Hello again readers! Long time no see, eh? I’ve been off work this whole week and couldn’t tear myself away from the pool to write you guys a post. Anyway, it’s time to get back to some nerdy financial conversations.

Speaking of not working, I wanted to talk today about jobs. I’ve said it before (I think) but I’m a retail associate/cash register ninja at at a decently popular clothing store. I’ve been working there off and on for 3 years for a total of something like 16 months now. Overall, the job ain’t bad. My schedule is flexible, the drive is short and convenient, and my co-workers don’t suck. Dumb customers suck, and always will, but dealing with them is why I get paid.

Now that I’ve worked at a few places, I gotta say flexibility is the most important thing. Being able take a few days off with no problems is awesome and I hope my first job outta school comes with that type of perk. Some 401k matching would also be tight.

Do you like your job? What’s the coolest one you ever had?

I love money. (Who doesn’t?!?) Which makes knowing that I’m definitely done working in less than 75 days hurt to think about. What’s worse is that my cash flow may dry up wayyyy before that. I had planned on my last day of retail being around August 15th, giving me 2 weeks to pack and say goodbye to family and friends my grandmother. She’s been convinced since December that I’m going to hop on a plane any moment.

That plan though had an unexpected problem. There are 4 days I need off in the last week of July. My Uncle is involved in our county fair and I work for him on the days livestock is being sold. What I actually do is hard to explain – I don’t really know myself. I guess you could say I help make sure anybody who wants to buy an animal is able to. So I need those 4 days off. Work asks that all schedule requests be in 2 weeks ahead of time. No problem I thought – I’m giving 6. That’s really professional and responsible of me to do, right?

I get on the computer to put those dates in the system. Right when I’m about to hit “Submit”, I notice a sheet of paper with the heading: “WE CANNOT ACCEPT TIME OFF REQUESTS FOR THE FOLLOWING DATES:” The last week of July (along with every weekend in June!) is listed. Not good.

I still need to talk to my manager, but now I’m wondering if they’re gonna be cool letting me have 4 days off when I’m leaving 2 weeks later anyway. They might just make my last day July 25th or something. That would mean I’d miss out on at least one paycheck, possibly two.  On the other hand, I’m sure I’d have a good time in August if I didn’t have to work.

What could happen is I’m given the choice of whether to leave before my days off or I can stay until mid August if I’d like. Staying nets me an extra $200-$400, but leaving gets me tons of time off to relax. Long term, $400 is not going to matter. I have enough savings and financial aid to cover fall tuition and living expenses. But am I being lazy if I take a month off? No matter what I decide, I’m getting 15 days of complete freedom other than packing.

Having money taken from you sucks. I learned this first hand a few years ago. While I wasn’t actually gun-held-to-my-head-robbed, I definitely lost quite a bit of money that was rightfully mine.

It all started during the 7th grade. That sounds crazy, but the 7th grade was “only” like six or seven years ago for me. That  summer I signed up to work in the concession stand at our local baseball field. It was my first steady job ever. When school was out, I would easily work 20 hours a week. Sometimes more. My pay was only $3.00 an hour, but still, that added up to a decent amount for a 12 year old. Plus, the “work” was fun. I got to see my friends after their games and I got free food candy.

This job continued for 2 more summers. It was at the end of the 3rd summer when shit hit the fan. During the 4th of July tournaments, we were all working a LOT. It was hot and none of us had a lot of patience at this point. During one of my last shifts, I made (what I thought) was a harmless comment to one of the adult cooks. It was the furthest thing from harmless. She lashed out at me, told me never to make another comment like that again, and walked away stormed off.

I finished out the rest of my shift while raging on the inside. I had done nothing wrong and another one of the adults even agreed with me! I was ticked and never wanted to step back inside that building. I went over to the desk calendar we used for scheduling and crossed my name off the last two shifts I was supposed to work that season. I didn’t let anyone know I had “quit”, which looking back now, I realize was probably a douche move. But I was 12. Gimme a break.

A week or so goes by and I go in to collect my pay – somewhere around $150. I’m told that no one’s been paid yet and to come back later. Alright, whatever. I stop in a week later and I’m told there’s no envelope with my name on it; cash in an envelope was the method of delivery. At this point, I’m suspicious and have  a feeling that my money is gone. When the season ended, the organization probably paid everyone (else) and then all the cash was taken to the bank. The rest of the summer passed in a blur – I was involved with both 4-H and cross country so hunting down my money had to take a backseat.

School starts up again and I make a few phone calls to the ballpark but few are answered. The ones that were usually resulted in me talking to someone who had no idea what I was asking about. After this, I gave up and considered the money lost.

