Personal Finance Guide and Blog

Bedding

* In terms of bedding, you have to remember four things: sheets, comforter, pillows and pillow cases.
* You can go all out with the bedding. There are so many designs and colors out there that it shouldn’t be hard finding one that reflects your personality.
* Many people like reversible comforters because it’s basically a two-for-one deal.
* Check the size of the bed at your college. Most are, however, twin XL.

Corkboard /Magnet Board

* These are great for decorating and brightening up a dull room. You can use them to put up pictures or post memos. It’s also a great way to save tickets and little mementos of college life.
* You should also consider getting a small dry erase board as a way to communicate and leave notes for your roommate.
* Remember to buy thumb tacks, magnets, or dry erase markers (depending on what you get).

Lights

* College dorms are almost never bright enough. Not only is it a mood-dampener, but it’s also bad for the eyes and overall studying. Make sure to bring at least one lamp.
* A lamp with a flexible neck is ideal because you will be able to direct the light in whichever direction you wish.

Notebooks

* Notebooks, or binders if that is your preference, are absolute necessities for a college student. Even with the introduction of laptops in the classroom, there will be times when hand-writing your notes, or drawing something by hand, will be more efficient.
* Bringing a pack of at least 5 college-ruled notebooks to college is a good idea.
* Remember to buy looseleaf paper refills if you’re more of a binder user.

Pens /Pencils

* Naturally what is paired with notebooks is writing utensils. Bringing both is a good idea because professors all have different preferences.
* Make sure to buy white-out or erasers. Those are lifesavers during tests.
* If you’re not the type to care much about comfort, save a couple of bucks and buy pens and pencils in bulk. You can always save what you don’t use one year and use it the next.

Stapler

* Students always underestimate the importance of the stapler. One of the biggest pet peeves for professors is unstapled work. Sometimes, they won’t even accept a paper if it’s not stapled!
* A small one like this mini stapler above is perfect for tossing it in your bag in case of last-minute stapling.

Folders

* College professors give out handout after handout, and before you know it, you have towering stacks of papers that need to be organized. Prevent that mess by buying folders and keeping track of what goes where early on.

Trading or collectible card games were first launched in the early ’90s, and since then have developed a strong following amongst children, teens, and even grownups. Typically these are two person dueling games that revolve around one theme. Anyone can play anywhere as long as they have their deck with them. To start developing a game deck you need to buy either a starter set or a starter deck. What’s the difference? Essentially it is buying for one or two players either with or without prior expertise.

• Starter Set: A starter set will include everything needed for two players to start a game. Along with an instruction manual to explain the game, there are also two prearranged card packs (one for each player) in order to teach new players the most basic elements of the game. After mastering the basic concepts of the game, players may opt to purchase booster packs or theme packs to expand and enhance their deck.
• Starter Deck: If a player has already tried out a game (say at a friend’s house), most often they will have a feel for the game and will probably opt for a starter deck, also called a tournament deck. It includes enough basic cards (40-60) for one player to start off without additional booster packs, although additional sets can be purchased in the future to strengthen the deck. Also note that the cards have no specific order in a starter deck, assuming that the player already has an idea of how to play the game.
• Booster Pack: As a player improves his or her game, additional expansion packs of cards should be purchased to complement the person’s deck. These can be theme packs or basic booster packs. Typically these sets will contain anywhere from 8-16 random cards. Often these are what people use to trade as these are more specialized cards with higher strengths and particular abilities. They make great stocking stuffers.

There are many trading card games to play, each with its own flavor, style, and rules. Most games are designed to suit either young children or teens and adults. Here are a few of the most popular games categorized according to age group. Keep in mind that within many of these games there are various themes that branch off the main game. Keep in mind that there are many more games out there besides those listed below.

* Apples to Apples : It’s a barrel of fun for many with this party game that focuses on interaction and word play. Good for teens and adults. * Quiddler : A great game for word lovers, but also useful for early spellers as well. It’s directed at players age eight and older, but don’t think that just because you are a better speller that you will win. All players have a chance at winning in this fast-paced spelling card game. * Set : This simple card game forces you to match sets of colored objects in pairs to win points. Easily adaptable to the whole family even though the box recommends that only players aged eight and up play it. The only complaint has been the flimsy construction of the cards. * Sequence : This is an easy to learn, fast-paced game of logic that is fun for all ages and easily adaptable to make it more or less challenging. * UNO : A fast-flipping family card game that deals with numbers and colors. It can take 15 minutes or more than an hour and there is no limit to the fun that can be had with this game. Plus, since it has been around forever, now there are new sets with popular characters on them, such as the Simpsons.

Dad, it might be your birthday, your anniversary, Father’s Day, or just Tuesday. Whatever day it is, you deserve a gift. But what do you want?  Read on and find the perfect gift just for you.

Remember, if you put a picture of the family on anything, it’s a perfect gift for Dad. Take anything in his life, cover it in a photo and a big emblem that says, “DAD” and it’s an ideal gift for him. Pretty soon everything he owns will be labeled…

Try reading the guide on How to Buy Gifts to get the imagination going.

New Dad

New dads need all the help they can get. Try some of these gifts to initiate him into fatherhood. He’s going to be doing a lot of burping, diapering, carrying, feeding, and very little sleeping. Give him a bit of assistance.

Dad at Work

Dad has to leave the kids while he’s off at work, but don’t you think he’d rather be on a swing set with his bundles of joy? Even though he’s at the job, try buying him something that reminds him what is waiting for him at home.

Plus, he’ll love bragging about how great his family is whenever anyone gets near his new gifts.