20 Things I've Accomplished Since Turning 20: #4

By now it is pretty common knowledge that most of the world is being affected by economic changes and difficulties. With that in mind, it is extremely important to focus on spending habits as well as saving for our futures. In the spirit of saving for my own future, I recently opened a ROTH IRA. As this decade's younger generation, we might not be able to rely on social security when we reach the age of retirement, which may be later than our parents are looking at for retirement right now. So don't let the economy get you down; join me and start saving for your future with an IRA!

20 Things I've Accomplished Since Turning 20: #2

So this definitely isn't anything award-worthy. But as it was a first for me, I found it pretty exciting. Just a week ago I got an e-mail from Amazon. That's pretty normal... I get them on a regular basis, advertisements for new items that I might like to buy. This particular e-mail, though, was different. This e-mail was an announcement telling me that I a textbook that I had posted had just sold!

Yes, I can hear you rolling your eyes at me. But I've never sold anything online before! So I went through all of the steps of packaging, shipping, tracking and confirming the book and today I received the payment. SO cool.

Hello? Hello? (You're wasting money!) - A call from my cell phone bill

Although cell phones have made our everyday lives much easier in many ways, the ease doesn't always mean cost efficiency. My parents agreed to buy me my first cell phone in my early high school years, allowing me to pick out my very own "Tracfone" which operated through buying monthly minute cards and adding them by calling a certain number. At first, this was fine. But then I had to pay for my own minutes and when each text equaled .5 units and one minute equaled 1 unit, texts and chatting added up pretty quickly and I found myself spending more than I'd hoped.

So, I followed the masses and signed my name on a piece of paper that chained me to Verizon Wireless's talk and text plan. At first I was blinded by the so-called benefits: free night and weekend talk-time as well as unlimited talk and text with other Verizon users. Sounds pretty great, right? Yeah! Until you realize that your friends with Verizon are friends you don't talk to all that often and that you're paying more to have texting benefits with everyone else!

While I just loove Verizon (sarcasm? no, of course not), after a year and a half into my 2-year contract I've made the decision that I won't be renewing my contract. Instead, I will be going cell phone free and can be reached by mail pigeon or Facebook.

Just kidding. I'm probably going back to a prepaid phone plan (gasp). But definitely not the same one I had before. Upon searching, I found that a company called Virgin Mobile sells some pretty sweet phones and for over $30 less than with Verizon, I would be getting the same phone services and more! PLUS, there is no contract to sign my cellular-life away for two whole years.

Yay for saving money!