A Festive and Frugal Holiday

With the economy showing limited signs of recovery, the holiday season offers hope for many retailers. Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Wal-Mart and others will try to engage consumers with early holiday deals. But taking those deals might be a mistake for consumers who are already struggling financially.

A new online campaign–”Festive & Frugal”–is encouraging people to think twice about purchases and celebrate the holidays without overspending. The campaign, sponsored by Orange County’s The Frugality Game, is using social media tools like Facebook to spread the word that gifts don’t have to be expensive to be meaningful.

“Since holiday shopping often perpetuates the cycle of credit card debt and overspending, we’re offering solutions,” says Eric Fairon, Vice President of The Frugality Game. “While most companies are encouraging spending, we are advocating spending right with frugal approaches to holiday shopping.”

The “Festive & Frugal” Web site, www.festiveandfrugal.com, offers tools such as a video guide to gifts under five dollars, complementary holiday cards, tips, and a list of websites offering holiday deals. It even includes scripts for consumers that need assistance telling their loved ones that their financial status will affect holiday spending. Some of the suggested ideas on the site include being creative by only spending $5.00. A few examples of this are: a gift basket with fresh fruit, a coffee plant, or a beautifully decorated ornament.

The campaign is stirring up controversy; however, from people concerned that reduced consumer spending will negatively impact the global economy. But lasting economic recovery only occurs when consumers are no longer saddled with debt. “To see our economy truly turn around, we have to begin by rebuilding financial strength in the American household,” Fairon says. “Our site is geared toward people that want a stress- and debt-free holiday.”

Oh, and if you’d like a good laugh, my twin (kidding, see video) challenges his sister to shop at the dollar store and buy 5 gifts for $5.00.

Play The Frugality Game

The holidays are here and everyone is looking for ways to cut back and save money.  My company recently created a game to help people get out of debt and stay out…for good! It’s called The Frugality Game.  Sign up using code 7449 at www.thefrugalitygame.com for your chance to win $1,000.  If you start playing, I’d love to hear your comments.  Oh, and for those interested, you can watch a short “trailer” for the game below.

www.thefrugalitygame.com

Enter code: 7449

Talk to you later,

Russell

Blogging: My, how I’m learning

When I decided to create my blog, I’ll be honest, I didn’t quite know what I was doing.  Today, however, after watching Scott Rosenberg’s “10 Myths About Blogs” video, I have learned that blogging is really all about posting what you’re passionate about.  Simple right?  Well, I guess that would depend on whether you know what you’re passionate about.  Therein lies the challenge with me.  What am I truly passionate about?

Although I wrote that I was passionate about graphic design in a previous post, I think the biggest passion I have is helping people.  This makes sense as my first blog post is titled Online Learning: My Journey Begins.  I originally began my blog to help those interested in going to school online find valuable information.  Before I began at Full Sail University I had a hard time finding quality research on the best online schools, what the workload was like, tips on how to succeed, etc.  Then when I actually began at Full Sail, I was learning so much information that I wanted to share with the world, I thought I would shift my blog more towards Internet Marketing.  So today I have decided that my blog is going to be about helping people in a variety of ways, but mostly geared toward maximizing the technology advancements in today’s rapidly growing world.  By creating posts about the advancements in technology, I am truly able to talk about exactly what my blog was geared toward in the beginning, and a lot more!  In addition I am able to help people make decisions based on my personal experience or research I’ve done.

Regardless of what I want to write about, as Rosenberg suggests, a blog following will be completely irrelevant if we don’t build trust.  By providing information to the world and helping to make people’s lives easier (especially in regard to technology!), I am hoping to build trust and relationships with everyone who reads my blog.

Here’s to a new (blog) beginning!

Designing My Passion

Lately I have been doing much thinking about what I’m most passionate about in life.  There are several things, don’t get me wrong, however, one thing that comes to mind is graphic design.

