$aving Money

The economy is shit right now, we all know it. Millions of people have been affected by it, and as a result are cutting costs of all kinds (my family included). I thought since tons of people could relate to this, I would make a post on ways to save money using the internet, since we use it so much.

The first is the obvious idea- shopping online. While some products are the same, if not more expensive online than in-store, there are millions of exclusive online sales and deals that aren't available in person. Most stores offer them... you just have to check their sites frequently or get their emails to know when the sales are.

eBay- a great way to buy something (at the expense that it could be pre-owned) for extremely cheap, or to make some money by selling things. There are both auction and immediate purchase options, so there's a solution for everyone. Amazon.com is similar to eBay- you can purchase used items for SUPER cheap (including textbooks) and sell things. Amazon has virtually anything and everything you'd ever want or need to buy. The tricky part with these sites is that most products are sold by independent sellers, so tricks and scams are lingering out there.

Promo codes- not that many people are into these, but they can save you a great deal of money. You know when you go to buy something online, and there's always a box that says PROMOTIONAL CODE? APPLY HERE _________. Well, we usually don't have any, so we leave that blank. But all you have to do is google "American Apparel Promo Code," (or whatever company it is you're buying from) and websites will come up that offer them. You copy and paste them, and voila! You save around 10-15% on your purchase, or eliminate shipping costs. Retailmenot.com is a fabulous promo code/coupon site.

Specialty discount websites- there are tons of sites out there that are dedicated to helping you get things at a discount. Two of my favorites are Groupon.com and Restaurant.com. Here's how they work:

Groupon.com is a daily deal website- they offer AMAZING offers for 24 hours at a time on great things you wouldn't do in a daily routine, and are ran locally. Lazer hair treatments at 90% off, Spa packages, Gift cards, parasailing rides, sales on food, etc... i recommend you check it out for yourself because it's an amazing site. You can click on "recent deals" to get a feel of things they offer.

Restaurant.com is a site that offers gift certificates to good restaurants at a huge discount, around 40-50% off. Add a googled promo code at the end, and you have yourself a 50$ gift certificate that you paid $5 for.

Both of these sites make for GREAT GIFTS- maybe not when you're looking for a super personalized present, but for a nice gesture for any occasion, this is the place to go.

If you're into fashion, but don't like spending a ton of money on designers, there are websites for you too. Ruelala.com & Gilt.com are sites that like groupon, offer daily deals on designer collections at extreme discounts. Because they're expensive to begin with, your purchase probably won't be cheap, but it's an amazing save compared to the retail price. You can't sign up automatically- someone needs to invite you (aka have someone whos registered forward you an email). And you get a $25 credit for signing up.

If you're an extreme frugalista and love saving money on everything, I suggest you check out $uper $teals. It's my friends facebook page dedicated to finding deals and saving money. There are even iPhone apps that are coupon based, offering deals and offers in your area. The possibilities are endless..

There are tons of ways to save money using the internet, and these only name a few. It is possible to save money and still live a fabulous life, you just have to apply yourself to it. Hope this helped some of you out! Until next time,

Work party blog!

FOODFOODFOOD

So i've been trying to think about what else I could write about- I've talked about entertainment, social networks, communication, working, e-commerce, and school. Then it dawned on me that technology has had a major impact on food- yes, food.

Obviously, we don't eat technology. But thanks to the internet (and even smartphones), we are able to find dish recipes online rather than searching for them in a book or magazine. We print them out, keep them ready at hand, cook away, and voila! A gourmet meal!

Similarly to recipes, we keep track of our diets online. Several diet programs such as Weight Watchers and the South Beach Diet have online dieting programs that don't require you to visit meetings, or a gym. There are even online nutritionists who set up custom plans based on your eating habits and personal info. It's good that websites like these have online programs, because some people are so busy (or lazy), they don't have the time or enery to go somewhere in person.

It's even possible to order your groceries online. Publix Direct (which no longer exists) was an online grocer- it had stock items for everything inside Publix stores, and it would be delivered to you on the date you chose. The deliverers would even bring them inside to your kitchen. While this convenient service isn't available anymore, I'm sure there are other services similar to it.

Food is a part of our everyday lives, and the internet has only enhanced it. (The picture above is the Nordstrom Bistro Club, my favorite sandwich EVER)

HEALTH & THE INTERNET

At the same time, the internet can be harmful to us as well. With the availability of food online as well as everything else the internet has to offer, it can take it's toll on our bodies and minds, especially younger generations who grow up with the internet. Becoming obsessed and dependent on the internet rather than being active can lead to obesity and other illnesses. The Washington Post has a great article on it.

Just like everything else- too much of something good can be bad. You just have to know how to limit yourself.

Until next time,

Work Party Blog!

Online Technologies & School

An interesting topic to talk about is how much technology has changed how we go about taking care of school operations. When you think about it, we revolved around the computer to do almost all of our school functions (except going to class, which most kids don't do anyway). We write our assignments on the computer and turn them online, store files, and even have online textbooks. We check grades online, communicate with teachers and classmates via e-mail, register for classes and even take classes online such as this one.

Because I'm 21, I've been familiar with the internet playing a big role in our education so as long as it's had to be. Back in elementary and middle school, projects and assignments were never complex enough that a computer was really needed (though we had computer classes and smart boards)- assignments were hand written for the most part and everyone had agendas to write down the calendar schedule. Nowadays though, there are tons of younger students who have already taken a technological approach to their educations. My best friend's younger sisters were required to have laptops when they entered 5th grade (what for, I'm not really sure).

