I thought I knew it all when I graduated from college. I could do no wrong and the world was my oyster. Boy, was I in for a rude awakening, especially when it came to money and finances.

The idea behind this post is to spotlight the 5 pieces of advice that I wish someone had given me when I graduated. It sure would have saved me a lot of heartache.

There is no denying that college is expensive. It doesn’t matter whether you attempt to acquire a traditional degree or an online degree either; pursuing a higher education takes some serious cash. And while loans and scholarships is the route that many take to pay for school, these options may leave you in debt or only cover partial tuition costs, respectively.

However, if you are looking for a way to go to school completely free while being guaranteed a job directly after graduation, an alternative way is to find a “corporate sponsor” to foot the bill.

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Most of us are familiar with the frustration that comes with waiting for a raise. You don’t want to ask directly because you’re afraid it may cause problems and your boss hasn’t exactly initiated the conversation, either. HR services can only get you so far and walking that tightrope can be tricky.

How do you ask for a raise without creating problems? Is that even possible?

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It is no secret that when you go to buy car, life, home, or other insurance the insurance company is going to ask you a lot of questions. Why? They want to know what kind of risk you are.

Knowing the amount of risk you represent helps them first determine if they want to insure you, and secondly, what price to charge you for the insurance. However, have you thought that you should also be assessing your risk in buying insurance from a particular company?

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Recently, I saw a segment on the Rachael Ray Show about how to increase your chances of winning the lottery. Her guest, Richard Lustig, wrote a book on it since he won the lottery seven times.

I don’t really advocate playing the lottery instead of looking for a job or saving and investing your money. But I also don’t see anything wrong with playing the lottery for fun if it’s in your budget.

I found it interesting that this author had 3 simple strategies to increase your chances of winning the lottery.

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You can travel around the world without breaking the bank. Traveling is considered a luxury by most people. With the uncertain economic times, most hesitate to travel due to budget constraints. But exploring the world need not be expensive. You can travel on a budget and still have the best time of your time.

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I was away last week because I gave birth to my first child.

The whole birth experience was quite an ordeal, going in and out of the hospital, getting admitted to the hospital to be induced, under stressful circumstances, and then getting discharged 12 hours later, without giving birth, by someone who wasn’t my doctor.

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My baby is due soon and I’m saving all I can. I never felt financially ready for a baby, but if I waited until I was, it would probably never happen!

Babies are no doubt expensive. And living on a tight budget is challenging with a newborn on the way.

Here are some of the average set up costs for having a baby, and this doesn’t even include diapers, baby wipes, formula, or childcare.

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I'm 6 weeks away from my due date and was ordered by my doctor to go on bed rest. I wasn't prepared for this since I was planning to get some stuff done.

Now I can't really do too much. =( I'm supposed to lie down most of the day except to use the bathroom, eat, and shower. Can't really do much lying in bed, except fall asleep.

I will try to enjoy sleeping as much as I can before the baby comes. She is getting big so I have a feeling she may arrive a few weeks before her due date.

I've gotten some guest posts for my blog which is awesome! If you're interested in writing for my blog, here is more info:

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Would you like to learn more about personal finance subjects for free? You can by taking free online courses. Some of these courses provide detailed information about a particular topic while others provide a basic overview of personal finance. Here are some of the quality free courses available online:

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Dear Fans and Readers of Living Richly on a Budget,

Thank you for following and supporting my blog! Currently, we have 192 Facebook fans and 92 Twitter followers. Traffic to the site has quadrupled since November, since I have been posting more. Yay!

As some of you know, I am pregnant with my first child. The baby is due next month. Today, I was put on bed rest. That means I’m supposed to be resting in bed all day, except when I have to eat, shower, etc. I may not be able to write as much for now. =(

I would like to keep this blog going but I need your help. If you would like to contribute to Living Richly on a Budget with a guest post or two, that would be awesome! If you know anyone who would like to guest post, that would be great too.

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Now that Apple has announced the iPad 2, the original iPad has be discounted $100, to the new price of $399.

Here’s what’s new in version 2 of the iPad, as spoofed by the Conan O’Brien show in this hilarious iPad 2 parody.

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Did you know that if you register your Starbucks gift card, you can earn rewards? You can earn free refills for coffee or tea, free soymilk add-ons, and a free drink on your birthday!

All you have to do is go to Starbucks.com and register your card. The minimum balance to get started is $5.

Here's a list of free stuff you can get:

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Losing your job is one of the most stressful things you can go through. However, it doesn’t give you an excuse to not pay your taxes or pay attention to tax deductions that you qualify for.

It is important to remember that unemployment compensation is taxable.