Later in the school year, I talk to one of the girls I worked with. She tells me that she heard one of adult supervisors (I’m not sure which one.) say that they didn’t need to pay me because I quit. I have no way to confirm if what she said was true or a simple misunderstanding. But if that is actually what the lady said: WTF! The hours before I quit were spent working. By that logic, any employer would be able to ask you to pay them back your entire salary if you ever quit. That’s obviously retarded.

I never ended up getting my money. I’m still a little bitter. Sometimes. But overall, it hasn’t had an effect on my life. If anything, getting screwed over so early in life was a valuable  experience. Now, I pay much closer attention to anything concerning money whenever work is involved.

P.S. – the comment I made had something to do with how she had just disciplined her child. Lesson learned: NEVER EVER tell a parent your opinion on how they treat their children. You will lose and they will come at you like a grizzly bear on coke. See below:

The way you look can make a big impact in your career and how much money you earn. Business Insider & Yahoo! Finance list numerous factors that can affect how you’re viewed (and compensated!) in the workplace.

Height - Taller individuals make more money. This is a good sign for me, since I’m 6’1 and according to some people, I “grew 6 inches” since they last saw me. I saw them 2 weeks ago. Women also earn more if they’re taller. I think the human giraffes of the world are usually more confident and confidence translates well in the workplace.

Skinny women – There were no specific weights listed, but skinny is better. Men weren’t penalized. Not surprising, the weight standards men and women are held to in society couldn’t be any further apart.

Symmetry - A bit odd, but that one arm that’s a bit shorter than the other could be costing you. I wonder how they tested this.

Smile – People who smile are viewed as more trustworthy. This must not hold true in all professions because I’ve never seen a car dealer who didn’t smile.

Attractiveness - Less attractive people “suffered a salary penalty of up to 9%” in the study. I’d think they would be hard to judge, since looks are subjective.

Don’t look too good though - Women in typically male fields suffered if they were too pleasing on the eyes. Men faced no penalty for looking like a boss.

There’s a few more listed in the article, which you can check out here. I wonder if any of these translate over into academic settings. Maybe taller people are more likely to be allowed a makeup test or the hot girl receives more convenient office hours?

How much do you think looks and appearance should play in a job setting? If you were deciding between 2 equally qualified candidates, but one appeared “healthier”, which should you go with?

The company I work for offers a 401K plan to all employees, even part-timers like myself. The only requirements are that you must have accumulated 1,000 hours and be 21 years old.

The problem is that I can’t participate even though I should be close to the 1,000 hour requirement because I’m only 18. Dumb, isn’t it? I’m technically an  adult, so there’s no legal reason why I can’t contribute and get that sweet employer match.  I was disappointed a few months ago when I found out I can’t contribute to my company’s 401K plan, but now I’ve got more information to understand what’s going on.

I called T. Rowe Price, the firm who handles the plan, and asked to find out if I was eligible. The first representative I speak to gives me great news. She tells me that while I have to be 21 to receive the match, I’m able to contribute to the plan at 18. I’m stoked, no doubt, because 401K contributions would be taken out of my paycheck before taxes. That means I’d pay less in taxes. Sure, losing the match isn’t the best scenario, but I’m all about reducing my tax liability.

The woman transfer me to an “account specialist” so we can setup my account figure out how much I want to invest. Right off the bat, I find out that it’s a no-go. The guy tells me that the plan simply won’t let anyone who isn’t 21 years old contribute to the plan, regardless of matching. FML.

I decide to ask him if the age requirement is a legal issue or simply a company policy. What he tells me is interesting. According to the IRS, a company has to let an employee contribute to a 401K plan once they are 21 and have been employed for 1 year. Before that, the company can make up its own policies.

Now the only question I’m left wondering is whether this was intentional or not. This obviously saves the company money since there’s no match to be paid.  My company also employs a lot of high school and college age kids who could contribute.  On the other hand,  I doubt many would participate. I’m the 18 year old weirdo who wants to pad that 401K!

I think it’s more realistic to assume that when 401K plans are set up, companies simply using the default IRS guidelines to remain on the right side of the law. 401Ks are usually viewed as a benefit of working for an organization, one that will hopefully keep you productive and from jumping ship. Few 18, 19, and 20 year old part-timer workers are going to stay with the same company after graduation, even if they could utilize the 401K.

Today is the day the U.S. Census Bureau releases the first stats of the 2010 population count. I worked for 4 months in my local office helping get the job done, so the results are way more than just numbers to me. As my first (temporary) full-time job, I learned a lot about money and whole bunch more about people.