Once high school came along, we wrote our papers online and had an online grade system similar to blackboard. We used the internet for sources and teachers relied on it, and we were taught how to use different computer programs. And then college came alone, where everything revolved around the internet. It's interesting to think how much we use the internet... it's become a second nature to us really.. just the norm.

Until next time,
Work, party, blog!

#FF

I'm posting the #FF now because come tomorrow during the day, i will be on a cruise to the Bahamas 8) I'll see if I work up the desire to post on the ship (technology is readily available there with WiFi and computer labs), but I'm pretty sure my mentality the entire trip is gonna be along the lines of lying on the beach with a bahama mama or taking shots at fat tuesdays. Soo..

DailyTunez - a music blog that's very up to date with pop, house, dance, and hip hop music. It's basically party music, and they update pretty often.

KingJames - Lebron James' twitter account, just bc he joined the Heat. I'm not a big sports fan, but I know when something big is happening!

That's all for now! See you Monday. Until next time,

Work, party, blog!

e-Commerce

This doesn't really have to do much with entertainment or communication directly, but in essence they all tie together, so this is relevant.

Think of how much the internet has influenced commerce. You can buy ANYTHING online these days. From the smallest purchases like Silly Bandz to a movie, or even a plane ticket, car, or house. Online transactions have made shopping much easier and more convenient to consumers everywhere- you can buy whatever you want from anywhere in the world with just one click. It works well vs. buying things in person; a store may not have something in stock, but the internet will. It works well vs. buying over the phone; you won't have to deal with an annoying representative or recording. Obviously there are some things such as a car or a house that would be wiser to purchase in person (at least i think!).

Online commerce obviously has it's pros to it, but there are some cons as well...

Buying things online puts a damper on business. While retail stores still need a team to work in person, many people will shop online rather than in-store, leaving some employees without work. Online purchases has taken a big toll on the travel industry- while some people still use travel agents, almost everyone makes their own travel arrangements these days. We book our own flights, hotels, cars, cruises, trains etc. because it's simple and we trust ourselves more than anyone else. I know I book all my own travel arrangements on my own, unless I'm traveling in a large family group (in which case a family friend is a great travel agent and books everything for us). Since so many people take care of their own travels though, the need for travel agents has relatively dissappeared, and a carreer in it is hard to manage. This article describes it pretty well..

Along with the loss of business and some jobs, commerce online can be dangerous. You willingly put your credit card numbers online for websites, but who know's who really has access to it, or who is trying to hack into your information? Recently, my bank informed me that someone in South Carolina had been using my credit card (I've never been to SC), and I can only imagine that they got my account info from some website I bought something from. It's a sketchy world out there.

Until next time

Work, party, blog!

LOST in the world wide web

Ok, short post. This is just to go over how ecstatic I am that most of the entire series of LOST is on Netflix. I was (still am) an avid LOST fanatic, and I was dying to watch the series over again this summer. I plan to buy the seasons, but that requires money, and so the fact that I can watch them on my computer (or better- on my step dad's HUGE Mac monitor) FO DA FREE makes me feel like it's Christmas morning. Another way technology influences entertainment these days (see Entertainment Junkies post). Now I will re-live Jack & Kate and the crazy "WTF is going on" that is the Island :)

Until next time..

Work, party blog!

Entertainment, volume II

I went over entertainment and talked about how the internet plays such a significant role in it (in the longest post ever). But there's even more entertainment that is all over the internet... as a society, we have become fascinated and obsessed with pop culture. The actors we watch the movies in, the artists who sing our favorite songs, and more from athletes to models to entrepeneurs. We love them. We thrive on knowing everything about them. Yes, American society has always been interested in this, for generations now- but the internet has taken it to the next level.

We used to rely on entertainment television (we still do) and tabloid magazines (we still do) to get all our Hollywood fixes. Nowadays, celebrities have their own personal blogs and websites- this way they can put up their facts, speak what's on their mind, and keep fans updated on what's next for them. And we eat it all up. Similarly, tabloid websites exist all over the world wide web to report and post information about celebrities- good and bad. PerezHilton (who i love love love) is one of the most well known sites, as well as TMZ, and Just Jared.

Along with celebrity gossip, we get more into things we like with the internet. Thousands of websites dedicated to different actors, movies, music, and more exist- fanbased pages, forums, and organizations that are all about them. Mugglenet is a website that is run by a few young adults, and is dedicated to anything and everything Harry Potter, from the books to movies to the actors personal lives. Websites like this exist for almost anything imaginable. There are Twilight followings, Renee Zellweger fansites, Clarissa Explains it all forums, and The Beatles pages to name only some.

Many people think that we as a society have become too obsessed with pop culture, and it is only taking our world backwards rather than moving forwards. While I dont think it's nessecarily hurting our culture, I wouldn't say that it's advancing us either. Associated Content has an article on this that brings up some points. I do admit that I love it though- PerezHilton and Mugglenet are some of my favorite websites to name a few... why wouldn't I want to learn more about different things I like? It may not be the healthiest to obsess over these things, but it's just a fun hobby. It doesn't take over my life (though it does for some people).

As I finish this post, I'll get back to work (and check Perez every hour or so). Until next time..

Work, party, blog!