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“Do not let circumstances influence your thoughts and moods. By rising over them mentally, you will eventually rise over them materially.” - Remez Sasson

“If you focus on the possible when you experience difficult situations, you can positively change your outlook, reduce your stress, and concentrate on achieving things that otherwise may not have been possible.” – Catherine Pulsifer

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Best Buy’s new Buy Back Program has been getting a lot of buzz lately.

When you buy a product from Best Buy and purchase the Buy Back Program ($69.99 – $299.99), you can return it within a certain amount of time and percentage of its value as cash back via a Best Buy gift card.

It’s basically a trade-in program that you pay for.

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Today is my grandmother's funeral but the kicker is that I am not allowed to attend because I'm pregnant.

I know it sounds ridiculous, but it's a Chinese tradition that pregnant women are not supposed to attend funerals, cemeteries, etc to protect the unborn baby. My husband can't even be a pallbearer because of it. There are probably other superstitions that are connected to it too.

Although I don't believe in the superstitions, I have to respect them.

When my grandmother was sick in the hospital, before she passed, I was told not to go visit her, in fear that I might catch an illness that may affect the baby. But once I found out her condition got worse, I went anyway.

And I'm glad I did. Because two days later, she passed away in her sleep, in the hospital, at the ripe old age of 91.

I was really upset when I was told I couldn't go to the funeral, but I know my grandmother would not have wanted me to go. Such is life.

She left this world knowing that her great grandchild was going to be born. And she even left my baby a gift.

I'll miss her dearly.

Being unemployed and pregnant, I have to really watch what I spend at the moment. Having a baby is expensive, not only with medical bills but with all the stuff that a baby needs.

Things that we needed were a crib, baby clothes, changing table, etc. Everything adds up. So I was on a mission to find free, gently used, baby stuff.

The first place that I turned to was Freecycle.org. It’s a nonprofit network of local Yahoo groups in your community, where you can post stuff you want to pass on or want. The purpose of Freecycle is to keep perfectly good stuff out of landfills.

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The one story that dominated the news last week was the story of a homeless man with a golden voice.

This inspiring overnight, rags-to-riches story about Ted Williams, former felon now the most sought after voice-over talent, gives us hope that our circumstances can change for the better at any given moment.

He knew what his strength was, his commanding voice, and made it known on a cardboard...

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The new tax law, signed by President Obama on December 17, 2010, temporarily extends the 2001 – 2003 federal income tax rate cuts, extends unemployment for 13 months, implements new payroll tax breaks, reestablishes the estate tax, and more.

This is good news for most taxpayers. With this long recession, we all need tax breaks, don’t we?

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Not only is 2011 the year for extension of tax cuts, but it’s also the year we get 3 extra days to file our taxes. Tax day has been extended to April 18 for 2011 only.

Why? Emancipation Day, a holiday that celebrates the freeing of slaves in Washington D.C. falls on Sat., April 16, but is...

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I love anything that will save time. And time is money. I’ve been using my iPhone to deposit checks for the past few months. I was apprehensive at first, but since it’s so easy, I have avoided unnecessary trips to the bank.

To test the deposit, I have actually deposited a check at the bank and deposited another check with the iPhone app on the same day. Both checks were posted in my account in the same amount of time, after Chase approved the deposits.

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It's been an interesting year. Here are the top 10 posts for my blog.

1. Free 2010 Hello Kitty Calendar

2. True Life: I Can No Longer Afford My Lifestyle

3. How American Airlines Saved $3 Million/Yr.

4. Costco Gift Baskets

5. How We Paid Off a Huge Debt

6. How to Type a Heart on Your Keyboard

7. How I Saved Over $100 a Month

8. Free 2010 Calendar Template

9. Unemployment Extension of 2010 Passes, Do You Qualify?

10. How NOT to Pay Off Debt

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This week, I hosted the Money Hacks Carnival #106 - The Savvy Saver Edition. Check it out.

My blog post, 5 tips on how to find a job in this economy was included in this week's Money Hacks Carnival. Great tips and interesting articles:

Very cool! Learn how to type a heart, music note, and other shapes on your keyboard.

Friday only!

Did you know that if you lose your house to foreclosure or short sale, you could still owe the lender money? [url}http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/if-you-lose-your-house-you-might-still-have-to-pay[/url]

My blog, Living Richly on a Budget, was included in the Money Hacks Carnival #102! The Money Hacks Carnival is a traveling carnival hosted on a different personal finance site each Wednesday. The carnival is a collection of the week’s best articles on personal finance, making money, and frugal living.

If you have been gifted with restaurant gift cards over the holidays and you don't plan on using them. Here's how you can make money with them.