Five Secrets to retiring first!

 By: Kelly Morgan

For as long as I can remember people have told me to go to school get my degree then get a full time job 9-5, 5 days a week, get married, have kids and continue to work until I have enough money to put away for retirement where then I can pursue my hobbies and travel with the small amount I can afford.

This sounds like the ideal life, I’ll be working every day of my life till I am 63 (If I’m lucky) then sit at home reading and go on vacations where all my body allows me to do is go on small walks. While I’m in that beautiful vacation spot I’ll be in bed by nine and not be able to try the local spicy food because my stomach just can’t take it anymore. I don’t know about you but that does not sound like the life I want. I say RETIRE FIRST! Take an early-life retirement. I say take a retirement vacation while you can still experience every taste, smell, adventure you can get yourself into. According to experts I have compiled five key facts you need to know in order to Retire First and work later:

1. Pick a place any place that you would like to go. Once you have picked your dream location it will be easier for you to work towards that dream. Start doing research of how much it will cost you to visit your location for a week. (Plane fair, average meals, and transportation.) Remember you don’t always need high end you are young there is no better time of your life to throw a back pack on see where the wind blows you.
2. Pick a date, and be realistic! It’s very unlikely like you will be able to take the time off next week to visit your dream location so pick a date at least 4 months in advance, especially so you can get cheap airfare, this will allow you to leave for your vacation with all other stresses of life taken care of.
3.  Set a Budget! It is very likely that you are spending way more then you need to on daily activities and eating habits. Most people can easily reduce their spending by 25%. Try to reduce all spending and put that extra money in savings! If you are saving for 6 months or more look into short term CD’s
4. Tell EVERYONE about your exciting adventure coming up and your plans to save money and work hard. By telling people you are saving money and about your upcoming adventure it will keep you motivated and allow people to hold you accountable to your savings and vacation plans. A huge plus to telling everyone is people sometimes know the best places to eat or must-sees they may even have a friend you can stay with!
5.  Surround yourself with pictures, food, and music from your dream location. Read books about the history and culture or try to learn the language. The more you can picture yourself in your location the more likely you will make it happen.

For more inspiration on Retiring first I highly recommend reading “The Four Hour Work Week” By Tim ferriss, or visit his blog at www.fourhourworkweek.com

Foodgawker was my first discovery. I can’t even type the URL without feeling my mouth begin to water. Pages and pages of beautiful, high quality photos of amazing, immaculately-prepared dishes. A Foodgawker member can submit their photos with a short description, and a click on the photo leads you to a blog post or website with the recipe. There are over 30 categories and the food ranges from wedding cakes to roasted peanuts, so this should be a first stop for anyone with the “what do I make?” blues.

Craftgawker is Foodgawker’s more recently launched sister site. It employs the same concept, but for handmade crafts– beautiful photos of beautiful things. The photos link back to Etsy shops, Artfire shops, blogs, or retailers. I wrote my first post about buying handmade this holiday– this is a great place to go if that’s your goal, too! By browsing the pages and categories of photos you should be able to find awesome gifts for everyone on your list.

StyledOn is a little different, but no less fabulous. This website has it’s own content with interviews, featured items, and event announcements, but also has user-generated content that looks a lot like the other two sites. Users can upload photos of clothing, accessories or interior design, summarize the item or trend in a few sentences, and link it back to an online retailer or blog. Users on this site are also equipped with a personal profile, where they can connect with others and tell the community about their style and fashion preferences. StyledOn, as well as Food and Craftgawker, all have a simple favorite-ing feature, marked by a simple heart to the bottom right of the photo, and popular items get featured in a separate section.

So whether you’re gearing up for a family meal, holiday shopping, curious about the latest trends, or want to share your own photos, hop over to one of these sites. Be prepared to spend a few hours though, because this eye candy will absolutely suck you in.

-Karly Bolton (extra credit post)

On another note, I find it very interesting that a guy like James Lipton, who seems very serious and traditional most of the time, is becoming such a YouTube star for youth-oriented brands and advertising campaigns. Lipton appeared in a series of YouTube videos for DC Shoes, which also utilized his serious demeanor to create comedic moments.

–Adam Noack

Clearly whoever made this video did not spend anywhere near as much time as the University of Oregon students, but maybe that’s just an indication of who is going to win .

