With so many things to prepare for, there’s a common question on many College Freshmen minds this time of year. With so many different laptops to choose from, how does one know which computer is the right one for them?

Well, that’s a great question.  It’s not really about getting the best laptop as there really isn’t a “best” one out there. It all depends on what you need from the laptop that becomes the best one for you.

 Now, let’s take a look at some familiar laptop characteristic/performance battles “Step by Step” and see if you can decide which one is the best one for you.

1.)Super-Size Screen vs. Standard Screen

Larger screens make for easier reading and viewing when it comes to a laptop, that’s a given. However, it’s not always necessary. Keep in mind that the bigger the screen, the higher the price of the laptop and the heavier it can be to tote around. Suggestion: If you have decent vision and really just need your laptop for writing papers, researching things on the web and the once-in-a-while, (let’s be real here, every other minute) Facebook status updating, a smaller screen will suffice. If your major is somewhere in the visual arts area, a larger screen may be necessary for better visual quality.

2.)Fast vs. Faster (processor size)

Most freshmen college laptop users will never push their computer’s processors to the max. So my advice would be to save money and not get the highest processor known to mankind. Unless your major is in video game design , software development, or computer-dependent majors relative to those,  I’d say stick with a processor that’s just suitable enough to get the job done.

3.) Battery Life

About two hours of time is the deciding factor on this one.  If you think you are apt to use a laptop for more than two hours without a wall outlet nearby to recharge on a regular basis, then investing in a laptop with a larger capacity battery is the way to go. But keep in mind that longer-lasting batteries can be a bit more costly.

4.) The Weight Debate

Shedding pounds on a laptop can be another costly move.  Less is definitely more in this debate.  If you can manage to tote around the extra weight of a laptop, you’ll be happy to feel the extra weight from the leftover cash sitting in your pocket, too.

 Hopefully this helps some of you with trying to figure out what kind of laptop you are looking for characteristic/performance-wise for your freshmen year. As far as computer brands go, search for one that meets most of your performance needs mentioned above first, and see what brands comply with those.

*The buzz around town is that:

A Dell or HP laptop is good for a college student who plans to write many papers and do research and web surfing. (English, History, Education, Accounting majors, etc.)

An Apple (Mac) laptop would be best for a student that is majoring in visual arts. (Graphic Design, Website Design, Videography, Music Engineering, etc.) This student will need this more expensive laptop for editing purposes and a Mac is the way to go!

Alienware laptops are for the extreme- gamer college student. They usually come with the best visual graphics cards and highest processors to get those games loaded and/or developed :)

**These are just some views on what I’ve heard works best by talking to  friends that were in various majors during their college experience.  Hopefully this will help guide you to discover the best computer for you!**

1831- First woman was accepted and admitted to Yale University

1866- First pencil was patented

1984- First documented case of a robot killing a human…really!

**According to http://10yearsago.typepad.com/10_years_ago  <<<check it out!***

:: What’s in Store for the beginning of July 2010 ::

July 1^st- Texting and driving law comes into effect for Michigan drivers

• Unless you passed the “texting and driving” portion of your driver’s test, you might want to stop this act if you haven’t already. Hint:: There is NOT a “texting and driving” portion of your driver’s test, so this applies to everyone.
• Visit: http://www.drivinglaws.org/detroit.php for more info

July 1^st- Starbucks opens free Wi-Fi usage at its 6,700 locations for the first time.

• Enjoy great coffee and the Internet at your fingertips. 
• Check out Starbuck’s website for more info at: http://www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/wireless-internet

July 1^st- Opt-In on overdraft privileges for accounts at Financial institutions starts up

• Federal regulations require you to sign up to receive overdraft protection coverage for your ATM and everyday debit card transactions. If you do not ‘opt-in,” your institution will deny the transactions if there are not sufficient funds in your account.
• Visit www.keepmyoverdraftprotection.com/ELGA for more information

July 1^st- First set of new Credit Card Laws come into effect.

• Changes including, but not limited to: Interest Rate Charges, Reasonable Time to Pay, Payment Allocation, Double-Cycle Billing, High Fee Sub-Prime Cards 
• For further info regarding the laws, visit: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/18/business/main4675174.shtml

July 4^th- FIREWORKS! Independence Day!

• What are you doing to celebrate? Leave a comment!

Hope July kicks off as a great month for everyone! Let us all at the VIBE know what’s in store for you during the month of July!

WHO WANTS TO SAVE MONEY?!

I came across an interesting article on www.msn.com the other day sharing yet another way to save money that might not be the first to come to mind. These aren’t the normal ideas like shopping less, cooking at home more or things like waiting for movies to come out on DVD instead of paying those horrific movie ticket prices. It’s been discovered that some appliances in our homes we use everyday could maybe use a little updating.

Sure, one would think that going to your neighborhood Goodwill or Salvation Army store and picking up a used microwave or refrigerator from 1982 might be the cheap route from the start, but turns out, over time the amount you pay to the electric company could surpass the initial cost of the equipment itself. Yikes! So now what?

