infant clothes. That way, it looked like all the products were chosen by chance.”

But expectant parents aren’t the only ones on Target’s or any other retailers’ radar screens.

According to Duhigg, there are several points in our lives during which our shopping habits are open to change. These periods provide retailers with the opportunity to snag our business in the hopes of creating new long-term customers. Recent newlyweds, college graduates, and divorcees are just a few of the groups on retailers’ hot lists. And everyday we hand them the data that makes their job all the easier.

What’s your take? Is retailer data mining creepy, or is it what we should come to expect with shopping in the new Millennium?

Photo Credit: Mr. T in DC