My dad forwarded this video to me after his boss, who is unfortunately an OSU fan, showed him both of the videos. Although I had already seen the UO video, I decided to watch them again, one right after another. It is very interesting to see the different tactics the two schools used. While the UO students were trying to show their spirit and love of their athletes, the OSU students are hardly talking about their own players at all, and are much too focused on bashing on UO. They try to position themselves against UO, and don’t bring any real spirit to their video. It is clear that this video was made with the intentions of being a rebuttal to the I Love My Ducks, I Smell Roses video, rather than a school spirit video.

That being said, I’ll keep this post short and leave it up to you to decide which video is better!

To view the site I originally watched both videos on and compare them go to:

http://oregonstate.scout.com/2/925032.html

(this website also has information about the controversy surrounding the UO video)

-Jennifer Foggia

(Extra Credit Post)

Apparently, Cyber Monday is the kick off of the holiday season for online shopping and “a marketing term for the Monday immediately following Black Friday.” Most websites offer special discounts on their items including, but not limited to, free shipping on all purchases. As someone who loves to shop online and look at all the interesting new products available for the holiday season, I was surprised that I had never known about this before. Best Buy was offering a variety of DVD’s and Blue Ray’s for less than half price!

Check out some of your favorite websites to see if they are still offering deals!

Upon doing further research my sister introduced me to a whole other type of Cyber Monday deals- discounted gift cards. Many radio stations in Portland use a special website to sell donated gift cards at a discounted price to local businesses. They have everything from restaurants to clothes to automotive supplies. For example, you can get a $25 gift card to Pastini Pasteria for only $10.

Check out more deals here : www.auctionpdx.com

-Jennifer Foggia

Save Cash With Cyber Codes

Have ever wanted to buy an item but felt it was too expensive? Ever thought maybe if it was 20% off you could do it? Ever been squeezed for money and have to walk away from a purchase you really wanted? Well now with the advances of social media you don’t have to.

 Clothing sites are utilizing different platforms to help direct traffic to their sites in hopes of making extra holiday sales. They are using platforms such as Twitter to connect with popular bloggers that have a following in their demographic. Twitter is an amazing way for companies to tap into a certain audience and entice them with deals. This is an awesome opportunity to save some of your hard-earned dough but still get the item you want every once and awhile.   I follow a number of clothing sites on Twitter and I have noticed that every Monday they give codes for an extra 20-70% off for that day.

For example:

@TheLooksForLess 20% off ur entire combined purchase at banana republic, piperlime, old navy & gap http://tr.im/GdvS plus free shipping no min! #cybermonday

Plus free shipping! That is just crazy talk. I did a bit of research to see if any strings were attached or if there was some sort of catch and was pleasantly surprised to find that there were none at all.

 Since the economy is not quite what it used to be this could be a huge advantage to shoppers. It could also help boost your day if you have been tight on cash but eyeing that new pair of Jordans or a new dress for Christmas.

Following fashion bloggers doesn’t hurt to do on Twitter if you are interested in these kinds of small perks. Through “Cyber Monday” followers can save great money and still get the items they want. It’s a win-win really because the stores also benefit, fueling the economy. These codes would be a great idea for Christmas shopping. You can also find these handy codes on some of your favorite bloggers own websites or Facebook.

Christina Freeman

(Extra Credit Post)

Does your financial state this holiday got ya down? Visit Etsy for a glimmer of gift-giving hope.

For me, the upcoming holidays come with a mix of both excitement and anxiety. Like most college students, I’m poor broke, and since I come from a ridiculously large family, I have an overwhelming number of gifts to give. This Christmas, I am seeing just how frugally (yet fabulously) I can hand-make my gifts, and I have decided to go to Etsy to help me get there. After a little investigation, I figured out how super easy it is to save money by carefully exploring Etsy’s three main sections: handmade, vintage, and supplies.

J.Crew has a collection of jewelry this winter that is beyond fabulous, but the price of these items is also beyond ridiculous. Take this twisted pearl necklace, for example. It’s beautiful, but is it beautiful to the tune of $98.00? Not in this economy. By searching in the supplies section of Etsy, you can find the materials to make this yourself. I headed over to YadanaBeads, which is Etsy’s number one seller site-wide, and quickly found these pearls and this funky clasp, all for just $15.70, including shipping. From my experience, that’s even cheaper than you can find at your local bead shop.

