Spring is upon us once again, and we all know what that means… blooming flowers, warm weather, and of course high school proms! That’s right. Students everywhere are getting excited/freaked out about who to ask, what to wear, and how to have the perfect night. We at Mahalo thought we could help… you know, for the kids!
Under ideal circumstances, finding a new place to call home can be a fun experience. Unfortunately, circumstances are rarely ideal. If you’re in a new city, shopping in a competitive market, or are under a deadline, apartment hunting can make for a stressful few weeks. Fortunately, there are a few online tools that can help make the experience a lot less difficult:
Craigslist: Craigslist is an apartment hunter’s best friend. Not only does it let you sort local listings by price, amenities and neighborhoods, you can set up an RSS feed to come straight to your cell phone with an assist from sites like Bloglines. Prizm: Moving to a new city, but have zero idea about neighborhoods? Use a demographic look-up system like Prizm from Claritas to figure out if there are any like-minded types in your potential new hood. All you need is a zip code, and you can find out whether you’re headed for a retirement village, an artist-filled den of iniquity or something in between. MSN Real Estate’s Apartment Hunting Guide: Before making the rental unit rounds, print out an apartment hunting checklist. This way you won’t forget to ask about the noisy neighbors, water pressure or grace period after the monthly rental due date.
Getting a car is a huge investment: monthly payments, interest, insurance, and maintenance can really add up. You may be considering leasing as a way to get the nicest car for the least amount of money. But don’t just assume leasing can save you big bucks. Remember, you won’t own a car after handing over all those monthly payments. And leasing means you may face restrictions on how many miles you can drive (so no cross-country road trips).
Want a raise? Then it’s time to compile your awesome file. As corny as it may sound, you need to make a case for yourself if you’re angling for a raise, and that case had better amount to more than a red-faced ultimatum based on what you “feel” you deserve. Before going into a salary negotiation, put together the following:
A Salary Comparison: Use sites like Salary.com and PayScale to figure out how your salary compares to other professionals with similar jobs in your region. The Awesome File: It’s nobody’s job but your own to document your workplace successes. Write down how you’ve met and exceeded your employer’s expectations. Assign quantifiable numbers to those achievements as often as you can. And, don’t forget to dig up all the emails and reviews you’ve received praising your performance on the job. A Game Plan: Know what it is you’re asking for. Do you want a 10% raise, an extra week of vacation, tuition reimbursement or a four-day work week? Are you willing to expand your workplace responsibilities to justify a substantial raise? You may have to give a little to get a little.
The News Team covered a breaking story about the world’s first pregnant man, Thomas Beatie. They investigated the 2003 Pentagon Torture Memo written by former Justice Department lawyer, John Yoo. And they also learned that Pirates still exist, and have attacked a French luxury yacht in the Gulf of Aden. Captain Jack Sparrow could not be reached for comment.