Well, this is pretty cool. It looks like some states in the US are offering a “Cash for Clunkers” type incentive (the one where people could trade in their gas-guzzling vehicles for a new one at a decent price) for their household appliances. Here’s the website to check out what’s offered here in Michigan as well as other states:

http://www.energysavers.gov/financial/70022.html

Also,

Here’s a tid-bit from the actual article on some things to consider when buying appliances:

“Whether you can use your state’s cash for the appliance program or not, always:

• Check the Energy Star website to see if there are incentives, like manufacturer rebates, that might help you save.
• Check the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency to see if your state or local utilities are offering financial incentives for certain appliances.
• Use the calendar. New appliances typically come out in the fall. Wait till then, buy last year’s model and save.
• Scratch and dent. You know you’re going to scratch it anyway. Buy it pre-scratched and save. Or buy a floor model. That can easily save 10% to 20%.
• Shop online, then take those prices to local dealers and see if they’ll beat them, or at least meet them.
• Make a list of the features you really need. That will keep you from buying unnecessary bells and whistles.
• Don’t buy an extended warranty. Many consumer advocates, including yours truly, think they’re usually not worth the money they cost.
• Negotiate. The shortest path to a lower price, especially on expensive things like appliances, is simply to ask.
• Pay cash. Credit cards cost retailers 2% to 3% in bank fees. If you pay cash, that saves them those fees. Ask for the discount.”

If you’d like to take a look at the full article, here’s the link: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/HomeFinancing/article.aspx?post=1748962

Enjoy!

♥Kristina

Little did I know those $50.00 pair of jeans ended up costing me $99.00 by the time I paid them off. That’s $49.00 they racked up just in interest alone, which essentially is another pair of jeans. So in all, I could have had 2 pairs of jeans in the first place. Instead I got one pair of jeans and a nagging bill every month until I paid them off. To say the least, I was a bit annoyed.

So, I did some research on the actual cost of using a credit card so I could hopefully convince myself and others not to use them so much!

SO…..

Assuming there is a balance of $500.00 or more on your credit card, an item purchased at a price of $100 will rack up $97 in interest and end up costing a total of $197 if you pay just 3% minimum of the balance each month.

And furthermore:

YIKES! That’s ridiculous! BUT..it gets WORSE!

Assuming that you have $1,000 in current credit card debt, if you pay just the minimum payment each month (about $30 a month) you will rack up $684 in interest charges for a total of $1,684. Here’s the kicker…it will take you 8 years to pay that debt off. Oh, and that’s if your annual interest rate is 18%…many credit cards are at a much higher rate than that.

Unfortunately this news might be too late for some of you. But fortunately, there are ways to get out of debt faster. Simply skip a trip to the mall or out to eat and you could save 50 bucks or more to put towards on your next payment. And get out of debt faster!!!!

Moral of the story: STOP USING YOUR CREDIT CARDS FOR THINGS YOU DON’T NEED. Use them wisely and for emergencies. If used the right way, you can establish and build credit!

♥ Kristina

**I found  information off of a pretty neat  Cost of Delay® and Booster® Calculator  from Credit Card Smarts™ **

(As posted on www.facebook.com)

How crazy is that?!  Today, it seems as though its almost impossible to estimate how much college is going to cost with all of the hidden fees, tuition rate increases every two seconds and those disgustingly expensive textbooks every student must have. And even after finally coming up with an estimate, you realize you have no money!

What do you do now? Do you get a student loan? Do you beg for money or possibly pick up your guitar and jam out on the street with your case open wide as a donation station? Although some of these ideas might work, there are a few other options that might be better.

1.) Scholarships: Yea, you’ve heard about them, I know, but they seriously work.  I was able to pay for my entire 2 year tuition at a community college through scholarships.  It was relatively easy. All I did was ask my counselor at my school for a list of every scholarship available to high school students at the time.  She gave me a list of about 50 of them. I was eligible for about half and read the requirements for application and applied.  I ended up with about 10 scholarships for various amounts that paid for tuition, fees and books. All it took was a little research, some writing and waiting. It was well worth it!

2.) Community Colleges: Go here for your first 2 years. Many, if not all of your credits will transfer to a major university. Do a little research before though, to make sure which colleges have the most transferrable credits between each other.

3.)Find a school eager for students: There are many small-town colleges who offer great educations at a lower price.  The tuitions aren’t lower because the education is poor, its because they aren’t as well known or are in a location that is less desirable than the major universities.  Not going to lie, raging parties and the “college life” may not be in store at these colleges but remember you are in school to educate yourself for the future. So get online and research small-town colleges. See what you can find!

4.) Financial Aid: These are funds for college that you typically don’t have to pay back. Go to www.fafsa.edu.gov and apply. Make sure to read about all of the documents and info you will need beforehand. That will make the process smoother and faster.

If none of these appeal to you or won’t work in your favor, there are student loans out there. Unfortunately, as Dave Ramsey has posted on his facebook, a lot of  potential college students have no idea what is in store for them after using student loans.

Here’s a few pointers on what to do if you must get a student loan:

1.)KNOW: that these are loans that will take around 20 years to pay back.

2.)WATCH : what you use the student loan for. Only use on tuition, books and dorm expenses!

3.)SAVE the extra ‘left-over’ money (If there is any)! Go to a financial institution and open an account that is solely for your extra student loan money. Use this fund towards next semester’s tuition costs!

There are lots of choices and paths to follow when paying for your college education.  Hopefully you will make smart decisions now so you can enjoy the rewards later! 

 When it comes down to it, just do some research, talk to your friends’ older siblings, parents, teachers, coaches and role models for advice on how to pay for college. There’s no one correct way to do it. Just find out which way is smartest for you and your future.

♥