All Posts By

Nicole

Goals

2013 Goals Update #2: Halfway Through the Year!

This is the second of four check-ins that I’ll have for the 10 goals that I made for 2013. Be sure to check out my original post for my 2013 goals and check out my first 2013 goals update for more context.

Wow. It’s hard to believe, but we are officially halfway through 2013. The last three months have flown by, but they seem to have been oddly uneventful. However, as you may have gathered from my monthly review, things are going to be a bit more interesting in the next half of the year.

I have a lot of big changes coming up that I think will help move me forward in achieving my goals!

July 3, 2013 by Nicole

Goals

Monthly Review: June 2013

Another one bites the dust! We’re officially halfway through the year and I’m feeling pretty good about it. The sun is (mostly) shining, a holiday weekend is coming up, and daylight is lasting well into the evening.

I love it! To say goodbye to June, I have some updates and recaps for my monthly review!

July 1, 2013 by Nicole

From the Internets

From the Internets & Time to Migrate Your RSS

Greetings! It’s been a crazy week, both here and everywhere else. My week consisted of going to a hot hula dance class with coworkers (think Zumba meets hula dancing) and taking a very long trek over the Brooklyn Bridge (keep your eye out for a Backyard Tourism post on that adventure). I even saw a rainbow while on a run, as you can see above. Not going to lie, I think it was a fitting week to see a rainbow sitting right next to the Freedom Tower. Now that it’s Sunday, I’m relaxing and prepping for a short work week, the 4th with friends, and a visit from the bf.

June 30, 2013 by Nicole

Career, Making Money, Money

Know Your Worth: How to Look Up Salary Information

You work hard for your money. So you should be paid what you are worth! Also, you’re fabulous.

While obviously you should be paid what you are worth, you may or may not be currently paid what you should be (let’s also take a moment to remember that equal pay isn’t a “thing” yet). The first step toward making sure you are paid fair compensation is to actually be knowledgable about what average salaries are like for people in your profession with your level of education and experience. To find this out, you need to start looking up salary information.

June 27, 2013 by Nicole

Travel, Travel Tips & Tricks

20 Ways to Pass Time While Traveling

Let’s be honest: traveling can be boring. I’m not talking about getting to your destination and having that part of travel be boring. I’m talking about the act of traveling from point A to point B. That can be boring.

Of course, running into roadblocks while traveling makes things more interesting and anything but boring. However, if your travel plans go swimmingly (the nerve!), you may find yourself a bit bored and looking for ways to pass the time while flying, waiting in the airport, sitting in the car or riding the train.

Alas, have no more fear! Here are 20 ways to pass time while traveling to ensure that next time, you will successfully defeat boredom.

June 25, 2013 by Nicole

From the Internets

From the Internets: June 23rd

Happy Summer, everyone! I kicked off the official start of summer by making my way to the Jersey Shore. Luckily, it didn’t rain like it did the last time I went to the shore and I was able to catch some rays. Unfortunately, I caught too many rays and now parts of my body are lobster status.

While I rub myself with aloe and stay indoors, you should check out these reads:

June 23, 2013 by Nicole

Reach the finish line and pay off your student loans faster

Money, Student Loans

10 Ways to Pay Off Your Student Loans Faster

It’s no secret that student loans are one of my areas of interest. Specifically, I’m interested in how to pay off my student loans faster. Heck, I won the grand prize in the MyMoneyAppUp Challenge for an app concept that would help student loan borrowers pay off their student loans faster; plus, one of my main goals is to pay off all of my student loans by the time I turn 30.

One of the things that really sticks out to me about the options for student loan borrowers is that a lot of resources focus on making monthly payments more manageable. It’s true that there are a lot of student loan borrowers who are having trouble making their payments each month. However, one thing that is rarely mentioned is that you often trade a lower monthly payment for a longer repayment period and more interest paid over the life of the loan.

June 19, 2013 by Nicole

Headset is key in learning how to take a conference call like a boss.

Career

How to Take a Conference Call Like a Boss (Even When You’re Not the Boss)

For my day job, I spend a lot of the time on various calls throughout the day. I could be talking with a client, I could be talking with my coworkers, or I could simply be listening in on a call. No matter the flavor, I’m on the phone a lot.

During my (endless) hours on the phone, I sometimes forget that not everyone’s jobs require them to be on the phone as much as mine does. And thus, I forget that how to take a conference call is not a skill everyone automatically has.

Good news! I’ve decided to share the wealth! Regardless if you are on the phone constantly, occasionally or never while at work, the following tips on how to take a conference call should serve you well.

June 17, 2013 by Nicole

From the Internets

Hello, friends and Happy Father’s Day! This week has certainly flown by, much like the ones before. We’re actually halfway done with June already. This week I went to a storytelling show with a coworker and a couple of friends and I flew up to Rochester for the weekend. All in all, a good weekend!

To get you through the rest of your Sunday (or your Monday morning), I have some fun links:

June 16, 2013 by Nicole

Destinations, New Jersey, North America, Travel, USA

Recipe For a Successful Rainy Weekend in Ocean City, NJ

The funny thing about going to beach towns is that all (or most) of the outdoor activities are dependent on the weather. If it’s raining, it’s not as easy (or fun) to go to the boardwalk or the beach itself. If it’s too early in the season, it’s a ghost town. I traveled down to Ocean City, NJ before Memorial Day for a weekend with friends, and it was both rainy and a ghost town.

June 14, 2013 by Nicole

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