Let’s say jewelry making isn’t your thing? Maybe you’re the knitting-type instead. Etsy shop Squoosh has this gorgeous yarn that, at $23.00, would make a fabulous scarf, and far cheaper than an alternative from Nordstrom or Anthropologie.

Or maybe you’re not so comfortable with the make-it-yourself part and would rather buy a ready-made item. Etsy has plenty of those too. Jewelry sellers on Etsy are a dime a dozen, but upon careful searching, you can find pieces that are truly one-of-a-kind standouts. This necklace, for example, at $25.00, is way more affordable than it’s designer-made counterpart. Or maybe a set of these adorable calling cards, which could be perfect for the PR professional-in-training on your list this year. They come 40 cards for only $22.00, and arguably are far cuter than anything you could find elsewhere.

Etsy’s vintage section is a little more tricky, especially if you’re looking for clothing, but it’s also a great place to find the thoughtful and fun gifts that no one expects to receive. My politics-and-history-junkie best friend is sure to receive this presidential plate from me this year, especially considering the listed price of only $10.00.

If you’re running out of great ideas for the people you have to buy for this year, Etsy employs several social media tools to get you inspired. Their gift guides, many of which are compilations of Twitter hashtag entries, are broken up into a million categories from “under $50” to “for the gardener.” With that kind of specification, it’s hard to go wrong. Let’s say you need a gift for your Aunt Mary who needs artwork to adorn the walls of her new lavender-colored living room. Head over to the “colors” section of Etsy and within two minutes of searching, you’ll come upon this $25 dollar watercolor print. You can also “shop local” and support your town’s local artists (and save shipping costs), or head over to the Treasury section to see what other Etsy users have chosen to display.

An important thing to remember while using Etsy is to shop with caution. Do your research before contacting a seller to ensure that you don’t get hosed. Nothing says “bah humbug” like when it’s Christmas and your gifts don’t arrive on time because you didn’t check out a sellers’ Feedback section. Read over other user experiences carefully before buying. Usually the sellers are great, but you can never be too careful when you’re buying products you’ve never seen before from a person you’ve never known before.

There’s no reason to spend all of your holiday paychecks on gift giving this year– with a little creativity and thought, you can give everyone on your list a handmade gift, all while supporting struggling artists around the world!

By Karly Bolton

Indie musicians and artists attempt to produce music without corporate interference or influence, which causes them to search for new and innovative ways to advertise and publicize their music. Podcasting allows for indie artists to target their niche audience and play to wants and needs of their fans and followers.  Interestingly enough, it’s often journalists and record labels that will solicit the songs and information from the artists. The artists are able to retain the benefits of a public appearance, which would usually be coordinated by the record label/public relations department, essentially allowing them to stay independent and produce the music they want.

M.I.A in Concert

The indie music community is full of podcasters and their appreciation for music, which they translate into a contemporary prose-style mini radio show.  On his blog, Jeff Caylor, a small time indie musician, describes what he believes to be the top 10 indie music podcasts. Normally I would compile my own list but Jeff did a great job in ranking and describing, in minimal words, the purpose and theme of each podcast.  I’ve provided the list below:

“10 Indie Music Podcasts

If you’re looking for a new podcast or just some new music, check out one of these and support independent music!

Insomnia Radio – Tight, award-winning podcast with frequent updates and lots of good music. Tagline is “the best music you’ve never heard.”

MPR Current Song of the Day – Short but sweet: song of the day from Minnesota Public Radio. Indie stuff and unreleased songs.

Indiefeed – Great new music, one song at a time. The podcast has some nice production value as well–less talk more rock. And if you don’t like rock, try the Hip Hop or Pop flavors. Enjoyable way to find new stuff. TIP: when the page loads, you can scroll down to the cassette tape flash player to stop the music.

Amplified Podcast – Fun, sorta homegrown podcast with bi-coastal hosts. Frequency is fairly sporadic. Good music here, though. Format is hosted throughout with eight songs a week.

Indie911.com – Canadian Indie music. Good production again and good music.

The Fader is an indie music magazine. The podcast has a good variety of music in all genres.

If your style is eclectic and world, check out The Sound Culture. They feature electronica, world, reggae, dub and hip hop.

Even the BBC is hip to the Indie music scene. Check out Radio 1’s Unsigned features some of the best unsigned acts in the UK.

