Budgeting

I know; you'd rather have a root canal than work on your monthly budget and I'm with you (well almost -- I remember having a root canal and I think I'd rather work on my budget!). However here is why working with a budget is essential: you have to gauge how much money you have, how much you're spending, how much you're saving (or not saving), and make necessary adjustments or you're going to be in the red (read debt) and not have a clue about why. A budget is like the speedometer in your car; it tells you how fast you're going on the freeway to avoid a speeding ticket or how rapidly your savings account is growing or diminishing (hopefully growing). A budget also tells you if your plan is working.

How to set a budget and stick with it appeared on Yahoo! Finance. The article also gives you a good guideline to follow re: how much to allocate to essentials, discretionary, and savings.

Colleges That Change Lives

Looking for a college where you can make a difference in the world? Colleges That Change Lives started from a book by Loren Pope though it has no official affiliation with the author. Use the site as a resource for finding a college where you can make your mark on the world.

Need a Job?

The Career/Transfer Center at City has job listings! Employers can also post jobs on their site. For info, go to https://www.collegecentral.com/sdcity/ or contact the Career/Transfer Center in M-101 or 619-388-3722.

Saving Lives

Yukio Shige tries to save people who are about to commit suicide. He does it because he wants to help. At Japan's suicide cliffs, he's walked 609 people back from the edge appeared in MSN News.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

8-Year-Old Makes a Difference

Kindness can make a difference, at a football game or otherwise. 8-year-old noticed a boy holding back tears at football game, kindly offers him a seat until his dad arrives appeared on Yahoo! Lifestyle.

Scholarship Site

This college scholarship site doesn't require a login or registration. You can also browse scholarships and grants by category.

Suicide Prevention

This is an issue that deserves attention: Veterans Organization Places 5,520 Flags to Raise Awareness of Veteran and Military Suicide This Year appeared on ABC News.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

$ Playing "Fortnite"

Can you make money playing video games? Yes, find out how. This 26-Year-Old Makes $500,000 Every Month Playing 'Fortnite' In His Bedroom — Here's How He Does It appeared on MSN Money.

Worth Noticing

In our society, it's easy to get caught up in what is wrong with the world. This is an example of what's right: Youngster Tenderly Helps an Elderly Woman: A Simple Inspiring Act of Kindness Caught on Video appeared on MSN News. Maurice Adams, Jr. -- we salute your kindness.

Donovan Mitchell -- Kindness Personified!

This NBA All Star should be recognized for a lot more than his basketball skills. Donovan Mitchell's Acts of Kindness in Salt Lake City Continue appeared on Yahoo Sports.

Want To Be a Teacher? Read This 1st

If you are considering becoming a teacher, read about one person's experience before you go all in. I Love Being a Teacher -- But It's Not For Everyone appeared on MSN Lifestyle.

Negotiate A Good Price

Did you know that in negotiating a price, you should make an offer and then stay silent? This article tells you why and provides other tips for getting the lowest price. 10 Tips for Negotiating a Better Price on Anything appeared in MSN Money.

Comic-Con -- Write for the Entertainment Industry

Write for the Entertainment Industry

Would you like to write for TV? In 2017, I attended Comic-Con International, the annual popular arts extravaganza held every summer at the San Diego Convention Center. This is what I learned at a panel called “The Writer’s Journey: Breaking In and Managing a Career In Hollywood,” featuring advice from four industry professionals: Brandon Easton, Geoffrey Thorne, Ubah Mohamed, and Tony Puryear.

The Experts

Brandon Easton was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2014 for Watson and Holmes by New Paradigm Studios. His writing credits include Marvel’s Agent Carter and IDW’s M.A.S.K.

Geoffrey Thorne is a TV producer and has worked on TNT’s The Librarians and Marvel Comic’s Mosaic as well as USA Network’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Ubah Mohamed has written for DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and ABC’s The Whispers.

Tony Puryear is an artist and writer and he worked on the Schwarzenegger film, Eraser and Dark Horse’s graphic novel, Concrete Park.  

Find Your Muse

Tony Puryear encouraged the audience to find their muse: “Being a writer is a holy calling. You must get in a quiet place and listen. It’s like joining a cult of one.”

Other panelists added: Never chase a trend because it leads to a brick wall. Instead, go after what you feel passionate about.

Decide what kind of writer you want to be: TV, motion picture, comics and graphic novels, or novels because they are different. Then research the business thoroughly. Find out everything you can about that industry—the roles, the terminology, the people, the ins and outs.

Paid Off $68K in Loan Debt

Kudos to Guen Garrido, who paid off $68K in student loan debt without winning the Lotto. How One Millennial Paid Off $68,600 in Just Over 3 Years appeared on MSN Money.

A Good Deed Gets Rewarded

J'Mmar Coleman probably wasn't thinking of a reward when he helped a man who had just wrecked his car, but karma does happen. Migos Rapper Offset, Cardi B's Fiance, Buys Good Samaritan A Car For Helping Him After Accident appeared in Good Morning America and Yahoo! News. 

Making a Difference

As a boy, James Harrison received 13 units of blood during a surgery. It may have saved his life. Since then he has made it his life's mission to help others by donating blood. For Six Decades, ‘the Man with the Golden Arm’ Donated Blood — and Saved 2.4 Million Babies appeared in MSN News and The Washington Post.

Job Security

If job security is important to you, here are the jobs with the most job security. The 30 Jobs with the Best (and Worst) Job Security also shows the job's unemployment rate, how many are in the labor force, median annual wage, projected job growth, and entry level education needed.

Texas Teen Gets Into 20 Colleges

"Micheal Brown, 17, is a senior at Lamar High School in Houston. He got into Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford and Georgetown."

Texas Teen Gets Into 20 Colleges, Receives Full Ride to All of Them appeared on Yahoo! News.