About four years ago I was asked to create what my boss referred to as a “desktop reminder card” for the service department at the company I was working for.  Basically what this is is a sign the customer service representatives can post on their computer monitor and then refer to when they’re on calls, ensuring they don’t miss anything with the customer.  I had never designed anything before and had very limited knowledge as to how basic software programs like Microsoft Word functioned.  I created this card, however, and the reaction from my boss was, “How cute!”  I wasn’t sure if I should take this as a compliment or not, but I did when she continued asking me to “design” things for her.

When I would start up the computer and open Microsoft Publisher, I had no clue what I was doing.  Oddly enough, it must have been something right.  I was having fun making things for the training department and other areas of the company and my boss was liking what I was doing.  This inspired me to research and learn more about graphic design.  Only a few years and several classes later, I mastered Microsoft Publisher, Powerpoint, Word, Excel, Adobe Captivate 2, 3 & 4, and begun the journey towards mastering the Adobe Creative Suite.

I say that I am passionate about graphic design because whatever I know about it, which I now realize is a lot, was all self-taught.  I never had a mentor or guide to help me learn.  I will now continue using everything I have learned and still learn today and master my skills even further.  Although I don’t want a full-time career in graphic design, I will always push myself to the next level.

Mint.com

A website I visit at least three or four times a week is www.mint.com. This website allows me to manage all of my finances on one easy-to-use website. I am able to track my spending and balances on every credit card, debit card, checking and savings account I have.

What makes Mint.com so “sticky” is that it truly houses all of my financial data in one location and actually provides a benefit to me for coming back. I am an advocate of budgeting and this website allows me to look at my budget everyday and compare it to what I have actually spent. I am also able to view my cash flow by looking at the helpful “Cash vs. Credit Card Debt” chart located directly on the main page. This chart illustrates exactly how much cash I have versus how much credit card debt I have and then shows whether I am in the red (negative) or green (positive).

There are other interesting charts and graphs that allow me to see my common spending trends. For example, I can view how much I have spent on Entertainment in the past 6 months or how many times I have gone to Starbuck’s in the last fifteen days. These charts are effortless to use and allow me to see if it’s necessary to make any adjustments to my budget.

One of my favorite features is the “Ways to Save” section. I do not favor applying for new credit cards, however, the site will analyze my current credit cards and find others with better terms and conditions. The site will also create a custom search where it will find credit cards that offer the best rewards program based on my spending patterns.

Overall this website is great for anyone that likes to keep track of their spending and always know where their money is. Whether you have five bank accounts and seven credit cards or two bank accounts and zero credit cards, this site will give you a sense of relief knowing how much money you have and will definitely keep you coming back.

Officially Finished Week 2 At Full Sail University

I just finished Week 2 in my Internet Marketing program at Full Sail University.  So far so good.  I’m actually liking it a lot more than I anticipated.  If you are busy and need to go to school, I highly recommend going online.  I am able to do my work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week … just what I need.

So far I have learned a lot about the new rules of marketing vs. the old rules.  It’s fascinating in a way.  From what I’ve learned, the old rules of marketing were all about interrupting people … on TV, in magazines, on the radio, etc…  The new rules are really about providing content to consumers and making it available to them right when they need it.  I’ve been reading The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott and he provides great insight into this new method of marketing.

You know what I’ve totally realized?  That I get so annoyed by pop-up windows and banner ads.  Do people really purchase items based on a flashing ad on the side of their screen?  Or what about those pop-ups that appear out of nowhere that you have to close in order to get to the site.  Oh, and my favorite – I close my browser when I’m finished with my Internet session to find about 10 pages that were hiding behind my main window the entire time.  All ads.  Do you think I stop to read each one and contemplate going to the website?  Of course not.  Instead I just get frustrated and quickly close all 10.

Just felt like sharing…

Are you a Mac or PC?

Are you a Mac or a PC?

