By Victoria Villagomez
Here is the things I have learnt in life. Hope I can save you some time and mistakes with them…….
1. Never buy any travel or ticket event insurance.
Insurance add-ons at the checkout page are a scam! Insurance companies such as Travel Guard or Global Allianz are not your friends unless you have a gut feeling that you are going to make a trip to the ER or die. These WILL NOT give you refund if you miss the event or don’t want to go anymore. I tried to file a claim and found out that you literally have to upload your doctors note/reason for a refund.
2. Buying from 3rd party flight sellers like Expedia are not always the best option. Basic economy (those $99 flights) will not give you a refund or flight change. You will also most likely have to pay for your carry-ons depending on the terms. If you can opt for Standard Economy, DO IT!
3. Neighborhood parking is a money saver. You can save money by driving your car and parking it in a neighborhood close to the airport (I find a neighborhood near LAX). I only do this if I need to park my car for three days, however, I’m sure you can find street parking for longer. I take an UBER from my parking spot, which is about $10-$25. I usually find a spot using Google Maps and zoom in on the street sign to see what days the sweeper comes by. I also always make sure to never park in front of someone’s house.*A few tips when doing this is to make sure the street sweeper schedule is not changed for that neighborhood. I remember driving into the neighborhood and seeing an electronic sign saying “sweeper schedule has changed, please check our website to see the new schedule”. Never leave valuables and mark your parking location so you remember the exact spot when you get back. Some neighborhoods will require that you have a residence sticker to park on the street. I haven’t come across this situation but know what neighborhood you are parking in.
4. Make learning addictive. It’s always good to learn things for fun, even if you didn’t study that subject in college. There’s plenty of free or low-cost courses on YouTube, Lynda, Coursera, Udemy, etc. The more you know, the more you can connect to others. You are able to be more adaptable to different situations and people. Sometimes when I start learning something, I rather just finish that over listening to music.
5. Find a side hustle. I’ve sold many items online through eBay, Amazon, and Poshmark. It’s always good to save money for a rainy day or a night out with friends. Once you start building your seller accounts, it becomes a lot easier to make sales. But don’t stop with one side hustle, have multiple if you can.
6. Pay off your student debt before investing in stocks. Many want to start investing once they secure their first job but stocks aren’t always a guaranteed return on investment. Student loans gain interest everyday and the process will cancel your efforts out.
7. Always save your computer data on an external hard drive. You never know when your computer is going to break. It’s handy to update your drive every few months. Give yourself some peace of mind and save your important files.
8. College doesn’t teach you everything. Whatever you studied in college is not the only area you can find a job in. It’s interesting to browse LinkedIn profiles and find that a lot of people land themselves in positions unrelated to their major and previous job. Looking at people’s career ladder can give you some insight on your next move.
9. Put your resume on Career Builder and Monster. Recruiters for contracting positions will send you emails and try to contact you for various positions they see a fit for you. This gives you the opportunity to see what else is out there and maybe get some short-term exposure with a company. You can test run a certain type of industry you find interesting on a timeline.
10. It’s okay to be single. Finding a boyfriend/girlfriend is not a competition among your peers. Focus on building your career and the right person will come along. Although, keep in mind there is some effort that needs to be done on your part. I know plenty of people that have found great partners through dating apps. Just don’t rush things for the sake of being in a relationship. All great things in life require patience, time, and effort.
Source: Quora