GarageBand.com provides a simple indie music podcast. They call it the song of the week and you can subscribe via RSS, so I’m adding it to the list. It’s just a song attached to a feed, but they are featuring some good music. There’s actually a feed for each musical genre, so the song of the week is actually 10 or 12 songs of the week.

The Timpodcast focuses on the Toronto independent music scene and there’s some great music here. Production is decent and the host is good.”

My personal favorite happens to be Indiefeed. Indiefeed serves single song episodes designed to target specific audiences. They produce podcasts in various musical genres within the indie community, they include: Alternative/Modern Rock, Performance, Blues, Hip-Hop, Indie Pop, Electronica, and Dance. Listeners can tune in via website, indiefeed.com, or download podcasts on iTunes. Indiefeed describes their intentions and reason for producing podcasts for the public, “Become the trusted, reliable source for new music on the internet, create an equitable promotion model that grants bargaining and financial power to artists, and gives control and meaningful choice to consumers.” This sort of mission statement is incredibly important for maintaining the relationship between artist and organization, as well ensuring that the music be free of influence. Only music, no strings attached.

The following Indiefeed podcast focuses on Papercuts new song “Future Primitive” (although, not so new anymore). This is a great example of a short, yet informative and focused podcast where the music is truly the center of attention. The audience is able to have an “experience” with the song, which then translates into awareness and interest for the artist. A win-win situation for all parties involved—an essential for social media success.

Papercuts “Future Primitive” on IndieFeed

– Chelsea Yocum | November 29, 2009

The “Guidelines for Measuring Relationships in Public Relations,” by Linda Childers Hon and James E. Grunig, lists the four components non-profits should use to cultivate strong donor relationships.

1) Control mutuality: Some power imbalance is natural, but the most stable relationship is one where both parties involved have some degree of control over the other.

2) Trust: There must be complete trust between organization and donor. Keeping your promises will allow you to maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders.

3) Satisfaction: Satisfaction occurs when both parties meet or exceed each other’s expectation in the relationship.

4) Commitment: Commitment is the extent to which both parties feel the relationship is worth spending their energy on.

These components will allow your organization to create and maintain beneficial relationships. I want to leave you with a quote by Woodrow Wilson that I believe exemplifies the spirit of non-profits and gives clear reason as to why maintaining strong relationships with donors is necessary:

“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.” – Woodrow Wilson.

Amy Ruben

Well, now that you’ve safely packed those leftovers, sent those relatives back to their hotel rooms, cleaned the last of those dessert dishes, scraped those mashed potatoes off of the ceiling… wait that was my house. Ahem, as I was saying– now that you’ve done all that, all there’s left to do is recover from that turkey hangover right? Wrong. It’s time to stash the thigh-master, pull out the laptop and get serious about planning your wedding!

Here is my list of six things that modern, tech-savvy brides are ‘getting’ out of social media.

1. get Inspired.

Check out wedding style blogs! They generally offer beautiful photographic profiles of real weddings, suggestions for and links to fabulous products like JCrew bridesmaids dresses, general advice and lots more! You never know where your imagination may take you when each scroll of the page and click of the mouse might uncover inspiration for your perfect wedding!

Style Me Pretty Blog

2. get Informed.

Wedding planning websites like The Knot have added forum-style social communities where you can connect with other brides to share and receive tips, advice, resources support and ideas about wedding planning!

3. get Organized.

You can send invites and keep track of RSVPs via Facebook! But if you’re a traditionalist like me, send out paper invitations and keep track of your guest list using one of the Knot’s nifty planning tools. There is also a super cool organization tool called Backpack where you can make custom lists which can be shared among the wedding party. So you can keep track of who’s done what and what’s left to do!

4. get Connected.

You can keep your family and friends, nay, the WORLD informed about your wedding planning process by maintaining a blog or Twitter account! You can also connect with local wedding planners and other vendors in an informal way through social media. My favorite is the Etsy site where vendors keep a profile through which they sell their oh-so-cute handmade jewelry, clothing and other accessories.

5. get Memories.

Have guest tweet ‘toasts’ and well-wishes during the ceremony for you to look at later. Or, you can start a wedding Flickr account so guests can take pictures at the reception and post them afterwards!

6. get Free Stuff.

Be on the lookout for social media campaigns where you can submit an entry for prizes! Businesses like David’s Bridal and Priscilla of Boston have run these types of campaigns recently.

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