Hello I'm a Mac ... and I'm a PC

After years of using a PC, last December I received my first iMac.  A 24″ screen, amazing images, simplicity in use…what’s not to love?  I’ve talked to a few people about this topic and it seems that a large number of computer users prefer the PC. My question is “WHY?”  I am not one to talk negatively about the PC, although I have had several horrible encounters with them, but I really want to know what it is that people like more about PCs than Macs.

When I enrolled in Full Sail’s Internet Marketing program, I received my first MacBook Pro.  This is again amazing!  The entire experience is seamless compared to working with my previous Dell.

So far the only “negative” experience I’ve had with my Mac is that it does not support all software.  However, for every piece of PC software I’ve found, I have been able to find an equivalent, although usually better, version for the Mac.

I am also impressed with the iLife and iWork software packages that include:

• iPhoto (What’s not to love about the seamless photo editing program?  Plus it gives you the ability to make great photo books and calendars)
• iMovie
• Garage Band
• iWeb – Tell me what Windows program is just as good as iWeb…
• iDVD
• Pages – The templates are incredible
• Numbers – Far easier than Excel
• Keynote – Ever watched a Keynote and then a Powerpoint?  Then you’ll understand that Keynote is almost incomparable to Powerpoint.

With all of these fantastic Apple applications, the ease of use and the amazing graphics, why would someone prefer a PC over a Mac?

A Press Release vs. A News Release

So I’m currently reading a book called The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott.  I’m only about 100 pages in but have already learned so much on this new perspective on marketing and PR.

Today I read a bit on press releases vs. news releases.

Prior to the Web, companies would write a press release and hope that the media would pick it up and run it in a magazine, newspaper or trade publication.  Each release had to be written to grab the journalist’s attention, not the consumers.

Since the Internet, as Scott suggests, rules have changed.  Instead of reporters picking up our press releases, everyday consumers are, too.  This poses a great challenge for some.  We’ve all learned to write to the journalists, but how do we write to our own consumers?  Wasn’t that the job of the press?

A press release is no longer only for the press.  It’s also for the consumer that is going to read your article and potentially make the decision to choose your product or service.  Let’s call it a news release.  This way we’re not hung up over the word “press”.  With RSS feeds, sites like Twitter, Facebook, de.lic.ious, etc. there is a strong chance that a consumer will pick up your news release before a journalist will.

Are you prepared?

Online Learning: My Journey Begins

Even though I have had tremendous success at the company I work for, a few months ago I realized that even though I am great at my job, there is still a missing link. It finally came to me that I needed to obtain my Bachelor’s Degree, and that’s when I found Full Sail University. I have always been interested in technology and marketing so a degree in Internet Marketing seemed perfect for me. I am relieved, a little nervous but most of all excited that I have overcome my fears about going back to school and have finally taken this long-awaited step.

Now the question is: Is online learning just as effective as traditional classroom learning?

This depends on how I define the word “effective”.  In terms of retaining information, online learning, or e-learning, will depend on the individual.  Some students enjoy interacting with their instructors and peers face-to-face.  Some don’t. The physical learning piece depends solely on the individual taking the course.  I think I will love it because I have such a busy schedule with work that being able to log in 24 hrs/day, 7 days/week is perfect.  If I define “effective” as being able to attain a job after I graduate, well that’s a different story.

Prior to enrolling in Full Sail’s program, I did a great amount of research on e-learning as well as Full Sail.  From what I researched, a degree is a degree.  Unless you are going for a very specific job that requires a very specialized degree, e-learning is great.  It’s definitely accelerated, however, the information is the same.

Any other thoughts on this?

I believe it also depends on the person’s experience.  I, for example, am the Corporate Communications Manager for a fast growing company with 5 years of experience (I’m 23 years old).  Once I attain my degree, if I’m up against another candidate for a position, he has no experience, we both have a Bachelor’s, wouldn’t I be the one to get the job?

This was a big decision for me.  Although there is a great deal of debate over e-learning vs. tradition learning, I’m glad I have finally taken this first step!