A Steady Paycheck is AWESOME

Knowing the exact day I’m going to have an infusion of sweet cash is a great feeling. It makes planning, saving, and budgeting ridiculously easy. Weekly paychecks are better than biweekly. Wednesday was usually my favorite day at the office. I think more organizations should try out a weekly pay period, it’d probably improve employee morale with minimal increase in cost. For me, a weekly paycheck made the connection between the work I was doing and my compensation incredibly strong.

Positive Cash Flow is Even Better

I like a consistent schedule, but I could handle variable income as long it provided me with enough income to save/spend/invest. Having more money coming in than going out is the key to not sucking at finance. For the first time in my life, I was building something that resembled wealth.

Young People Can Save Money Ridiculously Easy

I was the youngest employee at our office. A few others were in their early twenties. Everyone in my department though had at least ten years on me. While I put most of my money in the bank, they used theirs to pay bills and provide for their families. As we get older, it’s unlikely that our cost of living will ever decrease. Cars are bought, mortgages signed, and children are fed. These things are expensive and reduce the amount we can save. When you’re young, use your lack of obligations to your advantage.

There Was Waste

No lie, money was wasted during the 2010 Census. I would never deny that. But, there’s always going to be waste whenever an organization does something. Companies waste money too – it’s impossible to eliminate it all. Expecting the government to be perfect just because they’re using public funds is an unfair expectation. A lot of people I worked with had been laid off because of the recession and probably would have filed for unemployment. Either way, money was going to get spent. At least this way people were working and not sitting at home.

The Public Caused a Lot of Waste

Not kidding. Uncle Sam threw plenty of money down the toilet, but taxpayers did their share of flushing cash too (I just earned 10 blog points for that metaphor!). The idiots who refused to mail back their forms had to be visited by a Census employee. Paying someone both wages and mileage is a hella expensive way to get communication done. Not Joe Public’s brightest move. On the other hand, I might not have gotten a job if enough people had returned the form. Thanks!

How Much Someone Makes is the Most Heavily Guarded Information In Existence

I know a lot of people are private about their income, but I didn’t realize it was that secret. Even the people who provided every other piece of information often refused to list their income. The most popular line in the note section: “Respondent refused to provide income, says government doesn’t need to know.” OK, but the IRS already knows so that ship sailed a lonnnggg time ago. Also, individual census form data can’t be released for 72 years.

Overall, my time at the Census Bureau was awesome. Learned a lot, made some good money, and counted all of you! By myself. In 6 feet of snow. Both ways.

What did your 1st real job teach you about money/life?

What are your feelings towards the census? Should we just go off of mathematical estimates instead of actually counting?

I’m starting a series today that will most likely go on for infinity. The source for these posts comes from my job: in retail. Once a week (probably Fridays from here on out), I’ll present a rule that all customers need to learn and actually follow for once, based on my experiences.

I think everyone should work a retail job at least once in their life. Any retail job. Abercrombie (if you’re attractive) or BestBuy (if you like selling extremely marked up goods), it doesn’t matter. Just work retail once. It’ll open your eyes to the best and worst of people.

Rule #1: You can’t return worn/damaged/gross merchandise. No, really.

I don’t know how to explain this any clearer – I’m not letting you return a t-shirt you spilled coffee/bodily fluids on. You bought it, soiled it, and now you want your money back? Not gonna happen. Life is tough sometimes.

Honestly, this happens way more often than it should. I expect every few months that some idiot joker will come in with a piece of merchandise that’s been messed up and ask for a refund. Instead, this scenario plays out once a week or more. The real fun won’t start until after Christmas though, when returns/exchanges are in high gear.

It’s not just people who stain or otherwise mutilate their garments. No, there are plenty of douches who remove the tag, wear the item, wash it, and then come into the store claiming “Yeah, this color is just NOT going to work. Gimme refund now plz?”. If only our store possessed some sort of private and enclosed space so customers could try things on before they buy.

I’d be more understanding, but these people’s sense of entitlement gets in the way. They think the store exists solely to take back their crap they no longer want. I know this is true because of the look in their eyes. The glare they give me right as I’m about to tell them “I’m sorry, we can’t accept worn or damaged returns” says “I-will-fight-you-all-day-if-i-don’t-get-my-way“. These people will spend half an hour fighting with a manager, who tells them the exact same thing I did, over a pair of clearance jeans that cost ten dollars. Ten dollars.

If you want to return something: cool. If you want to return something your daughter vomited on: not so much.

P.S. I don’t actually hate retail. I like my coworkers and supervisors. Most of the customers I have no problems with. It’s a select few that annoy me. On one hand, they drive me crazy. On the other, they provide a lot of entertainment.

