So, You’re Job is Being Replaced by a Computer. I Know the Feeling…
Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 5:05 AM

So, I’ve mentioned before how I have a second job, but I have a feeling it won’t last that much longer. I’m slowly being replaced by a computer. And a foot pedal. You see, my second job is a Teleprompter Operator at a news station. Sure, being a Teleprompter isn’t exactly rocket science, but I did have to do a month’s worth of training and it’s actually quite a stressful job. If you scroll too slow, too quick, or the actual teleprompter machine malfunctions, any mistakes made by the anchor is a direct reflection on your job performance.
I’ve been doing it for about 2 1/2 years already and it’s been the perfect second job. It never conflicts with my full-time job, the job is consistent and never changes (I don’t have to play catch up every shift), and everyone’s really nice there. Unfortunately, on my last shift I found out that almost all the Teleprompters are being replaced with a new computer program and a foot pedal that the anchor controls from their end. Sure, I can see from a corporate standpoint how this would be a great money saver, but still, it sucks. I’m lucky that this isn’t my main source of income, but when I was doing my taxes this year, I found out that my earnings actually made up about 12% of my yearly income. That’s a big chunk of change!
That being said, I still might get the odd shift here and there as they aren’t eliminating the need for Teleprompter Operators completely, but I definitely won’t be getting as many shifts as I have been in the past few years. Oh well, I guess all good things must come to an end. This just means I need to start looking for another side hustle. I did just take out a book from the library on how to make fancy soap, so maybe I’ll open up my own soapery.
Have you ever lost a job because of advancements in technology?
-Mo’ Houses out!
Image: ronaldslabbers.com
Student Loans: Borrow With Caution!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 5:01 AM
Hey everyone! Today Bridget from Money After Graduation is guest posting on a topic I think most of us students and ex-students can relate to: student loans. Take it away Bridget!
I took out my first student loan in 2009. I’m lucky because that was my third year of university, which means had I funded my first two years the same way, I might owe twice as much as I do now. Before I go on, I want to point out that I’m happy with my decision to take on debt to get a post-secondary education… I just wish maybe I had borrowed less and spent what I did borrow more wisely.
Student loan debt is often considered “good debt” for a number of reasons:
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I Think I’m a Workaholic…and I Think I’m Okay with It
Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 5:04 AM

First off, I want to say I really don’t like the word workaholic because I can’t help but picture some heartless Donald Trump type guy who would rather work at the office than spend anytime with his family. I don’t know why that even bothers me because it’s just me and my BF right now. I mean, it’s not like I’ve got a truck-load of kids at home hoping that mommy will finally come home early enough to read them a bedtime story. One thing’s for sure, I’ll never have a truck-load of kids. I really only want one. A really quiet one. And not for another 10 years at least. Maybe I’ll just get a dog instead.
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Just Got Your First Real Job? Then It’s Time to Go to the Dentist
Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at 4:51 AM

After I got my first full-time permanent job, I was so flippin’ excited to finally have a steady paycheque and be able to afford to move out on my own, the last thing I was thinking about was health benefits. Sure, I knew they were included in my job, but it wasn’t until about 6 months into it that I actually took a good look at what I was getting. Something to keep in mind is that all benefits packages are different, and usually the bigger the company you work for, the better the benefits. My BF worked for a big corporation for a couple months a while back and not only did he receive health benefits right away (usually you have to wait at least 3 months), the benefits were amazing! I’m talking fully covered 60 minute massages, chiropractor, counseling, dental, you name it. Too bad he hated it there, I was so looking forward to those massages once we became common-law.
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How to Survive Unemployment After Graduation
Monday, April 2, 2012 at 5:00 AM

It’s April and I know what the means. A fresh batch of undergrads are going to be tossing up their graduation caps and entering the real world soon. So, for the beginning of this month my posts are going to focus on life after graduation. I’m sorry for starting this series off with a post that’s sort of a debbie downer but I really wish someone had written this when I was about to graduate. Ok, let’s begin.
I graduated from university in 2009. I was 23, just a month shy of turning 24, and after 5 years of writing papers and making short films I was so unbelievably ready to start my first real job, move out of my parents’ place, and become a real adult. But life never works out the way you want it to, does it?
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Women, Entrepreneurship & Makin’ Ca$h Money
Monday, March 5, 2012 at 6:00 AM

Happy Women’s Money Week! I was so thrilled to have gotten an email a little while ago from the ladies at Women’s Money Week asking me to participate in this great cause. I mean, come on! A whole week blogging about women and money? That’s what I do! Plus, I was just super excited that they somehow found my blog on the interwebs. Thanks for finding me!
Coinciding with International Women’s Day, Women’s Money Week “is about raising awareness for important money-related issues impacting women.” So, for 7 days personal finance bloggers are given a new topic to write about everyday. I don’t post on weekends because that is my sacred time for sleeping in, overeating, drinking too much and so forth so I’ll only be blogging for 5 days.
Today’s topic is entrepreneurship and making money, so let’s start shall we?
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5 Terrible Ways to Make Extra Money
Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 6:00 AM

In continuation of yesterday’s post, here are my top 5 terrible ways to make extra money:
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5 Relatively Okay Ways to Make Extra Money
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 6:00 AM

There are three reasons why I got interested in personal finance. I wanted to know how to save money, how to spend it wisely and how to make more of it, so I could live my life as an artist minus all the starving. I’ll be honest, most of my blog posts will be about the first two since I feel like I’ve got an innate talent for putting money away and snagging deals (it’s the Scots in me my dad says).
That being said, the other day while I was scouring the interwebs for finance info, I came across a pretty interesting list plainly titled 52 Ways to Make Extra Money. At first glance, I thought I hit the motherload! 52 ways? I really only need 3 or 4! But after reading the full list, I thought this would be a great opportunity to share the 5 best and 5 worst ideas, and maybe add a few extras to it too. Since I can get a bit wordy, I’m going to break this down into two posts. Let’s start with the best:
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