It’s almost Black Friday! 2 more days and millions will be out shopping until they drop. I won’t be one of them though. Instead, I’ll be working – retail no less. There’s a lot of information on Black Friday deals along with tips & tricks out on the Internets, but I thought I’d share what the country’s craziest day of commerce looks like from the other side.

Here’s what I’m thinking hour by hour:

Midnight – Jesus that’s a lot of people. Get me out of here!

***Doors Open***

12:15am – Sigh of relief….no one was injured or killed

1am – Hmm…it only took us 2 days to get the store ready and it’s been trashed in an hour. Some things never change.

1:30am – Damn we’re really busy. Look at this line. Merchandise is almost literally flying off the shelves. Hope no one gets too pissed when we sell out of the item they had to have.

3am – Whoa. Where did the last hour and a half go? Like that feeling when you drive someplace, arrive, but have no memory of actually getting there.

4am – Hey, I’m still awake! Most customers have been cool, but man that one woman was a complete witch…”I’m sorry but we don’t carry XXXXXL.” “WELL THAT IS RIDICULOUS. THAT’S DISCRIMINATION.” Facepalm.

6am - I’m like a cashier robot. “Receipt with you or in the bag?” is my motto.

8am – Is is time to go home yet? My supervisor doesn’t answer. Buller? Buller?

9am – Home. Leftovers from Thanksgiving. SLEEP.

Have a great Thanksgiving & Black Friday everyone! Posting will resume on Monday!

I landed a job yesterday! It’s a retail position at a company you’ve all heard of. I’m not revealing the specific company – I don’t want any blogging/employer issues. I also don’t want any of you coming to visit to me at work. That’s creepy. Don’t come to my house either.

So this job is one more thing I’m adding to my plate, along with school, hanging with friends, and family obligations. Some might think it’s not a good idea to work at the same time you’re attending school, but I disagree.

1. Working a part-time job is going to force you to get your work done with plenty of time to spare. This is a good thing. Busyness makes you tackle the things you need to complete. My grades in high school were actually higher when I was playing sports (fall and spring quarters), and therefore, busier. Running 40 miles a week takes a good amount of time – I can practically guarantee a part-time job will require less commitment.

2. Financially, a job is great. You receive a consistent cash-flow and while the amount may not be large, it’s something. Enough to pay for books perhaps or the interest on your student loans. It’s also nice to have money when you want to go out with friends. A few hundred dollars a month can do incredible things for your budget and can help keep you from going into credit card debt. Save just $50 a month during your 4 years of college and you’ll finish with a bank account balance of $2,400. That’s a a nice graduation present! Without a job, you’ll end up using debt to finance your entire lifestyle.

Don’t be afraid to take on an additional responsibility. Most employers are flexible with hours and are willing to work within your schedule. You also never know when an entry level position might turn into something more serious once you receive that degree.

If you’re a teen and never held a job before, the interview can be a terrifying experience. You have no idea of what to expect and you want to make the best impression you can. Follow these tips and you’ll be off to a great start.

1. Arrive on time.
This is probably the most important rule I can think of. If you can’t even get to to the interview on time, how will a manager know you’ll come to work on time? Especially for the retail type jobs teens hold, employers want someone who shows up for every shift on time. Bonus tip: On those online application tests, when/if they ask you how many times do you think it’s OK to be late in a month, the answer is always ZERO. Always.

2. Dress to Impress.
Yes, it’s the same tip you’ve heard over and over again. But that doesn’t mean it’s not important. While you don’t necessarily need to go in with a suit and tie for most jobs, you still need to look presentable. I aim to dress like I see the current employees dressing, maybe a step above that. For example, during my last interview, I wore khaki pants and a thin sweater. Nice, but not overly dressy. Basically, stay away from T-shirts, shorts, and anything ripped or torn.

3. Cell Phone –> Off
No interviewer will be impressed by a ringing phone during the middle of your discussion. Keeping it on silent (Note: vibrate is NOT silent) is an option too, but you might get nervous and start thinking “Is it really on silent?”. Keeping it off, but in your pocket, can also be helpful if you have to fill out more paperwork during the interview and you need phone numbers for references.

4. Be Polite
Smile. Laugh if the person interviewing makes a joke. You want to appear friendly and nice. Also, be confident. Explain why you want the job. How does it fit you? Don’t come off cocky. Stick to your positives and act like you want to be there.

5. Follow Up
Unless you are told right then and there that you’re hired, remember to check on your status a few days later. If a week goes by and you’ve heard nothing, definitely call back and ask for an update. Don’t appear desperate or act annoying by calling everyday. Mangers need time to think about who the best applicants are.